The Whisper Seekers

Boy Crazy

I try and push all thoughts of Liam aside as I march straight to class. I remember the girl that was in the hall with Ian when I see her sitting at her desk as I walk in. We have assigned seats in this class, so I can't move any closer to her. She sees me staring at her and I quickly look away.

Since I want to push Liam's weirdness from my mind, I spend all class listening to her. She is focused almost all period writing sentences in French in her notebook and I notice she is much better at it than I am. It isn't until there are a few minutes left in class that she thinks anything interesting.

I'll have to hurry when I take Ian to the store so I can come back and finish my history report. I'll have to finish it then since I won't have time to do it tonight. We need to figure out how we'll meet up after we are done with the first classrooms before the school gets locked down. We also need a way out to avoid the police. No one can know it's us.

After the first classrooms? And they are doing all this anonymously? Maybe they aren't going to hurt anyone, just scare them. I can't be mad at Liam when I have to tell him about what I just heard. I panic as I try and think of anything we can do to prevent this.  Maybe I can tell Liam that we can write a letter to tell someone about what's going to happen? Even though I have no specifics or proof. We just have to somehow stop it from playing out. And if we are going to do that, then Liam and I need to stop the love/hate relationship we have playing out and focus.

I frantically search for Liam in the common area after class ends. He won't answer my phone calls or texts and I have no idea what his lunch plans were today. I run to the parking lot to see if his car is still there and I see it pulling out of the lot. I whip out my phone to try calling him again and now it goes straight to voicemail. What is going on?

"Ellie!" I hear my name and flip around to see Lily and Harper walking with Derek and Mike. "Come to lunch with us! We are going to that new pizza place!" Harper tells me and I realize it will look weird if I don't go, so I follow them to Derek's Jeep. Derek still hasn't said a word to me and I'm not going to be the first one to say anything.

"Did you see where Liam went for lunch?" Harper asks as we leave the parking lot. She must have noticed his missing car. "I don't know," I answer and for once it's the truth.

◆◆◆

After lunch, we sit at our table completely stuffed with pizza talking about our weekend plans. Harper wants Liam to make up their date but Derek refuses to do a double date now. He's finally warmed back up to me and has tried to grab my hand all through lunch. I keep pulling it away and it's making him even more determined.

"How about we take out my dad's boat?" Derek suggests to the group, "I could see if Brandon will take us out?" Brandon is Derek's older brother who is the complete opposite of Derek. Brandon barely passed high school and got kicked out of college for not showing up to any of his classes. He parties all the time and hangs out with the sketchiest group of people I have ever seen.

"Is that even a good idea? Will Brandon even be sober enough to drive a boat?" I ask. Derek pulls out his phone and a few seconds later he is making plans with Brandon for tomorrow. It doesn't take much begging and he agrees to meet us at Derek's house at noon the following morning. He hangs up after finalizing the plan and looks at us.

"Okay, it's all set. I'll tell Aaron about it tonight after the game. Oh and Harper, NO inviting Liam." He tells her sharply which causes Harper to immediately become defensive.

"What? Why not? Don't be stupid Derek."

"It's my boat and I say who can come on it," Derek immaturely replies. Harper throws the last of her pizza down and I am surprised that she doesn't flip the table.

"Fine, then I'm not going. Have fun without me." She looks to Lily and me, wanting us to defend her. Now I don't want to go.

"Um, I made plans this weekend with my mom and I let her down last weekend, so you can count me out," I say to the table. I would rather see Liam and sort things out than be with Derek on a boat.

"Can I invite Adam?" Lily asks and Derek shrugs. Lily grabs my hand and now begs me to come. "Please, I really want to hang out with him and this is the perfect opportunity, Ellie! Please, please!" I roll my eyes and Derek slaps his hand on the table.

"Why wouldn't you go? I'm sure your mom will understand. I'll even call her and ask." I put my hands palm up and shrug. Why do me and my friends have to be so boy crazy?

"Okay, I guess I'll be there." I finally give in and Derek calms back down. The last thing I need is Derek calling my mom. Although that doesn't bother me as much as not knowing how I am going to tell Liam that I am going to hang out with Derek all day. But as of right now, he doesn't seem like he cares.

When we get back to school, I notice Liam's car is still missing. I don't bother texting him because at this point, he needs to text me. I still check my phone every twenty seconds during trig, but I don't know why I bother since the screen is still blank with no new calls or messages.

After class, I rush out to the parking lot but still no sign of him. I make my way to my car relieved that the football game tonight is an away game so I don't have to cheer or deal with Derek.  I sit in the parking lot debating whether or not to just drive over to Liam's and confront his odd absence or drive straight home and dwell over it with a tub of Ben and Jerry's ice cream and romantic comedies.

I decide to go left out of the lot and make the short drive home. I have never chased after a boy and today is not the day to start.