The Fighter

Chapter 16: The Personality Game

"So, someone told me Charlie might ask me to the dance." Laura said as we walked through the crowded hallway. I lagged behind her quick steps, slowing down by Xavier's locker, hoping to see him there.

"I think me and Charlie would look really cute together." She added excitedly.

I wasn't really listening though, I was scanning the kids in the hall for Xavier, failing to see his green eyes and broad shoulders, failing to see him. He hadn't been in school for the entire week.

I was worried. He was depressed, we'd both come to terms with that fact, and now he was missing, he wasn't answering his phone calls, he totally disappeared from my life and it seemed... from everyone's life.

"Soph?"

I looked up at Laura who's sympathetic glance enveloped me. "Yeah, that's great, I hope he asks you." I bit my lip in contemplation and mostly to take away my nerves.

"Xavier's probably on vacation or something," I gave her a dull look. "People go on vacation." She justified and flipped her perfect hair. She and I both knew her words were ridiculous.

"I think I might go to his house after school." I said, my hands tingling with nerves. He'd never invited me to his house in New York, I'd been to the Florida one, but it kind of seemed like he didn't want me to go to his New York house, I only knew where he lived because we picked him up for the beach that day to watch the sunset.

"That's a great idea, I can't believe you didn't think of that earlier." Laura said.

"I did think of that, I've just never been there." I said. "Isn't going to his house a little weird, and needy though?" Too many times I pictured showing up at his house and freaking him out.

Her nose crinkled as she thought. "No, because in this case it shows you're worried about him, I mean imagine how you'd feel if he didn't come to find you after a week of skipping school, he probably feels pretty worthless no one came to find him or ask what's wrong."

My eyes widened. "What?" She was totally right. No one probably asked about him, and I specifically should have made an effort to find him. "Oh my God, Laura, I have to go right now, what if he does something stupid?"

She grabbed my arm. "Hold it, let's not go insane here. Sophie, you have school, this waited a week, I think it can wait a couple more hours."

Since when did Laura become the voice of reason? I must really have been going insane. "I guess I could wait painfully until the end of the extremely long day." I said dejectedly.

"There we go." She said as we walked to our classes.

And the second she went off to her financial algebra class, I turned the corner and left the building. Xavier was going to know I cared about him all right. Breaking into a sprint I threw my books into the rose bush decorating the front of the school, along with my backpack.

Of course I was worried about someone stealing my stuff, but then again, what person steals school books?

So I ran for about two seconds toward his house until I began pant because I was so out of shape. Then I speed walked the rest of the way, getting a wary look from my mailman.

Eh he wouldn't tell on me.

I read the green street signs, carefully guessing which turns to make until I found his house. It didn't really seem like anyone was home. The windows were all dark, the white front with peeling paint almost made it look abandoned, or maybe just unkept for the last couple of years. And then again it was morning, why would his lights be on? I looked at the windows as I walked up the front steps, wondering which window belonged to his room.