I will call upon Your name. Keep my eyes above the waves.
My soul will rest in Your embrace. For I am Yours. And You are mine.
-Oceans (Where Feet May Fail), Hillsong UNITED
My parents will kill me if I can't find her.
"Rita?" I yell, sticking my head in the bathroom. The walls are a baby blue. I would be excited that the bathroom isn't a boring color if I wasn't so panicked. "Rita?" Nothing. She's nowhere to be found. Did she leave with Liora? Where the heck is she? I'm starting to panic.
I send off a quick text to Liora asking if she knows where Rita is when I walk back out into the coffee shop. Her reply is almost immediate.
No, why would I?
I text back. Because you were at Starbucks with her? I glance up. A lady is staring at me. I suppose I look a bit weird, just standing in the middle of a Starbucks. I don't care right now. I'm sure I'll overthink it later, but I don't have time to right now.
I can see the little dots spinning. When?
I groan. Liora's amazing, but she can be so scatterbrained sometimes. Just today. Like an hour ago.
I am waiting for Liora's reply. I can practically see her trying to figure out what's going on. I haven't seen Rita since Sunday. What's going on?
Oh no. She said she was meeting you here. Wasn't she?
No, Liora replies. Do you need my help? I can come.
I slide my phone into my pocket, knowing that Liora's going to kill me later. "Excuse me?" I ask the bartender.
"Yeah?" he asks, turning around.
"Have you seen a teen girl?" I ask. "Dark hair, dark eyes, Latina, about 5'2?"
The man purses his lips. "Can't say that I have."
"I did," the girl beside him says. "She said she was here for a friend. Then she left with a man. He was... tall? Blonde? Pretty muscular too."
I bite my lower lip. Just great. "Thank you," I say. No, I text Liora. Then I call my parents.
"Hey, Liora," Dad says, picking up. "Dinner's almost ready. Are you and Rita-"
"Dad, I don't know where she is," I say. "She's not here. One of the bartenders said she left with someone. A guy."
I can hear Dad cover the speaker as he tells Mom. "Okay, Baby," Dad says. "Stay calm. Mom's going to call the police. Are you okay to drive home or do I need to come to pick you up?"
"I think I'm okay," I say.
"Okay," Dad says. "You checked everywhere? The bathrooms?"
"Yes," I say. "She's not here."
"Okay," Dad says. "Come home."
Like I'm going to go somewhere else while my sister is missing, I think as I hang up and hop into my car. I turn the ignition on, taking a deep breath.
I glance at my texts.
LeAnna? Hello? Please answer! Is Rita okay? What's going on? Text me back! Please! I need to know!
Liora. She's so invested in Rita. I don't understand why, but she is. I take a deep breath and call her. I hear the click as the call connects to my car's Bluetooth.
"LeAnna?" Liora's voice echoes in my ear. "LeAnna, what's going on? Where's Rita? Is she okay?"
"I don't know," I say quietly. "She's gone. I don't-"
YOU ARE READING
Love Me When I'm Unlovable
Teen FictionSixteen-year-old "model Christian" LeAnna Daniels is rooted in God's Word. She knows she's His Child. There's nothing she can't handle with His help. She knows every rule there is to know in the Bible. She knows exactly how to witness. Or so she thi...
