(Ravine POV)

It's been two weeks already and I haven't left home ever since I arrived. My friends and Sash have been calling me nonstop about where I am but I refused to take their calls. I just want to be with Sylvia and my family for a while. I don't give a flying fuck about anything else anymore.

"Vinny, don't you think you should be going back to school?" Sylvia asked while all of us are sitting on the couch watching Classic Films.

"I want to stay here for a while." I told her.

"You have spent enough time with me for two weeks already. You can't just forsake your education because of me." She said while ruffling the sleeping Milo's hair.

"What if something happens and I am not here for you?" I asked.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry, I will be there at your graduation. I will fight to live just to see you march up the stage with your Latin Honors." She reassured me.

"Dad? What about you? What's your opinion on this?" I said.

"Do what you have to do, son! It's your last year already. For me and for Sylvia, prioritize what you need to prioritize and go get that dream of yours." He said.

"Alright! I will return to school so I can finish my college years with my head held high but if something happens, please don't hesitate to call me, okay?" I said to them.

"Always, thank you for being here with me." Sylvia said.

With that, we continued watching the film and enjoyed the rest of the night.

Three days later...

(Sash POV)

"Ravine n'a pas envoyé de message à moi ou à ses amis et je commence à être vraiment inquiet. (Ravine hasn't been messaging me or his friends and I am starting to get really worried.)" I told my dad.

"Je suis sur le point de penser qu'il lui est arrivé quelque chose.(I am on the verge of thinking that something happened to him.) I said.

All of a sudden, I heard keys jingling behind the door. The sound of the door getting unlocked followed by Ravine going inside occurred so fast, I had to think twice for a moment if it's really him.

"RAVINE!" I exclaimed.

"Hey!" He smiled.

"Papa, je t'appellerai plus tard. (Dad, I'll call you later!)" I said before hanging up.

He came back with a depressed mood. He looked so blue and lonely. I wonder what happened.

"Ravine, is there something wrong?" I asked and he just sat quietly at the table after putting his luggage down.

I came over to him and asked him what the problem is but he wouldn't speak to me.

"Ravine, what's this about? Did something happen back at your home?" I asked as gently as I can.

I then noticed tears dripping down and he started sniffling. What the hell happened? Why is he crying?

"Did someone hurt you, Vinny?" I kept asking but he won't reply.

I grabbed his head and he leaned on my shoulder for comfort.

"Vinny, it's okay. I am here. Can't you tell me what the problem is? I might help." I said.

"Yeah, as if you can magically remove my stepmom's pancreatic cancer." Ravine said and my eyes widened in shock.

"WHAT?" I said.

"You heard me. I am not repeating myself anymore." He said.

"Babe, I am so sorry! I didn't know that it was like that at all." I said before pulling him closer to me.

"The doctor said she could live up to eight months approximately. Why? Why her? Of all people in the world, why her? It doesn't make sense. Milo is going to lose his mom at an early age. I am so afraid he won't be able to realize that he has the best mother in the world, unlike me." Ravine cried.

"God works in mysterious ways."

Ravine suddenly snapped.

"Really? You are going to fucking pull that shit on me!" He stood up. "Again? Huh? Jesus, what is up with you and this God you're mentioning?"

"Ravine, calm down!" I said.

"Do not tell me to calm down, goddamn it! My stepmom has limited time in this God forsaken world and I have to bear in mind that she's going to leave anytime soon with her son being clueless as hell and unaware of the situation because he's too young to understand any of this. Your God, not my God, okay? Your God is going to deprive my little brother of his mother anytime soon now and you are going to tell me that it's Him working mysteriously? What the fucking fuck is mysterious about that? There's no mystery behind it at all. He is an asshole. He is cold and ruthless just like everybody else here." Ravine ranted, gritting his teeth is pure rage.

"Ravine, I see your point but you're just angry right now. You don't know what you're saying." I responded.

"I know exactly what I am saying. There is no higher being in this world that would allow this thing to happen to a little boy who needs his mother! There is no God and that's that." He said before rushing out of the dorm.

"Ravine, wait!" I said but my call fell on deaf ears

What the hell am I going to do? How the hell am I supposed to help him? How am I supposed to comfort him when his mind is clouded by cynicism and wrath?

I would do anything just to remove him out of this predicament.