Earhart & Noonan: An "Us Club" Novel (#1)(NaNoWriMo15)

6. Post-Game

Later That Night

"You've been quiet."

Kenzie's one to talk. She's been quiet, too. Me? I've been staring at the same part of the bookshelf all night. Now that I'm home for good, my headache's targeted me like Jordan. The light and TV are too bright. If I look at anything but that part of the shelf, my stomach churns.

I swear, my body's too sensitive sometimes.

I sit atop the rubble of our tent (it broke when a corner end came free while I was at the library), hugging my knees. I glance over at Kenzie. I told her about the bad game and the rest of my day on the walk home. She wasn't as worried as I thought she'd be.

"That headache?" Kenzie asks.

I nod, squeezing my eyes shut at the first sign of a commercial break.

"Aw." Kenzie crawls over. "Come here..."

"No!" I fight for my glasses. "Kenzie...don't."

Stephen, don't.

I...let Kenzie help. She takes her hands and reaches around my head. I shut my eyes. Fingers probe around my ears, and...it feels...

"...Hm?"

Kenzie starts above my ears and works her way to the back of them. It's not a miracle-working massage, but it...I love when she does this. Her revolving touch makes me twinge. I'm feeling like a cat. I want to roll into a ball and let it all sink in. Let her massage take today away.

...My head. ...My game. How I...ran into...how—

Whoa!

"Heh! Stephen!"

Lost in her gentle touch, I nearly tip into Kenzie. My eyes pop open. What was on TV isn't there. It's the next show. I haven't been able to pay attention to anything on what was supposed to be a celebratory anime night. So much for drawing anything, too.

Should've asked Dad for an aspirin before you left for work.

"So..."

Kenzie keeps the massage going. I'm not sure what she's trying to talk about. She's been quiet most of the night, too. She's only quiet for two reasons. When she's around other people because strangers bring out her shy side. Or, things like her mom. I'm the talk-it-out one. Her? I usually try to distract her. By reading. Or, drawing.

"Hm? What?"

"...Nah. Forget it. It doesn't matter," she says, laughing it off.

"What?"

"It's Arbourton and...our summer."

"...What about summer?"

"It's...don't worry about it tonight, Stephen. It wasn't serious."

...Why does it feel serious?

"Hm?"

"...It's just my mom. She got excited earlier."

"Yeah?"

Kenzie collects her words. "We talked before I met you after work," she tells me. "She's...thinking of having us move to Arbourton after my graduation. ...In June. ...If I choose to go. She knows about H.J.M. She just...you know parents just want what's best for us. She thought it'd be easier if we just got it out of the way."

Tuna on rye...um, Stephen? ...You there?

Everything's still. Magic Tree House still. I heard exactly what she said, and...God, I wish this headache would stop. I don't feel so good. My stomach's acting up like I ate too many gummies.

"It's just a big if, Stephen. So, don't freak out."

I'm not—

"Like I said, she knows about H.J.M. She knows how you and I were talking about going together and..."

...I'm trying to not look out of it, but I'm falling flat fast and hard. Kenzie's talking, but I'm not hearing any of it.

Stephen? Breathe.

I'm pelted with memorable flashes of us left and right. Our many weekend sleepovers. How they all started because she didn't want me to be alone on my first night when I moved. I remember our breaks. Our first Halloween. Our Christmas plays. I remember the first one we saw together. It was a local troupe's rendition of Meet Me in St. Louis. They kept saying St. Louis wrong and it drove me crazy.

"Stephen?"

Kenzie. She's calling me. I can hear her through the throbbing flashes. Warm. It's...why is it so warm in here? I was...I...

Okay. Bathroom!

...I jump to my feet because...I don't feel so good...