Savanna

Chapter 17

I wasn't used to having a plaster cast on my leg. I had had one on my hand when I was younger and had bone fracture in my finger. But it was nothing compared to broken knee. Aside from everything else, I was also afraid of going to school, but it soon turned out to be much easier than I had thought. Mum got me a crutch, which helped a little, too. I only wasn't ready for all the questions bombarded at me.

Still, I was glad to see Nicole, all okay and full of energy, as always. Not even once did she mention what had happened yesterday. And no signs of jealousy, either. But as I became more concerned of what Jake might have done to her mind, I finally mentioned it myself.

"How do you feel? About yesterday, I mean. When you..."

"My head didn't hurt much after. Which I think is a little weird, reckoning that I actually lost my conscious."

I stared at her, trying to figure out what she was pointing at.

"Don't you think it was weird? I stumble and fall, lose my consciousness, and a little after that, you fall and broke your leg. You know what? We're like true best-friends-soulmates." She grinned, despite the fact the situation was way more serious.

But I understood now what Jake had done. He'd made Nicole forget about what truly happened, given her this thought instead. Even though I wasn't okay with her mind being meddled with like this, I decided to play along.

"At least you're okay now," I said. "But I also wanted to say that... I'm sorry for me and Jake lately being... You know..."

Nicole smiled and waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, don't worry about that. Jake has never showed any interest in me anyway."

Some part of me had actually known he'd do something like that. So, Nicole wasn't interested in him anymore? But when I thought about it now, as much as I hated Jake playing with my best friend's mind, I had to agree it might be for the best. I seriously didn't want Nicole trying to get close to him. I just hoped that this is all he did to her, nothing else.

"Besides, you two are so cute together." As she said this, she smiled widely and friskily. I just stared at her. Did Jake put that thought in her mind, too?

Suddenly, her eyes grew wide. "Did you... you know... kiss?"

I wanted to groan. "No."

"Oh, I'm so sorry for showing up, then. I'm sure you'd have gotten that far."

"Nicole..."

But as the teacher stepped into the classroom, our chat was cut short. Instead I noticed that the chair before our desk was still empty. Rudy wasn't at school. And he didn't arrive any time during the lesson, either.

"Do you know where Rudy might be?" I asked Nicole after the lesson, as we entered the next classroom.

She thought about it. "No, I have no idea. Though, I'm sure you've noticed how he's somehow... distant, lately. He doesn't chat a lot anyway, but still. It's weird."

I wondered if that distantness was somehow connected to him being a savannian. Though, he didn't always act as he does now. It all began just lately.

"Oh, here he comes," Nicole exclaimed suddenly, bringing me back from my thoughts. I rose my head towards the door. Rudy looked at me shortly, but then his gaze fixated on my knee.

"What happened?" he asked, as he took a seat behind his desk.

"I fell," was my simple answer. Then I turned my head to look out the window, as if I suddenly saw something incredibly interesting about the cloudy sky.