The Thief is Not Okay

Chapter 6: Don't go anywhere.

Kez, I mean, Chikezie, well, Kez. See, I can't think straight. Anyways, he is sitting next to me. I don't think I need to repeat myself. The boy is sitting next to me. Staring right at me. He has his face tilted slightly, holding no emotion. The sun clearly loves him. Kez is sitting next to me. Why?

He smells amazing. It's like my nose is having a feast of object merry.

"I should leave?" He asks.

"Uh-no. I was talking to someone else." I say, having a lump in my throat. If I call him pretty then not only will be known as a slut but a liar to boot. He's not handsome either. He's something else. A different breed if you will. I don't also want to exaggerate but I'll really appreciate it if he doesn't stare at me like that. It's making me nervous. That and the fact he's really close to me. I can feel his warmth circle around me like a warm fuzzy blanket. His big brown eyes should be illegal. Like two pieces of rare brown gem drawn out of water.

The way the sun dances about them is incredible. It's really hard to stay unbiased. To not be jealous. To not covet for his long lashes or that beautiful nose. I've seen his mum, she's in the PTA board, he takes after her.

"Who? The seat was empty when I got here." He thinks I'm mad. Granted, I'll think I'm mad too. Talking to myself like that, what's wrong with me? Expect, I wasn't talking to myself, I was talking to him. Well, not him, who I thought he was. I'm sure I can clear the air by simply explaining that fact to him but I'm still not convinced he's here to talk to me. Maybe this is some kind of game and I'm supposed to be the joke or something?

"She just left." I tell him.

"I see." 

"Why are you here?" I may be known to be shy but my mouth isn't. Not only does it have a mind of it's all, it's also bold and finely crafted. I got it from my dad.

"The seat was empty." He says, as a matter of fact.

I look around. The entire classroom is filled with empty seats. Everyone's at the cafeteria. I look back at him, give him a nod and go back to my book. I don't want to be rude but I don't know what to say to him, if there is even anything to say. We've never spoken to each other before now; him helping me with the phone doesn't count. He has his black wristwatch on his left wrist. He didn't even look at me that day at the cinema. He just gave me the phone, nodded and left.

I don't think he even knows my name.

Nor does he care to.

"What're you reading?" He leans in to have a closer look and I move away, reflex. He smells of wild-berries. I know because that's what my cousin smells like. He told me what I smelt on him was the scent of wild-berries. Do they use the same perfume? He's wearing perfume. Not many of them do. I think some manage to put deodorant on and that's it. The rest is nonsense. Caleb uses perfume but not the kind I like. He's scent was choking at times. Other times it was out right disgusting. I don't know who lied to him but they should clap for themselves.

They did well.

"Turtles All the Way Down." I answer. Before I turn the book to reveal the cover, he speaks.

"John Green. Nice."

"You read?" I ask, curious.

"No, but my brother does. He reads all kinds of books." He says, as casual as possible. Kez's sometimes lazy with his words. People find it sexy, others find it annoying.

I find it hard to hear.

It's like he's whispering but also not saying anything. Swallowing his words but also making hush husky sounds. It's really confusing.

"Okay." I say and go back to my book. We have five minutes left before everyone comes back. I don't know why he's sitting beside me, or why he's here at all but I'm not going to think too much about it. I have a lot on my plate as it is.

People are mean.

They say things to you that they won't say to themselves. Or to someone they love. They take up every chance they get at throwing stones at you till you come crumbling down like the sad walls of Jericho. They don't care about how you feel. They don't care that you cry yourself to sleep. They don't care that your heart beats hard against your chest. That you sometimes find it hard to breathe. That you can't think without hurtful words streaming in.

They just don't care.

I thought no one wanted to be seen with me, at least while all that is going on.

Even juniors had been roped in on this. I don't want to talk about that. It's too painful. I just want him to leave. I want him to carry his alluring radiant air and go somewhere else. I mean who smells and talks like that?

He stays silent.

I check to see what he's doing, and tense up.

He's watching me read.

Maybe it's a timing glance, a mere coincidence. I continue reading. Then, I spy again. His eyes are still on me.

"Why are you staring at me? It's creepy." I was wrong, we didn't have five minutes. We had two. Everyone's strolling in right now. One by one, looking stunned and confused. I would be too. We had physics first period. We talked about lens. Is this what they mean when the say the object in the mirror appears closer than they really are?

Kez is sitting next to me, staring at me.

He leans closer, oblivious, or maybe phlegmatic to the eyes of others and says, "After school, right here. Don't go anywhere." He gets up and leaves right after. Taking his air with him. His warmth.

But, not all it.

His beginning and after presence leaves everyone, including myself, speechless. How does he do that?