K I N G

s i x

"...I am kept awake by the endless chatter of my inner self...its demands and anxieties resound throughout me in multitudes." - Beau Taplin

Neil's POV
Todd was missing, that Neil was sure of. He missed both Mr. Keating's class and lunch today. While Todd's absence from the dining hall was becoming a habit for him, missing Mr. Keating's class was certainly not one. Neil knew Todd loved that class as much as the rest of them. He wouldn't have missed that class unless he was off lying in a ditch somewhere. The image of Todd's mangled, beaten body caused Neil's chest to tighten as the intense feeling of fear spiked inside of him. Could he be hurt? Was he lying in some ditch freezing to death?

Neil shook his head sharply, desperately trying to free himself from those thoughts. He was overreacting. Maybe one of the others has seen him? Todd was probably off working in the library like always or maybe even talking to Mr. Keating about the class he missed today. Neil had asked Meeks, Knox, Cameron, and Charlie but none of them had seen Todd since this morning. They all had followed Neil to his and Todd's room, but Neil paid them hardly any attention as he leaned against the window, practically oozing with worry. Where was Todd? The question circled around his mind, torturing him with images of Todd being hurt. He flinched back when he felt a warm hand clasp down firmly on his shoulder. Neil turned to see Charlie, his eyebrows furrowed and mouth turned down harshly. Charlie could be the picture of concerned if one were to look it up in a dictionary.

"You okay Perry?"

Neil gulped, shaking his head slightly. "I'm worried about Todd. No one's seen him all day!"

"Maybe he went to the library," Knox said, fidgeting nervously with his hands as all eyes turned on him. "Todd's been hanging out there a lot lately."

"No he's not there. I was just in the library and didn't see him," Meeks said with a matter-of-fact tone.

The light of the room bounced off Meeks's wide, pale forehead, briefly making Neil think about how much he looked like an egg. Neil chewed on his lips as the panic started to set in once again. They had to find Todd! And soon.

"Should we get a teacher?" Meeks asked. "If you're that desperate to find him."

Neil flushed as he hadn't realized he'd said it out loud. "Maybe not. We should try looking for him first don't you think?"

The others muttered quietly in agreement. None of them truly wanted to inform any of teachers and look like a fool if Todd was actually in the library or someplace similar. Neil began to give off orders to them all on where they should look for Todd. Neil was in the middle of telling Knox that he'd look in the kitchens and dining hall, when Meeks began to complain about the said searching for his friend.

"It's not that big of a deal is it?" He moaned unhappily, a high-pitched whine spilling from his lips. The noise irked Neil to no end. "Why can't you just wait for him to come back?"

Neil opened his mouth to retort, he felt rather heated at Meeks for even suggesting such a thing like that hasn't been what he's been doing for the past couple hours, when Charlie spoke up first. A loud thud sounded throughout the room as Charlie's hand smacked hard against the back of Meeks's head. Meeks yelped and turned towards Charlie with a face as red as his hair, but all his confidence drained from him under Charlie's vexed glare.

"How would you feel if it was Baby Meeks huh? Would you be bellyaching then?" Charlie raised an eyebrow as Meeks mumbled something about Todd not being Neil's little brother, but Meeks ultimately stayed quiet, nursing his wounded pride.

Neil gave Charlie a thankful nod before resuming his task.

"Okay, so Knox will check the kitchens and dining hall. Meeks will check the library again. Cameron will check the study hall, and Charlie wi--"

As Neil turned to tell him where he'd look to find Todd, Charlie had slipped out of the room unnoticed. Neil was bristling with angry as he barked out, "Where'd he go?"

The others shrugged and Neil realized none of them hadn't noticed Charlie was gone until he'd mentioned it. Neil scowled as the others fled the room, no doubt trying to escape from his increasingly sour mood.

That nuisance probably doesn't even care. Neil thought angrily. Most likely slipped off to read those disgusting magazines he insist on having...and giving to others.

Neil's bitterness clouded his thoughts, for he could not remember Charlie's troubled face when he announced how Todd was missing or even moments ago how he stood up for Todd against Meeks.

Neil was too far lost in his own anxiety about his missing friend to notice anything else.