Secrets (a Wesley Stromberg story)

Chapter 7

        "Wesley Stromberg? You, Mary Chadwick, saved Wesley Stromberg from what could have possibly been his death?" Carter looks at me with wild eyes after i have told him the whole story for the third time.        

        "Yes, now keep your voice down." I tell him through clenched teeth, already regretting telling him but hes my best friend and i needed to talk to somebody about it or i would have gone insane. 

        There's 7 minutes until the first period bell rings and Wesleys group of followers are in their usual spot next to the vending machine in the front of the school. Except, they're missing one person.

        "Do you think he's not here cause of what happened last night?" Carter says and motions towards them.

        "How am i suppose to know?" I snap at him, automatically feeling guilty as soon as i do when he looks at me with obviously hurt eyes.

        "Im sorry, i'm just really stressed and confused about everything." I lay my head on his shoulder and let out a breath of defeat. Carter bends down from the wooden bench we were sitting on to get something out of his bag.

        "I thought this would come in handy today." He says to me after tossing a pack of my favorite candy, mini York Peppermint Patties, on to my lap.

        "I love you Carter." I place my head back on his shoulder and comfort myself on his blue jean vest.

        "I love you also Mary." He replies to me and we eat little chocolate mint circles until school starts.

                                                                                                 ~~~

        4 periods have gone by and i haven't seen him once. It bothers me more than it should, but i can't help myself from being afraid that something could have happened to him after i dropped him off. 

        And when he said he didn't want people to know you 2 were together the voice in my head  nicely adds.

        I notice that Keatons not in biology when me and Carter walk in and take our seperate seats across the room from each other, him next to Laura and me next to a empty desk. 

        "Keatons not here either."  I text Carter and watch him until he checks his phone. I notice his eyes when he looks over and realizes the empty desk next to me.

        "Class hasn't even started yet, give the boy time."  

        15 minutes into class and i come to a conclusion that Keatons not here today. 

        "Neither one of them are here today Carter." 

        "Family emergency?" He replies to me and i have trouble believing that that's the case for their absense. What could have happened? Was he running from a gang? Is Wesley in a gang? He's not the best person, but he doesn't seem gang material to me. Drugs? Money? But why would this cause Keaton not to be here either?

        I spend the rest of the day mentally punching myself for just dropping Wesley off after something like that happened.  Who just drops someone off after saving them from gun shots without finding some way to contact them to make sure they're okay later on? Would he have even given me his number? Or his email at least?

                                                                                               ~~~

              I'm laying in bed when the clock reads 11:11. 

                I wish for Wesley to be safe.