Crossing Paths

Chapter 11

Kayden

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. 

The sound reverberated in my head as I stared at the small, brown clock hanging on the Blake's living room wall. I sat stiffly on the couch, tapping my fingers impatiently against my knee. The TV was on and Tyson was watching some sort of cartoon, but for some reason the repeating ticking noises from the clock seemed to be much louder. I couldn't get the sound out of my head and it was starting to make me mad. The weird feeling in the pit of my stomach wasn't helping either. Aliyah was supposed to be coming over any minute so we could get started on her project. To say that I was dreading it was a complete understatement. I was almost starting to wish that I had taken Thomas's offer to go golfing with him. 

And I hated golfing. 

I hadn't realized that I had been completely fixated on the clock until I felt a light hand on my shoulder. 

"Uh, Kayden?" After hearing my name, I looked up into Marian's timid eyes. "Is everything okay?"

I stared at her in confusion for a couple moments before I glanced over to see that Tyson had moved from the couch and was standing beside her, a worried gleam in his eyes. He reached forward to wave a hand in front of my face. 

"Are you okay?" He asked urgently, his hand movements becoming even more frantic. "Are you having a stroke?" 

I rolled my eyes dramatically and pushed his arm away. "No, you idiot. I'm fine."

"I was talking to you but you wouldn't stop staring at the clock." He informed me. He leaned in close and expected my eyes, as though he was a doctor searching for a diagnosis. He gasped slightly before he glanced over nervously at Marian. 

"I think he's losing it." Tyson announced loudly, shaking his head slightly. "I knew this day would come." 

"Oh really?" I demanded, raising a challenging eyebrow up at him. Without any warning, I quickly shot up out of the couch and started to chase Tyson around the room. He grinned widely as he let loose a loud shriek and tried to run away. I let him think he was staying ahead for a couple of moments before I came up behind him and lifted him off the ground, holding him upside down over my shoulder. 

He tried to say something, but it just turned into a mixture of uncontrollable laughter and happy screams. I started to shake him slightly so that his head was bobbing, causing him to laugh even harder. 

"You still think I'm losing it?" I demanded playfully, shaking him even harder. Before I could stop it, a smile began to spread across my face. Times like this made me forget how screwed up my life was. It was a nice break from the constant angst. I glanced over at Marian to see that it looked like she was enjoying it just as much. Her eyes were glowing with a warm fondness as she watched the two of us. I tried my best to ignore it. Hopefully she wasn't starting to like us. That was the last thing I needed. 

Tyson continued to have no control over his laughter as he squirmed under my arm. "Alri-alright!" He yelled in between breaths. "You're not losing it!" 

I left him dangling for a couple more seconds before I finally relented and placed him back down on his feet. A large smile that had missing teeth was still etched onto his lips and his entire face was red from the blood rushing to his head. He reached his arms out to shove me. Despite putting all of his strength into it, I didn't move an inch. 

"It's not fair when you do that." He protested breathlessly. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave me a disapproving look. "You're too big. I can't fight back." 

"I know, bud." I smirked at him and used a hand to tousle his hair. "That's kind of the point." 

He stuck his tongue out at me before he made a big show of bumping into me while he walked back to plop down on the couch and finish his show. I stood there and watched him for a few moments before I remembered that Aliyah was still coming.