4, Welcome To Echo

Guess who's back

***

Here I was again after nearly five years. When I left this dump, I promised myself I'd never come back and yet here I was, back at good old Echo Creek. 

Somebody kill me.

"Are you nervous? Scared?", my mom asks me as she drives down the street. My forehead was layed gently on the passenger side window. I studied the place quite well. The old buildings were a jumble of different styles. All rickety old hair salons, marble and brick houses, the huge stone church that everyone in this little town went to. 

Everything had been beaten down and baked by the sun yet still, nothing had really changed. It was still grey, small and quiet. Though there was feint laughter and the smell of freshly baked doughnuts lingering from Mama May's Bakery across the corner, it was still just a small town with small minded people. It was still just good ole' Echo Creek.

"Kelsie?", my mom spoke up. 

I clear my throat then turn away from the window. "Yeah?"

"I asked how you're feeling. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine mom"

"If you start to lose your shit, you could call me or Miss Nadia or Ryder or even Trip", she says, “We all just want you to be happy and if being here doesn't make you happy that's okay"

I said nothing. Not to be rude, just because I didn't have anything to say. Quite frankly, what is there to say anyway?

We pulled into the driveway of my dad's house. It wasn't a big house. It wasn't small either. It was just, comfortable you could say. 

My mom held my cheek and gave me a soft kiss before we both got out of the car.

Kevin Burklin, more often referred to as my father, walked up to me stretching his hands out for me to hug him. I backed away slightly and put up a hand shake gesture.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you not like hugs?", he asks. Tears swelling up in his eyes. I'm guessing it being his first time seeing me in almost 5 years, he was pretty emotional. I wasn't though. Hell, if Miss Nadia was here she'd probably write my reaction down in her little notebook.

"I like hugs", I respond, "I just don't wanna hug you"

My mom cleared her throat loudly. Signalling for me to be nicer. 

"It's good to see you Kevin", I try. He shakes my hand.

"It's really really good to see you too Kelsie"

"Hi Kevin", mom says to him and He responds by saying, "Hey Rosetta" and planting a kiss on her forehead. They're still pretty friendly with each other. I hate it but, what can I do?

"Is Ciara home? I wanna say hi" Mom

"Uh. No.... she went to pick up Kiara from some friends house"

"Okay, well tell her I said hey. I have to head out now"

My parents hugged once more before my mom turned to me and pulled me in for a tight squeeze fest. She kissed my cheek almost five times and whispered that she loved me. I said it back, I'm not a monster. I watched her drive off onto the old dusty road and then Mr. Burklin and I walked into his home.

I was now walking through the corridor of the house, making my way towards Kylie's old room. 

"Well, this is it". My dad said as he opened the bedroom door and made way for me to go through it.

Entering the room was strange to me. It was like seeing Kylie all over again. Feeling her.

I looked around for a second. The walls were a deep pink that pulsed in the light, they were covered with a bunch of random posters, mostly of some band called cigarettes after sex. 

Her bed was clean and well made, two stuffed animals sat ontop of her moderately sized grey pillow. One was a red turtle with black marble eyes and the other was a black and white panda bear.

A wooden desk sat in one corner, littered with pieces of paper and a few pens. A few shelves were pushed against the walls and filled with books and shoes. Some books sat on the floor in front of the shelves.

"This room hasn't been touched since her last visit", my dad spoke out. Something inside me broke.

"Dinner will be in a few hours. Kiara will be back in about 15 minutes", he tried, "I'll be in the study two rooms away if you need me. Make yourself at home"

I waited anxiously for him to walk out of the room before taking my backpack off and pulling out Kylie's diary.

------

Saturday, June 22nd...

I finally got to see Noah today. Things were kind of awkward after last summer but, He's always a fun time and he makes me feel comfortable. Besides, I finally got to go to camp and I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty nerve-wracking at first but, I met a bunch of really cool people, did alot of fun things. Honestly, I'm really glad I went. 

It's kind of....

-------

Before I could finish reading her last sentence, the door creaked open and I immediately closed the diary shut.

"Woah, you look just like her", the person said with such a dulcet tone in their voice. It was Kiara.

I didn't even see her at the funeral. She's not even close to how I remember her looking in the pictures from when she was around ten. I have to admit, for someone only a couple months younger than me, she looks pretty grown. There's no denying she was gorgeous though, she held herself like her upper spine was rubber, shoulders falling forwards. 

