Call Me Later

Fifteen

'why werent you at school'
Sent April 2nd at 4:18 P.M

-

'you werent at school again today'
Sent April 2nd at 5:54 P.M

'i tried going over to your house,
but the doors and windows are all
locked and your parents arent home'
Sent April 2nd at 6:32 P.M

-

'lana where are you? wheres your
family?'
Sent April 6th at 11:41 A.M

'the teachers keep sending me weird
looks. no one knows whats going on'
Sent April 6th at 12:02 P.M

'i keep asking people if they know
where you're at, but they dont know'
Sent April 6th 12:03 P.M

____________________

It's been four days. Four days since Lana didn't show up at school for the first time in a long time. She rarely ever missed, she didn't get sick often and even if she had a cold she'd keep to herself.

The only time Miles could remember she missed a lot of school was when she got a sore throat when they were in the fourth grade. Of course Miles missed school too to take care of her, ultimately getting a sore throat himself, but they took care of each other.

He tried going to her house but all the doors were locked. All the cars were gone and no lights were on at all.

He was about to freak out, Lana was his friend and really his only true friend and he was so scared to lose her. It was ironic though, she lost him when he didn't talk to her and now he was losing her the same way.

Miles decided enough was enough, he grabs his coat since it's still cold outside, even if it's April, and makes his way over to her house. His heart his beating and he feels like he's gonna be sick, he's so scared.

He knocks on the door and expects no one to answer since there's no cars outside, but to his surprise the door opens and Miles sees Lana's mom in her bathrobe and pajama bottoms.

"Miles, I'm so sorry baby, it must be hard for you as well," she says and brings him into a hug even though he's a good foot taller than her.

"What, what do you mean Jane?" he asks as he parts from the hug.

Lana's mom, Jane, mouth opens then closes. She frowns and asks, "You don't know?" Miles nods his head, still confused. Jane grabs his hand and brings him inside shutting the door behind them.

"Let's go talk in the living room, Miles."

The house doesn't look any different than it did when he was a kid. The walls were still the light blue color they had always been, with the faded kiddy drawings at the bottom that Lana and him drew when they were four. The wood floors still shined even without the lights on, as if they were cleaned just before he came over, and the photos from over the years still hung on some of the walls.

When Jane and Miles made it to the living room, he saw Lana's dad Rick sitting on the couch wearing a dirty stained wife beater and plaid pajama pants. Usually Rick wore something more 'fancy' than plain ol' sleep wear, even when he wasn't going to work, it was always blue jeans and plaid button ups.

Rick looked up and smiled sadly at Miles. Jane sat down next to her husband and Miles sat directly opposite of them on one of the chairs in the room. "What's going on?" Miles immediately asked.

Rick raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak but Jane beat him to it. "Miles doesn't know what.. 'happened' Rick."

He looked at Miles for a while, just staring at the boy before he put his head in his hands with a sigh. Miles noticed how tired Jane looked and how stressed Rick was, but it still didn't answer the question as to where Lana was.