Ghost Bird Fanfiction: Sang's Lyric, The Story of Sang Sorenson's Mother

A New Home

I wanted the day to crawl by, to take as long as it possibly could, but soon it was 2:45 and I was back at my locker, grabbing my homework and packing it into my bag.

"We'll be by in about thirty minutes," James told me, watching me fumble with my notebook before taking pity on me and holding the bag open. "We'll get some of your clothes and come to his house."


I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

Taylor curled my hair around my ear. "We'll stay as long as we can. Tell him we need to study."


"But I have to spend the night there," I whispered, looking at him quickly and then back down. "I really really don't want to do that."

Taylor looked across to James. I followed his gaze. James stared at him hard, his lips pale.

"I know, Lyric," James said finally, looking away from Taylor and meeting my eyes.

I pulled my book bag over my shoulder and closed my locker. "Walk me out?" I asked.

They nodded, Taylor putting his arm around my shoulder and James taking my hand. They led me through the halls the way they had everyday since we'd met. No one stepped on me, or pushed me; they were my own personal buffer against the world.

"Lyric!" I heard a voice call from ahead of us, and a dark head came into view.

"Kell," I breathed, my entire body sagging with relief. The boys stopped with me, waiting for Kell to find us.

His skin was red from the cold and he had a tightness around his lips and eyes that made me think he was in pain.

"Are you alright?" I asked as soon as he was close enough to hear me, my eyes roving over him.

He nodded quickly, looking back and forth between Taylor and James. His face took on a confused expression as he surveyed them, but he seemed to mentally shake himself.

"I wanted to take you out, to make up for this morning," he said.

"I..." I started, wanting so much to go with him. I looked to James for help.

"You should have answered you phone," James censured.

"I couldn't..." Kell looked away, and then seeing something he didn't like in James's face, he stepped into his space. "What? Why?"


James shook his head, and pulled his hand from mine, putting his hands on his hips and staring at the floor. He finally looked up and stared at Kell with fire in his eyes. "Because Lyric is going to Sorenson's tonight. He's got it all worked out. She had to go or he was calling the police."

"What?" Kell's normally deep voice got louder. It was the second time I had heard him raise his voice, and I winced. "She can't go there. James, she can't..."

He looked down at me, and I swore I saw his eyes become glassy with unshed tears.

"She has to," Taylor answered for James, when it became clear that he wouldn't, or couldn't, answer.

Kell spun around, throwing his hands up into his hair and pulling it from the roots. He walked quickly to the lockers, pushing his forehead against the cold metal, and drew his head back, slamming his forehead into it. Hard. Once, and then twice.

"Stop!" I cried, throwing my hand between the metal and his head. "What are you doing? Stop!"

He kept his head against the wall and squeezed his eyes closed. I saw his hands fist and push into the wall. His entire body was wound tighter than a spring.