Being McKenzie Prince ✔

Chapter Eight

I only returned to school a week after the incident between Goliath and Skye. I did not have the strength to deal with everyone.

He refused to talk about it, but I knew that it was bad. Whatever happened between them has clearly installed a great sense of fear in my brother. It is like my brother is slowly dying and there is nothing I can do about it. He barely talks. He barely eats, unless he spent a few hours with Natasha, then he suddenly develops a strange appetite. He is not sleeping. His eyes are permanently bloodshot and there are dark grey circles under them. I have tried to talk to him, but he keeps avoiding the subject. He keeps saying that I should leave it and that it does not matter.

I have seen similar signs in my father and mother. I hate to admit it, but I am scared that Skye is either drinking or using some kind of drug. I hope that I am wrong.

For some reason I scanned the halls for Harper. I heard rumors that he was absent all of last week. He was at school today though. At least that is what I heard.

I did not really know what I expected to happen between him and his father, but he looked okay when I finally saw him. He was with his friends during lunch sitting on the bleachers making fun of other people. For a reason I was still trying to figure out why his laughter seemed empty. It could be because mine was also empty. I know the tell-tale signs of someone who is faking it. I wonder if my fake smile is also as obvious as his. His friends do not seem to notice it.

His laugh was almost dead. I could not help myself as I stared at him during the second lunch break. I had no idea what I was looking for.

"Why are you staring at Harper?" Skye gave me an irritated glance.

"I am not"

"Yes you are."

"No I am not"

"Yes you are"

"No I am not"

"Well. Mac you have sort of been staring at him since the beginning of break." Edith shrugged her shoulders and took a bite out of her wrap. Off course Edith would take Skye's side.

I looked at Skye. He has not eaten anything yet today. He did not even have the food I packed for lunch with him. Natasha was half lying on top of him. She was busy drinking some health shake out of a cool drink bottle. I had this suspicion that there was some kind of alcohol in it.

"I was not busy staring at him. I was merely observing the natural habitat of the stupendous species." Edith laughed and then stopped herself.

"That was not very nice, but it was funny. Did Mister Van Rensburg also give you that assignment where you had to write a letter to someone random?" Edith took another bite out of her wrap.

I looked at Skye again. I was really worried about him. He looked physically ill. He was even paler than usual. Skye looked directly at me. He reached his hand out and took a hand full of Biltong as if though he heard what I was thinking. He ate it in such a manner as if to say, look, I am eating.

Natasha started to talk about this party at a Matric's house where she was going this weekend on Saturday. She invited everyone to come along.

"Sorry. I don't really do parties. I have to go...I promised Tyler that I would help him with a project in art class. Bye everyone. Bye Skylar." Edith finished eating and walked away.

"So are you going or not?"

Skye and I answered at the same time. I said;

"We cannot go" at the same time Skye said;