As the clock struck 6 in the evening, Kelan prepared to embark on his night shift at the restaurant. Parking Raymond's car down the street, he made his way up the hill towards his workplace. Despite trying to appear calm and collected, deep down he longed for her to reach out to him. The memory of their shared kiss in the neighborhood lingered in his mind, refusing to fade away. The enchanting moment had left an indelible mark on him, making it difficult to erase the beautiful image from his thoughts.
Lost in his reverie, he walked towards the restaurant with a gentle smile adorning his face. Unbeknownst to him, a woman crossed the street in front of him. Suddenly, recognition dawned upon him, causing his steps to halt abruptly as he realized that it was the friend he had grown close to in the recent days.
Kelan was pleasantly surprised to encounter Erica, the remarkable woman whom he had forged an unexpected friendship with. A warm smile spread across his face as he called out her name, "Erica?" From a distance, Erica had already spotted him and returned his smile as she made her way towards him.
"Kelan....Hi.....starting your night shift?" Erica responded, leaning in for a friendly kiss on the cheek.
"Yeah! But I'm still quite early....do you want a cup of coffee? I haven't seen you around here in the past couple of days!" Kelan suggested, observing Erica's expression closely. Something about her demeanor seemed a bit different, piquing his curiosity.
"I....I...really needed to talk to a friend....so, yes, I gladly accept your cup of coffee!" Erica admitted with a small smile. Kelan nodded in response, leading her inside the restaurant. As they settled at a table, Kelan couldn't help but notice the anxious demeanor of his friend. Her hands fidgeted restlessly on the table, betraying her inner turmoil.
"Here you go....two cappuccinos!" The waitress announced with a bright smile, her eyes lingering on Kelan. Returning the smile, Kelan watched his colleague disappear into the distance.
"Erica?...are you okay?" Kelan asked softly, concern evident in his voice as he observed her nervously sipping her coffee. Erica set down her cup and met his gaze, her eyes reflecting her inner turmoil.
"It's my friend, Kelan!" she confided with a hint of sadness. Kelan let out a scoff and leaned back in his chair.
"Her again? Did she force you to go on a strict diet again? Erica, I told you that you need none of that nonsense! You're beautiful just the way you are!" Kelan responded, irritation creeping into his voice. He had heard plenty about this friend who seemed to wield a negative influence over Erica. Kelan was fed up with the insensitivity and ridiculous methods this friend used to try and help Erica.
"It's not what you think!" Erica attempted to explain, but Kelan quickly interjected, cutting her off before she could defend herself as she often did.
"Erica, I know we've only been friends for a short period of time, but I can see that your friend doesn't have your best interests at heart! Who puts a friend through such extreme dietary restrictions? I've told you before, you should approach weight loss in a healthy manner! Let me be your personal chef, I can help you achieve your goals in a much better way!" Kelan expressed, not allowing her a chance to respond. However, Erica reached out and grasped his hand on the table, surprising him and causing him to fall silent immediately.
"Kelan, it's not about that! It's something else entirely! I'm so troubled, I can't even bring myself to talk to my other friend, Clover! She's already on edge because she missed Elena's call that night!" Erica confided, her eyes glistening with tears. Kelan cleared his throat upon hearing the name Elena.
As he watched Erica's anxious eyes, Kelan thought in silence, "She couldn't be talking about my Elena, right? It can't be her!"
"Elena?...is she the friend who pushes you into these relentless diet regimes?" Kelan asked, his discomfort evident in his tone.
"Kelan.....for the umpteenth time, she doesn't force me......she just tries to encourage me to make better choices with my meals....even if she can be a bit tough on me at times!" Erica clarified, folding her hands together. Kelan smiled in response, a soft hint of disbelief flickering across his face.
"Right!...you may see it that way, but to me, it seems like a dictatorship over your lifestyle. And a harmful one at that, if you ask me!" Kelan expressed without hesitation.
"I'm concerned about her! It's been a week and we haven't seen her.....we have no idea where she is! She won't even answer our calls!" Erica uttered, a tear slipping down her cheek. Kelan felt a pang of guilt for his harsh words, seeing Erica's evident distress over her friend.
