Truth Or Dare? ✓

15. a thing they had in common that night

The next thing I know, I'm in a car. I tried to panick, because why the hell am I in a car? I couldn't move.

I saw trees speeding past us and I realised we're driving very fast. Like fast.

"Mom?" I whispered and I was scared from my own voice when I heard it. I actually sounded like my grandmother who died three years ago.

"Oh, honey! Darling! My girl!" she literally screamed out and stopped the car.

It's only then, when I realised that it is my mom and that it is, in fact, my mom's car. I have her jacket and something else on me and it's so hot in here that it stings on my body.

"I will kill you, Isabel. I swear to God, I will kill you." she exclaimed all covered in sweat too.

I feel alive again. I move my hand, then the other. I feel my phone in my pocket. I get it out to see how bad it's crashed or if Owen has answered, I don't know.

"I'm fine, mom!" I said, more like, I gasped out.

"Why were you laying on a road at almost midnight?" she asked, moving towards me, looking genuinely scared and worried.

"Do you think that we have the perfect life?" I asked. I turned to her and pulled the blanket closer to me. Shivering was back. I preferred the numb feeling much better.

"What the fuck?" she had a funny look on her face. Forehead all wrinkled and mouth open.
I started to chuckle. Before noticing, I was laughing.

"Are you on something?" she held her breath, waiting for my answer.

"Sadly, I'm not." I sighed.

"I don't recognize my daughter." she whispered.

"Can you answer to my question?" I asked in a calm voice. My mother was thinking that I've lost my mind. I haven't, right? I'm just not letting the pain hit me. I'm holding back. Owen can't. I hate Owen. But I want to know if he's alright at the moment. I've never hated anyone before.

"Mom, I hate him." I said.

"Speaking of, why aren't you with Owen right now?" she raised her voice.

"He wants to be alone. He wants to be miserable and fucking sad and lonely. Alone. And that's what he will get! Mom, after tonight, he's alone." I cried out.

"I'm sick of crying!" I yelled and threw away the blanket.

"Hey, hey, hey! Young lady, what do we do now?" my mom grabbed my wrists and made me to turn to her.

"Breathe." I let out and we both held our breath for ten seconds. Then breathed out. Then all over again.

"Mom, do we have the perfect life?" after a while I asked again.

I wasn't looking into her eyes because I just simply couldn't look at her at the moment. I made her so scared for my stupid actions. I could have died on that road tonight. I actually thought about dying on that road tonight! I thought about dying for the first time in my life.

"Yes, honey! Our life is good. Very good. But it's never perfect, it just can't be perfect." she said and I hugged her. At least, I attempted to. My body felt like paralyzed. She started to run her hand down and up my back, just like she used to do when I was little and couldn't sleep because of nightmares. I sighed.

"Owen is hurting." I let out, sobbing into her shoulder.

"I know, baby. I see it everyday. I think you see it too." she shrugged.

I think everyone knows. We're all just too scared to do shit about it. Does that make us any better than him?

"It was a little while ago, but I went to see Elizabeth. She stopped answering my calls and texts and I got really worried. I heard she quit her job, so they're probably not having the best time at the moment. She didn't want to talk to me, basically pushed me out of the door." she said, while I pulled out my phone.

I had 16 calls from Liz and tons of messages but nothing from him.

"I need to find him!" I opened the car's door and jumped out, barely finding my balance to stand up.

"You're not going anywhere!" my mom yelled after me and got out of the car as well.

I started to walk.

"Mom, you don't understand. I just let him, no, I told him to get the fuck away when he was at his worst!" I exclaimed, trying to move but I just couldn't. My body wasn't listening to my brain, what just made me more angry.

"Try to call him again." she said in a calm voice, standing next to me.

I was shivering.

I pressed on his contact, ready for his voicemail but it actually started to ring. I heard the beeping sound in my ear. As I was waiting, I kept walking back and forth, biting my nail.

"Come on!" I whimpered.

Nothing. The call stopped. I tried again. Nothing. And again. Then we waited two minutes and I called again. Then two minutes more. Nothing.

"We need to help him!" I said looking at my mom.

"Let me call Beth. Maybe she has some idea where he could be right now. She is his mom after all." mom said.

I got back into the car and turned on the heat again.

My phone started to buzz. I jumped in my seat and grabbed it with my shaking hands. Dad.

"Darling, where are you? Mom said it won't be long and that I shouldn't worry, so I got home and made some pizza, which I really want to start eating." he chuckled on the phone.

Mom opened the door, giving me a warning look.

"It's weird, but the traffic is crazy. We'll soon be home, though." I said, trying to sound as normal as possible.

"Okay, darls. Mwah." I could see how he shrugs his shoulders from the other side of the phone.

"So Elizabeth said that he could be at this abounded place. He usually goes there when they get into a fight. That's all she said." mom got back in the car.

"Great! Do you have the address?" I put on my seat belt.

"We are not going anywhere. Not tonight." she said, looking serious.

"I can't believe you."

I was calling Noah. He picked up right away but he sounded mumbled, awkward and very rushed.

"Listen carefully, if I'd give you the address would you please go to this place? It's about Owen!" I basically screamed into the phone.

"Wouh, relax, babe. Owen is in my garage, drinking beer." he tried to chuckle but really couldn't. Something was really wrong but I still let out a sigh. He was safe. At least for now.

"Can you give him to me? Please?"

Silence.

"Noah, I just need to know that he's okay. That's all I need to know!"

"Um, he really doesn't want to talk to you. But you don't worry please." Noah said and hung up. He just hung up on me.

Then, right after, my phone buzzed again.

It was a message from Owen.

"im ok"