Masked love

Chapter 15

That morning Joseph got on the bus, feeling happier than normal. His memories, the touch of her skin against his lips, played over and over again in his mind. He evened dreamed of sharing more happy memories with Nikita, the girl of his dreams. He was plain giddy and couldn't wait to see her again. His book-bag was prepared, holding the bag she had left at his house, two packed breakfasts with drinks in the side pockets, and some leftover spaghetti for lunch. After he took his seat the bus continued its route, just two stops.
Although he was happy, excited even, something was bothering him. When he got home, he realized that the cat bag wasn't the only thing that she had left in his room. Her phone and journal was also left on his bed. It seemed strange to him, that she would leave them there without a second thought. Without the phone they also weren't able to communicate except for face to face. Nobody would be able to contact her.
Then there was also the last glimpse of her face that he caught. As he slowly drove away from her house last night, he watched her to make sure she got in okay. The painted smile on her face quickly disappeared, revealing the true despair and fear inside. Joseph couldn't help but wonder why she seemed so upset after he left. What was she hiding? Did she truly have fun, or was the smile and happiness just a mask?
The sight of her house took him away from wandering in his thoughts. The bus slowed to a stop, as he searched for Nikita. She was nowhere in sight, instead an older man stood in her place. The doors to the bus opened and the man got on to the bus to speak with the driver. Joseph listened intently to their conversation. "Nikita woke up really sick this morning, so she'll be out for several days. I'll keep the school updated." The man explained. His voice was monotoned, making something seem off about him. Nikita's sick? But she seemed fine last night, Joseph thought to himself. "I'm not sure when she'll be able to ride the bus again, but I'll contact the school when that time comes. So you don't have to worry about her stop until then." The man continued to speak. Joseph's mind was going into overdrive. Was she really sick? Was that what she was hiding? It can't be. Did he do something wrong? Was she avoiding him? Who was this man?
Joseph looked at the man closely, as he got off the bus. There was some resemblance between him and Nikita, from the black hair to his bluish eyes. Joseph had to assume that the man was her father. As the bus drove off, Joseph watched him carefully. He couldn't shake the bad feelings that he had about the man.

The bus arrived at the school soon after, but the miles felt like hours to Joseph. He couldn't stop thinking and worrying about Nikita. He got off the bus, and walked towards the school. Then suddenly he was stopped by a strong hold on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Zeak staring at him with a questionable look. "Hey squirrel, where's Nikeet at? I thought she rode the same bus as you do." Zeak asked, releasing his shoulder.
"She does ride the same bus as me. She just didn't get on today. A man, I think it was her father, told the bus driver that she was sick and would be out for several days." Joseph explained looking away from Zeak. "It's really a shame since she left her phone and other stuff with me-"
"Wait! Nikeet's sick? I hope it isn't her heart again. I mean she got a new one so-" Zeak started to panic slightly.
"Wait! her heart? Has something like this happened before?" Joseph interrupted him quickly, as his heart filled with panic and worry. Was she going to disappear, just like his sister? No, this would be worse than that.
"I guess she didn't tell you. She probably doesn't like to talk about it, considering what happened." Zeak walked towards the door as he talked, with Joseph following him. "The doctors said that she was probably born with it, but they didn't see it until about two years and a month ago. It all started with simple chest pains like heartburn, and she couldn't run without loosing breath and coughing. It just kept getting worse. The group of friends that she had made over the years started to keep their distance from her. They were scared that they would catch what she had." Zeak stopped talking for a moment, as they walked into the school.
"What did she have? Wh-was it contagious?" Joseph asked cautiously. Zeak stared at the place, where Nikita used to sit alone.
"No, the only thing that was being passed around was fear and rumors. The truth was that Nikita's heart was attacking her body faster than her body could heal the damage. It was simply working too hard to fight itself. When the doctors realized this they hooked her up to machines to fix the problem, but she needed a new heart. The heart had to come from someone in the same bloodline who recently died. There was no one who fit that description, and the doctors weren't about to take a heart that was still beating. Nikita wasn't going to live for much longer without miracle saving her." Zeak took a deep breath, preparing himself for the next part. "I visited Nikita everyday in the hospital, but sometimes I couldn't bring myself to walk into her room. She was fighting a harsh battle, and it was hard to visit her with a smile when one day she could just disappear. It took a hard toll on her parents. Her father tried to stay strong, while her mother made the ultimate decision." Zeak sat down in a chair. He couldn't look Joseph in the eyes.
"What was her decision? Does it have to do with how Nikita lost her mother?" Joseph asked, worried about the answer he would receive. He sat in a chair beside Zeak.
"It has everything to do with that. H-her mother took her own life, so Nikeet could have her heart." Zeak said with a tragic voice. "The doctors said that the transplant completely healed her condition, but she can still get lingering chest pains every now and then." The school bells rang in an ominous tone. It was time to head for class.
Zeak and Joseph headed to their classes in silence. Joseph was stunned with the news he had heard. He didn't know how to respond, so he stayed quiet. Zeak also wasn't up to speaking, his mind was with Nikita. Joseph looked at Nikita's classroom as they past by. Kids were entering the classroom, while some hovered just outside the door. He could almost imagine her lost and sad face, as she would lean against the wall, but it wasn't her. His eyes met with hers, and he saw her sad beat red face. Stella took a deep breath and walked in front of them, stopping them in their path. "Where's N-niki?" She asked with a broken voice.
"Not here." Zeak said as he started to walk around her. "Obviously," he muttered.
Stella grabbed ahold of his wrist weakly, but it still made him stop. He looked back at her face as if to say what. "Where is she?" Stella asked again, with a stronger voice.
Zeak looked at Joseph while he answer. "Squirrel told me that she didn't get on the bus. Her father told the bus driver that she's sick. We don't know what condition she's in, rat. Where's your plague at?" Joseph could feel the tension between the two.
"They're gone. Once they realized who I was, they left. It's not like they were really my friends." Stella looked at Joseph. "It's just like you said, I'm all alone. I don't want anything and I certainly don't expect anything. I just figured I should apologize for e-everything." Stella's voice started to break, as her eyes started to water. Joseph couldn't respond, he just looked away from her.
"Just save it for when she gets back. Nikeet will probably forgive you, but it'll take time to work out the tension. We'll see you later." Zeak said. The three went their separate ways.

