Involved In A Gruesome Accident

               Shopping with my mother was definitely not a favorite on my non-existent list of favorites. It was a condition that granted me time with her, although not nearly enough of it according to her. It too, on the other hand, granted me more time to do the things I didn't want to do. It was all a part of her grand plan you see.

               Mother always took at least six hours to make sure she had everything that she wanted or needed, some of which in my opinion were totally unnecessary. I still wouldn't deny the reason why I've never put up a fight against it; I sort of liked spending time with her and it was in most of these shopping sprees that I could see that she truly cared for me. There are a few things she would say sometimes and I know they couldn't be from anywhere else but the bottom of her heart. Like sometimes looping my arm with hers and telling me she loved me before she asked my opinion on something she considered purchasing.

               "No, I got it," Andre said when I told him I wouldn't mind pushing the trolley while my mom picked out stuff. He wouldn't budge, I knew that like the back of my hand. The most he has ever let me do was take turns pushing it, so that is exactly what I went for again.

               Andre took back the trolley from me after about thirty minutes and that's when I couldn't keep it in anymore. "I need to talk to you," I told him while failing to meet his eyes.

                His face immediately turned serious as he regarded me silently for a short while, as if looking to find exactly where the problem was. "Is everything alright?" He asked, unable to hide the concern in his eyes.

               I nodded. "I guess so."

               Andre stopped rolling the trolley. "Do you want to go for a drive later on and talk about it?"

               "Not today," I replied. "But a drive would be nice."

               He seemed to think about it for a while before finally nodding. Andre then suddenly gripped my wrist. "Just promise me you're genuinely fine."

               I put a hand over his, covering it then stroking softly. "Aw Andre," I said. "Don't tell me you're finally admitting to being the biggest softie I've ever seen."

               He pulled his hand away. "I'm being serious. I don't take things lightly when it comes to you, you know that."

               "Yeah, I know. I'm okay, I promise."

               He ruffled my hair and made me look him in the eye. "I love you, you know."

               My eyes have never darted away from someone so fast. What in the name of— "What the fuck...you can't just say that out of nowhere!" I pulled his hand away from my hair.

               "Aww...who's the softie now?" Andre asked with a smug face, his lips pulling into an annoying smirk. I'll admit; he got me. But I'll only admit it inside my head. Never to his face.

               My phone chimed with a message and I couldn't be more grateful for the timing. I made a face at Andre before looking down to check it. Andre continued to push the trolley towards my mom after letting out a deep chuckle. I turned to walk after him while checking the text from Kayden, already distracted and almost unaware of anything else around me.

Kay:
jujuuuuu!

               I would deny it if anyone else said anything but there was instantly a full blown smile on my face. Coming back for a break from school, I thought everything was just going to be the way I expected. I was wrong. I was so wrong. Every day was different lately...I'd even wake up happy for no reason.

               In our texts, Kayden talked about anything. It could be the middle of the night and he'll send me a text asking why cake couldn't be 3.14. Why did it have to be a pie? And we'd go on to talk about it and several other topics until one of us got drowsy. Hardly.

               Right now, we fell into a talk about weird and rare kinds of birds.

                "Julian!" Mom calls out like a warning. "Who are you texting? This is supposed to be our time."

              Oops. I made a show of putting the phone in my hoodie, then got it back out when she went to throw her attention all over something else. I was already smirking.

Me:
what even is a frogmouth

Kay:
you don't know?? wait i'll send you a picture

               The picture that Kayden sends is one of himself taken from a low angle like he is looking into the phone. His eyes were narrowed and his lips twisted and pointed with the silliest expression on his face.

Kay:
i swear it looks sort of like that

               I laughed out loud immediately after seeing it. And I must have laughed really loud because I got a few people's attention, including my mom.

               She walked back towards me. "It's almost like I haven't seen you this distracted before. Hand it over," she said and put her hand out for my phone.

               "No, wait mom," I said and she cocked her head, she was serious. I didn't want to give it to her. I wanted to text him back. Regardless, I hung my head low in defeat and handed her the phone.

               She stuffed it inside her bag and we continued to shop. "I'm amazed too, my lord," said Andre, falling into step with me. "What has you so distracted?"

               I shrugged quickly and shoved my hands inside the pockets of my hoodie. "Stuff."

               Andre chuckled and didn't bring it up again. But he made the entire shopping spree far more bearable. For the umpteenth time, I didn't know what I would do without Andre in my life.

