Legend

Seventeen

SEVENTEEN

I SAT AT MY DESK, deep in thought. The day before, Amandla had said: “Trapped,” randomly, while she was still in her trance. Then a second afterwards, she snapped back. She told me that everything from when she started her exercise to that moment was a blur. She didn’t remember anything from there.

It was so weird. Trapped. It was very probable that she saw someone trapped. But who could it be?

It was about five thirty in the afternoon, the day after our visit to Viola’s. Amandla didn’t have training that day. I had three weeks, two days, five hours and about thirty minutes left before the Hope’s Hour.

I didn’t even know what I was supposed to do during that hour. I was confused, troubled. I didn’t even bother pulling out the talent book. I knew I wouldn’t figure it out anyway.

Then again, three weeks was quite some time. I should’ve been able to work it out by then. But, time goes by fast when you don’t want it to, and goes by slow when you want it to go fast. And, with Justin, I think that added on to why I wanted time to go slower. When Zxander called me for dinner, I dragged myself to the dining table. I shoved food into my mouth, barely tasting it. Halfway through, I noticed Zxander watching me intently.

“What?” I said with my mouth full of food. He replied me with “nothing” again. Not believing it, I pressed on. “What is it?”

“It’s…” He shook his head slightly, still deciding whether or not, to tell me. “Amaa… Umm… Can you do me a favor, Krissy?”

I knew he was about to say ‘Amandla’, instead of just ‘Amaa’, but he stopped there. Somehow, Zxander had brightened me up with his… shyness. “A favor, hmm?” I thought of something. “But first, admit to me. You like her, don’t you?”

“Kris – ” I raised my eyebrows. “But I – ” I shook my head mockingly. He sighed. “Yes.” He muttered, barely audible.

A smile spread across my face. This was fun. “So, what’s the favor?”

“Umm… could you… help… help me find out… if she… you know…” He stuttered, “likes me back?”

“Hmm…” I said, dismissively, “don’t need to.”

“Huh?” He wrinkled his brow, in annoyance or confusion, I guessed.

“Mm...” I said, still trying to stall it. Amandla hinted it, I thought. Even though she doesn’t admit it, it’s very probable she actually does like Zxander. What’s more, she didn’t tell me not to tell him … Plus… if I told Zxander, she might have a chance… I decided to tell him. “She… seems to like you back.”

I saw complete shock cross onto his face. “She… She what?” Then I watched it turn to disbelief, then to a mixture of surprise and somehow, happiness.

“Yeah,” I said without hiding a laugh, “she seems to like you back.”

“What do you mean, she seems?”

“I mean,” I said, talking to Zxander like he was a kindergarten kid, “she hinted it. Said something weird… about you… that I know she wouldn’t normally say about someone she doesn’t know well. And then when I asked her if she liked you, she blushed. Beet red.” After a bit, I added., “and she answered with ‘I don’t know’.”

Zxander seemed to be trying to process the information. Then a bit later, he started smiling dreamily. I realized I’d never seen him like this before.

After a bit of silence, with Zxander still goggle-eyed, a thought struck me. I asked, “Zxander, when did you start liking Amandla?”

“Umm…” He said sheepishly, slightly blushing. “Since I was like twelve, and you two were like, ten?”