Ravenwolf's Rose

A Centimetre Away From You

"Are you out of your mind?" Jackson squirmed again while crying out in pain. I watched in awe while sliding off of the bed, watching over them. 

"This late and how long has it been since you've come home?"

"Ow ow ow... I get it... it hurts!" I glared at Jackson as he spoke. "Let go, please! I'll reflect!"

"Sober now?" Kai pushed him back and Jackson grumbled. I stood in front of Kai and he looked at me then looked away. I wondered why. When I looked down at my top both of my straps had slid down. I lifted them back up in place.

"Why didn't you call for help?" he asked.

"I didn't realize I could..."

"He gets like this sometimes... sorry, you had to witness this."

I thought I had been witnessing hell freeze over. Kai was apologizing to me? I was about to reply, but Jackson made a noise while launching himself upwards. I could see he was about to throw up.

"You may need to have someone watch him. He might choke on his vomit..."

"Let him choke," he looked at me, mercilessly. That was the Kai I had grown to know. He exhaled, held onto his head. "I'll go get James. He doesn't have class tomorrow. Will you be alright for a few minutes?" I nodded and he left.

I walked over to the bathroom and saw that Jackson had finished throwing up. He flushed the toilet. I sighed, grabbing some tissue. I dampened it with water and then leaned over to clean his mouth. I tossed it in the garbage.

"Come on, sit up... you can do it..." I held the scruff from his jacket and made him lean against the bottom cabinet door by the sink area.

"You... since when did Kai start talking to you?" I shrugged.

"Guess you need to be home more to have to right to know how that happened," he coughed and then laughed.

"Cunning..." I smacked his chest and he looked at me shocked.

"There was a mosquito..." he laughed again and then motioned to throw up again. I pat his back and he vomited. After he was done, I told him that he should go back to rest.

"I think I'll sleep here,"

"Your brother is getting James."

"Ughhh that's worse... lock the door."

"Come on, don't be a child..." he looked up at me again, puzzled by my reactions.

"You're a lot more interesting than I thought," I rolled my eyes, and helped him up again. When we got to the bed, I got him to sit at the edge of the bed. I patted his back, on instinct. He watched me, as though he was remembering something. He looked a little doe-eyed.

"What is it?" he looked away.

"You... remind me of someone..." I chuckled and smacked his back. He glared at me.

"How about now?"

"I take it back," he held his stomach. Kai then re-entered.

"James is getting you a bucket,"

Jackson groaned and Kai walked over again. He was looking at me standing over Jackson, rubbing his back. He cleared his throat.

"You can head out now... we can take over..." I nodded, but Jackson held onto my wrist.

"I don't want to be alone with him," Kai scoffed, looking down at his hand, and then smacked the top of it. I was about to step forward again, but Jackson launched himself again towards the bathroom.

He had to move past me abruptly, so I lost my balance. Kai went to grab my arm, but we both fell down, landing beside one another on the bed. We both stared at one another momentarily.

Someone cleared their throat in the background and we both looked up. It was James.

I pushed myself up, just as Kai did.

"Have a good night... take care of your brother..." I passed by James who was now raising his eyebrow.

"Where's the patient?" Kai pointed towards the bathroom.

I raced towards my room and got inside. My head was spinning. I had felt there was too much personal contact with Kai of late. That needed to change. 

Lowering their defences is one thing, but don't think you can mistake their rooted bias and suspicion for you overnight, I told myself.

I decided to let what happened tonight slip away. I got up early to leave for my classes. Back to my usual routine of walking to the bus stop and commuting... it seemed like I was finding my balance again...