the girl on the roof

Chapter 20- Eight letters late

Cover photo is of the subway underpass that the one Tommy busks in is based on ✨

It had been a week and a half since anyone had seen or heard from Lira. It was like she vanished off the face of the planet.

Although she'd disappeared before but this time it felt different.

This time she ran because one of her oldest and closest friends had done the one thing everyone knows not to do.

I tried to focus on my work but the city life project did nothing but make me think of her. Every photo of her laughing, smiling and just having fun makes her look so normal but she's far from it. Her entire persona wasn't normal.

I groaned in frustration dropping my head to my hands looking at the completed project of our entire relationship from the very first time I saw her on the roof and the very last time I saw her sat in Macdonalds.

She had well and truly seared herself onto my brain. A knock on my door pulled me out of my thoughts.

"It's open!" I said loudly not really looking up.

"Hey Max" my head snapped around at Saras
voice.

I was slightly shocked to see her Jamie, Finn and Emma stood at my door with Danny.

"Um hey guys what's up?" I asked genuinely confused by the fact they were all stood in my bedroom.

"We thought you might want some company mate" Jamie said smiling at me.
I couldn't help but smile back.

Although I didn't exactly want company right now I knew I needed it, and they didn't have to come pull me from my pity party.

"Alright text Ricky and Owen to come up. Come on this way." I said standing from my desk and walking over to the window.

Luckily this group of people weren't freaked out by sitting on roofs so they followed as if it was the most normal thing in the worlds.

"Hey Max?" Sara said as she passed my desk.

"Yeah?" I said in reply. Following her gaze down to the desk where my project sat full of photos of everyone. I waited for a question about it.

"Isn't that Li's top?" She asked pointing at the top she left here the night she stayed.

I smiled sadly. "Yeah it is."
The conversation had stopped the others who were stood by the window.

"Has she been here recently?" Sara said sounding hopeful.

"No she hasn't not since-" she cut me off

"But you'd tell me if she had been right?" She sounded erratic. As her blue eyes swirled with hope and desperation.

I didn't know what to say so I walked over and pulled her into a much needed hug.
Her long arms held on to me tightly as if I was going to disappear like she did. We stayed like that for a while before we broke apart.

"She'll come back. I know she will." I said to Sara as she nodded giving me a weak but genuine smile.

"Come on let's get you something to smoke." I said guiding her out onto the roof with everyone.

Owen and Ricky must of gone through Danny's window to get out here.

Despite Lira not being here right now everyone chose to just enjoy the day.

"So when do you guys leave college?" Ricky who'd gotten pretty comfortable with everyone asked.

They all looked at one and other before Emma smiled at us pulling a sheet of paper from her bag, and handed it to me.

"Emma Peters Level 3 journalism diploma " I read out loud. Looking up at her smiling.

"Emma this amazing congratulations!" I said unable to contain how happy I was for her.

"That's not all." She said. Everyone even Danny looked at her slightly confused.

"What is it?" Danny asked looking at her.

"I wrote a piece a few months ago on ocean pollution and submitted it to National Geographic's young writers competition. The winner gets to be published in their next edition and I won. My articles gonna be published by a real magazine." She said sounding happy but still so shy.

"Dude that's so fucking cool congratulations Em" Finn said pulling the red head into a hug.
A series of congratulations and hugs followed as we continued smoke the day away.

***

It wasn't long before everyone had left and was sat at my desk once again looking at the photos.

One caught my eye. It was of Lira sat by the wall in the city garden, the sunlight streaming through her long curls.
"Where are you chéri?" I said in an outwards breath.

But before my mind could slip into thoughts of where she may or may not be. My phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Maxie" my mums voice came across the phone line

"Hey mama how you" I asked

"I'm good my boy, but you. You sound different what's the matter?" Her warm motherly tone in full force.

"It's Lira. She's gone and I don't know where she is or if she's coming back" I said in an outwards breath.

"This was the girl you were telling me about?" She asked.

"Yeah" was all I could say.
"I'm sorry my love you seemed to really like her but-" I cut her off.

"I didn't like her mama I loved her. I love her."
My words strong but my voice was anything but.

"Darling you're young, and will fall in love time and time again. And you'll be home this time next week." She said as if it was the most simple thing. But it wasn't.

"Mama I gotta go hand my final piece in. I'll talk to you soon love you" and with that I hung up the phone.

She was right I was going to be leaving in a few days but I couldn't leave without seeing her.
I glanced down at the phone in my hand and dialled her number.

"Hey it's Lira I'm not here right or I'm just ignoring you so leave a message or whatever"

"Hey chéri call me back please I just want to know your safe."

And then I hung up.
I looked at my project in my desk and walked down to the photography room dropping my portfolio off with everyone else's before leaving for the carpark.

One last skate.