SOULMATE

Altair was trying so hard not to get furious but Kossa was pushing it.

Kossa had been flipping the pages of the book Altair was reading back and forth for the past 20 minutes now, exactly around the same time since Kossa found him in the library, and now he wished he'd hidden from him like everyone else does.

"Who comes to the library on a Saturday?" Kossa asked clearly mocking Altair yet they were both at the Library on a Saturday.

"The pages are making too much noise you'll get us kicked out." Altair hushed in his soft voice.

Altair had the most elegant disposition for a 13 year old boy, he was polite and graceful always. Well, almost always, not when Kossa was involved. Kossa rubbed him off the wrong way and he was always trying to get a rise out of Altair, nonetheless, he never gave into Kossa's silly games.

Altair and Kossa went to school together, Kossa was a well known bully who liked to pick fights, he was rude and did not like being told what to do. Altair all but ignored his existence and this made Kossa determined to bother him every opportunity he got.

Kossa yawned obnoxiously which brought Altair's attention to him once more.

"What are those weird symbols on your book anyway?" Kossa asked loudly.

The Librarian had long since been glaring at them, that statement was seemingly the last straw because she walked briskly towards the two young boys and Altair panicked afraid of the scolding they were about to get.

"If you are not going to obey the rules of the place, you might as well just leave." She whispered roughly.

Kossa looked at her and laughed, repeating what she said with animated gestures, and a mocking tone.

Altair was mortified he grabbed Kossa by the hand and dragged him out of the library. Kossa making a fuss the whole way out. They got outside and Altair let go of Kossa's hand trying to catch a breath, Kossa on the other hand was nonplussed kicking rocks about the street.

When Kossa turned to look at Altair he found the fair brown skinned boy crying, this made Kossa sneer, perplexed by Altair's choice of response.

"Why are you crying?" Kossa asked truly not that interested in the answer but still marginally curious.

Altair sniffed, trying to glare at the darker skinned boy but couldn't fathom how to make his face appear threatening in this state.

Altair was shocked that an adult could look at him in such a way, worse off scold him, he was very scared. To make matters worse, he had unknowingly walked out with the book he was reading which he hadn't checked out properly. The poor boy was brimming with anxious energy.

Kossa couldn't be bothered, "If you're going to be a big baby I'm leaving. How are you even a boy? You cry so easily, you dress in girly colours and why is your voice so soft?! Everything about you irritates me!" Kossa ranted.

Altair just sniffed, "But the book." Altair finally said.

"What about the book?"

"I didn't check it out, isn't it stealing, I need to take it back." Altair replied.

"Or, you can keep the dumb thing, who cares?! There are tonnes of books in there who's going to miss it."

"The owners Kossa, it's not right to steal." Altair said, and Kossa copied him mockingly like he did the librarian.

"It's not right to steal Kossa, I don't have a backbone Kossa, if I saw a dress I'd wear it Kossa." Kossa repeated prancing around Altair, "Fine, since you're scared your precious grown up will think you a thief, I'll take it back for you."

Altair's eyes widened in relief and Kossa wondered why he felt happy to receive that look from Altair.

"You really will?" Altair asked.

"Yeah sure, under one condition of course."

"What's that?"

"You do what I say for the whole day."

"But I have to be home before curfew."

"That's fine, just do what I say until then wimp."

Altair rubbed the back of his elbow, he looked at the library entrance wondering if he couldn't just do it himself but as he looked at it, he imagined the scornful expression that would be plastered on that woman's face, how much she would dread him for bringing a book he did not check out, he felt nauseous thinking of the bad impression it will likely leave of him.

He could hear himself getting short of breath and felt someone grabbing his arm.

Kossa whipped Altair around to face him and gave a sharp conk on the head that instantly jerked Altair from his hypoxic thoughts.

"I said I'll do it. Give me that dumb book and lets go." Kossa took Altair by the hand and they walked through the street. Past busy adults, working men and women that paid them little to no mind. Some knew Altair and other's knew Kossa, those that knew Altair looked happy to see him and smiled genuinely, those who knew Kossa looked angry, disgruntled or outraged. Most who knew them both worried at seeing them together.

Altair was from a well known distinguished family in their town, whereas Kossa came from a line of nobodies, lived with his family of nobodies and was very proud that he'd die a nobody.

They walked down a quiet tarred road now leading to their school gates. Their school was a renovated old castle which was brown and covered in mossy green vines, the fence was also old stone bricks and brought together by a barred gate.

The gate was locked seeing as it was a Saturday and no one was tending to the grounds. Kossa knew this and decided to use this opportunity well. He usually jumped the fence, it wasn't that high for him but he wondered if Altair could do it.

"Hey can you jump a fence?" Kossa asked while he started to climb using the overgrown vines on the fence, hoping he didn't touch a snake like last time. Altair looked so uncomfortable, Kossa took that as a no.

"Alright first order, we climb the fence."

"But that's trespassing." Altair replied.

"But it's our school." Kossa rolled his eyes.

Altair clamped his mouth shut with no rebuttal. "Come on, let's go already, I'm almost at the top and I'll just leave you to get caught." Kossa joked.

