KK seems to have turned into a whole new person, he has gotten used to the students in school disliking him, and he stayed out of their way.
He had just retrieved his tray of brunch and headed to find a table in the cafeteria when a sudden powerful force threw him to the floor and the tray left his hands. Above the din of all the shrieking, laughter, and chatter was a loud alarm ringing in his head, a sharp pain was killing him and he was groaning in pain. Everyone gave him attention but nobody wanted to go close to help him.
"What a freak" someone teased and students at his table laughed along.
"He's trying to get some sympathy. Poor KK" another student mocked his situation creating another round of laughter.
It was Skylar who rushed to him. And his grip tightened on her arm as his memories came in a flash. He was hurting her but she knew it was subconsciously.
"Sky, stay away from him," Ruby said, concerned about her.
"It's okay, he won't hurt me," She said and focused on him "KK, can you hear me? It's me, Skylar Maverick please, talk to me."
When the students realized KK was not faking having an episode. It was already too late.
He suddenly collapsed on Skylar, beads of sweat trickling from his hair down.
The next moment Ryan marched through the crowd and was pulling Skylar. "You've done enough, leave him to the professionals"
"Please, don't leave me" She heard KK mutter weakly.
"Get off her, freak!" Ryan angrily pushed him away from her.
"Ryan!" Skylar yelled angrily standing up to face him "What did you do that for? Can't you see he needs help?"
"He doesn't need your help but a Doctor's"
"What is wrong with you?!"
"Me? I should be asking you that. You've changed Sky" He was frowning critically.
"I don't even know you anymore, Ryan. If you don't have a heart. I have one" She backed away to help KK up while Ryan angrily stormed away and Ruby followed suit. She supported KK and carefully took him away.
Steven, Remi, and Ryan had come in together earlier.
While Ian and Ruby came with Skylar.
With three gone, only three were left standing together and staring as Skylar helped KK away.
*******
"I don't understand why Sky is so bent on helping that dude when Ryan's against it," Ian said, legs hanging on the backrest of the bench where they sat.
Steven replied half-mindedly, he was on his phone but still paid attention. "I guess it's because it's the right thing to do. I felt sorry for the KK I saw today in the cafeteria, he must be going through a hard time."
Steven was having second thoughts about the basketball team replacing KK since he hadn't been around in weeks for practice and tournaments.
He giggled as he was typing. Ian noticed and asked, "Who're you texting?"
"Um... I just texted Ryan. He and Ruby are on their way here" Steven replied to him his attention still on the phone.
"I'm going to grab something to drink. Want anything?" Remi announced
"Water" Steven answered.
"I'm good" Ian replied and Remi left the boys alone.
"What's making you smile this hard? A girl?" Let me see." Ian dropped his legs and shifted closer to Steven to peek into his phone.
Steven turned the phone on the table "No one" Ian reached for it but Steven we quick to get it first, "I said it was nothing, Ian"
"Show me that nothing" The next moment Ian was struggling the phone with him and unexpectedly Steven pulled him and their body collided, they were so close that not even air could penetrate between them.
The sudden tension between them. Cat seemed to have gotten Ian's tongue. He had known that Steven was one heck of a handsome dude but being in such close proximity, he lost his breath at the gorgeousness of the young man before him.
The way Steven was looking at him...
Ian told himself that he was the most gorgeous man he had ever seen. Every feature was breath making; his eyes, almond green in color...his lips. Ian's eyes kept traveling slowly up and down to both, and wild thoughts began running through his mind.
Steven on the other hand felt Ian was beautiful, he wanted to get these words past his throat but they felt stuck. He said "It wasn't a girl...it was but my sister. She was telling me something funny"
Why was he still jealous even after knowing Steven was texting his sister and not someone else?
Ian looked down to find both their hands holding the phone on Steven's chest. He quickly moved away "It's none of my business"
Steven giggled at his cuteness "It didn't seem like a while back"
"Why are you smiling?" Ian asked finding it upsetting.
Steven kept his smile from fading. He simply replied "Nothing"
Remi arrived almost at the same time as Ryan and Ruby. She dropped the can of water in front of Steven. He picked it up and was gulping down the water non-stop.
"Were you that thirsty?" Remi asked as she took her seat.
Steven glanced at Ian once he let the can down, a sharp one "Yeah," he turned to Ryan "You okay, bro?"
"Sure" Ryan simply answered.
Skylar found where they were, "I was looking all over for you guys" Everyone ignored her, "I know you deserve an explanation for my actions lately especially you Ryan. KK is going through a rough time now and I'd appreciate it if you gave him a break if not for anything, for the fact that I wonna be there for him, he's been through so much, and all he needs now is acceptance." she paused "And Ryan, I'm sorry I went to check on KK anyway even after I promised you I wouldn't..." she waited but no one said a word and she added, "that's it," that said, she backed them and walked away.
Ruby gave Ryan a look "C'mon, you really want KK to be the reason for your beef? Looking at it from her angle, I think she's doing the right thing. We really don't know this KK guy well enough to even judge him. I mean it's evident he's changed."
"I don't believe that guy suddenly changed overnight because he came back to life" Ryan opposed
"You don't believe or you're telling yourself not to?" Ruby said, "Check yourself. Ian, let's go"
"Bye guys" the two nursing students left the architecture students by themselves.
"Ruby has got a point though," Steven said and Ryan got up.
"You guys coming to class or what?" He walked away first and the other two followed behind him walking side by side.
The first roll had KK in it and Ryan was still getting used to seeing him up ahead. He usually sat at the back alone and would work solo on projects and so on but since he returned after being confined he seemed different and Ryan couldn't deny that fact.
He might be a fake. He kept telling himself.
He wasn't paying full attention to what the lecturer in front was saying, his mind would travel to Skylar from time to time. He would shake it off but still found himself diving back into the reverie.
