Mortified

Chapter 13

As I go to her room, I decide on what to say. However, before I even open the door I know something is wrong. She is not there in her room. What! Again, she has defiantly crossed her limits. I run to mom's room to see if she might be there but no. I wake up mom quickly and then call out to Dallas. He comes down quickly and sees me crying. I have already called Albert to know if she went back, but no...

Where could she be? Is she safe? Why did she leave again? My mother says that we should call the police but I stop her. I try to think of the possible places she could have gone but nothing. I look around for my car keys thinking I could find her walking on the street but realise that my car is not there. She has taken my car. This is just too much. I need to find her. I call Robert and tell him about everything and he says that he would be there first thing in the morning. What do we do till then? I won't be able to sleep.

I walk out of my house and go to Emily's house which is just 3 houses away from mine. I ring the bell and soon Emily is there. Her parents know that sometimes I come like this so they are used to it.

"What is it love?" I don't say anything and just hug her and start crying. No matter how close I get to Dallas or how close I am with my mother, there are somethings that I know only Emily will be able to understand and I can talk to her about it. She has always been there for me, no matter what. When I started having nightmares about my father or when Charlie was dying, she was there whenever I looked back. I have known her since we were 3 so we have our own secret language and jokes.

We stand like that for some time and then she we start walking back to my house as I tell her everything. She left a note on the kitchen counter and her room in case her parents came looking for her. We don't want another lost person.

Before I even open the door, Dallas comes from the front door.

"I found her. Come fast. Your mom gave her car keys." We sit in the car and he starts driving. I realise that he does not need a navigation because he has lived here too.

"When you went out, I got really concerned and started to think where my sister could have gone and then suddenly I realised something. Mia came into town a day early because there is a party held by her best friend and she would be crashing there tonight. Then tomorrow I would borrow your car and get her here. So trying to work a gut feeling I called her and told her if she could see Emily. I told her the description and she said she would call me. After about 5 minutes she called me and told me that she did find her and she was in a very bad drunk state. A boy was trying to take her to a room before she caught her. She is with her in the bathroom." By the time he finishes, we are in front of the house. The music is really loud.

I have never been to such a party before. Emily took me to one or two but not many. I run out of the car and ask around. There are four bathrooms and I find her in the second one. She looks really wasted, and is near the sink. She looks at me and then rolls her eyes at me. Emily has got water from somewhere and is trying to give it to her but Rose doesn't take it.

"What is wrong with you? Why are you here? Why are you acting so tough?" I try to scold her.

"I don't need to tell you anything, my step-sister." She says loudly and I am taken aback. She has never called me that because she is not supposed to know about it.

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