Never I Thought

Chapter 14 - You're Here Too

When I was a child, I had this overwhelming fear of drowning.

I wasn't sure where it had come from. Swimming lessons had been a breeze and going to the beach in summer days was my favourite pastime.

So where this fear originated from, I had no idea.

But I could feel myself drowning right now. Water filling my lungs. My body concrete, pulling me further down.

I couldn't do anything but scream nothingness.

And no one could hear me.

Except Robin.

He stood so close and yet his mind was so far. His words had been so complicated that they were perfect.

I was a different person with him.

A person who wasn't rational or calm under pressure. I had a temper and I yelled my opinion and said everything and nothing and all he did was argue back.

Not everything could be solved with comfort.

"I'll get Matt to delete the videos. If you really want... I'll give up tutoring," he said after I had been silent for too long.

"Why would you do that?" I asked. It was suppose to be harsh but only came out as a careful whisper.

He shrugged and handed me a half smile, "consider it a favour."

"I don't understa—"

"God, Alyssa, just take the offer," he laughed up at the sky and kicked the stand up on his bike.

He started to walk off with the bike, gaining speed and jumping onto it. I watched him ride down the street and he held up his hand and waved goodbye.

But he never looked back to see if I had seen it.

———

The week moved by smoothly. The videos had disappeared and so had Robin and Matt.

I didn't even have time to think about them.

Now that I had missed a week of tutoring, I was now behind schedule on showing Mila and Nikki around town.

"So many places... so little time," I mumbled to myself.

I was sitting at a bench, alone during my free period, just how I liked it.

"Hey," Kei's voice erupted my thoughts as he sat down in front of me.

"Hi."

He leaned over to see what I was writing down in my notebook.

"What's all this?"

I sighed and put down my pen, seeing as he was in the mood to distract me from my tasks.

"Tutoring stuff," I said and then watched his relaxed posture.

He was in no hurry to be anywhere.

"Free period," he explained, watching my confused frown.

"With me," I smiled, "wonderful."

Not so wonderful. My free periods were my alone time, now I was going to be constantly distracted by those innocent eyes and coaxing smile.

Nothing was ever going to get done.

"You do that with that Robin guy, don't you?"