𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘀

𝟎𝟕𝟕

"𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚖"
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘴' 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵

"WHAT'S WRONG?" Noah asks, immediately reading Parker's expression.

Something is off. His eyes have worry in them and his lips are not curved into their usual smirk.

"I need to tell you something," Parker says, sounding as though he is in a panic.

"Okay..." Noah trails off.

"Something's happened to my parents," Parker mutters and looks down at his shoes, "I don't know what to do or who to call or—"

"Wait, wait — what do you mean?" Noah asks, "What happened?"

"I don't know, I came home and they're gone! Their cars are in the garage, their keys are on the table, my Mom's phone is on the counter — they would never leave all that stuff!" Parker rambles and takes a deep breath.

"Did you call the police?" Noah asks, matching his panic.

"No, I—" Parker stops as he puts his hands on his head, "I didn't know what to do! I panicked!"

"It's okay—"

"Noah?" Emily says as she comes behind the teen, "Hi," She says as she sees the boy.

"Ms. Prentiss, I'm sorry, I just—" Parker panics as he realizes he should probably leave.

"He needs your help," Noah tells her mother.

"I just need to call the police—"

"She is the police — she's the FBI," Noah tells Parker.

"What?" The boy asks, not remembering Noah ever mentioning Emily being in the FBI.

"What's going on?" Emily asks, confused by the two rambling teens.

"His parents are missing," Noah tells Emily with a shaky voice.

"What?" Emily questions, "Come inside!" She exclaims and has the two teens follow her in. Noah locks the door behind them all and walks to the living room, seeing Emily sitting on the couch as Parker paces.

"Tell her what you told me," Noah says to the boy.

"I came home, my parents weren't there. I called them, but their phones were just sitting on the counter. And my Mom left her purse, both their cars and keys are there—"

"And they didn't say they were going anywhere?" Emily asks.

"They said they'd be home at two after tennis — that was five hours ago!" Parker exclaims.

"Let's go to the police station—" Emily states as she stands.

"Do you think they're dead?" Parker asks as he stands as well.

"We won't know anything until we report that they're missing," Emily says and grabs her phone and purse, making sure the teens are following her out to the car.

Noah sits in the passenger seat of her mother's car, Parker sliding into the backseat. Noah eyes him through the side-view mirror, seeing his distraught expression. She takes a deep breath, hoping this is some sort of misunderstanding.