Missing: All These Lives [H.S.]

Chapter 1: 10-57

10-57 (noun): police code for missing person

August 23rd, 2013 6:30 a.m.

"Lydia, I'm leaving for work. It's time to get up and get ready for school! Don't be late!" Theresa Meyers called up the stairs to her 17-year-old daughter. She was currently on her way out of the house to her routine job as the receptionist at the local children's hospital. She had worked there ever since her 18th birthday 27 years ago.

Lydia was a good student and an even better daughter. This mother-daughter duo were two peas in a pod. Young, responsible women, they made the most out of the little they had. In an effort to lessen her mother's stress, Lydia had always been a respectful and independent daughter. Thus, Theresa never had to worry about her daughter getting to school on time.

Their routine had always been this way.
Theresa would yell up the stairs on her way to work, Lydia would get up, and the mother-daughter duo would reunite at night for microwaveable dinners. This was how it had always been. Theresa didn't even stop to listen for Lydia's movement upstairs. She gathered her keys, her umbrella, and her purse and braced herself for the rainy weather that had attacked Avon, North Carolina throughout the night. The rain was the remnants of the most recent hurricane to make landfall on the East Coast.

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August 23rd, 2013. 7:25 a.m.

Harry was drowsy walking into his first class, World History, on this gloomy and rainy morning. He had woken up at 7:10 to his mother screeching in his face to get his lazy ass out of bed and to school before she took away all of his valuable possessions. Harry had told his mother to shut up in return and slowly crawled out of bed, threw on the first t-shirt and pair of ratty skinny jeans he could find and trudged down the stairs for a quick banana before starting up his car to head to school.

Harry hadn't bothered to grab a jacket or an umbrella on his way out. To his luck, his laziness had left him the parking spot in the very back corner of the senior lot. Now, his white t-shirt was soaked and clutching to every dip and crevice on his toned and abbed torso. Needless to say, the girls were drooling.

Harry hadn't always been so lazy and irresponsible. He also hadn't always been one to cause trouble or attract the googling eyes of every hormonal female within a 5-mile radius. His current messy curls, smooth, tanned skin, long and lean body, and bubbly yet devious personality had once been masked by a beanie that typically covered his eyes, red blotchy skin, a shorter stature, and an unruly anxiety of social interaction. That all changed during freshman year, in a way that cost Harry a person he once considered to be his best friend and, consequently, the girl he secretly wanted as more than a best friend.

"Styles, over here!"

Harry spun on his heels to locate the source of the mystery voice. Not surprisingly, it was shithead Louis Tomlinson. In other words, his sidekick who was always up for a little mischief during class.

Harry didn't need to second guess where he would be sitting in class today. He took his usual spot, always to the right of Louis. It was their ritual.

"Styles, you coming to my party tonight?" Louis asked his friend as he shot a cheeky shit-eating grin at the blonde gaping at the two of them from the other side of the room.

"Planning on it." The curly-haired Abercrombie model replied. Harry opened his mouth to ask Louis who else would be coming but was rudely interrupted by the desperate blonde who had been making ogling eyes at Harry and Louis since Harry had taken his seat.

"You're having a party tonight Tomlinson? You think there'd be room for a couple more? I love to get a little dirty on a Friday night." The blonde bit her lip and batted her eyes at the two boys. Louis was readily absorbing her flirtatious attitude while Harry was still somewhat gruffy from his rude awakening this morning.

"Sure thing, sweet cheeks. Make sure you and your friend dress for the occasion." Louis replied as he eyed the blonde up and down.
"Wouldn't be much of a party if I didn't." The blonde strut back to her seat, exaggerating her hip movements to make her non-existent ass look good.

Harry looked at his friend and almost balked at the incessant need of Louis to bang a girl at every party. Sure Harry had had his fair share of girls, but he considered himself to still be somewhat of a gentleman. He didn't hook up with a girl every night, never when they were too drunk to remember it, and he certainly wouldn't call a girl "sweet cheeks" and tell her to "dress for the occasion." In fact, old Harry would not have looked twice at a girl who had approached with such boldness as the blonde had, he preferred a girl with a little less flirtatiousness.

"Alright class, I'm sure you're all happy it's Friday and are wishing to discuss your weekend plans but you have a test to take first. Put all of your unnecessary belongings away and get out a pencil."

Mrs. Wheeler entered the classroom in her usual pantsuit, high ponytail, and bright pink librarian-esque glasses. She gathered a disheveled stack of papers from her briefcase and began passing out the assessments.

"Fuuckk..." A drawn out and exasperated curse flew through the air of the classroom "I forgot about the test today. Did you remember, Styles?" Louis asked with a continuous shit-eating smile still plastered on his face, riding out the high that the blonde had decided to flirt with Louis instead of accepting the impending rejection from Harry's gruffy mood this morning.

"No."

"We are so fucked."

"Shut the fuck up Tomlinson."

"Harry! Louis! Stop talking, tests are already being passed out! If you two can't learn to shut your mouths, I will start separating you in class!" Louis snickered at Mrs. Wheeler's attempt to threaten the boys as she had made this exact same threat every day since they took their first class with three years ago. Harry was pretty sure she rehearsed the threat in her sleep.

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August 23rd, 2013 3:15 p.m.

Harry was currently sitting at his kitchen counter eating a handful of grapes. He was due to be at Louis' in a little bit to help set up for the party. Harry didn't really care much for parties, but it was better than sitting around and doing nothing. Most of the time.

At around 4:00, his mom returned home from work and proceeded to ask him the usual questions a mother does. How was your day? Do you have a lot of homework? How was your test?

Harry answered as politely as he could, feeling a little guilty from his grouchy mood this morning. He then headed off to Louis' house.

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August 23rd, p2013 11:45 p.m.

Harry was gathering his snapback and his wallet to head out. He wasn't feeling the party and decided that he would much rather go home and get some needed rest. As he was trying to leave he had to pry one drunk girl's hands from the waistband of his shorts and mutter a bye to Louis who was sucking face with the flirtatious blonde from class.

Harry didn't live far from Louis, so he typically walked to and from his parties. Once Harry turned onto his street, he was greeted with a sea of flashing red and blue lights. It was only once Harry realized whose house they were in front of did his heart stop beating in his chest. What the fuck.

Harry picked up his pace and was about to walk up his driveway when he was greeted by his panic-stricken mother and a frantic Mrs. Meyer.

"Harry, did you see Lydia in World History today?!"

Fuck. No. "N..no. Why, what's going on?"

Now that Harry thought about it, there was a distinct laugh and presence missing from World History this morning. The usual face that would glare at him and resolve his courage to nothing was not there. The soul he crushed was entirely absent today. Harry's heart dropped in his chest and he suddenly felt the need to vomit.

"We can't find her. She didn't show up to her classes at all today and hasn't come home. Her window was broken when I came home from work! OH MY GOD! SOMEONE F-FIND MY BABY!" A frantic Mrs. Meyer cried.

"Officer Towers to dispatch, we have a 10-57. 10-57."

10-57. A Missing Person.