The Good, the Bad, and the Crazy. //+//A Complicated Love Story//+//

Chapter 30: Branson.

I was going to see her today. I was going to talk to her today. My sleepless night full of worries would all be worth it when I was able to tell her what actually happened and watch the pain leave her face and see her smiled again.

I called Miss. Catch this morning and asked her to meet me at the mental Hospital.

She was waiting inside for me when I arrived. She looked…sober and she really was nicer that way.

“Hello, Branson.” She said, but this time she wasn’t being sarcastic.

“Umm, hi Miss. Catch. You look very…put together today.” I said.

She smiled “Thank you, son. When I singed that paper to allow them to put her in here I said to myself, I said ‘Elizabeth, you have to try harder. This girl is just a child. She’s losing her mind. She needs you now more than ever, you’ve just got to do your best.’ Sadly it took me a few hours to stop drinking, then a few more hours to get over my hang over, and then a day to clear my head. But now here I am, ready to go see my girl. I just know she’ll be so proud of me.” She smiled widely.

“Okay, then let’s go.” I said.

Together we walked up to the reception desk. “Hello, how are yo-” She froze when she saw me “Am I going to have to call security again?”

“What?” Miss. Catch asked “On this poor boy? Why he’s so innocent. What could you be talking about?”

“He ran right through the halls yesterday, right up to someone’s room. I can’t have someone acting like that in here.”

I watched as little gears turned in Miss. Catch’s eyes. “Oh, no. Not him. You must be talking about this twin brother,…Mathew. Did Mathew want to see Mary yesterday?” She asked me.

“Umm,” I said trying to understand her lie “yes. He did. I had no idea he did something like that. Was anyone hurt?” I asked trying to play it out.

“No,” the receptionist said.

“Oh, well, that’s good. Now can we go on up and see Mary Stone now please?” Miss. Catch asked.

“Of course, I’ll just need your signature right here please.”

Miss. Catch singed the piece of paper.

“Kitty will take you to see Mary now and she’ll explain all the rules.” The women said gesturing to a nurse that stepped out from behind the counter to stand by us. “Have a nice day.”

“Are you all ready?” Kitty asked.

“I believe so.” Miss. Catch said.

“Right this way.” Kitty lead us to the elevator “Now once your inside we’re going to close the door, there’s no handle on the inside so just knock when you’re ready to leave. Okay?”

We stepped out of the elevator as we both nodded.

We reached Mary’s door and Kitty peered through the window “Oh, looks like she’s still asleep. Would you like to wake her up?”

“Oh, I’d love to.” Miss. Catch said.

Kitty opened the door and the three of us walked in. Mary’s back was to us so I couldn’t see her face but I knew in just a moment I would.

Miss. Catch walked around the other side of the bed and her smile vanished “Is this some kind of joke?” She asked Kitty.

“Excuse me?”

“There’s no one here. It’s just a piled of pillows with a zipped up hoody.” She said pulling off the covers and the jacket, releasing that there really wasn’t anyone inside the bed.

“Oh, my.” Kitty said backing away.

“What is it? Do we have the wrong room?” I asked.

“No, umm, no I think she got out. We have to call security right away.” Kitty said pulling out a charger.

Miss. Catch sat down and mumbled something about needing a beer.

Fear struck me like a knife. What if Mary was hurt? It would be my entire fault.

I pulled out my phone, dialing Bryan, Sam, Aaron, Kate, Sophia, and Charlie.

They got there a little before Kitty returned.

“Branson” Kate and Sophia said running to hug me, they were so little, just my baby sisters.

“What happened?” Bryan asked looking around the room.

“She’s gone.” I said.

“Gone?” Charlie asked.

“Yeah, and it’s all thanks to your little girlfriend.” I snarled, leaning against the wall.

“Layla? What does she have to do with any of this?” Charlie asked.

“Everything. She told me two days ago that if I kissed her goodbye she’d tell the police the truth. I didn’t know she was watching.” I was quiet for a moment “I didn’t know Mary was watching.”

“She told me about that.” Bryan said.

“What’d she say?” Sam wondered.

“Well she was acting wired. I walked in the room, she told me about you kissing Layla, and then she basically pushed me out the door.” Bryn thought for a moment “When I said ‘See you later.’ She just said ‘Sure.’ and starred t the ground. What if she doesn’t come back?”

“She’ll come back.” Sam said taking her hand.

I clutched my sisters closer to my sides “It’ll all be okay, Branson.” Kate said.

“Yeah, we get it now. You really like this girl.” Sophia said.

“No,” I mumbled into her hair “I love that girl.”

Kitty ran back in the room “We can’t find her anywhere. We’ve searched the premises all the way over. She’s not here. But we did find this outside the basement exit door. And a security guard said that when he was in the basement last night he thought he heard someone.” She held out my blue sweat shirt.

“That’s mine.” I said “I gave it to her.” I let my arms slip from my sister’s shoulders and took the sweat shirt. I smelled it. It no longer smelt like football practice, now it smelled like cotton candy. It smelled like flowers. It smelled like Mary. “Miss. Catch, go home. Stay there and call anybody you can.” I begged, she nodded and left the room “Sophia, Kate, you go check the train stations. Sam, Aaron, go to the school. Bryan you’re coming with me to look in the neighborhood.”

“What should I do?” Charlie asked. He looked sad and hurt and ashamed.

I walked up to him and took him into a hug. “I’m not mad, man.” I murmured into his shoulder.

“Thank you.” He said.

I pulled away “You go and make sure Layla doesn’t interfere with us finding Mary. Okay?”

He nodded.

“Okay, then.” I said lets go.

Everyone left before Bryan and I. On our way out Mary’s door a doctor stopped us.

“Are you Branson Stal?” He asked.

“Yes.”

“Well, I had planned to tell you and Mary at the same time but considering she’s not here and someone needs to know…” he trailed off then smiled. He finished his sentence and my body went numb. I forgot how to speak, I forgot how to breathe, I forgot how to move. I forgot everything.

“Branson, Branson.” Bryan said nudging me “that’s great, right?” She asked.

I ignored her and turned to the doctor “Are you sure?” I asked.

“One hundred percent. It was in the urine sample.” He said.

“And Mary doesn’t know?”

“I hadn’t gotten the chance to tell her.”

I starred at the ground. How could he just spring something like this on me?

“I have to go.” I mumbled wakening past him.