Chapter Six
1210 Words
At eleven, Kaden knew that a sign of his sweaty palm or eagerness to see Chloe proved he liked her. He would always search the hallway of their school to see if she was getting along with anyone.
Kaden always thought she was cute. Perhaps that was why a place he assumed as a hellhole became a paradise for him.
"Do you understand me, Kaden?" the Director asked him.
He was sitting in her office; the cool fan blowing him could not keep the heat inside him of the truth he dreaded. She leaned into the table and crossed her fingers, waiting for his answer.
"What of Chloe?" that had been his only response.
The Director knew that they had formed a special bond, but this was an opportunity he could not miss out on.
The Director looked at him sadly.
"Unfortunately, we have not found a suitable family for Chloe yet."
"Can I wait till then?" Kaden asked.
The Director reached out to comfort the little boy.
"I'm sorry, Kaden."
He sighed. Kaden knew Chloe was going to cry, and he had promised himself he won't make her cry. But, he hates seeing her sky blue eyes cry; his heart clenches whenever he sees that.
"Can I at least wait till her birthday?"
The Director nodded. Kaden stood up from his seat. He was trying hard not to cry even though Chloe's birthday was a month away; he knew he would miss her.
"Please don't tell her yet. I want to do that," the little boy said before leaving the office. Chloe giggled at him just outside the office. He had been shocked to see her waiting for him.
"What are you doing here, dummy?" Kaden asked
She made a phf sound.
"Waiting for you, silly," she chuckled as she replied. She linked their hands together.
He turned his face away to hide his blush.
"I hate Nicky. He is so mean. I just wish he would go away from here."
"Why do you hate Nicky?" Kaden paused his walking steps and asked. Chloe thought for a few seconds before answering his question.
"Well, because he is mean, he always picks on me, he laughs at me."
"Hmm," that were the only words that Kaden had said.
The weeks after that, Kaden had started the same behavior; most times, he had just ignored her when she became persistent. Besides that, he simply did the mean things Nicky always did to her.
Chloe already knew why he acted that way; she had not been stupid when she knew that kids were in the Director's office only when they were in trouble and when families had been appointed to them.
It was why she had eavesdropped on their conversation or why she had not said a word to Kaden when he came out of the office, but the actions he had been doing caused her more pain than him leaving. Even still, she didn't want him to go.
The kids gathered around her to wish her a happy birthday. A small cupcake with a candle was centered on her.
This was always held in the common room.
The sound of the birthday song was numb in Chloe's ears as her eyes landed on Kaden, who had a hurt expression.
"Blow your candle," one of the older girls said.
If birthday wishes do come true, Chloe wanted Kaden and her to be back to the way they were before.
Kaden left like the rest after the candle was blown; only a few remained to give her personal wishes. Chloe's heart had been driven to a chord at the absence of his presence. But, on the other hand, Nicky had been much nicer than Kaden these past few weeks.
"Hey, I want to give you something for your birthday," Nicky said nervously after everyone had left.
She nodded and followed him. They were on the lawn, with flowers surrounding them as fences. The only walkway was made of granite, and at the center were four stoned benches.
Nicky sat down on the first bench, his eyes sighted. He prickled his fingers as Chloe took her time to sit beside him.
Her blue eyes looked at him expectantly at the gift; she only saw a boy with a wrinkled shirt and flabby jeans but no sign of a gift in his hand.
"Well, I just want to be the first to give you this."
He leaned in and pecked her lips. Immediately, Chloe punched his guts. Nicky whined, holding his stomach, which she punched as he fell to the floor, and tears gathered in her eyes.
She dashed away into her room and slammed the door behind her.
There were two beds in a room at the foster home and a reading table at each bedside.
Chloe moved to the space in between her bed and the reading table. She tore the painting which she drew of Kaden and her.
She fell down and wept in her hidden space, hoping Sarah would not come in to see her in tears.
Chloe always heard the girls older than her say first kisses were supposed to be special. So maybe she had not thought of kissing Kaden but anyone apart from Nicky, her greatest tormentor.
The door opened and made a screeching noise, then a footstep came after.
Chloe stopped crying and sniffed a little.
"Chloe," Kaden moved closer.
Kaden knew he was going the next day but wanted to give her something when she was not there.
"Go away!" she cried out as she heard his voice. Chloe cried her tears with the back of her hand.
All Kaden's resolution to be cruel to her dropped when he heard her feeble voice.
Chloe covered her face between her knees immediately after Kaden was in front of her
"Chloe," he whispered.
"go away, isn't that what you going to do? Isn't that why you have been mean to me for the last 2 weeks?"
Kaden froze for a while. She looked at him with her sobbing expression; He noticed her eyes were red and her nose looked like Santa Klaus reindeer. Kaden moved forward to hug her in the tiny space they were in.
"I am sorry that I was such an idiot."
She made a phf sound.
"Yeah, a big idiot."
He chuckled, and she smiled.
They stared at each other in silence till Chloe spoke.
"When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow," he replied. She tilted her head away from him to hide her tears.
"I will always call," he reassured her.
"you better" she faced him head-on, and he nodded.
"what made you cry?" he asked.
"Nicky kissed me."
He clenched his fist. "Yuck!"
"Exactly! It was my first kiss," she whined
He held both her hands
"In life, you might kiss frogs, but what matters is who you give your heart to."
"So I shouldn't give my heart to a frog?" he nodded
"Then a prince?"
He shook his head before answering.
"To the one who will take care of it."
He pulled out the bracelet he hid in his pocket and wrapped it around her tiny wrist.
"happy birthday, Chloe" he leaned in to give her a peck on the cheeks.
- Writer
