The layers of Kaid Isherwood (The 1st book in the 'Layers' series)

Chapter 17

Kaid Isherwood's POV

Well, it turns out Mr. Quartson's arm isn't the only thing I broke that night. Oh no, I also managed to snap my leg in half like some kind of professional klutz. And, just for good measure, I obliterated two bags of blood I had stashed in my starfish suit. Because why wouldn't I have two bags of blood in my costume? (It's a long story, and frankly, I'm not in the mood to explain it.)

Naturally, the ambulances were called, because what kind of irresponsible student doesn't get ambulances called after performing an ill-advised jump off a stage in a starfish costume? Mr. Quartson, ever the model headmaster, decided we both needed some creative excuses for our injuries. He's sticking with the whole "I was in my office and thought my arm wasn't in the doorway, so I closed it on myself" narrative. Sure, it's a classic, but I'd be more convinced if I didn't know how many "office accidents" he's had this semester alone.

My excuse? Oh, it's simple. I fell down some stairs. My leg broke. Nothing suspicious there, right? I'll only tell that to people I actually care to respond to, though. Everyone else? Meh. I'll let the Decree keep the questions to a minimum. I'm pretty sure Lucan is the only person who will pry. And if he does... well, maybe I'll push him down some stairs and break his leg to make the excuse a little more believable.

But wait. If I do that, I'd have to spend time with him. And who in their right mind wants to spend any time with that prying little brat? He's always trying to get info out of the SCP (that's me, in case you haven't been paying attention), like he's some kind of detective or something. Honestly, he's just annoying.

Anyway, I was now sitting in an emergency room, getting fitted for a neon green cast that went all the way up to my thigh. Because why settle for a regular cast when you can go full-on "I'm going to need sunglasses just to look at this thing"? The whole thing is just... a pain. I'm thinking about how this is going to impact my life—how I can't get to my secret hideout in the stairwell, how I can't sneak food without stairs involved. I'm going to starve in my own dorm room, and not in a cool way either. It's going to be like hell. A very green, very neon, very annoying hell.

I'm definitely going to need someone to bring me food. I could trust Lucan, but I'd rather eat my own shoe than rely on him. So, it looks like I'm going to have to put my faith in our dorm advisor. Why? Because he brought me cake once, and anyone who brings cake is good in my book. It's a pretty low bar, but hey, I'm not picky. The downside? I'm no longer going to be able to sneak away into my secret stairwell. Damn it.

Eventually, Mr. Quartson got his car and came back to pick me up. Because what kind of headmaster would leave his student with a broken leg at the hospital? I don't know, maybe one with common sense, but who am I to judge? After all, he was the one who let me jump off a stage in a starfish costume in the first place. Anyway, we got into his car, and he gave me the classic "You'll be fine. You'll figure it out" speech.

"I'm sure you can figure out how to get to your room," he said, sounding like he was already planning his next important meeting. I just sighed dramatically because of course I had a way to get to my room. I had a whole plan. It wasn't going to be pretty, but I had a plan.

"Yeah," I muttered, "I'll manage. It'll be... troublesome, but I know a way." As if I was going to tell him about my genius stair-climbing maneuver. Spoiler: I wasn't.

I hobbled out of his car, immediately regretting the decision. It was easy enough to get into the dorm. It was the getting up the stairs part that would be the issue. That's when I heard it: the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Someone was coming. Half asleep. Perfect.

I turned my head to see who it was. No. No, no, no. This was not happening. It wasn't Lucan, which at first seemed like a blessing, but the last person I wanted to help me was Kain. Of all the people who could have stumbled down the stairs in the middle of the night, it had to be him. This guy might as well have "annoying" written on his forehead in big, bold letters. And now he was looking at me like I was some kind of charity case. Great.

"Kaid?" he asked, his voice heavy with sleep. I refused to look at him, because I had made the executive decision that Kain did not exist. Not in my world. But no. He noticed my leg.

"You need help, don't you?" Kain said, more of a statement than a question, like he could read my mind.

"Nope." I said, squinting in the direction of the nearest exit. "Go get the dorm advisor. I'm not talking to you."

But of course, Kain didn't go get the advisor. Instead, he walked down the stairs like he had all the time in the world and, without a single ounce of hesitation, picked me up like I was some kind of oversized teddy bear. I'm not sure whether to be offended or impressed, but it was definitely irritating.

"Wow, you're really light," Kain said as he effortlessly carried me up the stairs. "If you're wondering why I'm here, I'm studying. I stay every weekend to study. Real dedicated, right?" He gave me a proud grin.

"I know what you do," I muttered under my breath. Yeah, I knew. Kain stayed every Monday morning for breakfast and dinnertime—basically, he had a free ride to all the food the dorm could provide. How was that studying? More like "How to Get All the Free Food You Can Stuff Into Your Face 101."

He carried me to the top of the stairs, and as I got out of his arms, I realized that he had left my crutches at the bottom of the stairs. I stared at him in disbelief. This guy was really testing my patience.

"Ugh. Go get them," I growled.

Kain sighed but dutifully went back down to retrieve my crutches. He handed them to me with a slight smirk, but I just took them and turned my back on him. No acknowledgment, no words. Kain was dead to me.

I hobbled to my room at the end of the hall, refusing to look back. He didn't exist. He was nothing more than a glitch in the matrix of my miserable life. I had no idea why he thought helping me made us friends.

I opened my dorm door, relieved that Lucan was still asleep. Thank god. I didn't need to deal with any more people tonight. I hobbled over to my bed and slowly lowered myself onto it. This was going to be a pain. What made me think jumping off that stage was a good idea? What made me think a starfish stripper was a good idea?

Worst. Idea. Ever.

And of course, I still had to deal with the mental image of Kain. Great. I'd never get that out of my head.

But hey, life's full of awkward, annoying surprises. Like Kain, for instance.