↞[Ken]↠
Dribbling the ball past Reika and Michael, I scored another shot. Basketball going through the hoop and rebounding against the floor. George was frozen in front, he blinked a few times then shrugged his shoulders.
"Yaah! That's hot," Michael shouted, making me cringe involuntarily.
"Boo, Michael. Say that line again, and I'll stick a printout of the dislike button on your forehead," Reika said to which Michael pouted.
I was dripping with sweat, and the front of my jersey kept sticking to my abdomen. Staying in school after the last bell sucked. After thirty minutes of try-outs, being scrutinized by Brandon, and previous class being physics, all I wanted was to head home and bury my face in pillows.
"Yo, coach, Jacky Chan's killing it. Can we go home now?" George shouted. I ignored the racist comment, knowing if I reacted to it, I'd be seen as over-sensitive.
The PE teacher slapped my back and praised me. It wasn't so bad here. Expect Brandon shooting daggers at me from the bleachers, everyone had been nice. It came off as a surprise. Back in Rosewood, the coach had contempt for minorities. So being Japanese-American really sealed the deal for me. The only reason they kept me around was that I played better than most on the team. And who knows if that reason would've sufficed if I were out of the closet in my previous school.
The practices were called off, and everyone began exiting the gymnasium. Michael high-fived me before turning to Reika to wrap his arm around her. The PDA served as a reminder to the date I went on with Luke. My first date with a guy. First time where I wasn't pretending to be straight. And I opened up too much. But if I made myself vulnerable, so did he.
As I picked up a towel, I saw Brandon walking in my direction with a sickly smile. Hurriedly, searching for an escape, a relieved sigh raked my nerves when I saw coach on the front bench, talking on his phone. He's not going to try something in front of the teacher. Hopefully. A bandage covered his wrist—the one that I broke.
I gulped when he swung his arm over my shoulder, and said, "Heeyy, welcome to the team, bro." He squeezed it hard, and I began struggling to get out of his grip.
"Hey! No roughhousing, boys!" the teacher shouted, to my relief.
Brandon's hand slipped off, and before leaving, he said, "See you in the practices, twink."
I flinched at the slur, grating in my ears, as I saw his back exiting through the gym's double doors. The downside to being seen with Luke Raynott—everyone saw you. The worse part was that I didn't even know my place beside him. It's been a day, what the fuck am I expecting?
Making my way up the stairs to fetch my school-bag, a nagging ensued in my head. Did I forget anything?
"Ken!" Emily called out. She was sitting on the last bench on the very backside. Another guy was sitting on the seat above her. She stayed back for her band practices. As I made my way to her, I noticed the big smile plastered on her face and a twinkle in her blue eyes as she talked to the guy.
"Hey," I said with a classic, where-did-that-come-from, voice crack. I love my life.
"Ken, you're a pro! Did you see Brandon's face?" He made sure I saw it. "He was seething!"
With a small laugh, I said, "Yeah, I noticed."
"Ems," the guy spoke, "I'll wait outside. Don't be too long." He shot a polite smile at me before skipping off the stairs.
Emily let out a whimsical sigh, and I nudged her shoulder with a teasing smile. "Someone's got a crush."
"It's not like that," she protested but couldn't hide the blush forming on her cheeks.
"Suuure. I look at random strangers with heart-eyes, too." I immediately regretted as the words left my mouth.
Emily's smile turned upside down. Her eyes alienated as she said, "I heard some bad things. It involved Luke Raynott and you."
"Don't tell me you believe them." My hand tightened on my knee.
"I'm not sure." She looked into my eyes. She was serious, and I was not ready to hear what was coming. "People saw him forcing you into his car."
"Wha—" She opened her palm in front of my face, stopping me.
"I don't know what's going on. But, Ken, if Luke Raynott is forcing you to have sex with him—" My jaw dropped. "—then you have to report him to the school authorities. Or the cops." She shook her head. "FBI. And don't deny it. Everyone saw it."
"Stop," I said curtly, realizing it might have been rude when her shoulders jerked. I still continued, ignoring her shocked expression, "Nothing like that happened! Luke never bullied me or forced me! We're friends, Emily. I willingly got in his car."
