The City of Darkness and Blood

Chapter 4

Silver's new living room arrangement seemed to settle well over the next few days. We spent a lot of time together, which I enjoyed. However, my father and Kyle didn't seem keen on the changes. Their disapproval didn't bother me much. As I slept soundly in my bed one night, a strange sensation jolted me awake. It wasn't a stomach ache but a sense that someone else was in the room with me. Opening my eyes, I was startled to see Silver standing beside my bed, her expression devoid of emotion, her intense gaze fixed on me. It was undeniably eerie.

"Silver?" I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to give you something," she replied calmly, sitting on the edge of my bed and pulling a folded piece of paper from the pocket of her pink nightgown. "Here."

I unfolded the paper, revealing a surprisingly detailed drawing of Silver and me holding hands. Although she was only 11, she drew like an experienced artist.

"This is good," I praised her, genuinely impressed. "Where did you learn to draw like this?"

"I don't know," Silver shrugged. "It just comes naturally, I guess."

"Well, it's impressive," I said, momentarily struck by her talent. We sat in silence for a moment, my gaze locked with hers. She was such a pretty girl for her age, and being around her made my heart race a bit. Was it normal to feel this way? I wasn't sure. I wanted to say something more, but my nerves got the better of me. I looked away briefly, sensing Silver's concern growing. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, breaking the silence. "Yeah," I nodded, meeting her eyes again. "I'm fine."

Silver didn't seem convinced, pressing gently, "Are you sure?"

"I was just... thinking about something," I evaded, feeling a blush creeping up my cheeks.

"What about?" she persisted.

I struggled to find the words, feeling nervous and uncertain. "Just... stuff," I finally managed to say lamely.

"If you say so," Silver smiled slightly. "I'll let you get back to sleep. Sorry for waking you."

"No worries," I said, grateful for the chance to change the subject. "Good night."

"Well, good night," Silver replied, leaning over to give me a quick kiss on the cheek before quietly leaving the room.

My cheeks flushed with heat, my heart raced, and I was left speechless. A girl had kissed me unexpectedly. I hadn't anticipated that moment, and while it felt strange, it also felt strangely nice. Her kiss left me feeling excited and confused. Did she like me? Did I like her? These questions swirled in my mind, unfamiliar and perplexing. I tried to shake off the feeling and went back to sleep, attempting to push the unexpected kiss from my thoughts.

The following morning, I rubbed my eyes as I descended the stairs into the kitchen. There, Silver awaited me with a wide grin. She gestured for me to sit beside her, and I obliged, smiling back at her. A bowl of Captain Crunchies cereal sat in front of me—a thoughtful gesture from Silver, which warmed my heart—moments like these made me appreciate her kindness. "Aww, you two are so cute," my mother cooed as she observed us, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Mom!" I protested, feeling a flush of embarrassment. "Looks like Jason's got a girlfriend," Kyle said teasingly.

"Dude, shut up!" I retorted, feeling my cheeks grow even hotter.

"Oh, come on, Jason. I see how close you two have been. It's cute," my mother teased, ignoring my protests.

"I'm not... cute. I'm manly," I grumbled, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity as my cheeks burned bright red.

"Manly? Yeah, right," Kyle teased further, causing Silver to giggle.