The Missing Puzzle: Incomplete Until You

lll

Wednesday Jan.12th 2005

Tyler hadn't been in school for days, and rumors swirled like a storm cloud overhead.

"Did you hear? They found his bike," a girl whispered, glancing furtively at Constance.

"Yeah, near the old park. No one knows where he is," another voice replied, the fear palpable.

Constance blurred them out and stared blankly at the desk where Tyler usually sat. But in that moment, she didn't just see the empty chair; she saw him. A warm smile spread across his face, a flicker of light in her dim reality.

"Open the gate," Tyler said, his words playful, his gap-toothed grin brightening her thoughts as he held his hands in a ball toward her.

Constance rolled her eyes playfully, a smile creeping onto her face despite the heaviness in her heart. She relished the moment; with all the kids whispering about him and avoiding her, it felt good to escape into her memories. So, she opened the gate in her mind, welcoming him back.

"Who do you hate?" Tyler asked, his tone teasing, just as the game went.

Constance mumbled, her voice barely a whisper. The weight of sadness choked her words, but Tyler acted as if he heard her, continuing the game as if everything was normal. "That's your date," he said, laughter bubbling from him, while Constance scrunched her nose at him, half-amused, half-annoyed.

"Real mature," she retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, so you want to sit in the library and read for free time today or what? I want to know what you do because you're a mysterious girl. And no one really hangs with you because I've asked everyone already, and they don't seem to speak about you," Tyler added, genuine curiosity evident in his eyes.

All Constance did was shake her head, feeling the weight of his words.

"Want to hang out with me and my clique then?" Tyler offered, his smile inviting.

But just as the warmth of his presence wrapped around her, a random girl tapped on Constance's shoulder, jolting her back to the harsh reality of the empty classroom.

"Hey, Constance, are you okay?" the girl asked, concern etched on her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Constance replied, forcing a smile. But the moment Tyler had vanished like a whisper in the wind, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

As the girl walked away, Constance felt the tears prick her eyes. She glanced at the clock again; time moved painfully slow. She wished she could remain lost in her thoughts, but reality beckoned her back to the haunting whispers of concern and confusion.

"Constance, have you heard anything about Tyler?" a friend asked, approaching her cautiously. The look in her eyes mirrored the unease shared by everyone at school.

"No," Constance replied sharply, raw emotion spilling out. "I don't know where he is, and I don't want to talk about it. The teacher already announced that he's missing-gosh, just leave it alone, please."

"Well, we're only asking because you seem to be the one he always walked away from us to hang out with," a random boy retorted, crossing his arms.

Constance knew he was right, and it stung. The truth was that she had never really called him a friend; she saw him as her best friend. But she wanted to keep that secret. She knew that since he was popular, others would start to find ways to keep her away from him-or him away from her.

The bell rang, jolting Constance from her thoughts. She stood up, pushing her chair in as she made her way out of the classroom. The hallway buzzed with the chatter of her classmates, but she felt detached, moving through the crowd like a ghost.