"My father!?" I yelled with excitement, standing up with joy.
Elton slapped the tag on the table. "Sit down boy!" And like a snap. I sat. "Yes. Johnathan Slayer was a very good friend of mine back in the day." He got up, picking up the tray of empty tea cups and taking them to the kitchen.
"What do you mean was?" Justin asked. "Is he dead?"
The old man chuckled. "Oh no. Not at all. Far from it." I did a happy dance mentally inside my body.
"Before long. Your father was a great man, when you were born, he changed. He tried being the best father he could be. A week before he got drafted he came to my shop. Asking for a tag with your name and birth date on it. I made it for him, no charge." Elton spoke as he slowly say back down into his seat. "About a month ago from today. That's when I had a stroke. When I woke up I couldn't see anything." He stares forward.
I was so intrigued in the story. "So he was drafted? Like in the marines?"
The man nods his head. "He has been to Afghanistan. But didn't come back."
"What?" I said worried.
"In one piece at least." He said with a meaningful sign.
I get up with Justin "do you know where I can find him?" I asked.
You'll never find him~~
Even if you tried~~
My heart pounds as I ignore the voices. Elton thinks for a few moments and shakes his head. "I haven't seen or have heard from him over 16 years my boy. I'm sorry." I sigh frustratingly, leaving the house without another word. Justin thanks the man and follows me.
*
"Justin what am I go to do." I walk through the school halls with him. He carried his books in one hand and in the other he was texting.
He glances at me then back at his phone. "Are you still talking about the father thing?"
"I've been looking for 2 weeks and I haven't gotten even close!" I said. We stopped by Justin's locker, he opens it and places his books in. I slammed my forehead onto the locker next to his. "I am so close to giving up."
He just shakes his head as he grabs his binder, closing his locker. "You are being so dramatic. Don't stress about it to much. Your gonna hurt yourself." He flicks my nose and smiles. "C'mon were gonna be late to biology."
I looked at him and rubbed my nose. Following him in the class we sat next to each other near the back windows.
"Morning class."
"Good morning Mr. Gibson." The class says in unison.
"Say hello to Nickolai Dexter. He is our exchange student from Italy. Please make him feel welcome." The teacher smiles and guides him to an empty table for him, next to us.
Nickolai looks like he is not even Italian. He has a reddish color of hair and blue eyes. He wore a leather jacket over a plan yellow tee shirt. He looks like he belong in a motorcycle gang if you ask me.
Justin just stared at him, as did I. Once nick turns his head, we turned our heads away, pretending we were taking notes the whole time.
Nick looks down at our legs. Mine were stiff as one foot rested on the stool. Justin's legs were crossed, the right over the left.
As the bell rang. Justin stayed after to finish writing down the notes he didn't get. I stayed behind him helping. Nick then comes up to us and smiles warmly. "Hey."
I look up from my phone. "Hi?" I said.
"Are you guys...."
Justin then stiffens up. But doesn't say a word and continues to write.
"Are we what?" I asked with confusion. "If you are asking if we are related, no we are not even close." I laughed. Elbowing Justin as he starts putting away his stuff. Then dashing out of the room. "Justin?" I yelled after, grabbing my bag and following him. "Hey. What's wrong?"
We walked side by side. "Nothing. Nothings wrong." He tried not making eye contact with me.
I was more confused than ever. He has never acted this way. But I didn't question it anymore. "So hey Dalilah, and Charles took Payton to her national tennis match in California for a whole week. Wondering if you wanted to come over and we can pla-"
"I can't. I have to stay home and work on homework. And take care of my.... Cat." Justin stuttered as he walked to his next class.
I smiled "you don't even have a cat." I laughed. But after that Justin out-walked me and left me in my dust. "Was it something I said?" I yelled.
*
Justin hasn't been to school lately. It has been 4 days since I've seen him.
I got home after another lonely day at school. I fed my dog Axel before placing my bag onto the dinning table. I turned on the TV to the music channel. It was just basically a normal day home alone.
I come downstairs in my black plaid boxers and a Avengers tee shirt. Plugging in the vacuum I stared going around the livingroom. Axel will attack the vacuum every time I get close to him.
After that, I'd clean the kitchen, doing dishes, cleaning the counters. Then I'd do the laundry.
I then get to the part where I work on my homework. I sit at the dinning table pulling out my books and papers. Writing down answers to the problems. I then check my phone. It ended up that it was dead ever since Friday. That was 4 days ago.
I got upstairs and come back down with my charger. Plugging in my phone. Once it powered on I had over 38 messages and 19 missed calls from Justin. There was no voice mails, just missed calls. The messages didn't say much but call me and text me.
Ding Dong.
I woke up with a piece of paper stuck to my face. Aperently I've been drooling to. I checked the clock and it was almost midnight. I yawned and cleaned up my school stuff. About to walk up the stairs but then...
Ding Dong Ding Dong.
I forgot I heard the door go off. I was confused. Who would come to my house at 12 o clock? I drop my stuff on the floor then walk to the door. Opening it slowly.
There stood Justin. His hair was cut super short, shorter than it was. He had cuts, scars, bruises every where on his face and arms. Along with a bloody nose and a black eye. "H-Help... M-M-Me...." Justin cried weakly.
