SNEAK PEEK
"I'm Sorry"
from Through New Beginnings
(Chapter 25)
from Through New Beginnings
(Chapter 25)
Kai had already seated himself in the passenger side of Adam's car by the time his friend--- now his hero--- returned. Adam sat down in the driver's seat, turned on the car, and took off down the road without a word. There was an unusual, awkward silence between the boys. Adam, to Kai's amazement, didn't utter a word, not even an "are you OK". Somehow he'd expected Adam to have something, at least, to say. But he was silent. Silent, even though his face and his posture told Kai that he had a lot on his mind.
Kai didn't blame him; it was just weird. Kai himself was still in shock, too numb to speak, yet with so much to consider he just wanted to blurt it all out at once.
Finally, Kai managed to speak. "So... that happened."
"I'm sorry, dude," Adam croaked softly. "I... I was so torn up about the game I forgot to... get you and..." He sighed. "Yeah. That happened."
Kai tucked his arms closer to his chest, heart still pounding. "Yeah."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. You saved me back there. I owe you one. Maybe more than one. And I already owed you one."
Adam swallowed what looked like a hard lump, his face noticeably pale and sweaty, shoulders tensed. He gripped the steering wheel for dear life, white-knuckled. What's got him so on-edge?
"Dude... are you OK?"
Adam didn't respond.
Kai noticed the ends of Adam's coat sleeves--- stained wet, as if they'd just been soaked. Weird. Maybe he'd washed his hands before leaving?
"I shouldn't have left you alone," Adam said at last, voice hoarse. "I'm sorry."
Kai's brow furrowed. "You don't need to keep apologizing."
"But I shouldn't have." Adam's breathing grew louder. "None of this would have happened if I'd just..." He slammed the brakes at a red light, sending Kai's stomach flying up into his throat. Adam sighed. "If I'd been there for you, like I promised." Kai swallowed down a heap of bile, feet jammed into the carpet; the last thing Adam needed was for Kai to spew ten dollars' worth of partially-digested nachos and soda pop all over the dashboard. He shut his eyes, head tilted downward, until the nausea passed.
Kai opened his eyes just as they started moving again. His eyes happened to meet Adam's leg, pushing down on the gas pedal. It was shaking slightly--- shuddering. Then Kai noticed some peculiar red spots on his pants--- a scattered pattern of splotches that hadn't been there before... at least, not to Kai's knowledge. The hem of his jersey, though obscured by the massive coat, was soaked, just like his sleeves--- and streaked with very light reddish marks.
That red stuff looked an awful lot like blood. Kai began to feel woozy all over again. "Adam... what's that on your pants?"
Adam took a quick glance downward, then stared back at the road ahead. He blanched, lip tightening.
Something happened. Something had happened after Kai had left. And Kai had a feeling he knew what had gone down. The bloodstains on Adam's clothes, and the evidence that he'd thoroughly washed his hands, was all Kai needed to speculate. But how far had Adam gone?
"Adam...?"
"Just... forget about it for now," Adam said, terse. But the tremble in his voice betrayed his nerve. Kai had hit something.
Fearing that Adam had truly done the unthinkable, Kai's voice rose. "Adam. What did you do?"