Forever - Kai Parker - The Vampire Diaries

Chapter Four - 1990

One year later...

It had been a year since Kai and I had first quite literally bumped into one other. Since that day we had become best friends. Sure, he was short tempered and a little bit weird. And let's not forget the magic! But he was my best friend and I wouldn't change him for the world.
We only had a few months left of school before we both went off to college. I was going away for college to study to become a nurse. Kai was staying in Portland and hoping to get onto a music course at a local college.
He had been a bit off the past couple of weeks. I assumed it was to do when his Dad again. Yes, his Dad was still a huge arse.

I walked into the canteen and saw him sitting in our usual spot, away from everyone else. I walked over and sat on the bench opposite him.
"Afternoon Malachai." I smirked.
He grunted. He hated that name but I loved to tease him with it.
I threw a tater tot across the table and it bounced off his chest making him look up.
"What do you want Mia?" He growled. Oh, he was in one of those moods. I stood up and moved round to sit next to him, putting my arm around his shoulder and squeezing him close to me. Kai still hated being touched, but he was a bit more laid back than he used to be. I'd found out the reason he reacted so badly to anyone touching him was because he had a special kind of magic. He was something called a siphon. A siphon could drain another witches power and that was frowned upon by most covens, including his own. The Gemini Coven. They were a massive group of jerks.

"What up with you sour face? Someone piss on your cornflakes this morning?"
He continued looking down at the table.
"Hey?" I tried to get him to look at me but he seemed like he was in a complete daze. "Kai??" I shook him slightly to try and snap him out of it. Suddenly his head jerked up and he looked at me. His eyes were filled with anger. It had been a while since I'd seen him look at me like that. I let go and shifted away slightly.
"Why are you still even bothering with me Mia?" He asked solemnly. I frowned at him, unsure what he meant.
"What are you talking about Kai?" I asked him. A confused look on my face.
"Couple of months and you'll be gone. You'll have new friends. You won't even speak to me anymore." He mumbled.
"That's not true..." I started but he cut me off.
"It is and you know it Mia!" He slammed his fist down on the table. "I don't know why I ever agreed to be friends with you. You're just like everyone else. You get fed up with me and you throw me away." He grunted.

"Kai. What's brought this on?" I asked, putting my hand on his shoulder. "Is it college? Because I thought you were okay with all this. You're doing your thing, I'm..."
"My parents aren't going to pay for me to go to college Mia. They're putting Jo through college instead. Say they can't afford to do both." He glanced over at me. His eyes looked red.
"What? But they said... why have they just told you this now?"
"How should I know Mia." He said sharply. "They don't give a shit about me. That's the reason. And now you're going off to college and I'll be stuck in this shitty town alone."
He stood up and walked off, throwing a chair across the floor on his way.

I was stood there in shock. People had glanced over but had now looked away and were whispering. People liked to make up stories about Kai and I being a couple. We never were. I mean, yea he was cute. But we were only ever friends.
The rest of the day went as usual. Well, except Kai had vanished. That wasn't usual for him though. I was sure he spent half his school year not actually in school.
When the final bell went, I grabbed my bag and ran out of the school. Eager to get home and slob out on the couch for the evening.
When I turned the corner into my street I could already see the familiar figure sat on the doorstep. He was looking at the ground, flicking a bit of grass with a stick. He looked like a child. An innocent, undamaged child. But I knew he was far from it.

"Hey" I said walking towards him. He lifted his head to look up at me and stood up, brushing his jeans down.
"Hey." He was so quiet. He looked nervous. I hadn't seen him act like this before.
"You want to come in? I've got chips and cola and we can find a movie?" I smiled at him hopefully.
"I... I need to tell you something." He mumbled.
"Okay. Sure. Come in and..."
"No. I need to tell you now before I chicken out." He said, swallowing hard and stepping closer to me. "I like you Mia." He said in a very matter of fact voice.
"I know Kai. I like you too." I replied. Unsure of what was happening right now.
"No Mia. I mean. I LIKE like you."
I stood stuck for a few seconds, just looking at him. His gorgeous blue-grey eyes fixed on mine, full of hope.
"Kai...." I started and all of a sudden his lips were crashing against mine. I didn't kiss him back. I froze to the spot. He pulled away and looked at me confused.
"What's wrong?" He asked. I stumbled back slightly, widening the gap between the two of us.

"Kai. We can't. I.... you're my best friend. I should..." I lifted my hand up to my lips to touch where his mouth had just been.
He stepped forward again and took my hand.
"I know. And you're mine. But I want you to be more than that." He smiled softly. My face stayed still. No expression as I tried to find the right words. Then it all came tumbling out.
"I can't be with you Kai. I've been seeing Chris for the past month and we're getting on really well and... you're my best friend!" I blurted out without stopping for a breath. He dropped my hand and stepped backwards. "Chris? That jock from the coffee shop?" He asked me. His face going redder by the second.
I nodded, looking down at my feet. "I was going to tell you. It's just....."
"Forget it Mia. You and Chris have fun and you have an AMAZING time at your new college without me dragging you down all the time." He shouted. I could hear his voice cracking ever so slightly.
"Kai... please..." I tried to reach out and for the first time in ages he shouted those words again "DO NOT TOUCH ME!" I jerked my hand back as if he'd burnt me, tears pooling in my eyes. Had I really just lost my best friend?
"Have a great life Mia." He said, turning to walk away. I said nothing. I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing. That was the biggest regret of my teenage life and the last time I would see or hear from Kai Parker in a while...