Kid hurriedly dried the wet streaks from his cheeks when he felt Nia stirring. He knew full well he couldn't get up and wash his face so he hoped his eyes weren't blood shot from crying. He'd done his best to keep quiet while the tears had fallen. He forced a smile to his face when he saw her head beginning to turn.
Nia rubbed her eyes then looked behind her and blinked at him. He was smiling, but in her mind the smile was creepy. It was out of place, but she also realized he likely didn't want to talk about what was upsetting him. She straightened herself up next to him, then leaned in, resting her head against his arm. His lower arm wrapped around her waist while he asked, "you alright?"
"I guess. I don't really know. My stomach hurts—so does my back, my hips, my thighs hurt—is that all from-"
Kid listened to her listing off the aches and winced a little, openly admitting he wasn't sure but they could find the answer easily. He brought up google on the laptop and searched, 'can you get period cramps in your thighs?'
The two read through the results, finding a few things that suggested dehydration could cause cramping in your thighs during a period, but so could nutritional deficiencies like iron, calcium and b12.
Kid thought for a moment before getting up and offering his hand to Nia. She gingerly accepted his offer, letting him pull her up to her feet. He went into the kitchen with her and got out a frying pan. He put it on the heat and added a little bit of cooking spray to the pan. They'd both chosen the hamburgers as the protein options.
"I'll see about getting some spinach tomorrow—seems to be fairly cheap. Maybe we could make a spinach salad and do some goulash or something," He thought out loud while their food heated up in the frying pan.
The one downside to not having a microwave was heating things up wasn't quick and easy. The upside was: you had to be really sure you wanted something before you set about heating it up.
"Hey Kid?"
He didn't take his eyes off the burger patties. The boy flipped the meat over in the frying pan as he acknowledged her with a simple vocalization, "hmm?"
"Why have you always been nice to me?"
He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes before seeking clarification, "what do you mean?"
"I mean right from the start—you've never been mean to me. You're always protecting me and well- taking care of me," Nia stated
He shrugged his shoulders before admitting, "I said it before: I'm an asshole, but I have my limits. The way we met—what those other guys were doing, I'm not down with it. What those creeps did at the pool isn't something I vibe with either. Plus—well—back at you: why have you always been nice to me?"
Nia's brow furrowed a little and then admitted, "I guess cause—I didn't feel a need to defend myself?"
"Guess our reasons end up being the same then," he concluded while he plated the burgers. Nia smiled as she took her plate from him and nodded her head.
The two ate their food in comfortable silence, until Nia pushed her plate away, there was still some potato salad and garden salad on the plate, which surprised Kid. She was usually a good eater from what he'd seen and would clean her plate every time.
"Stomach giving you trouble?"
"A little. I feel like if I eat anymore I'll get sick," Nia elaborated.
Kid nodded as he gathered up the plate, saying he'd put it back in the fridge for her to have later. While Nia washed their dishes, Kid ducked out onto the patio for a smoke. He was half way through his cigarette when the patio door slid open and Nia stepped out.
Kid smirked a bit before commenting, "You know you don't have to be my shadow all the time, right?"
"Oh—you want me to leave?"
The redhead shook his head from side to side before adding, "stay or go, I don't mind either way. Just didn't want you think that I don't trust you to be inside on your own while I'm out here."
"Why don't you smoke inside?"
"The Landlord's rules: No smoking in the apartment. Cool with me. At least this way the furniture doesn't smell of nicotine," Kid replied.
Nia nodded as she stood by him. There was silence between them until she asked, "So what are your plans after high school?"
"Get an apprenticeship as an auto mechanic," Kid answered as unenthusiastically as he'd talk about the weather.
"Okay—if there were no obsticals in your way. Not money, not prior behaviour—what would you do after high school?"
"Mechanical engineering, still specializing with motorized vehicles. It's my dream to design and build them—not just fix them," he answered.
He scoffed a little as he looked at the remaining portion of his cigarette. He seemed mesmerized by it, as if taking in every detail from the beginning of the filter, where the paper was a bit darker to the cigarette itself.
He gave a sigh as he lamented, "but dreams aren't supposed to be for guys like me."
He sucked in another drag from the tubular object, then his eyes fell onto her, silently asking the same question. It had become an unspoken rule between them, don't ask a question you're not prepared to answer yourself.
She bit her lip a little and admitted, "I'd love to be a published author—but failing that I'd love to teach English – maybe in junior high or something."
Kid blinked a little before smiling and giving a slight chuckle as he inquired, "Do you write now?"
The blonde nodded her head while admitting, "I started writing after my mom passed. I don't know. I guess it helps to get it written out—even if it's all metaphorical."
"Yeah, I get that," Kid admitted as he put his cigarette out. He then put the butt into an empty coffee can that was out there with them.
"What kind of stories do you write?"
"Mostly fan fiction but I have one original story that I've been working on—it's kind of a dark fantasy," she answered.
"Huh—like with vampires and stuff? Oh god, please tell me it's not like twilight," he replied, pleading towards the end. Nia shook her head from side to side as she assured him, "no way! No sparkly vampires there. It's mostly about mages and werewolves though."
"If you're okay with it, I'd like to read it sometime," Kid offered.
