Cole POV: Something was going on. It was obvious when Nya asked for Zane, alone. And this was after she went off by herself when I told her about Kai and Sensei. There's no way that wasn't a coincidence. But she didn't come back and Zane wasn't coming back either. This made Lloyd, Jay, and I sit unnerved in the living room. Jay was trying to play games with us, but none of us were in the mood.
Finally Jay sighed heavily and said, "Can we talk about the elephant in the room now?"
"If you're talking about Kai, I can't. Like I said before." I said, but neither one of them liked that.
"But you were willing to tell Master Wu?" Lloyd mumbled. He probably thought I didn't hear him.
Either way I said, "This, whatever it is, it's Kai personal business. Besides… it's hard to explain what I saw exactly."
I don't know why I said that last part, but it definitely got both of their attention. Jay turned off the TV and asked, "What does that mean?"
"Uh… well." How do I answer that without giving anything away? Of course I would put myself into this sort of situation.
"Cole, we want to help Kai. but we can't do that if we're kept in the dark. I know, and understand, that you won't break Kai's trust. I do too, but there has to be something." Lloyd asked.
I could hear all the worry that Lloyd was trying to hide in his voice. He probably didn't want me to know, but I could tell he was starting to get scared. Scared of what I was hiding about our brother. Same with Jay, but I couldn't just yet. Especially if this was something even Nya didn't know. Though I get the feeling that they weren't going to leave me alone about this.
I sighed and stood up to say, "Look, I'll go and talk with Kai. I'll ask him if this is okay. If not then leave it be, okay?"
They both clearly didn't like it, but they both nodded and I left after that. As I walked through the halls, I was taking the long way, I thought about how I could approach the topic.
I don't want to make him uncomfortable, and I didn't want to trigger anything. Which was going to be extremely hard since I still don't know the whole story. Of course I was curious and wanted to know. Like Lloyd and Jay, I wanted to help him and do everything I could for him. However, I still remember the look on his face after I found him in that tunnel. All the fear and how he wanted to run. Plus the sounds he was making as he was getting strangled. That sound is never gonna go away. With all of that, plus how he's acting now. How can I ask him about it? There's no way that I can do this without hurting him. But at the same time I know that it could help. Even if it was hard for the both of us.
I took a deep breath and made up my mind. I need to just come out and say it. It's what we both need at the end of the day. Though I wish that it wasn't going to hurt him.
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Kai POV: After getting scanned by Zane and walking Nya for a little bit, I was finally back in my bed. All alone with my thoughts and feelings. Which were strangely quiet. I thought that my mind would be racing at this point. I mean Zane saw my scars. Not just the ones on my arm, but the ones on my chest and back. And I have no doubt that he saw the one on my neck too. I felt so exposed at that moment, despite Zane not making any comment. But now… I don't at all. How does that make any sense?
I rolled over and faced the wall. I sighed quietly, feeling really tired. But I didn't want to close my eyes. Because I know that if I fall asleep now I am going to have a nightmare. Which I don't need right now. Not after today.
That's when I heard a knock on my door and someone said, "Kai? Can I come in?" It was Cole. I was wondering when he was going to stop by.
I slowly sat up and said, "Sure." Might as well, right?
He walked in and closed the door behind him. He looked a little determined, and I think I know why.
"How are you doing?" He asked first, and I just shrugged.
"Better than yesterday, I guess. Definitely better than the day before that." I answered, and he nodded.
"That's good. You really weren't having a good time. But after that experience I'm not surprised." he laughed a little after he said that.
"So… I guess this is where we get to the awkward part?" I asked, bracing myself.
He looked a little surprised that I brought it up and said, "Yeah, the awkward part."
He walked over and sat down next to me. He gave me some space, but it didn't help that I was still conscious about the scars.
"Kai, the others… they've been bugging me about you. And what I saw… I haven't said anything, but I was wondering if there was anything I could tell them. Of course, if you don't want that I understand. And they will too." he explained, being gentle about it.
I thought about it. Nya knows a little, and Zane is going to learn about the more physical part soon. But the others… I really didn't think about that yet. In the future now there might come a time where I'll tell them. But now? I don't know. It might be too early yet. Even now, my chest was getting tight at the thought of all of them knowing. Maybe that means I'm not ready? I have no clue.
"I… maybe another time. It's just… been a long day." I said, practically whispering.
He nodded slightly and put his hand on my shoulder, patting it a little. "Got it. It's not a problem, so don't worry about it. Tell us only when you're ready."
At least he's taking it better than I would have, "Thanks."
He nodded and said, "Get some rest, dude. I'll make sure the others leave you alone."
"I appreciate that." I said, but I honestly was dreading the thought of sleep.
I guess he didn't see that and he stood up to walk out. Once he was gone I laid back again. But this time I was staring at the ceiling, and getting more and more tired. To the point where I could barely keep my eyes open.
Maybe a little shut-eye wouldn't hurt?