I just wish

Zach

About a week had past and Jess' brother
still hadn't been found. She or her mom hadn't left the house and Gwen has been a wreck.
I woke up on Tuesday and she was already gone. Usually she sleeps in until at least nine. I got a glass of chocolate milk from the fridge and sat down at the breakfast bar. I looked out at the bay from where I was sitting. It was a windy day and a few sailboats were already out.
My dad came up from behind me and patted my shoulder. "What's shaking son?"
"Please never say that again," I said in an embarrassed tone even though we were the only ones home. "Where's Gwen?" I asked as my dad emerged from the fridge with a carton of eggs.
"Probably Jessica's. I heard that she and her mom aren't doing so well."
"Her dad is in town, so I guess that's why her mom is mad," I joked, trying to make light of the dark situation. "Zach, don't make wisecracks about that family at a time like this. If your sister went missing, we'd all be wrecks. Your mom would try to lead the search party."
"I thought you said no jokes?" I ran a hand through my hair at the mention of Gwen getting kidnapped. That nervous habit drove her crazy.
My dad rolled his eyes and started to make his eggs. "Do you want some?" He asked me. I shook my head, not feeling hungry anymore.
I went upstairs to change. In my room, I took my shirt off when I got a text. I went to the other side of the room to see.
It was Grayson He asked if I could help them bring all the kids to get ice cream at Yana's. I said yes, as long as I could have some.

When I got there, Kayla, Tommy, Sara, Grayson Gwen, Caleb and Hannah were waiting outside the tiny truck where a little Russian woman was serving them as fast as she could. "We are quite the group." I said to Caleb when I came up. I deposited my car keys into my pocket and took a bigger look at the crowd.
Sara was wearing a cowboy costume and a blue skirt that she never took off. Tommy was, for once, wearing pants, and a green monster truck shirt with a fishing hat.
Hannah was dressed like a normal person, jean shorts and a T-shirt. She was fourteen; she shouldn't dress like a five-year-old anyway. Kayla was wearing a pair of shorts overtop of a bathing suit with a crab on it.
Gwen was in her normal running gear and Grayson was wearing lacrosse shorts and a "Eustis High Sharks!" sweatshirt. Caleb was also dressed like a normal person in a sweatshirt and shorts.
I smiled and said hello to the twins. Hannah smiled at me shyly. Gwen nudged me with her hip. "She likes you so much," she said knowingly in my ear. Hannah was pretty, but two years younger than me, and always stuck in a book. She tucked her blonde hair behind one ear and turned to talk to Tommy. "She doesn't like me," I said, denying it. My sister looked at me intuitively. I rolled my eyes.
I walked over to the truck and ordered a twist. Grayson came over and sat on a picnic table behind me. "What's going on?" I asked him. He looked at me suggestively like I wouldn't want to know, probably something between him and Gwen.
"What's going on with you?" he countered my question back at me. I shrugged. "Really, that's it?" He was smirking like he knew something.
"Twist, for Zach," Yana said at the window. "Thanks," I said before handing her three dollars. "Keep the change," I smiled and sat down next to Grayson His expression turned gloomy. "Does that guy look weird to you?" He pointed to a man in a dark hoodie at the edge of the woods, staring at Gwen and Tommy at the opposite picnic table.
Sara got up from the table and went to go to the bathroom, dragging Caleb with her. The man got up, his focus still on the kids. "Hey, dude, what are you doing?" I jogged over. Gwen was already shielding Tommy and Kayla from the man's view.
He turned to me and punched me in the jaw. I bent over and pressed my hand to the soon-to-be-bruise. He grabbed Kayla and Tommy by the collars and gagged Grayson's sister. They thrashed as Grayson and I made our way to him. Gwen grabbed his arm and tried to pull him off, but he elbowed her in the head and she fell.
Caleb rushed over after telling Sara to stay in the port-a-potty. Grayson went to hit him, but the man somehow pulled out pepper spray and got Grayson in the mouth and eyes.
We were all fighting to get to the kids when he had Grayson and me on the ground pepper sprayed and Caleb hit over the head. I watched through hazy vision Gwen being thrown into the trunk of his car with the kids, my adrenaline was pumping through my veins at a thousand mile per hour. "No!" I screamed, wishing I looked at the license plate. I tried to stand up but my sight was too blurred. Grayson was already trying to chase after the car, but he didn't make it far.
"Sara!" I yelled. She ran out and knew what I wanted her to do. She picked up my phone from beside me and dialed 911.