Find me, Atlas

Chapter 26

A weekend had passed since I'd met Mr. Sarsamo. After we found him at the table, Atlas didn't hesitate to send me home. There was nothing but empty hatred in his eyes as he looked at his father, and his dad looked like an ordinary man. He looked well dressed, managed, a typical father figure... but I didn't want to be fooled by what he looked like, he wasn't a good person.

I sat in homeroom thinking about the situation in the kitchen, I didn't want to leave Atlas alone, but it wasn't my business to pry into his relationship with his father like that. I just hope he wasn't arguing with a wall, that at least his mom would hear him out.

I was the first person into homeroom, I was so focused on Atlas that my mind went sour and I didn't think about my friends, we were supposed to meet at the library this morning for library study passes, oh well.

I heard whispers of my name from behind me, I turned and saw Atlas making a gesture with his index finger to go over there. I stood up and walked out of the room and hugged him, tightly.

A couple people stopped and looked at us, I glared at them telling them to fuck off. Normally I wouldn't display affection in public but I needed that hug, and I'm sure he did too. "What happened after I left?"

"Nothing."

"Atlas."

"No I'm serious, after you left nothing happened. I didn't try to say anything and neither did he, I looked at him and he looked away from me so that's that." Atlas said cracking his knuckles to avoid the conversation.

I took his hand and looked around me to make sure no one was looking, and kissed it. "I know you're down about this, but he's not worth it." He smiled a little as I said that, and then looked at his hand.

"Oh, wait shit, did you kiss my hand? Fuck, now I have to go wash it."

I pursed my lips, "Nice to see you've retained your humor." He pulled his hand away and looked at it with disgust to tease me, I shoved him off in the direction of his homeroom and walked back into mine feeling a sense of accomplishment.

My phone buzzed and I looked down to see a photo of the girls at the library, all with bitter faces. Mattie sent a text underneath it, 'Bitch where are you??'

I sent a photo back with myself walking down the hall to the library, 'Relax, I'm on my way.'

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"Sky? Honey, where is your father?" Mom asked walking around the corner in her robe.

"I have no idea. Why?" I asked looking her up and down. She's not the type to be underdressed, even in her own house.

"He needs to get ready! We have an important work gathering tonight and I don't want to be late!" Mom said scrambling all over looking for a hairbrush.

"Mom, relax. You'll get out on time."

"We'd better." She said and trudged up the stairs. I decided to look for dad in different parts of the house. He wasn't upstairs, mom would have found him, he wasn't in the living room or kitchen, and he wasn't outside by the car. The only other place I could think of was down in the basement.

I was skeptical. I hate our basement, its always cold and quiet. Like in those movies where they turn off the background music to make it scarier before someone dies. I opened the door and called for dad, when he didn't answer I took a deep breath and went down the first step. I saw a set of shadows. I went back up the step and called louder. "Dad!"