Balance of the Skies (bxb)

CHAPTER 38

Koray was in the darkest of moods. He was unpacking, having just arrived back at school two hours earlier. He had left Auryn at her dorm and had gone straight to his room. Ty had not arrived yet. He would head to the studio on the top floor to start preparing the sculptures that would also be shipped to America. It had been raining hard yet again and he was concerned that, if this weather did not let up soon, he would have to postpone having the sculptures moved. Just then, Ty came in, pulling his luggage behind him.

"Hey man," Koray greeted him drily.

"Hey, so you made it before me."

"Yeah, what's new?" Koray finished putting away the last of his clothes. "I'll be heading up to the studio as I need to prepare the pieces for shipping."

"Need any help?"

"Thanks, go ahead and unpack you stuff. Have any of the others arrived?"

"No idea. I texted Melia but got no reply. Probably she's still on the train."

"Weren't you together with her family?"

"Yeah, but I went back home the last couple of days. Needed to prepare for school. So, erm..." Koray, who had already been making his way to the door, turned around questioningly.

"Yeah?"

"We went to visit Melia's aunt. She lives in the same village as Lorien." Koray was about to turn back to walk out the door. "He's hurting, Koray, he – he's lost weight and his eyes looked so sad."

Koray seemed frozen, not even breathing.

"I find it hard to believe he intentionally broke your trust, for whatever reason."

"Has he asked you to make this little speech for him?"

"No, of course not. Seriously, Koray? How long have we been friends? You know I'll always have your back. But as your best friend, it's my place to be sincere and tell you things that maybe you don't want to hear.

"Lorien is hurting, yet he is not a coward. He actually faced us head on and told us plainly not to walk on eggshells around him. And he sure as hell did not look, seem or act guilty at any time we were together. Just hurt and confused."

"Do you have any idea how I feel?"

"No, I don't and you know why? Because you never told me, Koray. You just shut everyone out and have been angry with everyone, especially yourself, ever since you broke up with him. You broke up with him, Koray. We all make mistakes and you don't get to be any different from the rest of us.

"Don't leave for the States without at least talking to him -"

Koray had left, slamming the door behind him.

~~~~~

Wilford was anxiously pacing the room. The nagging feeling he had all during summer break had increased tenfold. He had to know what Rylan was keeping in that locked box he hid under his bed. He knew it was there – he had checked the minute he got there and realised that his roommate had not arrived yet.

He had tried to ignore the snippets of conversation he had heard when the other thought no one was around. He had noticed how blood shot Rylan's eyes were lately and how he would often seem spaced out. And when Koray had broken up with Lorien, Wilford's anxiety had heightened without knowing why. He also could not forget when he had seen someone leaving their room – someone who looked like Lorien in size... So he used his friends' break up as an excuse to move in with Rylan to be able to keep a closer eye on him.