The Creature He Is

CHAPTER 8

When the following day comes and school arrives, Craig tells himself to just act like how he usually does when he sees Kenny, and that everything will be fine between them, despite this revelation he came to. He arrives to his first class early, before most others, and takes a seat. While waiting, and the class slowly starts to fill, he starts to wonder if today will be a skip day for Kenny or not, as he still had yet to show. But just as the thought crosses his mind, he spots something orange come around the classroom doorway. Even before he looks at him, his heart skips from the color alone. He tries to remind himself what he told himself earlier, but when he looks at him, his thoughts are quickly tossed as his heart picks up pace watching him walk to his usual seat. Just as Kenny is about to reach it, he glances over at him. At first, Craig thinks that he should offer a wave or smile to him, but instead he looks down at his desk and opens a binder, pretending to be completely drawn to doing whatever in it as Kenny takes a seat in his peripheral.

For most of class, Craig stays focused on his work and tries not to think of his thoughts or Kenny to much while doing so. And for the most part, everything is alright, until lunchtime comes and his heart quickens again at realizing that he would be alone with Kenny at their spot.

The thought about just going and sticking with his group of friends for all of lunch crosses his mind, but he doesn't do that, not after what he told Kenny from before. Because despite however it was that he was feeling for him, Kenny was still his friend, and he couldn't just up and leave him. So he makes his way over to the spot by the stream.

The moment he arrives and sees the back of Kenny's orange parka sitting atop the big rock, he freezes in place, his chest tightening for a moment. It's fine, it's just Kenny, he tells himself and takes in a deep breath. After he takes in another one, he continues a slow walk over to him. Everything will be okay, it's going to be fine.

"Hey," Craig greets when reaching him, and tries to ignore the small skip in his chest.

"You showed up," Kenny says and glances at him for a second, before back to the stream. "Wasn't sure if you would or not, thought you might see your friends today instead."

"Nah, I mean, I might still go and see them... I'm still trying to figure out how to spend my lunchtimes with everyone." Craig explains.

"Why don't you have a seat?" Kenny suggests to a spot next to him.

Craig stares at it for a moment, and the small space of it, in which he'd be close to Kenny like before, and that small skip comes back.

"No, it's okay, I'll just stand. Don't feel like sitting," he tells him.

"Are you feeling okay?" Kenny asks.

"Huh? Uh, yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Craig asks back confused.

"I don't know... It just seems like, you're a bit off today or something," Kenny replies and looks at him.

"I'm fine..." Craig mumbles.

There's a brief silence that falls, before they go into small talk for a short while.

At first, Craig thinks that he'll be fine if it just stays like this, and things continue this way for the remainder of lunch. Until Kenny stands up.

At first he just stays in place, in front of the rock and Craig tells himself it's fine. But when Kenny looks at him and takes a step towards him, that feeling from before comes rushing back. Each step that Kenny took, caused the words he was saying to become more lost to the rhythmic beating growing louder in Craig's ears. Craig shuts his eyes when the sound grows too loud, in an attempt to try and calm his beating, for only a second he swears, before he opens them again to Kenny now standing right in front of him. And any calmness that Craig may have gathered, is quickly tossed away as that all to familiar burn creeps in.