~"not suppose to happen"

Keryn hummed as she walked into the house, she opened all the windows and threw herself onto the couch, in front of the television. The crisp spring air was flowing through the windows and she breathed it all in as she rested her head back, closing her eyes. There was not much point in turning the television on, there was nothing at all that she really watched these days.

RING ... RING ...

"Great" she murmured. She left it for the machine, her mood was good for the moment, she could deal with people later on. Jan was expected to call. Keryn supposed it was about her unpaid rent. She just wished that Kayla was back already. The answering machine kicked in.

"Keryn, are you there? C’mon you must be there. I need to speak, like right... now." The voice was choking. It was Justin. Keryn rushed to the phone. "Call when you get in."

She picked up the phone.

"Damn" The line had disconnected.

Whatever Justin seemed to want to talk about seemed rather serious, he was known to get into his moods, but this seemed a little strange. Keryn started dialing in the digits, feeling herself tingling with an eerie worry.

"Juss? What’s the matter?"

"You’re home. Oh Keryn. Shit shit." He was really choking up.

"Juss, tell me." Keryn was starting to panic fiercely.

"Where’s Kayla? She home? Oh Keryn. Get Kayla."

"Juss. Tell me"

"No. I am not saying this over the phone, not when you’re alone. Where’s Kayla?"

"Tulsa Justin, she’s not expected back yet."

"She’s gotta get back Keryn. Now." Keryn felt panic rush through her. She hated to think what Justin was talking about, there was the feeling of Dan in the back of her mind, drunk and on the loose, but she thought that they had everything cleared up.

"Keryn?"

"Okay okay, why won’t you tell me Juss. Should I call Kayla?"

"I am not telling you. Kayla should know first and you are alone."

Oh God, Keryn thought, doesn’t he realise he is making it worse?

"You really think that I should call Kayla and get her back here? She is half way across the United States."

"Keryn. Now, she has to come back in a few days anyway doesn’t she? GET HER BACK" Keryn felt tears spring to her eyes, he was really scaring her.

"Okay Juss, I will try and get her back tonight. Be careful okay, I don’t know what’s wrong. Don’t let it worry you. I will pick Kayl up and go straight to your house tonight okay?" Keryn heard shaken words come from her mouth.

"Thanks Keryn. Sorry." Keryn heard the click on the other end. Something was up. Something was seriously up.



Kayla wandered around the house. Ike was at his friend, Patrick’s house and Taylor and Zac had disappeared into their room. She was clearly bored. Kayla walked into the kitchen and looked into the fridge, she had an urge to make a cake. She had homework that she had to put off, so that proved an excellent reason. Kayla stretched herself up onto the bench and started rummaging through the cupboard for baking material. As she retrieved the bar of chocolate the phone rang.

"Great, just as I find something to do." She talked to herself as she went to the phone.

"Hey?" Kayla twisted the phone cord around her arm.

"Kayla. I have no idea what the hell or why and it is something serious, get your ass back to Los Angeles now!"

"What?" Kayla was confused at Keryn’s outburst.

"Justin just rang me in a mad panic, something bad has happened Kayl, something really bad, he wouldn’t tell me. Can you re-arrange your flight and get back like tonight or something? You have to do this. Come on. Just is acting really scary, he was almost crying."

A shiver of panic fizzled through Kayla. She had a feeling she knew. The shivers rushed goosebumps all over her body.

"I’ll be there. Who knows how, but I will. I’ll ring you from the plane telling you when I am coming in. Shit Keryn, I am so scared. Is it Dan?"

"Kayl, I have no clue. It might just be nothing." The pain in Keryn’s voice was showing that this was more than nothing.

Kayla felt a single tear drizzle down her face. "I will see you soon." At that she replaced the phone and reached for her bag, silently shuffling through her tickets to make the plans.



Taylor walked into the living room and examined the cushions on the couch. He was bored. An afternoon locked up with Zac had proven fun for a while, but he decided to try and find some more company.

"Kayla?" Taylor called into the empty looking house. "Kayl, where are you?"

Taylor seen Kayla run down the hall towards him, suitcases in hand, they dropped when Taylor and her eyes met. What the hell is she doing? Kayla rushed up to Taylor and threw her arms around him, tangling him in a confusing hug. Taylor felt a sense of de ja vu, remembering his first encounter at the airport with Kayla.

"Ooookay then, what’s going on? Missing Ike that bad ey?"

