Upon A Star

Chapter 7

'Woman was found dead inside her home this morning. Police officers searched the scene to find pills scattered on the bathroom floor next to the body. The house reeked of alcohol when the officers were called to investigate, and the woman was clinically dead when the ambulance arrived. Devastating news for her daughter of the young age of seventeen.'

Celeste shut the video from her phone's display and Nick was in shock. His jaw fell wide open and his eyes were transfixed on the immobile screen.

"It's my fault, isn't it? I ran away, I abandoned her and she commits suicide," Celeste whimpered as Nick's eyes remained on the screen while his fingers ran reassuringly in her soft hair. She was damaged.

"Of course not," he focused his eyes into hers as if to reassure her that her mother's death had nothing to do with her. But he lied as he uttered those words, he was trying to also reassure himself, Celeste was not to blame, Celeste was not to blame. But deep down, the dark thought lingered, it was Celeste's fault.

The sickening feeling of bile sat in the back of his throat; he tried to gulp it back down, he tried to swallow it, hide it, and conceal it from Celeste. She was damaged, and he didn't know if he had it inside him to put her broken pieces back together.

He thought of a strategy. She could stay the night, but tomorrow morning, she would have to return home. He couldn't deal with this, he had Jessica, his own life to deal with – he didn't have time to glue the shattered girl into a whole.

"Thank you for letting me stay," she uttered almost a whisper, and the guilt itched at him.

It was now or never, so he chose now. "You have to leave tomorrow morning," he said abruptly and he noticed her gasp and the shock that filled her eyes. Disappointment. Nick had failed her. "You know, since you have your house back, maybe you'd want to be alone and mourn?" He continued cautiously with a gentle tone, trying to fix what he had said beforehand.

"I'll leave now-," she sniffed back the tears that were spilling endlessly. She steadied herself on her feet and left Nick sitting motionless on the bathroom floor.

As he watched her shadow disappear completely he headed back to the kitchen to find Jessica standing behind the stove. She had flipped the pancakes he had clearly abandoned for Celeste. They were ready for consumption, sand coloured and frothy.

"So, is she ok?" Jessica asked, and he could tell from her tone that she was trying hard to sound concerned, even though she clearly wasn't.

She picked up the plate of stacked pancakes from the kitchen counter and settled it in the centre of the table. He realised a jar of Nutella was also placed on the kitchen table. Jessica had clearly organised what he had abandoned while he was busy cleaning up after the depressed girl that was packing her things as they spoke.

"Yeah, she's leaving. She's packing right now," and a guilty smile crept on Jessica's face as she sat in her chair. Nick followed and sat next to her.

"What a shame," she responded coolly and pierced a pancake with her fork and situated it on her own plate.

Silence clung and in silence they ate their breakfast. Jessica spread some Nutella on her pancake as Nick ate his own plain; he wasn't in the mood for the luxury of sweetness. He felt guilty, but he had to do what he had to do.

-

Celeste finished packing her bags and threw her suitcase on the floor with a loud thud, but she didn't care. She was unwanted, so she was leaving.