The Fifth Word

Chapter Three

Kai
I whip my head around to see a man standing in the doorway of the classroom. He wore a suit and tie and had sunglasses on. I stood up slowly never taking my eyes off the man. A singular sweat bead went down his face.

"Kailey it's your mother," He said "She told me to get you" As he stands there more sweat drips down his face. You would think for a government worker, he wouldn't be afraid of a teenager. I walk towards him and stop directly in front of him, keeping my gaze on the black lenses of his glasses. 

"This way." He points down the hallway at my angry-looking mother. I sign What is this about? 

"I don't exactly know Kailey"

I look away from him and lock eyes with my mother. You could feel her anger from across the hallway. I gulp knowing something is up. I slow down a bit and the man looks at me. 

"Kailey it will be alright it's probably not that big of a deal"

I look at him, trying to tell if he's being honest, but the stupid sunglasses are stopping me from seeing his eyes. I whip my head back towards my mother and gulp once more. 

"Kailey what is this," My mom points at my locker signs with the letters drawn on them "I got called down to the school because you were being bullied. I don't see a problem here other than you writing your full name on the locker signs. So how about you tell me what's wrong here," she yells.

 I look at my locker, then back at my mother. Oh, they must have thought someone was trying to bully me by fixing them, It's not a big deal that the band moms got them wrong. I sign. It's really nothing to worry about mom.

"I wasn't worried about it dumbass. I was just called down here for a stupid made-up reason. Don't let it happen again." She storms off down the hallway.

"What!" I yell. I instantly put my hand over my mouth. I look at the government worker with a look of, what the fuck did I just do. He looks back with a speechless look on his face. 

My mom whips around and says "Wow even wasting your words just to prove a point, how selfish."

I run to the bathroom, tears running down my cheeks. My mom did not just call me a dumbass, selfish, and a liar. I cry more repeating what just happened over and over again in my head. After about two minutes it finally settled in that I used a word. Now I'm down to four. I cried more knowing that and then realized that's the first time I ever accidentally used a word!

Eventually, I feel a vibration in my pocket, I pull out my phone and it reads, One new text message from: Willow <3 and three new text messages from: Mother. I tap Willow's name and the phone asks me to put in my password. I tap 102686. my password on my phone is the year my dad died. He had a massive heart attack at the age of forty. Willows message reads, Kai are you okay? What's going on? is my favorite they/them still alive?  I text back My mother just yelled at me and called me a dumbass, selfish, and a liar so I don't think I'm okay. I turn off my phone refusing to read my mother's texts. She's probably calling me those awful words again. 

After three minutes I hear footsteps walking into the bathroom, Rainbow Vans appear outside the bathroom stall I'm in. 

"Kai.....are you in here?" I sniffle my nose then nod forgetting that I cant be seen. "I'm going to open the stall now." I look up to see the door bend in then stop. "Hey, Kai if you want me to come in I'm going to need you to unlock the door." I reach my hand out towards the lock on the stall but then I stop myself. Do I really need to involve them in my problems? I put my hand back down. "Kai please unlock the stall". Out of frustration, I throw my hand out towards the lock and punch it. A loud "BAM" echos through the bathroom. 

I cried harder out of pain. "Kai please." They beg. This time I reach my hand out slowly. It throbs causing me to stop for a second. I look at the door and notice there's pressure on it. I start to hear them sobbing. I stand up and slowly reach for the lock again. I place my small, tiny hand on the lock and I slide it. The lock makes a clanking noise. The pressure on the stall eases and I slowly open the door to see a crying Willow. 

"Kai!" she screams and jumps towards me, her hands wrapping around me so tight that I can hardly breathe. "I'm so sorry that happened to you"

She cries harder in my arms and I feel my shirt start to get damp. I want to say something but I know I cant. We just stand in the bathroom crying until the bell rings.  

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Jay

"Fuck you" I scream in the hallway while pointing at Ella. 

"What the-," she says whipping around to look at me. "Just cause I wanted a break from you doesn't mean you can cuss at me."

"Whatever" I mumble and walk away to my class.

I walk into Mrs. Finch's room and instantly everyone looks at me. 

