The Fairest Stars

Chapter Seventeen: 'Courage, man.'

As his mum pulled away from Isis’s home, she turned to him. ‘What the hell are you doing in that sort of area, Kael?!’ she asked, her tanned cheeks flushed with rage. ‘How dare you just wander into a place like that: you’d probably get shot, or mugged, or burgled, or…’

‘Mum!’ Kael folded his arms, sinking lower into the seat. ‘I was at a friend’s house, alright?’ He was glad that his bruised, cut cheek was the other side from her. He doubted that it would improve her mood.

‘It was an estate, Kael. And you were with some shabby girl dressed like a tramp, what do-’

‘Mum!’ Kael turned, angrily. ‘Don’t ever say things like that about my friends! She’s not shabby, she’s just poor.’

‘Same thing, isn’t it?’ his mum muttered.

Kael sunk his head into his hands. There was no arguing with his mother when she was this pissed off anyway. But he couldn’t get over Isis’s home.

It had been so tiny, so dreary. He could tell that she’d worked hard to keep it clean, but still, it looked awful. He couldn’t imagine having to live in a place like that, and nor could he imagine having to walk all that way home, either. It just didn’t bear thinking about.

For the first time, it occurred to him just how lucky he was. He just got into his car (usually) and drove straight home to his comfortable, large house. Isis had to walk for an hour, through a dodgy area. He shuddered again at the thought. Those boys could have quite easily just grabbed her and done anything to her, especially if she had been by herself. Kael felt slightly nauseous at the prospect.

He felt rather selfish for having been so fed up due to his bad day. Really, it had been only a few slight problems. He’d had so many things to be thankful for, but he’d chosen to focus on the negative. Isis had entirely the opposite approach, from what he’d seen of her attitude to life. She had far more worse things going on in her life than he did. By the looks of things, her mum wasn’t quite right: she didn’t come out to see what was going on, and it had been Seb who had cooked the food. He wanted to ask more about what was going on, but he wasn’t sure if it was a bit too personal. The last thing he wanted to do was to make Isis feel uncomfortable.

Having finally got home, Kael crashed on to his bed, wincing at the soreness of his wounds. It was no good. He’d have to get Isis to fall for him. He was beginning to realise that he couldn’t live without her, and so he’d just have to make her see. Hopefully she’d fall for him too. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if she didn’t.

His father rang up the various car companies for him, getting them to go out and get the car and fix it for him. In the meantime, a courtesy car had been sent, ready for Kael to drive the next morning.

And so he did. But this time, he took another path, tapping an address he’d memorised yesterday evening into the built in sat nav. Turning down the roads pointed out by the little machine, he made his way to the dodgy estate he’d been visiting less than twelve hours previously. Waiting outside (he wasn’t brave enough to go up and knock on the door,) he glanced at the clock. He was an hour earlier for school, in the hope that he’d catch Isis in time to give her a lift to school. He hoped he hadn’t missed her.

A few minutes later, a flustered, chilly looking Isis appeared from the door, a smaller blonde haired child hot on her heels. Freya.

Kael honked his horn, making them both look up. He waved. Isis looked surprised, but hurried over.

He wound down his window. ‘Get in then,’ he said, with a smile.

Freya’s eyes were as round as saucers. ‘Is this your boyfriend, Isis?’