Find Me

5 • Kidnapping

I follow Laura down the road, being extremely cautious of my surroundings. Her long strides tell me that she is still extremely angry, as does her pulled back shoulders. I bite my lip as I think about the conversation with the officer. He didn't seem the least bit concerned about this whole thing, which rubs me the wrong way.

But, I can see that he's probably thinking the same thing I was before about this just being a cruel prank. Laura is the only one who doesn't seem to think so.

"Laura, wait up!" I call for around the fifth time. Only this time she stops and impatiently waits for me, tapping her foot against the cracked pavement.

I run up to where she's standing, my chest heaving for breath. She doesn't say anything, barely even acknowledges that I'm even beside her. Laura starts to speed-walk again, and I can barely keep up with her. I guess her being on the track team makes it easy for her, as opposed to me, the girl who sits in a library all morning and who couldn't care less for sports.

After a few minutes of walking, Laura finally breaks the deafening silence that I so desperately wanted to escape from. "I'm going to figure out who's doing this Mel. I don't care if the police aren't going to do anything."

I bite my lip, suddenly worrying for her safety. Who knows what the man could do if she is trying to figure out who he is. "Are you sure you should be doing that?" I ask uncertainly.

Laura's eyebrows furrow. "Why not? The police aren't going to do anything to help and you really don't deserve this kind of stress."

I don't know how exactly to respond. She'll think I'm being paranoid if I say what I really think about the situation. Instead of arguing, I stay silent. If she wants to investigate then there will be no stopping her. Laura's kind of annoying like that.

"Hey," Laura's face softens when she notices that I'm not paying attention. "It's going to be alright, okay?"

"Yeah," I say, more for the sake of her to stop bugging me about it. "Just be careful; don't do anything stupid, okay?"

"When have I ever done something stupid?" Our faces break out into smiles at Laura's comment. I can think of a million things to answer her question, but I leave it alone. She'll be fine. I know she will. Laura can get out of almost anything if she gets in over her head. I've learned that about her.

The one time, she wormed out of getting detention from not finishing homework by saying her dad accidentally threw her paper away. I found it incredibly idiotic that they would believe her, considering the story, in my opinion, sounded made-up (which it was). The teachers all love her anyway, so I guess they decided to let it slide.

I see the old three-foot high fence that surrounds my home a little ways down the road and I stop in my tracks. I don't want to leave Laura alone, considering that I disobeyed what the man said earlier today, but I know that I will have to leave her sometime. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

She nods, smiling, "Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."