Stolen Secrets

Stolen Secrets- Chapter 7

~Jeff~

“Jeff,” Mom said sternly.

“Huh?” I asked looking up from my still full plate where I had been pushing around the food with my fork.

“I asked you,” she emphasized, meaning she wasn’t happy that I wasn’t paying attention to her. “Why are you so quiet? Did something happen today?”

My parents didn’t know the whole details about what happened at school, my whole no friend thing. I never talked to them about it, but they knew of it. The fact that I didn’t talk about anyone from school, and that I was always home alone and only had my relatives and Natalie’s number in my phone didn’t do much to hide the fact I was a huge loner.

I shrugged.

“Jeff, answer me. Did something happen?” Mom asked sternly. She hated being ignored. Pretty much the opposite of me.

“Natalie invited me over after school today because she said her place is lonely.” A huge grin spread out over Mom’s face. “But then after school I couldn’t find her and she wasn’t answering her phone.”

“Have you tried since then?” Dad asked.

I nodded. “When I got home I did.”

“Well try again now. She might answer.”

“Okay, I will,” I said my hand going to my pocket hoping that my mom’s love for Natalie would allow me to use my phone during dinner.

But no such luck. “If you wish to keep those hands, there will be no phones at the table,” Mom said sternly her smile disappearing to a frown. Then her face softened. “But call her as soon as dinner is done.”

I nodded. “I hope she’s okay,” I said to myself.

“Why wouldn’t she be?” Mom asked.

I kept silent. Natalie’s secrets weren’t mine to tell. But it had been three hours since school ended and I hadn’t heard anything from her yet. And if her ex had found her…then I was right to be scared. I just hoped that what’s-his-name didn’t know where she lived. I hoped she was hiding somewhere and that she was completely safe.

As soon as I had cleared my plate and done my part of the cleanup I scrambled to my room to call Natalie.

I pressed the fifth speed dial number and waited as it rung. I had programmed Natalie’s number as five, not because the others were full, but because it was in the middle and I knew I wouldn’t forget it.

I forced myself to take deep breaths as I listened to the mechanical noises.

Br-ing! Br-ing!

Then finally her voice.

“Hey,” Happiness swelled up inside me. “Leave a message and I’ll get back to ya,” the message finished and my happiness dissolved. The famous beep sounded in my ear and I lowered the phone to my lap slowly, pressing the end button as I did so.

Natalie was fine. She had to be. She was having dinner with her dad tonight. She had probably just left it at her apartment or something. There was no reason she wouldn’t be fine.

“She’s fine, she’s fine,” I whispered to myself rocking back and forth slightly.

A more practical thought crossed my mind.

What if she realized that she was so much better than me? Something I had realized on Monday when I walked into class to find an angel in the room. Had she just abandoned me the moment she realized this and hoped that I would just forget about her?