Kayla pulled away from Taylor, his smile dissolving, realising that she had been crying.

"Oh Kayl," he said sweetly, "what’s the matter?"

"Oh, I hate good-byes Tay."

Taylor had not realised that she was going, finally clicking at what the suitcases meant.

"What? Why? Did you and Ike fight? Want me to kill him?"

"Oh Tay. No, there is panic stations back home. Something is seriously wrong. Keryn doesn’t know what. But Justin rang her in a terrible state demanding that I come home."

This seemed like a serious situation, but Taylor was beginning to feel that Justin didn’t want these girls hanging around with him and his brothers.

"Oh Kayl, you really have to go? I’ll call Ike."

"No. It is too late. I have to go, I am about to call a cab. I will be out of your minds in five minutes. I so want to say my good-byes to Ike, but it seems impossible."

"No, I’ll drive you to the airport." Taylor started a frantic run through the house, taking the stairs to grab Zac from his room.

"Are you sure?" Kayla questioned as Taylor appeared in the room again.

"It’s the least I can do." He looked around for the keys to his car. "Zac, lock up."

Zac looked at Kayla as he observed the situation. "You’re going?"

"Bright one Zac" Taylor said dangling keys in his hand "let’s go."

The three teenagers escaped from the room and started their journey to the airport.



Ike walked into the house. He realised that Tay’s car was gone, which meant that Kayla could be here alone somewhere.

"Kayla?" Ike scanned the house. "KAYL? Are you home?"

No answer.



Kayla sat on the plane, half way listening whilst the stewardess described what would happen in an emergency. "This is a freakin’ emergency damnit!" Kayla felt like shouting at the lady. The realisation was still all too hard. Two hours ago she was contemplating on whether or not she should have a chocolate or vanilla cake, now, she was cutting her trip short and flying back across the country, trying not to think of the situation that she would face in a few hours, when she landed in Los Angeles. Tay and Zac had been completely supportive in the car. They tried not to stress Kayla about about the situation and offered to comfort Ike. Oh, Ike. What am I going to do about poor Ike? I am so pathetic. There could’ve been time for a good-bye. She tried to fight back uncontrollable tears as the plane pulled away. She imagined her boyfriend, Isaac Hanson, sitting alone, expecting her to walk in the door and start to arrange plans for that night and then Tay and Zac, perhaps waving to the plane while they waited to drive back home. She looked out the window. She was leaving Tulsa. This place seemed overly comforting, it had really done something for her this past month. A place she would visit often, whenever she could.



Keryn watched the masses of people drift through the entrance. She had managed to borrow her neighbours car to get to the airport and pick up Kayla. Keryn felt as if she would fall over if she didn’t get back on the road soon, the ride to Justin’s would be hard on the both of them. Keryn saw Kayla approach from the doors and scan the crowd. Keryn had been spotted by a drunk man, a police man and two business people as she stood there shouting and frantically, waving her arms at Kayla. Eventually she was spotted by the person she came to get and Kayla started running up to her.

"Hey, how was the flight?" Keryn asked, taking half of Kayla’s load.

"Shit. Why did you introduce me to Hanson?"

Two teenage girls glared in their direction as they walked down the street. Keryn just looked at Kayla with in confusion.

"I had no time to say bye to Ike, if he hasn’t come home yet from Pat’s then he still thinks he is going to be walking in and going out for dinner with me."

"Oh no. Tay will explain." Keryn tried to offer some comfort. "Ike will understand."

"I don’t even bloody understand Keryn."

Kayla said as she threw herself into the front of the borrowed car. "Soon Kayl, soon we will both know."

The car pulled out and drove into the dusk of the city.



It was dark in Tulsa as Taylor’s car pulled onto the front lawn and two teenagers emerged.

"What are we going to tell him, Tay?"

"The truth. I suppose, what if he’s pissed off?"

Zac liked the fact that his brother was treating him a bit more like an adult now, asking him questions and stuff.

"Well, I think we will have to deal with that if it comes, you know?"

"I suppose. When is he going to see her again?"

Zac thought for a moment. "You know, he could be pissed off."

Taylor groaned as they walked into the front door.

"Kayla? Kayl? Is that you?" They heard Ike from the living room.

"Shit." The brothers whispered together as the looked into each others eyes.

Zac burst away with Taylor following. It had to be done, the sooner the better. "Oh, hey guys." Ike smiled. "Where did all of you go?"

