Chapter 142

KYLE'S POV

There were never any breaks with Austin, I was starting to feel as if I couldn't even catch a breath before something else happened . It was just one crazy thing after another and it was clear I either had to put up with it or walk away. And I couldn't walk away because on some insane level my mental sanity depended on him. I always had to know he was okay and the only way to do that was if I was by his side. 

" If I ask you to do something will you do it?" I inquired. We were in his room sometime later. I was seconds away from falling asleep but he was still up, and I wanted to make him do something for me before I dozed off. It wasn't a request, if I had to blackmail him into doing it then I would willingly do so. 

" I'm scared, but go ahead and ask. " 

He might as well have taken his shirt off. I had been casually playing with the fabric since we got in bed, and I had gradually made a game out of rolling up the hem , it was currently at his chest. But his thoughts were elsewhere since he didn't even seem to notice. I was doing it because I needed more of his skin. To both see and touch it because my fingers were itching to just explore every plane of his form despite how many times I had already done so. I felt his eyes on me,but I kept mine on his chest, trailing my fingers over his tattoo like I had done countless times before. 

" Don't ever contact Chris again. I don't want you to have anything to do with him. " 

" You heard me telling him to let me be. But you can't blame if he's the one that comes in search of me. "

" If he does then just warn him off again. "

" You really don't like him, huh?" 

" He makes me so freaking mad!"

" Okay, calm down then. I promise to never be in contact with him again. "

I smiled, finally feeling as if I could rest without worrying about too much. 

" You happy now?" 

" Very. " 

"Good. I like it when you're happy. " He said, then he went ahead to take off his shirt and throw it aside... literally. I was sure it landed somewhere on the floor and chances were he wasn't even gonna be the one to pick it up. And I would have asked him to do so had I not been in need of him. I didn't want him to move from where he was, and when he lay back down I just naturally inched closer to him, my head on his chest as I listened to his steady heartbeat. And when he held me I felt like asking him to tighten his hold. I had always appreciated his ability to make me feel protected. He didn't even have to do anything, just being with him managed to wash away any shred of fear that I had. 

I heard him as he let out a short laugh and I looked up to find him observing me.

" Why are you trying to fight off the sleep? Just close your eyes and rest already, " he said, and I did just that. 

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I hate PE! I think it's a total waste of time and it should be taken out of every school's timetable because it just doesn't make sense for it to be there. What exactly is the use of us running around and throwing stupid balls at each other when we could be doing something much more productive? It's just tiring and I don't like it. Austin bailed this time around, I'm not sure where he went but he had said something about hiding out somewhere. He had actually asked me to go with him but I didn't want to get into trouble for skipping out without permission. And unlike him, such things worried me. The second the bell rang I was the first one out of that basketball pitch, I quickly dashed into the locker rooms and after about ten minutes I had freshened up and changed into my clothes, then I ran to class because I really needed to relax. 

There's this lotion that Austin had gifted me, it smelt a lot like coco butter and I liked it, he had left it in my locker with a note saying that I ought to apply it after exercising because it was not only good for the skin but it also helped your muscles to relax. 

He had probably just made that up, but I still used it everytime I showered. I even carried it with me everywhere I went. When I sat down, I took my backpack and took out the lotion, and as I was putting it back after applying it, something else caught my attention. 

Austin had done it once again. I pulled out the blue piece of paper and excitedly unfolded it. Eager to know what he had written down this time around. And I wasn't disappointed. Lately, he'd just randomly leave me these papers with actual research on topics that I was currently interested in. Last week he had written down some facts about bats because they had really fascinated me after an episode of our wildlife show. And he had even left me pictures, it was something that I was sure he wouldn't do for anyone else because he hated having to study anything. 

This time, the paper had a bunch of Space cutouts. Just everything that could possibly be in space. I really liked that sort of stuff, and I was definitely going to hang it up in my room when I got home. I however didn't spend too much time admiring it because something told me some library textbooks and magazines had suffered inorder to make me happy. And although I wasn't really okay with him having done that, I was capable of letting it slide because he had done so with my happiness in mind. I carefully placed it in between one of my books and then put it back in my backpack. Some of the other kids had returned as well, but only a few of them, Austin was yet to show up and I kept my eyes strictly on the door for when he did. 

But I looked away when I spotted Chris walking in. I opened up my books and pretended to be busy studying....but I wasn't surprised when he walked over to me and stood by my desk. 

Austin wasn't around, and so that provided him with a perfect opportunity to disturb me to his heart's content. I suddenly wished I had gone in search of Austin first before I went back to class. Just where the hell was he? 

Chris placed both his palms on my book, so I was forced to stop "studying" and look at him. I didn't hide my frustration towards him. Because out of everyone in that class, why was it only me he chose to mess with? 

" If you were goldfish would you like to be locked up in a little bowl?" 

" What?" 

I blankly stared at him because in all my years of being alive I had never met someone as weird as him. He must have been the reason that word was invented because how could someone just walk up to you and ask that? Much less someone who basically teased you half of the time.

" Wouldn't you feel trapped? Just swimming around that tiny space every single day?" 

" What are we talking about here?" 

" I freed Mr. Jeremy's goldfish and he said he was going to tell the principal about it. Does that even make sense?!"

Chris and I were not friends. I had made it my mission to avoid him for as long as he was around because it was only a matter of time before he got expelled anyways. He made fun of me and he frequently made my life a living hell. Frequently... not always, because there were times when he was just weird! Like when he was oddly nice to me. Some days ago he had offered me a half eaten cracker. It was gross and at first I had been mad, but then I realized that he was being completely serious was actually doing it out of pure intentions. I had however refused and he had clearly gotten upset. That was an example of him being creepily nice, there were times when he was just mean and rude and insensitive. Those counted for the most part. but then there times such as these, times when the kid was just odd. And when he was like that I tended to just roll with it. 

" You freed it? "

" Yeah! The little guy kept staring at me with these eyes, like it was begging for help. "

" Where'd you put it?"

" In the pool, but now that crazy teacher is all mad for no reason. "

" Umm, that was very thoughtful of you. "

" Right?! I just don't get him! He was holding that goldfish captive and now I'm the bad guy?" 

I honestly felt like laughing but I forced myself to hold it in, he could be fascinating if he wished to, that was for sure. I was about to tell him something when I spotted Austin walking over towards us, and so did Chris. He walked away without saying another word. But one thing was certain, his mind did not function normally, there was just something about his personality that was way off. And not in a good way, because lately I felt like there were three different versions of him and each one was totally different from the other.

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