I'm a normal girl. That's just it though is I'm a normal girl and normal is never good enough. Not in this life anyways. I woke up just the same way I did yesterday and walked to school, alone, just as always. Nothing was different. Walking into the school with people I hated, or sorry disliked with a passion. That's always what my mom told me anyways. "Never hate anyone because nobody is worth your hate" but mom isn't here anymore so it doesn't really matter does it?
I get my books out of my locker and look at the necklace hanging up that he had given me only months before. I didn't dare to wear it after his disappearance. I slightly touched it and began to feel tears begging to flood my
face. I couldn't cry I told myself. 'He wouldn't want it.' I said. I heard snickering behind me and instantly knew who it was. Missy the school bitch.
"He's never coming back you know. Hell him vanishing was probably the best thing that ever happened to him." She sneered proud of herself. "DONT you ever talk about him like that, EVER." I said defensively, he was the only one if defend. "Or what?" She said with amusement. By now we had a crowd circling around us, I didn't really like attention but I wasn't the 'shy' type. "Or so help me god I'll beat you so bad you won't be able to move for weeks." I was pissed nobody gets to talk about him like that. Nobody. "Big talk for someone who doesn't even know how to fight" she was having so much fun with this. Not for long. "Keep running your big mouth and I'm going to bash it in." I didn't know how much I could hold myself back. "Look at you, getting all flustered all over a boy who probably left on his own terms." She laughed after she said that. That's it.
I couldn't take it anymore! The crowd was cheering "fight fight fight fight!!" They all said. I threw the punch. Right at her pretty mouth just like I promised. She fell instantly. I got down and punched her a couple more times to let out my anger and of course my pain. "Don't talk about him like that, don't talk about him ever." I said before I walked out the door. It being the end of the day the teachers helped her but I ran. Walking home as usual just a little more stressed knowing they will have already informed my dad what happened. Great I get to walk into my house with a drunken, pissed dick. I'll just make sure I walk home extra slow.
I made sure to take the long way home and to ignore the texts and voicemails telling me he'd beat me so bad I wouldn't be able to stand up. I kept walking just to feel a tap on my shoulder. "Wow girl your a feisty one aren't you." I hear in a deep voice. "I'm not here for you to praise me I didn't do it for the crowds amusement or even me." I said and kept walking not even turning back. "I know" he said with sympathy. "You don't know the half of it so stop trying to understand." I snapped. "You did it for Reece." He said and I heard the regret in his sigh afterwords. I stopped in my tracks. "Adeline don't be mad at me" He knew my name? Who was this guy? I turned around. Well I'll be damned the last person I thought I'd see was Luke Gates. Yet I turned around to see exactly that. The school jock. "What do you know about Reece?" I said curiously. "I know he went missing a month ago. I know that he was your best friend and I know you had something for him." He said. "He still is my best friend. And I do not have anything for him." I said defending myself this time. "Addie I saw the way you looked at him. I know that look..." Anger rose in me, I don't even know why. "Listen up Luke, so now you stalk my moves and you call me Addie? We're not 'buddies' so stop acting like it." I tensed up immediately after. I sounded rude. "Fine then Adeline, I'm sorry but we used to be friends. Close friends. I know you don't trust me after going off with Missy and treating you like that but I know things about you only you and Reece know. I know what your dad will do." I stopped looking at the ground and I looked at him. I was scared. "Luke... I..." Words couldn't come out for some reason. "Just come here please. I'm sorry." He held out his arms and I couldn't help but run into them. I was hurting and he was there.
After a couple minutes of crying into his chest I wiped my tears and whispered, "Luke I'm scared." He hugged me again. Just a little too hard in a the wrong place. I winced. He let go and looked at me strongly and I could see the anger in his eyes. "He's hurt you hasn't he? Where?" He questioned me. I pulled my sleeve up and showed him my arm. I showed him the bruises. "We're going to the police station." He said grabbing my hand and pulling. "Luke no! You just showed up and your trying to make me do things again! Where will I go?" I said. "I'm trying to take care of you Addie. That's what I'm doing. You'll stay with me." He said firmly and grabbed my hand. He looked at me with the most loving eyes. God I loved those eyes. "It will be okay I promise. I won't let him hurt you anymore. I won't let anyone hurt you anymore. I'm not leaving you ever." And we started walking. "Luke I miss Reece." I felt tears coming down. He looked down and wiped them off. "Addie I know. We'll find him I swear."
Reece, we'll find you.
