Absent

Five

Kirstie's P.O.V
I found it hard to focus on school. All day, a voice kept telling me that he was in serious trouble, that Mitch wasn't just with some boy.

You know he isn't just skipping! Do something about it!

The same nagging voice screamed at me during my last class of the day. I was so nervous, I couldn't focus. I was so out of it that my teacher, Mrs. Steck, called me out on it.

"Miss Maldonado? What is the year that Shakespeare died?" She growled from the front of the room, her voice sharp and condescending, as if she had better things to do than teach a bunch of high school kids.

"I do not know, Ma'am. I wasn't paying attention." I said sheepishly, still not fully paying attention to her.

"See me after class." She ordered in her clipped voice. The class did the 'Oh!'s they always did and then fell silent.

"Yes, Mrs. Steck."

"Now, Shakespeare died..." Once again, my attention slipped. I sat there, feeling like, well, I couldn't describe it. It almost seemed like I had Butterflies in my stomach for no reason.

I had kind of explained to Avi over lunch my current situation, but he stuck with the 'He is just fine, don't worry.' route of reassurance. I loved his dearly, but never have I wanted to strangle anyone as much as him right then.

Finally, at long last, the bell rang and people began to file out of class, chattering and joining the masses of people outside the room.

Nel must have known when school got out because she called me almost immediately.

"Kirstie?" She questioned hesitantly,a s though unsure if you had the right person.

"Have you heard from him? At all?" I asked, worrying the fabric of my shirt with my free hand, perfectly aware of Mrs. Steck's beady eyes on me.

"No. Nothing at all. Not contact, no indication that he wants us to know his whereabouts. His father and I are heading to the station to submit a Missing Persons file. You will probably have to come with because you talked with him last." She sighed, a unnameable emotion in her voice.

"So Mitch is still missing? No sign of him?" I knew in my head I had already had this confirmed to me, but my heart was trying to convince itself that this is all just a joke.

"No. Nothing. He hasn't contacted any of us. I think he either disconnected his phone, or is somewhere where the service isn't possible." I could hear her trying to stifle the sobs that wanted to escape. I sat down, my knees no longer able to support me.

"Ahem, Miss Maldonado?" There was Mrs. Steck, standing in front of me, arms crossed over her pin suit clad body.

"Hold on." I said to the phone and looked up. "Yeah?"

"Get off your phone. You and I are going to talk." She growled, tapping her foot on the ground.

"Give me a minute." I held up a finger. "Any clue where we would be? I could go drive along his route and take a look, but I don't know if I can find-" Before I could finish my sentence, Mrs. Steck took my phone and ended the call. She kept her phone in her long fingered grip.

"Now that you are done so rudely ignoring me, I want you to tell me right now what is with your attitude today. And no 'oh, well there's this guy' stuff. That is the oldest trick in the book." Her voice was sharp and that seemed to only make me angrier. She thought that all teenage girls had boy problems. Granted, mine was a boy problem, but not in the manner she meant it.

"You want the honest answer?" I responded, folding my own arms. I tossed my head to the left, throwing the blonde hair out of my eyes.

"Yes."