The Unpredictability of You and Me

sixteen - missing

The next evening, Mom lets me invite Lesly, Tyler, and Liam over to do "homework." I just really needed someone to talk to. Tyler shows up an hour late, not bothering to knock on the door.

"Sorry, sorry. My dad was home and it was a struggle to leave," he announces, throwing his backpack on my bedroom floor.

I sit up from my laying position on the bed. "You're fine."

"Finally," Lesly cuts in. "We've been waiting for your ass for an hour. Jade wouldn't tell us anything until you got here."

Tyler picks up the pillow off my chair and flops down on it. "Tell you anything about what?"

Liam nods his head to the side towards the bathroom door connecting my room to Adrian's. I quickly shh them. The walls might not be thin, but I don't want to take any chances. Especially after what we did last night.

"What even happened with him being put on house arrest and stuff?" Liam asks in a hushed voice.

My good mood disappears as I tell them the whole story quietly. From us going to Connecticut, to him freaking out about his dad, finding him at Asia's, getting into the fight, getting arrested, and him being put on house arrest. I don't tell them about us having sex, yet, None of them interrupt the whole time, except to cut in with some questions to clarify what I said or gasps and shocked expressions.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Tyler finally speaks, breaking the silence. "Is he trying to fuck everyone's life up?"

I frown and find myself getting defensive. "It's not like that. He can't help it."

Just at that moment, there's a knock on my door. "Jade?"

"It's open," I call out.

My mom walks in, not bothering to look at my friends. "Where's Adrian?"

I furrow my eyebrows. "What?"

"He's not in his room. Do you know where he is?"

I stand up quickly, feeling my heart beat rapidly increase. "Are you sure?"

"Jade. This is serious. If you know anything about where he could be, you have to tell us," she says slowly, like she's speaking to a five year old.

"I swear I don't know anything. I haven't even talked to him since after school." All day, he's been pulling me aside at school, sneaking in kisses when no one was around. It's not like we could do anything in front of anyone.

"Oh god," she mumbles, walking back out of my room quickly.

My friends all throw me concerned looks. I rush out and follow my mom out of my room. She's pacing around and Dad is on the phone with someone.

"No, we checked his room and everywhere. He's not here," Dad's saying. "The last time we saw him was two hours ago, around six. He was asleep in his room."

"Mom-" I try. She waves a hand, motioning for me to quiet down so she can listen to what my dad is saying. I step back.

"He must have used the fire escape. I was sitting in the living room catching up on work for the last few hours. I would have seen him if he left through the front door," Dad says into the phone, sounding nervous. Another pause. "He broke the ankle monitor off. We found it in his room. He left his phone, too."