My hands began to shake. Leave school. Sign out first. Okay. I walked to the reception and Mrs. Motlow smiled kindly. A lone tear slid down my cheek.
"Can I help you dear?" she asked with worried smile.
"I— my brother called in? My mum...my mum's in hospital." Saying the words out loud wracked a sob from my chest and I covered my mouth in horror. Mrs. Motlow nodded her head sympathetically and slid the glass window open to pat my shoulder comfortingly.
"Yes I spoke to him, I will sign you out. I hope everything goes well with your Mum, dear."
I barely nodded before I turned to leave. I wanted to call Joshua to ask if Mum was alright but I wanted to see her for myself. As I ran, the wind dried the tears on my cheeks. What was the last thing I'd said to her? I'd said thanks. Stopping in my tracks, I leant on the wall and sobbed. What happened to Mum? Horrible images filled my mind and I covered my mouth to suppress the sobs. I took a spluttering breath and pushed off the wall to break into a run again, but I crashed straight into someone's chest.
"Woah! Oh it's you. Hey? Are you okay?"
I frowned as I leant onto the hands holding my shoulders. I recognised that accented voice. Stephan. I mumbled an apology as I wiped my face, trying to look presentable.
"I have to go..." I managed to say, before covering my trembling lips.
"What happened?" Stephan asked with concern. His voice held something deeper but I avoided his eyes.
It felt like my throat was being squeezed, and fresh tears sprang to my eyes. I didn't have time for this. Bowing my head in trepidation, I ran towards home, spurring myself on so I could get there quickly. I didn't stop running until I reached the apartment.
Taking ragged breaths, I unlocked the door and thundered up the stairs. I searched the whole room for my hoodie, but couldn't find it. 'If you lose something, check the last place you saw it.' Mum's voice rang clearly in my mind. I rushed over to check the laundry basket. It was still full to brim, with my hoodie right at the top. A lump formed in my throat. Mum never left the laundry basket full.
I let a scream build up before releasing it in painful cry. I fell to my knees clutching the hoodie to my chest. This was the first time I had openly cried in the apartment. It felt strange to be able to cry in the place where I always had to hold myself together. Wiping my eyes, I pulled the hoodie on and ran down the stairs, ignoring the shaking handrail as a train stormed past the apartment. I had to get to Mum.
Just then, there was a sharp knock at the door. Taking a small step forward, I paused at the foot of the stairs. Another series of knocks resounded. There could be two people out there. I walked up to the door quietly. The knocking hadn't stopped, it was insistent, urgent. Joshua would've had the key, so it couldn't be him, plus he was waiting for me at the hospital, unless... I swallowed hard, not allowing my mind to wander. I stood still, unable to breathe. No, Mum was still in hospital, that meant she was getting treated, she'd be okay. I had to get Mum.
I took ahold of the cool doorknob and sucked in a breath. It felt like I held the Earth in my hand. With a quick twist I released the lock and pulled the door open. The slightly colder air hit my face and I closed my eyes without even looking at who was at the door.
"Are you hurt?"
My eyes flew open in disbelief at the calmly asked question. Kai stood tall in his long leather jacket but his usual stoic expression was a little rattled.
I couldn't speak.
He frowned and I stared at the lines that formed on his forehead, they made a 'v' between his eyebrows.
"Holly?" His voice was deeper this time.
He said my name, he knew my name? I wanted to roll my eyes at him and demand to know why he scared me by nearly breaking down the door, but I couldn't move.
"What happened?" The lines on his forehead deepened and he took a step closer.
His voice held concern and I wanted to tell him I had to see Mum, but I couldn't speak. Mum. I felt tears running down my cheeks. Kai looked worried and he put a hand on my shoulder. He said something, but I didn't hear it properly. I was in an ocean, floating.
"Holly! Speak to me damn it!"
I wanted to push his hand off my shoulder, but my hand was still holding the earth. Kai's eyes seemed to gleam with a dark light. I stared at them, entranced. His mouth moved but there was no sound. I could only hear the beating of my heart.
My face felt wet. I blinked a couple of times and the yawning lion on the ceiling greeted me in his usual way. Why was I in bed? I wasn't wearing my pyjamas and it was still daytime.
"Holly?" asked a low voice carefully.
I flinched at the sound turned my back to the voice as quick as I could. Why did that voice sound like...
"It's just me, Kai. You're safe, don't worry."
