Saving Grace. [Alex Gaskarth]

Gone.

ALEX

"IVORY!" I yelled for the millionth time.

I had been running for what seemed like hours, but I couldn't find her. She had run down an alleyway when I was chasing her but she had turned somewhere near the end, causing me to lose her. Chelsea had followed after me for a while but had given up after 5 minutes or so. 

Deciding maybe she knew a different way to Hazel's I started walking there, reflecting on what had happened. She looked heartbroken when she'd walked in, and I couldn't blame her, it didn't look great from her point of view. Chelsea was practically led on me, and obviously I was trying to get her off without hurting the girl, but I guess to Ivory it looked like I was holding her. 

I reached the gate and jogged up the hill, but was met with nothing. The logs from our camp out were still laid out with the fire pit in the centre, but no Ivory. I shook my head and grabbed my phone, dialling Jack's number in the hope he would have seen her. 

"Alex! What's up?" He shouted down the phone. 

"Jack something h-happened." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. 

"Whoaa dude lighten up, what happened?" He chuckled. 

"Chelsea kissed me, Ivory saw and now she's gone." I said bluntly. 

"WHAT! YOU KISSED YOUR GIRLIFRIEND'S SISTER?" He yelled.

"SHE KISSED ME! I PUSHED HER OFF!" I yelled back, angry from the accusation. 

"And now Ivory's missing?" He breathed.

"I ran after her but she disappeared, you haven't seen her?" I asked, calming down. 

"No...I can't believe this, h-how did it happen?" He sighed. 

"I went round to see her, at her house, and she went to get drinks but Chelsea came in, led on me and forced her tongue down my throat." I said bluntly. 

"She just came in and led on you?" He asked.

"Well I found out she was the one who pulled me away at yours that evening, and she was flirting I guess, but one minute she taking about how much she wants a boyfriend and the next minute she kissing me...Ivory only saw the worst of it." I sighed, swallowing the lump in my throat. 

"Dude this is bad." He sighed. 

"I know, I-I can't find her, I've looked e-everywhere." I stuttered, wiping my eyes furiously. 

"You want me to help find her?" He questioned sadly. 

"Jack p-please, I n-need her." I sobbed, breaking down. 

"Where are you?"

"H-Hazel's."

"I'm on my way." 

Jack hung up leaving me to cry it out and worry about her some more. If Ivory could break down and lose it because of a nickname, she sure as hell wasn't going to take losing the person who she gave her Mom's charm to too well. Time went past and soon enough Jack arrived, sweaty and panting. 

"Whoaa dude, you look like crap." He stated, coming over and wrapping me in a 'man hug'. 

"I feel it too." I sighed, happily accepting his comfort. 

"It's okay man, we'll find her, Taylor won't rest until he's got his sister back, you know that." He offered, keeping me in his hold. 

"Taylor! Why didn't I think of that?" I cried, pulled away from Jack and dialling Taylor's number. 

"Ring Matt." I told Jack, he nodded and pulled out his phone, wandering off a little. 

"Alex? What's up man?" Taylor said, answering the phone. 

"Taylor I need your help, something happened and Ivory's gone." I said quickly. 

"WHAT! What happened?" He yelled. 

"Chelsea kissed me, Ivory saw and ran, I lost her trying to catch her up." 

"Crap, oh God this isn't good, please tell me you didn't kiss her back..." He said worriedly. 

"Of course not! I love Ivory, I'd never do that!" I shouted defensively. 

"Just checking, so where are you? Where have you checked?" 

"I'm at Hazel's, and I've checked all round here, the parks, the houses everywhere she might have gone."

"I'll get Matt, we'll start looking, keep me updated."

And with that the phone went dead. Jack came back over and slumped onto one of the logs, putting his head in his heads. I sat next to him and stared at the fire pit, reliving the memories from the camp out when she'd given me the thimble. 

"Let's keep looking, we'll find her, I'm sure." Jack smiled, helping me up. 

"Okay." I nodded, leading the way down the hill. 

~~

But we didn't find her, in fact no one did. Three days had passed and no one seemed to know anything about her whereabouts. I hadn't slept, I hadn't eaten, I hadn't done anything but worry and search for her. I had lost the most important thing in my world, and I wasn't taking it well. Taylor was distraught, Matt was struggling and Mr. Farmers was taking time off school to help us search for her. Taylor had given in and called her Dad, who claimed he knew nothing but 'was so busy with work he couldn't help find her' but no one dared call Chelsea. James had shown up at the shop to ask about her and we'd explained what happened, he said he'd look for her too but would also keep an eye on Chelsea for us also.

"Morning Alex." Matt said quietly, walking into the shop where everyone was. 

"Hi." I mumbled, casting my eyes down to the floor. 

"Mr. Gaskarth, have you managed to get any sleep?" Mr. Farmers asked. 

"No." I murmured.

"It's not good for you, y'know?" He sighed. 

"I c-can't, I n-need her." I stammered. 

He stood up and walked over to where I was sat, perching on the stool next to me. He placed a hand on my shoulder and shook his head. Taylor and Matt walked out the office and sat opposite us, squeezing their eyes shut up to wake up a little. 

"So today we search th-"

"Excuse me." Matt said, walking over to his phone which was ironically blasting 'I Miss You' by Blink 182. 

"Hey Margo...no, still nothing...YOU WHAT?" He said shouted suddenly, causing everyone's head to snap up and look at him. 

"But we checked there...are you sure...oh my God thank you so much, we'll go now...I love you too, bye!" He hung up and looked over to where we were all eagerly awaiting his findings. 

"The river by school, she's found her."