Nothing Else Matters - Perrie Edwards

Chapter Fifty One

"I kept teasing her about having a boyfriend and she got really tetchy-"

"You know what? She probably is with this secret boyfriend; she just missed the last bus home or something." Lauren said.

"Then why didn't she call one of us? She's never done this, something's wrong?"

"Don't let dad hear you say that."

"Right, we're not getting very far in here." Perrie said before I could answer. "Bear, come on... me and you are going into town."

"Me and Alfie can drive round the area again."

"Wait, I don't want to leave dad on his own." I said as we all piled into the hallway. Even as I spoke, Ellie walked through the door.

She was in tears; she had always been closer to Maddie than she was to me or Alfie. She cried even harder when she saw me.

"None of them have heard from her, they don't know where she is, the only friend she has we've already spoken to-"

"We're going out again now... Ell, it's probably nothing." I said, even though I was on the verge of breaking down myself. "Look, I need you to stay with dad, will you?"

"Y-yeah... and I'll keep ringing Maddie."

"Thanks.... Come here." I opened my arms to give Ellie a quick hug before leaving behind the others.

**

Two hours later, we were no closer. Perrie and I were driving at snail's pace through the town, stopping to check down side streets and run quickly down the roads that we couldn't drive on.

"This is hopeless."

"No, It's not babe. There's still plenty of places."

"Perrie, it's nearly three in the morning, nobody's around. We're not gonna find her here."

I dialled Lauren's number and she answered straight awa. Our conversation was probably the shortest ever.

"Loz, any luck?"

"No hu, sorry."

"Right."

I turned to the window, trying to swallow past the tight lump in my throat. "Perrie, I don't know what to do."

"Neither do I babe." She admitted quietly.

"I don't know where else to look. I don't even know who she's seeing, or I'd go and find him."

"What if we go back... we could check her room for some kind of idea-"

"Ellie already did that."

Perrie fell silent and just kept driving. My phone started to ring, and my heart flipped when I didn't recognise the number flashing up; it could be Maddie, if her mobile were off...

"Maddie?"

"Hello, Jakob?"

"What? Er, yeah, who's this?"

"... Hi love. It's... it's your mum."

I sat up straight, staring at Perrie. She quickly stopped the car, frowning back.

"What?" She mouthed.

"How did you get my number? Oh my god." I shouted, "Is she with you? Is Maddie there?"

"Yes, she's here."

I pushed back all the questions that came into my head then; I wanted to know how on earth they were with each other, how Maddie knew about her, all of it. But not yet.