by R. J. Rogue
"Hello, Mrs. Druin is--"
"Have you seen Mike, Evan?" She interrupts.
“...No, I thought he'd be home," I respond. "That's why I'm here. I was going to ask you the same thing."
"Oh, dear," she says walking back into the house.
I step inside and leave my shoes at the door. I meet her in the living where she sits in her rocking chair with a few clothes for knitting. Picture frames sit across a fireplace. A small coffee table with unopened mail is in the center of the room, and an old television set sits on its stand in the corner. I sit in the loveseat across from Mrs. Druin.
"Um...When was the last time you spoke to Mike or seen him?" I ask.
She exhales and begins to rock and knit.
"The police are looking for him," she responds. "Mike has been missing for over a week."
Her face holds firm, but her blushed cheeks and swollen, glossy eyes tattle that she's been crying. It is exactly what I feared. Mike is missing.
"I'm so sorry to hear that, Mrs. Druin. I hope he's okay."
"I hope so too, Evan. His mother calls every ten minutes and she's built quite a hatred towards me. I blame myself for not being more careful with him on where he goes."
"Don't blame yourself. We'll find him. I'm sure of it. No matter where he is or what has happened. Mike is strong."
I’ve never seen him fail at anything and nothing ever seems difficult for him. His disappearance must be temporary. I have to believe that much.
"That he is. Thank the heavens for you, Evan. Always being so positive."
I smile.
"He never hinted to you about where he possibly could have gone or anything of the such? I just hope he didn't run away. Mike was happy here…Wasn't he?"
I can tell by the look on her face she was undoubtedly unsure. I'm positive Mike was happy here. He never wanted to leave Utica even as a child when his parents left to Florida. He couldn't have ran away. There has to be another explanation.
"He was happy here, Mrs. Druin. I'm sure of it."
Now that I think about it, last week, Mike said he was going to be meeting up with Bianca after school. Not to mention, he was supposed to be meeting up with me and never showed.
Mrs. Druin sighs.
"In this small town someone has to have seen or know something."
And I have a major clue. I just realized that Bianca has not been in school neither. They both are missing. They both could be in danger, but I should not think negative thoughts. They have to be okay.
"Mrs. Druin...Mike was supposed to be meeting with someone after school last week and she hasn't been in school neither."
She quirks her eyebrows and leans forward a bit in her rocking chair.
"Meeting with who? Do you know?"
"This girl. Bianca. I don't know her personally, but she's someone he has a crush on."
The phone rings.
"Hold that thought, dear."
She rises to her feet, careful not fall, and answers the phone.
"Yes?" she says holding it to her ear. "No, I have not heard anything yet....I'm sure he is somewhere out there safe...I understand...We will find him...okay my dear....I love you and I'll be sure to let you know if anything comes up..." She hangs up the phone.
"That was his mother."
"I feel so bad for her. For all of you."
"I should have let him go to Florida with his parents when he was a child," she says returning to her rocking chair shaking her head. "This would have never happened. He was in my care. Care that I fought his parents for."
"Mike made his own choice and you were doing what you thought was best for him. There's no shame in that."
"Yeah, well. At least he would have been more safe."
"There's no way we could have predicted that this would have happened," I assure her. "We have to keep hope that Mike is alright and that he will return."
"Yeah, you're right, Evan. I thank you for that. You truly are his best friend. He's lucky."
She rocks in her chair and thunder rumbles.
"Now, you better get going before it starts pouring out."
"Yeah, you're right," I respond rising to my feet.
"If you hear anything, Evan--"
"You can trust me that I'll let you know, Mrs. Druin," I promise.
She smiles weakly and nods.
"Thank you, Evan. I just want him home," she hugs tightly.
"Me too, Mrs. Druin. You take care."
