The Medium Kid

Chapter 70

"Nikki Pecan or better yet, the Grim Reaper, is your grandmother?" Alfie asked, and Koda hushed him. People were already staring at them; he didn't want them to know he was maybe related to a teacher.

"Yes. Miss Pecan said she was my dad's mum. He doesn't know if he believes it or not, but why would she say it if it wasn't true?"

Alfie could tell that Koda was dying to say that to someone. "Wait, did you say something about your dad being a medium?"

"Okay, maybe I should've waited and told you this after college," Koda said and guided Alfie down the corridor.

"But... what? Morlen's a medium? Are you sure?"

"Connor seems pretty sure." The boys stopped outside the art room. Students were still standing outside. Miss Pecan was late.

Alfie didn't even have to look down the hallway. He could feel eyes on him and glanced anyway to send daggers at Koda's ex-group of friends.

"Ignore them," Koda said and cupped Alfie's chin to turn his head to face him. "They're jealous."

"That I stole their friend," Alfie scoffed.

"I'm glad you did," Koda smiled, poking a finger into a hole on Alfie's 'distressed' jumper. "You like rips in your clothes, don't you?"

"You sound like my dad."

"I'm not judging. I'm just... intrigued."

"Now you sound like my granddad."

Koda laughed and squished Alfie's head against his chest. He couldn't keep his hands off him, and it was especially amusing to see Katherine's vain pop out of her forehead.

The boys only had to wait for a few minutes until the art teacher rushed around the corner apologising for being late. Koda immediately felt awkward, knowing there was a huge topic for them to discuss, and they had to spend the next three hours pretending like everything was normal.

Alfie watched Miss Pecan side glance the boys with a mischievous glint in her eye. "This is weird," Alfie mumbled before following the rest of the students into the classroom. They sat at Alfie's loner table, both staring at their art teacher like her skin had suddenly turned bright blue.

Question after question brewed in Koda's mind. He was frustrated that he couldn't walk up to her and word vomit his thoughts, but the longer they kept their distance, his questions knitted together with logical thread.

Koda barely heard what Miss Pecan had said as she talked for five minutes about their tasks. When she started walking towards their table, he freaked and knocked his sketchpad onto the floor. Alfie watched in silence as Koda clumsily fumbled around in distress.

"Boys, can you stay behind after co-"

"No," Koda blurted, blinking furiously and swallowing his questions. "I have uh... a thing after college."

"A thing?" Miss Pecan questioned with an amused smile.

"Yes."

Alfie chose not to chime in. He shrugged when Miss Pecan's eyes brushed over him for an explanation.

"Okay, another night then," she smiled and sauntered away to a different table.

"What was that?" Alfie asked, failing to hide his entertainment.

"I panicked. Did she notice?"

"You'll feel better if I don't answer." Alfie patted Koda's knee before stealing a pencil.

Koda rested his chin on his palm in defeat. "It's too weird," he complained. "I can't stop thinking about who she really is, and every time I look at her my mum's soul squirms like someone's poking her," Koda said in a hushed tone, but it wasn't quiet enough for the girl lingering a few metres behind them at the paint stand.