Wylan's Laws of Emotion

Chapter Eighteen- Kwame

I was sitting in my room studying. I had books all over the floor, my notes askew, and my room in a state of peaceful chaos. It was as if I had built a shield out of paper over the causes of the Revolutionary War. As I flipped through notes, I received a text message from Wylan, which earned a glance and no reply.

If you text her now, you'll never get off the phone. Concentrate. "You remember how we were talking how you say I use terminology that makes me seem pretentious? Well, I have a proposition," it read.

I couldn't fully fathom why she wanted to be friends after how vigorously she had hated me. Progress was great, but the girl baffled me.

I sat there with my pencil, staring at a note card for Spanish class after reorganizing my binder for AP US History—otherwise known as Satan.

No me gusta tomar notas. I started sketching on the paper, intending to force myself to finish something, because I couldn't focus on academics, it'd have to be art. I wonder what she's doing. I wanted to be face to face and see it click in her mind. I wanted to watch her bite the lining of her cheek and move her left foot around in a half circle until she almost fell, but miraculously regained her balance.

I thought about her: her perplexing expressions, her crazy hair, and her goofy messages. Then I thought about playing FIFA with Khairi and everything went south. One moment considering things like that would lead to me not getting anything done.

My brother was standing in my doorway looking at me. "What are you doing?" He asked incredulously.

"Oh, I'm totally not studying." I looked at him with a shake of my head. "I knew you were stupid, but not that stupid," I told him as Kasim walked up. He was smiling as Khairi glared in my direction.

I sighed and rolled over on my back, staring at the ceiling. "What do you guys want?" Khairi rolled his eyes and smacked me with a shoe. I held my stomach, trying to soften the stinging sensation.

"Wimp," he chuckled.

I was just about to kick him in the leg when my mother called from downstairs. I rolled my eyes at my brothers, and grabbed my phone, sending a quick response, and starting downstairs.

"Is there a problem, Kwame?" My brother asked as I shoved him playfully. My mom was downstairs on the computer when I reached her. She was looking at something intently when she smiled at me.

"You needed me mom?" I asked as I approached her.

She typed furiously while staring intently at the screen. "I figured out how to do it on my own. Thank you for coming so quickly, ololufẹ."

I walked over and kissed her cheek as my phone vibrated in my pocket. I guess Wylan had finally replied to my text. I grinned at the message and replied, deciding to buy my book for my English project.

It was early in the afternoon when I reached Oliver's and walked in, roaming around lazily until I came upon the fiction section.

I had finally found the book when I heard a familiar voice at the front of the store and decided to surprise her. I stifled a laugh as Alex made eye contact with me. He murmured a quick, "Help me," as I turned the other way and inspected a rack of bookmarks with corny catchphrases it occurred to me that she might have been avoiding me.

She was so enraptured in the books she was purchasing that she barely even noticed me standing directly behind her. The cashier winked at me as Alex gave me a questioning look. "What are you doing?" he murmured, nodding towards his "sister." She turned around and bumped into the counter with how quickly she jumped.

"Did you figure out an answer to my question?" I asked, holding eye contact with her. For a moment, she was silent, and held her breath. It seemed like she was still in a state of shock as she breathed deeply.

"Don't do that ever again, Okari," she demanded calmly as she punched me in the arm.

Alex laughed, "You were totally scared, and you probably pissed yourself a little."

She grinned, "Shut up Alex." I raised an eyebrow at her and she laughed. "What?"

"You still haven't—" Something clicked in her mind as she slid around me, visibly trying to avoid contact. She ran into a rack, nearly fell over a display, and latched onto my shoulder. I pushed her back into a standing position by her waist and she brushed my hands aside.

"Thanks, no, I don't have an answer yet, but I will find one. Why are you so adamant about it anyways?" she asked.

"Shouldn't I be asking you why you're so out of touch with yourself?" I quipped.

She raised an eyebrow, "Excuse you?" she asked.

"I mean, it's a simple question."

"I wasn't asking you a question that was a statement, Okra. I excuse you for your ignorance."

"Well you two take your time, I guess," Alex said loudly. He walked away and I looked at Wylan who was staring at my shoes.

She then looked up and started to follow Alex. "Wait a second, Alex," she called, rolling her eyes and turning back to me, realizing he was already gone.

"What are you doing?" I asked and she continued looking at my shoes.

"Looking at your shoes as you look at me," I faked a kick as her face shot up.

She scowled at me and laughed. "You suck."

"Yeah, sure I do," I rolled my eyes as I leaned against the counter, flipping through some CDs of artists I didn't even know of. "What is so fascinating about my shoes?"

She shook her head. "I was just looking at how long your feet were," she stated, peeking up at me.

I laughed and shook my head. "You really want to talk about that?" I asked her as she frowned. "Why do you do that?"

She walked away, grabbing her bag before she started stepping. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said quickly.

She had reached her car when I slid in front of her door. Alex was watching from the doorway of the store as he giggled. "What are you doing?" he asked as she turned around.

"Trying to get in the car," she opened the door to the backseat and scurried in, crawling into the driver's seat through the back.

"Oh, you don't say?" I rolled my eyes as she looked off obliviously. I opened the back door and she backed the car up a few steps. "Oh so we're playing games now?" Alex was looking at us with a look of intrigue.

"What are you doing?" she asked flatly, as I climbed into the passenger seat.

"You've been avoiding me." She rolled her eyes and pulled off. "What about Alex?" I asked her and she gave me an excited glance.

"He knows the clerk. He can find himself a ride home."

That was good enough for me.