The Ups and Downs of Knowing Kyle Holler

Being friends with Kyle has it's ups and downs

Chapter 2:

The ups and downs of knowing Kyle Holler

 

 

 

Middle school was when I tried getting into Anime, Manga, and attempted to learn Japanese by borrowing some books from the library. It had nothing to do with Kyle; I had an interest since sixth grade in all that stuff before I met him. That’s sort of what we ‘bonded’ with… the most memorable being a creepy image involving yaoi and chocolate… being thirteen years old, I had no idea what yaoi, homosexuality, or sex involving food was… I hardly knew what sex was… and then I learned…

That was our joke, that one picture in that manga book two guys licking chocolate off of each other and it breaking my mind.

 

The other thing was that Kyle could teleport usually within a foot away from me at any point of the day. It didn’t matter the class he had next or the time of the day. He’d always show up quieter than a feather floating around, and he wouldn’t say anything until you noticed he was there. After you noticed he was there, he’d sneak away without much of a ‘goodbye’ and that became our normal.

 

I found out that he lived in Virginia, in a not so great neighborhood, and he’s the only boy in the family other than his dad who he doesn’t have a great relationship with… which makes me question why his dad decided to take him far away from Virginia if he doesn’t exactly like him. I figured its best I don’t ask that question it seemed to personal. The skinny, dark skinned mystery boy Kyle, loves anime and manga, as well as video games, and claims to be different from other guys because he grew up in a house full of girls.

 

He doesn’t like to talk, he doesn’t talk much about the type of girls he likes in fact he hardly talks about anything involving himself. I felt like a horrible friend because I hardly knew him despite nearly three months passing. I figured I shouldn’t sweat it, there’s nothing wrong with being an acquaintance with someone.

 

Another day at lunch, but with slightly new scenery halfway through my seventh grade experience I befriended a dirty blonde haired girl named Karissa, she’s got braces and she’s slightly shorter than I am, but she’s hilarious and is kind of a tomboy but knows when to be ‘girly’ for lack of a better term. She asked me to sit with her at lunch and I agreed. She also doesn’t know what to make of Kyle.

“What do you think of Kyle? I guess he’s okay but he hardly talks and when he does it’s sort of hard to understand him.” She explained and I shrugged my shoulders.

“I can understand him, but he hardly talks and I know nothing about him. He’s nice to me though so I guess he’s cool.”

“I don’t know… I wonder why he’s so quiet all the time.”

“He could be shy…”

“He just seems like he doesn’t care.”

“But that could be a good thing.” Her friend chimed in, I didn’t really know her but I know she’s one of Karissa’s best friends.

“That’s true Gabby.”

 

* * *

 

That year passed and we were on to eighth grade in a blink of an eye. We’re not close friends, but we’re getting there. I’m quite happy I got through some of the barriers he’s put up. However, this was when things got a little weird, that little tingling feeling when you’re around someone you couldn’t wait to see previously but you’re not sure what’s so special about them. I decided to just ignore it… it seemed like the smart thing to do…

 

* * *

 

I don’t remember when or how it happened but I developed a crush on him. I asked my friends what I should do, they said I should let him know… but something in the back of my head said to ignore it… my heart had a different idea. I folded up a little purple sticky note written on it, a brief message in blue highlighter, ‘I think I like you.’ I wrote it during homeroom and kept it with me throughout the day. I froze up when I tried to slip it to him in person. It was the most frustrating day of my life. Eventually I managed to make my way to Nena’s lunch table to casually talk to everyone there. I’ve been alternating lunch tables since I met Karissa and the plan seems to be working out great. I found the little note I wrote and waited to give it to him…

“How much are cookies again?” Kyle asked looking up from his new magical girl Manga.

“Twenty-five cents each, I think, I could be wrong.” My blonde curly haired friend Laura said thinking about the price for a moment. He dug through the pockets of his black jeans two sizes too big and pulled out two quarters.

“I’ll be back,” he mumbled and left the table.

“He doesn’t know yet does he?” Laura asked with a teasing smile on her small round face.

“I haven’t told him yet so I wrote it down but I haven’t given it to him…”

“Stick it in his locker like most people do.”

“I don’t want everyone to know about it, I want to be discreet and I don’t know where his locker is at all.” I sighed looking at the note in my hand.

“What about his book, he’ll see it there won’t he?” Nena suggested. I loved the idea instantly. I opened the book to the page he had bookmarked and stuck the note in it.

“I’m going to head back to Karissa’s table; I’ll see you all later.” I said and headed back to my other table… my knees slightly trembling the entire time.

 

Not much happened after that, there was a brief period where he’d walk to my locker until he had to go to his own across the hall and he’d walk to my classes or in the general direction of them but that was about it. I figured it would work itself out, but rushing things or complaining about the giant amount of nothing happening between us weren’t options in my mind at all. 

Author's Note

This is a rather weak chapter and I'm debating whether or not it's 'finished' in the sense that I should move on to chapter 3 from here.