30 Days Together

Chapter 4

Kyle was pacing back and forth as he waited for the school nurse to tell him Akina was okay. He could still feel how her body had felt so cold and light in his hands as he had carried her to the nurse’s office. She looked almost dead and Kyle couldn’t get that thought out of his head. He knew he had missed the entire lunch break and he didn’t care. His friends were probably worried about him too, but they could all wait. Akina’s health was more important than his usual mundane life.

The school nurse came out and gave him a sympathetic look. “Kyle you should head to class,” she said. “I have called her mum and she’s on her way to pick her up,” she continued. Her grey eyes looked tired but also had a hint of calmness and relief.

“I don’t care about class right Mrs. H,” Kyle responded as he stood up to face her, “is she okay? Is she awake? Can I see her?” he asked all at once.

Mrs. Harrison sighed, “she’s okay for now. And thank you for being there and bringing her as soon as possible,” she said. “I don’t think it’s wise for you to see her right now,” she tried to say but Kyle was already pushing the door open and entering the room.

Akina was laying on the small bed in the nurse’s office with a book in hand.

“Hey!” Kyle said taking a seat on the chair next to her bed.

“Hey!” she responded as she glanced up from her book.

Kyle sent her a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “How are you feeling?”

Akina closed the book she was reading and tilted her head, she was looking at him with an unknown emotion in her eyes, one that Kyle couldn’t decipher. “I’m okay,” she finally responded and looked away.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, yes I am.”

A sigh of relief fell from Kyle’s lips and he finally sat back in the chair.

“Can I ask you something though?” Akina asked as she rubbed her hands on the sheets nervously.

Kyle figured she was nervous about whatever it was she that she wanted to ask. “Sure,” he replied with his usual lazy and playful smile. He wanted her to feel comfortable around him. “You can ask me anything, I’m an open book.”

 “Why are still here?” she asked.

Her question threw him off. That was not what he had expected to be asked and now that she had, he didn’t seem to have an answer. “What do you mean?”

“I mean why are you still hanging around? I don’t understand why you would still be here after what happened,” Akina said looking anywhere but at him.

Kyle sat up straight in his chair, “I’m here because I want to be here,” he said honestly. There was no way he would leave her alone after this, he promised himself that he would always be by her side from now on. “Why? What are you afraid of?”

Akina’s mouth opened and closed as she tried to process what he had just asked. “I… I’m not afraid of anything,” she stammered as she twirled a lock of her hair.

Kyle scoffed, “oh please! Save me the bullshit,” he said. “I’m not dumb for you to lie right to my face.”

“I’m not lying to you Kyle,” Akina said defensively.

“Uh-huh of course not,” he replied sarcastically, “because I’m not as smart as the great Ms. Akina Matthews right?” he snapped.

Kyle had done his research about her and it proved a lot harder to find any form of information on her. She basically had no friends who he could have asked, no social media account, nothing. It was as if she didn’t exist. But luckily, the librarian seemed to know more about Akina than anyone in their age group. She was top student in all of her classes, preferred to be alone in the library and now he knew she barely ate. That’s all the information Kyle had to go on.

“I don’t know what you want from me,” Akina finally spoke. “You shouldn’t be here. I’m not good for anyone.”

“Tough luck trying to get rid of me because I’m here to stay and I’m not going anywhere no matter how hard you try to push me away Akina,” Kyle said. “You can’t keep pushing people away your whole life and expect to be happy, that’s not how life works.”

Akina was an enigma that Kyle vowed to understand. He planned on getting to know who she really was and everything in between.

Akina grabbed the book she was reading and flipped it open to a random page. “Look Kyle, it’s just not that easy. I’m not the type of people you hang out with and I can’t ever be like them,” she said with a sigh. 

“You know saying you aren’t like everyone else shows how much you look down on everyone and how much you think you are better than the rest of us, right?” Kyle asked as he folded his hands on his chest. “The ones who don’t spend their entire time isolating themselves from the rest of the world and hiding in our own little bubble. Us who go to parties nearly every weekend and do some really dumbarse shite that we end up regretting the next day.”

“I… that’s not true. I don’t think anything like that about you guys,” Akina tried defending herself. “I don’t think I’m better than any of you, I actually envy you most of the time,” she confessed.

Kyle’s features softened at her confession. He had no idea that was how she truly felt. “Then stop pushing people away,” he retaliated. “Stop pushing me away. I know we just met but I want to stay, I want to get to know you.”