Altair, looking at what Kossa was doing tried to copy and climb the fence. It was hard at first to lift his own body but he quickly got the hang of it. His heart was beating loudly in his chest from the fear of being caught, it was dizzying. But within that nervous energy was something akin to excitement.

"Hey you're at the top, careful! it's harder to come down than it is to go up." Kossa shouted already having reached the bottom at the other side.

Altair heard him but was trembling while trying to find his footing to start heading down. Kossa could almost see the disaster before it happened. Altair was trembling so much that some of the old branches snapped and he all but squeaked before falling a meter down and landing directly atop Kossa in a painful thud.

Altair held onto Kossa still under the illusion that he was still falling and then he slowly raised his eyes, his green innocent eyes glazed over with unshed tears looking at Kossa who had his flaming brown ones on Altair, not at all impressed.

"Don't tell me you're going to cry, my body cushioned your fall, now get off." Kossa said pushing Altair aside. Their was an unusual fluttering coming from his chest from the way Altair looked at him, Kossa hated confusing things so he didn't bother with the thought.

Kossa led Altair to the best spot in the school, although it took them some time to get there, all with Altair hesitating every step of the way.

The roof of the castle overlooked everything, absolutely everything and it was far more quiet here than any library.

They sat down on the benches on the roof which had thorny bushes, patches of flowers here and there and rocks that Kossa threw at anyone passing by on the ground before he hid away for fun.

Altair sat quietly looking at the most beautiful scene he'd ever laid eyes on. The town was so nice from here, the castle covered in shadows and the town bathing in sunlight.

"What do you think, pretty cool huh?" Kossa asked Altair.

"Why'd you bring me here?" Altair asked.

Kossa thought about it, it wasn't for any reason at all. So he just shrugged.

"Hmmm, I've always wondered what your name means?" Altair asked Kossa and Kossa tried to remember.

"I know what yours means and you can't figure out mine?" Kossa replied having forgotten what his name meant, his Father told him once.

"You've never told me, I'm sorry." Altair replied.

"Why are you always apologising, apologising to teachers, apologising to people in a store, even to strangers?" Kossa asked disturbed by it.

"How do you know I apologise to people in a store?"

"You don't?"

"I don't go to the store." replied honestly.

Kossa scoffed, "Spoiled."

"I was taught to be courteous to everyone, it will earn you more friends."

"So where are the many friends you got from being curtain plus?"

"It's courteous, and they are probably at home, doing legal things. Like responsible citizens."

"Oooooo" Kossa gushed, "That sounds so boring I could die." Kossa laughed.

Altair couldn't help laugh as well, compared to this, it was somewhat boring. He did find peace in reading still.

"What were you reading anyway?"

"It's a book about African astrology. I was reading the myths about soulmates."

Kossa looked confused, "What's that?"

"A soulmate?" "yeah."

"A soulmate is someone whose soul was made from the same stuff your soul is made from and you are meant to find this person and fall in love, or something."

"Huh. Sounds weird. Do you have a soulmate?"

"No that's silly. But a soulmate sounds nice." Altair said smiling, his smile made Kossa smile beside himself. He caught himself however and then frowned.

"You only want one because you're lonely." Kossa mocked, yet Altair didn't dispute it. Kossa felt a bit bad about that. "At least you have your family or whatever, and you're loaded too so that's fine."

"Ah, I guess, what of you?" Altair asked.

"What of me?" "Your family, who are they?"

"My family works for families like yours."

"Then how can you afford to come here."

"Easy, I only come to this school to carry the books of my Father's boss's kids." Kossa said with a proud smile.

Altair had no idea what to say so he just blurted, "What's the meaning, of my name?"

"Altair means bird, no wonder you always look like you're about to fly away." Kossa said then he remembered what his name meant.

"And mine Kossa, means be strong."

They sat in silence for a while, until Altair got hungry and knew it was time for him to go back home.

He looked at the book and then handed it to Kossa, "Will you take it back for me?"

"Yeah, you dumb dumb, I said I would, so shut up and just go."

Altair smiled widely at Kossa and this caused his heart to seize, Kossa really hated not understanding this feeling. Maybe if he asked.

"Hey Altair. How do you know if you've met your soulmate?"

Altair gave a thoughtful sigh and said, "The book just said you'll just know, and it feels nice."

"Okay." Kossa replied.

"Why?" Altair asked. "Nothing."

"Thank you for bringing me here, I actually liked it."

"You don't need to be cardigan with me."

"Ah it's, never mind. That's not it either way. Bye Kossa." Altair said waving at him, he gave a simple wave back and smiled to himself.

That was the last time Kossa ever heard Altair's voice. When Altair's mother found out what Altair and Kossa had done that day, she opted her son not turn into a heathen and sent him away to boarding school.

Kossa returned the book for Altair and said he had taken it instead, he hoped and waited to see Altair again but when he found out Altair was gone, he never thought he'd be so sad about it.

He always wondered if Altair, the one who never looked at him scornfully, who treated everyone well but was simultaneously afraid of people, was his soulmate. His feelings around Altair were always, nice.