It started with the stars. That was the first thing Kaylie noticed as she slid open her bedroom window and slipped out onto the roof. There must have been thousands of them, which was much more than normal. They twinkled and winked at her like little eyes, encouraging her to continue on...

And that precisely what she did.

XX

Eli and Mr. Goldsworthy were sitting at the dinning room table in an awkward silence. Eli had just called Kaylie down to dinner a few moments before but Eli wasn't exactly the poster child for being patient, "I'm going to go see if Kaylie's alright." He announced.

Just as he scooted his chair back they heard a loud crash that came from the side of the house.

Both Eli and his dad rushed outside, unsure of what they would find but neither of them was expecting this.

Kaylie was lying in the bushes, sprawled out like she had fallen out of the sky.

"Kaylie?" Eli asked, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"How the hell did you get out of the house?" Mr. Goldsworthy hollered, more concerned than angry.

Kaylie untangled herself from the mess of twigs and leaves that were snagged in her hair and spit chunks of dirt onto the ground.

Mr Goldsworthy pointed up to the roof. "Don't even tell me you did what I think you did."

"Wait, you jumped off the roof?" Eli said wide eyed.

"I had too. I knew that you two wouldn't let me leave the house any other way."

"Leave? Where do think you're going to go at this hour?" Her father questioned.

"I don't know. All I know is that I have to get out of here before it's too late."

"Too late for what?"

Kaylie took a deep breath to steady herself. She had to be calm and clear because she only wanted to have to say this once, "It's time dad...I'm dying."

Mr. Goldsworthy's face drained of all color an he croaked, "That's ridiculous honey...you're...you're not dying."

"Yes, I am. I know it, and Eli knows it too."

"What?" Eli gasped, confused as to how he got brought into the conversation.

Kaylie turned to him, "You know its happening. You feel it in your gut, I can tell."

"I...I don't know what you're talking about." He lied.

"You're just trying to deny it. You don't want it to be true so you're just trying to pass it off as a stomach ache...but deep down you know I'm right...and you know you'll die if I stay here."

Eli's eyes became shaky and glazed with tears but he couldn't bring him self to tell her she was wrong. He knew she wasn't.

"This is insane!" Mr. Goldsworthy bellowed, "Both of you get back in the house now!"

"But dad I have to—"

"Now!" He ordered.

Kaylie's heart sank as she went back into the house. She was weakening by the minute and her skin had become almost completely transparent. She didn't know how her dad could say she wasn't dying when she so clearly looked like it.

Mr. Goldsworthy massaged his temples rhythmically, "I don't want to hear another word about this from either of you. No one is leaving this house unless I say so, got it?"

"I can't I—"

"Dad's right," Eli said cutting her off, "You can't leave Kaylie."

Kaylie pulled her hair in a panic. The clock was ticking and no one in her family understood how gravely important it was that she get as far away from there as possible. "Eli, you know what will happen to you if I stay."

Eli nodded, "I know, but I'm not going to let you run away so you can die alone. Besides..." His voice trailed off a moment, "I promised mom that I'd look out for you."

"You have looked out for me, Eli. You've taken care of me for years; now please give me a chance to return the favor." She pleaded with him desperately.

Eli opened his mouth like he was about to argue but at the same time his stomach lurched violently and her clamped his hand over his lips. Kaylie barley heard him mutter, "I'm going to puke." Before he darted up the stairs and ran into the bathroom.

... "I'm sure he's okay." Mr. Goldsworthy said in response to the worried expression on Kaylie's face.

She shook her head, "He won't be okay for long if I stay here...Are you still mad at him for sending me to that hospital?"

Mr. Goldsworthy removed his reading glasses and set them on the table, suddenly looking as though the weight of the world had been thrust upon his shoulders, "That really doesn't matter anymore..."

"You are still angry at him aren't you? Well if that's the only thing that's coming between you two than you should be ashamed of yourself because Eli didn't even want to take me there in the first place."

"What?"

"I wanted to go, I made Eli take me. He didn't want to see me leave any more than you did."

Mr. Goldsworthy gawked at her, "But...why?"

Kaylie let her tears roll freely down the sides of her face. She had finally reached the moment where she had nothing to lose an everything poured out of her at once, "Because you weren't listening to me! I was mentally sick and you just ignored it, you pretended not to notice!"

"I didn't want you to feel like you were different from any one else..."

"But I was!" Kaylie sobbed, "You saw me getting more destructive an unpredictable every day and you did nothing!"

"I thought I was doing what was best for you..." Mr. Goldsworthy squeaked.

Kaylie threw her hands up in the air, "You're always trying to do what's best dad but you're not seeing straight! You close you eyes when things get even the slightest bit scary because if you can't see the truth than it doesn't exist right?" Kaylie lowered her voice and cupped her father's cheeks in her hands. He hadn't shaved in days and his beard stubble pricked Kaylie's palms. Tears from her father's face splashed onto her hands as she looked him directly in the eyes, "You need to open your eyes and see me for who I truly am. There are some things in this world that you just can't change dad, and my death is one of them...its inevitable...but Eli...Eli doesn't have to die dad." Kaylie whispered between weeping, "You can save him...he's your son and whether you know it or not you love him...You'll never be able to move on if you don't start accepting things as they are, even if it's difficult...you have to try."

Mr. Goldsworthy broke down; he couldn't restrain himself any longer as he pulled his daughter into the tightest hug of her life. Her head rested on his shoulder as he wept.

"It's okay dad..." Kaylie promised, "I'll be okay, but you have to let me go. Please dad...you have to let me go..."

XX

The toilet flushed and Eli made his way back downstairs. He was still whipping the corners of his mouth when he saw his dad hunched over on the dining room chair. His head was in his hands and he was alone...

"Dad...where's Kaylie?"

Mr. Goldsworthy listed his head only an inch, but it was enough for Eli to see the red tear stains running down his face...

XX

Kaylie knew where she wanted to go. It was so clear to her now, everything was so clear. It was like the world had become brighter to her and had she not been dying, she would have felt like she could fly.

She was running down the streets faster than she had ever gone before. She knew where to go; she just needed to make one pit stop along the way...

She came to the house and banged her fist on the door. Moments later she was greeted by non other than Mark Fitzgerald...

A/N: Why is she at Fitz's house you ask? Well you'll find out tomorrow... (and no she doesn't secretly love him. That's just wrong) haha

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