From Outer Space

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Kyano.

Missing?

Camila is silent, her eyes wide while her heart beats a million times per second. She swallows and shakes her head as the words keep repeating themselves in her head.

''What do you mean missing?'' Lauren demands from Dinah, who just looks at them with scared, pained eyes. She shakes her head, seemingly needing time to process everything herself, but Lauren is impatient.

''Dinah!'' Lauren calls oud, making Camila's frozen eyes snap out of staring into nothingness and look up at her in a daze.

''I don't know Lauren! I know about as much as you two do!'' Dinah answers, running her hand through her blonde locks nervously, checking her phone and looking back up at the two moms.

''What happened?'' Lauren asks clearly while Camila can only continue to be paralyzed. Her biggest fear, her mightiest worries are coming true, and the strongest wave of panic she has ever felt hits her without any mercy. Her hands start to shake uncontrollably while her throat dries up painfully.

''I don't know. Mani just called me that Kyano didn't walk out of the school when she came to pick him up. So she went to his class but he wasn't there either. She searched the whole school but he's nowhere to be found. She tried to find his teacher but she hasn't found her yet. She'll call me as soon as she does.'' Dinah rushes out, trying to bring the moms up to speed as soon as possible, but the panicked look in both of their eyes is killing her.

''Are you kidding me!'' Lauren calls out, moving her arms to tug at the roots of her hair in frustration, bumping against Camila's shoulder in the process.

Kyano.

Missing.

Camila swallows again, her lips are parted, her eyes show the horror and hopelessness inside of her.

''So now what?'' Lauren asks desperately. Camila looks up at her when she hears the tone of voice and her eyes briefly connect with Lauren's wide green ones before focusing back on Dinah.

''I have no idea. I guess we'll have to wait for Mani to call me. Let's just.. try not to panic, maybe we're worrying over nothing.'' Dinah suggests in a poor attempt to calm Lauren down, but it just infuriates her more.

''Dinah! You tell me my child is missing and then you ask me not to panic? What the hell am I supposed to do?!'' Lauren calls out angrily, huffing in frustration. She turns her eyes away from Dinah's sad expression and looks at Camila next to her, who hasn't said a word yet.

''Aren't you going to say something?'' Lauren asks her rather harshly. She hadn't meant for her words to come out like that, but all she wants is a reaction from the astronaut, needing to feel her support more than anything.

Camila shakes her head.

Kyano...

Missing!

''This can't be happening.'' Camila mumbles so softly that Dinah can't hear it, but Lauren can. She swallows heavily when she sees the panic in her brown eyes and it makes her realize that this is just as hard for Camila as it is for her.

''Oh my god..'' Camila whispers as her chest starts heaving quickly her unfocused eyes move everywhere and Lauren notices her shaking hands. She quickly reaches out to hold them in her own hands tightly, trying to find the astronaut's gaze.