The Switch

Sarah- Dear Diary

“Dear Diary,

                 I was almost a hundred percent sure that Luke had given up stealing things. I guess I was wrong. He stole a really expensive necklace.

A long time ago, when I had once asked him why he stole stuff, he said that there was nobody that should be bothered by it because he didn't have a family. So I should most probably just butt out. But then, I told him that I cared. I showed him that dad cared. I made him believe he now has people who care about him. And he promised he would never steal. I’m disappointed, diary.

Not in him, but in myself. I’m disappointed that I failed to give him the feeling that he had people who cared about him. Luke has such a hole in his heart. His family was ruthlessly murdered, and the reason he hates the chairman, is that the chairman knows who did it but won’t tell him.

I just hope Luke stops. He needs to confide more in people. Me, at the least. I’ve been with him for six years. He doesn’t count the first year because he hardly spoke to me at that time, so to him, its five years, but to me, its six.

I have a feeling the Chairman and Luke are sharing a secret, but won’t tell me. It’s been troubling Luke. He doesn’t tell me, but I know. Nothing but the knowledge of how his family was killed would have him this unstable. Then there’s the question of his health.

He’s not been feeling very well lately. He always leaves the chores to me, unlike the second year we were together. And there’s the fact that he keeps having these coughing seizures and he isn’t himself at those times. He’s the rudest then. When I want to comfort him, he gets angry and yells at me to go away. It hurts, diary, when he does that. But I keep coming back because I can’t see him like that. And then there’s the utter enmity between him and Kenny. Ever since the first time they met. Luke’s always hated Kenny, no matter how nice Kenny was to him. Even though, I think that Kenny’s ‘niceness’ was only a façade.

I’m really worried, and I’m angry at him.

Well, either way, I just hope I could have Kenny again when Luke pisses me off; like how it was before. I never told Kenny why I was pissed at Luke, and he never asked. He just absorbed my anger, and didn’t allow me to feel even the slightest bit hurt.

I’m so selfish. I always make him worry about me, even when he’s done so much for me. He’s done more than I can pay back. I hope I get to meet him again. I feel like crying, but I won’t. I won’t show my weak side. I won’t make them worry about me. I won’t give up on Luke.

That being said, I want to sleep now. Good night”

I closed the journal and looked out of my window. The moon shone. I could see the silver light falling on Luke’s window. The boy’s dormitories were in plain sight from here.

The light in his room was on. Some one was talking to him. Two guys. One was on the bed, looking strangely like Chairman, with his long hair and glasses, and there was another one, taller than me, standing up with his hands clasped at the back of his head.

I could have easily believed it was a teacher, if I didn’t see the guy turn around, face the windows and shut the curtains.

It was Kenny.

Kenny was here, in this hostel.

Though it didn’t make sense what he was doing here, since Kenny had already been adopted. Why would he come to live in a hostel?

It didn’t make sense, but the happiness of my heart dulled the thought sense of my brain.

The dorm teacher knocked on my door, and I opened it.

She handed me the school schedule for the week and asked me to go to bed.

I hadn’t had dinner that night, but that wasn’t what was on my mind. I smiled and crawled into my bed sheets. I’d be seeing Kenny tomorrow. Chairman was most probably Forcing Luke and Kenny to stop fighting now that they’re in the same hostel.

I’d meet Kenny the next day. I bet he’d be happy to see me.

The world provides you with what you need, if you want it hard enough. Well, there I was during lunch, in the cafeteria, wanting to meet Kenny after so long. I was wanting so hard.

My heart jumped to my throat when I saw him walk in, hands in his pocket, with a plain expression on his face, accompanied by a girl with long light-brown hair and black eyes and a blonde guy. I stood up, in shock.

It was him. Finally.

I didn’t intend to, but I ran forward and hugged him. He looked taken aback and looked at me.

“Kenny!” I yelped pulling away. He seemed to be in a trance

“Sa-Sarah?” he blinked thrice before he focused clearly “It really is you?”

“I should be the one saying that! I never thought we’d never see each other again!”

“Uh…yeah” he seemed…distant.

Hadn’t Luke told him, when they met yesterday?

“Luke’s here too!” I said

“Really?” he asked.

Why was Kenny pretending like he hadn’t known?

“Master Kenny” said a guy, bowing down and greeting Kenny “Has this lady inconvenienced or disgraced you by not showing her all due respect?” He had blonde hair and blue eyes and was the same age as Kenny, and yet, he bowed down before Kenny like Kenny was a prince of some sort

“Disgraced? Kenny, what’s he talking about?” I asked, puzzled

“It’s Master Kenny to you, woman!” came in the girl. She would’ve slapped me, if Kenny hadn’t spoken

“Stop. That would be unnecessary, Amelia. She is only a student. You may leave, you too, James” and he smiled

“But I-” Amelia began, but Kenny stared at her with such intensity, that they both bowed down and said

“With all due respect, sire” and left

“Sorry” Kenny smiled meekly “Ignore them, long time, eh, Sarah?”

“Kenny…Ignore them? Master Kenny?” I asked “What’s going on?”

“Sarah, ignore them, or worse things could happen. Goodbye, my nightingale” and he smiled and kissed my fore head and left

I blushed so hard there were white spots in my line of vision.

All doubt of what had recently happened washed out.

He had kissed my fore head.

As I saw him walk away, Amelia, the brown haired lady and James, the blonde guy, rejoined him.

Forget? How was I supposed to forget that?

Kenny…he called me his nightingale. It seemed like ages that I had longed for those words.

“Sarah?”  Came in Luke’s voice “Sarah, snap out of it!” he shook me

“What? You’re so mean, Luke!” I said as I snapped out of the trance.

“Sarah, please stay away from Kenny. He’s dangerous” Luke said, sternly.

“But Luke—wait! Did you pay for the necklace now?” I asked “Because I really want it”

“Sarah” he said “I didn’t steal it. And if you want it that bad, wear it without asking for the price. I assure you, though, I did not steal it.” With that he took out the delicate ornament from his pocket and put it around my neck, hooking it at the back. I took it out instantly and handed it back to him.

“Don’t lie to me!”

 I saw Kenny glare at him from the corner of my eye.