I Just Saw her

FIVE

On the fifteenth day, my phone lit up, not unlike it had hundreds of mornings before. That day, even its quiet alert was enough to wake me from another broken night's sleep. I immediately jumped out of bed and grabbed it, fumbling over and over to right it.

My stomach dropped into my groin as I unlocked the phone. I took a deep breath and prepared myself to face my worst fears.

THEY FOUND CASEY!

Three words from Dez. Before I could process them fully, the replies from my friends came though, all asking some form of the same question.

What does that mean?

Found her how?

What? Where?

Is she okay?

I waited. I couldn't ask, so I waited.

SHE'S OKAY!

I gasped, clutching my chest. My head spun and my vision was blurry. I made a series of nonsense sounds, which brought my parents rushing to my room.

"What?" my mother cried, rushing to me. "What happened?"

My legs shaking, my mouth hanging open, I stared at her. "They found Casey," I croaked.

"Oh my god! Is she - "

"She's okay!"

"Where has she been?"

I stared at my phone, scanning the words as the texts came hard and fast. "I don't know. Dez just told us." I dropped the phone on the bed, running to the closet to rummage for something to wear. "I have to go. I have to see her."

"You don't know where she is."

"I'll go to her house. Maybe someone can tell me." I paused, clutching a sweatshirt in my fists. "Maybe she's there." I thrust my head through the neck hole.

My father took hold of my shoulders and pulled me out of the closet. "Okay, slow down. Slow down. I'll make some phone calls, see if I can find out where she is. Go take a shower and get dressed. You'll see her."

I was grateful. My knees were knocking together. The adrenaline coursing through my body overwhelmed me, and I sat hard on my bed.

Hands shaking, I finally sent a message to my friends.

Where is she?

Hospital. Being checked out. Then home.

We have to go!

Should we wait for her to call us?

Fuck that!

Literally. Should we meet there and wait?

Maybe they'll let us see her there?

Guys stop. We don't know if she's okay. Maybe we should wait.

I considered that. Alive didn't mean unhurt.

As always, Bree had the answer. We split up. Girls to the hospital. Boys to the house. We wait until someone tells us something.

My hair was still wet from the shower and I couldn't remember if I put on deodorant, but I grabbed my phone and keys and raced past my parents. I shouted to them where I was going and was out the door before they could respond.

My hands shook during the entire drive to Casey's house. Alex's car was already parked out front, his overly eager tires having torn up the edge of the yard, right where the muddy grass met the sidewalk. He had driven up and over the curb, his right rear wheel still perched on the edge of the pavement. I parked behind him and rushed towards the front porch where he had claimed a seat on the swing.