Never Been Kissed

- TWENTY-FIVE -

                                                   -•TWENTY-FIVE•-

“What do you mean, ‘Beck is missing’?” I asked Laurel incredulously. That didn’t seem plausible to me in any shape or form.

“I mean he’s missing. Gone. Poof.” Laurel replied exasperatedly. I could tell that she was getting frustrated. “I got up this morning and his bed was made, his clothes and duffel bag were missing and there was no note.”

I rubbed my temples, trying to sort it out as Laurel chewed nervously on the end of her dreadlock. “I think you’re jumping to conclusions here, Laurel.”

Laurel groaned and glared at me. “I’m not. You and I both know that Beck wouldn’t just get up and walk away like that without saying anything or leaving a note. It’s just not like him.”

I rubbed my forehead. “Have you called his girlfriend?” I say the word bitterly, albeit unknown to myself. Laurel looked up at me questioningly.

“No, he hasn’t spoken to her in three days and she keeps calling the house.” She admitted with a sour tinge to her voice.

I frowned. That was weird. Why would Beck be ignoring his own girlfriend?

Something was definitely wrong.

“Obviously he’s not crashing here or anything; I’ll continue searching this place.” Laurel said downcast. “I need a cigarette.” She turned, heading back down the path to my house to where her rental car was parked haphazardly on the sidewalk.

I couldn’t just stay here while Beck was off in who knows where probably getting up to no good, could I?

No.

“Laurel! Wait for me!” I yelled, stopping Beck’s sister in her tracks. She looked back at me questioningly. “I’ll help look for him.”

She nodded. “Come on then,”

I was just about to head off behind her when I stopped in my tracks. Nonna and Opal. I couldn’t just leave my grandmother and my tantrum throwing little sister alone in the house, could I? I spun around, racing toward Talen and startling him.

“I need you to stay here Talen,” I said determinedly. “Make sure my grandmother and my little sister are safe until my mom gets back from work. Tell her I left you here and not to make a fuss, okay?”

Talen opened his mouth to speak but I was already down the walk behind Laurel. I climbed into her car and she was already at the wheel, the engine running as she fastened her seatbelt. Talen was making a bee line toward us. Quickly, I strapped in myself and looked frazzled at Laurel.

“Step on it! If he catches up…” I trailed as Talen picked up speed.

“No problem.”

Laurel put the car in gear and stepped on the gas, making me lurch forward in my seat as we sped down the road. But not before seeing a fragment of Talen’s broken face in the rear view mirror. I hated doing this to him, but if Beck was in some kind of trouble, I wasn’t going to just sit at home and let him do so. Even if it was stupid.

When we’d cleared my neighborhood was when I turned in the seat, releasing the passenger door I’d been holding tightly as we made our getaway. “Where do you think he would be?”

Laurel glanced across at me as she turned a corner. “Maybe with his girlfriend… some of his friends from the park… I don’t know Beck’s pastimes very well. I was hoping you could help me.”

I frowned at her. “Now why would you think that?”

“Well, because you’re the only one in this town he knows a lot about him. He sprung twenty questions on you, didn’t he? He only does that to girls he thinks are intriguing.”