Chapter
14
"Bye,
Kate!" Jennie called, as Katelyn grabbed her bag and climbed slowly out of
Jennie's car. "Thank you so so much for taking me with you! This was
totally awesome!" Jennie said.
Katelyn had to
smile. "You're welcome," she said. "I'll see you later."
"Okay!
Bye!" Jennie said. She started the car and pulled out of the drive.
Katelyn gave her one final wave and watched as Jennie drove away. Then she took
a shaky breath and started up the walk to the front porch.
When she got
to the front door, she opened it as quietly as possible, but it was old and
creaked as it was opened. Katelyn gasped as soon as she stepped inside. Janet
stood in the middle of the living room, staring right at Katelyn. Her eyes were
narrowed, her lips pressed into a straight line.
Katelyn stood
stock still, not sure of what to say or do. She wanted to run straight up to
her room and lock the door, but she knew doing so would only make Janet
angrier.
"Where
the hell have you been?" Janet asked, her voice low and menacing.
"I…I,"
Katelyn stammered, not sure whether to tell the truth or make up a lie.
Finally, she decided on the truth. "I won a radio contest and got to go to
a concert," she said softly.
"What
concert? Where at?" her mother demanded, her voice increasing in volume.
"A Backstreet
Boys concert in Lexington, Kentucky," Katelyn mumbled.
"Kentucky?!"
Janet screamed. She flew over to her daughter and grabbed her roughly by the
shoulders. Katelyn shrieked and dropped her duffel bag and purse. Janet shook
Katelyn violently, her long fingernails digging into Katelyn's skin. "What
the hell where you thinking, going to Kentucky without even telling me?!!"
Janet yelled. Tears filled Katelyn's eyes. She jerked away from her mother, but
Janet grabbed the back of her shirt and yanked her around. "You little
shit, don't you dare pull away from me!!" Janet screamed. She raised her
hand and slapped Katelyn hard across the cheek. Katelyn began to sob and rubbed
her stinging cheek. Then in one quick instant, she pushed her mother away from
her and ran down the hall. But Janet was quick. She grabbed a large, glass
figurine from off a small table in the living room and hurled it at Katelyn.
Her aim was good, and it hit Katelyn right in the back of the head, then fell
to the floor, breaking into pieces. Katelyn stopped and grabbed her head, then
crumpled into a heap on the hall floor.
Janet stormed
over to her. "You little bitch!" she cried, kicking Katelyn in the
stomach, even though she had been knocked unconscious. "Look at what you
made me do!" She began to cry angry tears as she bent and picked up the
broken pieces of her expensive figurine. She uttered a cry of rage as she
dropped the broken glass into the trash can. Then she walked back to Katelyn,
who was still unconscious. She sighed, then grabbed Katelyn by the arms and
dragged her into her bedroom. She left her lying on her bedroom floor and left,
closing the door behind her. She walked out to the kitchen and grabbed a beer
from the refrigerator.
***
