The Wrong Side

"Tell me about your sister," Kelly asked him.

"Okay. Abby's 12, like I said before, and smart as a whip. I'm hoping to get her a scholarship like I had, to Hampton or somewhere else. I don't think she can reach her full potential at our schools. With my folks being on disability and her test scores the chances are pretty good."

"Does she like boys yet?"

"A little I think, but she's pretty focused on school. Besides, with our parents the way they are there isn't much time for a social life and school work. I have a little more opportunity for a social life since I don't have school, which your parents don't seem to be aware of, by the way. You ashamed to go out with a dropout?"

"I didn't tell them you were in school still. Just that you weren't at Hampton anymore. They reached their own conclusions from there." She took his hand in hers and looked him straight in the eyes. "Henry, there's nothing about you to be ashamed of. You work hard to take care of your family. If you want me to make a point of telling my parents every detail I know about you, I will, but frankly I don't think it's really their business. They asked how I knew you: I told them that you used to go to Hampton but left to take care of your family and that you had helped me when I was in trouble. That's it. I know you see some issue with the differences in our lives, but I just see a guy I really like that I'd like to spend time with getting to know. I know things are tough for you right now and I'll take what I can get. Though I do wish you had an answering machine." Henry couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"I'll hit the Walmart on the way home and see what I can afford."

After dinner Kelly convinced Henry to go to a party one of her friends was having, despite his argument that it was a bad idea. They pulled up to a house surrounded by high end cars. As they walked in the front door Henry knew he was right. It seemed clear everybody knew everybody but nobody knew him, and that made him the target of more than a few stares and looks of derision and disgust. The fact that he was with Kelly only seemed to inflame matters.

He was introduced to a few people, none of whose names he would likely remember. At one point, about an hour in, one of Kelly's friends pulled her away, under the guise of there being 'someone she just had to see'. Almost immediately 2 other girls got in front of him and started talking to him, asking questions that they didn't let him answer, and just generally being a distraction. Henry called her name and tried to see where she had been pulled off to but lost track of her. He tried not to be rude and it took him 15 minutes to get away from them, and another 10 to track Kelly down.

He finally found her in a back bedroom locked in conversation with a room full of her friends, and the arm of a guy in a USC sweatshirt draped over her shoulders did not go unnoticed. He just turned and left, walking out the front door. He was fairly sure he saw smirks and heard giggles coming from the same girls that had distracted him before.

He just went to his car and leaned against it. He had clearly been a patsy, brought here to make someone, probably Mr. USC, jealous. He was too much of a gentleman to just leave her here, but he sure wasn't going to stay in there and play the games. He had promised she'd be home by midnight, and he always kept his promises.

(----------)

Kelly glanced at her watch and suddenly realized an hour had passed, and she hadn't seen Henry in that entire time. She had gotten lost in the conversation with some friends she hadn't seen since school ended a couple months ago and lost track of time, and her date. Scott had been there, too, and she had to keep shoving his arm off her shoulders. They weren't together anymore and she wasn't interested, but she tried to be polite. Her friends seemed like they wanted them back together and she got pulled into it. She hoped Henry had found someone to talk to, but as she searched the house she couldn't find him anywhere. Finally, she asked a couple of her friends if they had seen him.

"That guy you came with? I think he left. I saw him walk out a while ago."

Kelly made her way outside to see if Henry's car was still there, and it was, along with Henry sitting on the hood. He did not look happy, and she really couldn't blame him.

"Henry, I'm so sorry."

"It's all right. I understand it all now. Ready to go? We need to leave soon to make your curfew."

"Henry, what is it you think you understand?"

"That I was brought here to make some sort of point, and make someone jealous; probably the guy in the USC shirt. It's cool. I'm glad I was useful. We should get you home, though. You can sit in the back if you want, since you're probably used to being separated from your drivers."

"Henry, that's not what happened."

"Okay, whatever. Let's go or you'll be late."

Without waiting for more to be said he opened the passenger door. The back really wasn't in good enough condition to sit. He was only trying to make a point. Kelly sat down and Henry closed her door then got in behind the wheel. Kelly tried a couple of times to talk to him on the ride home but he wouldn't respond. He finally pulled up in front of her house and sat there, waiting for her to get out.