“It’s not that easy Kyle. You won’t be saying that once you get to know the real me.”

“Make it easy Akina. We all have a choice and you choose to push everyone who comes closer away,” Kyle said softly. “Tell me, why do you do it?”

The door to the nurse’s office opened and in walked a dark haired woman who had the most striking hazel eyes Kyle had ever seen. She was talk and slim and carried herself in an elegant manner. Kyle figured she was Akina’s mother but he also noticed how Akina’s body suddenly became so stiff and rigid.

“Akina honey, how are you feeling?” she asked in an all too sweet voice that Kyle figured was fake. “Does anything hurt?”

“No, I feel better,” Akina responded with a shaky voice.

Kyle looked between mother and daughter, he couldn’t understand the dynamic of their relationship. Something was certainly wrong somewhere.

The woman turned her attention to Kyle and a look of disgust appeared on her beautiful face. He now understood where Akina got her looks from. The woman was beautiful.

“And who might you be young man?” she asked as she casually checked her nails in a bored manner.

“He’s no one mum. Just forget about it,” Akina tried to say but she shot her a warning look and Akina lowered her head.

Kyle felt a pang of pain at her denial. It was like a slap in the face. Why hadn’t she introduced him as her almost friend? Was he that bad of a person that Akina couldn’t simply introduce him or even say his name?

Her mother turned back to face Kyle. “You are?” she asked coldly. “I don’t believe we have met before.”

“No ma’am, we have not met,” Kyle said with a half-smile as he stood up from the chair and extended his hand to her. She stared at it but didn’t make any effort of shaking it and Kyle slowly withdrew his hand. “I’m Kyle, Kyle Thornton,” he answered curtly.

She stared at him trying to size him up and Kyle felt uncomfortable under her scrutinising stare. “I’m Iris, Akina’s mother,” she said still staring at him as if trying to place his face and name.

Kyle swallowed hard. He really wanted to leave but something told him not too. He couldn’t imagine how Akina survived her each day. He risked a quick glance in Akina’s direction and the look alone on her face broke his heart. She looked sad and about ready to give up on life entirely.

“Thornton, as in Michael Thornton of Thornton Industries?” Iris asked seeming to now be interested in him and his family business for whatever reason he didn’t know. “He is your father?”

“Yes ma’am. He is my father,” he replied.

“Interesting,” Iris said as she took out a card from her purse and handed it to him. “Do give him my card, I’d like to set up a business meeting with him.”

Kyle took the card and placed in his pocket. He now understood what she wanted from him, she wanted a business meeting with his dad but he knew him better. Michael Thornton was a busy man who barely had any time to give anyone if it didn’t benefit him financially and Kyle knew that from personal experience.

“I’ll be sure to give it to him and tell him to give you a call,” he replied instead.

Where was Nurse Harrison when he needed her the most? Kyle was about ready to make a dash for the door when she finally walked in to the room with a clipboard in hand.

“Kyle, your friends are waiting for you outside,” she said.

A sigh of relief fell from Kyle’s lips. “It was nice meeting you ma’am,” he said to Iris. “I’ll see you tomorrow Akina.”

As he passed nurse Harrison, she gave him a subtle wink and he mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ before leaving the room.

                                                                   *************

“Where the hell were you dude?” Wyatt asked as he sat on the couch in Kyle’s basement. “We looked for you the whole of lunch break and couldn’t find you anywhere. It was like you suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth.”

Kyle shrugged, “I had things to do and places to be,” he replied as he turned on the huge flat screen TV.

“Things more important that you couldn’t tell your friends where it was that you went to?” Vincent asked from beside Wyatt. “We came here and Linda told us you weren’t home yet and we had to wait.”

“Yep!” Kyle responded. “Things.”

Wyatt and Vincent both sighed because it seemed that was all they were going to get out of him. Jackson sat on quietly on the beanbag watching everything with a smirk on his face.

“Who was that girl you followed back in the canteen anyway?” Wyatt asked.

Kyle took his time in responding as he handed each one of them a controller. “She’s someone.”

“C’mon man, stop giving us these one worded answers. They are pissing me off?” Vincent huffed.

A laugh escaped Kyle as he turned to start the game that the four of them could all play.

“Akina,” Jackson said.

Kyle stopped laughing and stared at him with a confused expression. “What did you just say?”

“The girl, her name is Akina,” Jackson said once more.

Vincent turned to look at Wyatt but he too had the same confused expression.

“How do you know her?” Kyle asked a bit suspiciously.

