Smile For Me (Student/Teacher)

Lay It On Me?

"You promise you'll go home and sleep?" Connor said as he unbuckled himself from the car.

I nodded at him. "I promise."

He reached over and hugged me. "I'm so glad we found her."

"I just hope she's okay." I sighed.

He pulled back and nodded. He didn't say she will be, like I wanted him to. He said the truth, and it didn't help with the hope that was barely there for me.

"Me too."

I was going to lie to him, and go to school, but I was tired and exhausted from worry, so I got home and passed out with my jeans on.

When I woke up I immediately checked my charging phone to see I had a few missed calls from Erin's father and Connor. I called Connor back quickly and he answered with the news of Erin's destination.

"She's still at the coast hospital, and she fell into a coma." He said painfully.

I had no words at the moment, and instead stared at string of thread laced together that hung on my doorknob. It was her gift to me in fifth grade, a friendship bracelet. I gave her one back, and we never wore them. Instead we kept them hung around the curves of the door knobs to know we were always welcomed into eachother lives. Even if the door is closed, it'll always be unlocked.

"Diana?" Connor's voice echoes in my ear and I cleared my throat calmly.

"I don't know what to say." I said truthfully.

"I know." He said and I heard as he fished through his mind for the right words to say, but to save him the trouble I spoke before he did.

"I should go." I said.

"Yeah, me too... See you tomorrow?"

"Sure thing."

I layed back and didn't know how to take my mind off the gut wrenching hospitilization of my friend. The only person who really took my mind off things like that was Mr. Grant.

And my mind flew to him. Why couldn't I remember how it felt to look into his eyes? Why couldn't I remember the scruff of his scratchy beard against my cheek? Or how he smelled on top of me. Or how it felt to have him breathe into me, our lips not even centimeters apart...

If it wasn't for him, would I have found Erin? After all, he did allow me to leave and head to her house and watch as the police man raided her room.

I should call Andy.

I took my phone and called him, having to leave a voice mail that explained to him how everthing was alright, and she was in a coma. I knew he cared, and he was willing to find agents to search for my friend, not his friend, but mine.

What if I called him too? Charlie. I didn't know if it mattered to him. Of course it did, he cared enough to allow me to leave just to look for her. I decided to wait, and I could do that. Wait until I saw Mr. Grant next.

I showered and gathered all the homework I knew had to be done and did it. It was an easy way to take my mind off things, and once everything was finished, it was a little late in the afternoon. I thought smartly to eat dinner, and read a book as if nothing in my life was wrong.

I was on my couch in my empty home, reading peacefully until my phone rang, yanking me out of reality in a dramatic way. I saw the name and my heart skipped beats. He was actually calling me.

It was him.

"You weren't at school today." He said as soon as I answered.

"I know." I said back.