"Erica, I'm sorry....I shouldn't have said that....you know I only want the best for you....but...if there's anything I can do to support you!" Kelan offered, attempting to console her. However, she shook her head in response.
"Thanks....but....don't worry...I'll do my best to find out what's going on with my friend! It's just so strange and worrying that she hasn't shown up for work! That's completely out of character for her....she wouldn't just disappear like this! I'm terrified that something might have happened to her!" Erica uttered before breaking down in soft sobs. She couldn't contain her emotions any longer. Kelan sighed in sympathy for his friend and reached out, taking her hands and giving them a reassuring squeeze.
"Don't entertain those dark thoughts! I'm positive your friend is okay....maybe she just took a spontaneous trip and forgot to mention it to anyone!" Kelan offered optimistically, gazing into her eyes. Erica shook her head, giving him a solemn look in return.
"You don't understand...." She retorted in a tone of slight annoyance, then swiftly turned and walked away. Kelan was taken aback by her reaction. It was evident that Erica was deeply troubled about her friend, and he couldn't fathom the reason behind it. Without a second thought, he dashed out of the restaurant to catch up with her.
"WAIT, ERICA!" Kelan shouted, reaching out and grasping her arm before she could step into the street.
"Listen, I'm sorry....I wish I knew how to comfort you....and I'm truly sorry..." he murmured softly, his gaze locked with her sorrowful eyes.
"You just don't know her like I do! She's been through so much and is still fighting demons from her past....." Erica replied, her gaze steady.
"Alright, I'm sorry...please forgive me!" Kelan insisted, holding her close. Erica took a step forward and embraced him quickly.
"Just tell me one thing....other than her not showing up to work, why do you think she might have harmed herself?" He inquired, still holding her in his arms.
"Because, Elena has battled drug addiction in the past!" Erica revealed, stepping back and noticing the concern slowly creeping into his expression.
"Elena never suspected me of knowing this because she only confided in Clover with her secret.....she kept her struggles hidden from me because she knew how much I looked up to her! She didn't want to let me down with such news....." Tears welled up in her eyes once more, his gaze locked on her face as he processed her words.
"I...I'm genuinely sorry for everything I said about your friend! I must have sounded like a complete jerk, speaking ill of her like that! I realize the gravity of the situation now!" Kelan expressed, reaching his hand towards her left cheek and gently brushing his fingers along her jaw.
"Please...try not to cry, stay strong," Kelan murmured softly as he continued to stroke her face. However, Erica was feeling increasingly unsettled about the situation with Elena.
"The last we heard from her was a missed call on Clover's phone! And now Clover thinks Elena might have been reaching out for help...it was late at night....I'm so overwhelmed by all of this, Kelan!" She cried out to him, clutching onto his shirt.
"Have you already been to her house?" Kelan inquired. Erica nodded anxiously in response.
"Yes....we've been going to her house every day....but it's empty! We're too scared to approach her parents because it would cause a huge scene! And Elena wouldn't want that at all....especially with her father's temperament!" Erica explained, walking back and deep in thought. Kelan sighed, feeling the weight of the situation. It was daunting how he had become entangled in the mission to locate Erica's friend.
"But...that's far too serious to keep to yourselves! If you believe your friend could be missing or at risk of relapsing into addiction......you need to inform her parents! Who are they that you and your friend are so fearful of approaching them!?" Kelan questioned, giving her a look of disbelief.
"Kelan...we're talking about the McLains here!! They're not just anyone! You have no idea how much Elena has struggled to meet her father's expectations in everything! This would devastate her if we took that step!" Erica tried to explain, justifying their reluctance. However, as soon as he heard 'the McLains', his eyes widened in shock, catching her off guard.
"Mclains? So her full name is Elena Lila McLain? And she's your friend?" He asked, his expression showing a hint of strain. She nodded quickly, prompting a swift response from him.
"Elena, is the one who's missing? My Elena!?" He muttered, the pain evident in his troubled eyes.