My best friend is a nine tailed fox. He sneaks out at night and turns into some creature with nine tails. It’s a secret, nobody knows but me; his best friend; Joan. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone.
“Seriously?”Joan jumped, her pen falling off in the process. King laughed loudly, his eyes twinkling mischievously as he laughed. He had spoken very close to her ear. She sighed, picking up the fallen pen and turning back to her writing.“Your best friend is a nine tailed fox” he repeated, coming to rest on the table she was writing on.“Yes” she snickered, looking up at him, “You sneak out at night and turn into some creature with nine tails. It’s a secret, nobody knows but me; your best friend; Joan. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone”She finished in a dramatic whisper, a small smile on her face as she watched him burst into laughter again.“You've watched too many Korean series” he commented when he finally stopped laughing.“Like you don’t watch them with me also” she replied, shutting the book she had been scribbling on. His eyes followed her movement then he looked back at her.They stared at each other. She was used to their stared. They would stop halfway in a conversation and just stare at each other or one of them would sight the other somewhere and they would venture into a staring contest.“It’s nice to know you’re always thinking of me” he spoke finally.She scoffed, looking away from him to anything else.“I was bored and I found myself scribbling nonsense”“Because your brain has so much information about me. I'd say I am the first thing you think about when you wake up and the last thing you think about before sleeping”She had already started shaking her head before he completed his statement.“Where do you get such ideas from?” she laughed nervously, looking back at him. He chuckled, going to lie backwards on her bed. She turned around on her chair to face him properly while he looked back at her from the bed.“Isn’t it true?” he asked, expressionlessly.“No, King. You’re not the first person I think of when I wake and definitely not the last person I think of before I sleep”“Ok”“Ok?” she raised a brow.He laughed, “Ok. What else do you want me to say?”“Did you see my mum before you came up?” she changed the subject, glancing at her room door.“Yeah, with a visitor. They’re in the kitchen”She turned back around, facing her reading table and opening her book again. She placed big strokes across the last thing she penned down and then hesitated before tearing the page off and throwing it into the waste bin.“Do you want to go out? Take a walk or do some other thing?” he asked.“You can go yourself”“I wouldn’t be asking you if I wanted to go myself”She didn’t reply instead she drew. When the drawing became clear, she realized she was drawing him.“Thinking of me again”She jumped, again. She flung her hands at him, successfully hitting him on the forehead. He always had his way of creeping up on her.“It’s nice” he admired. His jaw rested on her right shoulder so it made funny movements as he talked. She added strokes and slashes, completing the drawing. It didn’t exactly look like him but they both knew who she had been drawing.“You can add it to the ones in your room” she offered, tearing the page off and folding it into a neat square.“What?” she asked when he didn’t say anything. He sniffed her neck in reply.“Are you prepared for school tomorrow?” he asked, taking the folded paper from her.“Yeah. You?”“What I did before coming here. Actually I came here to sleep” he replied, placing a kiss on her neck before leaving.She turned around, watching him lie on her bed comfortably.“I’ve told you to stop staying up late. It’s not good for your health not anyone’s for that matter. At least 4 nights a week, get a good 8 hour sleep” she advised.“You know” was his reply.“I know King, I know but it doesn’t excuse you”“I’ll sleep now”She sighed, staring at his back he had covered with her duvet.“I’ll be here when you wake”*Joan slipped on a jacket over her gown as she picked up her bag from her bed. She glanced at the rumpled bed, she'd just have to leave it that way till she returns from school, she was lateShe took a quick look at herself in the mirror, just enough to see that her clothes were in order, that her face didn’t have any weird particles on it and that her hair was neatly brushed. She wasn’t a fan of vanity, spending long minutes on front of the mirror, for what exactly?“Good morning mum” she greeted as she came into the kitchen, giving her a hug.