"Won't you at least walk me to my door?"

Henry sighed but got out and opened her door and walked her up to the front door of the house. It was 11:47. They were even a little early. As she stepped on the porch he said a quick 'good night' and turned to walk back to his car.

"Henry, wait, please." He stopped and turned. She stepped off the porch and walked up to him. "I'm sorry about how the party went, Henry. What you think isn't what happened, but I suppose you don't believe me. I had a really good time with you tonight, and I would like to see you again. We can do whatever you want."

"I don't think so, but thanks for dinner."

Henry began to turn to leave when Kelly grabbed him and brought their lips together. Henry was surprised and even fought for a second, but quickly melted into the feeling of her lips pressed against his, and shortly they had their arms around each other and were kissing deeply for a good 3 minutes before finally separating. Kelly then pulled a slip of paper from her purse and pressed it into Henry's hand.

"This is my phone number. Call me anytime. If you really don't want to see me anymore just don't call. I won't call you unless you call me first. But I think you like me, and I really hope you call."

With that she stepped inside.

(----------)

Henry thought about it the whole drive home. He didn't believe there was a chance in hell that this would work out. They were so different. Well, they're lives were anyway. Her family might tolerate him but her friends would never accept him. At the very least they had conspired amongst themselves to separate them so they could drag Kelly somewhere else. Part of him wanted to toss it all and not get in the middle of the drama, but part of him didn't want to give them the satisfaction. He could imagine the looks on their faces the next time they showed up together.

And the fact was that he really liked Kelly. She was pretty, sure, but she was so down to earth compared to all the other trust fund babies. Okay, she took advantage of her family's wealth. She had a nice car, expensive clothes, nice jewelry, etc. but she had grown up that way; it was all she knew and was normal. It didn't seem to define who she was like it did for so many of the others, any more than he let his 'situation', as Kelly called it, define him. Besides, if it wasn't going anywhere, why'd he stop and buy that answering machine?

He walked into the apartment and all was as it should be. He found mom in bed as she should be and pops passed out in the chair, as usual. He peeked in on Abby and she seemed to be sleeping, but as he backed out he heard her.

"How was your date?" she asked. "Gonna see her again?"

He walked in and sat next to her on her bed. "It was fine, nosy, and I haven't decided yet."

"Can I meet her if you do?"

"We'll see. Any problems tonight?"

"Nope. Same old thing." She paused. "You should see her again."

"Why do you say that?"

"I saw your face when you left. I haven't ever seen you that excited. You like her a lot."

"You're right, I do. Good night dork. I love you." He kissed her forehead.

"Good night bro. I love you too."

(----------)

Kelly was spending the day hanging out by the pool with Katie and some of her friends. She kept checking her phone but Henry hadn't called yet. Maybe he had made his choice. She had really blown it. She had hoped the kiss would convince him she was serious about them seeing each other. But he had probably been screwed with so many times in his life that one shot was all you got, and she apparently blew hers. Katie saw her checking her phone several times and the look on her face.

"Just call him," Katie said.

"I can't. I promised I wouldn't call unless he called first. I want it to be his decision. I really messed up at the party."

"It was a mistake. Don't beat yourself up, Kell. I'm sure he'll call, but stressing about it isn't gonna help. Come get in the pool and let's try and distract you for a while."

"No thanks. If he calls I want to be here to answer it."

The rest of the afternoon passed without any word from Henry, and Kelly began to resign herself to the fact that he wasn't going to call. She was in her room getting ready to go to a movie with her best friend, Mary, when the phone rang, and her mood brightened by a factor of 10 when she looked at the caller ID.

"Henry! I'm so glad you called. Thank you. I've been freaking out all day waiting. I had about given up."

"Sorry, I was working all day; just got off. Did you forget I have to work for a living?"

"I guess I did. This is gonna take some getting used to for me, I guess. I assume this means you wanna see me again?"

"Yeah, I do. What're you doing tonight?"

"I'm going to a movie with my friend, Mary. Do you wanna join us?"

"No thanks. Not much up for your friends."

