Kim Pritekel - Crossing Lines

"I don't know, Tonya. These were incredibly detailed. I know Kansas is an excellent artist, but still." She sighed, glancing out the window. "I just don't know."

"Maybe you should talk to this woman. Let her know you know what happened. Maybe warn her to keep away from Kansas." Tonya took a drink from her diet Coke, eyes on Marina.

"Maybe you're right." The blonde sighed again. "I can't let this go on."

***

Kansas had kept her distance from Nina, making sure she had all the yard work done before the brunette got home. It had been four days since her mother had confronted her with the drawings, and the teen was deeply confused. Had she done something wrong? Would Nina be able to read it in her eyes the first time she saw her? Guilt and uncertainty were her constant companions. At night she was sure to keep her blinds drawn, not daring to go near the open window. No doubt she'd see Nina in her office, and then her resolve to stay away would crack. She still wasn't entirely sure what her motives were for staying away. Guilt and embarrassment, yes. But was there something more?

The blonde had gotten a job at the Blue Festival that brought the town together for a weekend. She had a booth doing portraits, hired by a local glass company to run their booth for them. The portraits part was her idea. She figured this way it would get her away from the house, and away from Nina. Or so she thought.

The main street of town was closed, booths lining either side, BBQ tents dotting the middle. Crowds walked in throngs through the wares, talking and laughing. Kansas finished her latest masterpiece, thanking the patrons for the generous tip. Tucking the money into the pocket of her long cargo shorts, the blonde noticed a figure moving toward her. Two figures, actually.

"Crap," Kansas muttered, looking around the small tent, trying to see if there was some way she could just disappear.

"Hi, stranger," Nina said, entering the shade of the canvas overhang. Dan stood next to her.

"Hey." Kansas smiled a greeting at Dan, who was mostly just looking around him, taking in the people and sights.

"Must say, wasn't exactly expecting to see you here."

"Yeah, well," Kansas played nervously with some of the brochures she was to give out for Gibson Glass. "I pop up in the strangest of places, I guess."

Nina looked at her, brows drawn behind her sunglasses. Something was wrong. The brunette glanced at her husband, getting his attention with a tug on his hand. "Honey, would you get the three of us some lemonade, please?" she asked, handing him a ten dollar bill. With a curt nod, Dan headed back into the bright, afternoon sun. Nina turned back to the teen. Kansas felt her stomach begin to knot as waves of nerves and nausea hit her. "Is everything okay?" Nina asked, her voice low, yet loud enough to be heard above the country music that blasted through the speakers.

"Yeah. Why do you ask?" Kansas tried to hide behind her smile, but it just didn't quite reach her eyes.

Nina studied her for long moments, her gaze so intense as if she were looking into the blonde's very soul. "I got a call from your mom today, Kansas," she said, walking around the covered table Kansas sat behind, her yellow sun dress swishing around her legs. Kansas felt like she would throw up.

"Oh?"

"Yeah." Nina studied the girl, her own heart pounding within her chest. She tried to forget about the conversation she'd had with Marina, but couldn't. She had debated on what to do, what to say- if anything. But, seeing Kansas had brought it all back, and she felt it only right to ask Kansas, and get her side of things. "She mentioned the drawings you did of me."

"Hey, lady? You do pitures?"

Both turned to see a young boy, maybe 8, looking at Kansas expectantly from the other side of the table.

"Sure do!" Kansas smiled, nearly knocking her chair over in her haste to get away from Nina. The brunette watched, troubled that she wasn't able to finish her conversation and ask the questions she was dying to. Her new friend had been more than scarce over the past week. Hell, she'd been a ghost- Nina would come home from work for lunch or for the day, no sign of Kansas, yet everything was done to perfection. Just like always. With a heavy sigh, she stood, smoothing out the seat of her dress as she did. As she stepped out into the sun, Dan walked up to her, three plastic cups filled very sweet-looking pink lemonade in hand. She took two with a smile, leaving one on the table next to Kansas' pencils.

Kansas watched the brunette walk away.

***

Kansas was livid as she stormed into her house. She knew her mother was home, having seen her car parked at the curb. Slamming the front door closed, she glanced to the couch in the living room- no Marina.

"Mother!" she called out, heading deeper into the house. She heard pounding feet on the stairs, Marina hurrying down, still pulling a tank top over her head.

"What?" she asked, looking around for the fire.

"How could you?" Kansas fumed, throwing her backpack to a nearby chair.

"How could I, what?" Marina asked, calm and cool, getting ready for battle.

"Nina came to the festival today. She told me about your little phone call to her." She was so angry, her nostrils were flaring. Her green gaze bore into her mother, daring her to look away.

"You are a child, Kansas, and you are still under my roof," Marina said, meeting her emotion for emotion. "I will not have that woman come in here and mess with you!"

"She did nothing to me!" Kansas fired, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"It's not right, Kansas," Marina said, following her daughter into the kitchen. "She spends far too much time with you. She has lived so much more life than you have. Don't you understand that?"

"Damn it, mom, what if I want to spend all that time with her? And what if she wants to spend it with me ?"

"Kansas-"

The blonde whirled on her mother, can of soda in hand, cold air from the open fridge felt good on her heated skin. "I am not a child, and I am not stupid. I turn 18 in two days, and know damn well what I'm doing. We care about each other."

Marina softened, her heart reaching out to her daughter. "Kansas, no, you don't understand. What about Dan in all of this? How is this fair to him? What about the fact that she's married?"

"She doesn't want to be," Kansas said, knowing it was wrong even as she said it. She turned away, setting the cold can on the counter as she closed the fridge. Without another word, she headed up to her room, Marina starting as a door was slammed on the second floor.

***

Nina was recovering from yet another fight with Dan. The age-old argument of why she doesn't just quit her job and go out on the road with him, had arisen again. She had thought that one had been put to bed for good. Stupid. She could hear the big rig start up on the street, then pull away from the curb as her husband drove off into the unknown.

The brunette made herself a glass of iced tea, her mind running on a hamster wheel in her head. She had never felt so distant from Dan, and to make that worse, she hadn't seen Kansas in a week. She hadn't realized just how much she depended on the blonde's friendship until it was unceremoniously taken from her. She had damned herself more than once over the past week for bringing up the conversation with Marina to Kansas at the Blues Festival. It had driven the blonde even further away.

She was startled from her thoughts by the sound of the lawnmower roaring to life in the backyard. Nina slammed the glass down onto the counter and hurried out the back door. Sure enough, there was Kansas, gearing up for another pass in the pristine yard she had help create. She hurried over to the teen, wanting to catch her before she got involved in her work.