Honey Voice.

▪ Chapter Seven ▪

i am still learning how to swim

in this ocean of fear.

: ▪ : ▪ : ▪ :

"Oh" Bas heard, while sitting in a bench in front of the ice rink. He had arrived a bit earlier than the gang had planned, so he knew he would have to wait before someone finally came. Surprisingly, after only two minutes since his arrival, someone showed up. "Hi".

Bas turned around, and was met with P'Kim's gaze, startled and unsure.

He was dressed too smartly to just be going ice skating; he had some jeans on, but with a purple shirt. It looked good on him, his strong arms showed nicely in it.

P'Kim was fidgeting, nervous, and smiling shyly at him. A shiver ran down Bas' spine at the sight, even if he wasn't exactly sure why.

Bas grinned back, politely. He was more than glad that P' was the first one here, instead of P'God or any of the others. He was still a bit nervous around them, unsure of what to say or not to say so as not to sound like the awkward mess he actually was. Oddly enough, that didn't happen when he was around P'Kim. Since he had apologised, he had been making sure that Bas was comfortable with the group, he had noticed that. For example, there were times when someone asked Bas a question that he wasn't sure how to answer, and they would all be looking at him, and he figured P' realised that he was getting anxious, and stepped in, making a joke or distracting everyone with something else.

Those were the things that Copter always did for him. And it made him happy that P' cared enough to do that, since he had always relied solely on Cop.

But now that P' was here, and Bas felt safer.

P' cleared his throat, and that's when Bas noticed that he had been staring at him, smiling like an idiot without saying anything. And so his cheeks instantly flamed. P' had half a smirk on and seemed happy. 

In seconds, Bas succeded in making a sequence of actions that had him re-named as the most socially incompetent guy around. Or, at least, that would have been his thoughs about his own self if he would have been in P'Kim's position.

Abruptly, he stood up, almost knocking P' out with his hasty movements, and, plainly out of nervousness, he said the first thing that came into his head.

"Hello. Copter's not here".

Why?

Why had he said that? He was not Cop's guardian,  he should not be informing everyone about his whereabouts.

P'Kim's smile faded slowly. "Oh. Okay".

Great. He had made him feel awkward now.

Bas gulped, blinking a few times consciously.

"I, uh... sorry. I meant, uh... he's not coming today. He's visiting his parents".

Hair dude nodded. "It's okay. I..." He hesitated. "I think Kacha and Apple are not coming either. They had a date".  He wiggled his eyebrows, suggestively.

Bas was surprised at the velocity in which his moods changed; faster than Bas could devour a whole muffin on his own. And, believe him, he could eat very, very fast.

"What about P'?".

P' checked his phone. "He hasn't texted me, yet. He told me this morning he was coming though".

"Okay. We can wait for him here then" Bas said, grinning and taking a seat.

P' did the same, claiming the one next to him. Bas noticed P' seemed more nervous than usual; he was fidgeting and shaking his leg. So, naturally, Bas thought: 'Bas, this is your time to reciprocate what he always does for you'.