"Mary wasn't at the party, Henry. She's my very best friend. She's different from the ones you...the ones at the party."

"Just the same, I'll pass. I'm off tomorrow. You got plans?"

"I do now. Pick me up as soon as you can get here and we'll spend the day. I mean, if that's okay."

"Yeah, that's fine. Sundays Medicaid pays for a nurse to sit with mom. How's 10:00am?"

"That's perfect. I'll be ready. I won't even make you wait."

"Sounds good." Pause. "Um, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure. Anything. Name it.

"Do you mind if I bring my sister? She doesn't have many friends and we don't get out much. Besides she wants to meet you."

"Your sister wants to meet me? That's sweet, but why?"

"I'll let her tell you. So, is that okay?"

"Of course; I would love to meet her."

(----------)

Henry and Abby rolled up to Kelly's house about 9:50 and knocked on the door. This time it was Katie herself that answered the door. Maybe Sunday was the staff's day off like it was his.

"Hi Henry; it's good to see you again. You must be Abby. Come on in." They stepped inside and Abby was lost in the view of the amazingly palatial home. "Henry, I'm glad you called her. She was upset all day thinking you dumped her."

"We'd only been out once. I'm not sure that would be considered 'dumping'."

"Well, I can't speak for you, Henry, but she thinks of you as her boyfriend. I know she said that to Mary last night when they were at the movies. She told me."

"Okay, I know she's your sister, but I could use a reality check here. I mean, we barely know each other. Is she some crazy stalker or something?"

"No Henry, she just really likes you. She felt a real connection to you that first day. She couldn't even explain it. She says she's drawn to you like she's never been to anyone. She's a little freaked out about it, frankly."

Kelly was down the stairs a minute later in a sleeveless pink top and a pair of white shorts. They started by just driving around. Abby and Kelly were seated together on the oversized passenger seat, which wasn't technically legal but they did it anyway. Henry took them out onto some straight country highways and opened up the 389-cubic inch engine under the GTO's hood, a favorite pastime of Abby's. They clicked 100 mph a couple of times, which scared the crap out of Kelly at first but soon she was screaming with joy right alongside Abby. Soon they were hungry so they went to Chili's for lunch; Abby's decision. This time Henry insisted on picking up the bill.

"What do you wanna do now?" Henry asked.

"We could hit the mall," Kelly offered.

"What'll we do there? I don't have money for shopping."

"But I do. We could get you and Abby some new things, on me."

Kelly was surprised when Henry just up and walked away. Abby just stood there waiting. She knew her brother better than anyone and already knew exactly why Henry had reacted that way but she wasn't getting involved. Kelly chased Henry down while Abby then followed at a safe distance.

"Henry, stop. What did I do?"

He stopped and spun around to look at her, the anger evident in his expression

"Damn it Kelly, do you have to take every opportunity you can to rub your money in my face? Just because I can't go spend hundreds at the mall on a whim doesn't mean I'm a charity case. We have what we need and we do fine. We don't need anyone else paying our way."

"I'm sorry, honey, er, Henry I didn't mean anything by it, I swear. I like to shop for dresses for some cousins I have that are Abby's age, and I just thought Abby might like a couple of cute things. And...I'm sorry, Henry. I guess I just can't seem to do anything right by you."

Henry's tone softened and he pulled her into his arms. "Sure you can, Kelly. Spend time with me. That's what I want. I'm not saying we can't spend money. I've got some I can spend and I know you do. But if we're gonna spend it, let's spend it on things we can do together. Mini golf, bowling, whatever. I don't want stuff, Kelly. I want you."

Kelly had to fight back the tears that were forming as the smile came over her face.

"And I want you, Henry."

They wrapped their arms around each other and hugged tightly. Abby just waited with a satisfied smile on her face.

(----------)

They spent the day together and Kelly was supposed to be home by 10:00pm, and they pulled up about 9:45.

"Wait here, squirt. I'm gonna walk her to her door. Be right back."

Henry and Kelly went hand in hand up to her door.

"Henry, I had a wonderful time today. With school starting this week I won't be allowed to go out during the week, but we can talk on the phone, and maybe go out next weekend, if you're available.

