Suspense

Chapter 3

"Paul!" Mum yelled from downstairs. "Get out of bed, it's lunch time!" I'd slept in because I'd been kept up all night thinking about, well, everything. Thinking about Rose. Thinking about my first kiss. Thinking about the other girl that'd gone missing. The presenter said that one minute she was there and the next she wasn't.Luckily they'd taken a picture of her before she disappeared. There was something strange about the photo. Something familiar. And what would I do when it was school? Do I run up to her and hug her? Do I talk to her? Or do I completely ignore her? 

"Hurry!" Mum called. I groaned and got up to my feet. The world was spinning around me and it took a few seconds to steady myself. The kitchen smelt of pizza. I slid into a seat and chomped down my pizza.

"Mum... d'you think..." I put down my pizza.

"Do I think what?" She looked like she'd had a bad nights sleep as well.

"D'you think... Doesn't matter," I muttered.

"No, tell me!" She ordered.

"D'you think maybe... Rose's dead?" Mum didn't answer. She looked startled.

"Well... I - I well I -" She was crying.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up." Just then the door bell rang. "I'll get it!" I sprang to my feet and pulled open the door. 

"Hey, Paul," Joey stood at my door.

"Who is it?" Mum yelled from the living room.

"It's Joey!" I called back, not taking my eye off Joey. "What's up?" I asked.

"Want to maybe hang out?" 

"Sure. Mum I'll see you later!" I called and slammed the door behind me. She'll be fine on my own I told myself.  "So where d'you want to go?"

"You'll see," She smiled. "Look!" She said pointing up to the trees. I looked up but there was nothing there.

"I don't -" Joey had already ran ahead laughing as she went. I bounded after her laughing as well. Soon enough I'd caught up with her. We were both gasping for breath.

"Woah, you're fast!" She breathed. My lungs were burning. 

"Thanks," I paused to take a breath. 

"We're almost there," She grabbed my hand and pulled me up a flight of stairs and across a road. We both leaped over the small stream and across a puddle of mud. But it was all worth it. I stared in awe at the beautiful surroundings. 

a vast green meadow lay in front of us. So simple yet so beautiful. Just like Joey. She rushed over to a large willow tree. I couldn't stop smiling. We both sat down under the tree. Joey looked pretty as usual. She was wearing a small white sun dress with brown plait sandals. Her hair was plaited too. She looked radiant when the sun shone on her.

"So why're we here?" I asked.

"Dad's took me here a few times. He told me this is where he used to take mum. She loved it here too. They used to come here all the time. Even in the winter they would sit side by side, keeping each other warm. I really wish I could've met my mum," Joey rubbed a tear from under her eye. I shuffled in next to her and pulled her close. She hugged me, crying all over my jacket. "I'm sorry th -this was supposed to be fun," She sniffed, resting her head on my shoulder. 

"Don't be sorry," I tried to compfort her. She glanced up at me. I brushed a loose hair behind her ear and pulled her closer. Joey kissed me, holding me close to her. I rested my hand on her cheek and kissed her back. We sat like this for a while until it became hard to breath. After than we just lay down and watched the clouds float across the sky. I put my arm around her shoulder and held her hand. 

 "Thanks for bringing me here," I hugged her. We were outside my house. She kissed me one last time and then ran off into the distance. I sighed, wishing I didn't have to leave her. I braced my self for what could be coming and walked into the house. Nothing. The house was completely silent. I crept up to my room and got into bed.