Ambivalent

9. Hot... Cold...

Rune

Seeing my father's name on the screen, I knew he knew about the previous day's incident. Sighing, I answered the phone and put him on speaker.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course, why?" I feigned clueless as I started to button my shirt up.

"You know why, I will find that bastard and the one behind him," my father roared through the line.

Got you!

"How do you know about it?" I asked coldly, "didn't we agree that only Akara would be around?"

There was silence on the other side before my father said "there was only one for precaution, how is Akara?"

"Already on his feet, cooking in the kitchen. He is like super-human."

"Mnn."

"Now you are convinced that he is enough, right?" I asked, burning with the desire to protect Akara from my father's rage.

"Mnn," he murmured again, "I have to go for a meeting, be careful and I will call you back when we find the bastard."

"Okay," I said and ended the call. Then I grabbed my bag and joined Akara in the kitchen.

"Good morning, young master."

"Good morning, but stop calling me young master," I said with a smile and took my place on the table. After last night's gibberish, I would love to think of him as a friend rather than someone who had to listen to me because my father was paying him.

"But you are my young master," Akara jibbed as he placed the plate in front of me.

I pouted, but refrained myself from insisting. "How is your arm?" I changed the topic.

"Fine."

Fine? Really? I wondered if he had DID, how come his mood was so unpredictable?! Last night, he was so caring and understanding, but now he was cold and distant again.

"My father wanted me to relay to you his thanks for saving my ass."

"Really?" he asked with mockery colouring his words.

I arched my eyebrows with astonishment, but kept my mouth shut. Maybe he woke up from the wrong side of the bed. Whatever!

As he pissed me off, I didn't talk with him during the ride or in between the morning classes... as if he cared. Not even once he asked me what was wrong.

"Rune!"

"Ha?" I ripped my eyes off Akara and looked at Som who was sitting in front of me.

"If you are done with strangling Akara with your eyes, can you tell us if you would like to go to XYZ for lunch?"

"Sounds good," I said and collected my stuff, then followed the others while Akara followed me.

Though I hate to admit, Akara's aloof behavior affected me more than I expected. The lunch kept on and on, and I couldn't follow any of the conversation my five classmates were having. When the bill came finally, I sent a silent thanks to the universe, but I shouldn't have been that optimistic.

"Let's put the bill in the middle and calculate who pays how much," Apple said and I almost had a heart attack.

"No need!" I exclaimed and pointed at them one by one while saying "36.50... 75.40... 64... 56.76... 53.5... and 98.47 for me and Akara."

They all gaped at me and silence reigned.

"What?" I asked, feeling too conscious under their eyes.

"How did you... calculate all those? You didn't even look at the bill," Aom said and the others nodded wholeheartedly while Akara gave me a strange look with his narrowed eyes.

"I saw the prices while I was checking the menu," I explained and put a hundred on the table, "it covers for me and Akara, see you later," I said and rushed out, feeling overwhelmed.

"That was impressive," Akara said as we sat in the car going back home. It was pure bliss that my afternoon class was cancelled.

"Now you talk to me," I snorted without looking at him.

From my peripheral vision, I saw him shrug and the rest of the ride passed in utmost silence.

When we finally reached home, I took a shower and had the shock of my life when I saw Akara sitting on my bed.

"What are you doing in my room?" I asked with a hint of scolding.

He shook the little tube in his hand, "I will apply ointment on your back," he said nonchalantly.

"How thoughtful you are," I mocked him, "but I don't need it."

"Don't be stubborn, I know it still hurts," he said calmly and with an agile move, he pushed me on the bed before sitting on the back of my legs.

"Let me go!" I wriggled, but I was hopeless under his weight.

"Lay still," he reprimanded me and started to apply the cold liquid on my bare back. Like the previous night, his moves were careful and meticulous, sending shivers to my spine, and as a result, I was confused again.

Hot... cold... hot... cold... his mood swings pushed me into the abyss of confusion and made funny things to my fragile heart.

Damn, how much I wished to read what was on his mind...