Wintercrest Academy

Weird, Bren. Weird.

“Everyone. Let’s listen up.” Big K clinks a spoon on his glass cup. He’d cooked a nice dinner that Sunday evening to celebrate Kaia’s Metleys win. “You all know why we’re gathered here. No need to say it.” Chuckles fill the room. They are seated round a table at Big K’s feasting and sharing jokes. Kaia invited Cliché, Adan and Astrid. Diane, Keanu and their Dad makes them 7.

           “Kaia,” he stares at his daughter, adoration in his eyes. “We’re all proud of you. Very. You studied so hard for this. And you deserve this. Thank you for always making me smile. Making me so proud to call you my daughter. Making your friends proud to call you their friend. I thank God for you every day. Now, we’re going to toast to you getting everything you deserve. To many, many wins. To Kaia.”      

           “To Kaia!” Everyone clinks their glasses and Dad goes back to telling them about Kaia’s first urine-powered toy bike. Which, quite disgusting.

           “I’m really happy for you, Kaia. You’re a real genius.” Astrid drapes an arm over Kaia’s shoulder.

           Kaia leans into her. “Thanks. I’m glad we were able to finish strong. I feel like I would sleep forever!”           

           “As you should. Make sure you wake up though.” Adan smiles. “Here.” He hands her a gift bag.

           “What’s that?”

           “Open it.” Astrid nudges and she does. She emerges with two necklaces: one that has a heart rate pattern and heart for pendant and the other has a brain pendant, then a shirt that reads ‘I wear this shirt periodically but only when I’m in my element’ and then a periodic table in the middle.

           “You guys!” Kaia swoons. “This is so cute! Thank you!” she pulls the two of them in for a group hug. Adan helps her put the necklace. “I’m never taking this off.”

           Astrid huffs. “But you'll take the shirt off, won’t you?”

           Adan and Kaia giggle at her animated frown. It’s obvious to Kaia now that the necklaces are from Adan and the shirt is from Astrid. They had brought a bouquet earlier and Cliché had made a picture frame of her. She’s happy. She truly is. She absentmindedly fiddles with the pendant.

           “Kaia!” Cliché calls from the middle of the restaurant that has now turn to a mini dance floor. “Let’s dance!” When Kaia gets up, she pulls Adan and Astrid with her. On the dance floor, Dad and Keanu bust the silliest moves, cracking the others up. They dance around in a circle and each person dances in the centre turn by turn.

           By the time they’re done celebrating, it’s almost 10pm and everyone is spent. They say goodbye and Dad and Keanu go to the car while Kaia locks the door.

           “Kaia,” someone calls from the corner of the street. She jumps in fear and when she turns, she sees Bren. Bren?!

           “Hi. What are you—what are you doing here?”

           “I wanted to say thanks. For yesterday. The panic attack. And everything.” He pointedly avoids her gaze, kicking invisible rocks on the pavement.

           “Oh. You didn’t have to come all the way to say that.” She flashes him a small, uncertain smile.

           He nods. “I know. I just—wanted to say it. To your face.”

           Wait a minute. Kaia narrows her eyes, her mind working fast. “How long have you been here?”

           Bren tilts his head up so Kaia gets a full view of the sharp angles of his jaw. “Like an hour, or so.”

           Kaia’s eyes double their size. “An hour? You were all that time? Why didn’t you come in? Or call? Why did you—" she studies his seemingly nervous eyes, his feet kicking at the floor, his jaw still clenching and tensing. “Bren. Is everything okay?”

           “Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be? Don’t forget there'll be some kind of press in school tomorrow,” he says, and points his car keys to the direction of his car. The car beeps and blinks.

           “Bren.” Kaia calls him and he turns back. “Thank you too. For everything.” A ghost of a smirk crosses his face. “But . . .why did you actually come here? I wouldn’t have minded it if you came inside to eat with us.”

           “I have enough to eat at home,” he says, and there it is, the real Bren. Waspish and annoying. “See you in school, Kaia.” With that, he enters his car and drives away.

           “Dolphin. Is everything okay? Who was that?”

           Everything is not okay. Bren is being weird. Very weird.