Cuspian

Chapter 4 Kendal

Chapter 4

Kendal

“Wh—what?” Kennedi’s voice was choppy and awkward, but I was too stunned to speak.

 Savannah pushed Kennedi behind her and started yelling at Chance. A blur of thoughts distracted me from the kitchen warfare, and my head started to pound.

I needed some more meds. The weight of the past week manifested in an instant, and my body became overwhelmed and tired.

Life without mom? Life with Chance?

Everything was happening so quickly. I didn’t normally talk to others about my problems, but now I wished I had someone to turn to. I caught enough shrapnel from the conversation to piece together how bad of an idea Aunt Savannah thought it was and how Chance believed it was best for “his kids” to be with family. Haze clouded my mind. Dizziness followed. I backed into the refrigerator, using it to support my weight. Refusing to invite a panic attack in to play, I recited the last scores I’d seen on Sports Center before I’d fallen asleep last night.

Across the kitchen, Kennedi wasn’t faring well with the news flash either. Her face was pale, and her mouth hadn’t closed since the announcement. 

      “Damn it to hell, Chance. Why couldn’t you just leave well enough alone? Look at the kids. Haven’t they been through enough without your crazy attention-seeking antics and glass-throwing temper tantrums?”  Aunt Savannah was screaming now, her accent thickening the more upset she got. Nausea tickled my stomach. I wanted to crawl back on my couch and rewind my life.

Chance stepped forward, closing the space between him and Savannah. His mouth was barely open, revealing his clenched teeth. His height and weight easily overshadowed Savannah’s, causing her to step back with Kennedi in her arms. If this was an act of intimidation, then he was going for overkill.

“Savannah, I’m their father. They’re coming with me.” Chance stressed father as if he had the right to use the word.

Silence enveloped the room, shattering Aunt Savannah’s composure. Mascara-colored tears traveled down her face, pooling at her chin before dropping to the floor. She spun on her heel and buried Kennedi deeper into her arms before ushering her towards the back of the house, probably towards Kennedi’s bedroom. A ceasefire had been called, but the discussion was far from over.

Final score 21-38 with the—

“Kendal. Are you ok?” Chance raised an eyebrow. “21-38 what?”

My face warmed.

“I didn’t know I was talking out loud. Sometimes I do that when I get… Never mind.” I stopped, reluctant to finish my statement. I didn’t need Chance thinking I was crazy or broken somehow. Not that I cared what he thought.

Chance’s eyes narrowed as if he saw straight into me. “When you were younger, I remember how you would repeat lines from your favorite movies, Peter Pan or Aladdin, when you were scared. I didn’t realize you still did it.”

I was surprised Chance remembered life before leaving us, let alone small details about me. I almost said as much, but that stray thought was silenced when we locked gazes. Our eyes were the same.

Gun metal gray.

I broke our gaze first, losing our staring contest. We were around the same height, though Chance seemed a few inches taller. We shared an athletic build, long lashes, deep dimples, and dark, rich brown hair. Chance’s hair was styled differently than mine, and it broadcasted “I did this messy look on purpose,” unlike my cheap ten-dollar Super Cuts hair.