She gasped and stood up from the bleachers. "You're so naïve, Ken!" Her voice raised, and a few students turned to us. I was completely flustered and felt like crawling under the bleachers. "Luke is manipulative. He does not give a shit about others' feelings, only wants people in his sheets to use them. He'll do the same with you and freeze on you after he's bored. He's a fuc—"
"Oh, my fucking God. Can you shut the fuck up?" I yelled back, hand sheltering my face from the students who were absorbing the drama. They were going to retell a tabloid version of this scene, and gullible people like Emily would spread it around like wildfire. And she calls me naïve.
A hurt expression resolved on her face, her voice finally lowering. "You're defending Luke Raynott. After knowing him for what, one damn day?" She snarled, the sweet and gentle girl I met on my first day melted away the exact moment. "Did you see the playboy's soft side? That walking man-whor—"
"Yes, I fucking did!" I moved close to her, so we wouldn't have to shout. "He's nothing like you say. I am sure 'cause I talked to him. I didn't feed off rumors from others like you."
Her jaw clenched, frown deepening. "I'm not your enemy, Ken. You're new here, and I want to help you." She sighed, palms pressing against her face. With my anger simmering down, I saw her teared up eyes. "I tried too hard at the beginning like you. Forced myself to be with people out of my league."
With those simple words, Emily effectually reminded me of my place. A place far away from Luke Raynott.
"You're setting yourself for a heartbreak, Ken. I just don't want you to get hurt." She looked down, fiddling her fingers.
"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I shouldn't have talked to you like that."
"It's okay." She took a deep breath. "I have to go. Kaiden would be waiting."
I nodded, ready to turn away from her and forget this ever happened. Impossible. Emily's words stuck to me like prickles. Looking at the swarm that gathered around Luke, I was not even a bit close to those people. Not close to his standards.
"Oh, and Ken." I turned back to her, not trying to hide my tiredness and unease.
"What?"
"Isabella was looking for you. Something about the—"
I didn't wait for Emily to finish as I broke into a run. That nagging in my head. I forgot the stupid committee meeting.
"Shit, shit, shit," I chanted, sprinting towards the cafeteria. Shoes squeaking against the floor with every turn, I almost crashed into some poor guy who was carrying a heap of books, taller than his own height.
The double door of the cafeteria was propped open by a chair, and I heard the mixture of voices coming from within. A sense of dread settled in my stomach as I slowly stepped inside. Bella's gaze shifted to me. She dropped what she was doing and started walking towards me. That moment I wished nothing less than swift and sudden doom.
"I-I can explain!" I spoke in panic.
"Ken, have you seen Luke?"
"The turn-outs were so long! Wait, what—" My mouth opened and closed. Luke. My mind raced as I recalled today's events. "I saw him in the morning. We talked about different Doritos flavors. Then I did not... see him... after..." A frown formed on my face. "We had different classes. What's up, Bella? Is he okay?"
I gulped when she grabbed my elbow and pulled me out with her, so we were away from other prying students. Then she spoke again, "I have not seen him since lunch. I got busy with work, and time passed by, you know?" She massaged her temples with the heels of her palm. "He looked so tensed today. I tried calling, but he's not picking up!"
"I'll try sending some messages. Did Luke tell you something? He looked okay to me," I told her while fumbling for my phone, then remembering that it was in my bag—in the gym.
"What? He was looking sick! And," she said and sighed again, "it's no use. I've been calling for an hour now. He's not even replying to messages."
Sick? The time I spent with Luke, he looked okay. A small frown strained my forehead. Did I not notice? "Maybe you can check on him? School's over anyway."
Bella started pacing. "I can't leave. There's too much work here, and I have to get home early. My parents are doing this stupid dinner welcome party crap for the new neighbors. They'll kill me if I'm late. And he told me that you live close to him."
"I get it. I'll check on him." Yeah, like it's no big deal. I pushed down my rising anxiety. What the fuck did I just agree to?
She finally stopped pacing and looked at me with hope. "You will? Oh, my God, I owe you one." She breathed out with relief. "I feel like a rock got removed from my head." A sad pout formed on her lips. "I feel so petty for not being there for my best friend," she said, almost on the verge of tears.
