Perfectly Flawed

14. Alone

I dip my brush in the water before bringing it back to the watercolor paper, splotching the paper with vibrant shades of pink, letting my mind go back to the last time I saw Kasei.

I half expected her to come bounding through the door with JT around the same time that I got home, so when 2 hours later the door slowly opens and Kasei wanders in without a word, throwing her shoes on the mat to come plop down on the couch and watch my show with me, I know. Something is wrong.

"Hey babe." I turn to her. "Are you okay?"

She doesn't answer.

"Kasei?"

"I'm fine, how was the date?" She smiles thinly at me, and I frown.

"It wasn't a date, but that man is confusing as hell, I'll tell you that much." I chuckle, thinking back to how he goes from flirty to grumpy in a split second and then back as if nothing changed.

"What do you mean?" She turns to face me.

"I don't know, he's just..." I drift off. Hot? Annoying. I hate him. I want him? Confusing. "It doesn't matter, I'm trying to talk about you."

"There's nothing with me."

"Listen, did your mother do something to make you upset again? Because I know that you listen to her hard words, but you shouldn't, Kase. You're worth more than that."

She shakes her head and turns back to the tv.

"Where's JT? I thought he was coming home with you tonight?"

"No..I don't know if I'm..." She cuts herself off halfway through and shakes her head. "I think we had a big day and we should go to bed."

"I mean, yeah I'm tired but it's not even 10 and if somethings bothering you, I wanna help you through it." I frown.

"I'm fine. I'm going to bed." Kasei gets up. "Love you."

"Okay, see you in the morning."

She makes a humming sound that I take as an agreement, and heads down the hallway.

When I woke up, she was gone. That was yesterday.

I frown critically at the paper in front of me. I don't know what I'm doing, I don't know what I'm painting, but mostly I don't know what to do about Kasei. I called the cops right away, but they said she doesn't count as a missing person if it's been less than 24 hours.

Bullshit if you ask me.

Then I called again last night, and they said she boarded a plane on her own free will, unaccompanied. Apparently you also can't ask about someone's flight details, something about if they want to tell you they will but it's personal information. Her audition isn't for another several days, but I know she doesn't wanna miss it; she still thinks she wants to go to dance school.

I messaged JT the day she left, saying she was acting weird ever since the dinner, and what he did. He hasn't responded. I've sent a dozen messages to Kasei asking what I can do, what's happening, I just want to know she's safe. She hasn't even read them. I messaged Keila to ask what the move was for tonight, but she's busy with work.

It's lonely.

I don't know why but a part of me just assumed the lonely days when Kasei was practicing, dad was working late and mom was on a girls trip to the Bahamas, leaving me alone in the big silent house...I thought those days were behind me. I crave the times when I'd take a hike out to the woods to find space, solitude. I crave being at peace with the silence, the creativity oozing out of me and onto the canvas with the quiet.