All three went through their day silently. Their minds were with Nikita, forsaken with worry. As the days past, their bodies went numb. They knew nothing. They were just going through the days unattached from their bodies. Joseph drove by her house a couple times, hoping to see a glimpse of her in the window. The house was eerily silent. It seemed that no one was home. Zeak tried calling the home number only to hear a disconnected dial tone. Zeak was getting fed up. Things couldn't heal if she was gone. He wanted her back, or to at least know if she's ok.
On the third day of silence and emptiness, Zeak rode his bike to her house. The stars shined brightly with a crescent moon that had been in the sky for four nights. He parked his bike underneath Nikita's large old tree. He climbed through the battle of branches and spring leaves. Some of the branches broke and fell from his weight. He didn't fall, he just kept moving. He reached her window and leaned his back against the glass. He knocked three times fast then waited a minute before knocking a fourth. A nostalgic feeling sat in the back of his mind. "What is the parakeet's calling, Nikeet? Is she singing your song?" He asked just like he did in the past. He waited, hoping an answer. All he needed was to hear her voice. There was no answer. He knocked on the glass again and waited longer. He listened closely. Then he heard a small quiet scratching against the glass. He turned around and looked through the window. An almost frail black kitten looked back at him. He could barely hear its quiet little meows. He looked at the room through the window, noticing the vacancy. Zeak took a leap and went to open the window. It was unlocked. He went into the room carefully, prepared to be yelled at. There was nothing; no noise, nobody, just him and the kitten.
Shadow went straight for the dresser, scratching on the door vigorously. Zeak looked at the kitten strangely. Then he noticed an empty food and water bowl on the ground. He open the door, and to find an unopened bag of cat food and a jug of water. He filled up the kitten's bowls, before searching for Nikita. Her room looked used, but at the same time completely empty. Zeak left the room to search the house. He went downstairs carefully and was met with a horrid smell. The scent of alcohol drenched the whole downstairs. Zeak covered his nose, and looked around the house. He tried to be quiet, but he really didn't care if he was found. The place seemed empty. As he got closer to the basement door, the stench got stronger. He knew something was wrong. He gently tried the door. It was locked. He took another chance. She was worth the risk, now and forever. He whistled a little tune. It was one of his zoning out tunes. It was low, quiet, and hurt; but he heard her. That was all he needed.