Sketches

26. Moving Foward

Josiah

"What took you so long?" Jacob whined from the passenger seat.

I shrugged, getting in the back of Killian's car. My mind was reeling. Daniel knew who I was...well he knew about my art. Not only that but he liked it. He had actually said he liked it. If there was something I was not prepared for it was Daniel Baring liking my art and him discovering it but mostly...the liking it part.

"Josiah!" Killian's voice startled me, pulling me out of my endless spiral. His eyes narrowed and he leaned back staring at me through the rearview mirror, "What's going on?"

I shrugged. I didn't have time for Killian and his questions, there was a lot to process starting with the fact that Daniel had been in a fire. I had noticed the faint scarring before but I had considered it none of my business but now that I knew what caused them I had so many questions starting with how old he was and was also a lone survivor like me...

"Move!" Jacob yelled.

I startled out of my thoughts, again. I stared at Jacob, he looked like he was ready to blow a gasket. I shrugged and moved towards the left. It took me a little longer to notice we were not in my school's parking lot anymore. Somehow while I was in my thoughts we had moved from my school to... Wherever we were picking up Kennedy from.

"What's with him?" Jacob grumbled from beside me.

I ignored him, choosing to focus on Kennedy who had joined us, supposedly displacing Jacob from the front passenger seat. Kennedy turned to look at me and she smiled before glancing over at her twin, "Did you ask him?"

"He is kinda not fully here," Killian replied.

"You make it sound like he left his tail in the third dimension or something?"

Jacob squawked from beside me, "How do you even know those words, Kennedy. Aren't, you like old and boring?"

A laugh slipped through my lips and Kennedy glared at me. She ignored Jacob and addressed her question to me instead, "How are you feeling?"

How was I feeling? I wanted to know that too. Because how was I supposed to feel? Not only had Daniel voiced my concerns but he had said my story was the reason he ran out. But not because of the intensity of it but because of his memories. And now what? He knew. He freaking knew. I mean...he didn't think it was some psycho stalker planning to body snatch him but still, he knew just how obsessed with him I was. How does one even summarise all that into one emotion?

"Come on. You know you have to tell me. Your therapist said you should at least try to answer this question every once in a while."

Uh huh. Of course she did. That's definitely something Dr Getrude would want people to ask because she herself would ask that. I looked away ignoring the whirling in my head. My memories were nothing but a concoction of feelings voicing that would require me to explain a lot and I just wasn't ready for that.

"Josiah." Kennedy's voice probed.

I looked at her. Challenging her to ask again. I didn't need her to interfere, at least not today. I glanced at Jacob who had given up on the whole situation and was playing games with his headphones plugged in. Killian on the other hand was pretending to not care but he wasn't very good at it because he kept glancing at the rearview mirror eyes meeting mine every few seconds.

I shook my head and Kennedy smiled, "Ok. Later then."

Kilian groaned beside Kennedy and Kinnedy elbowed him in the ribs. It didn't really do much because after a beat he spoke up.

"Look Jos, I think you should give up on this boy. I mean he is clearly the reason why you are a walking zombie right now. Did he even apologise to you for Friday? Did he? Because If he didn't..."