Lost - LRH

Chapter 5

I don't pay much attention to the assignments Mr. Jackson gives. My notebook page is mostly filled with little stick figures and scribbles, giving the illusion that I am jotting down notes. I occasionally lift my head to look at the door, waiting for Luke to walk in, he doesn't.

When the bell rings, I slowly gather my stuff as I wait for the class to clear. I venture out into the halls filled with different faces. I walk by a group of giggling girls, they seems so happy, so fit together. I continue to walk to my English class, though I repeatedly get shoved back. If Luke were here, it would be much easier to get through the crowd, not only physically, but socially as well. With Luke by my side, I wouldn't seem so out of place, so alone.

As I think of it, why is Luke not here? He has never been absent, not since freshman year, when he caught the flu. He hates missing school, from what I know. I hope he isn't sick or injured, the thought makes my stomach clench as I picture Luke from my nightmare.

-

I wander from class to class until it is lunch time. I walk into the library. It is empty, as always, excluding the presence of the librarian and I. I walk through the aisles of books, holding out my hand to let my fingers brush over each book's spine. I stare at my boots as they click against the waxed floors. The library always seem to calm me, probably from the lack of people. It was nice, the silence, no laughing girls or guys shouting to each other.

I subconsciously walk down the fiction aisle marked "A-K". As I reach the end, I see a boy with dark brown hair holding open a book. He turns his attention away from the novel in his hands and turns to look at me.

"Oh hi there." He gives me a small but warm smile.

I nod, gesturing a hello.

"Have you even read this?" He holds up the book, The Great Gatsby.

I nod, it is a very good book. I must of read it a billion times.

He chuckles, a dimple showing. "I just started it but it seems interesting."

I nod again, not knowing how to respond.

We stand in silence, awkwardly staring at each other. I find my words, "I couldn't set it down, it draws you in." My voice is soft but steady, it sound a little higher than my regular voice, its as if it isn't my voice at all.

The brown head boy nods and takes a step closer, there is about 2 feet in between us. I holds out a hand, "My name is Calum, I recently transferred here."

I take a half step forward and shake his hand. "I'm Cynthia." I smile. "Transferee then, where'd you come from?" I open up the conversation knowing that it would be awkward to walk away.

"Not any school that you would know." he smiled. "Burr its cold here though." he shivers as he chuckles

"I'm guessing the weather there is different from Washington weather."

"You could say that." He chuckles.

We make small talk that mostly consists of me nodding. I learn that Calum is in the same year as me, but we have none of the same classes.

When the bell rings, Calum and I say our goodbyes.

"I'll see you around, Cynthia." Calum waves as we split.

-

Time flies by as I walk from class to class, my notebook page filled with scribbles and patterns.

As I walked up to my last class, the door was locked and a note was taped up "No class due to water leak". I shrug, the pipes must of sprung a leak. I turn as I head for the exit, no use in me staying at school when there is no class. I listen to my footsteps as they echo throughout the empty hall. I pass closed classroom doors with the faint sound of teachers speaking, I even pass an AP History class where I see the new kid sitting in front, I recall that Calum was his name.

I reach the school exit and walk out.

The sun had been out for about an hour and the snow had already begun to melt, slightly. I listened to my boots squish against the slush as I walked away from school.

I reach the park and sit on a bench. Where should I go now? I sigh, I guess I can go to the café, better than sitting in silence at home. I get up and walk in the direction of Cece's Café.

Ding. I look around, the place is empty, everyone is still at school or working. I sit at a booth and set my bag beside me. I look around for a waiter, there are none in sight. I pull out my phone and go onto twitter, scrolling through posts to make myself seem occupied.

"Hey there again."

I look up, its Ashton. "Hi."

He slides into the booth across from me, "Mind if I sit here? As you can see, the day is slow." He holds out his hand and gestures to the empty café.

I nod. I appreciated his warm presence. A question pops into my mind, "Have you seen Luke today?"

"Ahh, so she talks too" Ashton jokes, "Sadly, no. That's why you're alone."

I nod, "Do you have any idea why he might of been absent?" Ashton and Luke seemed close, closer than I was to him.

Ashton shakes his head, "No, but you can ask him yourself." He gets out a notepad, along with a pen, and he scribbles down something. He hands me the paper with various numbers written on it, Luke's number.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work" He smiles and walks towards a couple that had just entered.

I walk towards the exit and I catch a quick glance at him before I leave. I mutter "thank you" and walk out the door.