The Creature He Is

CHAPTER 4

The rest of the school day passes by like normal, although Craig can't stop thinking of the conversation he had with Kenny, or how surprisingly deep Kenny's voice was. There was something about it that he just couldn't quite figure out. Maybe it was because of the strange interest he had taken up with him, that seemed to be steadily growing evermore in the most recent days. Or maybe it was because this had been the first time he had ever heard his voice. Whatever the case was, Craig couldn't stop thinking of him, or the conversation, although short, from replaying out over and over again in his mind.

The responses he got from him, weren't ones he was expecting, at all, and a small pang of frustration rises in Craig at how he was caught off guard by them so easily. A quick image of Kenny's eyes flash in his mind, and how normal they seemed despite how they looked before. Then Craig remembers the laugh he heard and the small creases that formed at the sides of Kenny's eyes, as his deep laughter penetrated him. The feeling from before comes back to Craig and he lets out a somewhat annoyed sigh as he turns to lie on his side in bed.

It was as if Kenny had been teasing him, in a way, before.

A faint burn plays on Craig's face and he turns his head into his pillow with an irritated groan. He wished he could just shut off his brain about all this for a short while. Later though, he gets his wish as he passes out to sleep.

When the next day arrives, for some strange reason he comes to the resolve of wanting to talk to Kenny again and not be caught off guard like he was yesterday. He felt like he needed to show Kenny that he couldn't be made fun of, or laughed at like before. Somewhere in his mind, this was the bizarre resolution he came up with, before he set off at lunch to find him, not having the chance to speak with him before in his morning class.

It takes up about half of the lunch break, before Craig is able to eventually find Kenny sitting outside on the bleachers, after searching the whole school. As Craig gets closer to him, he realizes that he doesn't know what he should even say to him. He briefly thinks of turning around and heading back to think of something, but the thought is quickly tossed aside as Kenny looks in his direction.

Not wanting to look like even more of a dumbass, he continues walking towards him at a slow pace, binding time to think of something. Kenny's gaze stays on him, never once leaving as Craig makes his way up the bleachers and eventually reaching only a few feet away from him.

There's a few seconds of awkward silence as Craig just stares back at Kenny, like an idiot, before he says something.

"Hey." Craig mentally slaps himself for how generic that sounded after standing there for so long in silence like he was choosing his words carefully or something. "I uh, wasn't done talking to you yesterday you know."

Got to play it cool, and not let him get the best of me again, Craig thinks.

Kenny looks forward, across the field, seeming to watch the track team practicing their runs. Craig is about to say something, annoyed that he may just be ignoring him again, but doesn't get the chance.

"Very strange," Kenny says quietly, in that deep voice again.

"What is?" Craig asks.

"You," Kenny replies.

"How?" Craig asks confused.

"You say that I'm following you, yet you come looking for me. I'd think you'd want to stay away. And it makes me wonder, just who is following who here."

"I-I'm not following you!" Craig says, his voice cracking a bit on the last word. So much for playing it cool.

Kenny looks at him and Craig can see the faint creases around the corners of his eyes, which instantly make him regret opening his mouth in response.