The Reason Why

Chapter 20: Runaway Train

2014

Somethin' Bad started to play and an eye got open. Big sigh and a hand who grabbed the phone off the nightstand.

"Whoaa someone's dead." Karen whispered on the rythm of her new ringtone. Who dares to call her at- she took a look at the digital clock on Jimi's side of the bed, 9:34 am. Oops.

"What?"

"Is Cassadee with you?!" Panic.

"Nah." She turned around, no one between her and Jimi. Sometimes Cassadee laid between them but there was no one, not even Elijah.

"Oh God, oh, God, oh God," 

"Kelli stop it, what's going on?"

"Cassadee is gone!" Her sister screamed from the other side of the line. "Bailey and Brooke both texted me to ask if Cass is sick plus the school called. Cassadee never showed up BUT I saw her leaving the house this morning!" On the other side, Kelli started to cry even harder.

Oh, dear God.

"Did you call the police?"

"Yes, but they say we have to wait twenty-four hours."

"We're coming to Georgia!"

"Georgia what?" Next to her, Jimi woke up.

"We have to go to Georgia, Cassadee is missing!" Karen bursted out in tears.

"We can't go to Georgia, we're leaving tomorrow. Washington remember? The state."

"Fuck the state!" She screamed.

"Give me the phone, honey." Karen didn't listened, so Jimi had to grab it out of her hands. He got out of the bed and walked out of the room.

"It's your niece!" Karen yelled after him.

Pretty soon, the door got open again. It was Elijah, not Jimi. He crawled under the blankets, to Jimi's side. His favorite side.

After five, or maybe ten minutes, Jimi walked in again and threw the phone on the bed. 

"And?" Karen asked hopefully.

"Since we can't do anything, we're continuing with our schedule."

"What?!"

"We can't do anything Karen, but wait."

"We can go and look for her!" Karen's scream made Elijah uncomfertable and he ran away. Jimi grabbed Karen's hand and took a seat on her side of the bed.

"We can't do that, honey, you know that too. The only thing we can do is stay here and wait if she maybe shows up at our house. Honestly, I think she is looking for you."

"How long is it from Georgia to Nash by bus? Or... walking?"

Minutes looked like hours. Tears streamed down and ringing phones and iPads every ten minutes but by 4 pm there was still no news. While Jimi sat on the couch being quiet, Karen sat against him on her chair and was talking nonsense non stop since Kelli called her. There was more difference between the two partners being nervous: Jimi was eating all the time and Karen didn't ate a thing at all.

At 5 pm the doorbell rang. Karen almost flew to the front door and when she opened the door there was no sixteen year old girl with brown hair and dark eyes standing for her but a sixteen year old boy with brown hair and dark eyes. And a helmet in his hand.

"Aha, my pizza!" Jimi pushed Karen away and gave the pizza guy ten dollars. "Keep the change." He said and closed the door. 

"Oh my goodness!" Karen screamed when Jimi walked back to the living room. He knew what was coming and started to giggle.