A series of soft thuds emanated from his phone as he entered his pin. The screen lit up, displaying a message from his mother.
Mum: Little lamb, could you get me some of these things from the local Tesco near your school? There's none around me. 15:26
His eyes darted across the words, reading the list with a growing sense of dread. A soft sigh escaped his lips.
At least this isn't about Mr Dodge...
His thumbs sailed over the screen, whacking rapidly across its surface.
Alfie: I need to focus on my school rev as much as I can. I have to go str8 home. 15:27
A painful cough wracked his body, his hand balled into a fist as he tried to stifle the sound. He wiped the saliva from his mouth onto his trousers and continued walking, his pace slowed. A vibration jolted his phone.
Mum: Please Alfie, I really need those items to make dinner tonight. 15:28
He sighed, his shoulders sagging like sandbags on a temporary road sign.
Alfie: Okay, I'll do it. 15:28
The acrid stench of half-burned gasoline hung heavy in the air, creating a thick fog as a line of cars sat idling in a traffic jam. He darted across the road, his slender figure slipping between the vehicles before approaching the store. He tilted his head back, squinting and adjusting his glasses. The shutters were pulled down.
Hmm. Guess I better tell her it's closed.
He whipped his phone right-side-up, shooting her another text.
Alfie: They're closed. I'm going home. 15:34
He ambled back, the traffic now flowing smoothly. He pressed the pedestrian button and glanced at his phone, but there was no new notification. The cars came to a halt, allowing him to cross.
The days grew longer, bathing his home in lingering daylight as he arrived. Stepping out of the lift, he unlocked his apartment, the door clicking shut behind him. A discomfort in his chest triggered another coughing fit, forcing him to hunch forward.
What's up with this cough?
He tossed his bag aside and rushed into the bathroom, opening the medicine cabinet. His hand brushed past various medications before he grabbed a bottle of cough syrup. He poured some into the included plastic spoon. His phone buzzed, interrupting him. He set the spoon down and checked the message.
Mum: That's fine. I'll order some takeaway. 15:57
He shoved the phone back in his pocket and swallowed the syrup. Replacing the bottle in the cabinet, he rushed back to his room. His laptop sat on his desk, still plugged in. The chair creaked as he sat, pulling it open and revealing the folded ICT notes from his blazer. He spread them out, logging in. A persistent tightness gripped his chest like a bad smell in a hot car.
He rubbed it, ignoring the pain as his fingers danced across the keyboard. Pages of ICT-related information filled his vision. He scrolled through them with his mouse, a tickle building up within his nose. His head jerked to the left as he let out a sneeze, avoiding his laptop as a spray of spittle landed on his carpet.
Oh man...that guy that sneezed in my face was obviously sick. I hope I didn't catch whatever he had.
A pen was snatched from the corner of his desk, his hand moving with frenzied energy as he scribbled notes. The familiar click of the front door unlocking reached his ears.
"Little lamb, I'm back!"
A new wave of coughs filled his room, prompting his mother to enter. She poked her head in, concern chiselled on her face.
"Is something wrong?"
YOU ARE READING
A Rift Between Us
General FictionTwo secondary school students, Alfie and Keiko, find themselves entangled in a web of misunderstandings and unspoken feelings. Alfie, a diligent student with dreams of attending Westminster Kingsway College in London, and Keiko, a spirited girl desp...
