Ditched

Trying to Find Asher

I walk up the driveway with Jack at my heels. When I get to the door, I don't knock. I just stand there. Jack reaches around me and knocks from behind my body. I smile.

The door swings open and Mrs. Haggerty stands in the hallway, her curly black hair framing her monstrous face. "Well look who it is." She says maliciously.

I find myself backing up, until I stand shoulder to shoulder with Jack. No more encounters with Mrs. Haggerty for me please. "Hi, um, I was, uh, just uh I wanted to know when Ash left for his Aunt's house."

"That's not information for me to share with you." She stares at Jack, a scowl permanently plastered to her face. "And who's this scoundrel?"

"Um, this is Jack. He's the son of my foster mom."

He sticks out his hand and smiles, but she just curls her lips into a sneer. "Looks like you replaced Asher pretty quickly." She knows this will hurt me.

I cringe. "I did NOT replace Ash. I came to see when he left so I could calculate when he'll come see me." I say through clenched teeth.

Mrs. Haggerty sighs and leans against the doorframe, hiding the hallway behind her. "He left the same day you left. Two hours after you." She pauses. "Um, actually, he, uh, he told me he was gonna visit you yesterday at noon."

I look over at Jack, who stands next to me, staring blankly at Mrs. Haggerty. "Yea, he told me that, too." I mutter, looking at my feet.

Mrs. Haggerty smiles, or at least what I think is a smile. "Well, you can leave now." She says. "Too bad he didn't visit you." She slams the door in my face, but I know she can still hear me.

I cup my hands around my mouth. "Tell me if he calls!" I shout.

Jack frowns. "What's wrong with that lady?" He asks suspiciously. We make our way down the walkway.

"Ya know, I couldn't really tell ya." I say, my voice emotionless. Why didn't Asher visit me? What if something happened to him? What if his aunt won't let him come to see me? I feel my heart pounding in my chest and I gulp air into my lungs. I can't jump to conclusions. He's probably just busy settling in. Or maybe his aunt took him somewhere for a little vacation. He's probably fine. But the feeling in my gut tells me otherwise.

"So..." Jack says, stuffing his hands in his jean pockets. "What do you wanna do?" He asks.

I huff. "Well, there's so much I wanna do. I missed out on a lot you know."

He chuckles. "Yea. I have an idea. Wanna get a burger first, though?"

"A what?" I ask.

He stops walking, and looks down at me. "You've seriously never had a hamburger before?!" He says, his voice rising. "What the hell?! That's crazy!" He jumps up and down with excitement. "We are getting a burger in that skinny body RIGHT NOW!" He shouts, breaking into a run. I barely know Jack, but he seems responsible, so I sprint after him, catching up and falling into stride next to him. "You may be small, but you sure are fast." He says, breathing heavily.

I laugh. "I'm alright." Yet, I'm not out of breath at all.

He heaves in gulps of air. "Yea...not at...all. But then...why am I...already...out of breath...and you're...fine?" He says in between breaths.

I shrug, picking up my pace. "Maybe, you're just out of shape."

He raises his eyebrows at me. "Is that a challenge I smell?"

I shrug and smile. "I don't know." I shove him onto the grass and sprint ahead. "Is it?" I call over my shoulder.

I hear him grunt and he scrambles to his feet and darts after me. My sneakers pound the concrete as I sprint faster than I've ever run. I can hear and feel Jack behind me, right on my heels. "Come on, slowpoke!" I tease. "Catch me if you can!" I slow down a ad, let him catch up and then pull ahead again.