Kashmir [BxB]

Chapter 11 - The games we play

Want more of Kashmir? Check out "Kade", a parallel novel taking place at the same time, but from Kade's perspective:)

Kade hadn't replied to my text, not for two whole days, and I'd had to stop myself from sending another multiple times. I'd gotten used to texting with Kade every day after we left school, so him not responding was... weird.

Something akin to withdrawal symptoms had come along, with a longing and a nagging feeling to just be close to him, but I didn't want to come across as overbearing.

So, I waited. All 48 hours until Monday came around, when I knew I'd see him at lunch.

I wipe my hands on my pants, trying to stop myself from pulling on my cuticles again. Kade had French with James before lunch, so they always arrived a bit later than the rest of us. I grab my food and sit down with Esme, Dan and Nate, picking at my food. The minutes pass and no sign of either of them - I should know, the way I can't keep but glance at the entrance of the cafeteria.

My heart skips a beat when a tall, black man enters, only to drop when I realize he has black hair, and not bleached like Kade.

Disappointed, I grumpily take a bite of my food, trying to concentrate on the ongoing conversation.

"I'd pick memory, I'm just saying! Who can beat me at that?", Dan argues, making me frown.

"Sorry, what are we talking about?"

"If we were all competing in a Squid Game against each other, which game you would pick to win.", Esme explains.

"Dan would fucking dominate memory, I'm with you bro." I'd seen that man read a chapter and recite it perfectly half an hour later, he'd take it for sure. He might not understand shit of what he was actually reading, but that motherfucker could memorize it perfectly.

"He would not! He'd forget his head if it wasn't stuck to the rest of his body, no way!", Esme exclaims, making a fair point.

"What about you Nate? What would you pick?", I ask.

"In the case that I want to survive and the rest of you die?", he questions, and we nod. "It's a foul move, but I gotta do it. None of you have played dreidel, and I'm the master. Hate to say it, but you're doing down.", he calmly states, shrugging.

"Dreidel? You can't pick fucking dreidel!", Dan throws out.

"What've we missed?"

I look up, spotting James, and behind him - Kade. He's taking a seat between James, who's sat down on my left, and Dan. My heart rushes despite the disappointment of him not sitting next to me, but I smile regardless.

"You have to pick a game to compete in, in Squid Game. To beat the rest of us.", I say, looking at Kade. He's sitting hunched over his tray, elbows on the table, and I swallow thickly at the look of his arms in a tight t-shirt.

"Oh, easy! Are we allowed to do like a hide-and-seek thing? Cause I'd bring it down!", James exclaims, earning a smile from Kade. I can't take my eyes off him, forgetting my food as he talks and smiles at the rest of the table. Everyone except me.

"What about you, Kade? What would you pick?", I ask, hoping to draw his attention to me. He shrugs, saying that he's not sure.

"To be honest, you'd probably kill it at the actual Squid Game-game. Like, the last thing with the jumping and knives and shit? Yeah, I'm betting on Kade for that.", James states, slapping Kade on the shoulder.

"You think I could stab someone like that?", he responds, looking directly at James. 

"Maybe in a life-and-death situation, you could.", I say, to which he once again shrugs and looks down at his tray. Why isn't he responding to anything I say?