Closed Eyes

Closed Eyes [18]

Tuesday

"James!" Kylie jumped up enthusiastically, "We're partners!"

James jerked his head up from his notebook. When he saw it was just me, he attained a relaxed smile. "Cool, is it a boy or girl?"

"Boy." Ms. Bock called from the front of the room. "What should we name it?" James asked.

"You mean him." Kylie corrected playfully. James' eyes clouded over. "It doesn't matter, it's just a plastic doll." He stated harshly. Kylie shifted her eyes around the room, suddenly feeling uncomfortable at the change of tone in James' voice. "Okay...,"

When we reached the front, one baby was left. It had a blue cap on its head. Without hesitation, James yanked the baby by its head out of the bin. Ms. Bock glared at James.

"Handle the baby well." Then she spoke to everyone. "These are special babies, they cry, poop, and need to be fed just like regular babies."

Ring!

"Class dismissed." Ms. Bock muttered as half the class exited the classroom.

"What's with James?" Elaine asked when they were down the hallway. "PMS...for guys." Kylie responded back flatly. It was enough that she got James as her partner, but now she'll probably be taking care of the 'baby' by herself.

"I would help you," Elaine said, reading my mind. "But I have twin boys." She lifted her babies from her hot pink tote bag.

"Right." Kylie replied uneasily.

Elaine squinted at her friend, trying to read her mind again. Finally she said, "It'll be all right, if push comes to shove, super glue that baby to his arms." Elaine grinned mischievously.

"Aha." Kylie laughed sarcastically. "I wouldn't do that."

"Not now you won't...but just you wait." Kylie took a look at her crazy friend. "Are you on medication?"

"Yes!" Elaine squeezed her eyes shut. "My mom has to go to the pharmacy today!"

Just then, Anna and James approached them, hand in hand. "So your the tramp who has to carry James' baby?" Anna asked, faking surprise.

Kylie smirked. "Yeah, jealous?" James rolled his eyes. "Why should I? He doesn't love you." She shot back.

Kylie shrugged. "It's just a project, calm down." She mumbled, hurrying away to her locker.

Tuesday - Lunch

"Hey guys, how was your classes?" Ethan pranced up to Elaine and me.

I shrugged. "Health class was horrible! We have to carry..," She grabbed her twins out of her tote bag, "..these." Ethan looked at them in terror. "Ugh, I think I have Ms. Bock next semester..." He trailed off and bit his lip.

I so happened to think that was the cutest moment ever. "Ready for lunch?" Elaine asked.

"Yeah." Ethan and I said together. We shared a quick glance before walking with Elaine to mystery meatloaf day.

Wednesday

"Take care of your babies." Came Ms. Bock's request when everyone was seated.

"This baby needs a name." I told my partner. James shrugged. "Okay, how about Shawn?"

I instantly wrinkled my nose. "No." James' facial expression hardened a bit. "Fine then, I don't give a fuck about the name." He said in a low tone.

I backed away in fear. "Okay then, it's Shawn." James smiled a little but he still seemed far from satisfied.

"Good, let's make a schedule." James suggested.

"Okay-"

"You can take him the first week." James interrupted. I nodded. "Then you take him the next week." I concluded. He crossed his arms. "Whatever, wifey."

I didn't know what to say after that so I fumbled with the blue cap on the doll's head. James stared at the baby with a hard look.

"What?" I finally asked. He looked up, shocked. "Sorry if I want to look at my son." He said innocently. But when he said 'son'. He looked away.

"Y-you can it's just that..." I trailed off, not thinking of the right words.

"It's just what?" He cocked his head to the side. I took a deep breath and sighed. "It's just that, just two minutes ago, you didn't want to take care of this baby."

James face suddenly turned red and he jumped out his chair only to run out the door.

"James?" 

Monday

James never came for the baby the following week. Or the next week. Pretty soon, the answers came.

Anna. She had to know what was up with him. She is his girlfriend after all.

"Anna, have you seen James lately?" I asked the blonde.

She turned around with an annoyed look. "No," Her face and voice softened a little. "Why?"

"Well, he hasn't been here since Wednesday. Do you know what's up?" I said.

Anna looked around the room like there were witnesses. Which there wasn't since it was 2nd period.

"Don't you know?" She asked in a kind voice. I shook my head.

"James has to go back to his classes." She whispered sadly.

"Classes? But he hasn't been here."

"Not those classes." Anna rolled her eyes. "His anger management classes."

"He has anger issues?" That would explain his weird ways in class.

"No!" She leaned into my ear. "He's bipolar." I widened my eyes. How'd she know before me?

"Oh...," I looked at my shoes. "Then why is he going to anger management classes if it's something he can't control?"

Anna sighed. "Because it's been getting worse and worse." She rolled up her sweater sleeve to show a big ugly purple bruise.

"He did that to you?" I gasped.

"Not his fault." She sniffed and wiped a tear. "He just needs some...," Anna let a stray tears fall from her eyes. She sighed and closed her locker. "It's nothing...Kylie." She turned to me again. "Don't worry about it."

Five minutes passed when Kylie finally registered, that Anna had said her actual name.