Almost Friends

Chapter 18- Kyle

Chapter Eighteen

Kyle

Logic>Gut 

I glance over my shoulder as Mia and Josh disappear through the exit doors at the other end of the hallway.

What I just thought I saw—several lockers flying open while Mia walked past them—is a tell-tale sign that I absolutely cannot function on a mere two hours of sleep.

I should've stayed home today. Considering that my family spent the entire night at the hospital with Grandma, I'm sure my teachers would've understood.

I rub the back of my aching neck and push open the doors that lead to the cafeteria and patio. The sunshine is a welcomed relief after the frostbitten temperature of our school's AC.

Some guy to my right says, "Yo, Kyle."

I turn to the small gaggle of football players leaned against the brick wall. With their sagging pants and lecherous expressions, they look like the cover of one of those cheap CDs that wanna-be rappers try to sell in gas station parking lots.

"What?" I ask, looking at Steven, the one who's called me.

"What's up with your girl and Josh? They just leave together?" he asks.

I shift on my feet. I'm so out of it that I barely even noticed what Mia was doing. All I saw were those lockers flying open without anyone touching them... and considering how sleep-deprived my brain is, I'm pretty sure I didn't really see that.

I shake my head. "Mia has a boyfriend. And why should you care? Get a life, Steve." With this, I stalk off in search of someone decent to talk to.

To my right, Ben Morris sits on a bench. He's eating lunch with the Pianciano twins. I turn left to avoid passing him. Just ahead, Meagan is in deep conversation with another cheerleader named Rose. Actually, Meagan seems to be talking non-stop while Rose looks at her phone, completely engrossed in Snapchat.

Meagan's the last person I need to run into right now. I start to turn away, when her high-pitched voice hits my eardrums.

"Kyle, wait!"

I cringe.

Meagan runs towards me, Rose trailing behind her.

"I don't want to talk to you right now," I say.

Meagan nods, her eyes widening. She looks so puppy-like that I almost feel bad for her. "I know. I shouldn't have been so blunt yesterday," she says. "I'm sorry. It's just that I care. If anything happened to you ... gosh, I don't know, I just care! You're my friend."

Meagan nervously tightens her grip on her lunch bag and something inside of me softens.

I can't help but think about my grandma. I know what it's like to care about someone who's fading right in front of you. Grandma seemed so tiny in that huge hospital bed. And as we listened to an ER doctor explain that she may not ever speak or walk as easily as before the stroke, I felt helpless. If the doctor had said that all Grandma needed to do was eat and she'd get better, then I would've made my Grandma eat. Even if she didn't want to, I would've made her. Because that's what you do when you care about someone.

Meagan gulps and I glance at Rose, who frowns in confusion as she looks from me to Meagan.

"It's fine," I quietly say. "I get it."

Meagan smiles and sighs, loudly. "Thank God. I thought you hated me."

"I did," I point out. "And I still do."

"Wait, what are we talking about?" Rose asks. "Why do y'all hate each other?"

"Kyle's just joking," Meagan says as she opens her lunch bag.

I start to negate this. "Actually, I—"

"So," Meagan says while she pulls a small red apple from her bag, "do you want to eat with us? I have an extra apple."

I tense, my gaze going to the apple. Is this what Eve felt like in the Garden of Eden?

I take a deep breath and try to reason with myself; it's just an apple, a piece of fruit. Fruit hardly has any calories and it's healthy.

"Sure," I slowly agree.

Meagan beams with the most annoying glee as she hands me the apple. I take it and, ignoring the calorie-counting voice in my head, bring the fruit to my mouth.

I guess sometimes doing the right thing means not going with your gut, but going with logic.