Cole

Dr. Gold

I could not sleep at all that night. It was exactly the opposite of the night before. I was up pacing around the room, turning lights on and off. I even went outside and walked around on the street. I knew I just had to do something but I did not know what I could do. Every fiber in me said that Manda was in danger.

Going to school the next day was horrible. I sat alone on the bus with no Manda to be with. When I met Lenny in home room he looked at me and knew something was wrong.

"Gosh, Cole, you looked so great yesterday and now you look like death. What happened to you?"

"Manda is gone"

"You guys broke up?"

"No, I mean she is gone. She is missing. She went missing from school yesterday and never went home. That guy Rick is gone too. There is some connection there, but it does not make sense. Manda's dad told me the two of them were not a couple and that Manda considered herself mine, but she is gone, and Rick is gone."

"Does the school have any security cameras or anything that can be looked at?"

"Maybe. That's a good idea. I will ask principle Barska. He has been pretty good to me ever since I saved the life of that worker that got a concussion after falling when changing the light fixture in the school foyer."

Instead of going to English class I went straight to the principle's office after home room because nothing was more important than Manda. When I arrived he was having a meeting with someone else so I sat in a chair outside his office. Different office women were typing on computers and scrolling their screens. I was thinking 'maybe they were busy because the school year was ending soon and they were checking who can graduate or not'. I was not sure. The whole scene was surreal to me. The only thing that was important was Manda and that's what filled my mind.

When the door opened to the principle's office the principle was joking with someone that I did not know and that person then left. I looked at the principle and he recognized me immediately. He had a knowing look on his face, so he knew what I was worried about.

"Come on in Cole."

I entered his office and we closed the door.

"Your worried about Amanda Westbrook, I am sure."

"Yes, I am", I said. I surprised myself, but tears started coming down my face, and I shuddered. I must have looked strange, this huge crybaby.

"I...I have to find her. Can you help me?", I said meekly.

"Well, Cole, we are trying to help. The police have been here already and may be talking to selected students during the day. I think they were talking to students at their homes last night. Maybe they already talked to you. I feel for you. I know you two are very close. Everybody knows your a pair: Cole Hammond and Amanda Westbrook."

Barska looked at me with kind eyes.

"Yeah, we're a couple. Ummm, I was wondering if you have anything on the security cameras that we can look at."

Barska wiggled a little in his chair.

"Usually we would show something like that to the police, Cole. But we have not shown that to them yet. They are just getting started. They have not even asked for that yet."

"Can you help me see them?"

Principle Barska just sat there and thought a while and looked at me. Between me not sleeping all night, and now being all red-eyed and desperate looking I think he started feeling sorry for me.

"You know, Cole, I had a girlfriend in high school once that I was very attached to and then she moved away. I don't know if I am allowed to help you see those camera records or not, but nobody has told me no, so I am going to help you. Let me call the guy that handles the recorders and we will both look at them. I probably should take a look myself before the police asks for them anyway."