Friend Forever

Come Back

Three years later
Summer 1996

  "Mallory! You are to come right home after school! Ok? I'm fine with you bringing Amber over, but I don't want you staying out late! Ok?" My Mother shouted as I was just about to leave the house, on my way to school for the second week into the new school year.

"Alright Mom! See you later!" I shouted back as I flung my bag over my shoulder, and was about to step out into the warm morning air, outside the house.

"See you later honey! Love you!" She yelled back, before I finally stepped out into our front yard, and shut the door behind me. With my bag over my shoulders and resting on my back with my grey cardigan under the bag, I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my heavier cardigan, and began to walk along the sidewalk, leading to the school. My middle school. Bernie Wolfe middle school was its name, the school I entered in one year ago, in grade six. I was in grade seven by then, and I found the school was pretty good. Alright I guess. The teachers were nice, I didn't mind my classes, I had some friends in every one of them, and the school was pretty close by. A bit further than the elementary where I once went, however not by much. Maybe a five minute walk further.

  The warm breeze on that day in Tampa, it spun around me ever so slightly as I brushed my hair behind myself. My blonde hair gathered in the sunlight, as it shone as highlights lit it up. It seemed the longer I spent my time outside, the lighter my hair had become, as it seemed almost lighter than it once was. Maybe not as long, since I had cut it only recently. My hair had grown much more over the years, however it was getting to the point of too long as it caught in many things, and I thought a trim was needed. A good trim. And so my Mother took me to the hairdressers more in town, and she snipped majority of it off, just past my shoulders. I actually thought I suited short hair, both my parents mentioning that as well. With my hair much shorter then, the top of my head wasn't as flat as it once was when I had that long, heavy hair weighing the top down. Then, with it all cut short, I had more volume around the top, as my short bangs framing the sides of my face received more height almost. With that volume surrounding the sides of my face and flowing away from the front, my face was exposed more, as my bright eyes beamed at a higher frequency. And my clear complexion, with the tiniest of dotted freckles cornered my cheeks and around my eyes and nose, was exposed as well. But I didn't mind, as my Mom would say she preferred my hair like that, as it showed off my 'beautiful face' more. Those were her words. However, my hair's natural state remained the same, as no wave consumed it, only straight sections and pieces, as it hung almost poker straight, without any products at all.

I turned onto the next street and sidewalk, as the flat and smooth concrete made chipping noises as I stepped upon the sidewalk pads with my black sneakers. My black sneakers that matched my outfit that day, with my blue jeans, black top and grey cardigan. And to match, my black bag I had gotten as a gift from my past twelfth birthday from my parents. A bag that was pretty pricey I had to add, being around $40, which was pretty expensive for me. I had spied that bag in a window of a story that was in our town a few months back. A store that was located in a strip mall, as the glass reflected the outdoors and the main streets in our town. In our small town, where everyone knew everyone and news travelled quite fast. News that had sparked up the community and town, like a few years back. When Carly disappeared. That news travelled quickly, at a fast rate.

After I ran into the Hall's house that day when I saw Carly being thrown into the back of a white car, her parents quickly got on it, calling the police in an instant, and within moments cop cars were swirling around their house and our neighbourhood, asking her parents questions, and the girl who had last seen her friend. The girl who witnessed everything. Who witnessed the abduction; me. I was in shock at first, and didn't really speak much, however as the days from then unfolded, I spoke up more to the police, and I recounted every little detail I saw, heard and witnessed that day.