Missing in Action

Chapter Twenty Eight

I thought about how we used to laugh walking home from school together in all weathers. Even when it was too cold to speak, we would still be laughing.

I thought about how stressed Cassidy got over exams, and how many pencils I had had thrown at me because I was disturbing her revision. I remember how she was so excited because she had done so well in her exams.

I thought about her contagious laugh and that smile that seemed to brighten up even the darkest days.

Then I thought about the day that separated us. The day Cassidy left for the Navy. It had changed the both of us, in more ways than we could have ever known back then.

"Her name is Cassidy May Rhian Davis. She's 22, and I've known her since we were both eleven," I began.

"She one of the most important people that I have in my life, even if years pass before we see each other face to face. She's my rock, my sanity," I continued.

I sighed. It was almost like I could feel the rain dripping down my face and seeping into my clothes. I could see her eyes. She had wanted to join the Navy, but she had never wanted to leave me.

"When we were sixteen, Cassidy signed up to join the Royal Air Force. She didn't tell me until a week before she had to leave, but by that time, she had been accepted as a Royal Navy pilot," I said.

Stacey was shaking her head now.

"On the 15th of June, Cassidy went M.I.A after taking part in a high intelligence mission," I whispered.

I could sense that everyone knew what I was going to say, but they want me to say it anyway.

"She went down in territory that is under terrorist control and the Navy believe she was captured trying to get to an American Air Base north of the border," I said sadly.

Nobody said anything. It had gone silent, and I hated it. It was never silent around Cassidy and I had never been silent since I had met her.

"She's my rock, but it would be so different if..." I began.

"If what?" Simon asked.

"If she hadn't signed up," I said.

"Why would it?" it was Harry who had spoken up this time.

All of the boys wanted to know my answer. I could see it in their eyes.

I ran my hand through my hair. I didn't know why it was so hard to admit.

"Because we would've auditioned for the X factor together, as a group. We wouldn't even be here," I whispered.

Gasps filled the room, but I had stopped listening. My ears pounded with the sound of Cassidy singing and laughing.

The only one that didn't react was Simon. He just smiled knowingly at me. He's met Cassidy once, after my first audition. She'd practically ran into him. He'd promised that he'd never tell the boys about the girl in the uniform. Simon had always kept that promise.

I looked at him now because there was nowhere else that I could look.

"What were you thinking Louis?" Stacey repeated.

I looked her in the eye. She was searching me for an explanation, but how could I explain Cassidy Davis? They would never be able to understand this, just like I would never understand how Cassidy went missing.

Stacey groaned and began pacing the room again.

"How could you do this?" she hissed. "Did you even think?"

I felt anger build up inside me.

"Do I think! Yes I f***ing well did think!" I exclaimed.

"Louis," Simon warned, but Stacey and I weren't listening.

"Then what were you thinking Louis?" Stacey demanded.

I stopped. What had I been thinking?

"I was thinking about my best friend! I was thinking about the girl that fights for our country everyday! I was thinking about the girl that always puts her country and the people she loves first!" I yelled.

Stacey looked frustrated. She ran her hand through her hair again.

"And how much are you willing to risk for this girl?" Stacey spat.

I glared at her. The question was so easy to answer, but the answer would hurt everyone in this room. It would be selfish to say it, but I was past caring.

"Everything," I hissed. "Because that is what Cassidy is worth to me".

Stacey just gawped at me. She looked like a fish.

The boys were all looking lost. Liam was pretending that it didn't affect him, Zayn was refusing to look up, Niall was shaking his head and Harry had tears in his eyes.

"How much contact do you have with her?" Stacey asked.

"That is none of your concern," I hissed.

"You'll find that it is!" Stacey exclaimed.

"How is it Stacey?! How is it your concern?!" I demanded.

"Do you know how many fans you could lose because of this? Most people see soldiers as murderers!" Stacey exclaimed.

I was taken aback. Cassidy was not a murderer. Yes, she had dropped bombs on people, but they were planning to harm people here.

"Cassidy is not a murderer," I stated.

Stacey laughed.

"What is war, but organised murder?" Stacey asked.

I shook my head at her. Soldiers defend our rights, but most people don't even know it.

"You know, I never thought you would stoop that low," I said.

"However you look at it, she's still killed people," Stacey said.

"And how many people has our country lost to this war? The day Cassidy went down she lost one of her closest friends. Soldiers know the most loss. So, who are you to say it is murder when you do not know what those soldiers have seen and lost?" I asked her.

Stacey glared at me.

"That's what I thought," I told her.

"I don't care," Stacey hissed.

"Cassidy said something to me once. She said there is a phrase used to defend them: you put on your antiwar shirt and go and meet up with your friends- a soldier still fights for your right to wear that shirt. I don't care what you think about her. I will fight until my last breath until Cassidy Davis comes home and you can't stop me," I stated.

I stood up from the chair that I had been sitting in.

"And where do you think you're going?" Stacey demanded.

I smiled at her crookedly.

"As far away from you as I can get. Oh, and don't bother looking for me," I snapped.

I walked out of the office and out of the building without looking back.

I realised that I didn't care about my career anymore, I only cared about finding Cassidy because I would never want to lose her.

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A/N- Sorry, this chapter is a bit lame. I was just filling in how Cassidy's disappearance was affecting the boys.

Thanks for reading my story!

Imagine_Fiction