Willow

Chapter 3

Driving to school this morning feels longer than normal. When I woke up this morning Willow was gone, almost like she was never there. I had ran downstairs, worried she just wandered around and ran into my mom, but when I reached the kitchen it was just my mom making breakfast like she did every morning. The only thing that made me know I hadn't made it all up in my head was the smashed joint sitting outside the window of my room, I buried it.

When I did finally get to school, the day dragged on so slowly. I couldn't seem to pay attention in my classes, and I couldn't find Willow anywhere. By the time lunch came around I was ready to just skip and figure out where she was, if she was okay.

"Dude, are you even listening to me?" I turned my head to Sam, my best friend since pre-k. I shook my head and he rolled his eyes. "I was trying to tell you about the soccer match coming up this weekend. It's supposed to be killer, these are our rivals so we really need to show them who's the best." We're on the soccer team together, we did most stuff together, it was comfortable.

"Yeah.." I trailed off. Looking to the table Willow always sat at, her seat was empty.

"What's going on, man? You've been out of it all day." There was no anger in his voice, only concern.

"I'm just tired, I was up late last night working on a project." I lied. There was no way I could tell him, not that he would believe me anyways.

"What project? We have all our classes together and we don't have any projects due." I should've thought of something else. Of course he knows my schedule just as well as I know his.

"Extra credit." I don't explain myself further, maybe he won't push. I know better.

"What class? You have an A in everything, why would you need extra credit? Is there something you're not telling me?" He was always nosey, I knew it was just because he cared but I couldn't help my reaction.

"Could you just drop it!" My voice was raised as I said it and I could feel eyes on me in the cafeteria. I tried not to look around but it was hard. I gathered my things up quickly and walked out without another word, leaving him staring at me probably wondering was was wrong with me.

I'm not sure what I was thinking when I walked out the front door of the school, I could here the receptionist yelling at me to come back. Before I knew it I was in my car, driving down towards the trailer home Willow took me to last night.

Her bike was gone when I got there and I couldn't bring myself to knock on the door, not after the encounter I had here last night. I made my way down the road and pulled my car off to the side, right next to the dip in the trees. I made my way through the woods, seemingly longer than it had been last night, and I held more fear walking in alone than with Willow leading the way. When I made it to the clearing I searched the area, hoping there was a chance she was here. She wasn't. I sat for a while along the edge of the cliff, maybe she would come here, maybe she would be happy I was here too.

It took me longer than it should have to realize that she wasn't coming. I checked my phone, realized that it was off, and when I turned it back on I not only saw that it was a quarter to six, but I also had about 10 missed calls from my mother. No doubt worried about where I was, I wonder if the receptionist at school called to say I ran out, or maybe coach called when I didn't show up to practice.

I decided it was time to leave and made my way back up to my car. When I was just out of the woods I heard a *snap* behind me. My head spun around and I could have sworn I saw movement.

"Willow?" My eyes were wide with hope as I awaited a response, but as I waited I looked around. No movement, and no more noise. If she was here, she either couldn't hear me or didn't want me to find her.