MISSING

PART EIGHT

MIKE IS MISSING

1.

With no way of knowing what was about to come, no way of knowing other than that of a lingering uninterpretable feeling buried somewhere deep within his own psyche, Gavin got himself together and made his way outside and into his friend's car.

A double beep from outside the family home, is what had let Gavin know that Mike was outside, ready, and waiting for them both to no doubt get up to some kind of no good or other ... nothing bad or illegal of course as neither are of the kind of nature to do wrong, serious wrong, but their kind of no good would be a day away from school without permission and downing a number of beers or so ...

Indeed, both boys are underage when it comes to alcohol and Mike shouldn't be driving either, not unsupervised though his parent are quite lenient and mostly too busy to take notice. They should be heading to school too, but school would not be an intended destination on this day, not at this point at least.

Mum has no idea that Gavin is planning on skipping school, and she too in her own way is somewhat lenient. She knows her son is a good kid, even if she is not aware of a lot of what he gets up to. Her daughter on the other hand, Gavin's slightly younger twin, well Gavin and Ashley couldn't be any different from each other if they tried.

Thing is too, Gavin and Ashley are more alike than either could possibly know, and in a way, this was the day they would kinda find that out to some degree or other. Anyhow, for now, Gavin indeed is about to skip school to spend some time with Mike. Ash knows, in some way, what her brother plans for the day though mum does not. Sis is not going to rat her brother out ...

The school bus had pulled up before Gavin and Mike could depart. Gavin watches his sister for as long as he can see her. There is that feeling that something is wrong but for now, he leaves the feeling be, for he knows not of what it could mean, he knows not of what it is that indeed is not quite right.

The sight of the school bus also makes Mike feel not so good but for a totally different reason as he definitely does not want to be anywhere near school. Knowing he is going anywhere but school makes him happy. Gavin, well if mum finds out he is not going to school he will need to come up with some sort of plausible excuse for not going, ... right now he does not have to deal with that possibility.

Mike moves off a little too quickly and recklessly for mum's liking, but she is not Mike's mum to harass him in any way about it at another time, still she can let Gavin have it when he does come home.

Neither Mike nor Gavin look anywhere near old enough to purchase beer, because they aren't old enough, their looks indeed won't let them get away with doing that though Mike has contacts and has already acquired the beer so fake ID's or anything of the likes are something not to be worried about.

A spot to relax and drink by is found, a lengthy wall just off a little from the beach is where they sit. It's almost an out of the way spot so the two friends shouldn't really be bother out here. The sea is out, and the view is stunning. The day is not bad at all weatherwise, neither hot nor cold, a little windy and not much chance of their being rain. The car is not so far away if weather does change quickly.

The view, along with how Gavin has been feeling lately, detract him from noticing that Mike is not quite his usual self though Gavin eventually does gather that fact. Just how quiet Mike is, is what does it for Gavin. A first beer of the day for both boys is almost gone when Gavin does question Mike.

'Everything alright ...?'

'Huh ...?' Mike really is lost in himself, being snapped out of a thought trance by the question asked of him. 'Oh ... eh, to be honest Gav, ... no, things aren't right.'

Is there something to be worried about here? 'Why ... what's wrong?'

'I wanna get outta here bro ...'

'Then let's go, there are plenty of spots ...'

'No, not here as in right here ... I'm on about town, family ... I need to get away.'

'You're not in any trouble, are you?'

It wouldn't be overly surprising to Gavin if Mike had got himself into a spot of bother even with the fact he has never been in any kind of real bother before. His dad had caught him drinking before but there hasn't ever really been anything much worse than that before, well nothing Gavin might know about anyhow.

'No, no, nothing like that. It's just ... just ...'

'Just what Mike?'

'Ah, nothing, it's just how I feel, ya know? Need a fresh start kinda thing ...'

'You're too young for fresh starts Mike. You haven't done anything wrong, have you?'

'If I had, you'd be the first to know Gav.'

The day moves on and nothing else worthy of worry pops up other than the fact by early evening both boys are drunk. Not so drunk that they don't know where they are, or to be silly enough to go anywhere in the car, though enough to consider one or two things. Gavin is still close enough that home is within walking distance, but he can't go there. Yeah, he has had enough to drink that there is no chance of duping mum upon arriving home.

He'll have to chance going home the next day, and hope that explaining to mum of how he and Mike simply feel asleep would get him off the hook or at least the hook that matters. When Gavin does get home there is a problem.

Rita straight away went for her son when he did eventually come home, thumping him on his shoulders a number of times and on one shoulder after the other.

'Where have you been?' she shouted. 'You and your sister had me so worried,' Rita locked her son in a bear hug and began crying. 'Thank God you are alright.'

'Mum, what is going on?' he asked upon being released from that bear hug.

'Your sister, she's not with you? Where is she? Where is Ashley?'

'No mom, she's not with me ... I don't know where Ashley is. She's not home? ... I haven't seen her since yesterday morning.'

'Don't say that, please don't say that. Tell me you know where your sister is?'

'I'm not her keeper mom; I have no idea where she is'. It is only at this moment that Gavin realizes that he and his mum are not home alone. 'Who are all these people?'

All this, his sister missing and all that came with it, would eventually pass as days would also pass, days in which Gavin hasn't seen Mike. Apparently, no one else has seen him either. Only, what happened that afternoon hadn't happened at all due to the oddness that Gavin, Ashley, and mum too to a degree, experienced.

The oddness has settled but that doesn't change the fact that no one has seen Mike. Still, Mike had been troubled, hadn't he, and that most likely would not have changed whether or not the twins relived a day more than once. Where has Mike gone? And has he gone willingly? Surely not without in some way informing Gavin. Mike wouldn't just simply abandon his friendship with Gavin ... Gavin is sure of this.