Ch 1: Missing:

A/N: What do you mean; I have to choose 2 genres? I used two genres in this chapter! (Hurt/comfort, Romance).

7:00 AM

"I'll see you next week!" I shouted as my parents left. They were going on a boat cruise, leaving me at home alone. Tai was gone, off to college, where he was staying over the summer, since he was on a different continent (North America), and we couldn't really afford to have him flying from here to the U.S. every few weeks. I was 15 now; two years had passed since I had last been in the digital world. Their cruise left at 8:00, and so they probably should have been gone an hour or so ago, but they'd make it without much trouble leaving now, and this way, I didn't have to get up any earlier to see them off.

My mom said, "Remember, just because we're gone doesn't mean you can break the house rules: No drugs, no alcohol, and talk to me before you and any boy do anything sexual. There are some things we probably should talk about first."

I laughed, "Mom, don't worry about it, nothing is going to happen in a week."

"Alright, alright. You know it's my job to worry."

"I know."

"Love you, Kari."

"Love you too, Mom. Have fun on your cruise with Dad."

She left.

8 hours later: T.K's perspective:

I was bored, if I was watching the news. That is, until they started talking about a missing cruise ship. I had to know that it wasn't the cruise ship that Kari's parents were on before I could settle down.

It was the ship with an 8:00 AM departure time. Her parent's were on that ship, I knew it. This meant Kari's parents were missing.

About 5 minutes later:

"What do you mean; they lost contact with the ship?" Kari yelled, "What about my parents!"

"Relax. They're looking for them, or so they said on the news. Still, I knew you would want to know." I said into the phone.

"T.K… You aren't pulling my leg here, right?"

"No. Your parents are missing… Kari, you know I'm not that heartless."

"I'm sorry… I'm just really worried. What if we never hear from them again? What would become of me? T.K… I want to see my parents again! Oh my god… Oh my god, PLEASE let me wake up…"

"Kari… You aren't dreaming. Look, I'm going to come over to your house, if that's ok, because it seems like you need someone to talk to."

"It's ok. I do need someone to talk to."

I told my mother I was going to go comfort a friend, she told me to be back home soon, I don't know if she was paying any attention to me at all, and I ran out the door

5 minutes later:

I could hear the doorbell ring. She ran to the door, and opened it.

"T.K…I can't tell you how much it means to me that you are willing to listen to me. Really."

"Something that could be awful just happened to you. What else am I going to do, leave you all alone with nobody to talk to?"

"Thank you anyway… Come on in."

I walked in the door, and shut it behind me. Kari's eyes were red on red at the moment, the puffy red of crying on her naturally reddish-brown eyes.

"Kari, they're just fine. There are already search parties out, and they were on a boat, the weather was good, their radio probably just failed."

"I know, I know… I'm still worried."

"Do you need a hug?"

"T.K… Don't offer me a hug."

"Why not?"

"I… like you. It wouldn't mean the same thing to me as it would to you…"

She was blushing, and my heart was racing. "I like you as more than a friend, too."

"Really?"

"Really. Now, do I get a hug?"

She threw her arms around me, crying again. After a few moments, she whispered, "Just promise… Just promise you'll be here for me when I need you."

"I'm here for you now, aren't I?"

"I still want you to promise."

"I promise."

"Thank you"

"If I ever need you, will you be there for me?"

"Yeah."

"That means a lot to me."

I held her there, while she cried. I probably spent ten minutes with my arms wrapped around her, but I didn't mind. It felt right, being so close to her, and she seemed to take comfort in the embrace.

Eventually, she calmed down, and we released each other, sitting down next to one another on her families couch."

"Now I don't even know how to feel." Kari said, "I'm happy that you like me back, angry at the cruise line, worried about my parents, a little turned on by you…"

"I don't know how you should feel… or how I should feel. I'm really sorry that your parents are missing, really happy about the way you feel about me, a little worried about your parents, though they're probably just fine, and really unhappy about the way it's hurting you."

A short period of silence ensued. Neither of us had any experience with dealing with relationships, and even if we'd known what to say, it wouldn't have made any difference, because we didn't even know how to feel.

The silence was broken when we started laughing at the moment. We didn't know why, but the silence was kind of funny.

"It's not really funny, is it?" I said, as I stopped laughing.

"No, but the awkward silence was."

"True, true."

"Thank you, T.K… I feel a lot better now."

"You're welcome. I'm glad to help. Do you want me to go now?"

"No. I'm alone ALL day, T.K… Hopefully not for longer than that. Let's… watch a movie, or something."

"Or something… I don't know, there ARE more interesting things" I said, aware of what I was implying… and aware that she wasn't ready. I just wanted to make her blush.

"I didn't mean it like that. No, I don't want… that, alright?"

"That?" I asked innocently.

"Sex." She said, blushing, "Nothing sexual, alright?"

"Alright."

"Good. You knew perfectly well what I mean, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I like to see you act all awkward. You're so CUTE when you do!"

"Aren't I cute the rest of the time, too?"

"Very… But you're cuter when you're embarrassed."

"Am I?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, then, mister 'innocent'", she said, making air quotes, "since you don't want to watch a movie, and you aren't trying to get some action, what DO you want to do?"

"Let's go get ice cream or something. I mean, it's a beautiful day out."

"Ice cream it is."

Outside a nearby ice cream parlor, about ten minutes later.

Kari and I sat down. Apparently, I was paying too much attention to her and not enough attention to my ice cream melted down the side of the cone, and dripped on to my shirt.

"T.K, your shirt probably doesn't want to eat your ice cream, so stop force feeding it."

It would have been a weak joke… if anyone other than Kari had told it. I knew this, yet I couldn't help but laugh.

"You're about to be wearing ice cream too, if you don't pay more attention to it." I replied.

"Thank you." She said, cleaning up a stream of melting ice cream dribbling down her cone.

I paid more attention to my cone, now. Still, barely enough, because every time I looked up, my ice cream seemed to pick that time to melt faster… either that or I spent longer than I meant to, simply staring into her eyes.

Within five minutes, however, we were both done with our cones, and she said, "Thank you. That was fun. What do you want to do now?"

"I probably should get home, Kari… My mother wanted me to be home soon."

"Alright. Well, you'll call tomorrow, right?"

"Right." I said.

"Bye", I said, kissing her on the cheek.

"See you." She said, and we went our separate ways.

"I'm home!" I said, as I entered my house. No answer.

That's odd. I thought Where is my mother?

End Ch 1: Missing.