Page 41 of Solo Stan
“No,” Elias said, raising his head suddenly. “Don’t ask Bobby. I wantusto figure it out.”
It was clear Elias felt threatened by Bobby in some way, but Kai suspected it had less to do with Bobby and more to do with Elias’s own pride. He’d seen the same reaction when the customer at the store had chosen Kai over Elias. Still, the jealousy intrigued Kai. No one had ever been jealous over him before. Though misguided, it was oddly flattering.
He only wanted Bobby’s help so Elias could see CYPHR anyway, so with a nod, he agreed to keep the scavenger hunt between just the two of them.
They took off down the street together on the scooter, wobbling like a baby deer, and every time they hit even the slightest pebble or dip, it felt like they were about to flip over. Elias proposed that they each get their own wheels, keeping the scooter and leaving Kai with abikeshare instead. Kai preferred the bike to the scooter but couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d somehow offended Elias. Surely, Elias wasn’t upset just because he’d suggested asking Bobby for help.
“Are you okay?” Kai asked Elias as they came to a traffic light. A car idled alongside, leaving him in a veil of exhaust when the light turned green.
“I’m good,” Elias replied. He was back to reading off his usual script.I’m fine. I’m good. I’ll manage.Though it was obvious he wasn’t being entirely truthful, Kai didn’t press. The thought of confronting Elias about being jealous, only to be wrong, would be an embarrassment he’d likely never recover from.
Downtown, the bars and restaurants were filling up with people who were eager to kick off the weekend with a few drinks and some good down-home cooking from one of the local late-night mom-and-pop spots. The air was thick with the saccharine aroma of maraschino cherries, the kind that lingered at the bottom of drained bourbon glasses. Kai pointed out the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, the large state capitol building surrounded by statues of presidents, and the City of Raleigh Museum with its large metal globe at the entrance. Elias remained quiet, however.
They rode the rest of the way in silence until finally they came to the Night Market.
It was on a modest street, enclosed by zigzagging string lights suspended between two buildings. Canopy tents and tables adorned with various handmade crafts and goods lined the cobblestone street. Live music and the tempting smell of sweet treats coming from the food trucks mixed with the conversations and laughter of people shopping at vendor stalls or sitting on blankets in the grass.
Kai was drawn into the market like a cartoon character floatingtoward a pie on a windowsill. Though time was limited, he couldn’t resist pausing at a few booths to compliment the vendors. As an artist himself, he understood how undervalued their work could be. Elias, however, seemed distracted, continuing to twist the cryptex and quickly showing Kai the number34and the newest quest the moment it appeared:
Random Act of Honesty
Make a confession.
Kai glanced at Elias, hoping he had something to get off his chest—why he’d been so quiet, why he seemed to hate Bobby so much, if he really was serious about being sorry for earlier. But instead, Elias simply raised his phone, deadpan, and asked, “Do you have something?”
“Is it Sunday already?” Kai joked, though Elias only let out a short breath of laughter. Kai peered around at the others in the market, checking if anyone was paying attention. He swallowed, though his mouth was dry. “I guess I could make a confession,” he said, his tone lower now. Waiting for Elias to start recording, he cleared his throat. “I confess…that I was warming up to you. More than I thought I would.”
Elias immediately stopped recording and lowered his phone. He observed Kai through the corners of his eyes.“Was?”
Kai’s hand went to the back of his neck. “You say you want to be friends, but I’m a little confused,” he said. “For starters, you’ve been calling me Dakarai. You could try calling me Kai like everyone else does?”
A contemplative look settled on Elias’s face. “You don’t like your name?”
“Does everyone callyouElias, or do I have to complete some trials before you let me call you Eli like Moodie does?” Kai asked.
“You don’t know how many times I’ve asked my family to stop calling me Eli,” Elias replied. Spotting the confusion on Kai’s face, he continued, “On my first day of kindergarten, my teacher, Ms.Townsend, kept calling me Eli, and I kept telling her that my name was Elias. You know what she said? She said that Elias wastoo grandioseof a name for a small boy. I didn’t know whatgrandiosemeant, but I knew I didn’t like her tone, so since then, nobody calls me outside my name, and they can thank Ms.Townsend.”
Kai bit his lip. He was starting to think that maybe, instead of hosing down the candle, he should have given Elias a good dousing, since he was clearly too hot-blooded for his own good.
“I just like your name,” Elias continued, “and maybe I want to be the only one who says it.”
A subtle blush crept across Kai’s cheeks. Elias submitted the video, then recorded the number55before checking the next item:
Random Act of Kindness
Give a thoughtful gift.
“All this sentiment is making my head hurt,” Elias groaned. His body shook with a sneeze, and his face contorted in pain. He lightly pinched the bridge of his nose and tilted back his head, closing his eyes as he sought relief.
“You’re still hurt from the fight?” Kai said, as more of a statement than a question. He internally smacked himself for being so insecure. Elias wasn’t upset with him. He was just in pain.
“No, I’m fine. I’ll manage,” Elias said, pulling down his hat farther, his eyes fixating on their shadows overlapping on the ground. “It’s just allergies or a migraine or something. It looks like it’s going to rain.”
Stepping in front of Elias, Kai raised his hands and gestured to his face. He asked, “May I?” and added, “Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you,” when he sensed Elias’s apprehension.
Kai was sure Elias didn’t fully understand what he was asking, but he nodded anyway, albeit hesitantly. Kai moved closer and placed his hands to the sides of Elias’s face, pressing his thumbs gently to the pressure points beside his nose. He made sure not to touch the faint shadow of a bruise underneath Elias’s eye that had begun to yellow and fade. As Kai massaged in a circular motion, Elias’s face gradually relaxed. Kai felt a quiet sense of satisfaction.
“If I hadn’t ignored those notifications, we’d probably be at the show by now,” Elias said, his hand still firmly grasped around the still-jammed cryptex. “Do you think we’ll ever figure out CYPHR’s post?”
