Lucas ✔️

Twenty

"Where to?" Shax asked awkwardly, sending me a look in the rear-view mirror. I had let Janie sit in the front as I hoped she could just watch the road and zone out, but it seemed to be having the opposite effect as she looked at Shax nervously.

"Can we take Janie home first?" I said quickly, knowing she would want to get out of the car as soon as possible.

He nodded and pulled out of the school car park quickly, following my directions as I told him where to turn. Janie was silent in the front and I could see her wringing her fingers together tightly. Shax and Amy's car was expensive, decked with leather seats, and black, as expected. I had wondered what it looked like inside before but, now that I was inside, I felt like I couldn't, or shouldn't, touch anything. Almost like my germs would rub off on the material and destroy it.

"It's this one here," I said pointing to Janie's home just up ahead. Her house, unlike mine, was kept tidy and the grass was freshly mowed. There were large plants in the garden, all shrivelled up in the winter air, but I knew they bloomed into gorgeous flowers in the spring.

Shax turned into the driveway and stopped the car, leaving it idling. Janie didn't move so I jumped out and helped her get out of the car, sending him a look that said I would just be a minute. Racing her up the driveway and to the front door I pushed the button, knowing her mum would be home.

"Lilith?" Jordie said as she opened the door, a face mask plastered across her face. "Oh! Janie! What's wrong with her?" She gasped, reaching her arms out and grabbing Janie's shoulders.

"She's in shock, I think," I said lightly, shuffling inside and moving to the lounge room, dumping Janie on the couch. She sat there, her eyes blank and her nose sniffling. She looked at me briefly, but it felt like she didn't even see me.

"What happened?" Her mum asked quietly as she patted Janie's soft locks.

"Layla James has gone missing," I said quietly, nodding my head sadly when she looked up at me with wide eyes. At any other time, I would have found her face funny beneath the green mask, but it didn't seem like a comical scenario right now. "I think Janie's finding it hard to come to terms with, you know how she is. Cole had to stay behind for questioning, so one of our friends offered to drive us home."

"Cole had to stay behind?" Jordie said with a sad smile. "No wonder she's shocked – she's probably worrying about him."

I nodded my head and looked out the window, before making my way to the front door.

"It was good to see you again, Jordie, but I need to go. I don't want to keep the driver waiting."

She followed me with a sad smile and sent an awkward wave to Shax, who was sitting in the car. He waved back slowly, although we could barely see him through the tint on the windows.

"Who is he?" She asked curiously, eyeing the expensive car

"Shax, he's new to town with this other girl Amy."

"His sister, Amy?"

"Not sure, to be honest, they just come in a pair," I said with a shrug, wondering who they were to each other myself. "I'll call Janie later to make sure she is okay," I said with a smile, taking a step outside.

"Lilith," Jordie said quickly, reaching her arm out to touch mine as her other hand rested on the door. "Before you go, I just wanted to say that we miss having you over. Make sure you visit longer next time," she said with a genuine smile, which I returned. I was happy she didn't ask me how I was, because I wouldn't have been able to answer honestly.

"Sure, I will, thanks," I said, turning away and then pausing, sending her a quick glance over my shoulder. "I've missed you too."

Jordie's face broke out into a large smile and she wiped a small tear from her eye, causing her face mask to smudge to the right. I laughed at her and waved goodbye, running down the steps and towards Shax's car quickly.