My Past, My Present || Kaylee Lee x VCHA

Chapter 4: Help

Kaylee sat at her desk, staring at the pile of unfinished work that had been sitting on her desk for days. She rubbed her eyes, feeling the familiar feeling of exhaustion wash over her. School had always been her escape, the one place where things made sense. But lately, even that was slipping through her fingers. She couldn't shake the emptiness that came with losing her mother. It was as if a part of her had disappeared, leaving her in a constant state of limbo.

Her phone buzzed, breaking her train of thought.

__________________________________

Savanna 

We're coming over, don't argue.

___________________________________

Kaylee sighed, knowing better than to refuse. Her friends had been her lifeline since everything happened, but sometimes their concern felt overwhelming. Still, she couldn't deny that having them around made things just a little more bearable.

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang. Kaylee opened it to find Savanna, Kiera, Camila, Kendall, and Lexi standing on the porch with bags of snacks and determined expressions.

"We come bearing food and the will to help you," Lexi said in a deep voice, smiling and waving a bag of chips in Kaylee's face.

Kaylee managed a small smile. "Thanks, guys. I didn't expect a full-on intervention."

"That's because you're too stubborn to ask for help, Kay," Kendall said as she gently pushed past Kaylee and made her way inside. "But that's what we're here for. We're not leaving until this work gets done."

As they settled in, each of them took a different part of Kaylee's workload. Savanna flipped through textbooks, helping organize notes. Lexi and Camila tackled some of the more tedious assignments, and Kendall started brainstorming ideas for an upcoming project. Kiera, however, sat quietly on the edge of Kaylee's bed, watching her.

Kaylee noticed the look in her friend's eyes, and after a while, she gave in. "Okay, spill it," she said, sitting down beside Kiera. "What's on your mind?"

Kiera sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You, Kay. You've been acting like everything is fine, but I know it's not. You don't have to keep pretending."

Kaylee looked away, not expecting Kiera to honestly worry about her. "I don't know what you want me to say. I'm just... trying to keep it together."

"I know. But you don't have to keep it together all the time," Kiera said softly. "You're allowed to feel what you're feeling, even if it's messy or painful."

For a moment, Kaylee didn't respond. She wasn't used to letting herself be vulnerable, not even with her closest friends. But Kiera's words hit something deep inside her.

"I just... I feel like I'm drowning sometimes," Kaylee admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "There's so much to do, and no matter how hard I try, I can't stop thinking about mom. About Ava. I don't know if I'm doing enough."

Kiera placed a hand on Kaylee's shoulder. "You're doing more than enough. You're stronger than you think, Kaylee. But you don't have to go through this alone."

Kaylee felt the tightness in her chest ease, just a little. Kiera always had a way of making her feel understood. "Thank you," she said quietly, her voice shaky but sincere. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Kiera smiled. "You'll never have to find out."

The moment passed between them, and soon the rest of the group joined in, joking and teasing Kaylee as they powered through her work together. It wasn't perfect, but for the first time in a while, Kaylee felt a little less alone. The weight on her shoulders was still there, but it didn't seem so impossible to carry anymore.

By the time they finished, Kaylee's desk was clear, and her heart was a little lighter.

"See? Told you we'd get through it," Camila said as she stretched her arms above her head.

"And now, we celebrate with pizza!" Lexi added, pulling out her phone to order.

Kaylee couldn't help but laugh. "You guys are the best."

As they sat together, eating and laughing, Kaylee realized that maybe, just maybe, she was going to be okay after all. With her friends by her side, she didn't have to carry the weight of her world alone.