Trace

Chapter 50

I throw open the dormroom door expecting an irritated Harry sitting with his legs over the bed and his hands in his hair.

"Where's Harry?" I ask instead, surprised to find only Sean in the room.

"Oh, God. I"m so sorry. I needed to come back here because I needed my flashdrive for a paper I have been working on and then when I saw you that two weren't in here I just decided to stay and type it on my laptop, but here I'll leave," Sean anxiously blurts as he hastily yanks the cord from the wall and buries the laptop under his arm.

I laugh at his sudden need to rush. "Sean, take it easy. You can stay here," I say with a reassuring smile.

He looks at me unsure. "What about Harry...?"

I sigh and sit on Harry's bed.

"I don't even know where he is. I thought he would be in here."

He gives me an odd look.

"I thought you two were just together?"

I look down at my hands, embarrassed to admit we got into a fight...again.

"We had an..argument," I admit to the boy in front of me, "and he just left me sitting in the car as he hustled away. He came in the building and I'm not too sure where else he'd be."

Sean puts his finger on his chin and looks up at the ceiling with his eyebrows crinkled.

"That's quite a good question, I can't think of anyone who he would be with. He's always complaining."

I laugh uneasily. Where is he, then?

"I'm sure he is just with a friend from a class," he is quick to add.

I try to reassure myself with Sean's words, but the feeling in the pit of my stomach suggests otherwise.

"It doesn't really matter to me," I lie.

Sean nods and takes his seat back down behind his wooden desk. "I'm sure he'll be back soon," he comforts, putting headphones over his ears.

Sighing, I plop my back down and rest my head on Harry's pillow. It lands on the pillow easily, but underneath of it feels hard. Curious, I lift up the pillow to reveal the Dear John book I gave Harry to read. I notice the first few pages are dog-eared, a sure sign that he keeps stopping after about a page of reading, but is drawn back to it.

My mind wanders to the seemingly endless possibilites of Harry's whereabouts. It is clear he had no intention of leaving me alone here with Sean yesterday, so why now? Unless he doesn't know he is here.

Of course he doesn't know Sean is here, I am reminded. Sean has only just explained he had returned for his report.

I decide to just let myself relax. He will be back any minute. After placing the novel back under Harry's pillow, I drift off in a much needed sleep.

***

"SHIT! PLEASE NO!"

My sleepy eyelids fly open, my body immediately tensing.

I sit up quickly, a clear mistake. My head feels like a whirlwind from the lightheadiness.

"What's wrong?" I rub my eyes.

Sean spins around on his chair to face me, his headphones still covering his ears.

"Oops, did I wake you?" he whispers whilst removing the headphones.

I look around the room to see it is only lit by the lamp sitting on Sean's desk.

"Why is it so dark? Is it storming?" I mumble with a yawn.