It was two days now since Delcan had gone missing. Where did he go?
"Lilly, calm down. I'm sure he is alright.Now please get ready for school." Dad says.
I was pacing around my room for god knows how many hours. I was restless.I was panicked.
"Lilly Saunders!" Dad raises his voice.
I bite back my tears. Dad never understood. He never understood the pain of losing someone you love. Maybe because he understood it too well, long ago when he lost mom, that he no longer understands anything anymore.
Dad sighs, "Sorry, honey." Hugging me from the side, he continues, "I know it's hard to take. Who knows he might have returned?"
"He might have?" I ask looking at my Dad with hope.
Nodding, he says "Why don't you call him?"
I decide to call Delcan but I remember that I had unfortunately lost my mobile two days ago.
"Dad, I actually lost by mobile." I say.
"Lost? But I saw it on the dining table just now!"
I race downstairs towards the dining room and true to the word my mobile is sitting on the table.
But, along with it Tara is also sitting on the table sipping from a mug.
"What are you doing here?" I ask her taking my mobile.
"Oh, I'm your ride, Lil. You know with Declan missing and all. So I decided to give you a ride to school instead of Declan."
Leave it to Tara to take make any situation careless. But it was sensitive of her to decide to give me a ride, because it was Delcan who usually was my ride.
Mustering a fake smile I thank her and check my call log.
Nothing.
"I will be ready in a minute." I say to which she nods and takes another sip.
As I leave the room, I turn back and tell her," It's Delcan. Not Declan."
I can't take it anymore. The pity looks, the sympathy talks and the spreading rumors, I can't take them anymore. School was more a hell today. People came up with their own conclusions to what happened to my boyfriend. Each one far fetched and more ridiculous.
By lunch break, it became so intolerable that I decided to leave the campus ground and instead go to the pine forest behind the school building. Students rarely know the blind spot of the school compound wall and so don't often come there.
I sit on a fallen log and close my eyes. The tears fight me to come out.
Where are you Delcan?
I miss you so much. So badly.
Then I hear hushed whispers.
"I know. But look at me Ben. I am here, aren't I?"
Ben? That sounded like Tara's voice.
Following the sound I see them standing by a huge pine tree.
Ben has a defeated expression while Tara has that one of impatience.
"Tara." Ben sighs.
And before, I could realize, Tara kisses him. And eventually he kisses back.
And I leave.
That night and the next day there was no news about Delcan. I was starting to lose hope.
The next night I was lying on the bed staring at the ceiling when Dad knocked the door.
"Honey?"
Sitting upright I say, "Yeah Dad?"
He slowly opened the door and stepped in.
His face was broken. His face was defeated. His face held the answer.
And before he could say, I knew what the news was.
"Ben just called." He states.
I simply look at his face.
"Ms Jeff found him in his room um..tucked in his bed."
I remain quiet. Dad doesn't say anything for a while.
"The primary autopsy report stated poisoning."
I feel numb and dull.
"Ms.Jeff is suspected for the death but.."
The rest of his words drown away after the word 'death'.
And I see all the colors fade away.
And I hear all the sound wash away.
And I feel all the emotions dry away.
Delcan.