Truce

Thirty // Drumrolls

Thirty // Drumrolls

Kaia

I had grand plans for my Saturday; a movie date with my couch and my books and my food and my comfort. It was a miserable day, rain pelting the windows so hard I didn't want to move from where I lay under the covers in bed.

It occurred to me that I didn't have to move, but my stomach's insistent growls were enough to drag me to the kitchen and then to the couch with my cereal and cup of tea.

I sat cross legged on the floor with my back against the couch, breakfast in front of me on the coffee table waiting to be eaten. I had just flicked on the tv and was about to silence my stomach when the door knocked.

I frowned. It was still early for a Saturday, the clock on the mantelpiece reading only 9:30am. More knocks sounded from the door and considering I was the only one up, I jogged to answer it.

Standing on the other side of my door early on a Saturday morning with a coffee cup tray and a paper bag of what looked like food from Coffee Bean was Jacob, his hair and jacket scattered with raindrops.

"Why?" I asked, my voice flat and hardly curious. I was still half asleep and struggling to comprehend why this boy was standing on my front porch when today was so important for him.

"Couldn't sleep worrying about Vati's decision," he shrugged, slipping his shoes off inside the door and set the goodies he'd brought on the stand to remove his coat and hang it on a hook.

He followed me into the lounge with the food he'd brought, his face falling a little when he saw the sad looking bowl of cereal on the coffee table. I gave him a generous smile and took the bag and tray from him put beside my mug.

"Don't worry, I'm starving. I'd eat all of this-" I motioned to the bowl and the bag "-without a problem."

"You're welcome."

"Thank you," I said exasperatedly, digging in as his laugh drifted over the sounds from the tv. Saturday morning cartoons had been flicked on and we talked over them, eating the breakfast muffins and drinking the chai lattes. By then my stomach had quietened but I still ate my cereal and consumed all of my tea, and was almost still a little bit peckish.

"You're nervous, hey?" I had to ask, turning the volume down and pulling myself up onto the couch, facing him. He just nodded, looking down to his hands and then to the wall, anywhere but at me.

"You've done all you could," I offered, knowing it wouldn't make much of a difference. He seemed too far down I'm screwed road to reverse to it might be okay lane. "Besides, at least you'll know tonight and that will be the end of it."

"It also may be the end of my life."

"You'll still have a life." Although I wasn't convinced myself. From what he'd been saying over the past few days it didn't seem like he would. Not one that he would enjoy anyway. As I'd said before he needed to be free, free to make mistakes without the burden of being responsible for a country. He was suited to the role in so many ways but it would slowly drain his happiness.

He didn't seem wanting to talk about it though, and fair enough I thought. Instead he sighed, shaking his head as if he could shake the thoughts out of it and turned to me with a smile. "What are we doing today?"

"We?" I asked, incredulous. "Well I don't know about you, but I'm having a movie date with my couch."

"Can I third wheel?"

I deliberated.

"What if I make you lunch?"

That sparked my interest. "You've always said you could cook. I've not really seen you in action though. You may just be full of it."