Scarlett Everwood isn't necessarily your average 17-year-old girl, but she's managed to get by. After a year of pulling herself back together, she's finally able to go back to school, ready to put the past in the past and move on. With a past so dar...
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"Ava, have you heard from JJ?" I asked her. I felt bad for my salad. I had been stabbing it for twenty minutes now.
She looked at me and frowned. "No, I'm sorry."
A loud sigh left my lips, "I haven't heard from him in almost a month."
"JJ your brother?" Blake asked as we sat in the cafeteria at our usual table.
"Yes." I answered letting out a deep breath.
He narrowed his blue eyes. "Well, where is he?"
I shrugged, "He's in college. I haven't heard from him though."
"Why?" Zoey shrugged.
"I don't know." I frowned, "He came home for a few days, then before I knew it he was gone without a good bye." My eyes went wide. "I mean without a goodbye."
"You tried to call him right?" Jace asked.
I smiled and Cassie laughed. "What's up with you two anyway?"
"Nothing." I said immediately and my cheeks burned. "Can we just focus on finding my brother."
"Maybe he saw your calls, college can get pretty busy." Zoey said.
"Yeah I remember my cousin Alexia was in collage. No one heard anything from her weeks at a time. But it turns out she was always alright, just really busy." Bella added.
"Thanks guys." I smiled. "I know you're trying to make me feel better. But that's really unlike JJ." I said checking my phone. Even though I knew he hadn't called me back. "He's a very, very happy and caring person. If he was in fact very busy he would just tell me."
"What did your parents say?" Ava asked.
"Nothing!" I particularly yelled. And then I cleared my throat when I realized everyone was starting to stare. "They don't care. They said he's probably fine, off somewhere with his friends!" I shook my head. My parents were never really there for me, JJ was the only one I had. "That's not like him though."
"It's okay." Jace said putting a hand on my shoulder to try and calm me down. "Why don't you go see him, on campus." He suggested.
"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Ava said. "We will all come with you. Right guys?" She turned to look at everyone and the quick answer was yes. "My uncle has this truck that could fit like eight people!"
"Sounds like a plan." Leo said, "But. . . which college does he go to exactly?"
"Harvard. . ." I sighed.
Leo's eyes went wide. "What?"
"Oh my god! You should have seen your face. I'm only joking." I laughed. "Harvard is a million miles away." Everyone burst into a fit of laughter as did I.
I was happy these people made me feel a little bit better about the situation I was in.
---
Here we were. All of us squished in Ava's uncle's truck. Zoey, Bella and Blake were in the back. While Ava, Cassie and Leo were squished in the middle of the car. Jace was driving even though this truck was in fact Ava's, and I was in the passenger seat. So to be honest I was not squished. "I'm so going to get you back for this Scarlett!" Bella yelled. She kind of has anger issues. Or so everyone tells me.
I turn around and flashed her a quick smile. "I'm sorry. But I don't want to be squished in the back with Blake."
"Hey!" Blake cried, "What's wrong with me?"
"Nothing," I laughed shrugging my shoulders and turning back to Jace. "How much longer do you think we'll be?"
"I don't know. Maybe fifteen minutes." He shrugged.
"Thank god! I'm getting nervous." I sighed.
"Why?" Cassie questioned.
I turned around to face her. "I texted him that we were coming and he didn't even answer to that."
"I'm sure everything's fine Scar." Leo smiled.
"Thanks guys." I smiled back. "You really know how to calm me down. I hope he's alright."
About fifteen minutes later we stopped in front of JJ's big school. He was right, it was humongous. There were busy people everywhere. We all got out of the car and I suddenly remembered I had no idea where to even look for JJ, or where to even start to look for JJ. "Guys. . ." I said and everyone turned their attention on me. "I don't exactly know where to-"
"I knew it!" Bella hissed. "Scarlett, don't you think it would have been a good idea to know where you're actually going before we come here." Bella said and well yeah, Bella needs to work on her anger.
"Bella it's fine." Leo warned then looked at me and laughed.
"I'm sorry!" I yelled throwing my hands in the air. "I have one of JJ's friends number, I'll just call him." I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and looked for Braden's number.
"Braden, hey! How are you?" I smiled through the phone.
"Scarlett? Wow! Haven't heard from you in ages! But I'm good, how are you?" Braden said.
"I'm good thanks. I'm just calling to see if John's okay. I've been calling him for a while and he hasn't answered any of my texts, or even called me back. My friends and I are actually here."
"You're here? Like on campus?" He asked.
"Yeah, we actually drove up here, I'm just concerned. This isn't like JJ."
"Wait, what are you talking about? He didn't tell you?"
My face fell and I looked at my friends indicating that something was wrong. "What do you mean Braden? What didn't he tell me?"
"He told me that he was going up to see you and your family a few weeks ago."
I scrunched my face up in anger. "That was weeks ago! He left and he should be here."
"I'm sorry! I don't know where he is. He said he was taking a few weeks off to see his family."
I sighed trying to control my anger. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just freaking out but thank you." I was about to end the call when Braden suddenly spoke.
"He also said he needed to take care of something."
"What do you mean?"
Braden sighed. "Something about paying these guys off, for something he owed them in the past."
I immediately ended the call and turned around to face my friends. "Something isn't right."
