Chapter 17
By the time morning came, Sky was gone. Between Jamal and I, I woke up first and I had to bang plates over his head after my morning prayers before he got to wake up, groaning and cussing at me.
"Bro, fuck you," He rubs his eye extra hard. "I'm not going to school today. My head feels too heavy."
"I'm going to go shower," I start walking away. "Before I'm out, better be ready for your turn."
"Where's Sky?"
"Gone," I spat, then remembered the note he left behind, the note I threw into the bin. All it said was— thanks for the night x. Sky. Like, who on Earth says that? He's a complete butt for just leaving like that and writing just that like Jamal and I were his lucky one night stands.
I actually see him as a friend and to think that I was looking forward to seeing his morning face. He ruined that for me. I think about Sky as I shower, completely mad at him but then I stop to wonder what ifs. What if he had an emergency? Or maybe he has somewhere to be really early in the morning and he didn't want to wake us all up? I hit my fist on the tiled wall, completely exasperated with myself. I'm making excuses for him without him even being here and I'm getting all worked up over nothing.
What exactly is wrong with me?
"Issy, you're using up all the water!" Jamal yells from outside and I don't know how long I've been here but I check my skin to see that it's pretty wrinkled.
"I'm coming!"
"You better not be," he shouts back misinterpreting my words. "That's my fucking bathroom."
"Gross, shut up Jamal."
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"Don't be so pissed," Mal says as our teacher entered the class.
"I'm not pissed," I lie. I am actually both because Sky left leaving just a flimsy note and because he didn't drop by at my locker as he usually did. Why don't I know his locker again?
"You are," Jamal insists. "People do that all the time, at least he left a note and it's not like he's our best friend all of a sudden. Maybe he was shy to let us see his morning face and him in a boxer. Or brief."
"Ew," I struggle to keep the image away. "And like I said, I'm not pissed. I just...what if he saw my bed hair and your drooling face and then bolted, decided we're not worth it?"
Jamal mouth open and closes, then he shakes his head. "That doesn't even deserve an answer. It's those things that make people stay, not run away."
"You don't know that."
"I know nobody cares about your hair."
"That's—"
"Mr Taylor and Cole, do you both need to be excused?" The teacher asks, squinting his eyes at us.
"No," Jamal and I both answer before making a zipping motion over our lips and fixing our eyes on our books.
Lunch time comes around and Darcy had a meeting with some club so she didn't come, some other students sit with us though, most of them from Mathlets. I try to blend into the conversation but it's about a teacher and maths so I'm mostly lost but I answer when asked something directly, otherwise I eat my lunch in silence while Jamal gists with them.
My phone buzzes and I quickly get it out, knowing that only one person texted me.
Meet me outside?
I smile at the text, finally. But then I frown, remembering what he did and his note. I quickly text back telling him that it's not Wednesday and I'm having lunch with my friends. After I send it out, I take note of my lie. It's only Jamal that's my friend here and right now, he's not paying any attention to me.
Sky doesn't text back and I anxiously chew my lip wondering if I messed it up. Should I have just gone out? What if he thinks he isn't a friend because I said that? Gah, friendship is so exhausting, how do people do this everyday. I start packing up, deciding to just go outside and tell him I changed my mind. However before I can pick my bag and stand up, I recognize the figure walking into the cafeteria, chin up with a bounce that says he owns the world.
I quickly open back my lunch so it doesn't look like I was planning on going somewhere before looking back at Sky as he gets closer. He still has his denim jacket on with black pants, I don't know if it's the same one. But his shirt is different, a white shirt and he has a beanie on. I used to think I was the only one who looked really good in a beanie, Sky just proved me wrong without trying.
"Hey," he smiles at me, grey cat eyes glinting and I almost forget how to speak. I wordlessly move in and he sits right next to me.
"Sky," Jamal calls looking between both of us. "How nice of you to show. We didn't think we'd see you again today. "
Sky shrugs, "Surprise then, " Jamal smiles, giving him a thumbs up before going back to his conversation. Sky turns to me and looks me over before leaning close to my ear, "and you know what they say; 'if the man won't come to the mountain, the mountain would come to the man'."
I'm a little overwhelmed by his closeness and his breath on my face that I don't reply and I instead pick a fry and shove it into his mouth. Sky blinks at me, then laughs softly and chews on the fry. "Thanks and you're awfully quiet, what's wrong?"
It's not the reason I'm quiet but I bring it up even though. "'Thanks for the night' does that ring a bell?"
"Um–"
"You just left without saying anything and don't think about the note. Were Jamal and I just your one night stands?"
Sky clicks his tongue at me, "um, I'd say no to that question since all our clothes remained intact and I don't like Jamal—"
I couldn't let him finish because my face was getting hot in embarrassment. "That's not what I meant. I mean in that context not actual one night... You know what I mean."
He looks like he's going to laugh and I turn to glare at him, silencing him up immediately. He raises his hands up in surrender fashion, "Okay, I understand. I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd mind."
"Well I did," I cross my hands in front of myself. "I wanted to see you when I wake up."
