Lilac

Chapter four - rage

It had been a week since the party, it had also been a week since I last heard from Gab. This was strange because we were normally together daily. At first I had decided to just leave her be as I know sometimes she will go missing for a day or two when her and Jaxon hook up just to be found later in his bed unharmed. But this time things were different, on the second day I began to worry, now we were a week in and I was worried sick.

I had tried to contact her countless times through every app I have including Roblox. Not to mention the hundreds of times her mom had called her. Today we decided to put a missing persons report out, why we hadn't done it sooner I have no idea. I was hoping the report would give me some kind of hope but no, I was still worrying. I had decided to take a night out on the town to cure my worries, by town I mean Main Street as I lived in a small town. Many people my age though would spend their time here seeing as there was a small theatre and a bar that never seemed to actually card people. I instead would spend my time at a small library reading my favorite romance novel. I may not seem like it but I am indeed a hopeless romantic.

After a couple hours secluded in the back of the library I decided I should head home before my mom returns. She would spend many nights away working while my dad would simply disappear for days on a drinking binge and wind up passed out on the couch, this happens to be one of those binge times. As I was walking up the sidewalk towards my car a group of slightly drunk grown men began to cat call me. I wasn't bothered by it as I was near a bar and this has happened before on multiple occasions, more than I'd like to talk of. That was until they began to follow me,  drunkenly stalking me as I walked faster and faster trying my hardest to get as far away as possible.

My efforts would fall short though as a felt a hand cuff my wrist and turn me around with an unexpected quickness. "Where are you running off to beautiful" the tall man with a salt and pepper beard asked slightly slurring. I responded with an unamused "home, it's a school night" trying to hint that I'm a minor and couldn't sleep with them even if I wanted, which I definitely did not.

He certainly did not take the hint though. As I tried to turn again to continue walking he tightened his grip on my wrists surely leaving bruises. I hissed at the pain and tried to pull away from him but my efforts fell short. "I think mommy can wait a little longer huh" he said to me with a smirk. As I was about to start kicking and screaming as a last resort a deep voice chimes in from behind the man. "Let her go" the stranger demands sounding annoyed. The man gripping me replies with a chuckle "get lost kid, don't be a hero". Suddenly the man is off of me with a quickness and now lying on the floor holding his head in his hands.

As I go to thank the stranger I suddenly recognize him, Haze Reynolds, in all his glory. "Jesus Jones what are you doing here" he says completely ignoring the fact he just laid out a grown man. "Oh just waiting to get kidnapped by drunk old men, I was at the library haze" I retort already aggravated. He smiles at that as if it's entertaining "what's so funny" I say. "Well ms jones I just saved your ass and you're mad at me" he says smiling even wider. As much I hate to admit when I'm wrong, for once in his pitiful life he was right about that, I should be thanking him.

"Yea you're right, thanks that could've been bad" I say, at this point the older man had gotten up and stumbled away without us even realizing, leaving us to have a weirdly genuine conversation on apologies. "No worries, hey why don't I drive you home I'm passing by your neighborhood anyway" did haze really offer me a ride, "no thanks I drove here" I say appreciatively. "Oh right, ok well I'll see you around jones, be safe, and maybe invest in some pepper spray" he chuckles at the last part, a simple chuckle but for some reason it gave me butterflies, ew. "Yea yea haze, see you around".

After this I simply drove home very much ready to sleep. Except when I'd arrived as I walked in both my mom and dad were home sitting on the couch. My mom was crying which was odd because she was the strongest person I know. As I went to ask what was wrong my dad asked me to sit. As I sat I'd had no idea when I'd get up my whole life would be changed, everything I'd known for years would be gone. When I made eye contact with my mom I knew something was entirely wrong, more than before. That's when she began to speak.

"Lilac, It's about Gabrielle".

Please no.