C'est la Vie - 14. Chapter 14

Part 14
Spark of Jealousy

He made his way back home and was on the point of opening the front door to enter the house when ha heard his name called. He didn’t have to turn and see who it was he would recognize that voice amongst thousands. Turning he saw Kai standing at the front gate and walked over to him.
Kai stretching his hand out to stroke the smaller boys head said “I came over to say sorry for how I reacted earlier.”
“No need to apologize Kai, you only voiced your opinion about Peter Blake which you’re entitled to.”
“Then why did you go back home.”
“Because you were annoyed and swearing your head off so I thought it best to let you cool down.”
“Umm yeah but I really wouldn’t want to visit Blake.”
“I didn’t say you had to Kai. You never gave me a chance to finish what I was going to say and that was, if you didn’t want to go I would go on my own.”
“Oh, so what’ve you been doing?”
“I’ve just got back from seeing Peter Blake.”
Again Kai’s temper flared and before he could control his tongue he was saying, “Are you in love with that fucking moron that you have to keep on visiting him.”
Timothy Clarkson turned his back on the shouting boy and made his way into the house.
Kai Webster was angry as he stomped his way home. He was angry and also jealous that Timothy could find time to visit the boy that had nearly killed him. Now the rest of the day was totally ruined because of his mouth, and also Peter fucking Blake.

Timothy was upset by the way that Kai had reacted to his visiting Peter Blake but as he entered the house he cloaked his emotions and went in to greet his parents and sister. He spent time playing with Linda, then when she went to bed he watched the start of the Sunday night film on the box, and as it held little interest for him he said goodnight to his parents and went up to his room.
Now alone he could let his mind recall the events of the day and again remembering the words that really hurt, are you in love with that fucking moron. How could Kai even consider saying something like that, was he so blind with jealousy. And was this going to happen every time he visited another boy’s home or even talked to them. He remembered that Kai wasn’t very pleased when he’d spoken to Adam Fletcher and if they weren’t in school or if Sammy and Hunter hadn’t been in attendance would he have been so agreeable.
He loved Kai with all his heart but if he was going to fly into a jealous rage every time he spoke to another boy then it was going to put a strain on their relationship. With his thoughts still on what had happened he changed into his nightwear set his alarm for 7.30am and crawled into his bed.

Monday morning Timothy washed and dressed, went downstairs greeted his parents and Linda and sat down at the table to have his breakfast. As he ate his cereal his mother said, “Now don’t forget I’ll be at the school to pick you up during the first break.”
Noticing the frown on the boy’s face she smiled, I suppose you’ve forgotten you’ve got a hospital appointment at 12.30pm today.”
“Cripes! Yes mum I had, you’d better give me a note to hand to Mr Beardsley.”

His breakfast finished he collected his school bag made his goodbyes and headed for school. The first thing he noticed was there was no Kai at the bus stop. It didn’t surprise him after his show of anger yesterday. At school he made for his locker meeting Adam Fletcher there and together they made for their first class of the day.
“I saw Peter Blake Yesterday,” Timothy said as the walked along the corridor, “He told me to say Hi, and he can understand why you’re not being allowed to meet up with him. I’m going to see him again on Saturday you want me to pass on a message.”
“No Timmy, but I’m going to ask my parents if I can go with you to see him, if you don’t mind the company. If they refuse then you can say Hi for me.”
“That would be great it will help cheer him up, the trial will be the following Thursday and he’ll be getting really nervous so it would be good if you could make it.”
They separated as they made their way into the classroom Timothy noticing Kai talking to his cousin and Hunter. He made his way to his desk sat down and had a quick look at his math homework before Kathleen Jacobs came to collect it. As he handed his homework to her his mind went back to the time when it was Kai who was coming around collecting the books. He looked across the classroom to the boy in his thoughts only to see the back of his head as he was swivelled in his chair talking to Sammy.

At the end of the Math period as the boys trooped out of the classroom Timothy made his way to Mr Beardsley desk and handed him the note from his mother.
Mr Beardsley read the not then asked, “It’s nothing serious is it Clarkson?”
“No sir just a check up? I’d forgotten all about it otherwise I would have informed the school earlier.”
“Okay Clarkson make your way to your next class and I’ll see you again tomorrow.”
When the bell went for the end of the next period he packed his things and instead of going to the recreation area he made his way out of the school to meet up with his mother.

