Kale's pov
I looked at the girl standing in front of me as she was looking at me with an expression I cannot exactly decipher but for some reason I'm already deflated, she looks as if she has something to say but not saying anything.
After the stunt she pulled at the cafeteria, I wanted nothing to do with her, I just wanted to avoid her as much as I could. Staying close to someone who is rousing these kinds of feelings in me is never a good thing. Earlier she kept touching me with her feet and...
I closed my eyes at the memory and sighed.
Lord what am I supposed to do with this girl, it looks like she's going to put me in trouble, isn't it better I just avoid her.
" When are we going shopping"
" Shopping?" My voice sounded clipped
" We need to get canvases and paint and brushes too"
" Ooh" I said in realization, the project
" Yeah we don't have much time left, so why don't we get the materials and start painting"
Is it me or is she actually blinking her eyes at me right now and why on earth is it affecting me, I cleared my throat immediately.
" Okay ugh.. we can go shopping"
"Yeah , that's good, can we go now or later after school" It's written clearly in her face that she is happy, my earlier annoyance dead and forgotten, I nodded
" Let's go now" school isn't over yet but going back means I have to suffer Rasheed's overbearing presence and I don't exactly have the strength to explain to him why there's no need to come with me to the mall.
Ever since the incident where he nearly killed people, he has insisted he was going to act as my bodyguard which I didn't exactly appreciate or accept but he still stuck by my side since then claiming it's my parents order which I highly doubt, but then arguing with him never ends well so I just avoid it all together and just let him do what he wants.
I sighed as I watched her as she happily walked out the basketball ball court that we entered earlier while still glancing back to see if I was coming and I just nodded at her and followed, I'm not exactly a fan of shopping, matter of fact I hate going to the mall unless it's absolutely necessary. But here I am willingly going shopping with this girl that riles me up just by doing the simple act of breathing too closely to me.
I rubbed my temple as we reached the parking lot, and she smiled at me before getting into her car, I already know where we were going, so I just get into my own car,
Maybe it won't be as bad as expected after all.
****************
It was a bad idea... Shopping with Amory is a terrible idea, I touch my forehead in annoyance as I watched her skim through many things at the same time and still not making the right choice of brush, we are almost done which is another reason why I decided to endure to the end, my feet was already aching from wandering about too long, I don't really care what canvas or paint or brush we're getting I just wanted to leave this place that already feels like it's enclosing on me.
I sighed for the fifth time and walked closer to her with the full intention of telling her I can't really continue this shopping but I was immediately accosted the second I try to open my mouth as she holds a white tiny brush and a bigger one to my face
" Which do you think is better" I was looking at the two items and I felt a bit dizzy, unable to say anything I just stared at her face as she frowned at me squinting her eyes
" Are you alright??" She asked, when I didn't answer she dropped the two brushes she was holding and came closer to me as she examined my face, her face clearly depicting worry.
I know what was happening to me, It has happened before though not all time, just when I'm really overwhelmed at what is happening around me and I can't really control how much I talk or respond to people, making the arranged things in my head scatter, I usually feel a little dizzy and lose my sense of direction, I stare into her eyes and just nodded, I can't exactly start to explain all these to her.
" Can we take a break?" I asked after a while and she didn't seem to buy the fact that I'm alright.
" Ugh... Of course, let's do that " she said but still staring at me not moving.
"Let me use the restroom" I said and moved past her
" Kale" I turned
" That's the exit, the restroom is the opposite direction" I looked around my environment and sigh before moving towards the restroom. I really hate when this happens, my sense of direction becomes close to non-existent.
I splash water into my face and look at my reflection in the mirror. I don't feel completely fine, but I feel a bit better than before. Maybe I can actually finish this shopping in one piece and leave this accursed place. I cleaned my face and breathed in before leaving the restroom.
Lord help me, and give me strength.
" Do you want ice cream"
" Huh" I asked staring at Amory that was looking at me excitedly
" There's an ice cream boot across this mall, since you need to rest let's buy ice cream and wait till you recover"
" Ugh..."
" Come on, it's a good relaxing place, I haven't had ice cream in a long time and you can rest too "I looked at her eyes that kept staring at mine expectedly
" Okay " I said before I even knew it, she excitedly ran out of the mall and stopped to look back making sure I was following, I walked after her outside the mall.
It's already sun down and I watched her cross the road immediately, for some reason the road was almost empty, I was still standing at the other end looking at her as her long wavy hair stuck to her face as the wind kept blowing it about, I don't know the reason but I was transfixed at the sight of her and she turned and waved at me before smiling...
She smiled and I froze, I don't think I have seen her smile before, she just mostly smirks but not smile but right now she is actually smiling at me, I willed my body to move or say something but I couldn't, I just stared in awe my earlier discomfort dead and forgotten, I wanted to keep that expression on her face for a long time or at least take a picture but my trance was interrupted when a bus passed blocking the view and when the bus passed, her back was already turned to me as she spoke to the man selling the ice cream.
I closed my eyes and breathed out in an effort to regain my composure
" You coming or not" she shouted, that was the invitation I needed to cross the road and meet her over there .
" I love vanilla, so I got for you too " she was holding two ice cream and was facing me
" Vanilla is fine" I said, the persistent wind kept blowing her hair to her face making it messy, she stretched the ice cream towards me to prevent her hair from getting into it.
I don't know what's happening to me today because instead of me to take the ice cream stretched to me so she can gather her hair and be comfortable, instead I choose to come closer to her, my finger moving on its own to remove some strands of hair from her eyes
I swallowed, my eyes darting around around her face before I said in a low tone, my voice almost a whisper
" You need to pack your hair it's windy"
" Ugh... Yeah "
" Let me help you " I blurted out without thinking, I came even closer to tuck her hair behind her ear and finally tied it with a rubber band, taming the wild hair for now.
I withdrew my hands from her hair and came to face her, she was staring at me in a way I couldn't understand, I felt the sudden urge to cup her face and...
I withdrew immediately at my thoughts, accidentally knocking over the melting ice cream in her hands and it splattered in the floor
" I'm really sorry, but I need to go" I said before running away, farther away from her till I got to my car, I opened the car and got inside, closing the door immediately, I was breathing fast and my heart was beating like crazy...
Lord what was that.. I.. why did I just feel.