Until Today by Pam Fluttert Page B

At first he thought it might be because of our fight, but he thinks it’s something more. He said that things were weird the other night with you and your parents and even Greg.”
    Panic begins to close in around me. What did Scott see? Everything begins to darken. Concentrate, Kat. Stay with it. I take a deep breath and force my mind to focus on Steph. I’m not ready to talk about it yet. If I tell, I can never go back. If I tell, I’ll be the bad one.
    â€œKat?”
    I force a smile. “Scott was imagining things. Everything’s fine. The usual – you know, Sarah pulls a pout for attention, Dad immediately sides against me, and everything is my fault. And what would Scott know? I’ve hardly seen him lately.” It takes all my concentration to keep my voice light.
    â€œYeah, he’s been really moody at home, and for some reason he’s hanging out with those Science geeks at school…. So that’s it? Just the usual family chaos?”
    I nod. “You know how it can be around here.” I turn away to avoid Steph’s eyes. Can I fool her after all our years of friendship?
    â€œYeah. How’re things now?”
    I shrug. “Don’t know. I haven’t been here much. Yesterday at breakfast I got the cold shoulder. Then I went to work and stayed late, so I haven’t really seen either of my parents since.”
    â€œWhy did Sarah take off?”
    â€œWe had a stupid argument about…pizza, and she had a hissy fit.”
    â€œHmmm. Let’s talk about more exciting things,” Steph suggests, and I’m in total agreement, as long as those more exciting things have nothing to do with Mike.
    We talk for over an hour about school, music, gossip, and anything else we can think of.
    I even tell Steph about Taylor, without mentioning Taylor’s name or who her family is.
    â€œWow, you mean this poor kid’s father has been beating her and she’s been afraid to tell anybody?” Steph plops a grape into her mouth.
    â€œYeah, he’s been threatening her all along.”
    â€œBut still, even after all the threats, she could have told somebody. What’s her problem?”
    My gut clenches. I mentally count to ten, trying to cool my anger at Steph’s naïve question.
    As if sensing my mood, Steph says, “Oh well, at least everything’s for the best now. You actually made a difference in somebody’s life. It sounds like she’d still be crying in that hospital bed if you hadn’t helped her. That’s cool.”
    I feel a bit better. I never thought of it that way. Who would have figured I could make a difference in somebody’s life?
    â€œHmmm, I suppose.”
    â€œHey, let’s get out of here for awhile. Mike and some of his friends are hanging out down by the dam this afternoon. You want to go?”
    I should have been prepared for Mike’s name to come sooner or later, but I wasn’t. I don’t want to go hang out with him and his friends, but I’m not ready to lose Steph again, now that we’re back on track.
    â€œCome on, I really want you to get to know Mike. He’s not that bad.”
    â€œWell…I guess so.”
    â€œGreat! I have to run home and change. Hey, why don’t I bring an outfit back for you?” Steph eyes my tattered sweats and pullover.
    â€œI don’t know. I’m kind of comfortable and…” I hesitate, thinking about the afternoon we’ve just had together. I feel good about making a difference in Taylor’s life. I do want to help myself, so why not start with a new look?
    An hour later, we leave the house and walk to the dam. It’s only about a fifteen-minute walk from the house. That gives me time to adjust to the heels Steph insisted I wear.
    With every step I take Steph’s short skirt feels like it’s hiking up my thighs. I pull down on it for what seems like the hundredth time, when Steph smacks my