Chapter 26

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Today, as always,my mom had picked us up. We went home and she made us her signature tasty sandwiches. Then Kyle had done his homework and I had managed to get his book while he had been busy practicing piano with my mom. This time I had decided not to copy everything,and I did try to change th structure of some of his answers so that the teacher wouldn't get too suspicious. His piano lessons took up most of the time we would have otherwise used to play. I had been mad the first few days, but I now knew that he loved to play the piano. It made him happy, and if he was happy then I was okay with him practicing for as long as he liked. After he was done we had gone to the backyard and terribly played soccer. And because she liked Kyle, my mom had allowed us to ride my boards down the street,as long as we didn't go too far. I had grabbed my hoverboard while Kyle took the skateboard. We'd both take turns on each. 

We switched about two times, the second time, Stevens took the skateboard again. I was starting to think he preferred it. I didn't get on the hoverboard however, I placed it on the side of the street then I sat down and watched him.

" Tired?" He shouted from where he was. I shook my head and smiled. 

" I wanna watch you,go ahead Stevens...entertain me!" I shouted back. He was a little further away but I was still able to see his eye roll. Then he asked me not to go anywhere before he got on the board again and rode off. I felt proud watching him because I had been the one that had taught him everything he knew. He hadn't even wanted to try it out at first. I had forced him to give it a try, and after a couple of days, he had grown to love it. 

 " Hey! Don't go too far!" I shouted when I could no longer see him. My mom always seemed to sense when we did what we weren't supposed to. I never understood how but whenever I was doing something wrong, she'd just appear and bust me. And if she showed up and found Stevens gone she would get mad. And not only at him but at both of us because she believed that we always made our decisions together. 

I stood up and narrowed my gaze into the distance,then I realized he want even that far away. It was probably the fact that I was seated which made him seem so distant. 

I never liked the thought of him being distant. 

Stevens was always supposed to be right by my side, where I could just reach out and touch him. He turned around and faced me,then he waved and went ahead with his skating. I glanced at the hoverboard and decided to go and join him. But just as I was about to turn around and pick it up, he fell. 

" Stevens!" I yelled, running towards him. Hoping he wasn't too badly hurt. I got to him and refused to take his hand when he held it out to me so that I could help him stand. 

" Stay still, " I advised, going down on one knee next to him and asking him if he was okay. 

" I'm fine, I just tripped on that crack, " he pointed to the crack in reference and I turned to glance at it. The board had been turned over next to it. 

" Are you sure? Here, let me check, " I wrapped my hand around his wrist and started to inspect his arms, then I looked at either sides of his face to make sure he hadn't bumped his head. 

" I'm okay, stop," he whined. Then he struggled to stand on his own and I helped him up. 

"Jeez! I'm only worried about you!" I muttered under my breath. Feigning anger, but he must have thought I was genuinely upset because he tapped the top of my head fondly and thanked me, then he once again told me he was okay. I felt relieved, glad that he hadn't injured himself. He reached up and scratched his head, then he looked up at the sky and sighed. 

" I think we should go back,my mom's probably on her way to get me," he stated and I agreed. 

Up until two days ago, my mom had been taking him back home after we hang out, but then his mom had gotten another job, and she passed by our house whenever she got off, so she had said she'd be picking him up after her shift. Kyle clearly didn't want any problems with her, and I didn't want to get him into any problem because I knew how strict his mom was. I went and took the hoverboard, then I asked him to get into it. 

" Why?" 

" Incase you have internal injuries. "

" When did you get to smart?" he sarcastically remarked, but he got in the board either way. Then he placed his hand on my shoulder and we started heading over to the house. He had been extremely relieved to confirm that his mom was yet to arrive. And I was happy because we could play for a while longer. We fed the fish in the aquarium that was in dad's office, he always liked to stay and admire them. and after he was satisfied, we went back to my room and I took out the new puzzle my mom had gotten for me. I had too many of them, and Kyle always enjoyed trying to put the pieces together. 

" I'm so hungry!" I groaned out the words while passing him the box with the puzzle pieces,he shook his head and took the box from me, then he unsealed it and emptied down the contents onto the floor. 

" You're always hungry, " he stated silently. As if he was saying it to himself and didn't want me to hear him. 

" I heard that!"

