Shawn's Melachonly

Chapter 4: The Unfathomable Twist

So, there I was, suddenly feeling like time was this precious liquid slipping through my fingers. I decided, "You know what? I'm going to live like there's no tomorrow." Call it being on a mission, whatever – I was ready to squeeze every last drop out of life.

Ignore the symptoms? Check. The whole shaking, feeling weak, getting dizzy thing? Brushed it off. She slapped on a smile that could win an Oscar, especially when Mom was around. She'd give me this look, you know, all worried and stuff. "You okay?" she'd ask. "Just tired, Mom," I'd say, but man, she wasn't buying it. Moms have this sixth sense or something.

Then there's Tim, my little bro. He's not dumb; he could tell something was off. But he kept quiet, probably thinking I was going through some teenage angst phase.

Acting like everything's cool when it's not? Yeah, it's more challenging than it sounds.

Every morning, without fail, I'd hit the pavement running. I jogged to school, weaving through traffic like I was some urban ninja. Pushing my body, feeling that rush – it was a thrill, in an "am-I-crazy?" way.

But, man, there was this vast, annoying hole in the whole thing – Candice. She'd gone radio silent. No texts, no calls, nada. Every single time my phone buzzed, my heart would do this stupid little jump, thinking maybe, just maybe, it was her. But no, always someone else.

It was like waiting for a message in a bottle that wouldn't appear.

So, day three rolls around, and it's just another morning, right? I'm there, munching on my cereal, half-listening to the news, when bam – I hear it. "Local teen Candice Lawson reported missing." My spoon crashed to the floor. Missing? Candice? I swear, it was like someone flipped a switch, and the room started spinning.

Am I walking to school that day? I felt like I was dragging my feet through thick, sticky molasses. Everywhere I looked, people were giving me these weird stares, whispering to each other. Eldridge is this little place where nothing big ever happens, and now, suddenly, we're smack dab in the middle of a real-life drama. And because everyone and their grandma knows Candice and I are tight, I was like this walking, talking headline.

Man, it felt surreal, like I'd stumbled into some twisted alternate reality where everything was off-kilter.

When I hit the school gate, Jared was on me like white rice. His face was all scrunched up with worry, like he was carrying the world's weight. "Dude, you heard about Candice?" he asked, his voice so low it was practically a whisper.

All I could do was nod. My throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton. No words were coming out. How do you even start to unpack the tornado of feelings swirling inside? Fear, confusion, and this gnawing, nagging guilt. Yeah, guilt. Because there's this little voice in your head whispers, "Hey, maybe if you'd been around, she wouldn't be missing."

It's like you're drowning in a sea of what-ifs and maybes, and there's no lifeguard in sight.

Alright, so ninth period rolls around, and I'm just trying to keep it together, you know? But then, bam – I spot Principal Evans, and he's chatting with a couple of cops. And it's not just a friendly "how's your day" chat. They look serious.

And the kicker? They keep throwing these glances my way. My heart kicked into overdrive, and I swear, I could feel this cold sweat starting. No freaking way. They couldn't possibly think... what? That I had something to do with Candice's disappearance?

It was like suddenly finding yourself in the middle of a crime show. But this time, there was no popcorn or comfy couch. Just a whole lot of "What the heck is going on?"

So there I was, still trying to wrap my head around the whole cop situation, when bam – those officers just strolled into the classroom. And guess who Principal Evans points to? Yup, yours truly.

"Shawn Foster?" one of the cops asks, all stern and official-like.

Boom. The entire class goes dead silent. You could've heard a pin drop. Suddenly, every pair of eyes in the room is locked on me. I felt like a bug under a microscope, with everyone just waiting to see what I'd do next.

"You need to come with us. You're a person of interest in the disappearance of Candice Lawson."

That's what the cop said, and just like that, my world came crashing down. Around me, the classroom erupted into a chorus of whispers. It was like being in the centre of a storm. I stood up, feeling numb, as the cops led me out of there. Principal Evans was watching the whole thing with this frown, the kind that screamed, "I never saw this coming from you."

Each step felt heavy like I was walking through quicksand. It was a nightmare, but I wasn't waking up.

Were they being pegged as having a hand in Candice's disappearance? Man, it felt like some sick, twisted joke. But one look at those officers' faces, and it was clear – no one was laughing. Their expressions were all businesslike. They'd slapped a big, fat "SUSPECT" sticker on my forehead.

Do you know how life sometimes throws you curveballs? Well, this felt like a full-blown meteor, hurling straight at my world that was already falling to pieces. It was like being in a bad movie, except there were no popcorn breaks or blooper reels. It's just me stuck in this unreal situation.