★ | I, Rhys Kakyoin | Jotakak

29 ★ Apparition

I open A Study in Scarlet to read as I lie on my bed, Hierophant Green holding my phone torchlight over my head, offering light for me to be able to see the words in the book while no other light is projected into my room. While I can't really move, I plan to use my Stand however I can to help me until my ankle heals. Hierophant's elbows are resting slightly upon my shoulders as he holds my phone over my head.

  No sooner do I turn to the next page and manage to read a few words than I hear the door to my parents' bedroom open with a squeak, and a creak of wood as footsteps lead towards my door. Hurriedly, I grab my phone from Hierophant's hands as he drops next to me, sitting on the bed with his hands upon my shoulders. I hold my phone torchlight to the book as my bedroom door opens, revealing Mom standing in the doorway with a hand pressed against the wooden doorframe. "Nori?"

  "Yeah, Mom?" I reply.

  "You're going to have to miss a day of school because of your ankle. I'll write an excuse to Mr Kogure in case he asks for it when you come back," Mom tells me.

  "Can't I just go to school with a crutch?" I say.

  "No, tomorrow is a day for you to rest. Then your ankle will better heal and you'll be good to go back to school normally in no time. Now go to bed, so you can start on that rest as soon as possible. Your father will be home tomorrow around eleven for your breakfast, so if you need anything he'll be there. Okay?"

  "Okay," I sigh as I put away my phone and my book, resting my head against the pillow with my back against the mattress, Hierophant vanishing. Mom leaves, closing the door behind her, and I wait for the sound of my parents' bedroom door opening and closing before I open my eyes again. After waiting for around five minutes, I grab my phone from the bedside table and I make a call to Jo before placing it next to my head on the mattress. I'm not going to school tomorrow anyhow, so it doesn't really matter how late I stay up. And I'm sure he wouldn't mind either.

  Soon, he picks up, and my lips twitch, almost curling into a smile. "Hi. Jo? Are you in bed?" I ask with a slightly hushed tone to make sure that my parents don't hear me.

  "Yeah. I'm about to go to sleep."

  "Can we talk a while?"

  He doesn't answer me for a moment, seemingly hesitating. "Rhys, I don't... know."

  "Please?" I say. "Just a while. Ten minutes, maybe."

  "Okay. I'm watchin' for the time. What is it?"

  "I'm not... I'm not going to school tomorrow," I tell him, "My parents think I should stay home because I'd twisted my ankle and they want me to heal. But on Tuesday I'll probably be back."

  Jo doesn't answer.

  I wait for a few seconds and, when I hear nothing from him, I try to talk again. "My dad's going to be staying during the afternoon. So, umm... I'm stuck in the house for now. Can't go anywhere. Can you imagine that? Staying in your bed for an entire day at most."

  "No, I can't," Jo replies. "There's nine minutes left."

  "Okay. Have you ever been to America, Jojo? Surely you have, right?"

  This time, he responds rather quickly. "Yeah. Of course. I've been to New York City." He pauses. "It's really bloody noisy and busy there. I don't like it. That's the only place in America I've been to because I 'ad to visit my grandparents a few times. But... I don't want to be selfish, so I think I'd still go back for 'em. There's eight minutes left."

  I stifle an exasperated groan. "You don't have to tell me how many minutes left there are, okay? I'm keeping track too." That was a lie, but it doesn't really matter anyways.