She has been his best friend since childhood and KK wasn't worth their friendship. But she was the one putting it on the line for a stranger she barely knew. He doesn't want to give in neither does Skylar. They both wanted to test each others' boundaries.
Was he jealous? Jealous because someone else has got his best friend's attention?
For all he knew, KK might be using her until he gets his memories back.
He thought maybe he was being a jerk, he kept telling her what he wanted for her and hadn't heard what she wanted for herself.
"Okay, that'd be a wrap for today's class." The lecturer's loud voice jolted him out of his reverie. "For the project report assignment, you'll be working in groups of two. Listen attentively as I read out the names" There was pin-drop silence as the lecturer began calling the names.
He mentioned a couple of names before "Remi Akindele Adesanya and Darren Kay Thompson, team 7"
Remi's eyes widened in shock. Darren! Like Darren Darren? She couldn't believe her ears. She had been trying to talk to him for ages and here, destiny gave her a free pass. It took all the strength in her to hold in the joyous shriek that was welling up in her stomach.
Ryan nudged her shoulder with his, "Got paired with your crush, huh?" he teased.
The names that came next struck Ryan like a thunderstorm. What! He fricking got paired with KK. His mortal enemy? There was no way he would be working with KK and he'll call the attention of the lecturer to this after the class ended.
Later, much later, students were emptying from the lecture hall and Ryan noticed KK walk to the lecturer to speak with him and the lecturer pointed up in his direction. Since he was walking down the steps, KK waited for him to land.
"What are you going to do?" Remi asked from behind him.
"There's no way I'm working with him" Ryan replied.
"Mr. Gilbert is very strict, are you sure he'll let you change your teammate?" Remi asked.
"There's no harm in trying but if he doesn't I'd rather go solo"
"We always get paired why's it different this time?" Steven didn't like the idea of those two in a team either.
"Serves you right. You always end up leaving the work to Ryan only " Remi gave him a sassy reply.
Mr. Gilbert had walked out of the hall before the trio got to where KK was waiting.
"Ryan, right?" KK never thought that Ryan would be the best friend to the only student who has been nice to him. And he's the reason for a crack in their friendship. With the look on Ryan's face KK already read Ryan's thoughts. It was never gonna work between them.
Ryan ignored his question "I only work with people I like. You'd be doing yourself a favor by following me to Mr. Gilbert's office and informing him that there's no way this would ever work. Deal?"
KK sighed "We'll I don't have a problem working with you but if that's what you want." A shrug followed.
"Hi," Remi heard someone say from behind her and turned almost at the same time as Steven.
It was Darren. He was holding an acoustic guitar in one hand, his backpack hanging on his shoulder. Her heart picked a race as a smile curled up on his lips.
"Hi," she managed to say and beamed at him.
The black American dude. He was quite popular, especially for his angelic voice.
"I was going to ask for your number since we're teammates now. To keep in touch about the project?"
"Take my number...not that I want you to have it...but you have to 'cause it's important, right?... I mean for the project report..." Remi stammered, nervously and Steven chuckled silently at her.
"I guess" Darren held out his phone, "here," after she was done putting in her contact ID, Darren said he was going to catch her later and left.
She inhaled on the hand that had held the phone earlier. "Smells nice"
"Come off it, Remi" Steven shook his head having a belly full of her already.
She eventually let out the shriek "It smells so nice."
*******
"And Mr. Gilbert turned down the request," Ryan said to someone over the phone. He was rocking a baggy pants on a white shirt. Ready for bed.
He moved the thick covers on the bed and climbed on.
"Maybe it's a good thing, maybe this is your chance to get to know the real KK. You can't tell, you both might get along so well" Ruby's voice came from the other end.
"I'm only putting up with his bullshit 'cause of Sky"
"Speaking of Sky. Have you tried calling her?" She asked.
"Not yet"
"You're still mad at her?"
"She's my best friend. I can't stay mad at her" He replied.
"Then be the big guy and make the first move, Ryan"
"I don't know what to say to her"
"Just speak from your heart"
"She told me I didn't have one, remember?" Ryan said and they chuckled. After it died down, Ryan smiled at the image on the screen. "Thank you, Ruby."
She smiled back "Always. Goodnight"
He wished her a splendid night too before she kept the call. After much hesitation, he made up his mind to dial Skylar. But changed his mind and began texting. The text which he erased after reading through would all over again.
On the other end, Skylar was sitting curled up on the bed while Saint Micheal was on the window's pavement listening to her lash out about Ryan.
"I don't understand, I try to help someone and I'm the bad guy?" she gave a frustrated sigh. "Ryan's my best friend, yes but KK needs my help and the least he could do is support me instead of being jealous over nothing. He's always supported me, why is it different this time?"
"Trust" She heard Saint Micheal simply say.
"Huh?" a questioning look was now on the breathtaking Angel of Utopia.
If not that he was her Guardian Angel... Skylar would always think but still shake herself off the ill-thought.
"KK hasn't given Ryan any reason to trust him especially when it comes to your safety. Remember he pointed a gun at you once..."
She cut in "But that was the old KK"
"But still the same person. Or it's either Ryan's into you. One of these two"
Skylar scoffed, "Definitely not the second one 'cause I know the girl Ryan likes..." She was suddenly interrupted by a ding sound that came from her cell phone. She reached for it and read the message Ryan sent.
Nuthead, I'd be working on this new project assignment with your golden boy. We should totally talk things out tomorrow. I hate it when we get this way.
She beamed and when she looked up again, Saint Micheal was gone. "Saint Micheal?" She called out and checked behind her to verify if possibly he was peeking into her phone.
After she realized he was really gone, her lips formed a pout "Left without saying goodbye."
*******