Koon Chai Cafe

Chapter Seventeen - Talk It Out

Park

It had felt like years since I'd felt this sense of dread walking through the school gates of 'Trinity Academy'. Ever since Kopter had stepped into my life, school had become bearable, even enjoyable. But now, coming back after Christmas break, all of that dread and fear was back.

I walked determinedly towards the entrance hall. I was going to talk to Kopter, no, I HAD to talk to Kopter. I needed answers and damn it, he was going to give me them. No matter how awkward it was, the fact that all these thoughts and feelings had been marinating over the holidays had given me a sudden surge of confidence to face him.

I easily weaved my way in and out of the crowded hallways, one of the few benefits of being small. As I passed, I caught snippets of others' excited conversations. Friends catching each other up on what, or who, they did over the break.

"I heard Bianca took Kopter to her family's ski resort!" I overheard one particularly giddy freshman girl exclaim, "Does that mean they're official official? They're so cute together!"

I felt the corners of my mouth twitch. The wild inaccuracies of school gossip were always amusing when you were in the know.

I rounded the corner and spotted him, bouncing curly hair and all, leaning next to his locker. He was engaged in an avid conversation with Krishna, who was pulling out what seemed to be a library of books out of her locker. My stomach did a double-take with nerves. I took a deep breath, ploughed on, and ignored the gnawing feeling that was growing in my lower abdomen. No matter how awkward it was, how much Kopter protested, I needed to do this.

"Hey Park!" Kopter waved at me so cheerfully that I lost my footing in surprise and stumbled the last couple of steps towards them. What had happened to the awkwardness?

Krishna darted her head to the side to peer at me from behind the stack of books in her arms. "Oh hey, Park. How were your holidays?"

"Fine, I guess," I mumbled, confused by the chill atmosphere.

"I was just telling Krishna about that Biology assignment we got, Park," Kopter piped in. "Nearly took over my whole vacation!"

I carefully scanned his face. There was no hint of embarrassment or awkwardness. Quite the opposite in fact; Kopter was his usual, bouncy, cheery self. Had he somehow forgotten?

My train of thought was abruptly interrupted by a stack of heavy textbooks that landed in my arms. It was so tall that it covered all but a small slither of my vision.

"Here," Krishna huffed, placing an even larger stack into Kopter's arms. "You two can help me carry these to the library."

"And which way is that, exactly?" I wheezed, feeling my knees buckle under the weight. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kopter eying me anxiously. After a few seconds of apparent internal debate, he reached over and gently slid the top two books off my stack. He then placed them on his own, granting me back full vision.

"Thanks," I mumbled. He smiled cheerfully once again, shifted his stack into one arm, and reached out a hand as if to pat me on the head as he always did. His expression suddenly changed and he left his hand suspended in mid-air. He let his arm fall to his side, turned, and headed in the direction the Krishna had just gone.

He seemed apprehensive to touch me. So maybe he did remember something.

---

Somehow, Kopter had perfectly avoided me all day. He had made it practically impossible for me to get him on his own. In fact, I don't think he'd been on his own the entire day. He was always either arm and arm with Dior, chatting about school gossip and news, joking around with Darius, or carrying various books and folders for Krishna, who had gone into full college panic mode.