The Butterfly Effect

Chapter 34

Friday

"Kyle, are you free on New Year's Eve?"

"Uh... I think so. Why?"

"Do you want... to spend it together with me?"

"With you and...?"

"No, just me. There's something I want to ask you."

"Uh, okay, sure. Why not."

"How about we meet at our usual place at 4:00?"

"Sure, Jess."

"..."

"I can't wait to see you."

"W- what?"

"Uh, you know, since we haven't seen each other for a while."

"O- oh, yeah, right."

"..."

"Okay, Kyle. See you there."

"See you there, Jess."

"..."

"I miss you."

Kyle's conversation with Jessica a few days ago was still stuck in his head until New Year's Eve today, even it was the first thing that he had thought about in the morning. But he was relieved that the call had disconnected right at the second he said those last three words, so she hadn't heard it. For that matter, it had never been awkward at all for them to say it back then, but now everything felt weird between them.

Kyle stared at his reflection in the mirror in his room. His dirty-blond hair was styled the way it was, he sprayed his signature Calvin Klein perfume upon his body and for some reason he was wearing his twinning gray sweater with Jessica's. Slipping his feet into his sneakers, he couldn't stop wondering what Jessica was going to say to him today.

After coiling a scarf around his neck, Kyle was about to get his phone on his bed when the picture of Kirsten just flew into his head. Since the night her boyfriend had caught them together, she never replied to his texts anymore. He had asked her two weeks ago how things were going between her and her boyfriend now but there hadn't been a single answer from her. However, if the worst-case scenario happened, it would make him feel terribly bad for them since he was a part of the problem, too.

That was what caused him to flop down on his bed and decided to try calling Kirsten. Not long after the beeping sound, someone whose voice he knew was Kirsten's picked up the call. "Kirsten?" Kyle started carefully.

"What's up, Kyle?" Her tone sounded languid.

"Just wanted to wish you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year."

"Thanks, Kyle. You, too."

"So, how are you doing?" he asked even though from the way she talked he could tell that she wasn't particularly okay.

Kirsten inhaled deeply. "I'm fine, I guess."

"You don't sound fine."

Sighing again, she said, "I don't know, many things have been happening lately."

At first, Kyle wasn't sure how to start the topic about her boyfriend, but he had to do it because it was the main reason he had called her in the first place today. Finally, he assured himself to ask cautiously, "How are things between you and your boyfriend?"

No sound came from the other line.

"Is everything good betwe—" Before he could finish his question, sniffles interrupted him. "K- Kirsten? Kirsten, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" But her cries became louder instead.