Taylor started pacing through the living room, he seemed to be moving into a panic.

"Well, you see.... there was a phone call a few hours ago."

Zac looked up at Taylor. "Get to the point" he mouthed. Taylor just stood there, no words coming out of his mouth. The task had been put upon Zac.

"Man, she’s gone."

"Yeah." Tay offered.

"She had to go home."

"Yeah." Tay offered.

"Something really big came up. Something serious. Keryn rang and it was a real frantic emergency" Zac explained. "She wanted to say good bye, but she had to get the first plane out of here."

"Yeah." Tay offered again.

"Tay, man. You are being a great help there, but I think I can do this by myself" Zac was getting frustrated with his brother.

"What are you guys talking about?" Ike said with a wide eyed look on his face.

"What he said." Taylor pointed at Zac. "She really wanted to say good bye, but we had minutes to drive all the way to the airport."

"Where is she now?"

"Man, she’s in Los Angeles. Something really serious happened. She had to get back there immediately."

Ike’s face fell. Zac just looked at him, feeling deep sympathy and concern for his older brother. "She could’ve said bye." Ike fell back onto the lounge.

"Perhaps you could ring her tonight." Taylor reached over to his brothers shoulder.

"Leave me alone. I can’t believe you guys didn’t ring me. Get out of my damn site now."

Taylor and Zac stood, they sensed that they should leave the room straight away. They headed for the front door.

"Tay, he blamed us."

"No, he didn’t he’s just upset."

"Looked like a blame to me." Zac sighed. "I hope he doesn’t take it out on her, I feel sorry for them."

"Yeah Zac, it must hurt."

Zac and Taylor sat on the porch and stared out at the stars, passing time until it was safe to return to the house.



Keryn and Kayla had almost finished their power walk to Justin’s house after dropping the car off to it’s home. Keryn felt that she should wait outside and be there for Kayla when she came out, whatever the circumstances.

Kayla was feeling an array of emotions. She didn’t know what she would face when she walked into the door. She had an idea though.

Keryn and Kayla arrived out the front of the house. Kayla just stared up at it. Seemed peaceful, for now anyway. Keryn took residence on the seat next to the front window.

"Aren’t you coming in?" Kayla asked as she noticed Keryn sit down.

"I don’t think it’s my place, Juss sort of said that you should know before me."

"Come in please. I feel this is going to be bad and I don’t want to be by myself."

Kayla looked at the front door. "You know what’s going to happen when we get in there Keryn?"

Keryn lowered her head to let Kayla continue.

"I am going to go in there, Dan will be drunk on the bathroom floor, Justin will have bruises all over him and I will be the one that has to put up with verbal abuse again. I don’t think I can face all this shit again."

"That’s what I thought it was going to be like Kayl." Keryn sighed.

"Are we ready?"

"Let’s go."

The door creaked open and the two girls headed into Justin’s cosy home. The heat was nice and the place seemed very peaceful. A little too peaceful. Kayla was waiting for Dan to wreck the moment, burst from one of the doors and start shouting. Kayla took at deep breath and cautiously walked through the house, Keryn keeping close behind.

Still nothing.

They walked into the kitchen.

Still nothing.

They walked out into Justin’s living room. Justin was sitting on the lounge with his face buried in his hands. He looked to be in pain.

"Oh shit, Justin, what did he do?" Kayla ran over to him on the lounge and kneeled down in front. "Justin?" He looked up, Kayla could see that their friend had been crying, for what it looked to be a few hours. "Justin? What did the bastard do?"

"Kayla. Stop. Don’t say that."

Tears started to stream down Justin’s face. Kayla following close behind. Keryn choked, she knew what was going on, she had the feeling all day. Tears started on her too and she left the room, it wasn’t her place to be there.

Kayla started to shake Justin. "What the fuck did he do?" She shouted.

"Kayl, Dan’s gone."

She looked up at Dan. "Where?!"

"No Kayl. Gone. Kayl. Oh shit."

Kayla stared into Justin’s eyes. Something inside of her started to crumble. "What?"

She mouthed, her eyes widening.

"Daniel was found dead this morning Kayla, he did it last night. Himself..... He comm.." Justin started to drift off into his own little world. He just sat back on the lounge.

Kayla laid back on the floor. "What?" She mouthed again. "What?"

Chapter twenty-two HOME Chapter twenty-four
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