Chapter 17
I looked down at the yellow page, and squished writing, feeling fear rising in my throat. I swallowed, and looked at Isabelle.
“Do you know anything else about you're mom that could help me figure out witch Mary Smith is her?” I asked. “Please.”
Isabelle blinked. “No.”
I sighed, and reached for my cell phone, starting to dialed the first number.
“Pick up pick up,” I mumbled, waiting for an answer. James and Isabelle just stared at my with their big eyes. Isabelle clutched the stuffed animal to her chest tighter, as if she could feel my fear.
"Hello?”
“Hi,” I said, trying to keep my voice from cracking. “Is this Mary Smith?”
“Uh huh.”
“Um, do you have a daughter named Isabelle by any chance?”
“Uh... not that I'm aware of...”
“You sure?”
"Yeah, I'm like 22. I'm even still a virgin.”
"Oh, well thanks.”
“And don't tell me it's weird to still be a virgin at 22 because I-”
Even though I was dying to hear why this Mary Smith was still a virgin at 22, I hung up and grabbed a marker, checking off the first Mary Smith.
“Can we watch Sheriff Callie?” James asked.
“Yeah, sure,” I said, starting to dial the next number.
James headed to the living room to watch whatever Sheriff Callie was. As I hit the talk button, I looked up from the book to see that Isabelle was still standing in front of me.
I was about to tell her that she could go watch tv too, but the second Mary Smith answered on the first ring, so I didn't have a chance.
“You have a lot of explaining to do Martin!” An angry voice answered.
“Um, is this Mary Smith.”
“Oh, you aren't Martin,” Mary Smith said.
“Uh, no.”
“Well, I'm expecting a call from my husband so if you could-”
“I was just wondering if you have a daughter named Isabelle.”
“Oh. No. I have a daughter named Iris though. Is that who you're thinking of. Are you working on that project about the Civil War with her?”
“No,” I said, even though I was supposed to be working on a Civil War project (by myself). Maybe I did go to school with Iris.
“Well, thank you anyway,” I said, hanging up, and checking off the second Mary Smith.
As I called the third Mary Smith, I realized that Isabelle was still staring at me.
“You can go watch tv with James,” I said softly.
Instead, she placed her stuffed animal in my lap. “This is Catbug,” she said. “He's part cat, part bug. He's also very brave, so if you get more scared, you can hug him. He'll help.”
“Thank you,” I said, looking down at the stuffed animal. I realized that is was actually a blue cat with lady bug wings, instead of just a plain lady bug.
Isabelle left for Sheriff Callie, as the third Mary Smith answered.
“This is Mary,” She said.
“Hi,” I said, hugging Catbug to my chest. “Do you have a daughter named Isabelle?”
- - -
As I hit the call button for the 58th Mary Smith, I could feel tears stinging my eyes. I had been calling Mary Smith's for over an hour and a half. By now the calls had just become:
“Is this Mary Smith?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have a daughter named Isabelle?”
“No-”
(I hang up)
I continued to hold Catbug, as I waited for an answer. It seemed like Mary Smith wasn't going to answer, until I heard a rushed and panicked, “Hello?”
Well, this couldn't be Mary Smith. This was clearly a man's voice. I considered moving onto the 59th Mary Smith, but I decided to give it a chance.
“Is Mary Smith there?”
“Yes, but can she can't talk right now.” I could here muffled screams in the background.
“Does she have a daughter named Isabelle?”
“What?”
“Does she have a daughter named Isabelle?” I repeated.
“Wait, do you know something about Isabelle?” I could here panic rising in his voice.
“Um, yes, she-”
“Wait, wait,” His voice became more distant, telling me that he had moved the phone away from his face.
“Mary!” I heard. “Someone's on the phone asking for you!”
“Now is not the time-”
“I think she has Isabelle!”
“What!?”
I guess Mary Smith grabbed the phone from whoever was talking to my earlier, because suddenly I heard a woman's voice.
“What are you doing with my daughter?”
Well, that wasn't very welcoming.
