Wintercrest Academy

All for Kaia

The October air is chilly and warm at the same time. Okay, no. It’s not warm. That’s just Bren’s body heating because Kaia would be here any minute now.

           “Crap.” He ruffles his hair and sits straighter. He reclines in his seat, sit straighter and just repeats the process which makes him more nervous. Why the heck am I nervous to see her? He feels too warm for his coat so he takes it off and drapes it around his chair. When he swivels back around, his eyes meet Kaia’s. She stands at the top of the staircase, an oversized yellow hoodie making her seem smaller than she actually is. Her braids—gosh, he’s in love with those braids—frame her small face and the honey brown colour of the hair makes the dark brown colour of her eyes sparkle. When she smiles, her dimples form and they’re the loveliest thing Bren has ever set his eyes on.

           “Yep, I’m doomed,” he waves at her and she waddles over. God, she’s cute. Too cute.     “Hey,” she says and slides into the seat opposite him.

           “You’re very punctual,” he blurts because his brain is incapable of functioning at the sight of Kaia Mahoe.

           “You know that already.” She smiles again and Bren just gets sucked into those dimples. Her eyes are a blanket and he wants to wrap himself in her gaze and remain there forever. No, Bren! He internally slaps himself hard across the face. That’s not why we’re here.

           “Yeah. So . . .” should he exchange pleasantries? Ask any formal questions? Argh, conversations with your agemate shouldn’t be this hard! Stupid feelings.

           “So?” she brings him back to the table.

           “Shira. The whole project thing. I’m kind of glad you two haven’t met up. Alone.”

           She rolls her eyes. “Is this why you pulled me out of work? I came because I thought you had something important to say.”

           “It is,” he shrugs.

           “Why are you taking my side? When she slapped me, you ran to me instead of doing nothing. Now, you’re ‘glad’ that we haven’t met up. It doesn’t make sense, Brennon Kang. Do you hate me, or do you not?”

           I’ve tried to hate you. It didn’t work. “I hate you,” he smiles sweetly. “But . . .I’m a good person. I fight against injustice.”

           Kaia huffs. “What makes you think you’re a good person?” when he opens his mouth to answer, Kaia holds her hand up. “Don’t answer. It was a rhetoric question.”

           Bren chuckles but it’s a low sound. “Wanna . . .order anything?” she shakes her head no, so Bren moves on to the real reason he called her here. “So, the reason I asked to meet you—”

           “Finally.”

           “—shush. The White House thing.”

           Kaia nods slowly. Bren notices that she tensed a little when he mentioned it, but she shook it off instantly. “What about it?” she asks.

           “I wanna go.”

           She lifts her gaze steadily until it meets with his. “Okay,” she says. No arguments, no disputes. Absolutely nothing. Bren scoffs, this brat really undermines herself.

           “I really want to go just so I can have it in my books that I was at the White House as a high schooler.  But . . .you deserve to go. Cause . . .they need just one student, and you’re obviously—”

           “Don’t do that, Bren,” she sighs.

           “Listen to me.” He leans in. “You should go to Washington. It’s going to be the best thing ever. You’d get to meet with people who would absolutely love and endorse your Harvard dream. You deserve to shake hands with the President. You.”

           Kaia is stunned. Her lips are parted and quiver like she’s about to say something, but she just lets out a shaky breath. “That’s ridiculous, Bren. I don’t even know what the criteria for selection would be. It could be anyone else. A senior for that matter. They need this right now more than we do. Why would you think that I should go?”

           Bren folds his arm and reclines in his seat. “You know,” he itches his chin. “Excellence. It was a keyword in the memo. You’re excellent, Kaia. Don’t act like you aren’t.” The word is repulsive to him because of how much his dad throws it around in his face.

           “Look,” he carries on. “My dad was at school yesterday. I’m not sure why the heck he came, but I have a very strong feeling it has something to do with this. If I’m suddenly selected to go, you should rebel. I’d refuse it too so they’d have no choice but to select you.”

           There’s apparent shock written on Kaia’s face. “What do—how can . . .why are you telling me this?”

           “Because there’s a high chance it’d get political. Between the day the announcement was made and today, five more parents have come to visit Principal Jan. It’s not coincidental. We’re talking about the White House here. Do you know the kinds of benefits that’d come from being there?” He takes a deep breath. “I’m very sure my dad wants me to go. But I won’t.”

           Kaia’s eyes double their size. “You’re going to rebel?”

           “Yes.”

           “He’d kick you out again.”

           This makes him smile. She remembers. “I’d kick myself out before he can do that.”

           She shakes her head. “No, Bren. Don’t disobey. You just said it yourself how beneficial going to Washington would be. He wants the best for you, so you should go if he wants you to.”

           Bren snorts. “He thinks he can get anything on demand just because he’s Jacob Kang. Too bad. I have no intentions of going even if he makes Principal Jan select me. So, I called you here today to let you know that. I’d be rooting for you, even though you’d be up against a good number of wealthy, influential families. And mine. Welcome to Wintercrest.”

           Kaia sits silent, like she’s trying to process all Bren just told her. He gives her time; he had expected that reaction anyway.

           “I . . . you shouldn’t rebel against your dad.”

           “I already have in advance,” Bren says with finality. “Don’t bother yourself.”

