Chapter 3: ABSENTEE
Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth
remembering ~ Steve
It's been three days since Stephan dropped me at home. Three days of doing nothing but watching him like a stalker that I am. Dammit Elizabeth, approach him and make a conversation like a normal human being!
"You are doing it again, Beth", Hailey pulled out of my thoughts.
I looked down at my lunch and picked a fry up.
"I'm not doing anything", I lie. We were currently at the school's cafeteria, having our lunch break, me and Hailey (who decided she wanted to have her hair purple today) were sitting together at our usual table.
"I know you want to make sure that I'm okay and I love you for it and I really am okay, I have gotten over that piece of shit called Cole. So you don't have to keep looking at him", she pointed her fork towards Stephan's table.
Cole was part of the football team so naturally, he and Stephan are friends. Relief shot through me. I didn't want to describe to Hailey the obsession I was beginning to develop towards Stephan. She knew I had a crush on Stephan but I didn't want to stop her from 'grieving' about the failed romance between her and Cole. Hailey kept on talking to me but I wasn't really listening, my eyes keep flying and stealing glances at Stephan. His new girlfriend Amy Sykes had her hands round him, she was literally rubbing her body lewdly at him, I grimaced feeling disgusted.
"Ew", I felt like I was going to throw up.
"Is orange that bad of a color?" Hailey asked, looking like a lost puppy.
"What? No, no it isn't."
"So why did you make that face"
"What face?"I countered back innocently.
"As if you were asked to eat my grandmother's pants"
"Hailey, that is both disgusting and disturbing", I whisper-screamed at her.
She giggles, "Just tell me what you are thinking about"
"I just miss Noah", I said, which wasn't really a lie. I did miss Noah and he was the most social among the three of us, the one who made us laugh till it hurt.
"Yh, I miss that freak face too," Hailey says, playing with her salad. The bell suddenly rings signaling the end of lunch.
Hailey groans, "I'm sitting right here"
Someone laughs loudly and we both turn to see other students including Cole filing out of the cafeteria coming our way.
"Actually, there's this project I haven't submitted yet, gotta go, bye", Hailey disappeared faster than flash himself. I sigh and gather my stuff. Walking down the hall I see a tall figure standing by my locker looking lazily around. Stephan.
I walked towards him, with my heart doing a strange skip. His eyes land on me and he stands straight as I came right in front of his view.
"Hi", I say flashing him a small smile.
"I never knew you school here"
I grasp my books tightly, and chuckle softly, "I'm quite popular with the teachers though" He raises one of his thick brows obviously thinking something else.
"Oh no I meant...."
"I really don't care about what you meant", he interjects my babbling and pulls something out of his pocket, splaying it in front of my eyes.
"I believe this is yours"
It was a silver pendant with a sapphire stone crested in it. I gasp softly as it glimmers softly.
"Where'd did you find it", I whisper as I open up my hands to receive the jewel.
"It was lying on the floor..... next to vomit"
"How do you know it's mine"
He gave me a long look, "Instinct.. I put one and two together", he shifts, "Isn't it yours?"
"Yes, it is. Thank you. Again." My father bought it for me when I was turned fourteen, I'm glad I didn't lose it. What worried me though, was that I didn't even notice it was gone.
Stephan starts to turn to leave and I feel myself go into a panic.
"I'd like to repay you", I say in a haste, he looks back at me,"- for returning my pendant"
"I don't date lonely rich girls", he replies to me.
Ouch.
I clear my throat," All I'm asking is that I make it up to you...."
"Can you babysit?" he interrupts me again.
"I don't have any experience but I've been told that I'm pretty good with children"
"Good", he says, "I'll text you"
"You don't have my number", I remind him, while trying to keep my heart at bay, excited that I finally making baby steps in entering Stephan's mysterious life.
He takes his pen from his back pocket and proceeded to write his phone number.
On my forehead.
"Now make sure you get that written down on your phone. I don't want any strange number calling me. As you know I am in high demand". He then turns around and leaves.
I touch my forehead. Cocky bastard.
I sigh and get my books into my locker then proceed to get his number off my face and to my phone. I couldn't help the small smile creeping onto my face. I was finally getting to know him.
Two days later.....
No calls. No texts. Nothing from Stephan. Not a peep. Nada. Not even a text to cancel. It was like he was ignoring me. I felt my blood boiling as a dumped my books into my locker. And got out my history text. I left him a couple of voicemail and text messages and I don't still understand why he wouldn't answer his phone at least. Besides, I haven't seen him in school in the past few days. I stop walking all of a sudden. What if something happened to Stephan? He hasn't been to school and he wasn't answering his phone. I begin to get worried and a huge sense of panic started to rise. A sudden urge to see him overtook my senses and I found my legs moving to the staff room. I knock on the door twice before opening it and I see Mrs. Potter, my literature teacher working on something. Mr. Clark was in charge of my grade personal info so if I could get to his desk, I could check his work diary for that.
