Convergence

Prologue

Drew

            “Hello?” I answer my ringing phone.

            “Drew, where are you?” I hear Rena’s shaky voice.

            “I’m in my room. Is something wrong?”

            A few seconds pass before she says, “You should come here. It’s- it’s Kaye.”

            I abruptly stand up. Hearing Kaye’s name from someone nervous is something I have to worry about. Especially now, things are turning in different and unexpected ways.

            “I’m coming.” I keep my phone in my pocket and run towards the streets.

            Rena’s house is not that far but I arrive, catching my breath and trying to keep myself calm. “Nothing is wrong,” I say to myself.

            I step into Rena’s house after a knock and hurriedly go to her mom’s office which we consider as a personal laboratory. This is neither a good place for me to come back nor Kaye’s dwelling place even just for a second. I see Kaye standing by one of the corners of the cream white walls. I feel the tension in the room. Rena stands behind me and closes the door. Marie, Rena’s mom, tries to go nearer to Kaye but she won’t allow her.

            “You don’t get it do you?” Kaye shouts, exasperated. “I want it out of my body. I want it out of my system, okay?” It’s draining me. It’s consuming my mind. It’s eating my brain like a zombie!”

            “I do understand. Please sit down and we’ll talk about it—“

            “We have been talking about this matter for almost a month now and you just keep telling me the same things over and over again!” Kaye drops herself to the floor and cries.

            I go near her. “Kaye, please stop,” I beg while gently placing my hand on her shoulder. This isn’t the first time this happened but I care for her. She’s been crying too much lately.

            “Drew, please, just go home,” she says while not looking at me.

            “No, you’re not fine. I can’t just leave you.”

            “Mom is coming so don’t worry,” I can tell she’s pushing me away.

            I persist, “I’ll stay here until she comes.”

            “Don’t touch me,” she whispers and chokes back tears.

            Too late, I got hold of her elbow and she shrugs my hand away. Surprisingly, I am thrown towards the wall and my back hits the cold hard cement.

            This is what happens when she’s in the peak of her emotions. It swallows her and no matter how hard she dictates her mind not to do a thing, her emotions prevail and dominate her completely. But today is different. She has not hurt me before, not like this.

            “Drew, I told you to go,” she cries and cuddles herself farther away from me to a corner.

            Rena approaches me and I try to stand but my body aches. “Right,” I say in an excruciating manner. But I still can’t stand. I can’t move properly. Then suddenly, I couldn’t breathe normally. “Kaye,” I say helplessly.

            She faces me and I look her in the eyes. Her eyes are cerise and evidently tired from all the weeping. We stare at each other for a brief moment until my nostrils couldn’t suck up air anymore. She notices and gets tense. “Drew, I’m so sorry. I don’t know- I mean- how- what’s happening?” She stands up and walks to me.