My eyes nearly popped out of my head as I processed that information for moment. What the hell was Kai doing in my bedroom? Was he trying it on with me?! No, that didn't make sense. Kai left last night, I'm sure of it. I was missing something. Slowly, I turned around to see Kai gingerly sitting on the edge of my bed. I lost all fear when I saw the expression on his face. Something stirred in my mind and I bunched my hands into fists.
"I threw some water on you because you weren't responding. Thought it was a better idea than slapping you."
My stomach flipped.
"What do you mean I wasn't responding?" I asked hesitantly.
"Stephan saw you walking home, crying. He thought you were in trouble, so he told me. I thought the same, because you weren't opening the door."
I inhaled sharply as I remembered bumping into Stephan on the way home from school. Mum.
"God, Kai I have to go! My Mum!" My chest heaved as I struggled to breathe between each word.
Kai held my shoulders and shook me slightly.
"Stop. Now take a deep breath in. Now out. Take it easy."
I followed his words and tried to calm down.
"Where is your Mum?"
I swallowed hard and tried to keep breathing steadily.
"Hospital. Joshua called me when I was at school. He texted me as well but I was in lesson.I have to go there right now! I don't know what's happened to her Kai, what if she's—"
"Dead? Well you won't know by sitting around here. Do you have the address?"
I gasped in shock and the familiar irritation that I'd come to associate with Kai, rose in my chest. My face felt warm as rage threatened to overtake me.
"How dare—"
"Address, Holly. Get angry later, time's running out."
I almost grunted with irritation. He was so insensitive and rude and brash. But he was right.
"Fine, whatever! Joshua told me I need to catch the 150." I replied through gritted teeth.
Kai narrowed his eyes at me but instead of backing down, I glared back.
"What?" I challenged.
"That's not an address."
"So? I know where to go!"
"Yeah, but I don't know where to go. Let me see the text."
I was ready to make a fiery retort, but stopped for a second to consider why he kept asking for it. Was he was going to the hospital with me?
"Kai, you don't have—"
"Can you just show me the text?!" he said irritatedly.
"Can you stop interrupting me?!" I replied mildly and folded my arms.
Kai stood up and ran a hand over his head. His hair was shaved to Grade zero, and I wondered what it felt like. Clearing my throat, I attempted not to behave like an immature person.
"Here." I held out my unlocked phone to Kai.
He took it from my hand and quickly read through Joshua's messages. I saw him typing something and I stood up on the bed to see what he was doing. Kai caught me leaning over him but didn't turn around.
"Just forwarding the message to myself. Let's go."
So now he'd have my number too. The more I wanted Kai out of my life, the more he seemed to wedge into it. I put my hands on my hips and enjoyed the fact that I was taller than him for once.
"Why did you need to forward the text to your phone? Do you have a bad memory?" I had to have dig at him indirectly, I reasoned with myself - isn't that how mature adults argued?
Kai didn't spare me a glance as I jumped off the bed and grabbed a pair of flat shoes from the cupboard.
"It's for the bike's GPS."
"Bike? As in, motorbike?" I confirmed.
Kai raised an eyebrow as he spotted the shoes I was holding.
"Yep. So you might want to wear appropriate footwear."
"Wait a second now, I thought we were going on the bus? I never been on a bike before!" I added helplessly.
"Lucky for you, I have been on a bike before."
I stared at him incredulously but he didn't waver. Somehow a giggle slipped out of me and I bit my lip to hold the rest of the laughter in. Kai smiled a little, the left side of his mouth lifting slightly and it was enough to make me feel better. He left the room and headed downstairs, whilst I realised with stunning clarity, that Kai was a good man. Tears filled my eyes but they weren't born of sorrow.
Despite everything, I still wondered why Kai was doing all this. He was the leader of the Hessians. I didn't know a lot about the gang, but I did know it was serious business. Something didn't add up, and I was determined to dig deep into Kai and find out exactly what he had buried.
Hi everyone, thank you for reading Light up till now! I appreciate all your support! This was a long chapter, let me know what you guys think about the length, if I should shorten it by removing some parts etc
Ended the chapter on a serious note, but it's a valid point don't you think? Why would Kai be helping Holly so much? Does it really fit his personality? Or does Holly even know him at all...
As always, please leave comments with improvements and suggestions, which always help me out! Don't forget to vote for this chapter if you enjoyed it :)
What's past is prologue~ Shakespeare