Till The Count Of Five ✓

Chapter 13 (Part 1)

Chapter 13 (Part 1)

Your bark bleeds a scent that is supposed to heal you. Maybe it is time you stopped feeding a caterpillar that's never going to change to a butterfly.

Nolan

25th April 2019, Thursday
7:30

The idea of talking to Kiara was delightful but it was only the idea because now I was anxious. It was like sitting at the beach and suddenly a wave I did not anticipate swept me away. I was in awe and unaware of the panic that had set into me. It was a lie to say my body was not tingling at the prospect of spending every morning with her. How many days did I spend simply thinking about this moment? I was intimidated yesterday and thoughts of stepping back crossed my mind a hundred times.

I bit my lip, wondering the probability of Kiara coming to me yesterday just because she had been upset about her suspension. She might not have meant anything except to clear her mind by a distraction.

I scowled. I was not any distraction.

The bell rang and everyone got up to form a line. I pushed through them and slipped out of the class when the teacher was not looking. Half of me wanted to see if Kiara would come, the rest half of me wanted to be left alone. Restroom was a clear no-go as that was where everyone hid from the scorching heat outside. Rather, I went ahead and decided to volunteer for the morning duty.

"Can I do it?" I said to the head boy.

He raised an eyebrow. "Do we have a volunteer?"

I shrugged. "If that's a 'no', then I'll leave." I peeked around him. "But there aren't many students on duty."

He scratched his head. "It is easier to take an oath and wear a sash. I have to pull them out myself."

'Because the one who helped you has been suspended because of petty issues.'

"Go ahead," he said. "Or wait. Go to the top floor and take a round until everyone has gone just in case someone tries to hide there."

I looked at him in surprise.

"Kiara does that. She's not here, so you do that. I'll manage it around here," he explained.

"Okay, thanks," I said. I was pretty happy walking around an empty corridor.

Upstairs, it was dead silent. The balcony of the auditorium was surprisingly open. I was tempted to go inside but refrained myself from doing anything stupid.

After two rounds and sending two students back, I was supposed to go to the assembly myself. I did not. Honestly, I never had any problem from standing there. I just couldn't do it today. Idly hanging around, I stared past the doors into the dark room, then at the Art Room.

When I had found out about Ashiamma, my first instinct had been to head to Kiara. She used to come to school with a placid expression, eerily silent about her friend. I heard from her classmates how she preferred not to talk about her, as if they were on bad terms. Watching the fight between Vicky and her, I could not help but go to her. I held nothing against Vicky but pushing others to ground did not make you prove your point. Plus, the guy scared me to death. That day, for the first time after Ashiamma's death, I had seen her vulnerable face. She was angry and my presence further humiliated her. I smiled at her awkward way of refusing my help.

Everyone had their ways of grieving. Staying quiet was hers. People were crazy to expect her to narrate tales of Ashiamma when they were going behind her back to cook stories.