Careless

Wow, I sound like a Stalker.

~ Barley's POV ~

I was home alone, again. Mum and Dad have been away for three months, and they aren't gonna be back for another four months. They are on a massive business trip/expensive vacation again. I was so lonely.

Ever since Charlie went missing, about a month ago, I have been so lonely. I never realised that other than my parties, she was the only person I ever hung out with. And I didn't want to throw a party without her. We didn't even have any evidence that she was dead. I wasn't keeping my hopes up though.

I heard a motorcycle drive by, so I hopped up to check the mail. Maybe today's the day.

I haven't had mail for a month and a half. Usually I would get some of Mum and Dad's bills, some bank statements, letters, postcards, everything. But lately, I didn't get anything. Not even advertisements for local business'. It was weird.

Once I reached the mailbox, it was, yet again. Empty. Well, except for the tiny gecko living in there. I called him Bae, because it was cute and I didn't have a girlfriend to call that. So it was just me and Bae.

It may sound crazy, but I had made the mailbox a sort of gecko heaven for Bae. He had a bed of cotton buds wrapped in sticks, with a little water container and a leaf in the corner for a plate. I got him strips of grass everyday, and whenever I killed a fly, I would bring it outside for him. Bae goes hunting everyday for about an hour, and every night he's back where he belongs. He's my only friend. Well, at the moment anyways.

I headed back inside and plopped down on the couch. I flicked on the TV and sighed. It was the Big Bang Theory, Charlie's favourite.

I'm so depressed. Everything reminds me of Charlie. I miss her so much. She was truly my only friend, including Brad. I reckon Brad only liked me because I had cool stuff. I didn't even like him that much myself. He was too 'Cool' for my liking.

I looked at the framed photo of Charlie and I when she was six and I was seven. That was when we first met. She had been having a really big fight with Brad, and he had hit her. Really hard. Her face had gone red, and she was crying. I walked over to the fight and hit Brad right back in the face. We both got suspended for a week. I smiled at the memory.

We became friends really quickly, Charlie and I. Every day she would walk to the Grade two eating area from the other side of the school just to sit with me. I pushed away all of my other friends to welcome Charlie. I thought she was amazing.

Charlie moved in across the road five months later. Her parents needed to move, and on our first play date (yes, we used to play together), her mum saw the 'For Sale' sign and bought the house.

I looked out of the window at her old house. It looked so lonely, without Danni running around the yard or Charlie's purple curtains showing through the upstairs window. Her eight seater car was still in the drive way. It hasn't moved for two months.

I shut the TV off and went to my room. Underwear was scattered all over my floor. Because I was home the most, I got the biggest room. I was a bit OCD, so everything had a place and label. Except my underwear. That was the only exception.

Our house was ridiculously big, even though it was just me and my parents. We had at least four spare rooms and I got my own bathroom.

I walked down to our mini library. This was Charlie's favourite room. I walked over to the corner, slid down the wall to the floor and sighed.

My phone went off in my pocket. I looked at the caller ID, and it was an unknown number. I decided to answer it anyways.

"Hello?" I asked.

"OMG BARLEY! HI!" It was Charlie.

"CHARLIE!!!" I dropped my phone and quickly picked it up. It had a small crack on the top left side, but I couldn't care less.

"CHARLIE OH MY GOD! WHAT HAPPENED TO YO-"

"Listen, I don't have time." Charlie sounded frantic. "As soon as he realises his phone is gone, he'll come back."

"What?" I asked.

"Never mind." she exclaimed. "Listen, I've been kidnapped."

"WHAT?!" Oh my gosh! She's alive. She's okay. I hope.

"Charlie, everyone's been so worried!" I told her.

"Who cares..." she said. "Anyways." she continued. "He's got me. He's holding me hostage."

"Who?" I asked.

"I don't know." she explained. "He always wears this mask and I've never heard him talk. Barley, you have to come and get me."

"Okay, where are you?" I asked quickly.

"I'm not sure." she said. "I've been locked inside this whole time."

"Does he have any mail?" I asked.

"What?" she asked. Her voice sounded hoarse and tired.

"Does he have any mail?" I asked again. "His mail must have his address on it."

"Ok I'll check." she said. I heard movement on the other end and she spoke quickly again.

"I can pick locks," she explained. "But I can't get out of here. Everything is locked up, but I can't escape because he has security cameras and alarms and everything."

I heard a lock click opened and more movement. There was a bit of rustling, and then Charlie spoke again.

"I've got it!" she said relieved.

"Good," I said. "What's his name, and where does he live?" Wow, I sound like a stalker.

"Mr D Oakley..." she said.

"What?" I asked. D Oakley is my father's name.

"Wha? Mr D Oakley, Mr D Oakley, Mr and Mrs D Oakley and..." Charlie stopped.

"What?" I asked. "What is it?"

"Barley..." she breathed. "This is your mail."

"What?" I asked. This would explain why I hadn't gotten mail in over a month. But why?

A door slammed and Charlie gasped.

"He's here!" she whispered.

"Is it the guy?" I asked.

"I have to go!" she whisper-yelled. "Barley, you have to track this call! You have to fi -"

Charlie was cut off by an angry yell and she screamed. I heard something hard hit something else, and then a voice yelled into the receiver.

"WHO IS THIS!" the voice yelled. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

I hung up quickly.

"Shit..." I breathed silently.

I knew that voice. I hadn't heard it in such a long time. I thought he was dead. He was supposed to be dead. He should be dead.

It was Charlie's father.

******************************

DUN DUN DUUUUUNNN!!!!! OMG I FIGURED OUT WHO THE KIDNAPPER IS!!!! DO YOU LIKE IT?? OMG CHARLIE'S OKAY!!

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