He pulls on my finger and I uncross my arms, giving him the freedom to hold my hand under the table. It feels too intimate and I want to take my hand back but as I watch him move from one finger to another, I realized I didn't mind. "Why?"
I shrug, still looking at him play with my fingers. "I wanted to see Mal too. It's just something, I guess."
"Hm," he focuses on my hand like he's solving physics. "I saw you when I woke up, you looked..." He trails off and smiles to himself. "I had to go."
"I don't understand," Just then the bell goes off, telling us it's time to get back to our classes. Sky looks at me and I pull my fingers out of his hold, the warmth of his touch still on them.
"I won't just disappear next time, promise," Sky says over the noise of the cafeteria as students get up, hurrying out. I nod, packing up my things. "Can I see you later?"
I shake my head, "I have to be home immediately after school."
"Then after you get home, can I see you then?"
"I don't know," I answer truthfully as we walk out the cafeteria together.
"Come on," he pats my shoulder, making me look at him. "I could pick you up around six."
I quickly shake my head, "my mum doesn't know about you. She'd not allow it."
"So you'd sneak out?"
"Sky," I scold but I'm fighting a smile. "Maybe."
"Yes."
I groan, coming to a stop in front of my next class. "Can't we meet tomorrow?"
"I have to make up for today, today," He starts backing away. "I'd pick you up."
"Five thirty."
He nods, smirks at me and turns around, walking away. I watch him go and it's when they are about to shut the door of the class that I quickly rush in, face warm.
After school, I go straight home as I was told and Mum asks me series of questions about the sleep over and if I got to school early today. When I'm finally released I wonder what will happen when I eventually graduate and go over to the university. I wonder if they would still be fussing all over me, Nessa was supposed to go away this year until she decided to stay back and work to earn more cash before she leaves. I don't think I'd do that, I think I'll get away as soon as I can.
I don't even know where I'm going to go, somewhere far or somewhere close? I've always been a home boy, a Mama's boy too. I don't see myself going so far but now, I can't really tell. I don't always want to be fussed over and treated like a baby forever. I also don't want my life monitored and all my friends interviewed.
I do some school work while I wait for five thirty to reach and when the time finally comes, my heart is beating so fast and I start rethinking the whole idea. But I have to do this, I already told Sky I would and if I bail out at the last minute, he might start believing Jamal was right and think I'm a chicken. I scribble down a note saying I'm going to pick up something at Jamal's, grabbing a jacket and tip toeing out of my room and down the stairs. Thankfully there's nobody downstairs and everywhere is quiet with Pounce sleeping peacefully on the couch.
I run to the kitchen, drop the note on the counter and run out of the house before my luck runs out. It doesn't and when I come out, I search for Sky's truck and when I see it, it's parked two houses away. Cunning.
Sky has his head rested on the trucks window, eyes closed but I can tell he isn't sleeping because his fingers were drumming on the steering wheel. I knock on the glass and he startles us, smiling when he sees me.
"Did I scare you?" I ask when he lowers the glass.
"No, it's either you, the police or a grumpy neighbor that could knock on the glass," he looks around our quiet street. "I wasn't sure which it'll be."
"It's just me, thanks for not parking at the house."
"It's nothing, I'm not really ready to meet your parents yet." I nod at him and round the car, hopping into the passenger seat. Sky has his eyes on me as I buckle my seat belt and when I'm done, I raise my brow at him and he quickly looks away, ears getting red. His beanie was gone now so I could see his perfectly dishelved hair.
"Do you remember last night?" He asks, starting up the car.
"Yeah, I remember Jamal stuck on tarnishing my image."
He laughs, "if it makes you feel any better, your image remains untarnished to me."
"If you say so."
"Well, what about after the game? When we settled in to sleep?"
I pout thinking about it, "it's all woozy, I can't tell the details." Then I gasp and sit upright. "Did I do something or say something stupid?"
"No," he shakes his head. "I was just asking."
I relax back into the sit with a sigh, "hmm. Well, if I did it's all yours and Jamal's fault for giving me alcohol."
"Little alcohol," he corrects.
"Alcohol is still alcohol."
He rolls his eyes, "you can't say you didn't like it. At least nothing bad happened and you did something a little inch out of your comfort zone."
I relent, "yeah, it wasn't bad. I'm not doing something like that again though."
He smirks, "if you say so."
"Really," I press then laugh. "I'm not turning into a typical brown alcoholic kid."
"Oh my God Israel, really?"
"This is how it starts."
"I don't believe that one bit," he glances at me from the corner of his eyes. "It has to start with something more stronger and more addictive, let's say vodka."
"Vodka," I repeat, "that sounds like something I would name my dog."
"Vodka?" He looks at me and I nod.
I whistle like I'm actually seeing a dog and beckoning it, "Vodka, come here boy."
Sky burst out laughing just as he parks into drive-in. "I has got to be the shittiest dog name I've heard."
"It has a nice ring to it," I insist.
"It doesn't."
I laugh, "whatever. Have you taken vodka before?"
"I have, and you should try it one day."
"Nope," I look him over. "You're pretty wild, aren't you Sky?"
He winks, getting out of the car. "I was."
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Vodka... No words. Lol
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