-Chapter 25: Heart Upon Her Sleeve-

-Kris-

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A couple of hours had passed, and everyone was going to the food court to get food. I was still in my room, going through my pictures on my phone.

"Kristina. You have a visitor!" One of the administrators said as they poked their head into her room.

"Uh, ok," I say, confused. "Send them in."

I'm confused. I never get visitors. I then see Zeke walk in.

"So, you used the front door." I tease.

He walked into the room, shut the door, and threw a pretty big knife onto my bed next to me.

"Last night was fucking rough." Was all he said.

"Zeke?" I ask, trying to choose the right words. "Where did you get that?"

"Cassie almost shanked the shit out of Rafe." He replied. "It's a long story."

"I got time," I say, putting my phone down.

"Well, I don't feel like telling it." He grumbled. "Come with me and help bury it."

"Lead the way!" I say a little too enthusiastically.

For a quick moment, I think I see an amused smirk from him.

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"Could you at least pretend to help me?" He grumbled as he dug.

He had been working on the hole for about ten minutes, which in my opinion, is too long for a knife.

I look at a pretend watch on my arm before going back to leaning on the shovel I was given.

"I think you got it, Red; I'll be here for moral support," I say with a smirk.

"What's your story, Kris?" He asked suddenly.

"My story?" I reply, a bit confused.

"Yeah. You practically know mine, so it's about time I know yours, don't you think?." Zeke asked.

"Well, what do you want to know?" I ask. "Anything specific?"

"Why are you in an orphanage?" Zeke asked before I could say anything else.

I tense up. That question caught me off guard. I never really think about it all that often.

"W-why?" I ask.

He shrugged. "It's only fair, I guess. I told you about my stuff. You don't have to if you don't want to, though."

"Ok." I sigh. "Well, it was a while ago, so the details are a bit fuzzy."

He nods, sticking the shovel into the ground as to not let the digging distract him.

"Ok, so, I don't remember much, but I do remember that I was in a car, driving down a road covered in snow," I explain to the best of my ability. "I think we were around the Salem area when it happened. My family and I were driving down the road when this big rig comes speeding down the road, and it lost control."

I scour my memory for anything I can use to explain that day. In the end, I couldn't.

"To keep the story not graphic, it hit us, and since my parents were in the front, they died."

"What happened after?" Zeke asked. His face had a look of concern and confusion.

"Well, I don't remember most of it because I blacked out when the truck hit us, but from what the doctor said, I was pretty banged up." I shrug. "But after that, I was sent to a few orphanages before being moved here."

His look of confusion turned to surprise, but he said nothing.

"What?" I ask, holding back a laugh.

"Why did you sound so calm telling me that?" He asked.

"Because the past is the past. No matter how hard I pray, hope, or cry, they are never coming back." I explain. "So now I just live life to the fullest and be the best I could be."

I give him a reassuring smile before picking up my shovel and help him dig.

"I suppose," Zeke said as he began to dig again.