Amory's POV
I tapped my fingers on the island in my kitchen, the anxious feeling that started earlier now growing into something unbearable, I can no longer bear the queasy feeling in my gut, I don't think I have ever been this conflicted on something as simple as making a phone call, I'm currently staring at my phone with so much intensity, I have a feeling it's going to break under any more glaring from me .
I need to call Kale, partly because we need to finish the art project and partly and also more importantly because I need to have contact with him, any contact will do at this point, whether I see him or talk to him, doesn't really matter at this point, I just wanted to have any kind of relation connected with kale.
After he left in a hurry yesterday, I was left high and dry with absolutely no idea of what I should be doing, that was not the first time he left abruptly without a clear explanation but then it's Kale and he has always been weird which I don't really mind, matter of fact, I do find it quite cute and endearing, I like to watch him sometimes lose his cool and stumble over his words even though it doesn't happen all the time, he has too much control over his actions and reactions, it's annoying sometimes.
Ever since he Left me yesterday at the ice cream stall, he hasn't called or texted, not that he would on normal basis, I don't even think he has called or texted me before, so I plan on doing that exact same thing, I'll call him and quickly ask him to come over to my studio apartment where I'm currently in the kitchen and we can finish the project
I'm conflicted because this is my first time doing this, reaching out first and from past precedents it's very likely that I will not receive a positive outcome, like he won't pick my call or reply the text or even outrightly say no and then say he's going to church or to do more weird stuffs like staying in the Catholic church chapel and staring at the stone statue of Jesus till sundown, I don't think I'm ready to face that kind of rejection so the easy thing to do is to forget about him and probably start the project or answer my mom's endless texts which I have been ignoring, my dad hasn't joined in calling and texting me so I'm sure there's nothing to worry about.
But my mind seems to have a will on its own and had decided that from now till further notice it is going to be inevitably playing the thoughts of kale in my mind and it's on repeat. Just like last night, I thought I would wake up this morning sane, but no, the same face, same slight curving of the lips that cannot even be called a smile, the same cold eyes, same slightly confused and lost face came back in full force to plague me just like last night.
" Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!" I shouted and stood up, I'm going to explode if I continued to indulge in my thoughts any more than I have already done, I needed to do something else, maybe eat, I don't think I have eaten since I woke up today, I walked straight to the mini fridge there to check out what I have and see if I can whip up something, and then I saw it.
My hair, what the hell..
I screamed on impulse at the state of it. I have totally forgotten about what I did on impulse yesterday in order to stop thinking about Kale... I dyed my hair
I was staring at the hair and I was speechless, did I really do this??
My hair is currently Oreo, a streak of silver white and black, the whole hair is messy and I look like a young witch, I can't believe I did this.
I need to wash this off, at least before I even attempt to bring him over, he will probably be scared to death at first look at me, I quickly rushed to the bathroom and emptied my shampoo bottle on my head, if this is done by me it should be removed with soap.
That was a big joke, the dye isn't even close to being washed off.
What the hell.
I continued to wash the hair with malice, my fingers scrapping at my innocent scalp till I started to notice someone was ringing the doorbell, I ignored it at first but after the fifth ring I was now pissed off at whoever is on the other end , I just washed the soap out of my hair and my eyes before marching to the door not bothering to wipe off water from my hair, I'm sure as hell not expecting any visitors .
" What the he..." I paused my outburst as it was caught in my throat at the sight of the person on the other end. " Kal.. ugh... What are you doing here"
I asked stumbling over my words in clear confusion
"You asked to come finish the project" he said simply, when I didn't say anything still he took out his phone
"You texted me last night" he said
" Did I ??" I asked and he nodded. I guess the text was one of the things I did on impulse last night. I wonder if I did something else?
" Well, ugh... Come inside, I was just..." What were you doing again, I was going to cook, then my hair... Oh my God my hair!!!
I turned around immediately to find him standing awkwardly in the middle of the room and... Staring at my hair, of course...
"I think you should dry that hair, before we start anything, to avoid a cold "
" Yeah it's fine actually, I was going to cook" I say moving to the kitchen immediately before he intercepted me
" Amory go and dry your hair, don't worry I'll make the food, whatever you wanted to cook or we can just order something "
" Can you cook ??" I asked surprised
"Yeah"
" Then can you make pancakes, let me quickly fix my hair " he nodded and left immediately, he didn't even comment on the state of my disastrous hair, that's a good thing right? Why do I feel a bit
disappointed.
*********************************
I came back from the bathroom my hair already dry and fixed, by fixed I mean presentable enough not to scare anyone and I changed the top I was wearing to a long shirt, I don't even know who has the shirt.
Something smells good, did he finish cooking already? I looked in awe at the food set at the make shift table in the living room. Wow, this is a lot. There were blueberry pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, and a sandwich.
