The Trench

Chapter 22 - Missed Calls

"Hey, it's me....again." I sign and plop down on my bed, I pin my phone between my ear and shoulder as I take my shoes off.

"Just calling to check in, I haven't heard from you all day and you left me alone in class." My heart jumps a bit when I mention class this morning, that kiss left me unable to focus all damn day. Thankfully two of my evening classes were cancelled and I was able to come home early, so I took that time to see if I could get ahold of Mae.

"Call me back or I'll just keep calling you." I hang the phone up and toss it beside me on the bed and I fall backwards. I lay there and wished I knew where Mae lived, I could just swing by and see if she's home. But every time we hung out she always came here, I didn't think much of it until now. On my way back from class I stopped and knocked on Austin and Kane's door, but no one answered so I assumed no one was home.

I wonder if Kane even came back last night.

I mentally shrug it off; it's none of my business anyways.

My stomach growls and I realize I haven't ate anything for lunch yet, I slide off the edge on my bed and fall to the floor before picking myself up and lazily walking to the kitchen.

I heat myself up some pizza rolls and pour some ranch dressing on the plate before going and sitting down on the couch and turning the TV on. I take a bite of one and my mouth is on fire. I open my mouth and take several deep breaths trying to cool it down, breathing out hot air like a dragon and I giggle slightly at the thoughts. I swallow and curse at myself for not waiting the 2 minutes like you're supposed to.

Who actually waits anyways? If you're eating pizza rolls, your taste buds are getting burnt.

I settle on an older western movie, The Man from Snowy River. It's always been one of my favorites. I get goosebumps every time Jim Craig jumps off the cliff with his mount, Denny, and they gallop behind the brumbies down the steep hillside.

After I'm done eating I check my phone, Mae still hasn't called or texted me back. After her outburst yesterday it makes me concerned and I sat there wishing I had Austin's phone number.

"Welllll....I could call the school...." I contemplated it for a second before typing the school into my search bar and getting a phone number. When a lady answered I put on my most formal adult voice and pretended to be an overbearing mother needing last weeks notes from Professor Michaels. She connected me and I rolled my eyes, this is totally something my mother would do.

"Hello, this is Professor Michaels." His masculine voice came through the phone and I felt myself smile a little.

"Hey, uhm it's Riley. I need to talk to you, do you have a second?"

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before he was back. "I'm in a meeting with another teacher at the moment ma'am, but if you give me a phone number I can give you a call back as soon as I'm finished."

I chuckled and gave him my number before hanging up; leave it to me to call him during a meeting.

Fifteen minutes later my phone starts vibrating on the end table, I grab it and look at the caller ID.

Unknown.

I usually never answer unknown numbers, but if Austin doesn't have his number listed maybe that's how it'll come up?

"Hey!" I answer cheerfully, I hear a bit of static before the line clears up but no one says anything. I could hear subtle movement indicating someone was there, maybe he couldn't hear me.

"Austin?" I ask into the phone but again it's quiet on the other end. I hit the end button and lay the phone back down before it starts vibrating again, unknown flashing on the screen. I get an uneasy feeling and reject the call, pushing the phone a little further away from me. Hair rises on the back of my neck unexplainably and I jump when my phone starts vibrating again. I check the caller ID but this time there's an actual number instead and I answer it.

"Hello?" I say cautiously.

"Hey, Riley. Sorry I had another teacher in my office for a brief meeting." I let out a breath that I didn't realize I was holding and I felt silly. Probably just telemarketers from overseas or something, that's why the signal was junk.

"Oh, that's okay. I actually wanted to talk about Mae, have you heard from her yet?" I pull my legs up and sit cross legged leaning against the back of the couch.

"Ah, uhm no I haven't. I'm not going to lie; I thought you were calling about something else that had happened today." Disappointment resonated through his voice and I immediately felt bad, of course he would think I called to let him know about the date. I'm such an idiot.

"I'm sorry; I'm still thinking it over. It's just that she won't answer her phone and she won't text me back and I'm getting a bit worried. I didn't mean to interrupt you at work, and I know I'm probably overreacting I ju-"

"Riley, settle down. I'm leaving work now and I'm heading home so I can see you in a few minutes. I'll try calling Mae on my way home and I'll try to contact Kane to see if he's heard from her at all."

I relaxed my tense shoulders and groaned, rubbing my face in my hands before muttering in agreement and hanging up.

I paced my apartment until he got there, my movie had ended and I couldn't find anything else on worth while so I just turned the TV off. I wandered into my "office" and glanced out the window, Kane's car was parked in the lot and I mentally scolded him for not answering the door.

I hear a knock and I walk back into the living room, looking through my peephole before swinging it open.

Austin is standing there in his grey slacks, matching vest, and baby blue button up undershirt. His long sleeves were unbuttoned and folded up to reveal his muscular, inked forearms. I could distinctly see a cross on the inside of his left forearm and I caught myself wondering if he was religious at all.

"She isn't answering my calls either, but I'm sure she's fine. She's a big girl, Riley." His eyes had a twinge of humor in them and he smirked at me. "Why are you so concerned?"

I crossed my arms and contemplated lying again, but then again maybe I should say something to him.

I decided to go with somewhere in the middle.

"Her and Aimee had an argument yesterday evening and she left mad, so when she wasn't in school today it just had me worried."

His brows furrowed and he adjusted his laptops shoulder strap that was sitting across his chest.

"What were they arguing about?"

Well shit. More lies.

"Actually, I'm not really sure." I say awkwardly and I break eye contact with him and glance at my feet. He eyes me suspiciously but shrugs anyways.

"Hey, where did Kane go last night?"

He gives me an odd look before responding. "Nowhere? He was home all night. I see your Nosey Rosy nickname I gave you is still unerring." He gives me a large grin before waving and heading off into his apartment and I shut the door confused.