Chapter 12

He heard my footsteps as I climbed up the steps, and when he realized it was me he did nothing. He just sat there and waited till I got to where he was.

" Someone once told me it's not adviceable to read in the sun. " 

That someone was him. It had been a comic book and he had closed it and asked me to find a shade because the light wasn't good for my eyes. He'd been so young, my age, yet I always wondered how he knew all the things he did. 

" That person sounds wise, "

"He is. A little stubborn and hard to crack but wise nonetheless, " 

He closed the books and placed them aside. Then he shifted his focus entirely on the empty field and kept it there. I looked at the plain white long sleeved t-shirt he had on and then I shifted and sat next to him. 

Right next to him, so close there was no room between us. His spine stiffened, he fisted and unfisted his hand, then he half glanced at me before refocusing on the field and scooting away. I suppressed my smile. 

" What do you want Austin?" He sounded tired of asking me that. But I was full of energy that was preserved exclusively for him. 

" Your company, nothing more, "

Nothing more? I wasn't sure about that but I figured it was best to criss that bridge when we got there. There was no need to rush. 

I moved closer and eliminates whatever distance he had out between us, he shook his head and tried to scoot further away but I placed my hand on his thigh to stop him. I had never seen him look as tense as he currently was. His eyes lowered to my hand before he looked at me with hooded eyes, I didn't have to look at his chest to notice how fast he was breathing. 

" What do you think you're doing?" Hushed words. A soft whisper of sorts, I could tell he really was curious and he really did want me to respond. But he knew what I was doing the same way he knew why I was doing it. 

" I'm harmless. Promise, " I teased him. But I never removed my hand from where I'd placed it and he didn't either, if he wanted to he would have done so, instead he glanced around, noticed that there was no one close and let it be. 

" You read too much. "

My focus shifted to the books beside him, I doubt I had ever seen him doing anything else apart from studying. If I had a mind like his I would have never opened up a book, he was smart, why did he have to keep tiring himself out. 

" There's no such thing."

" As what?"

" Reading too much, "

I shook my head, gently tapping my fingers on his thigh and deciding not to look at him because he had always warmed me against doing so. He said he hated the staring, but he had always reacted differently to other people's stares than he did to mine. With other people he had always grown self conscious and slowly slipped away, with me he grew rigid and tensed. 

We heard the bell and he immediately attempted to stand. I kept him in place. 

" I have class-"

" Ten more minutes. "

I liked the peace I got whenever I was around him. I wasn't sure whether he was going to ignore me and walk away, but that question was answered when he sat back down and closed his eyes. 

" You won't give up, will you?"

" Never. "

I was still fatigued, the exhaustion was threatening to wear me down but I still had two lessons to power through before I could go home. Maybe I'd get a couple of hours of sleep afterwards. I watched as Kyle organized his books and held them one in top of the other in his hands, then he sat still, like he was just waiting for the ten minutes to be done so that he could leave. Being late for class wasn't like him, he always liked to get there a few minutes early and be ready when the teacher came. And he wasn't saying anything either, so why had he chosen to stay? 

Even though I knew he wouldn't be comfortable with it, I reached up and wrapped my hand around his nape, slowly tracing my fingers into his dark hair, he turned to me with this new kind of heat in his eyes. That look he wore did me in, it was pulling me into some sort of daze with the strength of a magnet. But then he shook his head and stood, like he's just come back to his senses and was asking himself what the fuck he was doing.

There were no words exchanged, he just walked away and I let him, I watched his quick strides as he attempted to get as far from me as he could. I combed my fingers through my hair, then I placed my arms on the steps above me in the bleachers and leaned back. He could run as fast as he wanted to and go as far as he wished, but the simple truth was that I was always going to catch up. 

I decided to wait a while longer before heading to my own class, I preferred to get to them late so that I could spend as little time as possible seated down listening to concepts that didn't make sense to me. Some fifteen minutes later I was walking into the History class, the teacher and everyone else stoped to stare at me. My tongue was burning with the desire to ask them what the fuck they were looking at, and I knew for certain that I would have had it not been for dad. I couldn't get expelled again and I was just realizing how hard it was to be disciplined. I hadn't had to watch what I said or did for five years. 

" Mr. O'Grady, I'm glad you decided to join us, " the teacher said as I was taking my seat. I decided to ignore him. One of the reasons I had been suspended before was because I talked back to a teacher, some very not appropriate words had been involved. 

" Are you done with whatever you were doing or do you wanna go and finish up, we could always wait, " he sarcastically added. 

