She's Gone and I'm Lost

15 | the weather delay

dedicated to my mum because she always votes for my chapters even if they're horrible. thanks, mum

15 | the weather delay

January 1st | 1:01 pm

I watched as Isaac pulled a set of keys from the front pocket of his jeans. He looked at me, gave a small smile, and then unlocked the door in front of us. I don't know what I was expecting. I guess I thought that Naomi, Marleen, and Will would still be sitting in the same positions they were in when I left. But, for some reason, they weren't. The peace- well, more like silence- that was there when I left was nonexistent.

The first thing I noticed was the yelling. Two voices, screaming back and forth at each other. 

"You can't just say things like that!" Will shouted at Naomi. He looked absolutely livid. Will was no longer sitting, opting to stand as he had what I assumed was an argument with Naomi. The peaceful and understanding boy that I thought I knew was no longer present.

"Calm down, Will," Marleen insisted. She was still sitting on the couch. She looked at Will with a pleading look, silently asking him to do as he was told. She looked tired, really tired. I wondered how long they had been arguing. 

They both ignored her. "I can do whatever the hell I want!" Naomi shouted back.

"Don't you get it? She's already going insane, you don't need to worry her even more!" Will retorted. And that was the moment I realized that they were talking about me, well, arguing about me. And at that same moment, the three of them realized that we had entered the room. I noticed Marleen standing up, but I kept my gaze on Will. That's really what he thought of me? He thought I was going insane? He thought I couldn't handle the cold, hard facts? And deep inside I knew he was right, but it still hurt. The night before, when I had confided in him and told him everything that I was thinking and feeling, I thought that we had connected. But I was wrong, he was pitying me because he thought I was mentally senseless.

"Danika," he said when he realized that I overheard his argument with Naomi. "I didn't-"

I cut him off before he could say his next words, his next lie. "It's fine," I said. And I was feeling anything but fine. "Let's just go." Will didn't say anything, neither did Marleen. I mumbled a goodbye to Naomi, gave Isaac a quick hug, and then I was out the door.

My friends trailed behind me wordlessly as we boarded the elevator. The only sound to ease the tension was humming of machinery as we made our way to the ground floor. I lead them through the lobby, passing the rude boy at the front desk that still had his feet propped up on the table in front of him. "Did you find her?" he asked. I just kept walking. "I guess you did..." he muttered.

When we were finally in the parking lot, Will spoke. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"I think I want to drive this time," I told Marleen, ignoring Will.

"Okay," she said, handing me my keys. I walked around the vehicle, opening up the door to the driver's side. Once it was firmly shut behind me, I looked out the window. Marleen and Will were talking about something, but I couldn't hear them through the glass of the windows. After a few moments, they both got in the truck. Will, to my surprise, sat in the passenger seat while Marleen sat in the back.

"Alright, guys," Marleen said, clapping her hands together. "I'm quite drained from this whole experience, so I think I'll catch a few z's. Night." She lied down along the back seats and closed her eyes. I knew she wasn't asleep yet, but she wanted us to think she was. She wanted to give Will and I time to talk.