𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕒 𝕡𝕖𝕖𝕜

39. Uncertainty

"Thea, can you please call me. I found something, something big, it's about—or it revolves around—well, you. "
Thea heard Keith let out one last plea before hanging up what she guessed to be a pay phone in a sigh.

She hastily stuffed her phone back into her jacket pocket when she heard footsteps, taking in a deep breath to try to ignore the empty pit that was left inside her.

Thea had blocked her mum, Alex, and Kieth the day after she was kicked out.
Keith's only choice of contact was to try call her through a pay phone, even though she rarely answers unknown numbers.

That was the fourth time she had replayed the voicemail he left her.
The fourth time she nearly called him,
Then Scott entered the room, rubbing his eyes so that they were red and puffy, making it seem like he had a cold or really bad hayfever.

"You good?" Thea asked, looking Scott up and down with an unintentional, judging expression.

"Shut up." He groaned with a humourless laugh, taking a seat at the dining table next to Thea.

She knew that he barley slept the night before, it was obvious, but what she didn't know was why.
There was nothing any of them could do, they had to wait for Theo to do something, anything, that could give them clues, but nothing was happening,
so why was he awake?
What he doing?

"Who was calling you?" Scott asked, changing the subject as he reached into the box of cereal that Thea had been eating out of, both of them too lazy to get milk and bowls.

"No one, just a voicemail from an unknown number." Thea sighed, snatching the box of Cheerios back before grabbing a handful.

"I can hear your heartbeat, Thea." Scott said, rolling his eyes as he shoved the last of his handful of cereal into his mouth.

"I'm not lying... technically." Thea shot back, not wanting to hide information from him but also not wanting to talk about her problems.
"Kieth, he called me off a pay phone since I blocked him. I just have this feeling that I shouldn't—I don't know—talk to him, I guess." Thea shrugged, biting her bottom lip to making herself shut up.

"Why? Because of your fight you your mum and Alex or... do you think something else is going on?" Scott asked, leaning back in the wood chair, trying to get comfortable.

"I don't know, I just have this feeling." Thea whispered, running her thumb in circles over her clothed black mark.
"I thought it was just my anxiety at first,
but this is different, like something is holding me back."
Scott pulled away for a moment, looking though the table in deep thought.
"But another part of me wants me to see him more than anything."

"That makes sense. I mean, he's practically your family, I'd miss him too if I were you." Scott gave her a weak but meaningful smile.

"That's just it. The part of me the wants to stay away from him, that part of me is like instinct or a hunch of sorts," Thea paused, being cautious of how she said her next words.
"But the part of me that wants to see him, seek him out. I'm not sure if that's me."

»»———— ☾✩☽ ————««

Theo had just returned to the operating theatre with the jar of talons in hand,
looking stunned by the sight in front of him.

First he saw was Corey, who was curled up on the floor with his head between his knees.
Next to him was Josh, who was kneeling on the floor, cradling his injured arm and covered in blood.
Tracy was in the best condition of the three, standing in the doorway between the front room and the operating theatre, where she was pressing her hands to a bleeding wound on her stomach.