It All Started with a Beanie

(35)

He wasn't at school.

I had prepared what I was going to say and practiced it a thousand times but of course, to my luck, Parsons wasn't at school the next day. Or the day after.

"Have any of you heard from Parsons?" I ask the group at lunch. He wasn't at school yesterday and hasn't been so far today. I was starting to get worried.

 "I texted a few times but he hasn't responded." Cam said. "I was going to go over there after school to see if he was home." 

"He's done this before." Liv begins and I turn towards her. "He's just disappeared for a few days and then comes back as if he never left."

"Do you know why he's disappeared before?" I ask.

"Nope. He never talks about it." Cam pitched in, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm sure he's find, E. He'll be back in no time." Ollie reassures me with an attached smile. I reciprocate the gesture but the worry is not lifted from me just yet. I need to know he's okay.

The rest of the school seems sluggish and takes forever to finish but when it does, I take no time in exiting the school and making my way to my car. It doesn't take me long to get to his house but I immediately take notice of the cars in the driveway, or lack of one in particular. I park and make my way to the door.

When I knock, I am met with a pair of green eyes as the door opens. "Erin. So lovely to see you again. Come inside, dear." I smile at Mrs. Shannon and enter the home. My eyes scan the area but there still is no sight of Parsons. "What can I do for you, love?"

"I was just stopping by to check on your son. He hasn't been at school the past two days and I wanted to make sure he was okay."

"He didn't go to school? That's news to me." She says, a hint of shock in her voice.

A few seconds later, the rest of the group enters the house.

"How'd you get here so quick?" Ollie asks.

"Determination." I give him a smile and he chuckles.

"Any word on where our good friend is?" Cam says.

"No. His mom thought he was at school." I say. I then turn back to Mrs. Shannon. "Did something happen?"

"Not that I'm aware of." She pauses to think back to the past couple of days. "Now that I think about it, he did get a phone call a couple days back and was very upset and stormed out of the house after. I don't know who it could have been."

"Who would make him that mad?" Ollie asks.

"His dad maybe?" Liv questions.

I notice Mrs. Shannon sigh and lean against the back of the couch. "That would make a lot of sense. His father has randomly called Neil before and it never ends well." She places her head in her hands. "Where would he have gone?"

"He never tells us. He just says he needs to blow off some steam and leaves." Cam says.

"I may know where he went." I say. Everyone looks at me. "He took me to this secluded place a little bit ago and he told me it was his place of refuge. I could try looking there."

Liv smirks. "Is that where you guys..." I nod and I notice the confusion on the others' faces.

"I'll explain later. But I'll look there and let you guys know if I find him." They nod and quickly make my way to my car. 

In the twenty minute drive, the worry builds up in me. If he's not at the abandoned place, then I have no idea where he is. 

I pull up and release my breath when I notice his car in the open space. I park behind him and get out of my car and make my way to the building.