"H-hey, it's no big deal. I'm sure he'll understand. Plus, I'm his friend too." Oh, God. I internally slapped myself for saying the last line out loud.
She smiled, tears looking like they were about to spill. I stood there, staring at her in disbelief, and no idea how to calm her. "Maybe you should take a break sometime, Bella," I mumbled as my cheeks heated. It's not my place to say anything.
"You sound like him." She chuckled. "If I take a break, the whole school will burn down." On queue her phone starting ringing. She removed it from her pockets. Glancing at the caller ID, she rejected the call.
"Gi'me your number. I'll forward Luke's address."
I nodded and told her my number. Before she said something more, her phone rang again. She sighed. "I have to take this. Thank you, Ken." A smile formed on her face. "I'm sure Luke will appreciate you checking on him." She steered herself away and started speaking with lightning speed on the phone.
Still flushed from her final sentence, I moved to get my bag.
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I had almost reached my home when I received Bella's message. Luke's house was only ten minutes away. Though still afternoon, the skies were a dull gray, and cool breeze made me shiver as it whisked past me. Folding my arms together, I tried to ignore the thoughts buzzing around my head.
Way too many things happened on the very first day of school, and I was still having a hard time wrapping my mind around it. And now the fact that I was going to Luke's house. Yeah, this is not normal. With no idea what was waiting for me, I plucked a few leaves from the neatly lined bushes as I walked down the stone pathway. A small ounce of hope lingered in the back of my head that Bella was overthinking, and nothing bad happened to Luke.
Something bad happening to Luke.
A small knot twisted my stomach. Why did it bother me so much?
Finally reaching the address that Bella had messaged me, I stood in front of a double story building adorned with masonry and light-brown paneling, giving the house a neat, somber look. The front yard had no fencing, and a few barren trees were arranged in a lineup with the neighbors.
An authentic suburban look.
My shoulders tensed with each step I took towards the oak door. Dead leaves crunched under my feet, and the winds carried an eerie silence. My throat jammed as I pressed the doorbell switch. A dampened ring echoed behind the walls, and a shaky breath breezed past my lips.
I don't know if this is nervousness, or I'm just straight-up scared.
Even in this rush hour, I noticed how no one was around. Streets empty, neighbors quiet, no birds singing, nothing.
He lives in the cul-de-sac. This is normal.
I rang the doorbell again, but like before, nothing changed. There was no shuffling, no voices murmuring, no shadows moving under the door—nothing. Convinced that no one was at home, I took out my phone to message Bella. I pressed the unlock button, the screen flashed once and went black.
You're dead-scrap once I get enough money.
Resisting the urge to throw my phone and stomp the circuits out of it, I placed it in my pocket and took a backward step, not sure what to do.
CRASH!
I yelped, body jerking away from the front door, and heart now hammering against my chest. The noise came from within the house. Someone is inside. A lump stuck in my throat, and I took a step forward and knocked on the door again. Or maybe it's his cat. Palm flat against the wood, I moved to the door handle and turned it down. It didn't open. "Fuck this," I muttered under my breath and looked around. No one. Exhaling a sigh, I began moving towards the back of the house. "Alright, Ken, time to activate the ultimate Sherlock mode."
The backyard lacked fencing just like the front and had a dirt pathway leading into the woods, only a few feet away. Creepy. What was up with the townies not using fences? Style above safety? Sliding glass doors lined up the walls, stepping on the wooden ledge, I began tugging the handle slots of all doors.
Come on... the rule says that one has to be open.
My anxiety had reached its peak when I pulled on the last slot, and the door didn't budge. I pulled harder. If someone sees me... There was a loud click, and a ripping sound, and the door slid open, the lock hinges falling against the hardwood. Fuck. This was not what I signed up for.
With no time to think, I slipped through the door and closed it behind me. It recoiled from the edge and remained open up to an inch. I have fucking broken their fucking house. Fuck me. I was practically breaking in at this point, and I could end up in jail.
Cool. Cool. Cool.
