We're Almost There

18. You Make It Sound Like You're Taking Me To The Moon.

Eighteen

Erin

The level of hate and disappointment Erin felt for herself then was off the charts.

She couldn't find Kenzie anywhere. She was terrible at her job and a disgrace to every guardian in the universe. Erin would be sent to Hell, she was sure of it.

When she had showed up at Kenzie's house earlier, she wasn't there. She wasn't at work or school or anywhere she might actually be.

Frustrated, Erin left her condo, going again in search of her best friend.

When she was downtown, she ran into a few of the kids she recognized from school. Erin quickly caught up and tapped one of the guys on the shoulder, causing him to turn. "Uh hi, I'm Erin. By any chance have you seen Kenzie Coleman in the last little while?"

Please please please please please.

"Who?"

Erin sighed just as one of the girls spoke up. "Kenzie Coleman? She's in my english class. If you're looking for her, she might be at Ace and Gracie's party... Do you need the address or something?"

Erin's eyes lit up, Kenzie didn't go to parties, but who knows, maybe she would find someone there who knew where she was. "Oh my goodness, thank you so much! Where is the party?"

The girl told her the address and Erin thanked her and hurried off. She repeated the address to herself three times before teleporting to the house.

In a mere few seconds, Erin found herself across the street from a mansion where cop cars were pulling away. "Oh no..." she muttered. But she couldn't see a teenager at all. Then the house lights went off and Erin worried this might be hopeless.

She walked all the way back into town, not wanting to miss a thing. Arms wrapped around her stomach, Erin felt so ashamed. Tears began rolling down her cheeks, the salted water warming her frozen lips.

When she turned the corner, she bumped into someone. "I-I'm sorry," Erin muttered, staring at her feet. "I d-didn't mean to."

"Are you sure about that, Golden Girl? I think you're starting to fight back against me, yeah?"

Erin looked up and blinked a few times before she realized Tristan was really standing in front of her.

He laughed. "Star struck, are we?"

"Wh-what are you doing out here Diablo?" Erin asked.

Tristan looked her up and down, then smirked. "I could say the same."

Erin crossed her arms defensively. "I'm looking for Kenzie."

He laughed, a big belly laugh that she didn't know he was capable of. "You lost her? You're fucking kidding. Oh my god."

All Erin wanted was to snap at him, but she didn't have it in her. Unwillingly, she burst into tears.

"Woah," Tristan muttered.

As she began to sink to the ground, Tristan grabbed her arms and did the weirdest thing. He pulled Erin close and hugged her. He was surprisingly warm.

"Hey, um," Tristan said softly as Erin fell to the ground with him accompanying her. "I, uh..."

Erin closed her eyes and remembered back when she was a little girl. She used to wish on stars for what she wanted most. But when she looked up above Tristan's shoulder, the sky was dark, clouds passing the moon.

She squeezed Tristan once more before letting go. Erin brought her knees to her chest. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Tristan made a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a sigh. "Uh, no worries, really." He looked at her. "You're really stressed, aren't you, Rin?"