We let go of each other and I step outside of the house with an emptiness. I hop onto my bike and head down the path in which I had come. Mike is out there. Somewhere. Somewhere he is breathing and he is okay. Bianca too. The idea that Mike ran away I do not consider as a possibility. Not one bit. I have to believe that he is okay. I can't allow that voice in my head to convince that there is a possibility he was taken out of his will. I can't succumb to that. If Bianca is missing with him, it must be relative. And I agree with Mrs. Druin, in this small city, somebody knows something.
~
I park my bike in the garage and head inside.
"Hey, sweetie. Dinner's ready," my mother says as she cleans off the counters in the kitchen.
"I'm not hungry," I respond.
"Not hungry? What's wrong? Did you go to Mike's house to see what's been going on?" she asks.
"Mike is gone, mom."
"Gone? Gone where? To visit his parents in Florida?"
"No," I say taking a seat at the island. "He's missing. He hasn't been in school in over a week and when I went to see him, his grandmother thought I knew where he was."
"Oh God, that's awful. I can only imagine the pain his family must be feeling."
I place my head on the counter and exhale.
"I'm sorry sweetie," she says rubbing my back. "I know he's your best friend, and I'm sure we will find him."
"Think so?" I say into the white counter with a muffle before looking at her.
She smiles.
"I know so, Evan." She kisses my forehead.
"I'm going to head upstairs and get ready for bed," I say stepping off the stool and heading out the kitchen.
"You sure? It's still kind of early, Evan," she calls after me.
"I can use the sleep," I respond making my way up the stairs.
"If you change your mind your food will be in the microwave," she yells.
I head into my room and close the door behind me. I plop back onto my bed and place my hands behind my head and stare at the ceiling which feels like forever. I take a deep breath and exhale hoping Mike is doing the same. Breathing. I place a hand on my chest and search for a heartbeat. Still, nothing. I throw on my headphones and close my eyes to drift away from today.
Mike. Where are you? Are you safe?
Chapter Ten: The Suspect
A car horn beeps outside. I rise out of bed and head downstairs and find my mother in the kitchen.
"Good morning, sleepy head," she says smiling in her work clothes.
"Good morning," I yawn.
"I have to make a delivery by the cliffs and head to into work. You can take the car today if you'd like."
She caresses my cheek and I nod.
"Please try to have a good day."
"No promises."
"TRY," she says with a smile.
"Alright, alright. I'll try mom."
She gives me a kiss on the cheek and opens the front door.
"Remember to write. It will help. Trust me."
"I will."
"And don't be late for school," she points.
I find a smile. She always says that.
"YES MOM."
"Love you."
"Love you too." She closes the door and I sit alone in the kitchen.
The cliffs? She never says 'the hospital' or anything of the sort it's just, 'the cliffs'. It makes me think of that mansion sized building I seen yesterday. Could that be where she goes? From where I stood, it looked creepy, but familiar. I head upstairs, get dressed for school leavin
g my glasses behind, eat a quick breakfast, and hit the road making it to school just before the first period bell rings. I wasn't late.
Everything feels different today. I'm sure it's because of Mike and Bianca. There's photos of Mike all over school. I noticed the ones of Bianca aren't up anymore. Could that mean they found her? What does that say about Mike? Is he still missing? There's even an article of Mike, in the Utica Observer, titled, "Missing Teen, Mike Druin, Possible Runaway?" But what are their sources? I know Mike. He doesn't run away from his problems -- like I do. He confronts them. And I know him well enough to know he didn't run away. I won't even consider that a possibility.
Mike is practically my only friend. Of course, I did know names and faces, but that's as far as that story goes. As for Essence, I had seen her this morning and as usual, I watched her until she left for class. I would hope around lunch I would have a chance to speak with her. I still have an apology to give.
