Shadows

Eight - Playing with Fire

I open my eyes. I can hear something vibrating on the table. I reach for my phone sitting on the bedside table and open the message.

Call me. Love Mum.

I groan, letting my phone fall onto the table and rolling back onto the bed. A shadow flickers in my peripheral and I look over at the door just in time to see Leo materialise there. I sit up again and shuffle to lean against the wall. He sits on the bed beside me and takes my hand in his unbandaged one.

'Hi,' he says softly.

'Hi,' I whisper back.

'I want to ask you something,' he says quickly.

He looks nervous. I give him a bemused smile and nod.

'Go ahead,' I invite when he doesn't say anything.

'Do you want to go out with me?' the short sentence tumbles out of his mouth and he sighs in relief when he's said it.

'Yes, I would,' I can feel the horrible blush creep over my cheeks.

'Cool, I'll pick you up from the cafeteria in an hour,' and, poof, he's shadow shifted away.

I sit in stunned silence for a moment as I realise exactly what had just happened.

'Kiki,' I semi-yell.

She grumbles from under her covers.

'Kiki!' I yell louder.

She sits up straight in bed and gives me an alarmed look.

'What's wrong? Are you ok?' she jumps out of bed, pushing her pillows and covers to the floor, and rushes to my side, 'do I need to help you to the bathroom again?'

'No,' I can feel my eyes widening in embarrassment.

'Then what's wrong?' she still looks panicked.

'Leo just asked me out,' I gasp at her.

'He what?' she sits down on the side of my bed.

'He asked me out!' I repeat.

'Like on a date?' she asks.

'I think so?'

'Well, what did he say?'

'He said,' I pause for a moment, 'do you want to go out with me?'

'What did you say?'

'I said yes.'

'Oh wow, he did ask you out,' I can see the grin spreading across her face and the flash in her eyes, 'what are you going to wear?'

'I don't know,' I say.

'Where's he taking you?'

'I don't know,' I say again.

'Well, when are you going out?'

'In an hour,' I say, 'he's going to pick me up from the cafeteria.'

'We have to get you ready!' she yells excitedly and jumps up.

She hurries to open the wardrobe and starts pulling out random items of clothing. She looks each piece over before shaking her head and throwing it onto the floor. A pile of discarded material quickly starts to build.

'It's super hot today so I'm thinking a light blouse with cotton pants?' she directs at me from across the room.

I grab hold of my crutches and pull myself up onto one foot. I hobble over to the cupboard with Kiki and reach past her to one of my shelves. I pull out a pair of shorts. They are high-waisted and pink with tiny white dots on them.