Cuffs and Kisses

Chapter 18 - Street Fair

Heather's POV

Earlier Ali came over and she gushed to me about Kayne. They were lab partners this week, and for some reason, she immediately thinks this is going to turn into a relationship. She clearly can't pick up on hints though, because Kayne has never shown that he's interested in her. He's constantly trying to brush her off.

She asks me so many questions about him that I'm convinced she's into him because he's an unknown. As the editor of the yearbook, she likes to know everything going on. I avoid her questions, afraid to reveal anything that Kayne doesn't want common knowledge.

Now I'm feeling like Kayne is an unknown to me. 

He's standing in front of me at the Pop Culture Kettle Corn booth. It's strange because he didn't tell me that he was going to go to the street fair. We talked about it the day before at lunch, but he never expressed any interest in going. I assumed he was just going to stay inside and do boring school work like the bookworm he's proving to be.

He's not even a high school student, so why do his grades matter so much?

"I'm coming to try the popcorn. I had a German wurst of sorts and I needed a side of popcorn. I've been dying to try their new apple flavor."

"You're so weird."

I brush off his comment. "What are you doing here, Kayne?" I say, my tone laced with curiosity.

"I'm running errands for Alice. I figured I would stop by the street fair to see what it was all about."

"What errands were you running that were nearby?" I interrogate him.

"She needed a couple of things from the drugstore."

"Well, there's a Walgreens ten minutes from your house. Why did you have to go two towns over?" I ask suspiciously.

He's quick with his answer as if he was prepared for my question. "Because she wanted specific brands that Walgreens doesn't carry. Old Myrtle's Drugstore had all of them in stock."

"Well, what kind of things did she need that have such specific brands that they're only sold at mom and pop drugstores?"

Kayne's expression pales. He glances around then leans in and lowers his voice as he whispers, "Feminine products."

"Hmmmm." I decide not to interrogate further.

Although his answers were quick and thorough, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was no coincidence. And from what I've learned from Nancy Drew novels, I'm going to trust my hunches.

I look intently at Kayne's face, waiting for it to reveal the truth. His expression doesn't budge, like a poker face.

"Well, I've got to go. Alice is expecting her things. Text me later when you want me to pick you up for the game," Kayne says.

"Okay."

"Bye, Kayne," Fletcher says, giving a wave.

"Well, that was a little weird," I say when Kayne is out of earshot. I watch him walk away, his hands half in his pockets. He seems super awkward. For a moment I think he's going to turn his head back, but he doesn't.

"Why do you say that?" Fletcher asks.

"I don't know. Just a feeling I've got."

"Heather, we just randomly bumped into each other. It's nothing more than a crazy coincidence."

"Yeah," I say, watching Kayne disappear into a booth further down the street. "You're right. So what booth should we go to next?" I change the subject, although my mind can't stop thinking about Kayne.