Paper doll

Chapter 9

Ryan's POV
*flashback*

It was just a normal day, I was 7, riding my bike up and down the road out of boredom, summer was almost over but back then that's as a cool thing because school was easy, life was easy

Then suddenly a moving van started coming down the road so I turned into the driveway, out of its way and watched as it stopped outside the house across the street

I saw a car pull up behind it, a woman got out, Mrs. Hosterman, and then, just as I started riding again, a little girl got out of the back, the second I saw her my jaw dropped, she was only six and I hadn't even spoken to her but I was already in love with her

I fell off my bike because I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing, too transfixed by her

She came running over to me

"Are you okay?" She asked in her little voice

"Umm yeah, I'm fine" I mumbled after a moment, I stood up and dusted myself off

"Blood! You're bleeding!" She exclaimed

I looked down to my knee which she was pointing at, I'd grazed it and it was bleeding, only a little bit she looked like she was gonna pass out

"Hey, it's okay, just don't look at it" I whisper, lifting her head up so her eyes could meet mine and not look at the blood

"I....i...." she mumbled

"Chloe! Come back here now!" The woman yelled to her

"Sorry, that's my mom, I've gotta go, bye" she told me, she kissed my cheek and then left, I was awestruck, I refused to wash my cheek for like two whole weeks

I watched her wave to me as she was being pulled inside the house by her mom, I waved back but she was pulled inside so I don't think she ever saw me do it

That was the day I met the love of my life

*flashback ends*

"Ryan, Ryan!" I hear someone call my name and feel myself being shaken

"Yeah?" I mumble as I try to open my eyes, the rising sun blinds me a little for a moment so I give my eyes a chance to adjust

"We're gonna stop for an hour or two okay? We made some time up so we have the extra time, we're all barely awake" Veronica explains, clearly exhausted

"Okay" I reply sleepily

"Okay I'll pull over then" Colton tells us, Brian was driving when I fell asleep, huh

"How great from the city are we?" I ask

"About 5 or 6 more hours" Brian tells me, his eyes closing as he speaks

I look at my phone and see it's half 6 in the morning

"Woah it's that late?" I ask

"Yeah" Colton nods

"I've been sleeping for like 4 hours, I'll drive, we should keep going" I suggest

"Okay, just ten minutes first? I need to stretch my legs a little" Veronica asks and I nod in agreement

"Yeah me too" I reply

As Colton pulls into a lay-by we all unbuckle and once we've stopped get out

"I'm gonna go for a quick walk" V tells us

"I'll go with you" Colton tells her

"Okay" she says with a sleepy smile

They wander off into the woods behind us as Brian and I sit down on the curb

"They're cute" he whispers to me, I don't think he means it as a whisper, I think he's just really tired

"Yeah" I agree

"So were you and Chloe" he tells me, I'm pretty sure he's delirious at this point, he's talking like he is

"Thanks" I reply

He's soon asleep, not long after Colton walks back with Veronica piggybacking on him

"She fell asleep" he say

I smile, she looks so peaceful, it's weird

"Let's get going" I feel him

We wake Brian up just enough to get him into the minivan, he rides shotgun and then Colton and V are in the back together, she's in the middle seat so she can rest her head in his shoulder as she sleeps

I set off, hopeful, will we find her? I don't know, but whatever happens we've all been brought closer together and we will always have Chloe to thank for that no matter what

----------------------------------------------

Aww, but do you think they will find her? One more? I think we can do one more? The people who are sleeping are gonna be like wtf amy wtf 😂😂✌🏻✌🏻 Xoxo