the pain it suppresses

Ellie wanted to tell everyone that morning at breakfast about Kyle and his sleepover which was obviously on going. Roxie wasn't missing. After all.

But then again, she didn't want to be made a fool of either. Knowing Kyle, he'd cover his tracks somehow. He was like that. Mr. Casual and cool always to the rescue, and never ever wrong.

However, this didn't stop her from stomping his foot once they got outside on the way to school.

"How could you!" She was cross, and it felt so good to do at least a little damage to him

"What do you mean!" He cringed at the pain and hobbled a bit.

"I know she's in your room. She didn't runaway, did she?"

"Roxie?"

"Come on, you should get an Academy award for your fine performance at school. Why did you do that? Huh?"

"Just leave me alone." He walked away then.

"Do you want me to tell your Mom? Are you thinking Roxie can just live with you and all her problems will be over?" She followed.

"Maybe."

"Wake up from this stupid dream you're in," Ellie squinted.

"Everything is fine." He wouldn't look at her.

"Oh really?" She pulled at his backpack then. "What if she slips up? God knows, you wouldn't. But what if she does? Then what?"

"It hasn't yet, has it?" He turned to her with a stern look.

"What is it that you see in her, Kyle?" She was ready to stomp his foot, again.

"She needs me, all right." He sighed.

"She's using you, is what she's doing. You don't go with someone just to be a secret."

"Oh, and like you don't have secrets." Kyle rolled his eyes. "You sneak around with Eric all the time."

"Its not like that." At least Ellie didn't think it was that way, exactly. "I'm not keeping Eric in the basement."

"You know what I mean."

"Well, some stuff is private."

"Well, I'm a private person," Kyle said and turned to walk on to school.

"This is only going to mean trouble."

"And she'll have to move away. And I'll never see her again." He fretted.

"Well, I'm sure its not that hopeless. Not if you want her so badly. You'll figure out away to keep in touch."

"That's not enough." He turned back as she was following him down to the school. "How would you feel if Eric up and moved to England. You'd try to keep him here anyway you could. Well, that's what I'm doing. All right?"

"If you say so, but its not gonna work. Some things just aren't meant to work." Ellie hated to say it, but it was true.