A Wall Between

Chapter 22

There were many possible explanations for this, and most of them were harmless. The most likely ones were harmless. Like maybe there'd been traffic or his parents had wanted to stop for lunch and Cooper's phone was out of charge. He wasn't even that late. Sasha's worried little mind wouldn't stop insistenting that Cooper was dead, though.

Finally, he gave up and called him. After three rings, Cooper picked up.

"Hey, Sasha," Cooper answered. Sasha couldn't quite pinpoint it, but his voice didn't sound quite right.

"Hey," Sasha responded. "Um... it's four twenty?"

"Heh," was all Cooper said at first, and then realisation hit him. "Oh! Shit, sorry, Sasha. I didn't mean to worry you. I was sleeping in the car and I didn't check the time when I woke up."

"No, it's fine. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay because you said before four, but it's after four, and I texted you..."

"Yeah, sorry. I was asleep, and—yeah. Anyway, I think I'm gonna be... I don't know. Real late. I honestly don't know what's happening in my day and in my life anymore."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Or, I mean... no, not really. My parents have sort of... soft kidnapped me, I guess? They brought me to this uni and they want me to go on this tour and consider going here and I really, really don't want to. And then I'm like... if I do all that, and still say no, are they even actually going to drive me home? What if after that it's like, well, you have to stay the night to really think it over, and then... I don't know."

"Cooper... that's not okay."

"I know," Cooper whispered.

"You don't have to do any of that."

"I mean, I don't want to, but..."

"Do you know where you are?"

"Uh... well, not exactly, but my parents said this place was near where they live, so I'm guessing I'm somewhere in the neighbourhood of an hour and a half out from home. By car. I can't walk that."

"If you can tell me where, I can tell Ellie and Abra. They have a car, don't they? They could go get you."

Cooper let out a sharp exhale. "Oh. Yeah, they do. I—yeah. We have this app so they can track my phone and find me." There was a thumping noise from Cooper's end of the line and a more distant, male voice Sasha couldn't quite make out. "You okay with going over there?"

"Yes. I can do it."

"Thank you, Sasha. For doing this and for reminding me I have people I can rely on." He let out a sigh. "Listen, my mum's sent my dad in after me, so I have to go. Thank you."

With that, Cooper hung up the phone.

Sasha tucked his phone in his pocket and went straight next door. Doing things was easier like this, sometimes. When he had to, when it had to happen right away.

It was Ellie who answered. The smile didn't drop from her face when she saw him, but it did change shape. "Hey, Sasha. Cooper's not back yet."

"I know. I called him, and..." Words were hard. How did he communicate what Cooper had said? It had been confusing and only half explained as it was, and now Sasha's thoughts were all jumbled as well. "His parents kidnapped him and he needs to be rescued."

Ellie's lips opened wide for a couple of seconds before any sound came out. "...Oh."

"He said they want him to look at a university before they'll take him home but he doesn't want to and he doesn't trust them to even do it if he does that."