Running From Hell

Chapter 12

Max's POV

     As I walked into Bob's diner for lunch after graduation, I saw the saw girl from the parking lot at school. She was sitting with Ross Lee-the guy who had hung out with Zoey just before she disappeared-and she looked so familiar but I knew I hadn't seen her before.

     When Zoey had disappeared two years ago, there had been a small investigation. Some suspected her stepmother had been involved and her father was clueless, others suspected kidnapping and murder, but it was eventually brushed off as another teenage runaway.

     It seemed like the most likely thing, she wasn't living at home, she had attempted it once before, and of course, the letters. She had left one for Travis, her friend from the bookstore who she was really close with, Bob, the owner of the diner and a father figure in her life, and me, the best friend who had stabbed her in the back and yet she still wrote a letter. It was surprising to almost everyone that she hadn't left Ross a letter, but part of me figured he had been involved in her disappearance.

     And yet there he was with a blonde haired girl, who was wearing ripped capris and long sleeve shirt and high top Converse. The camera pendant around her neck swung with every move she made. She threw some money on the table and let out a laugh at something Ross said. She sounded like Zoey when it was just us.

     My attention was brought back to the people at the table by Brittney's annoying voice screeching out my name. I hated these people but it was a convenience thing. Anybody who was worth being friends with hated me for what I did to Zoey. It was easier to fake it with them than to make it alone.

***

     I took another swig of my drink as I sat on the outer edge of people sitting around the bonfire. It was the traditional graduation party that the graduating class threw every year. Honestly, I have no idea why I'm here. It wasn't for the company or anything else offered here. I tapped Billy on the shoulder to get his attention. "Tell Brittney she can find her own way home. I'm out of here," I said then turned to head to my car.

     Luckily, Brittney was too busy making out with some guy to even notice me leaving.

     When I got home my parents were already in bed, so I just went straight to my room.

     After I was settled in my bed, I let my mind wander. The girl with Ross had been so familiar, but I couldn't place her.

     And then my mind drifted to Zoey. She should've been graduating with us today, but she was only God knows where with God knows who. I bet Ross knows, I thought bitterly. It pissed me off more that he probably knew and I didn't. Even after two years, I hadn't fully accepted that she would never trust me and be my best friend again.

***

     I sat up in bed abruptly, waking up from my dream. The girl with Ross was Zoey. Somehow when I was sleeping my brain had connected the pieces. It made perfect sense. She didn't leave him a note because she planned on staying in contact with him. She came back for the sole purpose of him and seeing him graduate.

     She definitely looked different but it was still her. Her face was more relaxed, she smiled and laughed more freely, she was still short, she still loved wearing her Converse, her hair was lighter, she had filled out more, she radiated happiness, she didn't cower in fear and try to blend in so much. And if the camera pendant she wore was any indication, she still loved photography.

     Was she still in town? If so where was she staying and how long would she be staying for? My mind raced with a million different questions.