“We’ll find her, come on”
As we go out onto the landing Paisley is stood by the door. The bright lights we’ve switched on and the commotion happening in the room next to hers must have woken her up. She walks towards us with her arms out and her eyes still slightly shut.Cheryl picks her up without a second thought. “Go on, get in the car and I’ll see to her” She tosses me the keys and that’s what I do. I run down the stairs and I get in the car, the white leather is freezing, as I breathe I can see my breath. I’m hoping to god that Amy isn’t out in this weather. She’ll catch her death. The only thing lighting the pitch black streets is the yellow light flooding from the street lamps. Not a soul is in sight and as I wait for Cheryl every second feels like an hour. What’s taking her so long?”
“What’s she out here for?” I ask as I see Cheryl jogging towards us with Paisley stuck to her hip. She has her leopard print puffer coat on with a pair of brown boots with silver buckles on the side. She’s grasping onto her Jessie doll and Cheryl quickly straps her into the car seat in the back of the car.
“She wouldn’t let us leave her, it’s easier if we just bring her. She’ll fall asleep while we drive to your mums anyways”
*
The speed Cheryl’s driving at down these deserted streets scares me quite a bit but there’s no way I’m going to tell her to slow down. I’m surprised we haven’t been pulled over. It’s only now that I let myself cry. “Mummys crying” Paisley informs Cheryl. She’s pointing at me from the back seat and Cheryl reaches for my hand. She holds her cold hand over mine and rubs her thumb over my knuckles while not taking her eyes off the wet road.
“Calm down Babe, come on” She says softly and I wipe under my eyes with my sleeve. Caching my breath is proving difficult. I still haven’t looked away from out the window. I’m looking for her even though I’m sure my dad has been up and down this street at least a hundred times.
“This is all my fault, how could I be so stupid?”
“Shhh baby” Cheryl begins to rub my knee to try and calm me although it doesn’t seem to work. “Enough of that, of course it isn’t. I bet you she’s just at her friends … or that boy’s house. What’s his name again? James?”
“Johnny” I correct her. It is possible that she’s with him. Now that I think of it, it does make sense that she’s with him but I have no idea where he lives. I don’t even have his number. I know nothing about him. None of us know anything about him that’s the scariest thing, I’ve only met him twice. The first time I only seen him for 2 seconds when I bumped into him in a shop and the second I was throwing him out of my house. “She might be with him” I start to calm down and again dry under my eyes before I upset Paisley even more then I already have. She’s leaning forward in her car seat trying to look at me. She hates when I’m upset, that’s why I never cry in front of her. I never normally let her see me like this.
“We need to find out where he lives, One of her friends must know mustn’t they? See I told you it would be okay didn’t i?”
“It’s not okay Cheryl, we haven’t even found her yet. She might not even be there!”
*
As soon as we get to my family’s home I run straight in leaving Cheryl behind to get Paisley who still has no idea what is happening. I’m straight away faced with Sally sat on the bottom step of the stairs with her head in her hands. As she hears me she looks up and she does look dreadful, her makeup is smudged under her eyes but she quickly tries to wipe it away before I see, she’s too late.
“I’m so glad you’re here” She throws herself to me and wraps her arms around my shoulders; I can tell that she’s shaking just as much as I am.
Chapter 74
Start from the beginning