He didn’t remember ever telling Jackson who she was or the fact that she was the reason he had been distracted for the last three days. Or maybe he had told him and he just couldn’t remember it.

“We went to the same school in 7th grade,” Jackson said as if they were all supposed to know that. “She hardly ever talks to anyone so I’m surprised you actually know her Kyle.”

“So am I,” Kyle said coolly. “I didn’t know you knew her.”

Jackson played with the controller in his hands, “I don’t really know her, just went to the same school with her and Jessica,” he answered with a shrug.

This was all new information to Kyle. Not only did Jackson know her, but apparently so did Jessica. Was there more they weren’t telling him?

“Then how come none of you ever talk to her? Wasn’t she your friend?” Kyle continued asking questions. He was trying really hard to understand all the information that was being presented to him today.

“Don’t get me wrong, but I was never her friend. She seemed weird back then too,” Jackson replied coolly. “but she used to friends with Jess so maybe you should ask her. She can tell you more about her.”

Vincent sighed loud enough for Jackson to stop talking. “Then what the hell do you know about her dude? Because it kind of seemed like you knew a lot when you opened your mouth and started talking.”

Kyle and Wyatt nodded their heads in agreement. Did Jackson know Akina or was he just saying things that he thought he knew but didn’t? Kyle didn’t understand and he wanted to understand.

“All I know is that she was weird, is weird and will probably always be weird,” he answered. “And she likes to keep to herself all the darn time. It’s actually annoying.”

A sigh of relief fell from Kyle. At least Jackson didn’t know anything about her but he still wondered why she and Jessica had stopped being friends. He told himself he would find out the reason and he knew exactly who to Ask-Jessica herself.

“Can we play now?” Wyatt asked as he rolled his controller in his hands. “I’m tired of hearing this this Akina girl, she’s weird end of discussion.”

“Why don’t you both just get yourself a PlayStation?” Kyle rolled his eyes, “it’s not like you can’t afford it, you just don’t us to play with it.”

Wyatt rolled his eyes dramatically and threw his hands in the air exasperatedly. “You all know I can’t ask my parents for anything right now until my grades are above average,” he rolled his eyes. “Or I’d have to get a job to buy it myself and we all know that isn’t possible.”

“Not a job,” Vincent said laughing. “I can’t imagine how you would ever survive having one. You can barely do anything without messing it up one way or the other.”

“Me neither,” Wyatt responded with a shudder.

Everyone laughed at Wyatt. It was no hidden fact that the guy knew next to nothing about surviving in the real world. He always depended on his parents to get what he wanted but considering his grades were below average, they had given him an ultimatum to get them up by the end of first semester or he would be forced to start fending for himself.

“You’ll learn to survive man,” Jackson said still laughing. “People get jobs all the time.”

“Yeah but I’m not one of those people.”

Vincent was sat clutching his stomach laughing as tears rolled down his cheeks.

“Then you’d better get your grades up,” Kyle said as he clicked play on his controller and the game started.

Wyatt huffed, “yeah I need to find a tutor or something. But I’ll probably do it next week,” he shrugged. “But for now, I’ll just continue having fun with you morons.”

“Uh-huh of course you will,” Jackson responded sarcastically as they each paired up and started playing FIFA.”

“Just trust me.”

                                                                          ****************

When everyone had left, Kyle tided up the basement and then made his way upstairs to his bedroom.

“I’m off to bed Linda,” he said as he entered the kitchen and took a glass of orange juice from the fridge.

“Aren’t you going to have supper with me and you brother today?” Linda asked from her place at the stove.

Linda had been their nanny ever since Kyle could remember and she had raised both him and his little brother, Mike, when their mother had passed away. Kyle was only 6 at the time and Mike was 4-year-old. Mike thought she was his mother and it always broke Kyle’s heart because his father was hardly ever around and so everything fell on Linda.

She had a dish towel on her shoulder and her brown hair was tied in a bun as she stirred in a pot that smelled delightful. Kyle almost changed his mind at the smell.

He stood there for a second thinking it over, “nah, I think I’ll pass,” he finally answered as he took a sip from his glass.

“Are you sure?” Linda asked once more.

“Yep!”

Kyle placed the glass in the sink, gave Linda a quick hug and kiss on the cheek before he went up to his room.

While in his room, he took out the business card Iris had given him and placed it on his desk before he grabbed his phone and sent a text to Jessica.

‘I need to talk to you about something tomorrow’

‘Sure’

He read her reply and he knew his work was only getting started.