Hello Stranger

Chapter 2

"Andrea! Get up! Get up!" A woman screams. But I can't move, something is holding me down. Something cold pressed against my back. A table? But it was metal. I struggled to try to move, but it didn't work. I was stuck in place. A loud screeching came through a speaker hurting my ears, but I couldn't cover them. Then it hit me.

Asher.

Where was he? Is he okay? Is he here. I continue struggling until I feel a sharp pain around my wrist. I tried to scream for my brother, but no sound escaped my mouth. 

"Andrea," A deep man's voice taunted. "Andrea." He continued. I heard heavy footsteps that sounded like they were coming toward me.

I looked around to see where I was but I couldn't see anything. There was a bright light right above me, blinding me from seeing anything else.

I hand covered my mouth and nose as if trying to suffocate me. I felt it getting hard to breath and the voice telling me to get up was now saying something new. "Fight back!" The woman's voice screamed. But it was as if my body was paralyzed. I cried out for help but I was still mute. The hand above me still covered my mouth. The room started to spin and get dark. I was gone.

I jolted awake in bed panting to regain my breathe and calm down. I looked around frantically at the room I was in. I sighed when I realized it was my bedroom. It was just a bad dream. I wiped my eyes and stretched before climbing out of bed.

I went through my usual morning routine of showering and getting ready. Then, I made my way down the stairs. I could smell bacon being cooked and hear the pots and pans clatter while music blasted. I reached the bottom of the stairs and turned into the kitchen to find my brother dancing around the kitchen as he cooked. He looked much better than he did last night.

He was spinning around the kitchen island and began singing to the song, Girls Just Want To Have Fun until he saw me. He immediately moved the spatula which he had been using as a microphone and cleared his throat. "Hey. I didn't know you were awake already." 

"Obviously," I laughed in response. "Please. Don't stop because of me. I love a good show while I eat." I sit on one of the stools at the island. My brother began putting pancakes, bacon, hashbrowns, and eggs onto three plates. Three? Why three?

"Very funny," Asher says as he comes around and kisses me on the forehead. Then, he sits down beside me. "Too bad I'd rather eat than perform."

I turn to look at my brother to see if he was going to explain the third plate. Yet, for some reason, it looked like he had no intention of doing so. So, I asked, "Why the third plate?" We're used to our friends coming over all the time at random times of the day. Including in the morning before school, but usually, I would've gotten a message, I would've heard them, or Asher would have told me.

Asher swallowed the forkful of pancakes he shoved in his mouth before speaking. "Right, you were asleep when he came over last night," He might've expected me to guess who he was referring to, but I had no clue. "Joey's here. He stepped out to take a call a bit ago. But I guess his mom and dad got into an argument again last night."

I nodded. Why would Joey come here, just next door to his house? He knows that we'd be the first place his parents look. It doesn't make sense. Usually, he would go to Xavier and Lizzie's house. Why wouldn't he go there like he usually does? Does it have to do with why he wouldn't look at Lizzie last night? I'm sure that Asher would know.

I started to ask Asher, but before I could, Joey came into the kitchen with his phone in his hand. He wasn't talking on it, he was just texting. "Oh, hey. I didn't know you were up." Joey says to me.