The Moon Shines when the Sun Isn't Around

48

King sat on the edge of his bed, staring blankly at the wall. The room was dim, the curtains drawn tight, blocking out the vibrant fall colors outside. He could hear the faint sounds of laughter and music drifting through the window—remnants of a world that seemed so far away from him right now. It was fall break, a time meant for friends and fun, but all he could muster was a heavy heart and a sense of isolation.

He glanced at his phone, the screen dark and untouched. No messages. No calls. He hadn't spoken to Oreo since that day at the school, and honestly, the silence felt heavy yet strangely liberating. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling of loneliness that wrapped around him like a suffocating blanket.

There was a soft knock on the door, and it creaked open to reveal Raina, his twin sister. Her eyes were filled with concern, and she stepped into the room, her expression serious.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked, her voice gentle. She had been the one person in his life who seemed to understand him without needing to pry.

King shrugged, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, just... relaxing."

Raina raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Relaxing looks a lot different when you've been cooped up in here for three days straight. Mom's worried about you."

"Is she?" King replied, trying to sound casual, but the weight of her worry pressed on him like a physical force.

Raina sat down beside him, her tone shifting to one of quiet seriousness. "You can't keep shutting everyone out, King. It's not healthy. You need to talk to someone. To me. I'm right here."

He looked away, not wanting to meet her gaze. "I just... don't want to talk about it right now."

"You don't have to talk about everything. Just talk about how you're feeling. It's okay to be upset. But you don't have to deal with it alone."

"Isn't that exactly what I'm doing?" he replied, his voice sharper than intended. "I'm alone. I want to be alone."

Raina's expression softened, and she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I get that, but it doesn't have to be like this. You don't have to hide away. What happened with Oreo... it sucks, but it's not the end of the world. You have people who care about you."

King sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just don't know how to face everyone. It feels like I've lost a part of myself."

"Then let us help you find it again," Raina urged gently. "You're not just King the 'popular guy.' You're my brother, and I hate seeing you like this."

He met her eyes then, seeing the genuine concern reflected back at him. "I know, and I appreciate it. I just don't want to be a burden."

"You're never a burden," she insisted. "But you have to let us in. You can't just starve yourself of human connection. It won't fix anything."

For a moment, King remained silent, contemplating her words. Raina was right, of course. The isolation he had wrapped around himself like a fortress was only suffocating him more. But how could he explain the tangled mess of his feelings? The anger, the betrayal, the sense of loss?

"I don't want to talk to Mom," he said finally, breaking the silence. "She'll just worry more."

"Then let me talk to her. I'll explain it's just a rough patch," Raina suggested, her voice soothing. "But you need to eat something. Just one meal a day isn't enough. You need to take care of yourself."

King nodded slowly, knowing she was right but feeling a deep-seated reluctance to rejoin the world outside his room. The thought of facing his mother, of seeing the worry etched on her face, made his stomach twist.