My Boyfriend Ron

Kooni

As soon as George heard Kooni's dad's words, he froze. The humor he had in mind vanished into thin air. Kooni and the rest of us were watching him, wondering why he was standing there like that. Kooni and I had to completely turn our heads to see him, as George was standing behind us.

"What happened? Who is it? My dad?" Kooni's voice had a slight laugh to it.

"Are you going to say something?" Kooni asked again.

"It's your dad," George, who had been silent until now, finally said as he lowered the phone from his ear.

"Why are you building up so much suspense? Just say it already," I said a little annoyed, turning my attention back to Adam and Albert.

Albert was deliberately kicking me under the table, thinking it was romantic and sexy. I didn’t like it and made a face, but he seemed to be enjoying it."

Kooni was still staring at George.

"I know you're going to say something serious to try and worry me," she said, turning back around.

"Your mom..." George started, then paused.

"What about my mom? Stop joking around and eat your food," Kooni said, dismissing his seriousness.

"Seriously, George, quit it, or we'll start eating without you," Adam added.

"Your mom is gone," George finally said in a cold tone.

Kooni, who was just about to take a bite, froze. Her eyes widened, and she stopped mid-motion.For a few seconds she she was like statue. Then she picked up a plate and, in a loud voice, said, "Come here and eat, or I'll smash this plate on your head, you idiot!"

Seeing Kooni like this suddenly made Albert stop kicking me. Adam and I were just staring at her in shock. What we heard George say really shook us. No one knew what to do. I gathered the courage to reach out and touch Kooni.

"Kooni, did you hear what George just said?"

Kooni suddenly burst into loud laughter, got up from her seat, and went over to George, who was still standing there like a statue, as if he was meant to be standing like that.
She kissed him on the cheek and took the phone from him.

It was as if she wasn’t affected at all. She still thought George was joking.

Kooni held her phone and turned to us.

"You guys know how George and I are always joking around. Why are you all getting so serious?" she said as she dialed a number and kept talking, still not believing George.

She put the phone to her ear.

"My dad, honestly! I told him I was going out with my friends and not to call me, but he did anyway."

We were all silent, listening to her.

George was about to say something when suddenly, loud sobbing came from the other end of the phone. It was Kooni's dad. Amid his tears, he said, "Kooni, my dear, where are you? I need you. Your mom... she's gone. She's  dead."

As soon as Kooni heard this, her hand left her phone. It fell onto the ground. Adam and I quickly went to her.

“What happened? Is it true about your mom?" Adam asked, his voice trembling with fear. But Kooni, now with tears welling up in her eyes, shot him a look that pierced through the air, silencing him instantly.

Her tears began to fall, silently at first, like the first drops of rain before a storm. Then, in a rush of grief, George wrapped his arms around her, and I quickly followed. Kooni's silent tears gave way to heart-wrenching sobs, each one tearing through the room, as the crushing reality of her shattered world hit her all at once.
################################

Adam parked the car in the driveway while George and I helped Kooni into the car. She was a wreck, completely undone after crying for her mom. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot, her face pale and streaked with tears that seemed to have etched lines of sorrow into her skin.She looked fragile, as if she might shatter with the slightest touch.

We went inside and started packing our things. I was in my room, putting clothes into my bag when Albert, standing on the other side of the bed, said, "Why are you acting so shy around me?"

"Shy? With you?" I replied in a normal tone.

"Yes, ever since I got here, you’ve been avoiding eye contact," he said, his voice dripping with suggestiveness.

"Cut the crap and get out of here!" My voice was louder this time.

"In a hurry to get rid of me, aren't you?" he said, stepping closer.

"When we used to be in bed together, you used to say, ‘Stay a little longer.’”

I was now glaring at him with anger because there was nothing else I could do.

Just then, Adam walked in. "All packed? Should we go?" he asked.

Seeing Albert, Adam asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything’s fine. He was just helping me pack," I said, even though I had packed Adam's bag myself.

"Let's go. We should head straight to Kooni's house," Adam said hurriedly as he walked out of the room. Adam went off to help George pack.

I was about to follow him, determined to ignore Albert and walk right past him, when suddenly, he seized me, yanking me close with a force that took my breath away. His lips crashed against mine, damp and demanding, igniting something deep within me—a surge of emotion I hadn’t expected, like a flame flickering to life in the darkness. The kiss was fierce, almost desperate, and left me reeling. As he pulled back, his breath warm against my ear, he whispered, "I haven’t forgotten," his voice low and filled with a raw intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.