Finding Her

Three

Supper was quiet. Henry and Yvonne seemed to be caught up in their own thoughts. Zev didn't mind, he was sweating, just thinking about school the next day.

How different would it be without her there? The worrying and stress tired him out early and he slept over the covers on his bed, still fully clothed.

When the sun hit his eyelids the next morning, his heart was heavy. He dragged his body to a standing position and did his morning routine. He finished breakfast and grabbed his backpack, without checking for his assignments. It wouldn't matter if he had them. He fully expected school to be postponed until Charlotte returned.

Shara stood over her bike and waved to him from the sidewalk. "Wanna race to school?"

He shook his head.

She shrugged and they started peddling to school. They parked their bicycles out front. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head again. His words were being held captive by his mouth. Even if he did tell her about Charlotte running away, it wouldn't make a difference. Shara had never cared for her and they would bicker in class. He expected a laugh or some kind of 'I told you so', from his best friend and he wasn't ready to deal with that.

A mutual friend, Lynn, bounded down the steps and nearly took him off his feet. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. "I just heard." She whispered, "How are you?"

He could see Shara becoming upset. "I'm fine." He patted Lynn's back and pulled away. "Charlotte, ran away."

Shara covered her mouth and did the same as Lynn. They stood in silence and hugged for a few minutes.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He backed up a step. "I didn't think you would care." He forced a smile and started walking toward the entrance. "You didn't like her."

Shara huffed and stomped away.

Lynn rubbed Zev's back. "That was a really dumb thing to say. It'll be a week before she talks to you again." She gave him a light peck on the cheek. "I'll walk home with you tonight. We can talk about it if you want but, we don't have to."

His anxiety was calmed by her reassurance. He needed to talk but what was there to say that hadn't been said already? His friends knew how he felt about her, they had stopped begging him to forget her many years before.

He strode to class with no emotion. His mind was blank. Shara would be angry for a while but it would resolve itself, like always. Unlike Charlotte running away.

How would that turn out? Would they find her dead by the side of the road? Would she hobble back into town one day and everything would resume like it didn't happen?

Class was dull, aside from the morning announcements. The principal notified the student body of the missing pupil and assured everyone that she would be found.

Were they praying for her safe return? Had his mother called and begged them to pray for her?

He slumped over in his chair when another student looked in his direction with pity in their eyes. It wasn't a secret that he had loved Charlotte for as long as he could remember. He wasn't looking for sympathy, he didn't want to be confronted about his feelings. Just the thought of discussing it made him want to run. He didn't know where he would run to but he wanted to find her.

Where would he start? He didn't know if she had a plan when she left or if she was still alive. She was too young for a credit card and she didn't own a vehicle. Where do you begin when you have nothing to go off of?

The school day was over. He went straight to his bike. Lynn was leaning against the bike rack when he emerged. "Trying to avoid me?"

"No. I—."

"I know."

Shara walked out a few minutes later. She didn't speak, she grabbed her bike and drove home alone.

He watched her bike away from his spot next to his bicycle.

"She won't be upset forever. I'm sure she'll be waiting for you tomorrow morning." They walked together to his house and she came in for a drink.

"How was school, kids?" Henry asked when he heard their voices.

"Good. Just another day." Zev replied while he grabbed drinks and then lead Lynn to the living room.

She sat on the couch and took a drink of iced tea. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head.

"Okay." She finished her drink and left, "I'll see you tomorrow. It'll be fine."

He half expected her to say something about prayer. He was pleasantly surprised when she didn't mention it.