"Yes Miss Reese, how may I help you?" Mrs. Potter asked me, smiling slightly.
"Oh, well Mr. Clark gave me a report to finish and asked for me to drop on his desk. Do you mind if I do that?" I ask politely, pointing to the books I had in my hands.
"Oh no problem, get to it." She replies and she continued whatever she was doing on her phone.
I move to Mr. Clark's table and quietly began to search for his dairy. It didn't take me long to find it since his workstation was very organized and this wasn't the first time I came into the staff room to get something done. I looked for Stephan Stones and quickly to a picture of his details with my phone. Closing his dairy I keep it carefully and leave the staff room muttering a bye to a distracted Mrs. Potter, going to my history class.
After two long hours of learning about the damage Hitler did to the world, I was finally free to get out of school and figure out why the hell Stephan went AWOL.
Walking through the hallways, I make sure I dodge all the bimbos and jock concentrated areas so I get to the exit as fast as my legs could carry me. I should have known escape wouldn't be so easy.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Hailey calls out to me. I turn back, racking my defenseless brain on a lie, but I couldn't come up with one. I give up. It's just so much easier, to be honest with your best friends.
"Are you busy?" I ask Hailey
"Does dying your hair orange sound like an easy task? Of course, I have something doing
Why?"
I groan grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the exit.
"Cancel dyeing your hair for once Hail. We are going man-hunting"
That got her attention. "Who?"
I hesitate for a second to open my car door and we both get in.
"Stephan Stones. Before you start asking questions I'll explain on the way."
"This better be good", Hail mutters under her breath.
I just finished catching Hailey up to speed; we were in front of Stephan's house. I look out the window of my car and I'm a bit surprised at how small his house actually is. He always carried himself like a rich playboy, when in fact he was just like any average guy in terms of finance.
"Wow, I can't believe Stephan is actually from a middle-class family," I say to Hailey, when I got no response I look at my best friend.
Hailey looks hard at nothing exactly, she was just staring ahead. I was about to ask her why she looks so gloomy when she spoke up.
"Don't fall for him, Beth. You have to promise me that you won't fall for him. He'll just break you, just like how he plays with other girls. Like how Cole broke my heart. I won't let you get mixed up with them"
I swallow and nodded at Hailey. I knew how important this was to her. Getting her heartbroken over the first boy she actually fell hard for. I understand how she feels.
"I promise Hail. I just want to make sure he is okay"
She smiles a little, "okay"
We both walk towards the door and knocked gently. We wait for a while and knock again. Still no reply.
"Maybe no one's home", Hailey suggested when the door suddenly swings open, revealing a very red-eyed woman on black, she had startling emerald eyes and dark short hair. I'm guessing she's Stephan's mom.
"Hi ma'am, we were wondering if Stephan is home. We are his friends from school."
She had a pained expression etching her face, and she whispered, "Come in"
I and Hailey both sat in the living room opposite Stephan's mom. I use the silence to look around. His house was tidy and has a twinge of sweet floral scent, he has a few pictures on his walls, of him, his mom, an older man, I'm guessing his dad, and a girl with beautiful blonde hair.
"Your home is beautiful Mrs. Stone", I say, trying as much as possible.
"Thank you dear", She says smiling sadly, "My name is Catherine, what are your names?"
"I'm Elizabeth Reese, my friend here is Hailey Bellows" I introduce us.
Hailey tugged me and whisper in my ear, "Something is not right here Both, I feel cold". Hailey had this thing about her, she could sense different energy in a place and her intuition is very keen and correct. Sometimes I get jealous because she always seemed to pick the right answers during tests and exams and she hardly studies. I joke that she must be from a family of witches and must be a psychic. It made me wonder why she even liked Cole in the first place if she could psychoanalyze someone just by staring at them. Just like she is staring at Catherine.
I clear my throat, "We don't want to disturb your day, we are just looking for Stephan"
Catherine sighed slowly and clutched the necklace around her neck, she was trembling a bit. I didn't really understand her reaction to my question. Was Stephan in trouble? Did he piss off a gang or a cult and they captured him? Was he in jail?
My heart starts to pick a fast beat and I begin to feel really heavy.
"Miss Catherine", I try again, "We just want to know if he is alright, he is not answering his phone and he hasn't been in school for a while now"
There was a long silence and Catherine just stared on the ground until her broken voice whispers, "He's gone"
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