Lost Cause [Imagine Dragons Fanfic]

21 - Searching

We spend the day doing pretty much nothing. At first, the two of us stay in my room just silently sitting next there and enjoying each others company. Then we walk down and play a few board games with my parents. Another family tradition. What was kinda sad, is that Dan won just one round out of maybe 30 because he never played any of the games before. But after all, it was a fun day, I didn't touch on the whole abuse them though, I don't want to press it, he knows that I'm here.

We just silently lay in our beds again, this time with Dan breaking the silence: "Thank you, Platz. Thanks for having me here over the past days and thanks for the friendship and thank your mom for not letting me stay outside. Thanks for being here for me and understanding me. Just thank you for everything!"

I turn on my side, trying to face him, which isn't very easy in the dark, I can only see the silhouette of his body. "Why are you thanking me for that? You can thank my mom tomorrow. Or... is this some kind of saying goodbye?"

He doesn't answer for a few seconds and I start thinking that he maybe fell asleep, but then he says: "No, it's not a goodbye. I just wanted to thank you for everything."

I turn on my back again, not quite sure if he really means it. "That's nothing bud, anytime."

...

Two weeks later and I still haven't heard anything from Dan since that night. I look at myself in the mirror, dark bags are under my eyes, my hair is unkempt and you can tell that I had trouble sleeping over the past days.

The day after he thanked me for everything, I woke up to find his mattress empty. The sheets have been folded and stacked on top of each other, laying on the edge of the mattress. I knew something was off, but I didn't think that I wouldn't see him for two weeks, or even worse never again.

Needless to say that the lack of knowledge about where and how he is is driving me crazy. I can't focus on college, I barely sleep and I even play so much fewer drums. Pretty much the only thing I'm doing is wandering around the city, searching for Dan, coming home late at night without even the smallest hint about where he could be. With every day that passes by, my worry grows and grows.

"Platz!" Ben's harsh voice snaps me out of my thoughts again. I slowly turn around and see him standing next to Wayne, both of them worriedly looking at me.

"This needs to stop!" Wayne says and I sigh and look at my hands.

"I know," I reply with a hoarse voice.

"Have you considered that he just went somewhere with his parents?" Wayne asks.

"He's probably somewhere having a good time," Ben adds, but I shake my head.

"No, I have this feeling that something is wrong and why wouldn't he tell me if he left the city or whatsoever, I mean, we're friends after all. I don't think that he is alright!"

...

This afternoon, I don't go out alone. Ben and Wayne decided to come with me, so I don't have to search for Dan all alone. I think they're far more worried about me than Dan, but I won't turn good company down.

After walking up and down the streets of the city, we decide to walk back to the campus again. We're somewhere far away and it will take us forever to get there anyway. In addition to that, it's already getting cold and I can tell that Wayne's already freezing.

Just as we walk through some dark and small side street, I guess we haven't learned our lesson last time, I hear a voice shouting from behind us. I turn around, expecting to be mugged again, but this time, it's not a man getting closer, but a woman.

The shorter the distance gets, the better I can look at her face and within a few moments, I know who she is. Judging their facial expressions, Ben and Wayne know her too.

She stops a few feet away from us and says: "You're  these guys that Dan was around pretty much lately, right?"

"Yes," I answer before thinking twice.

"And who exactly are you?" Ben asks just a second later.

"I'm a good friend of him, we meet every couple days, but I haven't seen him in more than two weeks, to say I'm worried would be an understatement. Please tell me that he's been with you all the time."

I exchange looks with the others and shake my head: "We've been searching for him too."

"That is not good!" She exclaims.

"Why is everyone so worried? Maybe he is just with his parents?!" Ben says what he's probably been thinking about all day long.

"He didn't tell you yet, did he?" The woman asks.

"Tell us what?" Wayne replies, sounding as confused as I am feeling.

She shakes her head:" I won't tell you if he didn't, sorry.

"So what are you going to do now?" I ask curiously.

"Praying that he will show up again."