The Jock Neighbor

Chapter 19

TW: MENTIONS OF SUICIDE

Luke's POV

I wake up that morning after our little activity last night, a soft smile on my lips as my eyes slowly open. My arm searches for Briar but finds nothing but empty sheets. Confused, I turn my head to where she should be only to see that her side of the bed is empty and her things are gone. Maybe she left so that she wouldn't get in trouble with her dad, I think to myself. But then why wouldn't she say goodbye to me? Maybe she was rushing. 

With that I decide to get up, take a quick shower and get dressed for the day. It's getting warmer outside so I decide on a pair of black straight leg jeans and a white v-neck t-shirt. My hair is tousled and wet after the shower, I'm sure Briar will enjoy that. 

I walk out of the house, my mom having been gone for a few hours for a morning shift. I turn my head to look at Briar's parking spot to see it empty. Hm, she already left for school, good. I quickly hop in my car and head to school in hopes of seeing Briar before classes. 

When I arrive I walk briskly into the school, but something feels off. For starters, I don't see Briar anywhere and I also notice that her friends are talking quickly in a hushed tone. What's going on? I make my decision and walk over to them. 

When I stop in front of them they halt their discussion and look up at me with worry in their eyes. "Where is Briar?"

Their eyes shoot to each other's before looking at me. "Well, we don't know. I'm only telling you this because you're her boyfriend, but when she was here and she saw us, she ducked away from us and mumbled something about needing to be somewhere. Her eyes were red and swollen and it looked like she was about to cry." I recognize that Stacey is the one that told me this. 

My eyes widen. "What? Do you know why?" My hear starts beating a million miles a minute. Did I do something wrong? Is she mad at me? Did someone do something to her?

"We don't know." This time it's Lucy that speaks, her eyes cast down to the floor as she clutches her books to her chest. "She's never been like this. Not since..." Her voice trails off leaving me curious. 

The other two look at her as she says that; as if she was caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. 

"Since what?" 

"You would have to ask her, it's not my place." Lucy shakes her head. 

"What direction did she go in?" 

They all nod their heads behind me. I whip my body around and book it toward wherever Briar could be. Please baby. I search frantically causing curious glances from people in the hall. I'm about to give up when I hear sobbing coming from the gender neutral bathroom. That voice. Briar. 

I walk up to the door and quickly pound on the door. "Briar, princess open up." 

The sobbing stops followed by a few sniffles, but no response. 

"Baby please," the plea slips from my throat without warning. "Open the door. It's me."

There is a moment of stillness in the air as I wait for her to open the door, and after a few more seconds, she does. Her hair is covering her face as it's cast down towards the floor.

"Please look at me." Not seeing or knowing what's bothering her is killing me. 

She shakes her head slowly. 

"Briar I want to help you, please open up to me." I don't touch her, not wanting to scare her off. 

She hesitates again before slowly looking up at me. My heart rips into pieces at her face. Tears streak her cheeks, her eyes red from crying and being rubbed raw, her eyelids swollen from exertion. I snap and immediately grab her gently before guiding her into the bathroom again, my face stone straight as I close the door behind us. I turn towards her, my face emotionless. "Who was it?"