pink necklace

Some help Dan was. Dylan was the worst as far as Amanda was concerned. Why did she have to be stuck with them? She hated their music. Their whispering. Then the yelling.

"God knows what they are doing in there?" She was trying to get the clothes in the wash and fold towels in the livingroom. It was an on going mess. Not much had changed. She was just more tired.

"What?" Derrick was naturally in his own little world with his electric guitar. He was one spoiled little boy as far as Amanda was concerned. She never asked him to do anything. Mom never had. He was her baby. Amanda tensed when she thought of the word baby.

"Just take your clothes, please." She insisted then.

He took his jeans and undies to his room with a bit of angst. She expected as much, but she didn't care.

She heard them going again at it down in the basement. Amanda walked closer to the stairwell in the kitchen.

"She hates me!" It was Dylan. "You're fuck'n sister hates me!"

"Come on, man...." How many times was Dan going to say that? It was getting no one nowhere.

Just then the doorbell rang. They quieted down. Amanda went to answer it. It was Kyle along with Nick and someone Amanda had never met.

Kyle handed over her presents then.

She just let them in and felt as if Nick and this other guy were just watching her. She so wanted to say "BOO!" but she didn't.

"You didn't have too," she shrugged.

"Why not?"

"I dunno." She went off to the kitchen then and put the little boxes on the diningroom table.

Kyle made himself at home. He checked to see what was on the stove. Just some left over vegetable soup.

"What did you have for Christmas?" Kyle looked at Amanda then.

"Just left over pizza from the night before." She shrugged.

"You should have came to my house," he told her.

She felt like ice when he said that.

"Did you talk to your Mom yet?" Kyle asked.

"Sort of," Amanda thought she might suddenly be sick. She sat down at the table then and just started ripping the packages open then without asking. "I don't know if she was even listening to me."

"Well, you tried," Kyle nodded. "You need to tell your Dad?"

"Why? You haven't told your parents yet?" Amanda winced as she pulled the little box open.

"It really wouldn't do much good to tell my Dad."

"Mine, either, he's never home." She shook her head.

"At least you know where he is," Kyle told her. "We've got Ellie's brother here and his friend Lonnie."

"So that's who that curly headed guy is?" She looked at the necklace then. He got it out of the box and put it around her neck.

"Good old Lonnie," Kyle smiled. He then looked at the necklace around her neck. "It looks good on you."

"Thanks," She got up then to get his booty dolls.

Derrick was entertaining Nick and Lonnie. He even had them jamming with him.

She ran up the stairs then, wishing she hadn't. She had to keep moving or she might fall asleep, but once she found her bed she just wanted to sit there and stare at the crocheted dolls. Kyle found her in her room then. She pulled at the squared shape on the necklace. It broke.

Something so simple made her cry as if it were a bad omen.

Kyle took it. "I'll get you a new chain. A nice chain," he nodded. "Promise." He sat down next to her and held her hand.

Amanda smiled weakly.

"I wish you'd had a better Christmas," Kyle said.

"That's OK." She nodded.

"You gotta know, I want things better for you. I do." He told her putting his arm around her. He kissed the side of her face, and she felt warm again. They kissed then, and it was different. Somehow, but a good different. She hugged him as if she didn't want to let go since so many things were letting go. She didn't want this one thing to fade away too.