The Medium Kid

Chapter 70

Katherine walked around their table and stood in front of the boys. She looked mildly disturbed by what Koda had said, but that only enhanced her ability to bully the unique.

"He has turned you into a freak," Katherine snorted, looking Koda up and down like he was a wild animal. "Maybe you were always a freak. I can't believe I didn't see this coming."

Koda clenched his jaw, and Alfie started to feel the cold squeezing in his chest. Miss Pecan turned when the darkness washed through the room like a tsunami. Nobody else looked up, but a few were looking and smirking at Katherine. Alfie watched as a hard coat of poison replaced the shine in Koda's eyes. He knew Koda would be highly embarrassed if he allowed him to talk about souls and death and pain.

"Has your great grandmother died recently?" Alfie asked when Miss Pecan smiled darkly at Koda from the corner of the room.

Katherine's eyes moved to Alfie, looking him up and down as if he was a life-sized slug. "Yes, and I don't care how you know. You've obviously been listening to my conversations. I knew you were stalking me."

Alfie laughed and squeezed Koda's leg when the darkness intensified to the point where his organs felt like they were turning to ice. "Well, she knows that you stole her wedding ring yesterday and how you're planning on selling it."

The blood drained from Katherine's face. "What?" she scoffed, glancing around nervously to see who was listening. "I took that ring because I love her, and I miss her."

"Right, and your great gran says that must be why you stole money from her last week," Alfie said, and Katherine's neck tightened. "You thought she was asleep." Alfie watched her step back with shock. "You can't begin to understand how disappointed she was with you."

Katherine, visibly shaken, hurried back to her seat before whispers reached her table. Alfie looked to his left and the frail old woman leaning against the wall winked at him before disappearing like a clearing mist.

The darkness lifted too, and Koda winced at Alfie's grip still squeezing his leg. "Oh!" Alfie pulled his hand back quickly.

"Thank you. I would've died if I said anything about her soul." Koda relaxed, peering at Alfie through a sheepish gaze.

"I don't think Grimmie would've enjoyed lapping up your soul," Alfie said, holding his head up proudly. Katherine watched him curiously instead of glaring. He loved spooking those who deserved it.

"I don't like that nickname." Alfie jumped when their teacher was suddenly right behind them, peering at their blank pages. "Chop chop, these birds won't draw themselves," Miss Pecan said and glided away, and Alfie's eyes were distracted by her gem-covered shoes twinkling against the bright lights.

"Grimmie," Alfie whispered, and Miss Pecan glared at him as she sat down at her desk.

The boys eventually settled and started working on their art. Koda liked that life was somewhat turning back to normal. Even though he had lost someone dear to him, Koda had gained someone who would eventually mean even more. He couldn't stop himself from leaning closer to Alfie and finding ways to touch his skin whenever he could. Koda especially loved the jolt in his heart when Alfie paid attention to him or made contact too.

Their art class went by far too quickly, and Alfie was sad that he had to leave Koda who had another class. Alfie was fortunate enough to go home, but he would be going alone.

"Do you want me to come over when I finish?" Koda asked, and Alfie frowned like he had asked him something stupid.

"Obviously."

Koda chuckled and bent down to kiss him. The soul in his chest spasmed, separating their lips when the Grim Reaper walked past and down the corridor. They stared after her until she was out of sight. "She really is my grandmother, isn't she?" Koda said.

"I don't think the Reaper of souls would lie about that."

Koda nodded with agreement. "Anyway," he said after a big inhale and slow exhale. "I'm gonna be late. See you later."

Alfie's eyes lingered on Koda as he walked away, admiring Koda's jeans until he looked back and caught him. Alfie quickly cleared his throat, blushed, and marched in the opposite direction, leaving Koda to grin smugly to himself.

* * * * *

When class finally finished, and Koda was free to go home, he walked down the corridors, noticing how some people still expressed their sympathy. Those who had classes with him watched him how they watched Alfie. Koda hated it. They were very quick to label him as someone who didn't fit in. He felt inhuman, and they made him feel that way, even when they knew nothing about his life.

As Koda exited the building and breathed in the fresh air, he respected Alfie's ability to ignore those stares every single day. People stared at Alfie because he talked to himself, people stared at Alfie if they knew about his mediumship, and people stared at Alfie because of his eyes. All Alfie had to do was exist, and he was picked apart for merely living. Koda one day hoped he would have Alfie's strength to get something good out of a day so full of judgement and cruelty.

As Koda walked down the street, passing a cheap cafe infested with students, he suddenly stopped when he was supposed to turn right. His legs tensed and his mind urged him to go forward. Koda knew he had to turn right to get to Alfie's house, but his body screamed at him to go straight ahead, so he did.

Koda couldn't stop himself. Something was luring him down the long road, past rows of houses with front gardens and nice cars. Koda kept walking until he reached the part of town where the houses were not as big, and the cars were not as expensive. Koda moved along, stepping over a dirty chair left on the pavement, until eventually, Koda stopped outside a house that sparked his interest. In the windows, there were white laced curtains and statues of cats. Koda gripped the bars of the metal gate when his body tried to force him to go to the front door.

Koda didn't know what he was doing or why he was summoned to a house he had never seen until he felt a longing in his chest for a hole to be filled. Koda relaxed when the sidekick part of him took over. He stared at the green front door intensely, like a child waiting for a toy shop to open.

He didn't care that people were passing him, staring at a teenager watching a house as if he expected it to burst into flames at any moment. He could feel a soul getting closer and closer. He breathed like he had jogged his way there. His eyes grew with anticipation until the glowing ball of a person's life appeared through the door.

The soul felt as attracted to him as Koda was to it, drawing closer and closer to Koda's outstretched hand. He smiled when the soul absorbed into his palm, not batting an eyelid at the couple who kept looking back at him, and Koda certainly didn't care about the human who had just died in the house in front of him.