Ripped and Stitched

32: The Deep End

There was not much news on Alison when they got back. Other than that Julia, Max, and Brady were all grounded for scaring everyone like that. Apparently their parents had all been worried sick. When everything had calmed down, they snuck out and met up at their old hangout spot behind the skatepark to talk.

"Did you hear the police dropped the investigation," Max murmured.

"What's the reason?" Brady asked.

"My dad said the cops don't believe she's missing," Max said as he stared at the park.

"What do they think happened?" Julia questioned.

"Apparently Alison's jewelry box is also missing," Max explained. "The cops think that because there was no sign of forced entry, maybe she ran away with it. Apparently there was enough jewelry to make a good amount of money with it."

"So she really ran away?" Julia said with uncertainty.

"I don't know, Julia," Max said. "But I would rather her run away of her own free will than the alternative."

They were all in agreement about that. It grew silent between all of them. No one really had anything to say.

"Brady, I want to apologize to you," Julia blurted out, breaking the awkward silence.

Brady held up a hand to stop her. "Let's just move on, okay? It was a dumb rumor and I would rather not delve back into the past."

Julia looked hurt, she mumbled something else but then dropped it.

"Dude, she wants to make up with you," Max said quietly. "Let her."

Brady looked over at Julia. "I'm sorry. I just have little interest in dating right now."

Julia nodded, although she looked pained about it. "Friends?"

"We can all be friends," Brady said finally.

"One condition," Max said.

"Name it," Brady replied.

"Why would Alison run away?" he asked.

It would always come back to Alison, at least for Max that was true.

Brady sighed. "I don't know, maybe because she always said she would."

Max looked up, clearly started by the admission.

"Since when?" he asked.

"Since forever, I guess," Brady said sheepishly.

Max looked upset by that. Brady felt bad.

"It's not something you can fix Max. No matter how bad you want to," Brady tried to explain. "You're not enough for her, you're not what she needs right now."

That was not something Max wanted to hear.

He stood up angrily. Brady watched him pace.

"You're right, I'm not enough," Max finally said. "But the three of us are. Please, Brady, if you know where she is..."

"I don't," Brady said exasperatedly.

Julia could sense the ensuing fight, after barely a day of peace, she tried to think of something to change the subject.

"School's starting tomorrow," Julia said softly.

Brady and Max both turned and looked at Julia with strange expressions on their faces.

"What does that have to do with Alison?" Max asked.

"Nothing," Julia said. "But look, we can keep looking for her, we can try okay? But for now we all have to go to orientation."