Searching for a Wallflower

Prologue

"...The town of Fayetteville, Georgia is stricken with worry and fear this morning, as another teen has gone missing. Her name is Aspyn Moore, age 16. 

Can we get a picture on screen? There we go. 

Sources say she was last seen at a 7/11 gas station at about 6:43 pm last night, wearing a long sleeve-black and grey sweatshirt and black leggings.

If anyone has any knowledge of Aspyn's current whereabouts, please call (770) 943-0816. We pray for this little girl's safe return..."

Bryce's heart sunk. He couldn't imagine someone from his school going missing at any point, let alone someone he cared for so deeply... from afar.

For the past three years, Bryce has practically worshiped the ground in which this wallflower was planted, though he never stepped close enough to examine her petals. He has always been too afraid.

Aspyn wasn't the typical portrayal of beauty or health. She smoked, she was pencil thin, her hair was long and untamed, and her face was white as snow with rosy pink cheeks and an ocean of freckles. But Bryce was in love, there was no doubt about that. 

Now, he is filled with grief and regret. Regretting the chances he never took, neglecting the opportunities that stood before him. Grieving over a girl he didn't even know, a girl that didn't even matter to the general public. 

Sitting at the edge of his bed, head held in his hands, he sighed. His thick black hair flopped over his fingertips as he ran them across his scalp, dreading the fact that he had to get ready for school and knowing Aspyn wouldn't be there. His mind was full of black and grey and clouds filled with acid rain. His heart felt kind of the same.

Bryce threw himself back on his pillows and covered his face with his arm. "Where did you go..." He whispered to himself before ultimately getting up and getting ready.

▪▫▪▫▪▫▪

The day went on just like any other. Long day, boring classes, not much of anything ever happening. There was no "wow-factor" at Clearwater High School. Not even the sudden disappearance of one of their peers could pass for one. Bryce wondered if none of them had heard or if they just didn't care.

"Are you alright?" Preston asked.

Preston and Bryce had been close since the fourth grade. They always had each other's backs, and they knew absolutely everything about each other. That being said, it was no surprise that Preston already knew exactly why Bryce was upset. 

"I never even tried," he paused and looked to his feet. "I never tried to talk to her, and now I never will." 

"There's still hope," Preston started. "I mean, don't act like her going missing automatically means she's dead. Maybe she just ran away."

"The last place she was seen was a crappy-ass ghetto gas station. At night. If that doesn't look like she got kidnapped or something, I don't know what will."

"Maybe she was getting a snack for her journey to find a place to run."

Bryce shrugged. "I just want to know what happened to her, man."

___________

Unpublished © 2015 Rhiannon Doherty

All rights are reserved. Any replication of this novel in any way, shape or form is strictly prohibited. Fan-fictions, spin-offs, or any other story created based off of my novel must have my permission before creation. Thank you.