Who is Perri West?

Chapter 13

I was woken the next morning by pounding on my door. Who in the world would be pounding on my door so early in the dang morning. I glanced at my clock it was only 6:30 am. I wasn't supposed to meet up with Mallory until 9:00. We both had agreed yesterday that we were going to sleep in a little.

I threw on my robe and made my way to the front door. I pushed aside the curtain that covered our small window on the front door and there on the other side was Mallory, Jayden, Eric, and Colton. I slowly opened the door with a glare on my face.

"What in the world could you all possibly need that couldn't wait until we were on the road?" I asked them. Mallory knew I wasn't a morning person. I enjoyed my beauty sleep.

"Well excuse me your royal pain in my rear end." Mallory continued her ranting as they pushed their way inside my house. "Where were you? And why haven't you answered my phone calls?"

"We were really worried about you Perri. We looked for you for hours." Colton sounded hurt like I had intentionally ran away from all of them.

"Ok, for starters I am still lost about why you are all acting like I did some disappearing act. I've literally been here asleep. Where else would I be?" I was so tired, and they were giving me a headache. I headed to the kitchen to make coffee knowing I wouldn't be getting any more sleep.

"Perri Lynn West! Do not turn your back on me girl! You messaged me last night that you weren't feeling good, so you were heading home. I found the guys and asked Jayden for a ride so I could come stay with you because I knew your mom was gone. But when we got here your car was nowhere to be seen. We looked everywhere! Where were you and why wouldn't you answer my calls?" I knew Mal was really upset but her out of everybody should have known where I went.

"Mal," I said calmly as I wrapped her in a hug. "You out of everybody should have known If I wasn't here where to go to find me. I really didn't feel well, but it was more emotional than physically. So, I hid in my cave to draw, and you know I don't get any reception there." I stood back feeling awful when I saw tears in her eyes.

"I was really worried about you. And I thought you said you would never go to the cave at night ever since the bat's freaked you out. That is legit the only reason I didn't look there. I honestly didn't even think to check for your car. But what about when you left there? You should have checked your phone and called me back."

"I'm sorry Mal I haven't even seen my phone. I seriously have no idea where it could be, maybe I left it in the car when I got back. I ended up falling asleep in the cave and woke up from the cold around 3 a.m. I grabbed my sketchbook got in my car and came straight home to get warm and sleep before we needed to leave. From now on if you need me and I'm not home call me. If I don't answer, go to the cave first before anything else. Ok? I don't want you to ever worry about me."

"Perri I will always worry about you. It's my job, you're my best friend. And besides I think your mom is rubbing off on me. I was seriously getting paranoid when we couldn't find you."

"Well, since everyone is here do you guys just want to crash for a bit? Or I could make breakfast? I'm really sorry you all were worried I didn't mean to scare anybody" I looked towards Colton. He looked as if he had been crying. "Oh, Colton, come here." He came by me and as I gave him a hug he sighed.

"You're like my big sister and I thought we lost you for good this time..."

"This time? What do you..." I started to ask but I was interrupted by Eric.

"Hey, Perri Next time you change your mind and decide to go hide out in the woods message one of us first. Then everyone won't be so frantic if you go missing." He stated with a smile.

I rolled my eyes, and behind me I could hear Mallory trying to hold back her laughter. She didn't succeed, the moment she let it out I was laughing right along with her.

"Did I miss something?" Eric asked confused.

"Nah, man your good, it's just you got her hideaway place wrong that's all." Jayden responded with a small giggle. "You see, when the three of us were younger... Hey girls! It's been exactly five years ago when we found the cave. Anyways, man, five years ago on Perri's thirteenth birthday we decided to take a walk over at the outlook and Perri found an indent in the wall and has claimed it as her cave ever since. She don't go out in no woods dude."

"Oh, I'm sorry, next time you go to your CAVE... let someone know. If you need some time alone that's fine at least the rest of us will know where to find you." Eric said looking almost like he was asking me if I agreed with him. Which I did I should have told someone.

"You're right. And as I have already said I am sorry guys. Now, what do you all want to do?"

Mallory spoke up first. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I need me some beauty sleep before we hit the road. Even just an hour or two."

Everyone agreed so we pulled out the hide-a-bed in the living room where Jayden and Mallory laid down. Colton took the recliner that was in the corner. We had blankets all over as Mom and I were often cold or just liked to be comfy when watching TV or reading a book.

I took Eric down the hall to the rec room where we had a futon he could rest on.

"Alright I think you should be good. If you need anything just come, get me."

"Sounds good. And hey, Perri, I'm sorry if I sounded like a pain in the butt out there. I just hate to see everyone so stressed out. We went through a lot when Colton was getting in trouble all the time. Tonight, he got a taste of his own medicine though. Hey, I meant what I said though, if you need anything just call me. Here..." He took his phone from his pocket and handed it to me. "Put your number in here and I will send you a text, so you have my number."

I took his phone and entered my number in when I realized I had never found where my phone was.

"Hold up on sending that message though. I don't remember what I did with my phone after I left the party last night." It had really begun to bother me that I had no clue where my phone was. Not only these guys but I also worried if my mom had tried to contact me at all. "I should go check my car."

"Hey, I'll come outside with you that way I can call it so you can find it faster and we can all get a little sleep before we take off."

"Alright, let's go."

We walked quietly through the house as everyone was already asleep. As we got to my car, he called it, but we were met with silence. I looked around my seat and the passenger seat anyway but still found nothing.

"Could you have dropped it somewhere at Drews?" Eric asked.

"No, I messaged Mallory from my car. I know I had it when I left his house. Oh NO! I bet I left it in the cave. Ugh, I better go look for it now, my mom is probably freaking out if she tried reaching me and got no answer. Do you want to let the others know where I went, please?"

"Oh, I don't think so. There is no way I'm letting you out of my sight. Mallory would beat me if she found out I let you leave, alone, and with no phone. I can message them but I'm going with you."

"Never mind the message. I want to grab a sweater and my shoes anyway, so I'll just leave a note on the door, that way we won't wake anyone up with their phones going off. Go ahead and hop in I'll be right back."

I ran back inside to my room, grabbed my shoes and quickly put them on. I went to the kitchen and dug through the junk drawer for a pen and a piece of paper. I quickly wrote out a note for the three of them explaining where Eric and I had went. I hung the note on the back of the door then turned back to the kitchen to grab my sweater. As I pulled it over my head and headed out the door it hit me. This would be the first time I ever took anyone else to my cave besides Mallory and Jayden. I felt a little uneasy as I climbed into my car and started down the road to the lookout.