Crazy

Chapter Five

"Hello? Crystal? Is everything okay? You know I'm at the concert!" I yelled into my cell phone.

It was hard to hear my friend's voice on the other end of the line, she was crying so hard. I tried to shut out the loud nonsense coming from the crowd by placing my hand over my other ear, but it was no use. I was never going to be able to understand what Crystal was saying if she didn't clear her voice and calm down. As I wandered further backstage, I found Hunter's dressing room. He nodded at me, and I shut the door behind myself for privacy.

"It... It... The blood... Everywhere! Kitty... Kat..." Crystal wailed in my ear.

"What about Kat? Spit it out, Crystal, you're freaking me out! She didn't hurt herself, did she?" Hot tears began to spill down my cheeks, as my head began to spin.

"She wanted to make you dinner as an apology for tying up your necklace, so I said she could. I went to the bathroom, and... When I got back... She's gone!"

"No. No, she's not gone, please, tell me she's not gone, Crystal you can't say she's gone," I begged.

"There was blood in the sink, and the back door was open. She didn't take the car, and she didn't leave a trail. I don't know where she could have gone. Your mom went out to dinner with a guy from work, and I don't know if it triggered her to think of your mom with a guy or what. I haven't told her yet, you were my first option. I don't know what to do! I was supposed to watch her and make sure she didn't do anything stupid or crazy or dangerous. And now she's gone!" Crystal sobbed into the phone.

"I've gotta go. Start looking for her, I'll handle mom. And Crystal? You did nothing wrong. Just know that," I whispered before I hung up.

As I opened the door Hunter and Sarah were standing right by it waiting to hear what the phone call was all about. I couldn't keep the tears from running down my face as I collapsed into Sarah's arms. She embraced me, just the same way she always did whenever Kat acted upon her mental illness. I could sense Hunter's presence, and I knew he was questioning what was going on. But there was no way to explain what was going on at the moment. I just couldn't even begin. And on top of that, what would he think of me? He was Hunter Hayes, for crying out loud! He was one of the hottest country music stars out there! He didn't need some problematic seventeen year old girl dumping her depression and daddy issues on his wonderful life.

He cleared his throat as a warning before he spoke, "Hey, Kitty? Is everything... Okay? Can I do anything?"

"I'm sorry, Hunter, the show was great, and it's been a real blast, but I have to go. I have to take care of my sister. I'll text you later. I'm really sorry," I flashed a sad smile before heading toward the door.

"Kitty, wait! Please, let me help. I don't know what all is going on, but I can promise you I can help. If you let me. But I can't do anything if you don't open up to me, let me in. Kitty, you can't just keep pretending everything's fine, because if you never let anyone in, if you never accept help for whatever it is you are going through, all it will do is eat at you. It'll start from the inside, deep in your core, where you think no one sees it. And it'll work its way to the outside, where everyone can see it. And everyone can see it then because that is the point it reaches when it tears you apart completely. Don't let that happen to you, please. Let me in, let me help," Hunter begged, and I could see sincerity in his eyes.

"Fine. Grab your keys and tell your road guys that you might not be back until tomorrow. You're about to learn the back roads of a hand," he gave my reference a puzzled look, but did as I said anyway. "Sarah, Kat ran away. I don't know how long we've got, if we have any time left. Mom doesn't know yet, Crystal called me before anyone else. Take my car and start looking for her, you know her favorite hideouts. Hunter and I will take his car, and we'll look everywhere she would never go. I'll call mom and get her looking too. I swear, if God takes her from me right now, I don't know what I'll do."