The Universe Rings (A Ringing Purpose)

Chapter Thirty-One

Over the course of two months, it snowed nearly everyday—blanketing Marmo in white, freezing the lake and river. The pain of Kenneth's injuries varied, some days he felt fine and others his entire body ached, and heavy breathing pained his lungs.

December and January passed, bringing February and exams at school...Which Kenneth barely passed—it surprised him when he didn't fail English. Truly, it wasn't his fault, he had had to relearn how to write and read due to the writing system, and he had missed days of school back in January due to his injuries.

Technically, the Marmo community had their own names for the months but Kenneth wasn't going to throw everything from his universe out the window. If the names for months was the only thing from his universe Kenneth could hold to, then he would make sure to do so.

***
"Why didn't you tell me your birthday is tomorrow?" Kenneth blurted as if this were dire. He hugged himself with gloved hands, although only a breeze blew past. Noticeably, the left glove's ring-finger had been trimmed to fit his hand.

    Halo shrugged. "With all the things going on, it didn't seem important to me," she replied casually. She supposed she had lost track of time, it was a surprise to her when she had realized the date was February tenth.

    Kenneth blinked, sighing as his eyes strayed to their snow-melted environment. "You'll be fifteen?" he asked.

    Halo nodded. The sudden silence was a norm, Kenneth's mind often seemed to be preoccupied as long as Halo had known him.

    Staring at Kenneth, Halo's eyes strayed to the burn scar. Mostly healed but red and noticeable, the scar spread up his neck, half his face and stopping just under his left-eye. Brel had attempted to minimize the visibility with surgery-spells.

On a positive side, the scar resembled a flame, which was cool. To Halo, it didn't matter if Kenneth had a small imperfection or a deformed face, he would still be perfectly flawed.

Halo smushed muddy snow under her boots as she daydreamed. "Oh, I've been observing the Marmo culture," she said, careful to step on a crunchy lump of snow. "Have you noticed how most young men and boys have grown out their hair?"

"I don't normally pay attention to guys," Kenneth replied, faint humor in his tone.

Halo looked at him. "I read about earlier trends at the library; it's common for kids and teens to have shoulder-length or slightly shorter hair and once they hit adulthood, they cut it," she explained. "Explains Dior's hair..."

Kenneth grinned. "So I should be looking like a hippy?" He chuckled.

Halo opened her mouth to argue—she never said she liked the style of longer hair on men—but her eyebrows lowered at Kenneth's choice of words. "What's a hippy?" she asked, head tilted.

"Nevermind, it was a joke," Kenneth shrugged off. He looked forward and his brow furrowed. "What's Bardick doing here?"

Halo looked at the Munroes' house to which they were approaching; Bardick, Brel and Aur stood on the front deck. Brel hadn't visited in a couple weeks and Halo didn't recall seeing Bardick since late December. "It's a bit odd, innit? I don't see why he'd be talking to Aur," Halo said.

As the two teens reached the house, the three men watched them approach as if waiting to talk with them. Halo watched them intently; could Bardick have visited to discuss Xexile with Kenneth. He had previously pressured Kenneth about how exactly Xexile had died, and Kenneth had only revealed that he presumably killed Xexile and he didn't know how. Which was all Kenneth had told anyone—even Halo herself.

Halo couldn't help wondering if Kenneth actually wasn't sure or if there was more information than he was letting on—but of course, Kenneth shouldn't have to feel the need to hide anything from her, right? On the other hand, Halo was convinced more had happened after Kenneth had temporarily died than what Kenneth had vaguely told her.