by Bradon Nave
She smiled. Finally, her hoodie and jeans were coming off.
“I seriously can’t believe this is happening, D.”
“Kith me, Lilith.”
Wrapping my arms around her, I lifted her up, squeezing her. “Bear hug.”
“Stop!” Her happy squeals had me pretty sure we were gonna get caught before the mission was complete.
“Okeydoke.” Setting her down I reached for the ugliest one I could find. It had to be at least thirty years old and probably home a few dozen spiders. “Here ya, go.”
“Duke…you owe me so big. Like, seriously so big.”
“Like…staying up until four in the morning trying to bake for your momma type of big?” Glaring, she slid the old, dusty, white wig on her head.
“Where the hell is yours?”
“Okay, okay. Here.” Reaching for a George Washington model, I placed the equally disturbing hairpiece on my head too.
“Eww! Dammit, Duke! Let’s do this before I get fleas.”
“You look beautiful, Lily.”
“Shut up, D.”
“Hey. Think if we were in the nineties. We’d be using a Polaroid or some shit.”
Following her to the mannequin, the one that looked like a 1980s blowup doll in a raggedy Elizabethan-style dress, we posed provocatively with the prop while taking a few pictures on my phone. Finally—the morning of begging had paid off.
“See? Fun. And now I’m about to make you a star.”
“Duke Austin, I swear to god if you post any of these, I will kill you!”
“Simmer, Lillianna”
Throwing our nasty wigs on the stage floor, I watched my beautiful girlfriend walk to me with a look I was all too familiar with.
“The stage is all ours, D.”
“What you saying?”
Her fingers traced across my belly as she walked past me slowly.
“Don’t turn around until I tell you to.”
Her whisper had me wanting to clear the prop table—eyeing all the areas and places we could go. We only had about eight minutes before class but I’ve definitely worked with less.
Rocking on my heels I imagined how legendary this would make me—Duke Austin, dude that got down on the high school stage…and then she was laughing.
Turning around, I saw her, fully dressed and with my clothes in arm, running from behind the curtain and leaping onto the gym floor. “Lily! Not cool!”
Scurrying across the gym, she stopped just before she reached the door as if she was going to return. I watched from behind the curtain as Coach Danes entered from the opposite end of the gym. Quickly, Lily darted out of the gym, leaving me to retreat behind the curtain in my underwear.
Danes quickly left but it literally felt like an hour passed by the time I heard her voice come through the doors again. By this time, I didn’t care. I was pissed. Stepping out from behind the curtain, I jumped off the stage and onto the gym floor…only to find that the girl’s voice was not Lily’s, but Ms. Davenjer’s; She was talking on her phone—dammit.
“Duke? What…the…heck?”
Covering myself, I felt my face blush red. “Lily…Lily and I…”
“Whoa, I don’t want to know.”
“No, it’s not like that. I promise it was nothing like that.”
“I said, I don’t want to know.”
Her sharp tone and scowl had me thinking I’d pushed my luck with her. She had the power to turn this event into a humiliating situation.
“Seriously. We put on wigs and took pictures with the creeper doll. I swear to god that was it.
Then the idiot thought she’d be funny and took off with my clothes.”
Chuckling, Davenjer shook her head and put her hand over her mouth. “How long have you been here?”
“I dunno…right after lunch.”
“What? Where is Lily now?”
“Physics.”
“Go back behind the curtain. I’ll find her and get your stuff…and don’t let Danes find you.”
CHAPTER TWO
She was lucky I didn’t make her walk home. For sure she would have found a ride, but regardless, that ridiculousness was absurd. Who the hell does that to their own boyfriend? I’ll rephrase. Who the hell does that to their own faithful and undeserving boyfriend?
“You’re really mad at me? Like you’re seriously pissed off?”
The higher pitch to her tone let me know she was at least concerned. That’s all I was going for really. I let the smile I’d been trying my damnedest to hide creep up on my face.
“Nah, I’m just highly disappointed in your actions.”
“Wha…shut up.”
“Seriously, though. What the hell? You just left me there for like forty-five freakin’ minutes.
What if the drama club had to do something back there? Not cool, Lil.”
Still laughing, Lily tried to calm herself enough to explain. “D…you know I wouldn’t have done that to you on purpose. It just happened.”
“Right…you just happened to grab my clothes and leave me freezing my balls off for nearly an hour back there. Makes total sense.”
“D…I’m sorry.”
Turning down my street I shook my head and smiled. I was done with it. “It’s cool.” “Promise?”
“Yep.”
“KFC?”
“Nope.”
“Well…are your mom and Larry at your house?” Her fingers tickled the inside of my thigh. “What do you think I am? A caveman? Food and sex makes everything all better?” Smiling at her, I put the car in park in front of my house.
“Um…well, I’m just not going to respond to that.”
“Ha. You’re hilarious.”
“What’d Jessie say was wrong with Kacey?”
“He didn’t. I haven’t heard from him since he bailed.”
“How much school has that boy missed?”
“I know, right? Last few weeks it’s like he’s gone more than he’s there.”
“You think the school gives him a break?”
