Written In The Stars (Published Under Immac PPH)

CHAPTER 20

Written In The Stars

tw: blood and self-harm

Valerie's POV

"Valerie, I need your help."

It was another plain Saturday morning, or so I thought it was. I heard a knock on the door, it was repetitive and clangorous, the force was so strong it could almost destroy it into bits and pieces. Sabrina shot up from the sofa, leaving her video game on pause, when she opened it, I was dumbfounded seeing Kairus standing in front of us. His eyes were bloodshot, like he hadn't slept for days, it would almost tear up. He looked at Sabrina for a while before inviting himself in, he walked towards me and I was frozen as I stayed seated on the sofa. Then he begged me for help.

Before I could even ask him, I decided to stand up and walk towards the kitchen, getting a glass of water to offer him. He looked thirsty, tired and drained. All of these signs made me wonder if everything was okay. It's almost a month since Tyler and I acted like strangers, after the incident and issues spreading around the campus like crazy, I never saw him. I heard he changed classes, and even if it wasn't class hours, I never saw him around the school's premises either. Not even at the cafeteria, where almost every student goes to have lunch.

I wanted to ask Clare about him, but I don't want him to think I was still on his tail after everything he said and how poorly he treated me the last time we ever talked. It was worst than a breakup, it was a horrible parting as we were friends for years. I couldn't believe all of these mishaps are happening to Tyler with no clue that they're coming, I was scared for what awaits. Even if his words pained me, I still wanted to know if he was doing fine. But by the looks of it, he isn't. Something in Kairus' odd presence here confirms it.

"Help with what?" I placed the glass of water in front of him. I made Sabrina turn the TV off so we could talk, she nodded and did exactly what I asked her to. After turning it off and taking her game away, she looked at me straight in the eyes before gesturing that she would go up her room until Kairus and I were finished talking. As soon as Sabrina was up her room now, Kairus stared down on the glass and I made a hiss sound. "Drink up, you look dehydrated. So, you need help with what?"

"Tyler." He says before picking the glass up and he drank it straight, gulping it all till the glass is empty. He stopped to look at me and then he gestured me to get more water, I rolled my eyes and took the pitcher from the fridge and placed it in front of him. He gave me a smirk as he poured water into the glass again, drinking it all and repeating the same thing twice. My heart almost stopped when I remembered Tyler. Maybe something was indeed wrong. "He needs you. I need you to help me, to help Tyler."

"What happened to him?" I tried to ask him calmly, hiding the agitation and concernment in me. I didn't want to show Kairus that I was worried too, because for sure he's also worried for Tyler, whatever may have happened to him. I sat on the sofa in front of him, I closed my eyes for a while to calm the nerves inside me for a bit. I didn't want to show any signs of weakness despite all of the questions inside my head, wandering everywhere. "I never saw Tyler around school... Everyone said he changed classes."

"My brother never changed classes. He never went to school, that's why you never saw him." He says and my heart almost dropped. I wanted to cry. I didn't know he was away, no one ever noticed and I didn't even bother asking the professors, my classmates, even Clare. I felt guilty, there I was again with blaming myself for almost everything that's happening to me and the ones I love. I would have known that there was something wrong if I asked. "That is why I need your help. He's been in his room for days, he has no plan of coming out. I know you can convince him to come out. Dad and I are worried."