Kara fidgeted nervously outside Dennis's classroom, her eyes scanning the faces of the students leaving. Finally, she spotted him, his lanky frame emerging from the crowd. "Dennis!" she called out, waving.
Dennis grinned, spotting her amidst the throng of students. "Hey, Kara," he said, approaching her. "You seem… antsy."
Kara nodded, her brow furrowed. "I'm worried about Kai. We haven't heard from him since… well, you know."
Dennis's expression mirrored hers. "Yeah, me too. He's been MIA for days. I was actually on my way to his place. Want to come?"
Kara's eyes widened. "Really? You were going to go too?"
"Of course," Dennis said, "We should check on him." And figure out how to help him, he thought, a sense of determination settling in his chest. There has to be something we can do.
Kara nodded, her own desire to help Kai burning brightly. He's been through so much, she thought, I just want to make it better.
They walked in comfortable silence for a while, the worry about Kai weighing heavily on their minds. As they approached Kai's house, they noticed his grandmother's small makeshift store of fresh produce, fish, meat, and veggies, a few houses down.
Kara decided to stop by. "I'll just ask his grandmother if she's seen him," she said.
They approached the store, the bell above the door jingling as they entered. Kai's grandmother, her face etched with concern, looked up from sorting some vegetables. "Hello, dear," she greeted them. "Come in, come in."
Kara hesitated, noticing Sarah behind the counter, her gaze fixed on the floor. Sarah, with her long, flowing hair and warm chestnut brown eyes, had always made Kara feel a little… inadequate. And she knew Sarah had a certain… fondness for Kai.
But this was about Kai, and Kara couldn't let her own insecurities get in the way. "Hello, Mrs. Lee," she said, forcing a smile. "We were wondering if you've seen Kai recently?"
Sarah, seemingly startled by Kara's presence, looked up sharply. She then quickly averted her gaze, muttering something about needing to check on the stockroom. With a muttered excuse, she disappeared into the back.
Mrs. Lee, sensing the tension, smiled gently. "He's home, dear. He came home yesterday, looking… troubled." Her voice trailed off, concern clouding her features. "He's in his room, I think."
Kara and Dennis exchanged a worried glance. "Thank you, Mrs. Lee," Kara said, her voice sincere. "We'll go check on him."
They walked towards Kai's house, the weight of their concern growing heavier with every step. Dennis knocked on the door, calling out, "Kai? It's Dennis and Kara."
A moment later, the door creaked open, revealing Kai standing in the doorway. He looked pale, his eyes shadowed with a deep weariness. "Hey guys," he mumbled, his voice hoarse.
"Kai, you look awful," Dennis said, concern evident in his voice.
Kai managed a weak smile. "Just… not feeling well." He stepped aside, inviting them in. "Come in, have a seat. I made coffee."
They followed him into the living room, where Kai was already pouring coffee into two mugs. As they sat down at the dining table, the silence was heavy with unspoken questions.
"So, what's been going on?" Dennis finally asked, breaking the tense silence. "You've been MIA for days."
Kai took a sip of coffee, the warmth doing little to soothe the chill that seemed to have settled deep within him. "Things… haven't been easy," he admitted, his voice low. "I've been having… nightmares." He paused, struggling to find the right words. "Really bad ones."
Kara and Dennis exchanged worried glances. They knew Kai had been through a lot recently, but they had no idea how deeply it had affected him.
"I keep seeing… things," Kai continued, his voice trembling slightly. "Things I shouldn't be seeing. Doing things I… I don't understand." He looked at them, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and confusion. "I'm scared, guys. I don't know what's happening to me." Dennis and Kara both felt a surge of protectiveness and a strong desire to help him through this.
"Kai," Kara said gently, reaching across the table to place her hand on his, "we're here for you. We're going to figure this out."
"Yeah," Dennis added, "We'll do whatever it takes. Have you thought about… maybe talking to someone? A therapist, or a counselor?"
Kai looked down at his coffee, swirling the dark liquid in his mug. "I… I don't know," he mumbled. "I don't even know how to explain what's happening."
"We can help you," Kara said, her voice firm. "We can look into resources, find someone who specializes in… these kinds of things. We'll go with you, every step of the way."
Dennis nodded in agreement. "We're not going to let you go through this alone, Kai. Just tell us what you need."
"Maybe… maybe we could start by talking to the school counselor," Dennis suggested. "It's a start, right? And we can look for other options from there."
"Or," Kara added, "We could try to find some online support groups. There might be people who have experienced similar things, even if it sounds… out there."
Kai looked up, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "You'd do that for me?"
"Of course, Kai," Kara said, squeezing his hand. "We're your friends. And we're not going to let you face this alone."
"We'll start looking into things tonight," Dennis said, his voice resolute. "We'll find something, I promise."