58. Katen
1721 Words
Tuesday, I sit down in science and Akmae turns around. "We're not partners this week."
"Why?"
"You missed yesterday and that guy over there picked me."
"Why?"
"I have no idea."
"We're doing so well. I have an A in here. I don't want to change things now."
He chuckles. "You'll be fine. We'll go back to normal next week."
"Fine."
"Good everyone is here today." The teacher stands up. "We are continuing the labs for gravitation force and inverse square law. Your lab cubicles are ready for you."
"Do I not get someone? And that sounds complicated as hell."
He nods. "Lots of math."
"Ugh."
"Thena, you are with Katen. You'll be in your cubicle."
"Thank you." I get to my cubicle and it's empty. I guess I'll try this on my own.
"I'm Katen. Sorry."
I don't know why she's sorry. "I'm Thena. I don't know anything about what we're doing. I wasn't here yesterday." She opens a box, and it has a bunch of work done. "You did a lot yesterday."
She shakes her head. "I can't get it to work out. And I did this at home. No matter what I try, it doesn't work out right."
I check her paper and, "I have no f*****g idea what is going on. I've never even seen these equations."
"That's the universal constant. I know that part."
I hand her the paper. "I have a tutor in the afternoon. Maybe she can help us."
"That's a good idea. I have a study hall right after lunch? Do you have her then?"
"Yes."
"No." Mrs. McBride takes her paper. "You are putting too much work into this. You have your own theory going. This is a high school general science class. Answer just the questions on the paper."
"Of course." She takes it back and the teacher leaves.
Now I really don't know what's going on. "Are you one of those super smart people?"
"I used to be. I fell off a horse 2 summers ago. Landed on my head and did some damage. Now I never seem to get anything right." She rambles on. "Equations are a fog. I have to work through everything. That's why I worked on this at home. And I thought I was answering the questions. I'm sorry. Every class is a struggle for me anymore. You'll probably fail because of me. I'm lucky if I get D's in my classes. I used to get straight A's in all honors classes."
"You fell off a horse?" I cut her off. She will not stop talking.
"Yes. They thought I broke my neck. But all the damage was to my brain instead."
"I'm so sorry. Do your friends help you?"
"I thought I had friends. We did our classes and everything together. After the accident, they went on together. I'm not in their classes anymore. They won't even acknowledge me. I sit in the bathroom at lunch."
"You can sit with me at lunch, and I'm so sorry about your friends. Well, I guess they weren't your friends. I'm sorry you had to find out like that."
"I can sit with you at lunch?"
"Sure, we have room. I touch my boyfriend a lot and people complain about it. As long as you're ok with that, I don't care."
She hugs me. Then she backs up quickly. "I'm sorry. The brain damage affected other things too. I don't always act right."
"It's ok. I like hugs. Has a healer ever tried to heal you?"
"Yes. My dad found one that works with brains. He tried. But he normally heals unborn baby brains. When they're still in the womb. It was a long shot but he tried. Nothing happened for me."
I stare at her with my mouth open. "There is a healer that heals the brains of unborn babies?"
"Yes. He could heal other things too, but only in unborn babies. He still tried. That's worth everything. At least he tried."
I nod. I still haven't closed my mouth. That is crazy.
"My dad keeps trying to set up an appointment with another one. He grows back limbs. The guy is refusing. I understand, I didn't lose my head."
I put my hand on her head and push magic in. "Don't tell anyone. I'm not ready for people to know I'm a healer. The magic is being absorbed. Do you feel any different? Can you tell anything?"
"I won't say anything. I don't feel anything either."
"We'll have to try another time." I pull my hand off. "It might take a lot of magic and I don't want to knock out an entire class of people."
"Why?"
"I pull from people's life forces to heal trauma."
Her eyebrows shoot up. "You're a trauma healer?"
"Don't tell."
"I promise I won't."
"And this is old trauma. I don't know if I'll be able to make a difference. But I'll try. Would after dinner tomorrow work for you?"
"I'll make it work."
"Come to my house at 7. You can bring your parents. Please bring your parents. How old are you?"
"16."
"Yea, bring them. I'm not sure if I should try without them knowing."
"I will. Thank you for trying."
"Of course."
