Chapter 22: Walk To School
When I woke up the next morning, the first thing I noticed was that my jaw did not hurt. I moved it around a little, and the sharp pain from yesterday was gone. My body still felt a bit sore, but it was a huge improvement. The painkillers and the long night of sleep must have helped.
Getting ready for school was easier. I was still limping, but I did not need to rely on the crutches as much to get around my apartment. I left them by the door and decided to just take it slow on my walk.
The morning air felt good, and the walk was not as difficult as I expected. I followed the same route as always, my mind just kind of quiet. When I got near the corner where Nina and I had gone our separate ways, I saw someone standing there. It was her.
She was leaning against a short brick wall, looking down at her phone and scrolling with her thumb. She was not wearing any earbuds. ’I guess she was not going to make that mistake again,’ I thought.
I was not sure what to do. I just stopped for a second, watching her from a distance. Then I decided to just walk over. I limped the last few feet to the corner.
"Hey," I said.
She looked up from her phone, and her face brightened a little when she saw me. She put her phone in her pocket.
"Morning, Kofi," she replied.
I stood there for a moment. "What are you doing here?" I asked.
She gave me a small smile. "I was waiting for you," she said.
I just looked at her for a second. The idea that someone would wait for me was a new one.