Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The sun peeked over the horizon, casting its golden rays across the landscape, while the cheerful chirping of birds filled the air. All of a sudden, Kaylo's soft voice cut through my peaceful sleep, telling me to wake up. "Hey, seve, wake up"
Ever been in that half-asleep state where you're fighting to stay in dreamland but you know reality's about to smack you in the face? Yeah, that's where I was. But no matter how much you wanna keep snoozing, eventually, you gotta face the world.
"Just two more minutes," I grumbled, burying my face to escape the brightness.
I sensed Kaylo beside me, sitting up and gently nudging my back before speaking up. "Time for school,"
I groaned in protest, rolling to face him.
"Get up," his voice, usually sharp as ice, had a softer, warmer tone this morning.
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and met his gaze.
"I'm up," I insisted, though my sluggish movements told a different story.
I stretched out my limbs feeling every ache and soreness in my body. Man, I must've slept like a log last night.
"Got any books in there?" he asked, motioning to my bag.
I fumbled around in my bag until I found two books and handed them over to him. "Yep, got a few," I replied, still trying to shake off the remnants of sleep.
Kaylo nodded and started getting to his feet while I let out a pathetic groan, catching his attention.
"Gotta rinse your mouth," I grabbed my water bottle and took a swig, spitting out the water ungracefully. Then I passed him the bottle as I attempted to tame my bedhead.
Once he was done, he tossed the bottle back into my backpack, "Let's go now,"
"No," I replied softly, crossing my arms.
"What?" His gaze searched mine.
"I'm not going," I insisted,
His forehead creased further, a pained expression crossing his face. "Why?" he asked gently, reaching out to touch my arm.
"I'm just tired," I murmured, feeling vulnerable under his gaze.
"Seve," Kaylo's eyes held disbelief, "you slept for like 10 hours last night. You're more than capable of going to school."
"But I'm tired," I repeated, my voice barely a whisper as I crossed my legs, feeling drained.
He let out a heavy sigh, "Get on my back," he said quietly,
"What?" I blinked in surprise, my heart skipping a beat at his unexpected offer.
"Get on my back," he repeated, "I will carry you."
A FEW MOMENTS LATER
"You're so strong, aren't ya?" I snuggled closer, gripping his shoulder tightly as he gave me a piggyback ride down the steep hill towards school. We walked through the quiet streets, past houses that were now silent but were once bustling with activity. If I were in his shoes, I'd probably be exhausted by now. He carried me effortlessly, all the way until we reached our school gate, where we stopped.
