Summer Skies

02. Abducted

"It's okay, Birdie," Jay says, clapping my shoulder lazily.

"I blacked out," I tell him. I think. "I don't know what happened, Jay. I was with Danielle, and then... not with her. I mean, I saw her, and then— then..."

I couldn't find her.

He muses silently, combing his salt-and-peppered beard down his jaw. Surely, Jay would believe me.

"Birdie..." he sighs. "Were you drinking again?"

Did Danielle and I slip a case of Budweiser and down it while trekking to Gulls Rock again? No, not yesterday.

"No, I wasn't drunk. I was stone-cold sober, thank you," I say pointedly. I'm not a drunk. Jesus, it's summer, Jay, and Dani and I have been... well, having fun. We were, at least, until...

Nobody has heard from Danielle.

Nobody has found Danielle Price. Why?

(It's as if Danielle vanished.)

"Where did she go?" I ask sharply. "Why couldn't I find her? Why hasn't anybody found her, Jay?"

Why doesn't anybody believe me? Everybody really believes Danielle... what? Hitchhiked into New Hampshire? Ran away?

"You know, Leslie says Danielle does this, Birdie." His grimace is apologetic, as if I'm being let down easy. Danielle left Back Bay to avoid me? Why? Why am I being gaslit? "Danielle runs off. Danielle finds a new boyfriend and moves in and... always comes back, Birdie."

Always.

"What is she, a cat?" I sneer. He doesn't deserve it, I know. Jay is trying to talk me down, but I can't help but be disgusted by everybody's slight opinion of her. Danielle is quick, easily labeled, filed away. Troubled.

We're all a little bit troubled at 17.

Plus. Boyfriend?

"Listen, I... I'm, uh..." I need air. I need space. Jay knows. He nods, jerking his chin, kinda, giving me a go-ahead. I sling a stack of flyers haphazardly as I do.

"Come back, Birdie," Jay says sternly, earnestly, and I know he doesn't mean now, but... soon. Later. "Please." I also know he knows I don't have to listen to him.

-

Downtown I go.

I borrow Jay's staple gun, stapling Danielle on anything I can on Main Street. I staple her on top of old flyers, old ads, pull-me tabs for piano lessons: Danielle Price—Missing since August 5th, 2008.

I know I look crazy. I sound crazy. I probably am crazy.

But Dani didn't care.

So I don't, either.

"Hey, Birdie! Hey!" Sabs is waving me down, sprinting up Main. "Hey! I heard about— Well, what happened, Birdie?"

I hadn't seen Sabrina since May. Danielle and I had been avoiding everybody. We'd been healthier, happier.

"Where is Danielle?"

I wish I knew.

When I swivel, I wince, glint-gleaming haziness. My vision swims. "Do you... see a light in the sky?" I murmur, looking up, shielding. "Hm..." Dusk is beginning to fall again, again, again.

Danielle is gone. But why would Sabrina care?

"What, is it true? Did you see Danielle get abducted?"