Her skin was a warm walnut kind of colour. Her long, straight, natural black hair was tied in a slick ponytail and her face was full of heavy makeup, heavily applied blush and her lips were as red as any 1950's movie star. I studied her abit more, she had small peaked breasts, and tiny little hands, and a nose like a daisy bud with freckles sprinkled across it. Her eyes were a golden brown colour, liquid and cool.

"Uhm", she nervously utters. "How are you? It's cool to like, meet you and stuff. Well, In real life”

I processed my response. Just like Miss Nadia had told me too. "I'm as good as someone could be after losing their sister and being forced to live with her estranged father and the woman he chose over her mother. How are you?"

She laughs nervously, “Yeah, I’m good”

I flashed a fake smile. The room went silent.

"I...uhm..I kind of got you something", she dangled a silver metallic diamond bracelet in the atmosphere. "I don't know if you recognise it?"

Kiara tossed it to me. I held it in my palm and my eyes started to swell up with tears.

"Kylie had the exact same one", I squeak 

I looked up and saw a tear escape Kiara's eyes.

"Girls!", Kevin's voice called out from the living room.

I wiped my tears and sniffed softly.

"We should go. Noah's probably really excited to see you", Kiara whispered 

Noah? I recognised his name immediately from Kylie's diary but, why would he be excited to see me?

I walked towards the living room and spotted Kevin talking to someone. I couldn't see who at first, he was blocking my view.

I clear my throat and Kevin looks back. Coming from behind him was this male model of a human being. He was tall, and not too tall either. Just, tall enough to where I'd have to go on my toes to give him a hug. He had nutty, dark brown hair that curled up, but only on the top.

He took a couple of steps towards me and pulled me into a tight hug. The inch of my nose touched his warm neck and I breathed in his scent. It was nothing at all like any of the guys back home. Not even Trip.

His scent was so much more...what's the word? Erotic. 

I didn't recognise whatever cheap cologne he used but it started to intermingle with the outlandish aroma of cinnamon and freshly cut grass.

We pulled away from the hug at the same time. When he caught my eye he smiled shyly, which I didn't expect, I sneered at him and moved back.

"It has been far too long", he says, not breaking contact with my eyes for even a second.

"I feel kinda bad. I don't really remember you", I say with zero emotions whatsoever.

I could see the excitement in his eyes start to slowly be replaced by embarrassment.

"I uh, I used to sit with you during recess. You were in second grade, Kylie and I were in third.", he tried. 

Nope. Still don’t remember.

"Kids used to call me nose picker Perkins", he chuckled. So did I. 

"Oh, no way”, I remembered with a smile. "Nose picker Perkins! I remember you now. You certainly don't look like you pick your nose anymore"

"Well, only on weekends", he joked. I giggled along with him.

"It's real cool you guys still remember each other", Kiara walked in and intertwined her hand with Noah's as if to mark her territory. Noah planted a kiss on her forehead and smirked at her. I just stood there, gawking.

"I thought the three of us could go for a ride around town", Noah requested, "I am so sure there is alot you are excited to see after all this while"

"Not really", I respond nicely.

"Oh", 

"I guess, if it means that much to you guys we could go", I say. It would help me get a better feel of Kylie's life here.

The Corners of Noah's pink lips curled.

"Great. We should head out right now before dinner. Mom hates when I'm late"

I nod my head and the three of us make our way into Noah's car. It was a white Chevrolet pickup truck with a dent on it's right side. 

Kylie's p.o.v 

I sat down on the bench outside Mama May's Bakery and waited patiently for Noah to arrive. He was gonna take me some place special. A secret place, he said. I was dressed in a red plaid long-sleeved t-shirt, a white top and some black ripped jeans

My style in Echo Creek was always much simpler than my style in Yellow Oak.

I pulled my phone out from my pocket and checked the time. It was 6.30, I had to be home by nine. Where the hell is Noah?

As if almost immediately, I put my phone back in my pocket and Noah pulled up in his white Chevrolet pickup truck. It was brand new. He just got it for his birthday.

"Hey", I smile while I enetered the passenger side and sat down. He smiles back.

"Are you ready?", he asks 

"Yeah. Where are we going?", I ask

He rolls up both our windows then pulls my chin towards him and plants a soft kiss on my lips. "You will know when we get there"

****

Alright readers! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I spent almost the whole day writing it. Lol.

Comment you favorite parts! Vote and don't forget to share!

Chapter's Question: How do y'all feel about Noah? 

Let me know your thoughts! Xoxo, Lakish'a