Generation Infinosil

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty One - Shane

2050

As we walked to my house, she seemed distant, distracted. I wanted to ask her what was wrong, she'd been acting strange since she thought she saw a bat.

The more I looked at her, the more I felt like there was something bothering her. I started to doubt her bat story so I asked her, "what really happened earlier?"

"What? When?" She asked, looking uncomfortable.

I stopped and turned to face her, when she realised I was no longer walking, she stopped too.

"You don't honestly think I'm falling for the bat story, do you?" I questioned, with a mixed expression of concern and amusement.

I watched as she stared at her feet, "I didn't mean to lie, I'm sorry, I just don't want you to think I'm some kind of freak." She confessed apologetically.

"It's okay," I said as I placed my finger under her chin and gently tilted it up so that she was facing me, "so what was it that actually happened?"

She looked at me, right into my eyes as if she could see right through to my soul.

"I... I... I'm not ready to tell you yet." She said.

"Don't you trust me?" I was hurt and I couldn't help but show it.

"It's not that, I just haven't quite figured out what it was myself yet."

"Will you tell me when you're ready to then, please?" I asked, willing to be patient for her.

"Of course." She said with a smile.

We started walking again and I had the urge to hold her hand but I resisted. To distract myself from this desire, I looked at the surrounding scenery- the houses that I must have passed my whole life but felt no connection to. I should have had memories here, I should have remembered playing in these streets as a child but I didn't.

You see, before I moved to Kaitlyn's school, I went to a school that was further away from my house but my parents chose it over my present school because they thought I would achieve better grades. I passed these houses on the way to school every weekday and I apparently played here with my friend James when I was younger but since he moved house before my accident, I don't remember him.

To think that if my parents chose Kaitlyn's school in the first place, I could have met her sooner caused me to frown. I wouldn't have spent the last two years feeling like I didn't belong anywhere.

Kaitlyn made me feel like I had something worth living for, somewhere I belonged- by her side.

I snapped out of my daze by the sound of Kaitlyn asking, "are you upset with me?"

"No, no I'm not, why?"

"You're being really quiet." She explained.

"Sorry, I was just thinking."

"Thinking about what?" She asked.

"About how I wish I met you sooner." I said and I swear I felt my cheeks blush.

She smiled at me shyly and did her habit of tucking her hair behind her ears that I found so adorable. I started to realise that it must be a nervous habit and that she seemed to get embarrassed when she was given male attention. I felt comforted by the fact that she was nervous, at least I wasn't the only one. And it was sweet that she didn't seem used to guys looking at her, but I didn't understand how someone so beautiful wouldn't have guys throwing themselves at her.

Maybe it was because she was quite quiet or maybe it was because a lot people tend to avoid those that are different. And different she certainly was. Different because she didn't wear clothes that revealed her body inappropriately, different because she didn't smother makeup onto her face, different because she wasn't obsessed with calorie counting and different because she didn't realise how beautiful she really is.

"What is it?" Kaitlyn asked, bringing me out of my dazed state for the second time that day.

"What's what?"

"Well, you were looking at me, do I have some food on my mouth or something?" She asked, licking her lips to remove the invisible food.

"Nope." I watched her lick her lips and wanted so badly to place my lips on hers.

"Is my hair a mess or something then?"

"No," I chuckled, amused at her lack of self confidence, "you look fine, you look great actually."

"Then why are you looking at me?"

"I'm admiring how beautiful you are." I replied, without thinking, and then panicked that I shouldn't have said it. "I'm sorry," I said, both of us blushing, "I didn't mean to admit that out loud."

"It's okay." I could tell she was trying not to smile but failed.

"This is it," I said once we reached my house and I gestured towards it, "do you wanna come in?"