Everything that goes up, must come down. With every high, there is a low. For every time in my life that things are smooth sailing, the tide turns, the waves get rough. Bad things happen to the people I love.
Their words are repeating in my mind over and over, it feels like a sick joke, one big prank. But I know it's not, it wasn't the first time and it's not this time either.
They were separated from the group.
There was a storm we didn't prepare for.
The search will continue in the morning, when we have light again.
It's too dangerous to stay out there. We can't have search groups go missing too.
He will be ok.
I'm sat in a corner, alone. Silent. Watching, but not seeing. Hearing, but not listening.
I remember when I was 11 years old. Night had fallen and dad should have been home. I sat in the front window of our family home waiting for his car to pull into the driveway. I watched as the big heavy raindrops splashed against the window. The front garden flooding by the planter boxes with the amount of water falling from the sky.
Mom was in her room, she hadn't come out all day, she never did when it was only her and I. I walked past her door a few times and could just see the flicker of light from the tv in the gap under the door. I didn't disturb her and she didn't check on me, that's just how it was.
Dad was always home by nightfall after his fishing trips. He promised he would always be home to make me dinner and put me to bed. Not tonight. I found a tin of soup in the pantry and made my own dinner. But that was an hour ago now, dad still wasn't home.
As I still sat in the window, I finally saw some headlights pull into the driveway. Only, that wasn't my dads car, it was a police car.
After they knocked on the door I had no choice but to get my mom. I hid around the corner as I heard them talk.
There was a storm that hit earlier than expected.
The search will continue in the morning, during daylight.
It's too dangerous to stay out there.
It's not looking good, I think you should prepare your daughter and yourself that he may not come home.
All around me now, people were moving, talking, making plans. Coach and some team members were again re-telling what happened to another police officer. Harper was wrapped up in Ethan's arms, crying. Ryan, pacing back and forth. The room around me was buzzing, people kept asking if I was ok, if I needed anything. I couldn't respond. I felt like I was stuck in a time warp, history on repeat.
36 hours earlier.
"If you pretend to be sick, you don't have to go on this stupid bonding trip and we can have the house to ourselves all weekend!" I pouted as I watched Joey opened and closed his draws to pack a bag of clothes.
The basketball team had a compulsory camping trip this weekend. It's the first week of spring and they are spending two nights in the bush. It was supposed to make them bond better as a team and condition them with some hardcore training or something before the finals. As if they needed any more bonding than what goes on in this house.
He zipped up his backpack and climbed back onto the bed, hovering above me on the other side of the blankets. "Baby, you know I would much rather stay here with you, if I had it my way we would never leave this bed again except to get food and shower. But I'm the vice captain and it's compulsory," he said before softly kissing my lips, then peppering soft teasing kisses along my jaw.
"You better let your team know that you're leaving behind a very unhappy, very naked, very sexy girl in your bed and that, my friend is a very large sacrifice to make for the team," I said, lifting the covers so he could peak at my naked body.
"Two nights Morgan. That's all," he said against my lips.
"Two nights too long. I might have to go find myself a new boyfriend," I teased as he pecked my lips and got off the bed.
"I love you, and I will see you on Sunday. We will be back around lunch."
"I love you too, miss you already," I said blowing him a kiss as he left the room.
Knowing that it was no use laying here now that Joey was gone I text the girls to confirm the time for brunch, then got up and enjoyed a shower in the now quiet and empty house.
An hour later, I arrived at The Busy Bean to meet Harper and Ali. Walking through the door I was instantly greeted by Sandra and Clay together at the front counter.
"Hey Morgan, the girls are already here at a back table," Sandra said, seeking distracted by her phone.
"Perfect! Can I just get my usual please," I asked Clay who was behind the coffee machine.
"Sure thing! Boyfriends are out of town, so does that mean the girls are out to play?" Clay asked suggestively.
"If by play you mean finish assignments and mope around missing my man?" I smiled.
"I don't know if I'm in awe and slightly jealous of your relationship or disgusted by how in love the two of you are," Clay said scrunching up his face.
"Probably depends what time of the day it is," I laughed as I walked away to the table.
"Nice of you to finally show up!" Ali greeted me.
"Sorry girl, it was just too nice enjoying a bathroom all to myself after the boys left," I giggled.
"That's fair, communal bathrooms are enough to convince me we need to get an apartment next year!" Harper sighed.
"Joey and I are on board. We've discussed it a lot actually."
"Nope, no way!" Ali shook her head and wagged her finger at me. "No way am I living in an apartment with you and Joey. I just don't need to witness the love fest daily and I really don't need to hear you having sex constantly. Harper and I will get a place and you two can get a place!"
