Short Stories | Sean x Kaycee

Light

"I-I'm sorry, Sean," she cried. "I'm sorry I wasn't a better sister. And I'm sorry if I can't just let you be. I don't want to, okay?" she said, and she stood beside him, turning his face to meet her eyes. "I'll help you. Julian and I will help you. But please," she breathed. "Help yourself, too."

*****

He tried, and by some miracle as Julian worded, he did eventually stop curing his misery with drinking. Not only because his best friend was with him most of the day to watch him, but Serris took hold of his cards to prevent him from spending his remaining money uselessly.

"I'm not a fucking child!" he had reasoned, but his sister was having none of it.

"With the way you're acting, you practically are," she deadpanned. "Just a month, li'l bro. I'll buy all the things that you need, and pay what you needed to pay. I'm leaving enough for you to eat, and if you choose to drink and starve, fine, I'm not giving this back and if I have to drag you home then I will. Dad be damned."

He realized he needed to clean up his act. He would do anything –as long as he won't go home and face his father. He won't be welcomed anyway, so why would he face the humiliation of him turning him away again?

*****

He took deep measured breaths as he cooled down, calves and lungs burning after a good one hour of jogging across town. He just started working out again just a couple of days prior and realized how his body was in bad shape after all the inactivity and alcohol-binging. He almost dragged his body as he crossed the street towards the local diner, determined to quench his parched throat.

His hand was on the knob when he stopped short, his eyes landing on a girl seated at one of the outside tables. He could feel his breath catch as he took her in, his thirst and exhaustion suddenly gone. This was the girl he bumped into weeks ago.

"Can you watch where you're fucking going?!"

He remembered snapping at her, and he pressed his eyes shut in exasperation, in embarrassment. Of course, Lew. She can't fucking watch. You're a prick, he chastised himself.

After a few moments of hesitation, he warily approached her table, mind rapidly formulating the right words to say.

Her smile captivated him, just like the very first time he landed his eyes on her. Then her clear brown eyes, her rosy cheeks, her curls flying with the wind. She is just so beautiful, especially how the setting sun bathed her skin, making her smile even brighter.

She is...ethereal.

Then he almost jumped when a loud bark cut his thoughts, just registering the large black dog by her feet, now on alert as he approached.

"Hey, Kino man. Calm down, maybe it's a friend?" she said, her smooth, cool voice sending tingles on his skin.

She stooped to scratch her dog's ears, smiling, but her head is turned to where he was standing. She probably sensed his presence, too.

"Are you a friend?" she suddenly asked, catching him off-guard.

Sean scratched the back of his neck. "Uhm. Not really. No," he said awkwardly.

"Oh," the girl said, still smiling. That must be her resting face.

"You really shouldn't do that next time. People lies and would take advantage of you," he said, genuinely concerned.

She giggled. Fuck, even that was like music to his ears. "I believe you didn't lie when you told me you're not a friend. Are you going to take advantage of me then?" she asked good-naturedly.