Stronger than the Rest

Chapter 07 | Petals

"Meeting you was fate." - Unknown

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After the 100th time dialing Petal's number, I threw my phone across the room and grunted in frustration. Luckily, it landed on the bed before it could break in half. She's been gone for a whole day and I don't know where the fuck she is. I place my elbows on my knees and let my face fall into my hands. I know she's not okay, anyone could have guessed that with her hauling ass out of her audition. Which was, the most incredible audition I've ever seen before she broke down. Her voice is nothing less than breathtaking. Hell, the girl herself is beyond breathtaking with her grey eyes and the most perfectly placed beauty mark above her lip. Her eyes are so unique, it's like looking into a beautiful storm. The storm in her eyes is always moving, always causing her pain. She's fierce and head strong, she won't let anyone here in on her pain.

"Dammit," I yell while I grab my hair with my fists and tug.

"Dude, you're freaking out." Derek pointed out while sitting down next to me.

Fuck, I forgot Nathan and Derek were here. They caught me running after Petals in the parking lot. Derek ended up having Gabby's number so he called her to get Petal's number. She hasn't answered anyone's calls since last night. She wasn't in school today either.

"I don't mean to be insensitive, but why the hell are you freaking out so bad, Landon? You barely know her and she's probably just embarrassed from her audition." Nathan says as he plops down on my bed and shoves Doritos into that huge hole he calls a mouth.

I stand up to grab the bag out of his hand and slap him upside the head, "It's not as trivial as that, jackass." Nathan holds his hands out in surrender, "Then what is it?"

I debated whether I should tell the both of them about when she ran away crying two nights before, but I decided not to. Rosalie would certainly cut my balls off if she found out. She doesn't seem like the type that usually cries in front of everyone. Damn, I need to find out where she is. She lives in this neighborhood because I've seen her around here twice. She lives just on the other side of the basketball court..

"Derek, get your ass up. Let's go." Derek grabs his shoes and walks out the door. Nathan whines, "Dude, what about me?"

"Just eat my chips and shut up." I throw the bag at him and head out of my house.

Time to find Petal's house.

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"I think this is it." I pointed out to Derek as we began walking up to the stone brick house.

"What makes you so sure?"

I pointed towards the cars, "See their license plates? They're from Georgia and Petals just moved here."

"Why do you call her Petals?"

I stumbled for a second, because I have a reason. A very personal reason that I don't want to hash out in front of Derek right now.

"A rose has petals, duh." Is the lame answer I managed to get out. Derek has known me long enough to realize I was trying to blow it off, but he didn't press me any further. By the time we reached the dark blue door, I was kinda nervous. It seems strange of me to come knocking on the door of a girl I barely know, but yet here I am.

Derek senses my hesitation and rolls his eyes at me. He ends up knocking for me instead. We hear some footsteps walking towards the door and my palms were getting sweaty just thinking of Petals answering the door. What would I say? Would she even talk to me? Do I ask her whats wrong? The door opened affectively ending the stream of questions in my head. To my disappointment, a woman in her mid-forties opened the door with a hopeful look on her face which was placed with disappointment when she took in the two 18 year old boys in front of her.