"Luke!" I shouted, ignoring the cold sweat smearing my forehead. My voice bounced around the walls, but there was no response. Everything in the living room looked normal—a laptop placed on the coffee table, a clutter of books strewn around it, and Luke's clothes! He was here. Moving to the couch, I picked up his dark coat from the armrest. Maybe he stopped by before leaving for somewhere. With my detective senses dying out, the fear of being caught while breaking into someone's house was taking over. I was too young to end up in jail again.
I clenched my jaw. I have to check. At least once for my own sanity. Heart still beating fast enough to win a race, I took slow and paranoid steps up the stairs. So far, there were no signs of any cats or dogs. That crashing noise...
Three adjacent doors aligned the hallway, the one at the end was ajar. Broken shards laid in front of it, shimmering in sunlight that was seeping from the room. In the haze of confusion and panic, I barged through the door, glass crunching under my shoes.
"Luke!"
My eyes fell on his figure, lying on the bed, sheets folding around his waist, and his fingers clawing into the fabric, so tightly that I could see the veins popping over his arms—blue over his ivory complexion. His eyes were firmly shut. A sheen of sweat coated his exposed skin, pooling in the gap of his neck, and darkening his gray shirt.
He is asleep?
Falling to my knees beside him, glass digging into my unprotected knees—gym outfit was doing me no favor, and I regretted not changing in school only—I shook his side with all my strength. I pulled back with a gasp when I felt how hot his skin was under my touch—burning with fever.
"Luke, wake up!" I shouted, pulling his arm from the sheet he was holding onto, but it didn't work. I think I made it worse. His breathing picked up an uneven pace, and it looked like...like...
He's suffocating!
"No, no, no," I chanted and ripped my bag from my shoulder. Panic blurred my vision and made my hands tremble as I unzipped the chain, almost breaking the small metal, and grabbed the bottle of water. Only a bit remained at the bottom—it's enough. Uncapping, I poured it over his face. Water ran from the bridge of his nose, soaking into his hair, and trickling to the pillow, but he did not wake up. He didn't even flinch.
"Ha-how..." My brain was short-circuiting.
I shook him again, jostling his whole body. "Luke, please, wake up! Please!"
A sharp breath closed up my throat entirely, and my senses went into overdrive. "No..." I whispered in unveiled horror, falling backward from his body as I saw the flesh over his forearm pick a bright red shade. I blinked, thinking it was an allergic reaction. But that thought dissolved as soon as it peaked — the red marks began taking the form of long streaks. Like fingernails scratching up his arm, the four lines traveled from his elbow to the back of his wrist. Numbed from terror, I stared as they slowly morphed into the shape of fingers burning around his wrist.
With my muscles frozen in spot, every inch of my body screamed at me to run. Legs trembling under my weight, almost ready to sprint on their own.
I clenched my jaw. Run away, my mind screamed again.
Grabbing his arm with both my hands, skin still hot like I was holding flames, I begged. "Wake up, Luke... please... Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up." I closed my eyes.
Helplessness. It's a horrible sensation to sit around with your hands tied and watch the people in front of you slip away. Why do I have to feel this uselessness again and again?
"Please..." my voice trembled.
Give up. Run away. Useless.
I placed my head over his stomach, his drenched shirt wetting my cheek, my glasses frame digging into my aching temple. One hand holding his palm and the other securely wrapped around his waist.
"I don't know what to do..." I said, eyes stinging with unshed tears.
Why am I so damn worthless?
Luke's body stopped spasming, and his breathing slowed down. Is this working? I tightened my grip on his waist, pulling the fabric of his shirt. Please work.
And he calmed.
His fingers twitched and feebly clutched my hand that was holding his. Silence befell in the room. My heart picking up a healthy pace, the pounding in my ears fading, and the teardrop finally freeing itself as it rolled down and disappeared into his shirt. His free hand moved, and heated fingertips combed through my hair, brush as gentle as a breeze.
"Sato..."
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Okay, I'll agree with Ken here. That was creepy! But things are picking pace now!
Are you enjoying these tiny bits of creepiness mixed with their cute moments? Leave a vote, or drop a comment. :)