KMC Forums - The Final Kiss

Chapter One

Have you ever had the feeling that you don't fit in? Like your an outcast from the rest of society? That your different and no one can accept you for who your really are. If people knew about your true self, they would shun you from from everyday life. Like you felt all alone in the world, and all you really wanted was a friend to be by your side, to help you during your difficult times. That was what it was like for fifteen year old Marie.

She was never part of the "in" crowd at school, she had no friends, and she hardly never spoke to anyone. She sat alone at lunch, and sat in the back of the room in her classes, always keeping to herself. No one bothered her, and she didn't bother them. Her parents didn't care about her social life, or how she did in school. They really didn't care about her at all.

Her grades were average, well that's what she thought anyway. Her parents didn't congratulate her on her good works, or her hard attempts to pass. After school she always went to her room, locking herself in, writing hours on end. She wrote about her feelings, and about how she hated her life, and wanted just only a friend. But she had none, and no one wanted to befriend her either.

She had never had a friend before in her whole life, and her teachers worry about her. They had told her guidance counselor about what they thought of Marie, and the guidance counselor had tried to get through to her, but Marie remained quiet. She didn't want anyone to bother her, she had just wanted to be alone. Her parents had received a letter saying that the school thought that she showed suicidal signs, and that she was overly depressed.

Marie was indeed depressed, and she hated her life, but she never wanted to commit suicide. Even if she had tried, she didn't think that she would be able to go through with it. She was afraid of death, over anything, and the only way she would sleep at night was if her door was locked, and barred it with her chair. Her room was the only room without any windows in it. She slept near the phone, in case she had any need to use it.

Marie woke up to the sound of thunder, and the pitter patter of rain falling down. The real reason she had woken up was because of a nightmare she had had. She couldn't remember it clearly, and so she didn't ponder it any more. She looked over to her clock noticing it was four o'clock. She put her head back against her soft white pillows, and thought of the day to come. She had to get up in two hours anyways, so why bother go back to sleep?

She got up from her bed, going into the bathroom, that was next to her room. She turned on the warm water to the shower, and started to undress herself. Why was her life the way it was now? She had never asked for much at all, some friends, and a family that cared. But that was obviously too much to ask from her. She climbed in the shower as soon as it was warm for her.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Down stairs, Marie's father sat, reading his morning paper, and having his French Vanilla, cream two sugars from Dunkin' Donuts. He had heard his daughter coming out of her room, and going into the bathroom. Each day he had always prayed that his daughter's life would get better for her. He wasn't much of a father to her, and he knew that, and had regretted it every minute, but he wasn't home a lot to spend time with her.

He was an important person in the eyes of the state of Illinois. He was the Assistant District Attorney, and he spent most of his time in the office. His wife, April, she wasn't that much help to Marie, she never did anything for her, she only thought of herself. It disgusted him greatly, and he was fed up with April doing nothing for her.

The kitchen door opened slowly, as his wife, April came in. She always worried about how she looked, and cared rarely about others. The reason why he had married her was the thing that had always puzzled him. They always had rows with each other, and it ended each time with Marie slamming the front door, leaving the house.

"Jack, shouldn't you be at work by now?" April asked her sternly. "We need the money for the bills and things for me."

"We need the money?" he asked her. "We? You never do anything to help the family. You always care about yourself. Have you at least once thought of Marie, and her needs?"

"Jack, your hardly ever home to care about her. Your almost always at the office." she said, getting agitated.

"At least I care about Marie." Jack said to her. "I have always thought of her. That is why I am still married to you. Because I don't want Marie to go through all of the counciling, and to have to go from one house to the other."

"So, that's how you really feel Jack? You are only married to me, because you care about that child of ours."

Jack was angered by how April was taking this. He stood up, finishing his coffee, putting the cup in the sink, and started to up stairs. He was going to talk to Marie, something he hadn't done in years, and he felt real guilty about it too. Half way up the stairs, he paused and said:

"I want you out of this house, with all of your things, before I return from my office tonight."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Marie was out of the shower, when she heard her parents fighting. She had gotten dressed, and had brushed her hair. She was getting her school things ready, so she could be out of the door on time. She reached under her bed, and grabbed a pair of old worn out shoes. She had heard a soft knock on the door.

"Come in." was all she said. She knew that it would be her father, instead of her mother. His father had used to always come up to talk to her, but for some reason it started to change over the years.

"I thought I would come and check up on you." he said.

"Well that's a first." Marie retorted. She really wasn't in a mood to talk to anyone, especially her family.

"Your mother and me, well, we're getting a divorce." he said, trying to say it slow, and calm all at the same time.

"'Bout time." was all she could say. And it was true. Marie was expecting a divorce as soon as she found out what a divorce was. At first she was like anyone who thought that their parents were getting a divorce. She had thought that it would be because of her, and that she was at fault, but after listening to their fights for years, she had been prepared for that day to come.

"Well, the real reason I had decided to stay with your mother is because of you." he said, ignoring her last comment.

"Oh, so is this the only thing you do for me is to stay with mom?" she asked, hurt a little, because out of complete honesty, she hated her mother a lot more than she did of her father.

"Yes, because I didn't want you to go through all of that counciling, and to think that the divorce was your fault."

"So for once you actually care about me?" she asked, amazed at how little her father had changed since the last time they had talked to one another. Always did think of her, but for the wrong reason.

"Marie, I have always thought of you. How can you not think that?" he asked perplexed. He knew that this would happen, but he was honestly hoping that he would have to explain everything.

"You really show that you care, don't you?" Marie said coldly. "That I have no friends at all, and that my life is a living hell."

"Maire, I have noticed, but I can't do much to help you. It is up to you to make friends, I cannot help you make friends. I have to get to work, or Arthur would have my head." he said to her. He went over to her bed, and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you Marie. I'm proud of you." he said. He left Marie to sit alone.

Proud of what was the question. What had she done to make her father so proud? She was a complete failure in life, and she didn't do any after school activities. How could one be proud if one did not do anything? She thought about this for a little while, and then she went down stairs, to where her mother and father were fighting before.