.swayla.reality.

.FOUR.

Anthony's P.O.V
"This is it." I said as Noah parked the car in the driveway of a house. Josh Richard's house to be precise. "I don't know if he'll be here but it's my best guess."

We got out the car and I walked up to the front door. It was a typical suburban American house. The type you might see in one of those movies with the 'perfect white family'.

I rang the doorbell and waited. We got no answer so I turned the handle cautiously. It sung open and I stood still in surprise for a moment before going into the house.

It was just as I had expected. Clean and bland. There were little photo frames everywhere and I knew I'd gotten the address correct because I could see Josh's, much younger looking, face smiling back at me in them. There was a little girl in them too so I assume he had a younger sister. Whether she disappeared with the adults I don't know because I didn't know how old she was at the time.

"Hello? Josh?" I called out but the house was empty because I was just met with silence. I turned back to the others who were standing in the hallway. "I don't think he's here." I said.

"I don't think he's been here in a while too," Noah commented. "The house looks like it's been empty for a while. There's dust everywhere."

"Maybe we can look around for clues as to where he might be now." Tayler suggested and we all nodded before dispersing around the house.

I went upstairs with Blake and the other three stayed downstairs. We went into the first room and looked around. It was probably his sisters room by the looks of it. There was stuffed animals everywhere and pictures of her little smiling face. Also not to be stereotypical but it was incredibly pink and I don't think that matched what I knew of Josh's personality very well.

"I think she was too young." Blake said and I looked at him. He was holding a picture of the girl and her mother. "Probably went with his parents."

"Maybe." I said sadly. Even if Josh turns out to be an ass I'm sure he misses his sister and his parents.

"We should check his room." I said and Blake nodded. We walked down the hallway, checking through doors until we found the one that looked as though it had belonged to a 15 year old boy once upon a time.

"This must be his room." Blake said and I nodded before moving inside and looking around.

"I think he's been back here. It looks like he's taken stuff." I mumbled, looking at the wide open, almost empty wardrobe. There was also nails on the walls where pictures might have previously hung.

"Yeah but not recently." Blake said as he picked up a cushion and coughed at the dust that came off it.

Something else fell out of the cushion too after Blake shook it but Blake didn't seem to noticed so I walked over and picked it up.

"What's that?" He asked.

"It's a number." I said whilst staring at the little bit of paper.

"Do you think it's his?" Blake asked, peering over my shoulder at the paper.

"I doubt it. Who keeps their number on a bit of paper hidden in a cushion." I said.

"True." Blake admitted, "Maybe we can call it and they can give us his number."

"That's a smart idea, give me you're phone." I said and Blake gave me his phone after unlocking it. I'd forgotten mine back at Noah and Blake's place.

I told Blake to read me out the number as I dialled it into his phone. It started ringing so I put it up to my ear and waited. It rang a couple times and then someone picked up.

"Hello?" A voice asked.

"Hey who's this?" I asked.

"I should ask you the same thing. How did you get my number?" The voice said.

"It's a long story but it doesn't matter I don't need to know you're number I just want to know if you have Josh Richards number." I asked. There was a pause on the other end and I waited.

"...I haven't heard that name in years." The voice said quietly.

"So you know who he is?" I asked getting hopeful.

"Yes I do... I don't know if I still have his number but I can check." The person said, whoever it was sounded a little sad since I mentioned Josh. I waited as I assumed they were checking for Josh's number.

"Okay yeah I've got it." The voice said and then read out the number. I quickly got a pen from Josh's desk and scribbled it onto the back of the paper  that I'd found.

"Thanks." I said.

"Wait." The voice said quietly.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Can you please tell me how you got my number?"

"We're trying to find Josh and we found you're number in one of his cushions." I told him. I waited a moment and then I heard a quiet laugh. It sounded almost sad.

"Thanks for telling me." The persons voice was thick with emotion and I couldn't help but smile sadly. Whoever this person was they were obviously pretty close with Josh before everything happened.

I don't exactly know why I said what I said next but I know it was one of the best decisions of my life.

"If you want to see him you could meet us and help us find him." I blurted. Blake looked at me funny but I ignored him.

"Really?" They sounded excited almost.

"Yeah why not." I said.

"Okay then I will. It'll be nice to have some company." From that sentence alone is how I knew they'd be staying with us for a while and I smiled.

"I'm Anthony by the way." I said.

"Jaden, Jaden hossler." He said. I gave him Noah and Blake's address and told him to meet us there as soon as he could.

"Bye Anthony, see you soon." Jaden said.

"Bye Jaden." I said and then ended the call. I sighed and turned to Blake who was staring at me expectantly.

"So I got Josh's number and I also got a potential new player for our team." I said and Blake's eyes lit up.

"Wait what do you mean potential?" He asked, "like they weren't sure?"

"No... I kinda didn't really ask him?" I said while scratching the back of my neck sheepishly.

"Oh." Blake mumbled, "well why is he coming?"

"I think he had some sort of connection to Josh. He got pretty emotional after I mentioned Josh's name." I said, "probably more than friends." I added and Blake nodded.

"We should tell the others." He said and I nodded, grabbing the price of paper with the two boys numbers on it and following Blake out of Josh's room and downstairs.

"Hey guys did you find anything?" Noah asked as we came down.

"Yeah we got his number and some other kid who obviously had a connection to Josh is coming to help us find him." I explained.

"Did you get his name?" Bryce asked.

"Jaden Hossler." I didn't recognise his name so I assume he met Josh some other way that wasn't at school.

"Should we call his number then?" Tayler said.

"I guess." Blake said. I handed him the piece of paper and turned on his phone. He started to read of the number as I dialled it just like with Jaden's.

However He didn't have time to read the full thing because suddenly the front door banged open and someone stepped in. I looked up with wide eyes and the first thing I saw was the barrel of a gun pointed at my face.

"What the fuck are you doing in my house?"

......words 1323......