Kim's cousin

When I was looking around amazed to how the auditorium was filled with students my eyes recognised Kim. He was sitting towards the right hand side of the auditorium, three rows ahead of me. He had turned towards his left so that he could talk to the person next to him. He was talking and smiling every now and then at the guy. The smile that I hadn't seen on Kim's face after we returned home. I really had thought he was homesick, so I hadn't given much thought about it. But looking at him smile like that my heart started throbbing. For the first time in forever I experienced that sort of feeling. A feeling that made me quiver made me feel sad as if I had lost something vital. I felt like a loser.

All I could see was Kim's smile and the complete surrounding was blurred out and stopped moving. The thought that I was the one holding back Kim from having friends since childhood was the only thing running on my mind. I started blaming myself for it. I was repeating sorry after another sorry on my mind for Kim. My mind was a complete mess. Looking at Kim smile like that with someone else was so much painful that tears escaped my eyes.

On the other side James and Simon were in their own world talking about random stuff. And there I was having my first breakdown. I felt like getting down on my knees and apologizing to Kim for holding him back. I wanted to tell him to smile like that when talking to me like he used to before.

I was looking at him thoughts running on my mind the sudden irritating hum and hiss from the speaker brought me back my conscious. The technical team were checking the mics. That sudden change in the surrounding was a horror and I started shuddered breathing.

It took me few seconds to calm myself then I came back to my senses. I looked towards my left hand side James was on his phone and Simon next to him was talking to Nathan.

The orientation started and it was about rules and regulations, introducing the different departments and their staff, the activities held in the college and some random stuff. But as I remember all I did was turning towards the other side to see what Kim was up to every now and then. He was listening to what the announcer was talking about.

I am not sure how long the program lasted. The program ended and all the other students were leaving the auditorium but I sat there with other friends of mine because James wanted to finish the game. I told James that he could go out and play and was about to tell something to Simon but stopped it in between after calling his name when I felt someone tapping my right shoulder.

I turned towards my right and was flabbergasted because it was Kim with the guy who was sitting next to him. I started stuttering. Kim smiled at me for a second(I hoped him to smile a bit longer) and introduced us to each other. "Andy this is John my childhood friend". Andy immediately interrupted saying "ohh is he the guy you mentioned earlier". Kim nodded with a smile to Andy's question. I was confused with Andy's question but I ignored it. Then Kim turned towards me and told "John, this is my cousin Andy. We both are in the same department now".

'Cousin, oh wait did he say Cousin???' my head was a mess again. I was embarrassed·_·? maybe.

Kim asked me to go out with him for lunch along with his cousin. I told Kim that I would be going with my friends. Kim asked me "Won't you introduce your friends to me?". I was embarrassed again, like why didn't I introduce them until he asked. I rub back of my neck out of embarrassment then turn towards my friends and introduce them to Kim. My friends are James, Simon and Nathan. They greeted eachother. Exchanged few words, then soon after that Kim asked them if they were okay with going for lunch together. I was like 'no no please tell no, tell we got plans for God sake'. But no I forgot about Nathan-_- Nathan almost jumped saying yes. And he also said let's go to lunch together as a start of our friendship. I facepalm myself in my mind. By then James was also done with his game. Therefore we left the auditorium for lunch.