you're not alone. - johannie.

xxxii.

Friday, same as previous chapter
THIRD PERSON

Annie, Lauren and Johnny were now in the counselor's office, trying to explain what happened the day before.

There were police officers just at the door of the counselor's office.

As for their parents, they were outside of the school waiting for their children.

Just like what the three had planned, Annie started off.

"You see, yesterday before school started, I decided to have little walk around town wothout my dad knowing." Annie explains. "Then when I was heading home, I came across Donovan river. I decided to stop by to acknowledge the view and stillness."

"Lauren and Johnny here, had nothing to do with my disappearance yesterday." She added.

"Yeah, we knocked on her house before school yesterday to check on her." Lauren says.

"Which apparently didn't go so well since she wasn't there." Johnny added.

"How did you know she wasn't there?" The counselor asks them.

"Her dad let us in, to check on her in her room." Lauren explained. "So we did what we were supposed to do."

"And upon entering Annie's room, she wasn't there." Johnny says. "So we left."

"Where did you go afterwards?" The counselor asks Lauren and Johnny.

Lauren and Johnny exchanged looks.

"They went to the river, where I was." Annie says, helping Lauren and Johnny explain.

"Yeah, we found her there." Johnny says.

"How did you know she would be there?" The counselor asks.

Lauren looked down, not knowing how to answer to the question without saying anything about the incident.

"Well, you see, Lauren and I thought it was okay if we went around town first before heading to school." Johnny lied. "We had plenty of time left before school started and we wanted to clear our minds."

"Clear your minds about what?" The counselor asks.

"Something personal." Johnny replied.

"Then we passed by the river seeing a girl our age." Johnny further explained. "Lauren and I decided to check on her."

"That's when they realized it was me." Annie said, finishing Johnny's made-up explanation.

"Where did you three all go afterwards? I'm assuming you three were together." The counselor said.

The three students who were standing in front of the counselor looked at each other.

They didn't think this plan through.

Neither were they ready to answer that question.

"That whole explanation can't take the whole day." The counselor says. "And to think that you three just appeared today, where did you children sleep?"

Johnny rolled his eyes due to the counselor calling them children.

They were Juniors.

The girls just kept quiet, not knowing how to answer the question.

"Hayden let us sleep in his house." Johnny blurted.

He mentally face-palmed himself, realizing what he just said.

He brought Hayden into this.

"Summerall?" The counselor asks.

Johnny nods.

"Why didn't you three come back in the first place?" The counselor asks. "You know, your parents got so worried about you."

The three stood there, unamused.

They know their parents weren't so worried.

They were being abused.

But they don't know that about each other.

"W-We were scared of what punishment our dad could give us." Lauren spoke.

"We didn't want getting punished." Johnny added. "No one does."

"Alright." The counselor says. "You three may go."

Annie, Lauren and Johnny had smiles on their faces.

They went out of the office and took their time walking out of school.

"I'm going to miss you two." Annie spoke.

Lauren and Johnny gave her a confused look.

"Well, who knows when I'll be able to see you two again." She explains. "And my dad thinking the wrong way, he still kinda hates you two."

"You have a point." Johnny says.

"It was nice knowing that I have friends like you two." Annie says.

Lauren and Johnny smiled.

They were about to walk out of school when they stopped for a hug.

Annie pulls away and walks out, seeing her dad standing there.

Lauren and Johnny's dad was also there. His arms crossed.

Annie gulped then sighed.

Let's just get this over with. She thought.