Blank Stars

chapter 23

I got up off of the bed and Alec still stood there astonished, I was happy that I hadn’t thrown out the bags that I had used to bring my stuff here. I pulled it out and Cera came over, offering help which I gladly accepted. Alec just stood there staring at me, I walked up to him and stood in front of him, I had now lost all compassion for him and felt empty as I looked at him.

“Please move.”

I put on a hollow smile and he slowly walked away, I opened the wardrobe door and lifted out all my clothes, tightly packing them in my bag. I finished packing all my stuff and gave Alec one last look before picking up the bag which held everything to do with conspiracies, I replaced mum’s diary which was still sitting on my bed from mine and Alec’s argument.

I picked up all my bags, and Cera lifted one from me. I gave Alec one last look before walking out the door with Cera following closely behind me, leaving him standing frozen in place and probably in time. I wonder how long it would take for him to realise that I’d left him.

We walked down the stairs and I saw Sophia appear for the first time, she was probably expecting it to be Alec but she froze as she watched us walking down the stairs.

“Kayla, what’s going on, where are you going?”

She glared at Cera but held her tongue.

“I’m going with Cera.”

She stood there her mouth gaping, “What, Why?”

“Because I want to”

She stood there and, unlike Alec, just stared at me calculatingly. I knew her mind was working in overdrive, processing the different ways she could go about this. In the end she gave up on me and turned on Cera.

“Where are you taking her?!”

“Somewhere where she’ll be safer than here.”

She looked aghast, she was either acting or she was appalled by the idea that I was in any kind of danger here, conveniently forgetting the fact that she had knocked me out that very day. I still had the blood on my face to prove it.

“She’s not in danger here”

Her voice was quiet but strong, almost menacing, it was something I wouldn’t have dared oppose if I didn’t have Cera here with me.

“Oh? She’s not, do you have any idea how many times she has snuck out of here. She is in danger here simply because you don’t take care of her. I will.”

Sophia stayed silent, biting her tongue but I could see the rage and fury forming in her face. I continued down the stairs and stopped at the door. I knew that Alec was still standing in my room frozen from the shock and Sophia just looked at me solemnly. She wasn’t shocked or at least didn’t show it but a look of contempt was stretched across her features.

“Are you really going?”

I nodded and she sighed lightly, “Ok, just don’t come crawling back here.”

I took in a sharp breath, getting the underlying message, I was no longer welcome here. I was now being kicked out, she managed to turn this round so that I wasn’t in control. She had the power to do so and I hated it. Cera touched my shoulder, reminding me that this was my decision not hers. I opened the door and stepped out in the cold air. Cera closed the door behind me and guided me down onto the main road, he stopped as we reached it and turned to me.

“Are you ok?”

I smiled and nodded, he gave me a quick hug before picking up the bag at his feet.