After All, I'm Your Secret Admirer~!!

Ch15 - Broken and Changed

Paige doesn't sleep well that night.

+++

"Hey!" Brandon greets the next morning. "What happened to you yesterday, man? You weren't in class in the last two periods."

"I left," is all that Paige says.

"You left?"

"I left."

"Why?" Brandon prods further.

Paige frowns. "Kevin broke his leg."

"What?" Brandon blinks. Then, he says again, "WHAT?"

"I really don't wanna talk about it," Paige sighs.

"Okay, but are you alright?" Brandon frets.

"Fine," Paige replies.

"Are you sure?" Brandon pouts. "You seem... I don't know. You're acting a little different."

"I just saw one of my oldest friends sobbing with a broken leg," Paige deadpans. "I think you'd be acting different too."

"Oh," is all that Brandon can muster.

"Yeah," Paige says back.

+++

"Are you gonna give a note today?" Brandon asks as the two of them unload out of Quinn's SUV.

"Shoot," Paige says, sucking his teeth. "I forgot."

"Yeah, that's fair," Brandon nods. "You want I should tell him you can't make it today?"

"No," Paige says, pulling off his bag. "Hold on."

Ripping out a piece of paper from a random book he had, Paige writes:

"Sorry. Something serious came up. I'll try to reply properly on Monday, okay?"

He hands the note off to Brandon. "Thanks," is all he says before walking off into the school, leaving Brandon in his wake.

+++

Paying attention normally for Paige was difficult. Now? It was impossible.

Flashes of Kevin's broken leg pop up in Paige's vision again and again. Everytime he tries to write something. Everytime he tries to read something. Everytime he looks at the board. Everytime a teacher calls on him. It's all he can see.

But when Brandon has a note for him at Lunch, he's surprised. It reads:

"I understand a close friend of yours was hurt. Take all the time you need to recover."

It's just that. Two sentences.

It takes all of Paige's willpower not to scream. Not to cry. Not to do anything.

The middleground is Paige's best friend for the rest of the day.

+++

kev: hey man

kev: thought id update u

kev: i can get visitors now so if u wanna drop by im good

When Paige receives these texts on Saturday afternoon, he jolts up out of bed. He'd been just sitting there all day, scribbling in his sketchbook. But now there was something much more important at hand.

"MOM!" Paige shouts as he leaves his room. "MOM, WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Kitchen!" she calls back.

Paige rushes down the stairs, almost tripping but barely catching himself on the couch. He then dashes into the kitchen, panting heavily. "Mom, Kevin can get visitors now!"