The Lesser Kelly

Chapter Eight: I Get Kissed (For some reason?)

I woke up to the sound of whispering.
I sat up and looked around.

Daylight flitted through the open window.
No one else was in the room and the whispering was coming from the main room.

The clock said it was already 7.
Wonderful.
I quickly got dressed in the bathroom and washed the dried blood off my cut.

When I entered the main room the whispering ceased.

"Any sign of Jack?"
Specs nodded "Yeah, he's at the theater. I think its best to leave him there for now."
"Okay."

I began checking everyone's bandages.
They seemed to be holding up.

"Why are you guys so quiet? What's happening?"
Race shrugged.
"Wes worried bout you. And don't say you wasn't but I heard you cryin last night. Don't say you fine you aint fine." 

I sighed and sat down at the table. "One of my brothers is practically missing, another is in the refuge and the rest of youse are in rough shape. Considerin dat im doin better than expected."

Blink gave me a look "Mhhm."
I rolled my eyes.  "Come on lets just go to Jacobi's. He might feel bad and give us free breakfast."  I said standing up.

Everyone trudged over to the diner.
On the way Davie and Les, who had been heading to the lodging house, came and started walking with us.

I was at the back of the group, while Davie and Race were engrossed in conversation, and Blink, trying to lift Les's spirts was carrying him on his shoulders.
Together, with Mush walking beside them they looked like a complete family.

"Don't ever say i dont give you nothing. And before you say water is nothing, just ask a fish in the desert."

Jacobi set down a water next to me. A barely glanced at it trying not to fall back to sleep.
Finch sat up from where he was laying on a table. "Why do old people talk?"

"To prove theys still alive." Race said as he leaned back against Albert.
I fought against sleep as the boys continued to chatter.

Eventually the sleep one over and for a moment i leaned against Davie, asleep.
Then I realized what i was doing and quickly sat up, once again half awake. "Sorry." I mumbled.
"It's fine Em."

For some reason i suddenly needed to cry "I think i'm gonna go get some air."
I quickly stood up and made my way out side.

Unfortunately Davie followed me.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah fine."

I leaned against the wall. 
"Em you look like hell."

"Thanks for noticing, I try." I smiled.
"I didnt mean it like that."

I shrugged "I should head home, I never cleaned the boys bloody clothes."
"Em!"

I turned to him "What? Are you gonna say your worried? Are you gonna say i should take a break? Are you gonna be like all of them?"
Before i could say anything more he cut me off by kissing me.

To my surprise i was kissing back, until i pulled away shocked.
"What the?"

He blushed "I'm sorry. That was premature."
"One hell of a way to get me to stop talking." I said digging the toe of my boot into the ground.

"Yeah. Didn't think it would actually work. You have to tell me the truth though now. Are you okay or not?"

I stared at him.
"Well, in a 48 hour span, i launched a strike, had a strike, then put my boys in danger at said strike, got beat pretty badly, failed to save one of my boys, my only blood family went missing, i had to stay awake half the night playing doctor, then got an hour of sleep before waking up again to help someone with a nightmare and rebandage Romeo, fail to get Crutchie out of the refuge his choosing not mine, and then got about three hours of sleep. The only positive thing is that this boy I really like, kissed me. So you tell me."