Chapter Six | Austim
Chapter Six | Autism
Autism, a word that Kae and most people didn't know. It wasn't a disease but most people thought of it that way. It was something that happened to many lucky people in the world, but other people didn't considered them lucky.
That considered them "different" or "weird" for that matter. For Kae, people was people and she accepted everyone for who they were. No matter if you had three heads or if you were in a wheelchair, she accepted you regardless.
When they first met, Kae didn't know what his deal was but she learned to accept him. She noticed that he was indeed different but she didn't treat him different. For god sake's, he was a complete stranger and yet she just befriended him yesterday.
"So y'all friends now?" Jerome asked Zayn who was smiling.
"Mh'yeah," Zayn said, he was very happy that he actual has a friend.
"Aren't we friends too? I feel left out," he pouted which cause Zayn to panic.
"W-wait! W-we..w-we can..c-can..b-be friends—,"
"I'm just playing kid, calm down," Jerome chuckled and watched how his face turned back to the natural tan color. Zayn didn't want Jerome to feel left out, that was the last thing he wanted to do.
Kae walked in with her hair in the ponytail. Her edges were slick back with a Nike headband and she wore sweats and a t-shirt. Zayn still thought she looked pretty.
"Liam is coming over," she said to no one in particular, but she wanted Zayn to know so he wouldn't freak out. Then she disappeared to the kitchen.
"W-who's L-Liam?" Zayn asked Jerome.
"Our friend, but don't worry he's very nice and chill," he said to him. "And he likes soccer."
"R-Really?" Zayn asked, he just got a bit excited to meet this Liam person.
"Yeah," Jerome says. "And did you know that Kae plays soccer?"
Zayn now put his attention in this conversation that he was having with Jerome. Well, Zayn didn't know that he was having a conversation because he knew that he wouldn't be able to have one with any person besides his parents. And plus, he was socially awkward and he didn't like getting into situations that would end up with him getting embarrassed.
"S-She does?" Zayn asked.
"Yeah, she used to play for our college but she stopped because she wanted to focus on school. I think you should talk to her about it since you like soccer too, don't you think?" Jerome questioned. And oh boy. he was doing on a good job with his little plan of hooking them together.
"Uhm..w-where is s-she?" Zayn asked getting up.
"She's in the kitchen..go talk to her," he nodded his head towards and gave him and smile.
Zayn nodded and left Jerome in the living room. He made his way to the familiar kitchen and saw Kae eating a sandwich.
"Hii," he said shyly, he grew nervous for some reason when he walked towards her. He never started a conversation with anyone because he knew from previous conversations that people would turn him down or look at him in a weird way. He would get rejected so many times that he would stop trying from people. So he kept to himself at all times. But this time was different. This time, he wanted to talk to Kae even though he knows that it will be risky. He'll still try.
"Hi Zayn, is my brother bothering you yet?" Kae asked.
"You better not be talking shit!" Jerome yelled from the kitchen.
Kae would have yelled back but she knew that it would hurt Zayn's ears so she just rolled her eyes.
"So what you been up to Zayn?" Kae asked tilting her head to the side a bit.
"Y-You like..like soccer?" Zayn ask getting straight to the point.
Kae nodded, "I used to play. How did you know that I like soccer?"
"Ugh..j-just..w-wondered," he said with a sly smile.
"I'm figuring that you like soccer too," she notes.
He nodded, "Mh'yeah."
"Liam's here!" Jerome yelled from the living room once again, the sound of the front door slamming and laughter were heard in the living room.
"You want to meet Liam?" Kae asked softly, she watched how his demeanor changed. He looked nervous but she needed him to know that there is nothing to he nervous about.
She placed a hand on his arm and stroked it smoothly. This time he didn't flinch like he would usually would, but he just froze in that moment.
He took a deep breath to calm him down, her touch was soft but it set him on fire throughout her body. It was a new feeling, and he didn't know having a friend would make him feel this way.
The two walked in the living room and saw the guy named Liam sitting on the couch laughing with Jerome. The loud noises irritated him but he tried to keep his cool in front of this new person.
"Liam this is my friend Zayn," Kae introduced then to each other. Liam said hello and Zayn responded with a shy hello and a small wave.
Liam studied his body language. He noticed that this Zayn guy looked uncomfortable. Maybe because of the room's loudness or the capacity the room. He didn't know what it was but he knew that something made him uncomfortable.
And the truth was he was starting to get uncomfortable because he realized that this Liam guy was a friend of his sister's friends. They have met before but it didn't click to Liam just yet.
Zayn and Kae sat on the other couch while Liam and Jerome sat on the other. Kae then tilted her head to the side to pop her neck, Zayn had heard the pop and cringed at the sound. He hated the sound of bones breaking or popping, it freaked him out.
"Ahh! K-Kae..p-please s-stop," Zayn begged when she popped the other side of her neck, he tried to let it slide but he just couldn't.
"I'm sorry Zayn," Kae apologized. "It's a habit."
Zayn mumbled some things under his breath while he slowly calmed down again. Kae took his hand and rubbed all circles on it. Like the last time, he pulled it back because he felt his hands getting clammy again.
"I need to talk to you in the kitchen," Liam said to Jerome and left the living room.
Jerome followed his friend in the kitchen and noticed that something was up, "What's wrong?"
"There's something about that fella," Liam said pacing around the room. "I know him from somewhere."
"And?" Jerome urged. "Why won't you just ask him?"
"Because I don't want to freak him out," Liam sighs.
Jerome frowned, "Are you okay Liam?"
"Does...does that boy have autism?" Liam finally asks.
"What?" Jerome asked again because he is highly confused at this point.
"It's mental complex disorder that can effect a person's life. It makes a person not know how to deal with everyday things like we are used to," Liam explains.
Jerome nodded then asked, "And how do you know about this?"
"I forgot to mention that I'm doing a report on it," he says.
It took some time but it kinda hit him, "That's why he acts the way he acts?"
"Pretty much," Liam sighs. "How does your sister even know him?"
"Long story short, she found him on the streets so she took him in. He's actually a pretty cool guy of you ask me," Jerome shrugs.
"Yeah, I guess."
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