The Book Fight

CHAPTER 8: Why liars, are worse than thieves.

SEKANI

I took Aston’s advice and walked into school Monday morning with my head held high. It still bothered me that people looked but I decided to give them something to look at.

When I woke up, I told Yi not to pick me up because I wanted my father to drive me today. He leaves later which meant I had more time to get ready.

Even though he hates it when I straighten my hair, I spend the majority of my morning doing it. My outfit is simple denim overalls and a black halter neck cropped vest.

Seniors normally don’t get dress-coded and it was time to take advantage of it.

I find Yi and Ryder making out by her locker, so I go straight to mine after saying hi. After switching out my books, the final bell rings and just as I am heading to class—I see him.

Aston wasn’t in anything special.

Straight leg dark jeans, a dark AC/DC t-shirt and converse. The same black messenger bag we both own over his shoulder, his bloodshot eyes in full display.

Like I said nothing special but for some reason my heart started to pound, it continued to pound louder and harder when he passed me like he didn’t see me but I just kept walking too.

It continued like that for the rest of the week. I didn’t ask once why he ignored me or why he acted like I didn’t exist. I didn’t bother to talk to him or even try to understand it.

By Tuesday, I was over it.

Losing the notebook is hard enough and even though Aston was the first person to take my mind off it, it seems I also lost him too and that was okay.

Even though I tried not to acknowledge it, I’ve been crumbling.

Each day this week I’d wake up and feel a piece of me fall. My progress from all these years is slowing undoing itself and I don’t know what to do to stop it. Worst part is, it all goes back to the day our bags got switched and I lost my notebook.

It started the day I first saw him—Aston Martin Parker.

My routine has been changing since then and that’s what I need to focus on. Putting things back in place and finding my notebook should be my only priority not Aston’s moods.

When I see him and Buck Saturday morning after swim practice, I realize my heart doesn’t pound against my chest in nervousness like before. I just walk past them and greet Buck.

I was over it all.

I wake up in a pool of my own sweat again later that night. I look at the clock on my desk and its 3AM but there’s no way I can go back to sleep.

It’s a miracle I’m even falling asleep, I’ve been so anxious.

I get off bed and do what I have been doing since I lost my notebook. I search my room because I don’t think I’ll be able to handle another week without it.

After cleaning and putting everything back in place, I do my homework, chores and make breakfast for my father.

We end up going to his sister’s house and she does my hair into faux locks that turn out pretty amazing. After dinner with everyone, we go home late so I dose off on the car ride home but wake up a sweaty mess on my bed with blood dripping down my nose.

When I was younger, I’d get nosebleeds and faint spells because of stress but my mother helped me get rid of them. When they returned after her death, the notebook helped me manage them.

Now that they are back and I don’t have either.

“Kani?” My father knocks before walking in.

“Daddy?” The tears fall on their own.

“Talk to me please,” he hands me a box of Kleenex and I wipe my nose.

He’s been noticing my change of behavior and the random night searches. This should be the time I fess up because I’m falling apart but…I can’t.

Not yet.

“Bad dream,” I lie and he pulls me into his arms.

He lets me stay in bed and skip school 2days in row after that. On Wednesday, Yi comes to check on me and her face says it all when she sees me.

I’m a mess.

“Well at least your hair looks nice.” She opens her arms and gives me a hug.

I try not to but I sink into in.

“What’s going on Sekani?” She separates us to look at me. “You’ve missed school and haven’t allowed me to see you in days.” She actually pouts. “That’s so unlike you.”

I want to tell her I wasn’t in the mood to play pretend but I settle for “I’ll be better soon,” but still get a glare.

“Fine.” She walks out of my room only to return a few minutes later holding her bag, snacks and a stuffed bunny I got her when she was sick last year. “Move over you big baby.”

“What are—”

“You’re clearly going through something Sekani, so I’m going to join you just for today and hold you till you feel better.” Yi hands me the bunny.

“Thank you.” I hold it tight and rest my head on her lap.

“You’re my best friend dude, I hate seeing you sad.” She opens a packet of chips and sighs.

Yi updates me on the latest gossip from school as we binge watch a show. After lunch, she forces me to shower and change out of my sweats. We do Korean face masks, some online shopping and when she leaves after dinner I feel better than I have in days.

That’s until I go to sleep and wake up in the middle of the night but this time with blood streaming down my nose.

“Dad!” I tilt my head back, “daddy!” I scream so loud, I won’t be surprised if the neighbors hear.

He walks in and the look on his face is close to horror as he runs to my side.

“It won’t stop!” My voice cracks, “it won’t stop coming out.” The pain in my chest practically chokes me as my father returns to the room holding a red bag I didn’t think I’d ever see again.

And just like that, I’m 13-years old Sekani.

After the doctor clears me, I convince my father to let me go to school. I already missed 3days and the first two periods today, missing more would not be wise.

After the house call, I shower and throw on, black ankle grazer skinny jeans, a brown stretch bustier corset top and all black block heel boots.

I might be a mess inside but I won’t let anyone see me looking like one.

Soon-Yi gives me the biggest hug when she sees me after 3rd period. She compliments my outfit and informs me that Ryder will be throwing me a ‘Get Well Soon’ party at his family lake house tomorrow.

That’s all everyone talks about at lunch and I also hear hymns in the girl’s bathroom. Apparently, for someone who is ‘sick’ I look better than most.

I spend my last period noting down everything I remember from Basic Instructions but as I wait for Yi in the parking lot after practice, I find something that gives me a clue of where it is.

And it makes me livid.

I find Aston sleeping on the table of a picnic bench in the forest, just like his mother said I would. His eyes are closed and his bag is next to him.

I grab the bag first and turn it upside down to empty it. Pens, books, test papers, gum, a lighter, sunglasses, headsets, a pencil and his wallet all hit the ground.

Basically everything but my notebook.

“Wake up!” I throw his empty bag at him and he jolts awake.

I am so mad right now, I could physically hurt him and leave his body for dead in the forest.

“What the—” he rubs sleep off his bloodshot eyes.

“Where is my notebook?!” I interject when he sits up. “Where is it!” I kick his books on the ground.

“What are you talking about?” Aston jumps off the bench and gives me a confused look when he steps on his things but I don’t offer an explanation.

“My leather notebook, I know you have it!” I hiss.

“I told you I don’t know where it is—”

“Why are you lying to me?” I yell. “And why in the hell are you keeping something that doesn’t even belong to you?” The frown he has disappears when I continue to say, “please just give it back Aston!”

“I can’t.” His words spilt me in half, “because I don’t have it.”

He bends down to pick up his things as my fist ball by my sides. I hold out the mirror coated bookmark that was attached to the string on the notebook.

“This fell out of your car when you opened it earlier today.” He looks up but his face doesn’t give away anything, “it’s from my notebook that I know you have because this is handmade and it was in my—”

“Sekani.” He stands, “I don’t have it! That must have been in my car from before or something.”

His explanation doesn’t even make sense because he didn’t even realize he didn’t have his bag.

“Look Aston, I don’t care that you had it or that you’ve kept it for weeks.” I try to be calm, “I don’t even care to know how you got it but…” I exhale. “I do care that you’re lying about it.”

“Sekani—”

“You know why liars are worse than thieves?” I throw the bookmark on the table “because you can catch a good thief eventually but never a good liar.” I storm off.

I wait till his huge mansion is on my rearview mirror before I let the tears fall and by the time I’m home, I’m full-on crying.

I can’t believe it was him all along.