1.4 - Fateful Encounter

Kendra

My name is Kendra, and Mackenzie has been my neighbor ever since my parents moved here from Tokyo 13 years ago. Our bond began at the same preschool and kindergarten, and from there, our friendship flourished. Carpooling and playdates became a regular part of our lives as our mothers grew close too. Soon enough, we were inseparable, walking to school together and spending afternoons hanging out. With Kenzie by my side, being an only child didn't feel so lonely; he became like a sibling to me.

A few years ago, an unfortunate rumor spread through the girls in our class. I had confided that I liked Mackenzie, and somehow, the rumor twisted it into false claims of us dating. Everyone seemed to know except for him, as Kenzie sometimes agrees to things without fully grasping them.

I can't quite pinpoint when I started having such strong feelings for him, but I believe it all began in elementary school. There was a house on our route to school with a scary dog that used to bark fiercely. I was too afraid to walk past it, but Kenzie took my hand and walked on the inner side, shielding me from the dog. From that moment on, we held hands whenever we passed that house, and it continued for years.

This morning, I woke up early, thrilled for the school day ahead. As always, I let myself into Kenzie's house without knocking, and his kind-hearted mother welcomed me warmly. She has cared for me like her own since I was little, and I'm forever grateful for her support. "Kenzie! Mackenzie, wake up!" she called from downstairs.

This morning, Chad and Kyle rudely confronted us, asking if we were having a sexual relationship. To my surprise, Mackenzie, in his usual oblivious manner, didn't know how to respond and just agreed, inadvertently confirming their false assumption. It's typical of him to agree to things he's never even heard of before. Maybe I should clarify the situation to him, but then again, we aren't dating or even kissed or anything. Ugh, why do I have these intense feelings for him? It's frustrating! I find myself both liking and hating him for his cluelessness!

At school, during the student council speeches, Mackenzie suddenly hit his head on the desk, surprising and worrying me. It was an unusual, I'd never seen from him before, and I knew something was off. He seemed distant, staring out the window, and eventually dozed off, his deep breaths indicating his slumber. When class ended, he still appeared sick and pale, so I decided to take him to the nurse's office.

It turned out Mackenzie hadn't slept much the previous night, likely because he spent most of it playing online games. After some rest, he woke up, still looking pale and feeling unwell. However, he insisted that food would make him feel better. We headed to the concessions, only to find most of the good food already gone, leaving only bread as a meager option. As we strolled around, we discussed joining a club together. Soccer, track, and various other clubs came to mind, but we wanted to be in one where we could continue spending time together, regardless of any gender divisions.

We returned home and I soon went to bed rather early. The events of today wore me out.

Mackenzie

I woke up slowly, my head pounding with a headache. Looking around, I found Kendra sitting next to my bed, immersed in a book.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, closing her book and moving closer to me.

"Better, thank you. I think I just need some food," I replied, still feeling a bit off.

We decided to head to the concessions for lunch. Usually, Kendra prepared our lunch, but today we brought money to buy food instead. Unfortunately, when we got there, most of the good options were already taken, and all that remained was some bread.

As we strolled and discussed which club to join, we passed by the student council room. There was a long line of about 20 people waiting to apply for the vice president position, including our class representative, Yumi. Personally, I found the idea of joining the student council unappealing, as it involved lots of paperwork and policy-making for the school, which didn't align with my laid-back nature. We considered other options like the track team or the board and card games club. The latter appealed to us more, as we wanted to hang out together and have a more relaxed experience. Last year, we joined the cards and board club, which split into smaller groups doing their own activities, and that was fine with me.

After exploring the school campus for about an hour, we decided to head home. Kendra was still concerned about my health, and I appreciated her care and attention..

I lay there, I couldn't help but ponder the strange events of the morning. The fog, the green glow in President Midori's eyes, and the sudden weakness and dizziness I felt during the student council's visit. It all seemed surreal and inexplicable. falling asleep was a struggle for me. I had napped too much at school, making it difficult to doze off again. The night dragged on, and I finally managed to fall asleep as the hours grew later.