He was riling me up, if he said another word then I doubted I'd have it in me to keep quiet. He was making me the center of attention and I hated that more than anything else. What was up with teachers and meddling, I hadn't said or done anything to the fucking man, why was he talking to me then.

" We have rules for a reason, next time if you know you'll be late don't bother coming to class at all. "

I grit my teeth,that fury I had never been ale to control was roaring within me. I honestly wanted to walk over to where it was and hold him by his throat. I always had a difficult time controlling the anger and with each day that passed it was becoming worse. I closed my eyes and turned away from the board, keeping my focus on the wall. My hands had somehow fisted themselves and I unfisted them. My father had taken me to a shrink when when I was young, when he noticed that I was getting worse, uncontrollable...she hadn't helped me. None of the things she had said made any sense, all she had kept saying was that if I ever felt like doing something irrational I ought to just take in a deep breath and let it out slowly. I tried it once, didn't help. I ended up being suspended either way and I told my dad that I wasn't going back there. 

Somehow, I zoned out until the bell rang, I looked around to find the students standing and heading out. I did the same, but then the teacher called my name and asked me to stay behind, I couldn't. 

I don't know why, but the simple thought of staying there and listening to him as he blabbered on and on about my focus didn't sit well with me. I shot him a casual glance before I walked on out. 

⭐❄️⭐❄️⭐❄️

KYLE'S POV

After class I hurriedly made my way home, although for some reason it felt as if everyone was looking looking at me when I passed by them. But it could have just as easily been in my head, maybe I was imagining things.  I had been like that since my childhood and even after I grew older that one thing about myself had never faded. I called Chelsea and asked her whether she could stay until I got there since I'd be late. I explained that I had something urgent to do and she assured me it was okay. I needed to get home and cook something since I didn't have any free time. And I'd feel better knowing that my mom had food to eat Incase she got hungry. I walked as fast as I could and I was at the building in no time, I needed to study. I had three assignments to do and there was also the extra credit. When I got to the house I was shocked to find my mom there, shocked and glad. She was seated on the couch flipping through the pages of an old magazine that she had read countless times. Dressed in pajama bottoms and a brown t-shirt. She glanced over the sofa and when she saw it was me she went back to the magazine.

" Hey mom, " I absentmindedly said as I headed to the small kitchen. Still thinking about what I'd make. 

" What time is it?" She loudly asked and when I told her she didn't believe me. In her head it was still early, I had a feeling she had been seated there for hours,not realizing it when the day swept by. 

" Connie got me a job at that shitty dinner next to the gas station, " she said, sounding bored. 

" Really? That's cool, "

She appeared at the kitchen, threading her fingers through her hair. I had a feeling she had showered and forgotten to brush it. She looked sober though, it was rare to see her sober and whenever she was I tried to talk as little with her as possible because somehow we always ended up arguing over nothing. But this time she didn't look that bad, the mere fact that she was even talking to me was surprising. 

" They gave me the fucking night shift!" She complained, I shrugged and told her that she should be glad she even had a job in the first place.

" What's that supposed to mean?"

I sensed an argument and diverted it.

" That these days it's almost impossible to get a job. You're lucky you did. "

" A waitress, " she scoffed and rolled her eyes.  I walked over to the sink and washed my hands as I listened to her complain about all the things she was sure they'd make her do. 

After drying my hands I walked to the fridge and opened it up, then my face fell, my eyes widening in shock. I stood there for a while, just letting the sight sink in before I  started opening up all the shelves and drawers in there. 

" Mom?!"

She didn't reply and I turned to find her deep in thought.

" Mom!"

She jumped and glared at me. 

" Jeez! What?"

I pointed to the fridge.

" Where are all the things I bought? The fridge was full when I left for school this morning, "

She shrugged.

It wasn't the first time such a thing had happened and I hoped it wasn't what I thought it was. 

" Where are they?"

" Will you quit shouting, I'm not deaf!"

I shook my head and paced the small space, then I turned on my heel and faced her once more. I was slowly going crazy, I didn't even understand how to react, what to do.

" Timmy took them, you know he has those little kids, right?"

My mouth fell open and all I could do was stare at her and wonder what I had done to deserve such... whatever that was! Timmy was one of her exes, actually out of all the guys she had dated I had disliked him the most. They had an on again off again relationship. They'd make up one day and break up the next, it had been an endless cycle that had lasted for months and no one had been happier than me when I realized they were done for good. 

" You're back together with that guy?"

He wasn't good for her and she knew it. Never had I witnessed such a toxic relationship.