" I know you did, that's the whole point. "

" You want anything?" 

" Whatever you're having. "

I laughed as I exited the room. He always complained that I was the one that made him eat too much but we both knew it was the other way round. Stevens had an appetite as great as his brain. Whenever we were together it was rare to see him not eat. And my mom loved the fact that he never turned down food when it was offered to him. And that he really seemed to enjoy everything she made. She had once told me that he gave her the motivation she needed to try out new recipes. With his brutal honesty and sweet reactions.

But the main reason I always made sure he ate enough when he was over at my house was because I doubted whether his mom ever really fed him enough. Actually,I was certain that she didn't. And knowing that he would probably not eat anything when he went back to his place always made me concerned. So whenever I got the chance I made sure he ate enough. When I got to the kitchen, I took the two extra sandwiches my mom had made. She knew us so well. I also checked in the fridge and found the lemonade he loved so much,and after pouring two glasses, I placed everything on a trey and headed back to my bedroom. He was lying on the floor when I got there. 

" Your humble servant is back, " I teasingly said as I walked over to him. He sat up and helped me lower the tray carefully to the ground. Between the two of us, I was the clumsiest one. 

" Yay! Lemonade!" 

He picked up one glass and drank down half of the drink in one continuous gulp, then he placed the glass back down and laid back down on the floor. His feet and arms outstretched.

" Whoa! You did all this while I was gone?" I asked, looking at the few puzzle pieces he had managed to assemble in that short amount of time. He truly was smart. My mom had actually bought me all those puzzles because she believed they would help me to be more sharp as well. She always tried to encourage and urge me to work hard,and even though I rarely studied, the few times I did so was all because of her. 

" This is a hard one, " Stevens confessed, not getting up off the floor. I but into my sandwich and took a sip of my own lemonade before I placed both of them aside. I wasn't as hungry as I had claimed. But if I ate, he would also feel more comfortable and eat as well rather than if he was the only one doing so. I started putting the pieces together by myself. But it was no fun doing it alone. 

I was about to urge him to join me when I got another idea. An entire day was about to end and I had barely teased him at all. With a sly smile on my face, I crawled towards him on my knees,then I planted them on either side of his form before I basically sat straddling him. 

It was all for fun. 

We were only eleven after all. 

" Hey! Come on Austin!" he complained as I had expected him to. His hands tried to push me off him but he didn't succeed. Not because he wasn't strong enough, but rather because he was hardly making an effort to push me off him. And after a single try, he gave up and resumed his previous posture. Outstretching his arms above him. He said nothing, and I finally realized he was in one of his ' Whatever moods '.

I had named them that because when he was in that state, he didn't seem to care about anything. It was like he was bored and exhausted. And he was always willing to just go with whatever I did or say, so I loved his ' whatever moods '. 

" Want me to feed you?" I jokingly asked but his reply was a hand on my chest Which he placed there with the intention of pushing me gently off, but he either forgot of thought it over because he ended up keeping his hand on my without doing anything. 

I knew that if my mom walked in and found us like that she would either not care much, or she could start caring a lot more. 

But not even that was strong enough motivation to get me to let him be. 

" You're such a tease, " he uttered in that same tone. Then he looked at me before he turned his head to the side. I had already seen all his reactions the second I got close to him. His chest was rising and falling faster than usual and he seemed as flustered as I had ever seen him.

" Austin?" He finally called out. I noted the slight seriousness and worry in his tone. 

" Yeah?" 

He remained quiet. Then after a very prolonged silence he finally looked at me and slightly fisted his hand in my shirt. His eyebrows raised inquisitively. And I don't know what I had expected him to ask but that was definitely not it. 

" Do you think I'm weird?" 

I frowned,then I slowly got off him and laid on my back next to him. And because he was close and he was Stevens, I reached out and dug my hand into his hair.

" What sort of question is that? " I asked afterwards. Then I asked him who had told him he was weird, demanding he tell me whoever the person was so that I could teach him a lesson the following day. 

" No one told me,I've just been wondering. "

" Wondering what?"

" Why I feel like I'm weird. "

Ibtrjed to understand him better, and then I suspected the reason behind his statement and my eyes widened slightly. I should have probably tried to convince him that he was completely normal and that there was nothing remotely weird about him, but instead I rolled over until I was lying on top of him again.