Cinder: A Close To Normal Life

Chapter 9

Kai's POV

After school I went home straight home. I unlocked my front door and opened it to see the house I've lived in for years, but it now feels strangely unfamiliar. I slammed the door shut and the sound echoed throughout the empty house. 'It's just me now', I thought slowly walking up the stairs to my room. Everything about this place now seemed sad and lonely without the sounds of my dad laughing, talking, working, or making dinner. Everything was silent and I could feel the quietness chilling me to the bones.

While walking down the hallway to my room on the very end, I have to lower my head and try to ignore the pictures of me and my dad smiling and laughing together. I turned my door handle and pushed it open, throwing my backpack into a corner of the room and flopping onto my bed.

I see my phone on the nightstand and pick it up, remembering how Cinder thought there was something wrong with it. I made a mental note to remember to give it to her tomorrow. I looked up from my phone and caught myself looking at a picture of my dad that hung on the wall. His picture looked back at me. A wave and sadness and pain hit me, making me look away.

'I need to go see him', I thought while looking into my hands. Then I decided to text Advisor Torin. I smiled a bit. His name was growing on me.

Me: Hey, I think I'm going to go see my dad today...

A minute later Torin responded.

Torin: Okay, do you want me to go with you?

I thought for a second. I really didn't want to go alone. I did not want to feel even more lonely than I already felt.

Me: Yeah, that would be great

Seconds later I got another text.

Torin: I'll be there in 10

I smiled to myself, glad that Torin was always there for me. I slipped my phone into my pocket and ran down stairs.

Exactly 10 minutes later, Torin and I left my house and headed for the hospital. We walked side by side and kept a casual conversation about school. We kept away from the conversation of life, because I seemed to be struggling with it.

"Cinder slapped me today" I blurted while smiling, remembering how great and funny it was.

"She did what?" Torin said looking worried.

"No, no, it wasn't like that. I scared her and her initial reaction was to slap me. It was actually really great." I said laughing.

Torin turned his face and looked me, "You really like her don't you"

I sighed, "I know that you don't like her, but-"

He stopped me, "About that. I'm sorry about what I said before. It really wasn't fair and I actually don't know Cinder that well. But if you really like her, I'll try like her too."

Torin was being a great friend and made me really glad that he'd try to be nice to Cinder. Then I thought about how happy I felt around Cinder and the great times we had together.

"I think I'm falling for her," I said to Torin, "But I don't know if she likes me back and I'm not sure what I should do about it... especially now" I said gesturing to the hospital as we got closer and closer.

Torin just nodded, "Well, I think that's for you to figure out."

I groaned. I always hated when he wouldn't give me a straight answer. But when we entered the hospital, all talk about Cinder dropped and we became silent. I tried to mentally prepared myself for what would come next.

We followed the signs that read 'QUARANTINE' until we approached a large room with a window that you could look through. Taking a breath, I walked up to the window and looked inside. Sure enough, there he was. My father. He wasn't looking good. I felt like I couldn't breath. But I couldn't tear my gaze from him either.

Torin but a hand on my shoulder and said, "I'm sorry."

I couldn't say anything back. My father who had raised me and always been there for me was going to die and I couldn't do anything about it. I felt so small and useless. And after he does die, I'm going to inherit Gatches. If I can't handle just looking at my dad, then how am I going to handle the world's most powerful business?

"Torin, I don't think I can handle this. I can't handle looking about him, I can't handle thinking about him, and there's no way I can handle his business after he d-" I almost choke on the last word.

"It's okay," he says patting me on the back.

I sigh, "I just want life to go back to the way it was before, before to when it was normal"

Torin lifted an eyebrow, "I don't think your life has ever been normal, your highness"

"Well, then, I want to have my close to normal life back" I said, my mouth starting to form a smile.