It Consumes

Chapter 12

"Keith?"

"Nnnng..."

"Come on, Keith. You need to wake up."

"Let me sleep."

"Ack!" Kate cried out in shock as Keith suddenly grabbed her arm that she was shaking him awake with, then he pulled her into the chair next to him at the table in the library he was napping on. "Keith, hey...! Wake up!"

"No." Keith grumbled in his sleep state, and he pulled Kate closer and snuggled up against her.

"Umm..." Kate covered her mouth in shock as she stared at the sleeping Keith on her shoulder, unsure of what to do as her cheeks burned a bright red color.

"Hey, Kate, what's taking so lo..." Rhythmi walked into the library just in time to see Keith nuzzle into Kate's shoulder, and the brunette quickly locked panicked eyes with the blonde.

"Help! I can't get him to wake up!" Kate cried out to her blonde friend, thoroughly embarrassed as she was stuck in Keith's grasp.

"Kate, sweetie..." Rhythmi giggled as she walked towards the two. "That's because you're being way too nice about it."

Keith yelped in shock when he felt a hand suddenly smack against his cheek at full force, and he angrily sat up in his chair. "OW!" He locked eyes with Rhythmi and quickly glared at her. "Rhyth, what the hell!?"

Rhythmi just snickered as she looked at the hotheaded red-head and the embarrassed brunette. "In my defense, Kate tried to wake you up nicely at first, but you just cuddled her instead of waking up."

"Huh?" Keith looked at Rhythmi confused at first, then realized he was holding something in his arms. He turned to look at what his arms were wrapped around, only to find his nose pressed against...KATE'S!?

"GACK!" Keith shot up out of his chair like a rocket, quickly letting go of Kate. "I-I uh... S-sorry."

Kate sweatdropped, looking down at the floor so he couldn't see how red her cheeks were. Their noses touched! "I-It's fine, uhm..."

Rhythmi couldn't hold back her laughter any longer as she watched her two awkward friends try to talk to each other without making things more weird. Keith had been acting weird around Kate since the dance last month, and the blonde wasted absolutely no time teasing him relentlessly for it. Today was just yet another example of Keith's strange behavior towards Kate as of late.

"So, um... anyways." Kate cleared her throat and stood up from her chair, avoiding eye contact with the red-head. "Keith, we need to get going, or we're going to be late."

"Huh?" Keith shook his head in an attempt to shake off his embarrassment. "Late for what?"

Kate just stared at him with utmost confusion written all over her face. "You know... our internship? The one you haven't been able to stop talking about all week?" She worriedly looked at her friend. "That's today..."

Keith slapped his forehead in embarrassment. Of course, their one-day internship was today. How did he forget that? He'd been looking forward to it all week!

"Right, I was just testing you." Keith awkwardly skated by Kate as quick as he could, leaving her in the dust as he bolted for the door.

"Wait, Keith!" Kate clambered off after him. "Wait for me...! We're supposed to go to Vientown together!"

"NO RUNNING IN THE HALLWAYS!"

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Kate worriedly glanced at Keith's face as they walked out the school's front gate, then they turned towards the bridge connecting their school's island to the rest of the mainland. She shoved her hands into her pockets as she awkwardly trudged behind him, confused as to why he was acting so weird around her lately.