“How was your night, darling?” her mother, Mrs. Michaels, asked, moving to rub her head. She dodged as always.“Fine.” she replied, sitting at the table in the kitchen. She picked her mug her mother had already laid out before hand and poured he self tea from the teapot that was still very much hot.“I'm late.” she sighed after taking a sip of her tea, watching her mother scrub the kitchen counter clean.“As always. Just make sure you put something in that flat stomach of yours before leaving my house.”She chuckled at her mother’s expression. Her mother was a beauty even in her late fourties with he heart shaped face, big eyes, small nose and slightly wide lips. Her hair was packed, as it was most times, in a ponytail.She looked away, picking up a toast from the stack on the table. She bit into it, reveling in its goodness.“What time did King leave yesterday?” her mother asked“11.”“He slept.” she added as a way of explanation. Her mother didn’t reply.“I’m leaving.” she announced, picking two more pieces of toast. Her mother looked at her about to say something then shut her mouth.“Finish that tea” her mother ordered.She replaced the toast then picked up the mug, gulping down its content hurriedly. She picked the toasts again."I'm done! I'm leaving!" she shouted, hurrying out of the house.Sisi lived right beside her. She was late, Sisi was much worse. She would probably just be taking her bath. She rang the doorbell just as the door flung open."I'm ready!" Sisi announced, a bright sheepish smile on her face, her arms spread apart to buttress her point. She laughed, handing Sisi a toast.Sisi mumbled a thanks as she shut her door and locked it."Part of the reason I'm still friends with you is because of this baby over here. Otherwise, well..." She said jokingly, gesturing to Sisi's blue mustang parked on her driveway.Sisi laughed loudly."Lies" Sisi said.The car beeped, showing Sisi had unlocked it. They got into the car; Sisi at the driver's seat and she at the passenger's seat."I'm considering taking driving lessons" she said as she buckled her seatbelt. Sisi gave her a look at the act."Or you'll just teach me" she added, ignoring the look. Of course, Sisi didn't do seatbelts."Babe, better go and learn from professionals. I'll just teach you to destroy roads" Sisi spoke, finishing her toast.She chuckled, handing Sisi the second one."Okay" Sisi laughed, “I'll eat for the both of us""Fast fast" she hurried Sisi who finished the toast in three bites."Good girl" she hailed laughing.Sisi shook her head, a sorrowful look on her face as she started the car and they drove to school.Sisi was a year older than her. She was seventeen, Sisi was eighteen but they were both in the same grade, grade 12. Also Keisha and Selena, who were also eighteen.They were in the cafeteria after having the first half of their classes.The cafeteria, as expected, was crowded and noisy. She and her friends sat on their table at the far end of the cafeteria."I love your braids" Selena said to her and she gave her a look."Girl, I've been on this braids for two weeks now"Keisha snickered while Sisi typed away on her phone."It looks new to me" Selena shrugged."Madeline is just an attention seeker" Keisha commented and they all looked to the group that was making the most noise."You're a cheat! You hear me! A cheat! I can't believe I fell for you, you liar!" Madeline, the ever pompous girl of their set shouted at her boyfriend, Niel, now ex-boyfriend.Niel was sitted on his table with his friends, a bored look on his face as he twirled his car keys in his fingers while Made
"How many times have I ... Why do you let this happen!? What is wrong with you!?" She shouted, her hands hanging loosely at her sides, not making any move to hug him back but not pushing him away either."I'm sorry" he murmured."No!" She continued, "You're not! You're not, King! Everytime this and you keep complaining yet you don't do anything about it. What's wrong with you!?""I'm sorry"She opened her mouth to shout again but then closed it, shutting her eyes and taking deep breathes to calm herself."I'm sorry" he repeated.They fell silent."Just let me go" she spoke upon opening her eyes.He did slowly and reluctantly, his eyes searching hers. She looked away."Sit there" she nodded at the dining. He complied. She opened a cupboard, bringing out a first aid kit from there."You see this?" She asked him, bringing out an almost empty pack of cotton wool from the kit as she walked up to him."Most of it ended up on your face" she slammed the kit angrily on the table.
