~~~~~~~DYLAN~~~~~~
The fateful sound of the bell marks the end of my school day. I high tail it out of the classroom, hoping to actually be on time to pick up Lauren today.
The thing is, I've almost always been late picking her up. Not too late, just five or ten minutes. I convinced her not to tell Dad, and in return I would buy her a candy bar on the way home from school. Yeah it was bribery, but it worked.
Today though, I'm out of cash. Just a couple of nickles dance around in my pockets.
I head for my locker, determined to get there on time. That is, until I spot Blane. He's waiting by my locker, leaning against the wall.
"Sup?" I ask, opening my lock.
"What'd you find out? You were gone all lunch." Blane says.
Crap.
"Yeah. I searched around for her, couldn't find a thing. I think she must have used a fake name." I say.
"That's what I'd do." Blane replies.
I shoot him a look.
"Kidding, totally kidding. But seriously, you shouldn't stop. If you really like her you should keep looking." Blane says.
"How can I like her, I don't even know her." I say. I'd been trying hard to convince myself that since lunch.
"You totally like her." He says.
"I've got to go." I shut my locker, pick up my bag and turn the other way.
"See you tomorrow." Blane says with a laugh.
I jog down the hall and out into the street.
I'm probably already late. Our schools end at about the same time, leaving me next to none to get to hers which is at least five minutes away. Even if I ran, I'm not sure I could ever make it on time.
I speed up to the little kid area. A chain link fence protrudes from the side of the school creating a sort of play pen for the young ones. It's full of red tricycles and scooters, hoola hoops, and all sorts of kids stuff.
It's also where the students wait to be picked up.
Usually when I get there Lauren is the only one in the play area. As I approach I see a couple bodies running around, still waiting to be picked up.
I feel a little relieved. I'm not too late this time. I'm not the last one.
Then I get closer, and I look at the little kids more carefully, and none of them look like Lauren. One has blond hair, the other has short pig tails. There's a boy there too, chasing the girls around.
I lean on the fence, peering over into the playground.
From here I can see behind all corners, into the whole place. She's nowhere to be seen.
I scratch my head for a moment and then I suppose that Dad must have gotten off early and come by to pick her up before I got here.
Still I'm worried.
I call over one of the little girls and ask her where Lauren is.
"She got picked up already." The girl replies.
"Oh. Okay, thanks." I say.
I head for home.
When I open the door to our house I'm struck by how quiet it is. Usually Lauren would have a TV on or be singing out loud or something. She hated quiet.
I stepped through the house, room by room, calling her name, calling for Dad, asking if anyone is home. There's nothing. No response.
Then a panicked feeling comes over me.
Maybe she got hurt and had to go to the office, maybe she was feeling sick so they kept her inside. I should have inquired more instead of just trusting the little kid. I feel like such an idiot.
Pacing back through the hallway towards the front door, I catch a waft of that weird smell that's been invading our house since the day we moved in. It smells like something rotting.
I caugh the bad air away as I walk. I would have to find out where that's coming from. Something gives me a hunch it's behind that door we haven't been able to open. Probably a dead rat, or a couple.
I run down the streets again, back to Lauren's school.
When I get there the parking lot is empty. Not a good sign.
I go up to the door and bang on the glass a few times, hoping somebody's still in there.
There's no answer.
Now I'm really worried.
Lauren's gone and it was on my watch. I can't understand what happened. She must have been kidnapped.
Freaking out inside my head, I run back home one more time.
It's the only place I've got a phone that works to call the police. Unfortunately, my cell phone ran of batteries shortly after I made all those calls at lunch. Now I'm kicking myself for doing it.
I speed into the front hall when I hear a faint sound of whispering. Stepping into the living room I see Lauren sitting there holding her doll. She puts it down when she sees me.
I stare at her and she looks onto me with a guilty expression.
She's got dirt all over her clothes and a scratch across her cheek, only a little one.
"What happened?" I ask.
She stares at me with big eyes. There's something she doesn't want to tell me.
"How did you get home?" I ask.
She certainly doesn't know the way.
"I'm not supposed to say." She murmurs.
"Why? Who told you that? Who brought you home, Lauren?" I ask, scared shitless.
"No one. I- No one brought me home." She says.
"Why are you all dirty?" I ask.
"I don't know." Is her response.
Lousy answer.
I glance at the clock.
"Let's get you cleaned up before Dad gets home." I say.
I take her to the bathroom and start running a bath. She takes off her clothes and I throw them in the wash right away.
The tub is full of bubbles when I get back to the bathroom. I get to work washing her hair.
"You're not going to tell Daddy are you?" She asks.
"I don't know" I mentally contemplate how much trouble I'd get in versus how serious the thing that happened today might be.
"Please don't tell Daddy." She says. "I promise I won't tell if you don't."
I pause for just a moment before responding.
"Alright, I won't tell Daddy. But you better not do this again. Only leave if I'm picking you up, okay?" I ask.
She nods but it's unconvincing.
Though, I'm alright with the decision, we can make it look like the whole thing never happened.
I take Lauren out of the bath and wrap her in a towel to dry off. She'll look perfectly normal by the time Dad comes home.
As I reach in to drain the water I notice it looks particularly red. Maybe it's just the lighting.
I shut the door and go off to find Lauren a new outfit.
It'll be just like nothing ever happened.