Unwritten Pages

Chapter Forty-Nine: Unwritten Pages

     Because I don't know where exactly he is, I decided to tell Desiree the next day about my findings. During the rest of the day alone, all I can think about is how stupid I am. Why hadn't I checked the information paper that Winter had written? I'm sure she even had a picture of him there. In fact, I'm sure that Aiden's picture is pasted all over the city. It's just that I'm too...self-centred to even notice. All I've been thinking about is Winter's note to us—me in particular. I should have been paying attention to helping find her...stalker.

     When I get up in the morning I can see the sun shining brightly through the window. I check the time. It's afternoon already.

     After changing from boxers to shorts and a t-shirt, I head on out. Like usual, my parents are working. But I can do whatever I want now. It's not like I need my parent's consent. In fact...I don't even think I need to write notes for them when I'm leaving anymore. Hopefully, they'll trust that I know what I'm doing and where I'm going.

     I'm not exactly sure where my friends would be. The best guess is at Desiree's house. I don't know if they're still having some pity party.

     Pity party. Now I feel slightly bad for even thinking that about them.

     I'm only a few steps from the door when I see the bus begin to pull closer to my bus stop. I swear under my breath. I'm not sure if I can catch it or not so I run full-speed towards the stop (all while crossing some red lights but I always do that when I'm going to mess the bus). Luckily, I'm fast so I make it there just as the bus slows to a stop. I'm about to get in when I see Desiree followed by Arianna leave the bus. Confused, I stare at them and the bus pulls away.

     “What are you—”

     “Doing here?” Arianna finishes for me. “Desiree had a vision and she wanted to tell you something.”

     I look at Desiree. Her eyes are wide and she opens her mouth and closes it as if waiting for the best time to admit something.

     “I know who Aiden is,” Desiree says breathlessly. “You're the only other person who saw him. You know that guy—”

     “Wanna talk at his house?” Arianna asks. “I mean, sure we can stand around here and stuff but seriously—”

     “Yeah, sure,” I say, waving Arianna off. “Come on. And Desiree, I think I figured the same thing as you did. I wanted to tell you today.”

     As we're walking, Desiree continues talking. “I wasn't sure if it was possible or not, but I seriously thought about it last night and everything fell together.”

     “Like a puzzle piece,” Arianna says. When we don't laugh, she says, “What? Don't find that funny?”

     “This is serious, Ari,” I tell her. She sighs and kicks a pebble on the sidewalk as if we're getting too annoying for her to take.

     “Alright, I understand,” Arianna says, “but we shouldn't...just...dwell on things like this.”

     “We're not 'dwelling' on things. This is happening right now.”

     Chris is on his yard again. I don't know how long he spends on his yard, attempting to seduce girls passing by but I assume it takes up almost half his day.

     “Hey there!” he calls. Just as he speaks, I remember the last time I heard him speak had been when he had been asking about Aiden. Could he be...?

     I look sharply in his direction. He doesn't look anything like what Aiden is described as. He doesn't have black hair or blue eyes. In fact, that description is pretty much describing me...