A Timeless Place

Chapter 44 - Part I

I pulled out my phone. No new messages. Eli and Jordan had started their chorus part while I dialed Wes' cell. It rang several times before it went to voicemail.

"Kitty, it's your turn," Eli told me. "I'll be Aegeus for now."

Wes didn't show up throughout the break or in Chemistry class after.

-

"How're we going to do the play without Wes?" I stressed, wringing my hands together as I paced up and down the stone steps in front of Eli, Jordan and Jan at lunch time. "And where the hell is he?!"

"Just relax, he'll be here," Jordan said in a reasonable voice, patting my shoulder. "He knows the play's today."

"I'm worried about him," I stopped to look at them all, flinging my hands up in the air. "He didn't reply to any of my messages all day!"

"Or ours," Eli's forehead creased.

"He's probably just busy," Jordan brushed it off.

I dialed his number again. This time it went straight to voicemail. Not even a ring.

"Have you tried the football field?" Jan suggested.

"I don't think he'd be there," Somehow I knew he wasn't there. Because something was odd. Wes always told me where he was because lately we'd been inseparable. I wasn't trying to be the clingy girlfriend, but I could just tell something was out of place.

"It wouldn't hurt to try?" Eli shrugged.

Just then, as if in answer, Kevin showed up next to Eli.

"Hey, has anyone seen Wes? We could really use him to inspire some testosterone in the boys on the field," Kevin looked in between us as if he expected Wes to materialise out of thin air and shout out helpful tips.

"He's not with you guys then?" I scrunched my eyebrows trying to think where else Wes would be.

"Would I be here if he were?" Kevin poked my arm.

"And here I thought our friendship was enough," Jordan said, feigning hurt.

"Or Kitty's presence at the very least?" Eli smirked and Jan snickered. Kevin's face turned a shade of red before he turned away from us.

"Well if you see Wes, tell him that the football field is lacking some well-needed testosterone." Kevin said over his shoulder.

"I'm going to the cafe to see if his car's still there," I decided.

"What is this I see before me?!" Eli cried dramatically. "Kitty, cutting school?!"

"How else are we going to do the play today?" I told her. "So, really, it's for the greater good of our education to get those marks."

"Good luck!" Jan said anxiously.

I took a deep breath. I had never really broken any school rules before. But I've received more detentions in the past two months than I have in my whole schooling life. So what was one more, really? And that was if I was caught. It was lunch time, so there were students everywhere around campus. No one would notice if someone slipped out quickly. I had just under an hour to find Wes.

After successfully slipping out of the school gates, I headed in the direction of Chance café where he usually left his car. Well it was more like I ran there. When I finally reached Chance café, I leaned against the fence of the parking lot to regain my breath. But there was no sign of Wes' car in the parking lot no matter how desperately I searched around for it. Why would Wes just up and leave out of nowhere?