REALLY ✓

41: The Gone Guy

*

    TAYA's POV:

"You're nothing to me," Judah growled as he lifted the gun in his hand, aiming straight for his father's heart.

There was so much anger and hatred in his eyes. All that bitterness that he was harboring finally took its toll on him. Meanwhile, Mr. Harrison could only look up at his son in fear as he begged for his life.

"Jaden, please, I... love you,"

"Love? Nice try, but you're dead to me," Judah scoffed mockingly and the gun clicked.

"No!" I screamed.

And all of a sudden, I wasn't watching Judah aim the gun at his father's heart anymore—he was aiming the gun at me. At my heart!

  BANG!

The loud booming voice echoed in my ear and I jerked up immediately. I thought I'd have fallen to the floor or something, but the next thing I saw was my bedroom wall and that I was sitting on my bed.

It was just a dream... Only a dream...

*

"It's been three days since he last contacted me. I'm going crazy over here," I said I slumped against the cafeteria table, pushing my lunch to the side.

"If my boyfriend disappeared for three days, I would be too," Hallee sighed in agreement.

"I can't go to the police... I can't tell anybody..."

That was what Ava kept telling me, no police could be involved because we didn't know how that would affect Judah.

"What did he say to you exactly?" Gabe asked.

"Just... to trust him. Have some faith in me, he said,"

"Cryptic... yet romantic. Typical Judah," Hallee rolled her eyes. I would laugh at her joke, but I was way too anxious to laugh.

"Guys, what if something bad happened to him?"

Gabe took in a deep breath and glanced away. Hallee also didn't have an answer for me, so she just took my hand and gave me a small smile.

"No, you're right. I'm being paranoid. He's all right," I said to myself, "He has to be,"

He promised me he will be back. So I know he will.

My eyes wandered out the large windows of our cafeteria and I found myself watching the liveliness outside. The football team was jogging around the track, the cheerleaders were practicing their routine, the marching band kids were cleaning their instruments, and some other kids were enjoying their lunch under the sun.

"So um, I know this is probably not the best time, but do you wanna come prom-dress shopping this Saturday with me?" Hallee asked cautiously as she sorted through the stack of papers in her binder. I noticed they were posters for the prom.

It had been three days since Judah was gone, and life seemed to just continue on without him. But not for me. When all the seniors were getting hyped up with college results and the prom, I couldn't be bothered.

"I don't know Hals..." I sighed dramatically, "At this point, I don't even know if I'm gonna make it to the prom,"

"What? Taya, we've been dreaming about the senior prom ever since we were in the ninth grade,"

"Yeah, I'm not gonna go either," Gabe shrugged weakly. I gave him a knowing look and we ended up high-fiving each other.

"What? No. Guys, we're seniors now. This is our prom and we're all going!" Hallee declared.