Swapped by fate

Chapter 6

Stacy’s POV

The time on my phone flashed *3:45 p.m.* and still no response from Nami. She usually texts back quick, and disappearing for two whole days? Nah, this wasn’t like her at all. At first, I thought maybe she was just caught up with school or stuff at home, but now? Something was off.

I leaned against my locker, scrolling through our last texts. Everything seemed normal. The last one from her was the usual “See you tomorrow!” when we left school yesterday. But today? She never showed.

I’d already called her, like, ten times, but it went straight to voicemail every single time. I even checked her socials, but she hasn’t been active. That was the biggest red flag. Nami’s basically glued to her phone 24/7.

“Maybe she’s just chilling, taking a break,” I mumbled, trying to convince myself. But deep down, I knew something was wrong. Nami wouldn’t just ghost me. If something was going down at home with her stepdad, she would've hit me up.

I couldn’t wait anymore. I grabbed my backpack and decided to go to her place. If anyone knew what was up, it’d be her mom. Though just the thought of seeing her stepdad made me wanna gag.

---

When I got to Nami’s house, I hesitated at the gate. Her place always gave me bad vibes. It wasn’t just how run-down it looked, but the tension that just... lingered. I hated the way her stepdad treated her. The way he looked at her, like she was some kind of problem. But this time, I didn’t have a choice.

I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. Nothing. I rang it again, tapping my foot impatiently.

Finally, the door creaked open. Nami’s mom stood there, looking like she hadn’t slept in forever. Her eyes kinda darted around, and she just seemed... off.

“Stacy,” she said, her voice flat. “Why are you here?”

“Uh, I was just wondering if Nami’s home. She hasn’t been answering my texts or calls, and she didn’t show up to class today,” I said, trying not to sound as freaked out as I was.

Nami’s mom’s face tightened, and she avoided looking at me. “She’s not here.”

I frowned. “Do you know where she is? I mean, it’s been two days. She’s never just gone like this.”

There was this long, awkward silence before she finally spoke. “I don’t know. She... left.”

I blinked. “Left? Like, what do you mean *left*?”

Her mom started fidgeting, avoiding my gaze even more. “I don’t know where she went. She didn’t tell me anything either.”

That didn’t make sense. Nami wouldn’t just vanish like that, especially without telling me. I took a step closer. “Wait, are you saying she just disappeared? Her phone’s been off for days.”

“I... I don’t know, Stacy,” her mom stammered. “Maybe she needed some space. Things have been... tough here.”

The way she said it, and how she couldn’t look me in the eye, made my stomach twist. Something was seriously wrong.

“What about her stepdad?” I asked, my voice low. My heart was racing now.

Her mom flinched. That said it all. He was definitely involved somehow.

“He’s not here,” she mumbled. “But, Stacy, you need to leave. It’s not safe for you to keep asking about this.”

My blood ran cold. “What do you mean? Is Nami in danger?”

She finally looked at me, and her eyes were full of fear. “Stacy, please. If you care about Nami, just don’t get involved.”

That was it. I bolted. My heart was pounding, and my thoughts were all over the place. Nami was in trouble. I could feel it.

But there was no way I was just gonna sit around and do nothing. Someone had to know where she was. *Maybe Lara?*

---

As I walked away, I pulled out my phone and quickly called Lara. She picked up after a few rings.

“Hey, what’s up?” she answered.

“Lara, it’s Stacy. Have you heard from Nami lately?” I asked, trying to sound calm, but my voice was shaky.

“Nami? Nah, last time I saw her was after class yesterday. Why, what’s going on?”

“She’s missing. She hasn’t been home, her mom’s acting super weird, and her phone’s been off. I’m kinda freaking out,” I explained, my voice rising a bit.

There was a pause, and when Lara spoke again, she sounded serious. “That’s weird. Nami wouldn’t just dip like that. You think something happened?”

“I don’t know, but it feels wrong. And her mom was being super shady,” I said, my stomach knotting up again.

“Maybe she just needed to get away for a bit? You know how messed up things are with her stepdad,” Lara suggested.

I shook my head, even though she couldn’t see me. “No, she would’ve told me. This isn’t like her at all.”

Lara sighed. “Okay, I’ll ask around, see if anyone else has heard anything. We’ll figure it out.”

“Thanks, Lara,” I said, hanging up.

I stood there for a second, my mind racing. Nami was out there somewhere, and I had no clue where. But I wasn’t about to stop looking.

*Nami, I’m gonna find you. I swear.*