And Cedric. I saw him in the hallway a few times. He just held a smile which looked innocent, but his eyes told me something different. That he didn’t like me, but more importantly, he was hiding something. Normally when I see him, he's standoffish and easy to anger, but not today. He seems to be in a good mood. Perhaps because he has front row seats to my suffering. If it is because of Mike, Cedric is more evil than any demon. I have to admit, there's something oddly familiar about him too, and not just Bianca. In a chilling sort of way. Whereas with Bianca, it's more of a comforting feeling.
I take a glance down the hallway and my eyes bleed. Speak of the devil. I catch her eyes through the crowd, but she averts as though she didn't want to be seen. Bianca. She's not missing. That would explain why her photos were removed around school and the city. But if she is here, where is Mike? She must know something.
She stares back at me before withdrawing her face and disappearing in the crowd of students and teachers. I rush down the hallway fighting through the crowd. I round the corner and fail to find her in the sea of people. She's gone. I place a hand onto my head and try to gather my thoughts. I feel disoriented and fatigued that quick. I run a hand across my face and find myself recovering from autopilot, sitting alone at a lunch table. I watch as everyone enters the cafeteria. I'll wait for Bianca to show herself. If she decides to.
The cafeteria begins to fill and my patience is wearing thin. She probably won't show her face. She knows that I saw her and that guilty gesture of trying to escape only tells me she does know something whether it's about Mike or something else. Maybe I should go out and look for her. Question her on her whereabouts and Mike's as well. To me, Bianca is the primary suspect.
I start to rise from my seat to go look for her, but then my train of thought is interrupted. Essence walks into the cafeteria and locks eyes with me. Her red hair and beautiful eyes paralyze me. Evasive action? Nope, too late.
"Hey, Evan," she smiles walking past. "Keeping the new look I see."
I need a defibrillator.
"Uhhh...Hi...Essence. Th-Thanks," I respond as my voice cracks. I sit down ashamed.
I watch her until she sits at a table with a group of people. She catches my glance and smiles. I fail to hide my blush. Maybe she got over what happened between us. Why would she smile at me? I then feel a presence. Someone is watching me. It is as heavy and uncomfortable as a stare. My hands aren't the only hands that rest on the lunch table. I look in the corner of my eyes and there sits Bianca. Smiling and silent. I stare at her unsure of what to say or maybe I have too much to say that if I speak it would all come out like gibberish. She holds a grin in the corner of her lips as though she has nothing to hide, but earlier today, her expression was the complete opposite.
"Hi, Bianca."
She continues smiling, then blinks.
"Hello, Evan."
Silence again. Okay, this is awkward. But how do I start? Maybe something like, 'do you have Mike hostage. I'm willing to negotiate.' Nope. That's too assumptive and I have not a buck in my pocket to bet I am correct. How about, 'Do you know where Mike is? Where have you been?' I think that will work just perfect.
"How are you, Evan?"
Wouldn't you like to know?
"I'm...alright. Just have a lot on my mind."
"Like what?"
Like you don't possibly know already. Mhm, suspect indeed.
"Well..." I look over at Essence. "There's this girl I really like."
Ugh! Why'd I share that?
"Mmmm," Bianca follows my eyes. "She's very beautiful, Evan. Just like mom."
I frown with confusion.
"Nice new look by the way. Black hair. Pale skin. Just like dad."
I quirk my head to the side.
"Guess I wouldn't know," I reply.
She chuckles a bit and leans forward, escaping my comfort space, and stares into my face. I shy my head a bit to lengthen the distance.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
Her hands rise to my face and holds me by my cheeks. Is she trying to kiss me?
"Um, Bianca?"
She withdraws her hands quickly and looks away embarrassed.
"I'm sorry. You're everything I remember."
"Excuse me?"
She sits quiet and her eyes begin to gloss.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
Her teary eyes look into mine, but I don't see Bianca.
"Beebee?" I whisper to myself. She doesn't budge. She sits in her white dress, her blushed face quivering in sadness. A shiver runs up my spine. Goosebumps cover my arms and my hair stands. When I blink, BeeBee is gone. Bianca looks down into her lap and I gulp.
