Stories Unknown

Wild

Another continuation of Netflix and Chill

The beat of Lil Mosey's song was keeping Kai from doing his English Lit homework, but he didn't care. It had been a long day, with an abundance of homework, and he knew every word to the rap, so of course he was going to sing along.

He was dancing with his hands, and spinning around in his desk chair, vibing with the beat. He felt better than he had all day, finally feeling alive. Life had been nothing more than school, homework, work and worrying about Cinder for the past few weeks, and he had grown sick of it.

Kai had barely seen Cinder since her sister, Peony, had stopped responding to her treatments and been given weeks left to live. Of course they still had school together, but their courses were nowhere near related, and lunch was loud and filled with friends. She was also a wretched texter, despite the fact that they were officially in a relationship, and responded to his texts rarely. He didn't much mind that, but he couldn't even visit her at the hospital— Cinder's 'mother' would freak— and he felt that he was losing her just a little bit.

And so Kai had existed, doing his work and thinking about Cinder all the while. He missed the few days that they had simply been together, after she had kissed him and they had both expressed their feelings for one another. Those had been some of the best days in Kai's life— just finally being with Cinder.

But now her sister was taking some of her final breaths, and Kai couldn't blame Cinder for not having time for him. He just ached constantly with the longing to see her and talk to her.

At least Kai had his rap to keep him company in her absence. It was one of his guilty pleasures that he would never ever admit to— he was going to be a politician: he had to be more sophisticated, and like Mozart or some other old dead guy who conducted other old dead people ten billion years ago. Kai didn't really know how classical music came into being in the first place, and in all honesty, he didn't care.

Kai stood from his chair and moved to stand in front of his mirror as he rapped his favorite part. He pulled the hood of his gray hoodie up over his head and danced around as he mimicked the rapper.

A knock sounded at Kai's window, startling him out of his rapping zone. He turned towards the sound, and saw, to his surprise, Cinder. Kai barely had time to marvel at how she had climbed up to Kai's second-story bedroom window before he rushed over and opened the window.

For a moment, they just stared at one another, as if they hadn't seen each other in decades— and indeed, it felt that way. Then Kai really took her in and noticed all that was wrong with this picture of Cinder. He saw her puffy eyes, the bruise on her cheek, and the gooseflesh on her bare arms.

"Kai–" Cinder croaked, but before she could get out another word, Kai pulled her in through the window and wrapped her in a hug so tight that Chuck Norris would have admitted Kai's strength supreme.

Cinder yelped, and Kai released her as if she were on fire, fear ripping throughout his body. But Cinder grabbed hold of him once again, engulfing him within her arms.

He wanted to ask her what was wrong— but he knew what was wrong. Cinder would only be here with him if the worst had happened. And from the show of injuries that she was sporting, it was clear that Adri had not taken the loss of her daughter well. The very thought of Cinder's witch step-mother laying a hand on her sent a boiling stream of lava through Kai's veins, but he shoved the anger away— his anger wouldn't help Cinder, at least not right now.

"Cinder," Kai swallowed, his arms still tight around her. She buried her face in Kai's neck, and it was in that moment that he felt the warm wetness of her tears. "Cinder," he whispered, his voice breaking as he brought one hand up to the back of her head, his fingers gently running through the fallen wisps of her ponytail. "I've got you."