The Loud One

Chapter Fifteen- Sleepover

I pace back and forth in my windowless living room, stressing about my missing roommate. Since she's been gone the apartment has just felt darker than it ever has. The lack of windows in the kitchen and living room has never bothered me but now it makes me feel trapped. The lamp in the living room shines dimly begging me to sit on the couch relax and take a nap but I can't seem to relax even though I didn't have work today. My knee aches and I feel the athletic tape move as I pace, ignoring the slight discomfort from my fall yesterday. I fell yesterday completely distracted from thinking about Kat, I'm lucky that I didn't pull anything but it's still a bit sore.

Zach has told me a few hours ago that he had a tip on Max and he was going to take a few buddies to go look for her. I demanded he take me too but he was supposed to pick me up about 3 hours ago and I'm a hundred percent sure that he had no intention of bringing me. At this point, I've called him so many times and even started calling Jack who was the only one to respond.

Relax we will find Max, just stop freaking out?

Relaxing is not what I have been doing at all, and it doesn't help my nerves that Zach got Jack involved. For some reason it makes me feel like something bad is happening since that day on the beach. I know that Kat is mad at me but I need to see someone or I will go crazy.

"Dawn, stop calling me." Kat finally answers, after me calling over 20 times, "I'm not ready to talk to you-" Hearing her voice I finally hit bottom and start sobbing. "Woah, woah I'm not that mad... what's wrong.."

I lean against the wall sliding down still sobbing, trying to get myself to speak to explain myself but it just causes my cries to stop momentary like I'm having trouble breathing... which I kind of is.

"Okay... okay I'm coming to you right now..." I hear her moving things in the background, "Are you at home?" Again I try to answer only giving Kat the same noise as before, "Dawn breathe, you need to calm down." I hear the ding of the elevator, "Try to calm down, I need to know where you are...."

I focus on my breathing as I try to calm down, knowing that I'm scaring Kat. Plus I need to let her know that I'm at home. I don't know what's happening to me right to that's causing this kind of reaction. I've been dealing with Max being missing well right? These thoughts don't seem to be calming me down at all.

"Okay Dawn just listen to my voice," Kat says calmly on the other end of the line, "I'm not far from your place, maybe 10 minutes away I was with some friends..." For some reason I start crying, even more, feeling guilty that I took her away from her friends. "Stop thinking... I can tell you're all up in your head."

Focusing on the old carpet in front of me I start to slow my breaths, I feel stuck like I can't move. Just like a stone I sit against the wall still not understanding why I feel like this, my breathing starts to slow down, but my heart beats faster. The fear starts to kick in as I feel like stone unable to move.

"Okay I'm coming up the stairs now," I hear Kat's breath laboring as she starts to head up the stairs, "I'm praying that you're home right now... or this is going to be hard to find you." I can hear the worry in her voice. Finally, the door opens in a rush and Kat comes in with her face full of worry and her phone against her ear. The door slams behind her as she sees me on the floor. Kat comes straight over to me pulling me into a hug. The minute that she grabs me I start to sink into her arms and sob again.

Slowly she starts to rub my back whispering encouragements in my ear as I let all of the fear, guilt, and frustration I have felt out. Finally, I started to calm down and Kat pulls back to look at me. I rub the tears off my face, to make me look like less of a mess.

"Max..." My voice cracks as I try to explain myself, "She's gone and it's my fault."

Kat looks around, "She left? But all of her stuff is still here."

I shake my head and start to explain everything. From the end of the fight with her and Zach, to the club we went to, getting drugged, and even waking up at Jacks.

"They both are looking for her now, they were supposed to bring me but they never came..." I start to feel tears falling down my face again.

"Dawn, this sounds dangerous if they are both so worried. I'm not saying that Jack isn't a good guy but he doesn't seem like the same person we used to know."

I shake my head, "He is to me, those weird things happened back in high school too. I didn't think anything of it until the shooting thing... I still like she's the safest with them looking for her."

Kat shrugs, and moves to pull me up, "I honestly don't know and about a few nights ago..." My phone rings suddenly cutting Kat off, and I immediately answer it once I see Jack's number come up.

"Hello Jack?"

"Hey Dawn," Jack's voice answers me, "We found Max."

A sigh in relief, "Oh thank god, when will you guys be here?" I heard Jack clear his throat in the background.

"It's so late that we're gonna have her stay over at mine for the night."

"What? Why? Is she okay?" I start to panic, "We can come right over..."

"NO, Dawn stay at home, who is with you right now?"

I start to feel the tears heading down my face again, "Kat is... Jack, I don't understand..."

"Just breathe baby, and let me talk to Kat for a minute," barely able to react to Jack calling me baby, I shakily hand the phone to Kat.

"Hello..." Kat says slowly, "Okay, yes. Don't worry I'll stay with her, okay sounds good. I'll see you in the morning. Bye." Kat gives me a small smile, "It's sleepover time."

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Sorry for an update so late in the day! But... I still made it for FRIDAY

I love you all <3 Stay healthy and happy

Love Mama Em