Survive 2

Chapter One

Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

November 7, 2022.

Andrey Butler's Point Of View.

I close my locker tightly discounting my anger and frustration at being in this shitty school.

I walk to the history room and enter it, already counting the minutes to leave, because I know that I won't be able to look at Alexander anymore without wanting to vomit.

I sit down next to David and Ryan, the same ones who just greet me and then say nothing more, because they know that I am not in the mood to talk, at least not right now, because my head is full of questions, the same ones that can not be answered at the moment.

I wonder where she is, what she is doing, if she is alone out there or if she is with someone and especially if she is okay after what she has been through.

It has been a week since she disappeared. It's been a week since we talked and she broke up with me. I wish things had been different. I wish she was here with me.

Flashback On: One week ago.

I stop in front of the door of her house and ring the bell. We need to talk, we can't end up like this. I said that in the heat of the moment and after I cooled off my head, I texted her asking where she was, since I heard that she left school early, but she didn't answer, so I had to wait until class was over to come to her house, since I couldn't leave early.

It's not that I don't trust her, it's that I can't stand to see her with him anymore. It is not nice to see your girlfriend with her ex, the same one that you believe still has feelings for her and that these feelings are not just friendship feelings.

I am attended by her mother, the same one who for some reason seems desperate.

"Hi Mrs. Stone. Is Madison here?" And as soon as I finish speaking she starts to cry, making me worry. "What happened?" I say, walking in uninvited and closing the door as she walks over to the living room couch and sits on it.

"She ran away." My heart speeds up when I hear this.

"What?!" She takes a sheet of paper and stretches it out for me, so I take it and start reading what is written on it.

Dear Mom,

I will probably be long gone by the time you read this, so please do not be sad or angry.

I am writing this because I think you deserve an explanation. I am leaving with the intention to calm my mind and try to process and come up with solutions for the things that have happened lately, some of which you have no idea happened.

I never imagined that one day I would be going through this, I never imagined that one day I would be feeling so weak and confused, so I need some time to think and decide what are the best attitudes for me to take.

So I just want to ask you to water Anthony's plants, because they were important to him, so they are important to me too.

I want you to know that by leaving my intention was never to disappoint you or anything like that, because you do not deserve that.

I love you and I am sorry for leaving you at a time that I know is hard for you as well.

Love, Madison.

(And by the way, I wanted to point out that I think your friends were wrong when they said that Royalty was better than Justice, because the Friday that Anthony died, I was harassed by my History teacher and today when I went to report him, the school principal took his side and tried to discourage me from seeking justice).

I look in shock at Mrs. Stone, the same one who has her head down while denying herself something.

"She was suffering and I didn't help her, because I was too busy working to try to forget about Richard."

"Don't blame yourself, from what she wrote, she's not disappointed in you," I sit down next to her and hug her from the side as I process the last paragraph I read.

"She was harassed Andrey," she says indignantly and I agree. "Who is this teacher?"

"It's Alexander." I say and stand up again. "I always suspected him and warned her to be careful, but apparently he must have taken advantage of the fragile moment she was going through," I say overflowing with anger at the thought of that criminal touching her without her permission.

I feel the guilt hit me when I remember what happened that very day. She called me because she needed me and what she got was the assumption of a betrayal and then she lost the guy she considered her father. She was suffering more than we could imagine and I was not there to support her.

"Where is her father? Isn't he a lawyer? I know you may have split up, but..." she interrupts me, in a serious but not rude way.

"Since the day we split up he never showed up again. I only saw him in his office today when I went to talk about the divorce after I dropped her off at school. I don't even know if he even knows about the Anthony's accident, " she says and I see how Mad was more than right when she said he was selfish.

"I go to school. Today the principal and the teacher are staying late so they can plan the week's activities and content. I'm going to beat the crap out of him and that principal who didn't do anything," I say as I start walking toward the door and she denies it.

"No, Andrey. We have enough problems already," she stops in front of me. "Please stay here and don't do anything stupid when you go to school," she says.

"No, look what he did! He has to pay for it!" I go to make my way to the door, but she stops me again.

"We need to take it easy. Let's go to the police station first, ask them to look for her, because she's not well and I'm afraid of what might happen, and when they find her and she's okay, we will seek justice." She speaks and I remain silent. "Are we agreed, Andrey?" I snort.

"We are. But I won't be able to look that guy in the face without wanting to punch him."

"Don't do anything and don't tell anyone about this. We will think about that later, but right now our priority is to find her," and even though I don't agree with doing nothing right now, I give up on walking out that door.

"Okay."

"Great. Now I will get my purse and we will go to the police station." and I agree, so she turns away and runs up the stairs.

Flashback Off.

"The teacher didn't come today!" I wake up from my thoughts with Carlos, a fellow member of the soccer team, communicating the class excitedly.

At least one piece of good news.

"I heard that he has been missing since Tuesday. I wonder why he is missing?" Ryan comments and I look at him surprised, because since last week, I have been doing what I can to make sure that I don't see that disgusting being.

Today, if he had come, would be the first time I have seen him since last Monday and I really don't know if I could keep the deal I made with Mrs. Stone.

"This is strange. He doesn't miss a day, let alone a week," David says and I prefer not to comment on anything lest I stress myself out and end up saying what I shouldn't.

Was the teacher fired? But why would the principal do that? If, according to Mad, when she went to talk to him, he tried to discourage her from seeking justice and.. But maybe he repented and took action, right? Which I think is very difficult to have happened.

I don't know what happened, but I will find out.