Bane Academy: To Run From Fear

Chapter 16

Nat

One hour earlier...

A storm is swirling over the academy. A big one. I sit on my bed upright and look outside the window at the black clouds blocking out the night sky completely. The sound of the rain hitting the tin roof is so relaxing.
  My meteorology class and I know that the full moon will not peak through the clouds once tonight, so the werewolves are allowed to stay out. But although the moon isn't out, I still worry for Kyle. I know he's in the next room, wide awake and terrified.
  At that thought, I slowly and quietly get out of bed and tip toe to the door. A floorboard squeaks and I quickly turn to see if I've awaken Alex or Shae. Alex is sleeping like a log while Shae still isn't even here. She hasn't been sleeping here in weeks, where else could she be?
  I open Kyle's, Fade's and Becca's bedroom door opposite to mine, Alex's and Shae's room and see Fade's and Becca's beds empty. Where is everyone?
   "Kyle?" I whisper. "You okay?" 
   "Get out!" Kyle shouts, curled up in a ball in his bed under the covers.
  A loud boom erupts from the sky and Kyle whimpers.
   "Come on now, don't be like that." I say to him in a calming voice.
   "I don't want you to see me like this." Kyle's voice cracks. He's still facing away from me.
   "Oh please, I've seen you like this before, don't pretend that I haven't." I reply. "Want me to stay with you until the storm is over?"
   "No, that's okay, I'm perfectly fine by mysel-"
  BOOM.
   "Shit! Okay, okay! Sta-stay please?" Kyle pleads.
   "Of course." I say. I sit down on the side of his bed. "It's okay to be afraid of storms, it's in your blood."
  I pull up the covers and slip into the bed beside Kyle. He turns around and looks at me with surprise in his yellow, glowing eyes.
   "Uh, Nat? I'm not-"
   "Don't be shy, we're still friends right? Friends comfort one another."
   "That's not what I was-"
   "I'm so glad that we're friends again, I thought it might've been awkward because of what happened last term, and-"
   "Nat!"
   "Yes?"
   "I'm not wearing any clothes."
  Although it's almost completely dark, I know Kyle can see my cheeks blushing with his werewolf night vision.
   "Oh." I say embarrassed. I get out of the bed. "Sorry for barging in, I didn't know you were- you know."
   "No, no, it's fine." Kyle says sitting up. "Can't sleep?"
   "No, not really. Wanna play video games in the lounge?" I ask.
  Kyle looks at me with uncertain eyes before answering. "Okay, just give me a sec."

   "Haha, yes! You lose sucker!" I brag and jump up and down on the couch as the losing music plays from the console in the background.
   "You know, whenever you win or lose a game it's really cu-" Kyle stops.
   "It's really what?" I cross my legs and face him.
   "Nothing, I wasn't saying anything." Kyle blushes and looks away.
   "Kyle.."
   "Seriously, I wasn't-"
   "Kyyyyle.." I insist.
   "Ugh, fine. I was gonna say that whenever you play games, you're really cute." Kyle slowly gets quieter and quieter as he tells the sentence.
   "Oh. Well, thanks. I guess." I scratch the back of my neck.
  For the next five or ten minutes, Kyle and I sit in total silence, staring at the floor awkwardly.
   "I think we should just talk about it." Kyle says after a while. "Get it into the air."
   "Um, okay." I say nervously.
   "Even after what happened last term, I like how we're comfortable around each other again." Kyle smiles. "Friends again."
  Those two last words echo in my mind. "Friends again." It sends shivers down my spine and makes my neck twitch.
   "I don't want to be friends." I say quickly. I feel my face burning immediately after I've said it.
   "Oh." Kyle says surprised. He looks away as his face turns pale. "Tha-that's okay."
   "No, no, no. I mean... I- I want to be more than friends." I stutter.
  Kyle's golden eyes widen and his jaw drops. "But you-"
  Instantly, I cut him off. I grab the hem of his shirt and pull him towards me into a kiss. His lips are still as soft as they were that night. Good kisser. I feel his hands on my hips, pulling me towards him. No, pushing me away.
   "Look Nat." Kyle says, his hands now resting on my shoulders. "We can't."
  I smile at him and let out a nervous chuckle. "Hahaha, funny. What, are you getting me back or something?" I ask.
   "I'm afraid I'm not." Kyle forced a smile, adjusting his blackish-grey hair. "When you rejected me, it made me think. Maybe we aren't good for each other in that way after all."
  I look at him with a blank look. "But you-"
   "Not anymore." Kyle cuts me off.
  I retain my posture like I learned in my modelling classes and keep my face emotionless. Poker face. "That's perfectly fine." I say as I get up.
   "Well, we should go to bed, it's pretty late."
   "Yeah, I suppose we should." I agree.
  And before I can say another word, Kyle walks out the lounge and back into his room, leaving me standing by the couch.