An Old Friend

Chapter 9

I couldn't believe it, my body went numb.

Where could he be?

When I looked back at Mike he had a worried expression on his face as well, which you never see on Mike. Class went on and then I felt a piece of paper hit my foot. I picked it up and uncrumpled it to read it. I made sure Mr. Roberts didn't see me. It said:

"Lizzie, do you know why Billie Joe's not here today? I haven't seen him since yesterday morning. And he usually tells me when he's gonna miss school. -Mike"

So Mike didn't know either, well shit. I wrote on the back of the piece of paper:

No, Mike, I don't know where he is. I stopped by his house this morning and his mom said that he left the house last night and never came back. He said he was going over to your house. Look, I'm worried too. Class gets out in 5 minutes, I'll you more then. -Liz"

I waited til the teacher wasn't looking, and then I threw the paper back to Mike. There were a few remarks like, "Ooh, get it Mikey," around us, but I just rolled my eyes. I looked back at Mike after I gave him a minute to read the note, he nodded slightly as if to say, "Alright."

Three...Two...One...RIIIING!

Thank god! I stood outside the classroom waiting for Mike to walk by. And when he did I grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him towards me. When I did I could see through his shirt that he had abs.

Holy crap...

Then he faced me and his eyes turns from surprised to sorrow. He took a step forward and hugged me for who-knows-what reason. When he let go he said, "I can't believe he's missing."

"Yeah, me neither."

"I mean, just...why? Where could he be?"

"Who knows, but we're gonna find out." I grabbed his hand and we ran to the back of the school blending in with the passing students. It was all a blur to me because I was crying in the midst of it all. I couldn't help but think I drove Billie away. But why? Was I too distracting. Did he not want to break my heart by telling me he didn't have feelings for me so he ran away? I couldn't do this to myself. But I did have to find him.

We reached the gates behind the football field and we climed over. It turned out Mike had a car, a beat up one, but it did it's job. I climed in the passenger seat and he got behind the wheel. I immediately started crying again. There was no more holding back the tears.

"Lizzie, we're gonna find him, don't worry."

"It's not just that, Mike, I don't know why, but this reminds me of the night my mom died."

"I-I'm so sorry."

"No, no it's not your fault, but thanks." I forced a smile at him. I could tell he cared.

"Well, do you have any ideas of whee he could be?" he asked after getting on the road. I shuffled through my mind to see if I could find any clues that Billie gave to me that he was going to leave. And then I thought of "Going to Pasalaqua."

"You and I together hand-in-hand we run away. Far away..."

"Um, Mike? I think he ran away."

"What?"

"But just somewhere to clear his head. About everything. In one of the new songs he wrote about running away with someone, someone he cared about."

"He means you," Mike said all of a sudden. "He said he going to write a song about you. He hadn't showed me it yet though, but I guess you beat me to it." I knew it. I knew it!!! He wrote a song for me! He did have feelings for me! But why did he have to go missing just when things were starting to look up for me?

"Wow, that's so sweet. I kinda suspected it though," we both laughed out loud. I was starting to think that laughter was all we had left to cheer us up. I couldn't help but see a bit of jealousy in his eyes when I talked about Billie Joe in "that" way.

Just when Mike was starting to tell me ideas for how him and Billie were going to find their "special" drummer when it hit me.

"The tracks."

"Uh, what?" Mike said.

"The train tracks Mike!! Where me and Billie used to go when we were little to escape all the crap at home! We have to go there now!"

"Ok where are they?"

"Christie Road."

Sorry if that was a boring chapter but it's this story's about to get insane!!! Mike is now in the picture! And btw, thank you all for your feedback and votes. I really appreciate it and it motivates me to keep writing! Love you all!