Downside Up

Chapter Twenty-Seven (Caravan - Passenger)

I had lived with the Mellets for a few weeks and I wanted to stay with them forever. Troye and I had become as close as two friends can be and I often caught myself admiring his hair and his eyes and his body and his voice – basically everything about him. Sometimes I just wanted to come out to him to ask him out on a date but then I thought that maybe he just liked me as a friend. A friend who is definitely straight and not interested in him.

Though I could not imagine it. The way we looked each other in the eyes, the way our hands accidentally brushed against each other – it had to mean something. How could he see me as just a friend whilst I was head over heels in love with him?

When Oli disappeared we were out for lunch. We often went out together and Troye showed me all the cute restaurants that were located in his neighborhood and all over Perth. People often thought we were dating and sat us down at especially romantic tables with candles and roses and all those sweet stuff, but though I loved the idea of going out with him one of us would always burst out into laughter – to end the awkward situation. Normal friends would never go out on dates nor would they be mistaken for a couple, would they?

A few times we met up with Kayla and even if I just went to the restroom for a few minutes I found them engaged in a heated discussion afterward which ended abruptly as soon as I joined them. I often wondered if they were talking about me, but they were pretty obvious and the only question left was what they were talking about. My hair? My shoes? My choice of food? My lovesick puppy eyes? I had no idea. Well, I had a few ideas, but no answer to them and I would never ask Troye nor Kayla what they had been talking about.

As we got back to the Mellets' house we saw Tyde waiting for us at the roadside and before Troye could back into the driveway, he hopped into the car and shouted something about how Oli was suddenly gone. Of course, we kept driving and asked him about what happened simultaneously.

He seemed very nervous, almost anxious, but eventually spoke up.

"Olivia did not come back home after school today", he told us. "Apparently she had missed the bus and wrote a text to Sage about how she was going to walk home, but ever since she never replied to her phone and no one has seen her around our house. Mum is worried sick and I told her that I would search for her with you guys."

I laughed out loud because their worries actually seemed a little bit silly.

"Have you thought about the fact that she might be visiting some of her school friends? It's not as if she got kidnapped or anything." I turned around to face Tyde who was blushing furiously.

"We have, but Oli has no school friends. Sage told us that she used to hang out with a few kids but in the past weeks, she never saw them talking or interacting in any sort of way. She said that Oli would often sit on her own during lunch break and that it seemed like she was ignoring everyone around her. Maybe our host sister had friends when she started at this school but now she seems to be alone most of the time. And she would have told mom or Sage or someone else if she was going to meet some people after school. There is no need for her to disappear without an excuse."

"But she did?", I questioned.

Tyde sighed and nodded.

"Yes, she did. And we do not have any ideas what could have happened but there is one option no one wants to think about."

"She got kidnapped, raped and murdered."

"Exactly. Whether she is still alive or not, our parents would have failed their supervisory duties and would have to go to jail. Mum is constantly scolding herself because she thinks that it is her fault and that she should have picked her up from school instead of leaving her to walk home."