Only A Memory (Part 1)

Chapter 12: Catching On

7:03. School began in twenty-seven minutes, plenty of time to get ready. And there was a knock at the door, "I'll get it dad!" I raced down the steps as questions rushed through my head, Did she come back? Did she want to walk again?

I opened the door to a smiling girl but not Lydia, "Allison?"

She looked worried, hands wrapped around her backpack strap. "Hey, um, have you seen Lydia?  We were suppose to walk to school but she hasn't been answering my texts, and you guys have gotten pretty close so I just thought she could be over here."

"Uh, no. Did you check her house?"

What kind of question? Of course she checked there for god's sake it's her own house!  I reworded my question, " Mmh I mean like did you talk to her mom?"

"No, I didn't think it would be serious, maybe she just has a dentist appointment or something." She thought peering at her feet.

I gave a warm smile even though I too was worried on where she could be, "Yeah maybe, I'm sure that's it."

She nodded and turned around starting her ten minute walk to school.

I stopped her before she could go far, "Uh, Allison? I was about to leave I could walk with you, I mean if you want to."

She gave a faint smile, " Yeah, of course."

I closed the door and we started to walk, her pace a little faster than mine. She broke the silence, with a question that stunned my heart.

"Do you like Lydia?"

I stopped walking, almost frozen as she noticed and turned to me.

"Why, why would you ask that?" I sputtered completely in shock.

She rolled her eyes, "Oh please Stiles, it's pretty obvious, and I'm pretty sure everyone sees it besides Lydia."

We both continued to walk but she took an unexpected right.

"Um, Allison? I'm pretty sure the school's that way."

I pointed towards the left.

She laughed, "We're not going to the school, not yet."

I jogged catching up to her, "Then where are we going."

She looked at me before answering, "You'll see."

"Wh-ha- Allison!"

I noticed where we were. Hey this is Scott's street and there's his house and there's Allison walking up to his steps... Oh.

Scott ran out noticing his best friend, "Hey! This is a surprise! We can all walk to school now!"

I was confused, "I thought you got rides with your mom, Scott?"

He answered eyes stuck to Allison, "Yeah I did but I like walking now, especially with Allison....and now you! Now we just need Lydia, where is she?"

We started to walk. "We were hoping you would know," said Allison. 

"Me? No, I haven't seen her since yesterday in gym class, that's the only class that I have with her. "

Allison looked to Scott, "Yeah I've been calling her all morning, she hasn't picked up, not once."

Upon arriving, I looked for Lydia, but she never showed. I got worried so I skipped class and headed over to her house. Knocking on her door it eventually creaked open. A sickly voice spoke,

"Stiles what are you doing here?"

"Lydia! You, you weren't at school and you weren't answering any of Allison's texts or calls so I thought I'd check up on you. You know to make sure you weren't kidnapped or anything."

She looked at me squinting her eyes, " Uh thanks but I'm just sick."

She lifted her hand revealing a box of tissues she was currently about to take to her room.

"Oh good. I mean it's good that you're not kidnapped or anything."

Her skin was a little pale, and she held dark circles around her eyes, but I didn't notice.

She started to get annoyed, " Nope, now if you don't mind." She closed the door and I didn't know if I should have felt relieved or not.