MISFIT

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A year later

Present times

Baltimore, Maryland

Kuzo was not impressed at all that he had wasted his vacation in a place like Baltimore. There was just nothing interesting about that place, Why his mother had chosen it to be their home, only God knew.

He'd spent his summer at home working as a life guard at the beach, he'd earned enough money though to travel abroad alone next summer if his parents weren't interested since his father had to work most of the time. His mother on the other hand owned a bakery, and the locals loved her pies and donuts. Because of her defect no one really wanted to employ her so she put her talents to use instead.

They lived a low profile life, his father worked with a tech company in New York but he flew home often to be with his family.

"Kuzo, heads up!" He turned in time to catch the ball in his face, it threw him off guard and the boys laughed. His  head hurt and he made no attempts at all to sit up.

"It's not funny Cedric, hey, are you okay?"

Two girls walked up to him, and bent over him, but it was not the pretty blue eyed blonde with beautiful round eyes that caught his attention, but the brown skinned girl with very curly brown hair with a white band on her head, holding the majority of her hair to her back, the way it bounced when she bent over him and the way the sun made its edges glow making the brown prominent was eye watering.

Puberty kicked in and so did his hormones, his heart began to race but he needed to stay calm. He sat up.

"Yeah, I'm fine thanks" That was where he noticed it. She looked so much like Sama. He stared at her intensely, it made her uneasy he noticed and he looked away, she did too.

"You are such a dick Cedric" The brown skinned girl said.

"So sorry about that" The blonde said,

"Don't worry I'm fine" Kuzo smiled and then he stood.

"You're a lifeguard?" The brown skinned girl noticed his uniform.

"Yea, I am"

"Cool, see you around then" She said and both girls run off with the ball.

He was hurt that she hadn't asked of his name, but hey, she wasn’t the first pretty thing who had smiled at him and walked away.

"Hey Asanté!"

Someone called. He knew who that someone was, he rolled his eyes.

"Asante is a Kenyan word that means 'thanks', my name is Asanti, not Asanté"

"Yeah whatever, grab the surf boards, we're closing up soon" Joe his supervisor and boss said.

Kuzo rolled his eyes but did what he said.

School reopened the following day and he dreaded the thought of going back to school.

The following day came quickly and Kuzo sluggishly walked towards the door.

"Honey don't forget your lunchbox"

"Mom I'm not a kid anymore, I'm fifteen for crying out loud"

"Okay okay but at least take an apple with you"

"Fine" Kuzo opened the fridge and took out an apple and a soda. His mother kissed him on the cheek as always, he picked his skateboard.

"Gosh I miss my hover-glide"

"I know you do honey, now run along and be safe okay"

"You too, love you" He said to his mother.

"Love you too baby" Maia said to her son.

He skated all the way to school, he loved doing that.

"No skating in the halls this term Asanti" He was greeted by Maxine Oswald,  an elderly woman who taught him Literature the previous term. He actually like her. 

"Yes Miss Maxine"

"Good to have you back, have a good year" The elderly woman smiled at him.

"Weird" he thought.

He kicked his skateboard and caught it.

"Nice move there"

He turned. It was her.

He blinked, dumbfounded and then he smiled.

"Is Baltimore really that small?" He laughed.

"Oh good, you do remember me"

"It was just yesterday" They walked in together.

"I'm Kuzo by the way"

"Summer"

She smiled.

He said nothing. Could it be it was her? No it couldn’t be, she couldn’t have time travelled too.

"You're a new student?"

"Yea, transfer student"

"Senior?" She asked.

"Yea" Kuzo replied.

"You?"

"Likewise" Looks like we'd be classmates then.

"Guess so"

"Well great, I'm taking Math class first, you?"

"Geography, it’s the most boring class" Kuzo said and she laughed.

"I'd think not, I love Geography" They got to his locker and he stacked his skateboard in it, it was the only thing he kept in there, she thought it was odd, she frowned. He noticed,

"Don't worry, I keep my makeup in my bag" He said ad she laughed. She had a beautiful laugh, just like Sama.

"You have no books in there?"

"Yea, books are just so archaic and heavy and so much load"

"Well that’s why you have a locker, to keep them in"

"Well I'd rather not, just in case I get expelled or something, then I'd have to carry my books alone all the way back home, no way"

"You are so silly" She giggled. The bell went.

"I'd see you later then Kuzo"

"Sure" He said and then she turned to walk away, then turned to look at him one more time and caught him staring, then she waved. He waved back.