Affliction

Chapter Seven

"What...?" Eliza asked as her eyes widened. 

"I've said too much!" Luhan exclaimed, covering his mouth with both hands.

"Luhan!" Kris called out from the distance. His bag hung loose around his shoulder, which was quite distracting. Giving him a small wave while keeping his eyes on Eliza, he quickly walked away.

"Where is he going?" she asked, turning towards Luhan who was still waving at him.

He stopped, "He's going for his job."

"Job?"

"Yes, he's working at a store a couple blocks from here. I could take you if you want."

"No, thank you," Eliza sighed as she got up. "I'd better go."

"Where?" Luhan asked getting up with her.

"Home," she said, "Got a lot of homework to complete."

The boy opened his mouth to speak but before he could do so, Jessica and Audrey passed by them.

"Do we seriously have to wear a uniform from next week?" Audrey whined. "It's so...plain."

"I know. Dumb new owners," Jessica scoffed as they walked by them.

"I heard the owner's kid is going to study here," Audrey sniffed, but stopped to look at a gaping Luhan. "What?"

He shook his head, "Nothing."

"You're so weird," Jessica snapped as the both of them walked away.

A small smile began to stretch across Luhan's face as he let out a sigh, "Today really is a good day."

"How so?" Eliza asked as she began walking, trying to keep up with his slow pace. 

"With uniforms, they can't bully us," he said, a spark of wild excitement dancing in his eyes. "We'll all be equal."

Eliza shook her head as she thought about how lost Luhan was. She hated to admit it, that with uniforms, or without uniforms, they would still be treated the same way. Well, she anyway. Eliza waved goodbye to Luhan and they both headed seperate ways.

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About a week later, she suggested she should pay a visit to Kris after school. They had been given the uniforms by the school. They weren't that pricey, so maybe..she assumed, the owners are good people?

"Hi," she said as she walked over to the counter. The salesperson turned away from the shelf and faced her. "Oh..it's you."

"Kris?" Eliza asked as she followed him. 

"How did you find me here?" he queried as he took off his apron. 

"I..um..coincidence?" she lied. "Are you busy? Because I can-"

Kris interrupted, "No, no. I'm done with my shift. Come on," he said as he grabbed her wrist and lead her out of the store.

"I'm not sure if he even knows what he's doing,"  Eliza thought as she looked at him through the corner of her eye. The sun shone over them, the rays playing with the highlights in his hair.

"So, what are you upto nowadays?" she asked, looking down at his hand.

He paused to think for a while before he looked up, "I'm just busy."

"With what?"

"With..work, that's all."

"Oh..have you met the owner's kid yet?" she blurted out.

"I didn't even know he had one," Kris let out a small laugh.

He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and let his hand slip into Eliza's, "I-" but before he could complete, his phone rang. Annoyed, he let go of her hand and took out his device, "Hello?"

Eliza stood there as she watched his expression turn from vexed to worried. "Okay...I'll be there. Goodbye," he said as he hung up, running a frustrated hand through his hair, ruining those blonde-brown locks which fell perfectly on his forehead.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice coming out as a squeak.

"Nothing..I..have to go," he sniveled. "Talk to you later," he tried to let out a smile but it was a no-go, so instead, he raised two fingers to his forehead, gave her a salute and ran off.

"I hope he's okay," she sucked in a breath, and headed for home since she had no other choice.