Sleepless✎

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SOME PEOPLE ARE OUR SAVIOURS EVEN WHEN WE DONT ASK THEM TO SAVE US. Ilarias saviour had shown up in the form of a shaking 17 year old boy who's cheeks had gone red from the cold and who's glasses took up most of his face.

Ilaria handed him a mug of coffee, she thought the boy might freeze over completely with how badly he'd been shaking.

Kai Romano, had shown up asking for her help and with how cold it was, she had to let him in, he wouldn't speak of the reasons outside.

She sat down opposite him, pulling her cardigan over her hands "so, what's up?"

"I -" he blew out a breath and started over "your friend, Kenna..." Kai began chewing on his lips and Ilaria tried to hide her flinch at her bestfriends name "uhm, my cousin was the girl they found yesterday" he swallowed, opting to start the conversation differently.

He began tracing the mug, staring down into it like it would somehow give him answers "you are working on the case, you're trying to find him"

Ilaria sat up straighter "wh-what?" she furrowed her brows, as far as she knew she hadn't told anyone and she barely speaks to people. How could Kai possible know?

"I can tell" he answered and before she could object he went on "you're not focused in class but you're always writing, your teachers have been calling you out for your grades dropping. You clearly haven't been sleeping, Ofcourse that could just be the trauma but you are looking, I can tell you are. You look at everyone like they're a potential suspect." and to tip it all off, he said" oh and the way you sat up straight, the way your eyes widened like you'd been caught in some very illegal matter was a dead give away"

"you don't know me, there's no possible way you can just claim something like that" Ilaria answered "that's creepy by the way."

The boy shrugged "I observe people. Am I right?"

Ilaria paused before answering but there was no point in lying, Kai seemed smart enough to know if she was "yeah, I am. Not that I'm getting anywhere though" she said, frustration laced into her voice.

Kai nodded "I want to help."

Ilaria glared at him "I barely know you, why should I trust you?" she crossed her arms "you show up, basically profile me and then claim you want to help. A normal person would know to stay away from all of this, people think I'm crazy you know?"

Kai blew out a breath "Look, my cousin - she meant alot to me. She was like a sister, I grew up with her. My parents abandoned me and when it was time for someone to be there, she was."

Ilaria blinked, her expression nonchalant "I can understand that you're grieving, Kai. But you don't want to get caught up in this -"

"yes I do." the boy was stubborn, Ilaria could tell he would not back down. Maybe she needed a little help, a partner could help tremendously even though she herself hated working with other people.

"alright" She gave in "but I warned you, pretty boys like you should not be mixing with the crazies"

Kai blushed slightly or maybe it was just Ilarias imagination, when he spoke up his tone was teasing "actually, you're the only crazy in town so don't worry the other pretty boys are pretty much safe"

Ilarias eyebrows shot up, for someone who she gathered was shy - he seemed comfortable enough around her.

"Thank you" he said and she shrugged, some part of her too soft to let him know they might never find this monster.

But there was hope, that was the only thing keeping her going.

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"how have you been?" Ilaria mother asked, her brown wavy hair fell over her shoulders and her brown eyes practically matched her skin, Ilaria always thought her mother looked like a Indian princess.

"fine,no silly hallucinations all day" Ilaria cracked a joke, this was her armour - acting dumb, making people think everything was fine when it was not.

Her mother glared at her "don't joke like that."

Ilaria shrugged "it's true" she pushed the food in her plate around, distracted by her mind constantly trying to untangle a mystery that seemed impossible to untangle.

"Ilaria, I still think you should go back on your medication" her mother told her.

"I don't need it anymore" a lie she was accustomed to, her mother - too exhausted to fight with her teenage daughter, slumped in her seat and they continued eating in silence.

Their house felt haunted now, without her father and with Ilaria grieving both her bestfriend and her father. Her relationship with her mother is not exactly tight knit, they talk - about normal things but they aren't exactly close.

It wasn't always like that and Ilaria knows, deep down if she had been stronger then maybe her mother and brother wouldn't be so on edge around her.

But she wasn't stronger and no matter how hard she makes them think she is, she knows they'd never buy it.

Tate swept in, talking about college and his girlfriend... Carefully keeping the subject off Ilaria.

She gave her brother a grateful smile and he nodded slightly in turn, both of them acknowledging that they would always have each other's backs.

By the end of dinner, she found herself in a cacoon between her mother and brother, her favorite cartoon playing. She'd forced them here, she does everynight but she knows they secretly enjoy watching her shows with her.

These are the kind of memories she's trying to replace that one cold, sad night with because if she didn't start replacing it, she feared it might start taking over until it defined her - and she hated that. So much.

But when they fell asleep and she still lie awake, Ilaria couldn't help but silently slip away to her room where she opened her laptop, to once again stare at pictures of her and her bestfriend.

To make a silent promise that she would do whatever it takes. That she would try her hardest to give her justice, even if it ruined her.

Tears had fell down her cheeks while reading through article after article, she had to try and get the little details. To get to know this psycho. To know why they did it because if she knew why, she might have a bigger chance at finding them.

So she sat there, taking notes, scribbling down the smallest things, stringing them across her board - until the clock hit 6am and Ilaria eventually crawled into bed and hoped and prayed no nightmares would come that icy morning.