“They did. He’s got good grades and all but I don’t know how many more free passes they’re gonna hand out. He shoulda came back after lunch. It’s gonna be another unexcused.”
“Have you called him?”
“Nah.”
“D. He was really worked up at lunch. I’m worried about him.”
“He’ll be fine. The whole ordeal was too much. If he’d just chill. Kacey was obviously not feeling so hot. The girl needs some rest, maybe a little green tea and a blanket…and that’s okay. It’s all gonna be okay. But he sees it differently. I hate it…I hate it when his head gets that way.
It’s not cool.”
“I dunno, D. Kacey was off. There was something off. He had a right to be worried.”
“I get that I guess. But she shouldn’t have been at school. She probably has the flu or some shit, she looked like ass. I just wish Jess could use those coping skills he’s been learning with his doctor. I wish he could actually apply them to situations when they mattered…like today.”
“Yeah. That’d be great, Gatsby. But until he’s able to do that, how ’bout you call him and make sure he’s okay…okay?”
Shooting my smirking girlfriend a glare, I reached for my phone.
“Voicemail. I guarantee he’s cuddled up with Kacey right now. He’s fine. Best thing is for him to sort it out and catch the flu like an idiot.”
***
“Duke…wake up!”
“Huh? What?” Sitting up, I looked around my dark bedroom from my bed—Lily was curled up next to me.
“D, it’s seven o’clock.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. We must have passed out.”
“I told you I wasn’t a caveman.”
“This seriously sucks. I have so much studying to do.”
“Physics?”
“Hell yes.”
Stretching, I yawned loudly. “I’m freaking starving.”
Lily’s hand w
orked its way under my shirt, her index finger dipping into my bellybutton as she rested her head on my shoulder.
Chuckling, I put my hands behind my head. “You better hit the books.”
“And walk away from this clean-shaven happy trail? Nope.”
“It’s not so clean once you get past the waistband.”
“But it’s happy.”
“Yup.”
Her lips on my ear gave me chills.
“Dammit. My phone keeps buzzing.”
“Really, Lily?”
Rolling from me, she took her phone from her jacket on the floor.
“What the hell…”
“What’s wrong, Lil?”
“Sarah has tried to call me, literally twenty-six times.”
“Really? Will you grab my phone?”
Turning my phone on, I swallowed hard to read, Six Unread Voicemails.
“Some…something’s wrong, Lily.”
“I’m calling Sarah.” Lifting the phone to her ear, Lily made her way for my hall.
“’K. I’m gonna call my mom.”
Shaking, my fingers kept pushing the wrong thing on my touch screen. Finally, it was ringing.
“Hello.”
“Larry? Is my mom with—”
“Duke. Where are you?”
“Home. What’s going on?”
“Who’s with you?”
“My girlfriend. Why?”
“Where is Jessie?”
“I want to talk to my mom, Larry. Can ya’ hand her, her phone?”
“She’s on my phone with Kassandra’s mom. We’ll be home in five—”
“Who? Kacey? Larry what the hell is going on? I’m about to get pissed off. Let me talk to my damn mom…now!”
It felt like an eternity—finally I heard my mom, frantic into the other end.
“Duke!”
“Mom…what the hell—”
“Oh my god, where is Jessie?” “I don’t know. Why?”
“Duke…if you know where he is—”
“Dammit, Mom! What the hell is going on! I just woke up from a nap with Lily. What’s wrong with Jessie?”
“Listen…Duke…we’re just a few blocks from the house.”
“Mom! What is wrong with Jess!”
If this was how Jessie felt when he experiences anxiety, then I could now say that I “got it.” My heart felt like it was beating from in my head. I couldn’t think right. Lily walked back in the room with a look of both shock and desperation—but she no doubt had answers.
“Just stay there—”
“I don’t have time for this shit, Mom!”
Hanging up the phone on her, I threw it to my bed. “Lily…what is going—”
“Jessie messed up, D. I think Jessie messed up pretty bad.”
“What?”
“His doctor…that Dr. Cline…a client found him beaten unconscious in his office. They can’t find Jessie or Kacey—”
“They’re probably at Kacey’s house! Jessie wouldn’t hurt his doctor.”
“Kacey’s mom is the one that called Sarah, Duke! She’s frantic! They’re saying…they’re saying Jess took Kacey from her appointment.”
“What the hell are you talking about, Lily? Shut the hell up with that shit!”
My head felt like it could literally pop—and then the front door sounded like it was about to explode with. The knocking was so intense it sounded like footsteps on stairs rather than knocking on a door.
Pushing past Lily, I made my way downstairs to the front door. The red and blue lights were blatantly obvious through the windows of the living room. My entire world seemed like a dream of some sort. Like I’d never actually woken up from my nap with Lily.
Opening the door I wasn’t sure what to expect.
“Duke Austin?”
There were four officers. Two younger guys I knew from the gym, an older dude, and a girl.
“Yes sir.”
“Is Jessie Kasper here in this residence?”
“Nah…no he’s not here—”
“I can get a search warrant if I need one, Mr. Austin!”
“Well you don’t need one, Jaxon! You can search this bitch inside out for all I freakin’ care—just tell me what the hell is going on!”
