Camella had reached home before nightfall and was in her bed listening to music. Camella had been thinking about Daniel constantly since she left the bus stop. She remembered having seen a man behind Daniel as she was leaving in the taxi. Nothing was truly odd about some random guy standing at a bus stop, but this guy made Camella feel uneasy.
Sitting up in her bed, she checked the time on her phone.
9:08 PM "I wonder if Daniel's home yet" She said as she punched Daniel's number into her phone.
Camella pressed the phone to her ear, listening as the line began to ring. Daniel's phone rang without an answer and went to Voicemail. Camella hung up and redialed his number, Daniel usually answered his phone regardless of the time or place, especially when she called. She tried calling a third time, and was put through to the Voicemail once more. Camella stood as she tried dialing his home number, no answer.
She began to worry, and called Daniel's best-friend and got an answer on the third ring.
"Hello?"
"Sean, have you heard from Daniel?" Worry had gripped her so tightly that she started stumbling over her words as she spoke.
"Nope, haven't heard from him since we left school today"
"Why? Something wrong?"
Camella froze for a second, as pictures of the recent killings on the News flashed through her mind.
"He isn't answering his phone" her voice broke "Can you try calling him for me please"
"Sure, but i think you're over reacting" Sean replied and closed the line.
Camella sat on her bed's edge wondering what could be keeping Daniel. The routine everyday for him, would be to go home by about 7 PM and message her. They would talk for hours on topics that made no sense whatsoever and laugh at the serious things in life.
Camella steeled herself against the growing fears and decided to give him some more time and try later. She forced herself to lie down in the bed and close her eyes. Camella drifted off to thoughts of Daniel and the times that they had before their breakup. Camella, jumped up to see 1:05 AM on the phone and decided to call Daniel once more.
She sat up, dialed his number and pressed the phone to her ears. Camella realised that her hands were shaking as she held the phone. She changed hands hoping it would stop the shaking but it only got worse as the line reached the third ring without an answer.
"Y'ello" a deep voice answered the call
"Daniel?"
"Oh, he's not available right now can I take a message?"
"Where is Daniel?" She caught herself mid shout "And who are you?" "Daniel and I were just chilling last night and he overdid the drinking. I carried him home".
The panic subsided a bit as the feeling of calm mixed itself with the lingering showers of worry that had taken residence in the pit of Camella's stomach.
"Well, thanks for dropping him home."
"I remember these days" the man chuckled "So it's okay"
Camella forced a chuckle
"Well I best be getting home. Good night Miss"
Before Camella could ask the man his name she was greeted by dial tone. Camella dropped back into the bed, feeling a bit more calm. She began to smile, maybe she did over-react, after all it is Daniel. Of all the guys she knew, he was the only guy that she expected would live the longest if the world suddenly flipped upside down. She began to close her eyes when her phone rang.
"Camella" She smiled at the voice on the line "Hey, Sorry that I missed your calls"
"Are you okay?" Camella asked feeling as though all was right with the world once more.
"Yeah, I'm good" Daniel laughed
The feedback from a speaker rung into the phone.
"Daniel, where are you?" Camella sat up in her bed.
"Oh, I'm at Ken's Wild Flower" Daniel laughed again.
"What are you doing there now?"
"I'm just getting some food Cam, was kinda hungry"
Camella heard Daniel close a car door
"Cam I'm on my way home now, we'll talk later."
And with that Daniel hung up. Shaking her head, Camella spun and dropped into her bed.
Camella woke the next morning clutching her pillow to her stomach. She sat up, placed the pillow on the bed beside her and stretched. Camella glanced at the clock showing 10:45 AM. "Shit"
She jumped out of her bed and ran into the shower. Ten minutes later Camella rushed out of the door putting her hair into a bun.
"Damn him" She cursed
She continued to the front of her community and stopped the first taxi that she could get and check her phone just to realise that Daniel hadnt let her know when he had reqched home.