"I'd like that," Henry responded. "I'll have to let you know, though."

"I understand. And Henry, I really like Abby and look forward to spending more time with her and getting to know her. She's very sweet and really loves you. But next time, can it be just the two of us?"

"You bet."

They kissed lightly for a couple minutes and then Kelly went into her house. Henry strolled back to the car with a smile on his face that seemed like it would never stop. Abby herself smiled in the dark. Her brother hadn't been happy in a really long time. She was glad to see him smile.

(----------)

Between Henry's work schedule and demands on his time from Abby and his parents, they had a tough time getting together. Kelly herself was pretty busy, between school and cheerleading, but they tried to talk on the phone most every night and could usually find a few hours to get together each weekend. Henry had refused to be around any of her friends for a while, but finally gave in once Kelly agreed to stay by his side all night, no matter what. They had managed to make it through a party like that about 3 weeks later. It prevented another incident like the first one, but didn't stop the looks of disdain he got from most everyone there.

They were adamant about finding time for each other, though, and their feelings blossomed. They were still young but they both believed what they felt for each other was love.

(----------)

Life had been a tough go for Henry. He considered the people in his neighborhood his friends, but he didn't really hang out with them anymore. Most of that had stopped when he had to become the breadwinner for the family and primary caregiver for Abby.

His father had been a drinker for as long as he could remember, and had been abusive to his mother for the same amount of time. The violence and verbal abuse over the years had taken their toll and his mom started to check out mentally. Henry had tried to intervene a few times but was young and small and mostly only managed to enrage his father even more and turn some of his rage onto Henry himself.

The night it all came to a head was a Saturday. His father had been out with his buddies all day, and lots of beer was on the agenda. He came home completely soused and was unhappy with the condition of the apartment, even though his mom had spent the whole day cleaning. It was really just an excuse for him to take out his frustrations on her. He had only an 8^th grade education and worked cleaning office buildings. He was disappointed in his life and beating her apparently made him feel powerful.

He was yelling at her from the moment he walked in the door about how worthless she was and how the place looked like crap. She apologized as she always did and tried to make it better but it was too late. His father seemed particularly drunk and thus was being particularly cruel. His mother was on the floor cowering and begging him to stop. Abby was scared and crying and something just snapped. Henry was 16 then, nearly 17, and even he didn't realize how strong he had become. He pulled his father away from his mother and didn't even wait for his father to react. Henry just started raining down blows on him in a blind rage.

By the time the police arrived (the neighbors had called) and stopped him (it had taken 4 officers to restrain him), his father was a pile of bloody flesh on the ground. He had a number of broken ribs and his knee was bent at a very unnatural angle. The knee is the main reason his father will be on disability until he dies. He can barely stand, let alone walk, and he also lost partial vision in his left eye, as well as developed some mental issues, all of which combine to keep him from holding a job. But his dad never hit his mom again.

Henry had been hauled off to jail that night but had been released to his mother on Monday since he was a minor and not considered a threat to society in general, and his father was in the hospital. Once all the legal stuff shook out he wasn't even charged since he had been defending his mother and there was a documented history of domestic violence, but it didn't really matter; the damage had been done. They couldn't survive now that his father couldn't work, so Henry had to give up his scholarship to Hampton and get a job to support his family. That was pretty much the end of any hope he had for himself, and he turned those dreams to Abby. Now most everything he did revolved around helping her succeed.

(----------)

Randall Krisner had made no secret of his dislike for Henry. Not as a person; that would have required that he actually get to know him. No, he simply disliked who he was, where he came from, his lack of class and social grace, and frankly, that he was poor. He had much higher expectations for his daughter's futures. Katie was dating a young man she had met at Stanford from a good family. He was majoring in political science and had 'future leader' written all over him.

This was what he expected for his daughters, not this poor boy from the 'ghetto'. But he couldn't just order Kelly not to see him. So, he was biding his time, figuring this little high school romance would run its course and be done by the time Kelly left for Stanford herself, if not sooner. Thus, he said nothing when his wife, who had actually grown quite fond of the young man, suggested Kelly invite Henry for Thanksgiving.