•••

               It'd been about three hours and my phone was somewhere in that bottomless bag of hers, and it's all I could think about.

               I chuckled at the memory of Kayden's picture. And much later, when I got my phone back, I was still excited about texting with Kayden but to my dismay, as I finally got to my room and opened the chats, the picture was gone.

Kay:
ju...seriously where'd you go

juuuuu

jujuuuuu

Kay:
did you die? is this what this is? you're involved in a gruesome accident?
please don't be

then again, you got MIB...

Kay:
you're damn cold man
fine ignore me

Kay:
come back

Kay:
no whatever bye

               Ignoring all of his complaints about my sudden disappearance, I sent my own complaint. Sort-of.

Me:
where is it

               I demanded for the picture, not quite ready to accept that he had just deleted the picture like that. The reply was immediate.

Kay:
it was stupid
you finally remembered my existence

Me:
i didn't want to leave you hanging, I had no choice
now send it back

Kay:
i ain't sending you shit😤

               Kayden sent the text with that grumpy emoji and I couldn't help but smile. It felt like he was sulking over the fact that I had disappeared for hours. It made my insides whir with happiness.

Me:
send it back if you know what's good for you

Kay:
huh, you threatenin me?

Me:
and if i am

               It took a while before he answered this time. I sat anxiously waiting for the reply.

Kay:
that shit aint gon' work on me 😈👿

               I suddenly heard footsteps approach my door and it partly distracted me from texting Kayden back. I knew it was my mom because there would hardly be anyone else walking around the house in heels.

               She pushed my door ajar first before slowly opening it widely. "Your sweater," she told me as she handed me the navy blue hoodie. "I have to say, the colour is rather alluring. You will look quite handsome in it. But there's much better sweaters if you ever let me help you pick out your clothing."

                "Thank you," I replied as I got up to pick the hoodie from her. "I think I'll do fine with this kind, mom." It just might be the first time she has ever complimented one of my hoodies. She is not a big fan of the things.

               "Fine fine," she said while putting her hands up in mock resignation. Her diamond bracelet moved on her wrist as the matching earrings swung with the turn of her head, as if to go. She stopped like she was in thought. "Seriously, what are you so fixated on?"

                I chose to ignore that question and subtly ushered her out. "Thank you, mom!"

               "Fine," she said while stepping away. "She is a beautiful girl, but you'll have to buy the right sweaters to win her over. I'll be waiting for when that time comes."

               After she left, I then realized that she was obviously talking about Katey. I almost chuckled at how far from the mark she was as I went back to my phone, mindlessly throwing the hoodie on my bed.

               I quickly checked my phone.

Kay:
you there?

               I suddenly got an idea, and I was dying to see if it would work.

Me:
I'm not replying till you send it back

               He replied immediately, like he never took his eyes off his phone during our entire conversation.

Kay:
no shit?

               I didn't reply.

Kay:
it's cool, like i said you can't threaten me.

               After reading his reply, I wasn't so sure about it anymore. Maybe he wouldn't actually cave, there was no guarantee for it. And it wasn't like he was dying to talk to me anyway, who put that idea into my head?

               I frowned, then grabbed my phone to tell him I was only joking, but still, a part of me wanted to stand my ground. Maybe it was just to see exactly how long it would play out for. And deep deep down, I knew it would send me over the moon to find out that he couldn't resist talking to me. I don't even know why I wanted it so badly.

               Three minutes felt like thirty or more. They turned to five. I watched my phone screen more attentively than any man in uniform.

               It felt like forever before I sighed and got off the bed. I cracked my knuckles and sighed again while walking to put my new hoodie in the closet.

               "Come on Julian," I said to myself, avoiding the bed and anything that lay on it—my phone and frustration. "Think of something else to do..."

               In the end, I decided on a quick shower, although I tried to drag this one out. Showers always lessened the stress, no matter what it was. It felt good while it lasted and after that. I realised I'd also built some resolve while inside there. I could maybe ignore him for another thirty minutes.

               Disappointment flooded me when I picked up the phone immediately after dressing for bed. Wow... like you couldn't just wait to check Julian.

               It wasn't in vain. It wasn't in vain because Kayden had texted me back. I was smiling a little too widely before I could even properly see. I covered my mouth and muffled my laughter when I saw his silly picture of what was apparently a frogmouth, which also happened to be a bird.

               He'd sent a text below it and I could honestly hear him say it in my head.

Kay:
if you don't reply in the next few minutes I'm unsending it for good