Handling His Existence

•• Chapter Thirty-Five ••

Chapter Thirty-Five: Handling The Aftermath.

The room was silenced now, engulfed in a weird wrap of the absolute tragedy of the secret I vowed to keep.

I explained how I once walked in on my mother kissing her 'patient' in her psychology office over the next town. I explained how she didn't notice me, but I kept that to myself since that day, until the stress got too much and I had to tell Klaus. Klaus insisted on me telling our father, who, by then, was the most oblivious to the 'patient' who was a regular. I explained how Lillian—Leonard's fifteen-year old daughter—had blackmailed my twin and I, saying that she'd reveal it all if we didn't do as she said.

Upto the point where she did.

I kept my eyes fixated on the bracelet Theo gave me, now fidgeting awkwardly as the two stared at me.

"What did your brother say?" It was Skyla who asked, her voice tender.

"We heard a ruckus downstairs, plates being thrown around by my Mum, my Dad lying on the floor," I inhaled sharply, "She was getting abusive. Klaus told me to pack and go to someone I trust. I don't know what to do anymore."

I could hear Skyla's incredulous anger from her voice, "Your Mum won't bother you again. We'll make sure of it."

When I didn't say anything, she continued, "You can sleep in the guest room and stay with us for as long as you like. We'll talk tomorrow."

With that, she walked upstairs, after asking me if I was sure that I was okay. Now, it was just Theo and I, stuck in our regular abyss of silence.

"You know you could have told me, right?" He asked, voice laced with some hurt.

I didn't look at him, "I like to keep my problems away from others. What's the use of throwing the universe's hate on me to you?"

"You've kept it for two years?" He asked.

I nodded, now wiping my face with the back of my hand, "It was hard. But, it's true what they say: the truth always comes out."

"Too many lies ooze out," He murmured, "Like the one you keep saying: that you're okay."

"Thanks for noticing," I pressed my lips tightly together, "And between what happened with Sasha and—"

"Kailee," He shifted closer as I broke off with my sentence, a sob threatening to escape. Theo lifted my chin up, now letting his eyes trail over my face, "You need to sleep. This night has been enough for you."

After that small conversation, he helped me get settled in bed, and only spoke when I turned on my side.

"Goodnight, muffin."

I didn't reply; I just forced my tears to stay in, and tried to drift off, waiting for sleep.

It never came.

• • •

"Morning," Theo mumbled the next day as he stood by the staircase. I looked up from my coffee on the counter, while a small smirk settled on his face. "I'm loving this already."

He must have seen no smile that reached me, because in the second that followed, he was already in front of me, eyes glinting with worry, "I'm sorry. You still must be pretty shaken—"

"No worries," I exhaled slowly, "I needed that. I missed the Theo with jokes."

He said nothing in response to that, "Did you sleep well?"

He saw my faltered face, and deadpanned, "You didn't sleep at all, did you?"

"It's kind of hard to when two deaths—" I broke off with a deep breath, "—when bad things happen."

He looked down, "What do you think they're gonna say at school?"

"What do you think?"

• • •

As expected, what we got at school was a bunch of murmurs and whispers, people silently judging us as we sauntered down the hallway.

I couldn't even describe my happiness that came as Lena threw her hands around me. I staggered back, but held my small amount of happiness as she tried not to sob her misery away.

"Kailee, Lena."

We both pulled away, now turning around to face the face of our Queen B, Reyna Willis.

Or so I thought it was her.

The person's normally perfect blonde hair, the one that's styled to perfection, the vibrant blue eyes that normally makes anyone wither away, and the normal stylish clothes that result in envious enemies—was all gone.

Instead, there stood a girl who's face was bare, rid from any make-up, her normal smirk replaced with a frown and her regular calm façade was hidden underneath one of complete sadness.

"Reyna," Lena said calmly, her fists being clenched to the side, "What do you—"

"I'm sorry!" Reyna burst out with a sob, "For everything with her, I'm sorry! These things I do with my life destroy others, but normally not this bad."

"And that's okay?!" I barked, feeling my own fists curl into balls.

"No, I never said that," Reyna shook her head, "Freddie was arrested, Natalie moved, Mona lost her mind—but never has anything ended in death!"

There was a crowd of students now, all whispering at what had been happening, continuing with their judging. But, they didn't surround us and kept their distance. I don't blame them; I would, too.

I was unable to control myself as my hand landed as a slap to her perfect, porcelain face.

"Sasha took her own life because of you, Reyna," I muttered hastily, ignoring the echoing gasp throughout the halls, "You killed her."

I parted my lips in surprise, now taking in the absurdly crazed face that Reyna Willis wore. Stop pitying her. This is the girl who landed Freddie in jail. She destroyed Sasha enough to make her take her own life. I took a deep breath, now moving past Reyna and towards the end of the hall.

Only, no-one followed me. The two—Lena and Theo—just stayed back and watched Reyna helplessly fall to the floor, a hand clasped over her mouth.

• • •

I stared blankly ahead at the girl's locker room in front of me, before pushing every thought behind me and rushing inside.

I'd dodged every other class we had, instead spending my time in the library or just thinking about what I said to Reyna.

She deserved it; it was the truth.

I pulled at the ends of my hair, now screaming violently as I threw a few strewn papers that were on the bench around, along with kicking the weak bench over, knocking my hand against the row of lockers, before I stopped completely.

My breathing was heavy, my chest heaving up and down as I stared right at the locker in front of me: Sasha Keene.

As I decided, against my better wisdom, to open the locker, however, a spark erupted.

Then, it was only a flame festival that erupted before my eyes, almost like it was set up.