“Nothing's happened to her, she just-”
“We have our lawyer here. And we are prepared to do whatever to find you, and have you put in jail, so the sooner you give us our daughter back-”
“I don't think you understand, I didn't-”
“And if you so much as lay a finger on her, we will make sure you get the terrible fate you deserve.”
“No, I'm not-”
“You are a horrible human being, and you deserve to die.”
“Oh my god, you're daughter isn't harmed!” I yelled.
“I don't believe you.”
“Look, this is all just a big misunderstanding.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You're daughter goes to school with my brother James, and she decided to come home with him for a play date, or something, and I guess that they forgot that she had to tell her parents.”
“What.”
“You're daughter goes to school with-”
“No, no, I got that, but how could you let this happen!”
“Well, I didn't really-”
“And how come I haven't heard about this until now!”
“I had work, and I-”
“So you just leave your child alone all day!”
“No, he isn't my-”
“We are coming to get her now! Where do you live?”
I told her.
“Good god,” she mumbled, and hung up.
- - -
“Ok guys, Isabelle's parent's are coming to pick her up, so you have to get ready to go.”
“I don't wanna go,” Isabelle said, hugging her legs to her chest.
“Well, it's already dark out, and you need to go home and sleep, and stuff,” I said. “And here's Catbug,” I added, giving her stuffed animal back.
“Can't Isabelle sleep over?” James asked, peeling his eyes away from Sheriff Callie.
“I'm sorry, but it's a school night, and Jame's isn't allowed to have sleep overs, and Isabelle's parents are threatening to have me put in jail, so I'm afraid Isabelle won't be able to sleep over.”
“Awww,” James and Isabelle said together.
“Lets just get Isabelle's stuff together and get ready to leave,” I said, picking up what had to be Isabelle's backpack. (I mean, it had a picture of Catbug on it. This girl was obviously obsessed)
“Can I come back again?” Isabelle asked.
I looked down at her puppy dog eyes. James had never really had friends before, and she seemed like a good kid. However, her parent's really seemed to hate me...
“I hope so,” I said honestly.
- - -
I sat in the little “Lobby” our apartment building had, looking out the the window. It was dark, and raining, and felt very creepy. I looked at my phone to see it was almost 9:00. I didn't know about Isabelle, put it was past James' bed time, and no matter how many times I asked him to go back to the apartment and sleep, he insisted on waiting with Isabelle. Also, I had to get the Dirty Girls in 30 minutes.
I went back to looking out at the ominous street, when a sleek black car,(that looked like a brand new model) pulled up in front of the building.
“Ok, come on Isabelle,” I said, grabbing her hand. “Wait in here James.”
James looked like he wanted to come, but decided against it.
“Come on Isabelle,” I said, pulling her out the door.
A woman in a black suit with hair pulled back into a perfect french twist, high heals clicking against the wet pavement.
“Isabelle!” She cried, running to hug her.
Isabelle stayed frozen by my side, her hand still in mine. Her mother dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around her. “Thank god,” she said
“I'm so sorry about this whole-”
“We're going home right now, Isabelle,” Mrs. Smith said.
“But can't you meet James-”
“Now, Isabelle,” she repeated, her voice now with a touch of snappiness. She grabbed her other hand, pulling her away from me.
“I really am very sorry about this whole thing Mrs. Smith! If there's anything I can do to-”
“What kind of parent are you!” She yelled back at me.
“I'm not a parent!” I said, but she had already thrown Isabelle into the back seat, and was driving away.
- - -
Hello there potato faces!
In a good way.
This is my longest chapter yet... I think. And it still isn't very long. Oh well.
Notice that I added you Iris. ;)
Thank you all for 500 views! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT THIS MEANS??? DO YOU KNOW WHAT HALF OF 1000 IS? THAT'S RIGHT IT'S 500! THAT'S HALF A THOUSAND READS!!! THAT IS WAY MORE VIEWS THANK I EVER EVEN IMAGINED I WOULD GET!
Seriously. Thanks.
Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes.
(Also, video is Catbug)
XOX