"Fine by me," I shrugged. "But also, you make it sound like all we do is have sex, we really don't do it that much!"
Harper scoffed, "Yeah. Right! Don't even get me started! I have walked in on the two of you post romp in our room more times than I can count!"
"Whatever," I muttered. "Anyway, what are you getting for breakfast?" I asked, changing the topic.
We ordered our food, and spent the rest of our brunch with Ali complaining about Mindy, her roommate or telling us stories from her prison visits as part of her degree in social work. They had to visit the low security prison and chat with prisoners, trying to help them with their transition once they are released. It was really interesting and she had great stories to tell about some of the people she had met. For a moment, I wondered if my mom would benefit from such a program.
The rest of my day was uneventful. I had a class in the afternoon and spent the evening finishing up some papers that were due the following week. After studying, I took my laundry to the student laundromat and did that while reading a book I'd been meaning to start, but instead had spent my free time with Joey.
By the time I was finished and back in my dorm room, it was already 9pm and I decided to head to bed. Harper had also decided to have an early night, so we put a movie on and settled in for a quiet night.
By far the worst part about Joey being in the bush was that he had no cell service. At least when he was at away games we could text, call and FaceTime. It was the first time in nearly 5 months that we were going to sleep without saying goodnight to each other. I'll admit, I was missing him like crazy.
By the time I finally drifted off to sleep, the sound of rain could be heard pitter pattering on the window. I assumed it would just be a small shower, the boys may not even get any rain where they were. The shower would pass and in the morning the only signs of tonight's rain would be slightly damp grass.
Instead, around 2am Harper and I found ourselves awake because of the loud thunder claps that felt like they were right above us. The sound of the rain hitting the window had increased dramatically and was now coming down hard. It was anything but comforting.
"The boys will be ok in this storm right?" Harper voiced what I was thinking.
"I'm sure they are loving it. Coach would have checked the weather before they went. They will just come back muddier than planned," I tried to make light of the situation, even though on the inside I was panicking.
"Yeah, I'm sure your right," Harper agreed, sounding as unconvinced as I felt.
I wish I had been right.
Finally after an hour of lying awake listening to the storm get worse and worse, sleep had overcome me. Harper and I didn't discuss our worries any further. As though saying anything more out loud would confirm our fears.
Now it was 6am and I had to be at work in half an hour. The rain seemed to have eased and the thunder stopped. I tried not to think about the boys on their camping trip, it was just a bit of rain, they would fine.
I checked on Harper and she seemed to have fallen back into a deep slumber, so I silently gathered my clothes and made my way to the bathroom. Saturday mornings were always quiet in the dorms as most students nursed hangovers and didn't rise until late morning.
Making my way across campus, evidence of the storm last night was clear. The grass was flooded in some parts and some branches had fallen from trees. The sky was cloudy, but no longer stormy as daylight approached. I told myself that they wouldn't have had the storm as bad as we did.
I arrived at work, instantly falling into my normal routine. Put out the cakes, put the cash in the till, season the coffee machine, give the tables a quick wipe, open the front door.
It was a slow start, as all Saturday mornings are. By 8am, Clay arrived to help me. Our usual early bird customers picked up their coffee. Mundane, boring, but normal. Just another day.
Late morning, the customers picked up, we had a morning rush, enjoying that my shift was now moving quicker. The quicker time went, the sooner Joey would be back, or so I told myself.
I remember the next moment clearly, everything after that, not so much.
Placing a take away slice of cheesecake into a box, I handed it to the customer. "That one is one of my personal favourites, I hope you enjoy it!"
"I'll be sure to come back and let you know my thoughts," the customer promised as they turned to the door. Just as the middle aged lady opened the door, making the bell above it ring, she was just about bowled over by Ali as she hurried in.
One look at her face and I knew something was seriously wrong. My smile from the pleasant interaction I'd just had faltered as I looked at my best friend. She was pale, worry lines evident on her forehead. Her hair was a mess and her t-shirt inside out, like she had thrown it on in a hurry.
"Morgan, you need to come now!" She said, her tone serious as she ran behind the counter to collect my bag while Clay and I stood with our mouths open, processing what was happening in front of us.
"Ali! I can't just leave, I'm in the middle of a shift. Slow down and tell me what's happened?"
She stopped her rushing and turned around slowly and deliberately, tears forming in her eyes.
"It's Joey. The storm last night. He's missing Morgan."
Time stood still. Memories flooded my mind.
There was a blur of Clay and Ali rushing me out the door, Clay telling me not to worry, he would take care of the cafe and come to check on me later.
I followed Ali, but I don't remember actually moving. She spoke to me, but I didn't hear her. All I could hear was that Joey was missing, just like my dad went missing, because there was a storm.
Bad things happen to people I love.