"Girls, class ended 10 minutes ago. You're late for your next class."
"Sorry." We grab our s**t and run out. That was not a productive science lab.
Katen sneaks over to me at lunch. "Are you sure?"
"Yea, have a seat."
Lila sits across from me. "Hi, Katen. Thena, don't forget we have our rehearsal next Wednesday. It's in the afternoon. You'll have to leave the tutoring."
"Next Wednesday?"
"The concert is Thursday."
"I thought it was this Thursday?"
"No. It's the next one coming around."
I smile and stretch. "My Thursday opened up."
Both of them crack up laughing.
Conner kisses my head and sits down with his food. "I need to hurry out of here. The cash registers and tables came in. They need my help."
"Did you know my concert is next Thursday?"
"Yes."
"I guess I'm the only person who thought it was this week."
Amber sits down. "Hi, Katen. Where did you come from? I haven't seen you in forever."
She smiles. "I usually eat in the bathroom. Thena said I could sit here today."
Amber stares at her. "Do a lot of people do that?"
Conner stares at me like he's completely lost. I shake my head at him.
"Sometimes. Sometimes it's just me."
"Why?"
"I don't know why other people do it. I just don't have anywhere else to sit."
Lila nods. "You sit here now. How are your classes going?"
"Bad. I'm failing everything again. Penn said they'll put me in special classes if they have to hold me back again. I'm trying my best, but it's so foggy to think."
"Keep doing your best. Things will work out."
She smiles and stands up. "That's what my mom says too. Thank you all for letting me eat here. This was much better than the bathroom." She gives me a side hug, then leaves.
Conner is still staring at me. "What the hell?"
Amber answers, "She hit her head a few years ago. She has brain damage."
Lila nods. "Used to be the smartest person in our grade. She was a genius. Now she has problems answering anything. Math is nearly impossible for her. And I guess she hugs people too. She never did that before."
I shrug my shoulders. "I like hugs, and she's my science partner this week. I felt horrible for her when she said she lost all her friends and eats in the bathroom. I told her to sit with me."
Amber picks at her food. "If I knew she was eating in the bathroom, I would have gone and got her. She was always kind and nice to everyone. It sucked that her friends abandoned her. She didn't deserve any of that."
Lila nods. "Nobody does. We can deal with lunch hugs if it keeps her out of the bathroom. I wonder who else eats there."
"No idea." Amber holds up her phone. "Did you see June? She has a black eye and busted head. People are saying her mate did it."
Conner's aura booms.
"What the hell? You nearly knocked me off the chair. I'm right beside you."
"Sorry, babygirl." He pulls my ass so it's close to him again.
"Warning next time, please."
"I need to say hi to June's mate. Where is he?" He looks around.
"He's older." Lila rolls her eyes. "And it's a rumor, Conner. She could have fallen down the stairs. We don't know."
Amber nods. "Stop acting like you're new to high school. Everything is a rumor here. But, I saw him at a basketball game once. Didn't talk to him. He seemed ok."
Conner puts an eyebrow up. "You didn't talk to him, and he seemed ok?"
"He was cheering and stuff. He acted normal."
He rubs his eyes and stands up. "I'm going to work, baby. I'll see you after school."
"Have fun unboxing things."
He chuckles as he walks away.
Amber jumps up. "I need to leave too."
"Did you swallow your taco whole?" Lauren sits by her.
"Pretty much. I need extra time for my bio lab." She runs away.
"That asshole is sitting at the senior table." Lila points.
I turn around and, sure enough, Conner is sitting at a senior table. He's not eating. He's talking to them.
I cross my arms. "I guess I'm not good enough to sit by."
My phone goes off, and it's Lila in the group chat. -I guess some of us aren't good enough to sit by.-
Akmae. -I have to get my math done. These guys are super smart.-
Josh. -Amber was over there. I'm not going over there if she's there.-
Monte. -I remember high school now.-
Clayton sends a bunch of laughing faces.
Conner. -I'm asking about June. I'll be there in a minute.-
I laugh. "You called them all out."
"I didn't mean too. But that was funny. Here he comes."
He wraps his arms around me and kisses my head. "I was asking about her eye, baby. I do have to leave. I love you."
"I love you too."
- Writer