I roll my eyes and go to sit down, but on my way to sit down Willow grabs my arm and pulls me down. 

She whispers into my ear, "There was a man that came in here and pulled Kai out, he said it was something about her mother."

I looked at Willow with a confused look. "Like a government worker," I whisper back. She nods. "Oh well this isn't good, I've known Kai long enough to know if their mom needs them for something, it never ends well." 

Willow looked up at me. I could tell what I just said bothered her. "I'm sorry it's the truth, just text Kai, they will respond when their mother is done being a bitch"

"Thanks," said Willow, her voice cracked a bit. 

I went towards my seat and sat down. I looked at Willow then back down at my phone. I scrolled through AppleGram while I waited for class to start. 

"Hello, class" yells Mrs.Finch. "How are you all today?" No one in the class responds. She looks around, "Jay can you pass back these papers?" She sticks her hand out with a pile of papers in them. I nod, stand up and start to pass back papers. Kailey Moore reads one of the papers. I look up to where they normally sit and see an empty seat with books on the desk. I sigh and place the paper on the desk.  

"I need to leave" I hear Willow yell. I look at her and her hand is straight up in the air. 

"What?" says Mrs.Finch. 

"Oh sorry, I meant I have to use the restroom," says Willow, shaking her head. 

The teacher looks at her with a very confused look. "Well I guess if you have to then go"

"Thanks, sorry," says Willow, and she scurries out of the room. 

There was definitely something up. 

The rest of class goes by and when the bell rings, neither of them were back. I stand up and grab Kailey and Willow's books. I decide to put their stuff in their lockers and text them, I pull out my phone, and as I'm texting them someone runs into me. 

"Watch where your going dickhead" I look over to see Kailey's friend Lauren standing there with a mean look on her face. "Wow Jay not even going to say sorry."

"Oh uh sorry, I wasn't paying attention that's my fault"

Lauren rolls her eyes and fixes her hair. She stares at me with an annoyed look. 

"What! I said sorry, I don't know what else to say"

She scoffs. 

"If you are trying to get something out of me Lauren, It isn't going to work," I say. 

"Well I don't need something out of you, you've already proven to be in a bitchy mood so obviously you yelled at Kai," she says. 

"What, no their mom pulled her out of class, I've said nothing to them for at least two days."

Lauren rolls her eyes at me and walks away. What's up with all of Kailey's friends being mad at me.  I look back at my phone and start texting again, but then Kailey pokes me.

They sign Mrs.Finch said you had my books. 

I look at Them and notice their eyes are a little teary. "Yeah, I put your books in your locker, also are you okay. They shake their head no. "Do you need a hug?" They shake their head no again. "Well if it makes you feel better I broke up with Ella. That means we can be friends again." They look at me with slight hope then sink into their depression again. 

"Kai I'm sorry," I say, I hold out my arms. "If you want one I'm right here" They look up at me and they start to tear up. Just as they're about to give me a hug Willow shows up. 

"Kai, I thought you hated Jay," said Willow. Kai whips around and shrugs. They then stare at their feet. 

"Willow that was rude," I said. 

 "I know," she says

"Dude fuck off, I was just trying to be a good friend"

Kai looks at me and instantly their face gets mad with anger, their mouth opens a bit then closes. Don't fucking talk to Willow like that. They sign.

"What the hell, what happened Kailey, you never get pissed at me for being me. You know I always use cuss words." I demand. 

"You are so disrespectful," Willow states.

"What? how? What have I done wrong here?" 

"You just called them by their full name," says Willow. 

I look at Kailey to see a pissed-off look on their face. What is going on, I thought they were fine with both. I look over at Willow who is bright red with anger. *Ring*  Great we are late to class. 

"I'm not done with you," says, Willow. She tugs on Kai's arm and they walk off to their lockers holding hands. 

In the hall, I stood there listening to the mumbles of the teachers teaching their next classes. I dropped to my knees and looked down the hall where Willow and Kai had disappeared. My books fell out of my hands onto the ground which made a loud noise that echoed through the school. The noise of the classes being taught was silenced and in that silence, I felt my body twist. Had I just lost everything that ever made me happy? 

*End of Chapter Three*