During the break Kai was busy talking to Sammy and Hunter but at the same time was keeping an eye out for Timothy. Not seeing him anywhere in the area he assumed that he’d stayed in the classroom like he did in times past when he was the centre of bullying. But when they went for their next lesson which he and Timothy shared and not seeing him, he was wracking his brains trying to come up with a reason for him being absent from the class.
At the lunch break Kai, along with the usual crowd made his way to the cafeteria collected his food and looked around the dining area, and Timothy was nowhere to be seen. Thinking that he hadn’t yet arrived he went to a table closely followed by Hunter, Sammy, and Adam Fletcher.
When he finished his food Kai again looked around the cafeteria to try and locate Timothy but again he wasn’t to be seen. Getting a bit worried he turned to Fletcher asking? Adam you were talking to Timothy when you came into the classroom this morning did he seem okay to you?”
“Yeah he was fine.”
“What did have to say.”
“He was passing a message on to me from Peter Blake and asked me if he I wanted to send him one. I said no but I’d try to get my parents to let me go and visit Peter, and if they did then I’d meet up with Timmy on Saturday and we go and visit together.”
Hearing those words brought back the memory of what he’d said to Timothy the previous day and how hurt he must have felt. His jealousy had made him blurt out the first thing that had come to mind, and now he wished so much that he could take those words back. But they had been said and now it was up to him to undo the wrong.

Entering the classroom after the lunch break and not seeing Timmy, Kai was really worried, as soon as Ms Carbury walked into the classroom he walked over to her saying, “May I speak with you pleas Miss.”
“Yes Kai, what is it?”
“Umm Timothy has this class as well and he’s not here and I haven’t seen him since the first two periods.”
“He went home Kai during the first break he has a hospital appointment at 12.30pm, didn’t he tell you about it?”
“Umm no Miss.”
“Well maybe he didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily.”
“Yes Miss and thanks for the information,” and Kai went back to his desk his guts all knotted up feeling like shit.

Timothy Clarkson was far from happy. After his hospital appointment and the various tests done on him the doctor had confronted his mother and him with the words. “No school for two weeks at least, and I want to see Timothy before he’s allowed to return.”
“Is there something wrong doctor?” his mother enquired.
The doctor first looked at the boy then turning to the mother said, “Since Timothy left the hospital he’s hardly put on any weight I was expecting him to have put on at least 10lbs or more instead he’s gained just under 2lbs. I want him to stay at home and just rest and eat, so that he can get back to a normal weight for a boy of his height and age. At the moment he’s very underweight, he should weigh at the minimum 112lbs, presently Timothy weighs 92lbs which isn’t good and if it continues there could be unwanted complications.”
Now as his mother and he drove home he contemplated what the doctor had said. And although not liking the thought of staying home for two weeks, he decided that if he got his weigh back to normal as quickly as possible then he would be back in school again. It wasn’t that he liked school, but since his involvement with Kai school had become a whole new experience for him. From being virtually an outcast now he had more friends and acquaintances than he’d ever had in his life before.
Turning to his mother as she drove he asked, “Mum can you get me some school work tomorrow for me to do at home.”
“No, nothing Timmy, you’re just going to sit around and relax for two weeks, maybe go for a walk to give you some exercise but nothing more.”
Now as he sat in his room he wondered what he’d do with himself all day for the next two weeks. With Kai not talking to him and even Linda being away at school it would make the days seem twice as long. He grabbed a book off the shelf lay back on his bed his head resting on the headboard and continued reading the Jerusalem Man which he was half way through.

When the bell went for the end of school Kai Webster was contemplating going straight to Timothy’s house to see him and apologize. But then he thought better of it just in case Timmy was resting, and also he was a bit nervous as to how he would react when he appeared on the doorstep. Dejectedly he made his way home thinking what a moron he’d been to sound off like he did yesterday, and then not bothering to speak to Timmy when he had the chance to in the morning during classes.

