Perception

Part 38

Kota POV

Mr. Blackbourne: Please head to Mr. Griffin's residence and stay with Miss Sorenson until Mr. Griffin returns.

I really don't want to go back over there. This whole day was a disaster! I thought it was going to be good—not great, but good. Sang wanted to be friends with us again. I knew it would be a little tense at times, but even with my best efforts, she still shies away from me. Now that I know how North and Luke were acting toward her, and what she went through, I feel like such a failure.

Me:  I'm heading over there now.

"Mom, I'm head to Nate's for a couple hours!" I call toward the living room.

"Okay, sweetie. Behave!" she calls back.

I walk the short distance across the street and unlock the door to Nate's house. Upon entering I notice the complete silence and wonder where Sang could be. I glance around and see her looking lost in thought until her hand whips up from her hip region, then flies toward me. She stops the motion of her hand right before it is pointing directly at me, and she whooshes out a gust of air from between her lips.

"Kota! You almost got skewered!" she says and quickly stands up. I'm feeling baffled until she holds up one of her arrowheads. I know I lose all color when my face feels cold and tingly.

She rushes forward and crushes me—as much as anyone her size could crush me—in a hug. She's shaking a little, and I feel bad for scaring her. I run my hand over her head, and down her hair that's flowing down her back repeatedly until she starts giggling.

"Kota, I'm not Max, you know!" she says through her giggling. I feel my tense shoulders relax as I let loose a few chuckles of my own.

"Sorry! I know! He doesn't have your," I pull back to look down her body, "legs!" I finish and do an eyebrow wiggle. My face warms a little when she looses a snort.

"That was an oddly...Dr. Green, or Luke-like thing to say!" Sang says. A flash of sadness passes over her face before she laughs some more.

"Yeah, that was a little weird," I sigh happily. She pulls me along to the couch and nudges me to sit down. Once seated, she plants herself next to me with her feet beneath her and her knees almost on my lap. I see her searching my face and the weight of responsibility settles over me once more.

"Sweetie, I'm so sorry you got hurt. None of us were as vigilant as we should have been this week in keeping you safe. I didn't think to remind them between each class. It's my fault," I admit. She shoves her hand over my mouth for the second time today, and this time I give in to my impulse and kiss her palm. She flushes, and her eyelids drop momentarily, but she doesn't let up.

"No! No, it isn't your fault, Kota! For Pete's sake! Do you have any idea how fast all of this happened? Sure, when the girls got to me outside of gym it felt like forever, but it was probably less than 30 seconds! You don't get to feel guilty about this. Put the blame where it belongs...on jealous witches!" she says with passion.