Stepping aside, I flung the door open, giving the officers full access.
“We’re not trying to upset you, Duke—”
“I’m well past that, Jaxon. I have no clue what the hell is going on other than my best friend is in some sort of trouble and some dude comes to my house and calls me a damn liar.”
The older officer walked past Jaxon, resting his hand on my shoulder. “I believe you, Mr. Austin. Have you heard from Jessie at all today?”
“Nah…not since school.”
“What time was that?”
“He left at noon. He…he left at lunch time.”
The man looked to the female officer, and then back to me. “Did he say where he was going?” Looking to the floor, I felt a lump in my throat. A feeling of total helplessness came over me. I felt the way I did after I got off the phone with my dad.
“He said he was going to Kacey’s. He had to make sure she was okay.”
“And you haven’t heard from him since then? He hasn’t tried to call?”
Looking back to the kind-spoken officer, I swallowed hard. “Um…I don’t know. Lily and I…my girlfriend and I laid down as soon as we got home. We literally just woke up to this a few minutes ago. I have a few voicemails but my phone was off the whole time. I swear I’m not hiding anything from you.”
“I believe you, son.”
“Lily! Will you bring my phone please?”
Irritated as I was with her, I was thankful to see my mom and Larry pull up in front of the house.
***
Two messages from Sarah and four from my mom—none from Jess. The officers gone, my mom, Larry, Lily, Sarah, and I sat at our dining room table.
“I can’t believe this. I knew he was struggling. But I had no idea he would ever—”
“Do you hear yourself, Mom? It’s Jess. He didn’t do anything like that. Hush that bullshit.” “Hey…D…how bout you don’t go speakin’ to your mother like that?”
“And hey, Larry, how about you learn to speak English and remember the part where you said you weren’t going to try to be my daddy. How about that?”
The room fell silent as Larry blushed red and looked to the floor. Mom said nothing as she reached for Larry’s shoulder. For being a firefighter he sure was sensitive this evening.
“Duke…maybe I should go. Sarah, can you give me ride home?”
“Yeah. Duke…listen if you need anything…or if Joe needs anything, please don’t be afraid to ask.”
“Thanks, Sarah.”
Standing from the table I kissed Lily’s cheek as she and Sarah made their way to the door. I didn’t have enough to focus on her feelings toward the situation—selfish as that sounds.
As soon as the front door closed I walked past Mom and Larry to the backdoor. Stepping outside, I looked to the sky.
“Jess…what are doing, dude? What the hell are you doing?”
My head couldn’t quite wrap around it. It didn’t make sense in the slightest—even when I was alone it didn’t make sense.
“Hey, D.”
Without turning around, I simply grunted to acknowledge my mom’s presence.
“I know it’s a stupid question but I gotta ask…you okay?”
As much as I wanted to yell at her for asking such ridiculousness, I resisted. “Nah, Mom, I’m really not.”
“What happened at school today? What…what was going on?”
“I don’t know, Mom! He was stressed…he was a little stressed but he didn’t do this. It doesn’t matter what happened at school because he didn’t do this.”
“Duke…honey…I love Jessie very much. You know that, right?”
“Yeah. So, believe me, he didn’t do this.”
“Babyboy…Jessie’s
car was seen at Dr. Cline’s office today. He and Kacey are gone. And you know as well as I do that that young man has some large demons that he’s been struggling with. We don’t know the details, Duke…but I need you to look at this logically—”
“I can’t, Mom!”
Turning to her, I felt it coming on. Feelings have a tendency of sucking ass—this was more than that. This was dark. This was a familiar cruelty.
“Come here, D.”
“I can’t lose him, too, Mom. I can’t! I don’t care what they think he did. They don’t know everything…anything could have happened.”
Wrapping her arms around me, I found myself basically regressed to a place I never wanted to be again. A place I can’t even describe—there really isn’t a way to describe it. When Cory died, I lost a piece of me. Blood or not, Cory was my older brother—I loved that dude.
It wasn’t just a feeling…more like a mixture of events that took over my head, body and life.
And then I got to watch it pretty much destroy my best friend.
Just when things simmered—or at least started to ease up—this shit happens. None of it mattered, really. I didn’t have any of the facts in front of me but all that really mattered to me was that Jess and Kacey made their way back home to explain what happened. If that happened, everything else would just work out somehow—no matter how bad it was.
But for now, I was there—in that place. And like it or not, my mom was about the only thing that could offer any form of comfort.
“I can’t do this again, Mom. I can’t. We’ve gotta find him.”
“Shh, Babyboy, they’ll find him. It’s going to be okay.”
“What if it’s not?”
“Don’t think that way, D. You need to keep a clear head and try to get some rest.”
“I can’t…Joe will be home soon. I gotta make sure that dude is okay.”
CHAPTER THREE
My butt was completely numb. Sitting on Joe and Jessie’s porch step waiting on Joe to get home, I felt frozen to the core—it felt nice; it was the nice kind of cold. There was no wind to blow the chill up my jeans or under my hoodie.
The air was totally still; everything was totally still. Completely dark but the street lights. I wondered if any strangers were watching me. I’d been in the same spot for nearly forty-five minutes.