A Rift Between Us

Chapter 34 - Revision On Demand

???: Heya, nerd. U better have gone str8 home, we wouldn't want your clumsy ass self getting hurt lol. Anyway, I need to revise w/u tomorrow. 16:16

Alfie's phone clattered onto his desk, sliding some distance away from him. His fingers tensed.

How the heck did she get my number? Who gave it to her?

He snatched the phone, his hand closing around it. He reread the text slowly, his thumbs hovering over the screen.

Alfie: How the heck did u find my number?? 16:17

He sent the message, feeling a slight buzz in his hand. A reply popped up almost immediately.

Keiko: That's not important. Watch your tone. Bring yourself to that tree near the benches tomorrow. Lunchtime. I'll be there. 16:18

Alfie's cheeks puffed out, letting out a slow, exasperated breath as he read the message. He ran his hand through his hair, his fingers tugging at the strands. He tapped the screen with his thumbs, a look of frustration on his face.

Alfie: Okay fine. 16:19

Why does she even need my help to revise? She better not do anything stupid.

He moved away from his desk, chucking the phone on his bed. A pattering of footsteps curved past his room as Aggnus walked by.

"I'll go with the grilled chicken cajun for us both. It'll arrive later."

He went back to his desk, snatching up his notebook filled with notes on George Orwell's '1984'. He crammed it into his backpack, along with the novel itself. A glob of mucous hung from his nostrils as he leaned over to zip his bag. He straightened up, wiping his nose with the back of his hand.

I've definitely caught something. I can't be dealing with this right now.

His feet felt like lead as he dragged himself to the bathroom. A folded bundle of clean clothes sat pressed on his abdomen, his mind craving the warmth of a hot shower.

The sun was gone, leaving Alfie's room bathed in the cold light from his ceiling. A hair-raising, static noise echoed through the corridor, followed by the sound of Aggnus' slippers scurrying towards the intercom.

"Hello?"

Alfie grabbed two tissues from his bedside table. They fluttered as he blew his nose, releasing a stream of mucous. A dull ache throbbed in his head, his nose growing increasingly stuffy.

Oh, this is bad. I better lie down for a bit...

The front door swayed open with a click as Alfie curled into a ball. He nestled himself on the edge of his bed. Aggnus, her hands full of food, kicked the door closed with her foot.

"OoOooOoo dinner is here little lamb, it smells scrumptious! Come join me at the table so we can eat."

She skipped around the kitchen table, her feet tapping rhythmically on the floor. She pulled the takeaway containers out of the bag and opened both lids. Steam billowed up, curling towards the ceiling like snakes. She spun around, her head snapping back, realising Alfie wasn't behind her.

"Alfie, dinner is here, come and eat."

The floor trembled beneath her cadent footsteps as she approached his room. She paused at the doorway, her heart pounding. His back was to her, his body curled up in a foetal position. A low guttural moan escaped his lips.

"Oh my god..." she whispered, hands covering her mouth.

"Alfie...Alfie wake up!"

She shook his shoulder like a twig in a windy storm, begging for a response.