           “Really, Bren. You should go. If you’re saying the whole selection process could get political, then . . .I don’t stand a chance. My dad’s a small, local restaurant owner, I’m a delivery girl at the same. We don’t have a crazy ton of money. We’re not on the covers of magazines and we don’t headline articles and the news. We don’t have a mansion for a house. So if all these parents go and pitch their children to Principal Jan, you think she’d consider me? You go. That’s going to make me happy. I’d be satisfied knowing that you went because it wouldn’t be a political decision. It'd be fair. You’re excellent. In every form of the word.”

           The world stops. The rooftop of Daisies and Dessert falls into pieces and Bren and Kaia are the only ones there. ‘You’re excellent. In every form of the word.’ This statement is about to give him a heart attack. Also, an emotional attack. It’s not like he doesn’t hear it all the time. Everyone says it. Except Jacob Kang, of course. But hearing Kaia say it, it makes it feel real.

           “Uhh, Bren,” Kaia waves her hand in his face. “You’re red. Is everything okay?”

           He blinks into consciousness and the world around him picks up. Darn, pale skin. “There’s . . .an arcade place down the street. It’s mostly deserted on weekdays. I want to go. With you.”

                                                                       ****

           “Sure. I’d pick all of them up this evening. Thank you very much!” Mr Ariel hangs up and gestures for Kaia to sit. “Pleasant surprise.”

           “Indeed,” Kaia smiles and slides over a bag of cupcakes to him. “This is ‘thank you for the SAT lunch’ cupcake.”

           “SAT lunch?” Mr Ariel says with a laugh. He grabs the bag and picking out a red velvet cupcake, he takes a bite. “Mmmm,” he moans his satisfaction with closed eyes. “This is . . .amazing, Kaia. You’re going to steal my heart if you keep bringing these delicious baked goods.”

           “No way,” Kaia waves off the compliment with a smile. “It’s also a customer reminder that you should stop by Big K’s sometime. If you bring a friend, I’d give them a free meal twice that week.”

           “Ohhhh,” Mr Ariel coos. “Very business savvy,” he says and they both laugh. His phone vibrates on the table and Kaia’s eyes instinctively flicker to it. The caller ID reads Lindsay. Lindsay. The person he was having hushed conversations with the day Bren kissed her neck. She had managed to catch the name. This ‘Lindsay’ is also the one who called repeatedly the day he took her out for dinner. And now, just like that time, he’s refusing to answer it.

           “I was just leaving, sir.” She gets up. “You probably should take that.”

           “Hold on,” Mr Ariel grips her wrist. With his free hand, he swipes red on his phone and turns it off. “I have something for you.” He shuffles in his drawer and emerges with a small jewellery box he holds out to Kaia. “Here. For you.”

           Kaia shakes her vigorously and takes backward steps. “No way, sir. I can’t accept this from you.”

           “Why not?” Sadness takes over his expression.

           “It’s too much. I mean, I didn’t do anything to deserve such an expensive gift. I can’t take it.” She can tell it’s expensive just by the velvety design of the box.

           Mr Ariel gets up too. “What did I tell you about saying things like this?” Her mind goes back to the day he took her out for dinner. He had emphasized how she deserved everything in the world.

           “Still,” she insists. “I appreciate it, sir. But . . .I can’t.” she bobs her head and turns to leave, but is stopped when Mr Ariel suddenly spins her back around. She gasps in terror. She shouldn’t be terrified. It’s Mr Ariel. Yet, her heart slams so noisily against her ribcage.

           “Don’t say no to me, Kaia.” His voice is pleading and so are his eyes. “I got this specifically for you. Don’t reject me.”

           What? “I’m . . .it’s not—” She glances at his hands still firmly holding her arms and he releases her.

           “Did I scare you? Oh, my Kaia. I’m so sorry.” He pulls her head into the nook of his shoulders and pats her back. Kaia freezes, genuinely stunned by the sudden emotion. How and why is he hugging her? It terrifies her even more. But it’s Mr Ariel. She shouldn’t be terrified. He pulls her away and holds her at arm’s length. He studies her face for a while and Kaia is certain he can see the horror in it because he releases her and goes to open the jewellery box. The necklace is silver and sparkly. Kaia is unable to make out what the pendant is made of.

           “Here. Let me put it on for you.” Mr Ariel goes to stand behind her before she can reply. He puts on the necklace while Kaia just stands stiff. “Wow!” he claps when he’s done. “This, this was made just for you, Kaia.”

           She doesn’t look down to see it. “Mr Ariel, I—”

           The door opens abruptly, and there, standing with her cat eyed glasses is Shira. She glances suspiciously between Mr Ariel and Kaia and then her eyes fall to the necklace. A ghost of a smirk passes her face and Kaia knows she’s going to create a mess of this. She swallows.

           “I came to find Bren. I thought he’d be here. But since he’s not, I’d just leave.” She smirks again while taking backward steps. Giving the necklace one long, last stare, she exits the lab and shuts the door.

           Kaia gently raises her hand to the necklace, and taking it off, she drops it on Mr Ariel’s table.

           “Kaia,” he says softly.

           “Thank you. I can’t take it.” She doesn’t need to look at him to see the sadness in his eyes. She doesn’t have to give it any thought to know that something is up with Mr Ariel. She has to find Bren. Fast.