Arriving home he greeted his mother and made straight for his room. After removing his shoes and jacket he sprawled out on his bed and pulled out his mobile phone, on the verge of calling Timothy he chickened out making the excuse to himself that maybe Timothy was resting and that he’d talk to him tomorrow at school. Instead he went to his computer and logged on and prepared to spend the next couple of hours on the net till it was time for his evening meal.
When he did go down for his meal his Father waited precisely two minutes before saying, “So what’s wrong between you and Timothy?”
Startled at the question Kai looked at his Father before replying, “What makes you think something’s wrong dad?”
Frank Webster gave his son a knowing look before saying, “When for the last couple of weeks a certain boy is either in this house or you are over at his house, and suddenly Timothy Clarkson isn’t to be seen or heard talking to you on the phone, then it doesn’t take a lot of intelligence to figure out that something is wrong between the two of you.”
“Umm we had a bit of a misunderstanding dad,” and was going to continue eating then seeing the frown on his Father’s face said, “Actually it was me shooting my mouth off that caused it.”
“So now that you’ve realized it was your fault are you going to apologize to Timothy.”
“Yes dad, but I’ll do it at school tomorrow.”
“Why can’t you apologize now you can talk to him on the phone.”
“Timmy had to go to the hospital for a check-up today. He might have gone to bed early you know how he gets tired easily so in case he is resting I don’t want to disturb him.”
The response satisfied his Father and they continued their meal with know further discussion about Timothy Clarkson.

Tuesday morning Kai was up and eager to get to school in the hope he could patch things up with Timothy. It was raining quite heavily so his mother drove him to school. The moment they arrived he kissed his mother and was out of the car in a flash and running through the school gates. He wasn’t running because of the rain pelting down more so he was eager to see Timothy again. Reaching his locker other than Chapman, and Briggs, there was no one else around. Thinking that Timmy would already be in the class as he seldom hung around the lockers, he quickly stashed away what he had to then made a bee line for his first period English Literature class.
Walking into the room he looked across to Timothy’s desk to see it vacant. Frowning he looked around the room and Timothy was nowhere to be seen. Going to his desk and greeting his cousin and Brian he sat down keeping his eyes on the door waiting for Timothy to walk in.

The bell sounded for the start of classes, and Ms Carbury walked into the room shortly afterwards and still Timothy had not appeared. Throughout the period he kept expecting the door to the class open and Timothy to walk in but it never happened.
Now his mind started to imagine the worst possible scenarios till not being able to withstand the tension any more he stood up and asked Ms Carbury if he could be excused he needed to use the toilet. Getting permission he quickly made his way there and the moment he was inside the room made for the end cubicle took out his mobile phone and called Timothy’s house.
His spirits soared when instead of Mrs Clarkson answering the phone he heard Timmy’s voice say, “The Clarkson residence.”
“Timmy, Oh God! I’m so sorry about what happened on Sunday and not talking to you yesterday at school, can you forgive me?”
He could hear the emotion in Timmy’s voice as he said, “Nothing to forgive Kai I was never angry with you. I just walked away so that they’d be no argument.”
“I’m going to be around there straight after school, I’ve got to go otherwise Ms Carbury will be wondering what’s happened to me, I was really worried when you didn’t show at school this morning, and had to come to the loo to find out what had happened.”
“Timmy tell me when I see you, have to go Love you.”
He smiled when he heard the voice on at the other end say, “I love you more.”
Cutting the link Kai Webster returned to the classroom literally walking on air, and with a huge grin on his face, and in his present frame of mind there wasn’t a person in the whole school that he didn’t like.

At the sound of the end of school bell Kai Webster was the first one out of the classroom and hurtling down the corridor and out of the main doors. He was making a beeline for the bus stop knowing that the bus driver usually came a bit early so he would miss the school rush, and saw it just pulling up to the stop. He made it and as the bus pulled away could see the annoyed faces of the kids who hadn’t and their irate hand gestures at the driver. Arriving at the stop that Timothy normally alighted he got off the bus and was running down the street eager to meet up with the boy who had been on his mind all day. Arriving at Timothy’s house before he could even ring the bell the door opened and the boy of his dreams stood before him.
Kai with a grin a mile wide pulled the boy into his arms saying, “Hi you.”