I could never have been able to make something like this, and something smells incredibly good, I can already taste it
" Did you make coffee" I asked unable to hold my tongue any longer
" Yeah" he turned with two mugs in his hands before handing me one, which I thanked him and took gracefully.
" You made a lot, I just said pancakes"
" Well I wanted to make a decent breakfast, is it too much??" He asked
"No of course not, I'm just a little surprised" he just smiled and sat down, motioning me to do the same
I watched the food and it's arrangements, even the placement of the cutlery, and suddenly felt as I was having breakfast at a seven star restaurant, every plate, spoon, fork and even the napkins and the way the coffee is placed, everything with such a delicate touch, I just stared at the table not even sure of when and where to start, I feel like I'm going to disrupt or spoil everything he worked hard to prepare.
" Do you not like waffles?? You can try the pancakes "
His voice startled me out of my self induced trance
" Oh no it's not that, I like everything on this table, I just don't know where to start, I just don't want to spoil this perfect table set up "
I said looking at him, he paused for a while before he chuckled slowly, I listened to the deep sound resonate in my apartment sending shivers down my back... Okay that's my cue to eat.
I sipped the distracting coffee in my hand and I moaned in delight at the taste
" Is it good?" I nodded, not saying anything, before stuffing myself with the delicacy on the table without a care in the world. It's either I'm too hungry or this food is just good, I moaned yet again as the egg sandwich melted in my mouth and there goes the sound again
" Have you ever considered being a chef " I asked after I chewed and swallowed
" Not exactly, I can't cook a lot of dishes, I just learnt a few just for convenience sometimes "
"I really love it " I said
"Thank you"
" I'm sorry about yesterday, that was uncalled for, I shouldn't have left abruptly the way I did, at least not without an explanation " he suddenly said and I stopped eating to look at him
" I don't know how to start talking about this but, I'm actually Autistic, I had a major accident a year back and it was a bit traumatic, I stayed in coma for quite a long time and when I woke, I had no memory of the accident or the events that led to the accident, it kind of heightened my Autism and most of my actions might be inordinate and out of the blue"
I stared at him in surprise, taking in everything he's saying... He's actually Autistic, how?? Since when
He watched my expression for a while before he continued
" Because of this reason, they're some situations that are kinda difficult for me to handle, not exactly difficult, but kind of overwhelming and I need some time off from people and have a quiet time with God to be able to get back on track again.
" You're actually Autistic... You do seem a little strange sometimes, but I just thought that was just you kale, I never imagined..."
" I don't need you to treat me any different now, I just wanted to let you know, in case in the future I do something that is inordinate, you can understand me better "
Inordinate is the last night I'll describe Kale with, the control he has over things around him and himself is something I cannot even do without snapping at some point.
" It's alright I understand, but you're doing so much better on your own, I mean people wouldn't even know of you didn't say it"
" Well God is helping me a great deal" he talks so much about God like it's someone or something he just goes home and meets and all his problems are solved
" You really believe God helps you all the time "
" I don't just believe, I know he does"
I scoffed, God doesn't help anyone, I doubt he even cares that we're here anyway, but I don't push it
" How did you get past your traumatic accident"
" I can't really remember the accident since I lost my memory, but I have my scars to know it was bad enough "
" Really where ??" I asked, now curious, the food and my appetite already forgotten
" Are you done eating" he asked and I nodded , he started picking up the plates to drop in the sink, I joined him to make it faster, I know he will not be comfortable until everything is cleaned up and dishes washed, I had a friend that had Autistic spectrum disorder and I know this as a basic, though it differs in people.
When everything is cleared up I sat down and waited for him until his finished to his satisfaction, he came to sit beside me and smiled at me before he started folding his trousers to reveal his leg that looks a bit pale, he folded it till it reached his knee and that is when I saw a big tattoo of a black butterfly that looks like ... Wow it's a special kind of butterfly, it's shaped weirdly, I have never seen this kind of specie before, if not for it wings I would not have recognized it's a butterfly, even the wings are not ordinate with different stretches and odd streaks of colours covered its wings and the body is also looking disfigured too, the more I look, the more I see more intricate patterns that seem to be hidden, the most odd thing about the tattoo is that it doesn't just look like a drawing on a skin, it looks like it's alive on his body, I wanted to touch it and trace my fingers on this enchanting drawing.
" Can I touch it??" I asked unable to watch in awe any longer, I was already sitting on the floor inspecting his leg
" Yeah, you can" he said and I moved my fingers to touch his leg and to trace the piece of art in my front and the first thing my finger touched was a bump, I traced it more and I felt more bumps and disfigured skin and that is when I realized....
" Those are scars Amory, my scars in the accident"