cute boy: second edition

Sneakers, khakis, a dirty white tee. My gaze travels up. It’s a boy, with dark blond hair and milk-chocolate eyes. Full lips stretch into a sheepish smile.

“Sorry! Are you okay?” He sticks out his hand. I stare dumbly. Victoria snorts.

“That one’s a bit slow, Kai.”

I turn my head to glare at Victoria, but I register her statement in my mind. Kai. I look back up at the boy, realize he’s still waiting, and grab onto his hand.

Kai grins and hauls me up. “Sorry. You alright?” His gaze sweeps me once, and there’s something about the way he does it that turns my cheeks a little warmer than they should be. He has a childlike innocence about him, and I can’t help but stare.

“You weren’t here...there was nobody here. And then you…” I frown, trying to make sense of what had happened. Seeing cute boys doesn’t impair my logic. Not really.

Kai gives me a wink. His face shines with a beaming radiance. Youthful. Lively. “Teleportation.”

I gape at him. “What?” I don’t know why I am so surprised. In the past ten minutes, I’ve been chased by monsters, watched a girl shoot ice from her hands, seen a boy die and come back to life… but I’m still surprised.

Kai shrugs. "Well, you know." He grins. "I can show you the world." He holds a hand out.

"Very funny." I roll my eyes as I raise an eyebrow at the hand. "Quoting Disney doesn't work on me."

"Bummer." Kai feigns a dramatic sigh. "I was hoping it'd be good enough a pick-up line for a girl like you."

"Guys," Rain snaps from Kai's other side. He bends over to look between the two of us, his lips pursed with impatience. "Can we leave the flirting for when we're all hidden somewhere safe? Some of us just died and need a break."

"You just died?" Kai's tone turns concerned, as his head snaps to Rain. "Wait, are you alright? What happened? I thought you guys had it handled."

"I'm fine." Rain pats Kai's back. "Just get us home, buddy."

I watch the exchange. How long have they known each other? It looks like it's been a long while, definitely, and it's kind of sweet.

With Rain's hand on Kai's shoulder and Victoria holding Kai's hand, Kai takes my hand with a sly smile.“Hang on tight, Princess,” he whispers. His words caress my ear, hot on my skin, and sends happy little shivers down my spine as I register the nickname he has given me.

Princess.

The world falls beneath my feet.

*

My eyes are sore from getting squeezed shut. I crack an eyelid, but the swirling colours are enough to shut my eyes. My feet struggle but it hits only air. My hair whips around me.

Everything feels surreal. I cling onto Kai, my only anchor to reality.

He glances at me. “Don’t worry, we’re almost there.”

Time drags on, and I’m ready to get out of this dream world now. Panic begins to wind around my chest as I tug myself closer to Kai. Our hands begin to slip.

"Kai!" I yell, and his fingers tighten over mine painfully.

"Hold on!"

"I'm trying!" But our hands are sweaty, and we're down to fingertips. Soon, I'm going to have to let go.

Then Kai flicks my hold off, and I'm cut loose.

I scream as a force jerks me backward. For a second I am free, flying, unfettered. I am an astronaut lost in space, a person drowned at sea. But Kai lunges for me, hugging me to him like an emergency tether thrown out, a life ring on a choppy sea, his grip crushing and desperate, and I am saved.

"I got you," he says in my ear. It's breathless, maybe even just as scared as I am, but it's assuring. "I got you, don't worry, I got you."

I want to thank him and swear him out at the same time, but suddenly my feet crash against a hard surface. The force whipping us around stops, but gravity slams into us and my knees wobble, unable to take the strain of my weight and the impact. The world tilts as I go limp and slips out of Kai's grasp.

From behind, something knocks into my head. There's a resounding clunk!. My skull vibrates with a low hum, and the entire world goes black.

***

We have...a lot of cute boys lately, huh? BAHAHAH jk, hope you guys are enjoying!! today i learnt that sheeps are born with tails?? did everyone know that??? like they have LONG tails. anyway. hope you guys are having a wonderful day!! i love u all and i'm sending you the bestest vibes for lucky happy days <33333