Sweet Like Honey

18.

Today was the last day of the Sadie's spirit week and the night of the dance. Lennen was dressed in her beloved grey Stanford sweatshirt and a pair of blue jeans with a pair of white converse high tops, since today's spirit day was college day and was California schools only, following the theme of the week. She grabbed her keys and was about to call for Oliver to come downstairs so they could get to school. Oliver came down in a UCLA, his favorite school, sweatshirt. 

"Kids, we need you to come home right after school because we have a flight to catch. The Petty's will be meeting us at the airport." Graham stops his kids before they could head out the door. Lennen was ready to complain that tonight was the Sadie's dance and how she had been looking forward to going, but then she remembered how lucky she was to have the opportunity to see so much of the world. 

"Where are we going?" Oliver asks. Oliver, like Lennen, was a little upset to hear the news that they would be missing the dance to go somewhere. He had a date to the dance and he knew it would be hard to tell her the news that he could no longer go.

"Miami. We won't be gone long, you'll be back at school on Monday," Graham tells his kids. He knew traveling so much made his kids miss out on events at school, but he also wanted to give his kids the opportunity to travel the world. Playing professional soccer gave Graham the opportunity to travel around the world and he wanted his kids to get the same experience he did. Traveling had given him so many memories that he would cherish forever, and he knew that each destination was a new memory that he, and his family, would remember forever. "You'll have about fifteen minutes to pack when you get home and then we need to head to the airport." 

The kids nod and head out the door, wanting to get the school day over with. "So, how do you feel about missing the dance?" Oliver asks his sister. Her and Jonas' relationship was new, so her taking off all the time had to put some sort of strain on the relationship. 

"I mean, I'm a little bummed since this was supposed to be Jonas' and I's first dance together, but we have Senior Ball, so I guess it's not that big of a deal." Lennen was a little surprsied at the fact that she wasn't totally crushed about missing this dance. She had put a lot of work into this week and the dance, but she didn't seem to mind. She enjoyed traveling with her family, experiecing new things with people she loved. "What about you? I know you had gotten asked by the girl you've liked for a while." 

"Yeah, her name is Paige Markov. She's in three of my classes and we've become really good friends, clicked pretty instantly." Lennen smiled at her brother, happy that he was happy. "I'll just explain to her what's happening and take her on a date when we get home." 

"That's sweet of you, Oliver. I hope she understands that our family doesn't really follow the norm. She'd be very lucky to have you."

***

"So, what are you and Jonas wearing tonight?" Sawyer asks Lennen, during Newspaper/Yearbook. The two had both finished their articles and putting together a spread for the yearbook, leaving them with nothing to do for the next fifteen minutes. 

"We were going to go as beach bums, but not anymore," Lennen responds. Her mind has been so preoccupied with school work and then getting ready to leave that she didn't really have time to focus on the dance. 

"That would've been cute. Why aren't you doing it anymore?" Sawyer knew that Lennen practically lived in beach clothes, so she was unsure as to why she wouldn't wear that to the dance tonight. 

"I'm not going to the dance. Dad informed us this morning that we would be catching a flight when we got home from school today." Sawyer looked at Lennen, and she could tell that Lennen wasn't upset about missing the dance, which was out of the ordinary for Lennen; she loved dances. 

"You don't seem that upset that you're missing the dance. Have you told Jonas?" Sawyer asks. She was more than confused because Lennen seemed so happy when she was with Jonas, and this was going to be their first dance together. 

"No, I haven't told Jonas yet. I've been focused on so many other things and just haven't found the time. I'll tell him eventually." 

"Is everything okay with you two?" Sawyer was actually becoming concerned for her friend and her relationship. "You just seem so blank."

"Yeah, we're great. I've just been so busy and stressed with college stuff," Lennen was never one to talk about her relationships, it wasn't something she was boisterous about. She liked to keep her relationships between her and the other person. 

***

Jonas had arrived at Lennen's house at 6:00, their agreed time since they were going to get dinner before the dance, which started at 7:00. He rang the doorbell, waiting for someone to answer. No one answered, so he rang again, and again no one answered. He called Lennen, going to ask where she was since she wasn't at home, and again no answer. Jonas called her again, thinking that she probably wasn't near her phone so she didn't see it. Three more calls and no pickups, he decided to call Sawyer, hoping that Lennen was with her. 

"Hey Jonas," Sawyer greets him. Jonas hardly called her, so she figured that this had to be something important. "What's up?" 

"Is Lennen with you? We were supposed to meet at her house so we could get dinner before the dance, but it looks like no one is home and she isn't answering her phone." Jonas was concerned, not knowing where Lennen was or why she wasn't picking up her phone. 

"Did Lennen not tell you?" Sawyer asks him, curious as to why he thought Lennen would be with her, since she was currently on a flight to Miami. 

"Tell me what?" Jonas questions, confused. He didn't understand what Sawyer was talking about. If she wasn't at home and not with Sawyer, where was she?

"She's on a flight to Miami. She left right after school, but she'll be back on Monday. Did she not tell you?" Lennen had told Sawyer that she was going to tell Jonas that she wouldn't be at the dance tonight, so she was confused as to why she didn't.

"No, she didn't tell me." Sawyer felt bad for Jonas, he seemed to care a lot about Lennen and she was seeming mundane. Jonas walked away from Lennen's house and back into his car, upset with Lennen that she left without even telling him. He was going to the dance, with or without Lennen, not going to let her stop him from having a good time. 

"I'm sorry, Jonas," Sawyer was sincerely sorry, and was going to be talking to Lennen about why she didn't tell Jonas that she was going away for the weekend. It was out of character for Lennen to be acting like this, leaving both Jonas and Sawyer concerned about her.