Side by Side

Chapter 5-Thomas' POV

Everything was a mess since the incident and the abduction. However, everyone tried to make us go back to normal. My dad was driving me to school. We were both silent. He turned the radio on, thankfully I would not have to go through yet again another endless conversation about how I felt about my sister missing. The truth is I didn't feel anything and I was scared to tell anyone. Everyone seemed to have expectations about what I was supposed to feel like, but in reality, I just felt empty. Of course, I knew she was in danger probably suffering, but we had not been close for a long time, so I felt like I would have felt for a stranger who had been kidnapped. I knew it was morally wrong but I could not change how I felt, I could lie about it though. I scrolled through the news on my phone. Of course, it was all about the abduction which had occurred in 20 places simultaneously in the world, they seemed to have disappeared from the earth's surface without a trace despite the search of all the best security institutions in the world. This and the fact that the UK was massively investing in hydrogen and electric technologies like all other countries to palliate the soon-to-be lack of usable oil and coal resources. Electric car prices were already booming, while there was a shortage of vital products as people feared they would be in need in the future. The government had promised that they would ensure that everyone will have access to vital goods, and most importantly education, so the school buses were still running with oil, while the government had kept its own oil supply for government functions. To keep the country running it had ensured a common transport system, banning single-car use and supply of oil while developing new technologies. So for now things were fairly normal. "In the end," my mother had said this morning "EarthRevolution did achieve what they wanted: a fast green revolution." We arrived at school and my dad still had not said a word. He had barely spoken in the past 48 hours too overwhelmed by the situation. I also knew he had not slept very much, due to anxiety and the lack of answers from the government. My mother had chosen to bury herself in work in the past two days and she was barely at home.

"Bye," I said to my dad, opening the door. He turned towards me.

"Bye, I love you" he said with a very faint smile before looking in front of him again, lost in his own thoughts. 50 people from the town had been taken, about 25 from high school, ultimately we all knew indirectly at least one person who had been a victim of the incident, nevertheless, I felt the weight of stares on me, watching for my every move and reaction since Naomy, my little sister and Alex one of my close friends had been missing. I was used to people's attention and enjoyed being at the centre of their conversation and gossip even if they knew nothing about me, but this was different and unpleasant. I spotted Grace waiting before the Great Hall, with her blond and long hair, looking around for me. I came behind her and enlaced my arms around her waist before kissing her on the neck.

"Hello, long time no see," I said joking around, she and I slept together last night. We live close by so I had walked to her house and sneaked in before coming back early this morning. She chuckled and kissed me on the lips. Jack and Blake came to meet us as well.

"I forgot how much it sucked to go to school by bus" complained Blake.

"Yeah, I guess that's life now before we have electric cars or something" suggested Jack, and then asked me "Still no news from your sister or Alex?"

"No" I said blankly "They've got nothing." Grace gently squeezed my hand to reassure me, but I didn't need any of that, I didn't even tell her how I truly felt about all of this and preferred not to talk about any of it. It wasn't going to improve the situation anyways.

"I don't believe they have no clue whatsoever, they can't just have disappeared in the wild," said Blake, and I just shrugged it off. "Anyways on a more positive note my parents are still not back from their business trip because of oil rationing and all that so we can still have the party at my house tonight" explained Blake enthusiastically "Maybe it will help us to focus on something else and they can bike to my place, walk or something."