Abandoned

chapter three.

The day was dreadfully boring, until I got to lunch home room. My teacher always likes to play a playlist of stories from the local news channel online.

My head snapped up when I heard, "Middle age woman, yet to be named, was found dead in the bathroom of a bar late last night. It has been ruled as a suicide. The woman had blonde hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a red dress. If you have any information on-"

The bell rang and everyone jumped out of their seats, heading to the lunchroom. I looked at the corner of the screen, finding that it was posted earlier in the morning. I jotted the phone number down on my hand and rushed into the cafeteria.

How likely is it that it was my mother they found in that bathroom? I have no idea. The description matched. It easily could be her, but then again it could easily be anyone else with blonde hair and blue eyes who hangs out in bars.

My heart pounded as I searched around the cafeteria for some kind of answer. I need to find out if they named who the woman was yet.

My eyes landed on Justin, sitting at a big table with a bunch of his friends, other stupidly attractive guys and girls that made me want to not eat anything for a week. I sucked it up and walked over, not seeing any other options.

I searched for anyone else I knew well enough to ask a favor of as I walked, then realized I never really talk to anyone. Now I wish I did.

"Justin?" I stood behind him and watched as not only his but every head at the table turned to me. I felt my face get hot and my hands get sweaty just from the attention.

"Can I borrow your phone, please? Really quickly?" I said as nicely as possible, but with a shaky voice from nervousness and the fact of how scared I am of what I'm about to find out.

He glanced around at his friends before turning to me. "What happened to the quiet rule?" He raised a brow, questioning me. I shook my head.

"Justin..."

"How do you not have a phone?" He teased.

"Please."

"Mhm... I don't know..." He tapped his chin and a few of his friends chuckled. I could punch him the face if I didn't need his help.

"It's an emergency." I pleaded, and he must have noticed. Even in the very short time he's known me he knows that I'm not the type of person to beg. I don't like people's help. His face softened a bit and he handed his IPhone over.

My hands shook as I walked to the table next to his and sat at an empty seat. Justin kept his eyes on me, but I couldn't focus on that.

I typed in the number on my hand and it rang twice before someone answered, "Hello, this is Cannel 3 News, how may we help you?"

"I had a question about a story you reported this morning?"

"Please hold." I bounced my leg up and down as I impatiently waited. I don't know how I'll react if she's really dead. She might as well already been dead to me, but still...

"What story are you speaking of, ma'am?" A different woman from before interrupted my thoughts.

"The one about the woman who was found dead at a bar. Blonde one, from suicide." I rambled.

"Yes, okay... we have new information on that and it should air sometime today."

"Do you know the name yet?"

"One second..." I felt my heartbeat in my entire body. "The woman was by the name of Andrea Samuel."

I tried to suck in a breath, everything around me seeming a bit blurry. It was her.