No One Will Know

Leslie was searching for her Friend

Third Person, back in Addison's Hometown

                Leslie was getting worried. Addie, as she called her best friend Addison, had not called or texted her back. Which, this, to her, was extremely strange. Addison was always in constant contact with Leslie and her other friends. Because Leslie knew of Addison’s crappy childhood, and so she kind of tried to be the step-in-family for Addison. Her parents did as well. And she’d planned a surprise party for Addison as well. But it wouldn’t exactly work if she never called her back.

                Huh, Leslie thought to herself, is she really going to make me drive all the way there just to drag her ass back here?

                Leslie waited until 6:10pm, twenty minutes before the party was to begin. Everyone, all Addie’s friends were gathered around, giggling and setting up and wondering when their friend was going to be there. All Leslie knew was that this wasn’t typical behavior for her friend.

                With that thought and the thought of this party that she had been planning for months, she hoped in her small, light blue Volkswagen beetle and pulled out of her driveway, remembering how Addison had taken her Disneyland for her birthday, a whole two hour plane ride away. How Addison had spent some of the money that Leslie believed she had been saving up since her birth. Addie hated spending money, so the fact that she spent so much of it and rode on any ride that Leslie wanted to ride on, well, it meant a lot to her.

                Pulling into the driveway of the small, two bedroom home, she immediately realized that something was going on. Addison’s car was gone.

                Where is she, Leslie thought, I hope to god her parents were the ones who took her car. I hope she hasn’t gone anywhere, or that girl, well she’ll be getting a nice little pounding from her bestie.

                Walking up to the front door, she knocked very carefully. She didn’t really have to knock, because she of course had her own key, and she knew where the spare was located. But that was besides the point. She’d been lectured continuously on how knocking is polite. Yeah, her parents were a real stickler on that sort of thing.

                After she knocked, she stood there for a moment, at first, looking around. Taking in the small home. She could see that a small part of the roof needed to be repaired, badly, and that the paint over most of the house badly needed a fresh paint job. And looking over all of it, at the furniture just torn to shreds outside, and the small tree that looked as if it was about to fall down, well, it caused Leslie to be filled with a sorrow so deep, remembering the day which she met Addison.

 They were five, in kindergarten at Schuler’s Elementry school. A small public school, in the worst part of town, Leslie was only attending there because her mother was the school principle there.

It was late afternoon, about five thirty, and the school was mostly deserted. The sun was starting to set, and Leslie was only still there because her mother had some last minute things to finish before they could go home and eat that delicious spaghetti that her mother was going to make. It was Prego spaghetti sauce, of course, but to that five year olds mind, it was the best food on earth.

“Momma?” Leslie asked, bored again. Her mom had set her to drawing a pretty picture, but that only took the attention of the small child for a few minutes, so now she was whiny and bored again. She wanted to do something fun! Tugging at one of her small curls, the little girl became bouncy in her chair before squealing in a small voice, “Can I play hoppedy scotch?”

The Principle of Schulers, tired of her daughters incessant whining, thought to herself for a moment. The school was surrounded by a gate, and the hopscotch area was right outside her window. Meaning she could watch her daughter play. And she really did need to finish this letter to the school board. With a sigh, she waved her hand at the small child, a blond haired, blue eyed replica of herself. “Go ahead, but stay where mommy can see you, okay?”

“’Kay!” Leslie said excitedly, quickly going over to where he mother sat, and kissing her on the cheek, one of those slobbery kisses that only little kids accidently do. They she skipped out of the door, singing, “Hopedy, hop, hopedy scotch!”

“Hi.” The small, tearful voice said. Leslie didn’t even see the girl until she said hi. But when she turned around she saw her, a little girl, her age, who she thought might even be in her class. Not that she remembered the girl’s name. The little red haired, green eyed child leaned against the office, curled in a small ball, as if trying to keep herself warm. She didn’t even have a jacket. And because she didn’t have jacket, Leslie could see a small bruise on the girl’s wrist. But, because she was so young, it didn’t mean much to her. All she did was frown, because for some reason it made her sad.

“Why ya still here?” Leslie asked, going over and sitting next to the kid. She didn’t know her name, but it didn’t matter.

“My mommy’s late.” Was the girl’s answer, as she hugged her legs closer to her, her cheek resting on her tiny knees. She was wearing a dress two sizes too big, short sleeved despite cold November weather. “I’m Addison.”

Leslie listened and felt sad. What mommy is super late, she thought. Oh well, maybe she has an important job. Yeah! “Can I call you Addie? My name’s Leslie.”

After a moment of silence, Addison nodded, “Yep.”

Leslie wasn’t sure what else to say to the girl, they hadn’t really played or done anything yet. But in a moment, she had an idea! If the girl was already there then why not ask her to join in on Leslie’s play! “Do you wanna play Hopscotch?”

Addison smiled, definetly wanting to have some fun, “Sure!”

That moment was the start of a thirteen year friendship.

After a moment of knocking, the memories filling her, she decided to take out her key. She unlocked the small home and walked in, peeling of her shoes as she went. “Hey, Addie, you here?”

Silence.

“C’mon, it’s your birthday! We got to do something special!” She walked on into the kitchen, surveying the house. It was weird, something seemed to be missing.

That was when she saw the note, and that’s when everything changed.