unsolved disappearances » otis and ruby

Part 11

Otis POV

It had been three weeks since Ruby had disappeared. The news of her disappearance had even reached Maeve who was settling into her new life in America ahead of her new school. She had called me one evening via an online messing application, due to the time difference it was well after midnight when I picked up. "Sorry, did I wake you?" Maeve begins.

"It's fine." I utter, trying to wake myself up. "What's up?"

"I heard that Ruby went missing, has she been found?" Maeve asks. "Aimee was telling me about it yesterday, she didn't shed much light on the subject, apparently the police are keeping the information secured from the public."

"Ruby hasn't come home yet, they found her car and even some secretly footage that she made her way towards London on a bus. The police are starting to think on her trip she might have met some dangerous people." I explain as best I can. "They did find that she had some positive pregnancy tests in her car though."

Maeve sighs from across the phone. "Does this mean that you're a father to a child that suddenly disappeared?" She asks in a joking voice. "Or is it someone else's?"

"No one knows, it's theorized as mine," I explain. "I get quite a few dirty looks every time I go around in public now, some people think I had something to do with her disappearance."

"Now that, I don't believe. Knowing Ruby being a bitch she would be finding a way to get an abortion." Maeve suggests. "She wouldn't want to carry a child and ruin her perfect figure."

"I suppose," I say sadly. Although I knew Maeve liked to use humour as a way to make others laugh, this time the joke just went as an insult to Ruby. "Listen Maeve, I really need to get back to sleep. I have school in the morning."

"Right sorry!" She utters before we farewell each other, with her attending her classes and me enjoying a dreamless sleep.

When I had arrived back at school the next morning, I notice the missing posters for Ruby had tripled. Her parents were funding more money into the investigation, they want their daughter to come home safe and sound.

I catch up with Eric who had some news to tell me. "Did you hear?" He asks.

"H...hear what?" I ask confused.

"They just released security footage of Ruby wandering around London in a train station!" He yells excitedly. "The footage is just from two and a half weeks ago, the police think they're getting close to finding her."

Eric pulls up a video from his phone to show some shaky camera footage of a familiar-looking girl walking through a train station. The expression on her face appeared confused as she made her way towards an underground terminal. I saw that she was carrying her small dog Baby, along with her grey bag that had the Moordale high symbol on it from the uniform we previously had.

"Did they find where she was heading?" I ask my best friend as we walk into the school building together. 

He shakes his head. "You know the cops, not saying anything." He explains. "They would probably be working with the London police force to try to track her down, she might be hiding out there." 

"She took her passport, she could've left the country." I offer.

Eric scoffs. "I don't think Ruby would be smart each to get herself out of the country." He says in a serious tone. "If she was smart she would've stayed put with a good support system, see if she is pregnant with her child I would be the best uncle in the world and kidnap the baby for you."

My mind races back to the day when I had purchased the morning after pill for Ruby.

"I also want you to know, if you are pregnant and choose to keep the baby, I'll quit school and get a job to provide for you both." I had said putting my hand supportedly on her thigh.

"Earth to Otis!" Eric calls, getting my attention again. "Now would you think Eric Jr is an appropriate name for your child?"

I shake my head. "We should just focus on ourselves, Ruby is still missing and she could be trouble!"

"I'm just thinking ahead." He defends himself before both Anwar and Olivia walk past us and stop, hearing our conversation.

"If Ruby were to show up again, I doubt she would let either of you two near the spawn if she had decided to keep it." Anwar defends Ruby. "It's bad enough her baby daddy looks like that."

Anwar looks at Otis with disgust. "Remember to wrap it with the next one." He reminds me before walking off.

I'm just left there speechless. "What dickheads." Eric comments.

The rest of the school day goes on without any disturbances. When I arrive home that afternoon I see that the car that had been previously under investigation, due to Ruby taking off in it was parked in my mother's driveway.

Walking in the door I'm met with my mother talking to Ruby's mother Dona. They both look up at sad, I see that Ruby's mother had been crying. "Did they find Ruby?" I ask, only met with silence.

"Dona has just informed me, they have found a body about 30kms from London city that matches the description of the clothes that Ruby was last seen wearing." My mother explains, consoling Ruby's mother. 

"My husband and I have to go identify the body," Dona informs me. "We were just wanting to know whether you would like us to go ahead and use your DNA to see if you were the father of the child?"

I'm left there speechless once more. They might've found the boy that belonged to Ruby. That meant that she had faced the tragic end that I wasn't hoping for. "S..sure." I agree with their request.