“Why would he stay the night when he has a home?”Joan stared at the floor.“You have not given me a tangible reason, Joan. He cannot just stay the night whenever he wishes. He has parents, he has a home. He needs to be more responsible. So, NO King cannot stay the night. If you don’t have anything else important to say, you can leave my room. I am angry with you enough.”Her mother turned the other way on her bed, concentrating on whatever it was she was doing on her phone. She sighed, shuffling her feet. She wanted to tell her mother the truth, everything about King but there was something holding her back, something she couldn’t quite figure out.“Mum, please. I wouldn’t ask you if it wasn’t necessary, he'd leave very early tomorrow morning, I promise.”Her mother didn’t reply. She moved the distance and stood in front of her.“Its late. You can’t expect him to go out by this time.”“I’m pretty sure the streets are still overflowing with people. He better leave now.” her mot
He didn’t have much yet he spent a good amount each day, going back and forth. No matter how many times she pleaded, he wouldn’t let he visit him, she didn’t even know his address.Plus… “King?” she called when she stepped into the sitting room and didn’t find him there. She checked the kitchen and her room and the guest room but there was no sign of him.King was gone.*“You could have told me you were leaving. I was very worried… Just get out of my phone.”Joan cut the call, entering into Sisi’s car where Sisi was already waiting.“Who was that?” Sisi asked curiously. “Someone.” She replied curtly. Sisi didn’t know of their relationship, didn’t know that King was her best friend neither did any of her other friends. Sisi had seen King a few times but she hadn’t suspected anything. She didn’t feel the need to inform them, she wanted her relationship with King private.No toast?” Sisi asked, seeing she wasn’t in a good mood.She face palmed, realizing she had forgotten
“Whatever it is you have to say, say it and stop beating round the bush.”“Or I may lose interest.” She added, smirking.He laughed nervously, and ran a hand across his face then he stopped, his smile dropping.“Okay. Joan Michaels” he started, looking her directly in the eye, “Would you like to go on a date with me this week?”*Flashback…“Joan Michaels, would you like to go on a date with me this week?”She pretended to think about the question, her lips forming into a pout and her brows, furrowing.“I don’t know, King Johannson. What does this date have to offer?” she questioned after a long moment of silence.15 year old King blinked innocently, looking up at her.“A lot, Joan Michaels.” He said, “A princess crown, the best dress ever made in this universe, specially prepared food and my heart on a platter of gold.”She twirled her hair around her fingers, her left hand on her in a pose as she stared down at him, knelt down on one knee, a single rose held up in his two
“Avoid him from now on.” Beck warned, as all three of them shot her accusing looks. She glanced at Koty who couldn’t even keep his eyes open.“I’m sorry… I …” she stuttered in confusion.“Just do what I said.” Beck repeated harshly then they walked away. Beck and Francis supporting Koty on either sides. It was then she noticed they had a small audience gathered around, her friends included.She watched helplessly as they moved farther and farther away from her.*She wasn’t allowed into the clinic where Koty rested; Francis, Beck and Jude made sure of that. She couldn’t concentrate on her books, she avoided her friends perpetual questions and then hurried home immediately the bell rang. Koty was the only thing on her mind, she felt guilty but then she consoled herself with the fact that she had not done anything wrong. She had not known Koty was asthmatic and even if she knew, was she supposed to have accepted his proposal out of pity? Koty didn’t deserve that, he deserved someone
“There’s Koty.” He pointed out.“That’s different. I only felt like giving in out of pity.”“Glad you've figured that out.”“And besides he’s just one guy.”He nodded.“We'll just get married to each other.” He said after a while.She chuckled, “That sounds nice. Our kids will have your eyes.”“I’m joking.”“I’m not.”“I’m not.”They burst out laughing.*King looked back as the train began moving. He watched as she became smaller and smaller until he could see her no more then he turned around and looked ahead. He adjusted his bag to his other shoulder when he noticed it was inconveniencing the old woman sitted next to him and then he leaned back into his seat and immersed himself in thoughts of her; his best friend, Joan Michaels. She was always on his mind. He had teased her about thinking of him always but he was also guilty of that. She was not exactly the first thing he thought of when he woke and the last thing he thought before he slept but she was constantly on h
She would pet him and clean his wounds and then send him back with a kiss; so that every time, no matter the injuries he sustained on his body, his soul wasn’t broken. He still felt happy, like a normal eighteen year old adult living a normal life with the best friend he loved.*Joan stood in front of the school's clinic door, glaring at it. Koty was in there and also his latest bodyguards; Francis, Beck and Jude. Koty was fine, he had come to the clinic for something and she found out and followed him. She had to speak to him whether his friends wanted her to or not; they weren’t his parents.The door opened and Beck stepped out first. His calm look changed to an accusing one when his eyes met hers and he glared daggers at her, stopping his movement.“I have to speak to him.” She spoke regardless, arms folded. It seemed like Koty was directly behind him because he turned back and said,“Colton, no. You’re not speaking to this girl.”“This girl has a name.” she interrupted rudely