"Mike is fine, Evan."
She wipes her face and rises to her feet. My mind shatters into a million pieces as I watch her exit the cafeteria.
"Mike is fine," I repeat to myself.
Chapter Eleven: A Lasting Impression
As school came to a close I had not seen Bianca since lunch, but 'Mike is fine.' As strange as it may sound, I believe her. But I want to know more. I need to know more. Where is Mike hiding and why. Why hasn't he contacted me? If anyone, why hasn't he contacted his family? It just doesn't make sense nor sound like him.
As I get into the car at the end of the school day. The sky begins to rumble as expected. Never unexpected around this time of year. I must agree with my mom that today does make a great day to write. I feel I have been slacking, but with everything that has been going on, it has been the last thing on my mind. I pull my notebook from my book bag and begin to jot down my recollection of avoiding Essence, speaking with Mrs. Druin at Mike's house, and about Bianca being in school telling me that, 'Mike is fine.'
The students pile out of the doors of the school and in that crowd, Essence stands on the sidewalk with her belongings. I close my notebook and I watch her wait as school buses pull away from the front of the school to start their routes around Oneida County. Why is someone so beautiful waiting at all? Essence should have people bending over backwards to make sure she is all set. She should be catered to.
Essence turns her head back and forth, looking for her ride I suspect. I find myself doing the same only to see that the school grounds are becoming empty from students and staff members. The rain starts to pound on the roads and roof of the car. Essence takes her bag and holds it above her head for shelter. I start the car, pull out of the front parking lot, and pull up in front of her. Perhaps it was confidence. Maybe instinct. She peers at the tinted windows cautiously and I stare at her perfect face. If only she knew she is staring back at mine.
Her eyes. I would love to stare into those without having to refrain from a blushing embarrassment. I roll the window down to end her agony of curiosity. She relaxes and forms a smile that shows her perfect top row of white teeth.
"Evan?"
"Would you like a ride?" I ask.
"Umm..." she looks back and forth for one last time. "Sure. That'd be great actually. My phone died."
"Let me get the door for you."
She smiles and I ge
t out of the car. The rain feels great. The first ounce of comfort I've felt all day. It wets my face and hair and I gasp in relaxation. I open the passenger door.
"Thank you," she smiles.
She stands facing me for a moment. Not budging to get in. Is she blushing? I smile back and lick my lips from the rain. She then nods and gets into the car. I close her door and get back into the driver's seat. She sits down and places her bag on the floor, slings the seat belt over her shoulder, and snaps it in place.
"Thanks, Evan. It's really starting to pour now," she says wiping some of the rain from her arms and clothes. I begin to drive up the road.
"Don't like the rain?" I respond.
"I like it. Just not when it's trying to drown me," she chuckles.
"Understandable," I smile. "What sucks is I don't know how to swim."
She laughs and heaven sings.
"You don't?"
"Nope. I just sink," I say smiling and looking over to her. She joins in the laughter. She's drenched in water, but still looks as beautiful dry.
"So," I say. "Where to?"
"I live near the parkway. You know how to get there?"
"Sure do. In the summer, I always go to the fair on the parkway."
"Really? I haven't been since I was a little girl. My father would take me on the merry-go-round until I either fell asleep or cried." She giggles. "Where do you live?" she asks.
"Very close to the rainforest."
"Rainforest?"
I laugh.
"Well, I call it a rainforest. It's really on the edge of the Mohawk River."
"Oh yeah that's right, you were supposed to show me remember?" she reminds.
"Ah, I haven't forgotten."
I blush. I continue to drive, but then silence floods the car. I peer over at her as she looks out the window watching the rain. She is so gorgeous. Keeping my eyes on the road is a difficult task, but her safety is beyond measure. I must focus.
"If it wasn't raining so much I would show you," I finally say.
"I'm not scared of the rain," she responds quickly.