Synthetic Darkness (MFM)

Chapter 22: Falling Face First

Kale couldn't sleep. He flipped and flopped all over his bed. The springs squeaking and echoing off the walls. It was no use. He couldn't get comfortable. The bed was hard and pokey. He was cold. There was too much room. He could lay there and run through a whole list of why he was hating the shitty thing. And it all boiled down to two reasons.

He couldn't stop the butterflies. Or the grin. Or the tightening in his stomach. Each time he closed his eyes, he was transported to another house. Another room. Memories would flood in and the cycle would start over. Butterflies, grin, tightness, repeat.

He laid on his back and stared up at his ceiling. How soon was too soon? Could he call Reegan tomorrow? Thanks to her texting him that night, he should have her number in his message list. He wondered if she was up too. Would Aiden be up? It was technically Sunday, still the weekend. What would they be doing if they were both up? There it went again. Butterflies, grin, tightening, repeat.

His cell phone called out to him. Taunting him. He reached over and picked it up. One text wouldn't hurt. If they were asleep, it wouldn't wake them up. If they weren't and responded... 'Chill out, Kale. You're past the freak out phase', he lectured himself. The screen on his phone lit up when he unlocked it. The brightness created an eerie glow in the dark room. His fingers shook as he scrolled through his message list. Laughter broke out in the silence. And just a hint of embarrassment, as well. One of them had gotten ahold of his phone and made sure Reegan's number got saved. Only she wasn't listed as Reegan. She was now known on his phone as: Synful Lollipop ;)

He was jittery as he typed out different greetings. His fingers would slip and he would mispell words. He'd erase it and try again. Finally he decided on a simple, 'hi'. Two letters and easier to type out. He sent the message and clutched his phone to his chest. He let out a squeak when Escape The Fate's "Gorgeous Nightmare" sang out from under his hands.

"Is it the way that you talk

That's causing me to freak?

Is it the way that you laugh

That's making my heart beat?

Is it the way that you kiss?

It's gotta be the way that you taste, you taste, you taste"

Kale's face was burning. He felt the blush all the way down his neck. He held the phone up and...

Oh shit. Oh shit. Ohshitohshitohshitohshit. She was calling. Not texting back. Reegan was calling him. He slowly pushed the answer icon and almost dropped the phone as he put it to his ear.

"Hehh...hell...hello?"

"Synie? What on Earth are you doing over there? Did I interrupt something?

Her voice held a trace of humor. Kale's heart was racing ninety to nothin'. He cleared his throat and squeaked out a no.

"You okay?"

"Yeah-huh."

"Are you sure?"

Oh you know, besides feeling like my heart is going to blow out of my chest, I'm fine. "Yeah."

"What are you doing up? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. I just. I uh, I couldn't sleep."

Really, Kale, really? You've seen the girl naked. Up close and personal, naked. And you're still stuttering? He slapped his face and rubbed his hand through his hair. He just had to the think of Reegan naked, didn't he.

"Kale! What was that? Are you sure everything is okay?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, Kale?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't have to be nervous. It's just me."

'Just me' like she was just any other person to him.

"Yeah."

"Kale, hun, get your laptop."

He leaned over the bed and reached between the nightstand and his bed. The laptop brushed his fingers and he reached further until he was able to grab it. He pulled it out and sat it beside him.

"Okay."

"Okay, now open it up and log on to Yahoo. Can you do that for me?"

He nodded his head and then verbally acknowledged her request. It never crossed his mind that he had never given her his Yahoo i.d.

"Okay, I'll see you in a minute, Synie."

She hung up on him. Kale looked at the phone and laid it down. When he got logged in, Reegan's i.d. popped up with a cam invitation. He accepted and watched as the window went from black to shocking pink, with Reegan in the center. A chat box popped up and Kale watched the smile form across Reegan's face.

TheBeast&TheHarlot: turn your's on.

Kale looked up and saw Reegan's pout in the cam window. He reached up and turned on his lamp and then adjusted the camera settings. He sent the invite and she waved into her laptop.

K.Miller: How'd you know my i.d.?

TheBeast&TheHarlot: My amazing stalker skills. I can't reveal my secrets.

TheBeast&TheHarlot: I found it when I was making sure you had my number. By the way, you and Aiden cuddled up... SO. F'KIN. SEXY!!!!

Reegan laughed in the cam window when she saw Kale duck his head and blush.

TheBeast&TheHarlot: wanna watch cartoons with me?

K.Miller: Daria again?

TheBeast&TheHarlot: No. Ahhhhhh! REAL MONSTERS. Lol!

He watched her face in the box and then nodded. She sent him a link and he followed it.

They watched two episodes together. But Kale's attention wasn't on the cartoon. He watched Reegan. Every time she would silently laugh on his screen, he would smile. His heart would occasionally tense up and an unbearable pain would come and quickly fade. It wasn't a bad pain. Just one of intense longing and... Oh no. Nope. Can't be. He knew he he had been falling, but he hadn't realized that he had finally crashed, face first, into full fleged love.

Reegan noticed the look of shock on his face and sent him a message.

TheBeast&TheHarlot: What's wrong?

Kale just shook his head and slammed the laptop closed. What was he going to do? This wasn't good. He groaned when his cell phone rang. 'Gorgeous Nightmare' played through. Twice. He was a coward to ignore her calls, but he didn't know what he was supposed to do. Or how he was supposed to act. Reegan called a third time. His hand shook like he had a nerve condition. He answered it and was mute. He heard Reegan on the other end, but his mouth just flopped around like a fish out of water. Reegan's tone grew more alarmed as the seconds passed.

"Kale, oh my god, are you okay? Kale, answer me. Kale, if you don't say something I am going to wake up Aiden and have him go check on you. Kale!"

He tried to get words out, but it just wasn't working. He grunted out an incomprehensible word.

"Kale? Baby, are you okay?"

Kale heard Reegan trying to wake up Aiden in the background. How embarrassing! He had to say something. There was no need for them to drive all the way to his house just because he had a case of the pansies and couldn't find his voice. He hung up the phone and shook uncontrollably as he typed out a message to her.

Synful Lollipop ;)

I'mm fine. Boneed to waje Aiden uo.

Oh geeze! He sounded like an idiot! What does that even mean!? He laid his phone on the nightstand and slowly typed out the message with one finger. When it was finally typed out and readable, he sent it to her. He waited for a response or for her to call. Ten minutes later he was still waiting. He had to call her. There was no reason for them to drive to his house. He would be mortified. He took a deep breath and called. There was no answer. Every time he called it went straight to voicemail.

He.

Was.

Screwed.