Behind Her Smile

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve: Three Counts

Ro dials Dex's number again after what seems like the nth time and just like the calls before it reaches the dial tone.

"The person you are trying to reach is curr-"

Ro hangs up after a frustrated sigh leaves his lips. He runs a hand through his already messed up hair so it was sticking is random direction. He probably looked just like the Mad Hatter right now with his crazy red hair.

He paces along the sidewalk in his pajamas as he tries to think of where she had gone.

Ro had tried to follow her, but he had ended up losing her at a red light. He had already tried all the places he could think of; the school, the park, the art shop, even his own apartment in case she had decided to backtrack, but all in vain. There is no sign of her anywhere.

And she won’t answer her phone.

He calls her one more time. "The person y-" he hears the automated message sound again and Ro presses the end call button. With a loud curse, he throws it onto the grass.

What had happened to her?

Was it the school? Was it detention? He had thought she was fine when he had dropped her off, she was all smiles and the shine in her eyes was back. Was he wrong?

Or did something else happen that he wasn’t aware of?

Ro paces some more on the sidewalk as he mutters to himself and tugs on his hair some more. He didn’t notice the strange looks he got from his neighbors or maybe he just was too preoccupied about Dex that he just didn’t care.

Ro phone starts ringing. Ro stares at it for a second before he dives onto the grass to grab it. In his excitement he didn’t even check to see who it is before he slides to answer. "Hello?"

"Heeey, Dude! How’s it going?" Ro pulls his phone back to check who it was and he sighs in disappointment when he sees its Stefan, a jock who was being punished with detention for bad grades and Ro had to work with him. He was an alright guy, but he always made sure to spend the whole time dribbling his basketball instead of working. Ro always ended up having to do his share of work so the both of them don’t end up in trouble.

Nonetheless Ro decides to be civil with him. "Yeah Stefan, what’s up?" he says a little grumpily.

"Come shoots some hoops with me." he demands.

Ro frowns, "Don’t you have some other friends to ask you?"

"They are busy." Ro gives a disgruntled huff. He could read between the lines to know Stefan meant that Ro was the last person he wanted to call to hang out with.

"Well so am I." Even if Ro were interested in playing Basketball, he wanted to wait for Dex to come back. To be honest, he wanted to see with his own eyes that Dex was safe and sound back at home.

Stefan didn’t seem like he wanted to take no for an answer because he questions, "With what Dude? You are dissecting a frog or something?"

Ro scowls down at the sidewalk. Is that what he thinks he does all the time? "Noooo." Ro says slowly, "But I am waiting for someone."

Which was true. Someone who was driving him crazy with worry.

"Then wait for them with me. Come on Dude, just one game." he pleads.

Ro wasn’t budging. He decides go straight to the problem as he bluntly states, "I don’t like sports that require me to be outside."

"It’s inside a gym." Stefan retorts. "Come on Dude! Just one measly little game. Do you really have anything better to do?"