Sabella

{Sabella} Chapter 1: Jackson is Missing

Every day after school, when kids desperately clawed their way out of the building, we would always meet in the same spot. Concrete steps cold against my calves, I waited for him, looking down at my phone and playing some Tetris or solitaire. Almost spat out of the building, I always chuckled a little as he stumbled around to regain his footing. I'd always smile when he smiled and waved at me. In the loneliest of times, when I felt like no one in the world cared, I knew he did. And I knew that if I sat on those steps and waited long enough, he'd show up and make everything better.

This day was only slightly different. It was an early release, and they let us out at about noon. It would be even better today. We'd meet at the steps and walk down to my car and just drive. Far away from the pressure and the judgement. We'd grab ice-cream or just talk as I got us lost. It would have been perfect.

Except, he was late.

I waited...a long time. I won solitaire seven times. My phone battery died and I got out a book. I read through as many pages as I could bare before I looked up. Realizing I was sitting on the school steps alone, everyone else gone, I decided to try the door and see if he was still there, making up a test or something. It's possible he forgot to text me and tell me. It's possible his phone died. He doesn't use it that much anyways.

I attempted to open the doors, but they were locked. My phone was dead so I did the only thing I could think of. I got in my car, and headed for his house.

Every day, I would give him a ride home, but maybe he forgot and took the bus today. Granted, he's never done that before, but stranger things have happened. I've certainly done that to him a couple times, but he'd never gotten mad. He hated it when I called myself dumb afterward, and wanted me to take it back. I never did. I would stick my tongue out and say, "You need to understand that half of my humor is self-deprecation." He'd laugh along right after I told him, but get upset when I called myself dumb the next time.

When I got to his house, I knocked on the door. It was a strange experience, since we were so close I would almost always walk in without knocking. Or we'd walk in together.

His mother answered the door. She had a warm smile, and then her eyes darted around, a little confused.

"Where's Jackson?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

My eyes go wide a little, more concerned, "I thought he was here. He didn't show up for a ride today."

She invited me inside and called Jackson on the home phone. I sat nervously on a kitchen chair, just barely close enough to listen in on the conversation. The call goes straight to voicemail. She looked at me, eyes like saucers and I returned the look. Jackson's phone was off. Or dead.

"I'm calling the school and asking if he's still there." Jackson's mother stated, picking up the phone again. I lightly touched her arm and she lowered it. "Of course, you already looked."

I nodded solemnly and looked out the window, maybe unconsciously hoping that he would be walking down the street, disheveled and confused. But safe.

After all, it was possible he could've walked home. He could've hitched a ride from someone else. Thinking about this made me feel a little hurt. Maybe it was selfish to be jealous at a time like that, but Jackson was my best friend. He wouldn't have gotten a ride from anyone else. Not without telling me first.

About a year ago, when I still had braces and an obvious lisp, I would get bullied. A lot. Jackson was always my protector. And I was the crybaby who always hid behind him and wouldn't stick up for myself. Ethan Hikes, the notorious meat-head of a bully had his sights set on me for most of my sophomore year. Any opportunity to humiliate me, he took. However, I knew that if Jackson tried to fight Ethan, he would lose. Instantly. Ethan was three times his size and flunked twice. There was no way Jackson would win.