Ryan POV

I sat in class grading papers. Wondering why my son skipped class. Maybe he just needed some time on his own. Troy called earlier and spoke entirely in his sexy voice. It's the one where he is trying to be sexy but it comes out really funny.

"My. B, have you seen Luke?" I heard as I broke out of my thoughts. I saw Jeff and Jen looking at me with worried expressions.

"No, why?" I said, nervousness washing over my body.

"Well, we kind of skipped your class. And I left him in the hallway and saw him waiting for Jen. Given recent events he always waits for her and walks her to class." Jeff said.

"But he didn't show up. I got worried and I called Jeff." She breathed haeavily.

"Okay, first. Let's just calm down. Come on in and take a seat. Have either of you called Luke on his phone?"

Jeff was the first one to say anything. "Yeah, I called like five times and he didn't answer. He always answers when I call."

"Here is what we are going to do. I want you two to stay with me. I will call Luke's dad and let him know the situation. Then I want to know everything that went on today. Okay."

"Sure." They both agreed.

Ring Ring Ring

'Come on Troy answer your phone'

"This is Troy."

"Hey, ummm….Luke ate chocolate."

"What….you know he….oh god. I will be right there."

Click

"Mr. B, Luke didn't eat any chocolate. He is just missing."

"Jeff, it's a code phrase between Luke's dad and myself. Luke is allergic to chocolate so whenever something bad happens to him we say that he ate chocolate. This way the other person doesn't panic as much."

"Wow, I never thought of that." Jen piped up.

I knew Troy would be here in a record 6 minutes. So until he got here, I decided to gather some information. I looked at the students, they both wore somber expressions on their face. I felt for them. They had been friends with Luke since birth. They were all born around the same time and in the maternity nursery they were put right next to each other. They have been friends forever. Glancing again at the teens, the hint of silver caught my eye. Jeff never wore jewelry. But today a silver ring adorned his left hand.

"Jeff, where did you get that ring? That's Luke's ring."

Jeff and Jen locked eyes and neither said anything. I caught Jen rubbing her stomach and things became even more confusing than before. I glanced at my watch.

"5….4….3….2…1."

In ran Troy all out of breath.

"How did you do that?" Jen asked.

"I know Troy."

"You're Luke's dad. You're like that really hott guy from all the Miami games." Jen exclaimed. "Actually, eewww. Sorry but now it's kind of gross."

Troy laughed but soon realized why he was here. I watched his face as his eyes also fell upon the ring on Jeff's finger.

"Jeff, why do you have Luke's ring?" he asked.

"He gave it to me. But I can explain that later. We have to find Troy."

"Yeah, Mr. B. I am kind of getting worried about him. He's not one to skip class. Unless of course he's with Jeff."

"Okay guys. First things first. I want you to show us everything that happened after I saw you this morning."

"After we dropped Jen off at class, Luke was brooding. So I took him to my secret spot so that we could talk. We talked and then we headed to class. I saw his waiting for Jen at their usual spot when I entered my classroom. That was the last time I saw him."

"Jen did you see Luke at all after they dropped you off to class."

"No."

"Okay. Jeff I want you to come with me. Ryan and Jen, you guys will stay here and try to call Luke."

I turned to my husband and saw the worry in his eyes. The usually calm blue eyes were now stormy and dark. I wrapped my arms around him and looked straight at him.

"Bring my baby home, Troy. Bring him home."

"I will."

I watched as the two men left my classroom in search of my son.

Troy POV

'Where could he be? Luke wasn't one to play childish games, so when he isn't around I know that something is not right. Why was Jeff wearing Luke's ring? Why was I so focused on that? Was Jen rubbing her stomach like she was pregnant?'

"Here is where I last saw him?"

We searched around the area. We couldn't find anything but something was in the back of my mind. Jeff was eagerly searching everything. The devotion in his eyes is the same that I saw in myself some years ago.

"Mr. B, do you smell that?"

"What?" I quickly tried to smell anything. Then it came to me. Vanilla.

"It's vanilla."

"Yeah. Jen wears vanilla but this one has a different smell."

I called Ryan real quick.

Ring Ri-

"Tell me you found him."

"Sorry babe. Put Jen on the phone."

"Okay."

I heard the phone transfer hands and then heard her voice.

"Hello."

"Jen got a quick question for you. If there was one thing that Luke remembers about you what would it be?"

"My body spray. He loves the smell of vanilla on me."

"Thanks Jen put Ryan back on please."

Again I heard the phone changing hands.

"What's up Troy?"

"I think Jordan has him. Jeff and I are where he was last seen and we smell vanilla. But it is a little different than what Jen wears. Jeff and I are gonna look for him."

Click

I know it was rude to just hang up on Ryan but I had to find Luke. I wouldn't be able to handle it if anything happened to him. I got off the phone and couldn't find Jeff. I called his name and saw him poke his head from around the corner.

"Over here. You can still smell the vanilla."

I walked over and a big whiff of vanilla hit my face. We followed the smell to the double doors that lead out to the parking lot. Jeff thrust through the doors and ran to the curb. I followed right behind him and saw him staring around. He was doing exactly what I was doing, looking for any clue as to what happened to Luke. We looked around and found nothing. I sat on the edge of the curb and put my head in my hands. I cried. I couldn't do anything else but cry. I had failed my son again.

"Come on Luke. I know you, if something bad happened you would want me to know. Give me something Luke. Oww damn curb."

I looked up as he fell. He had tripped over the curb angrily and fell harder than expected. Blood was oozing from a cut on his chin. Now his tears started to fall, not out of pain but out of frustration. He got up and a piece of paper was stuck to his arm. I quickly got up and dusted him off. He pulled the paper off his arm and stared at it inquiringly.

"Damn you Luke."

"What is it?"

"A note from someone named JJ."

"Gimme that." I shouted as I grabbed the note from him.

Luke meet me after school under the bleachers. I know everything so don't skip out. –JJ

On the back was a note scribbled by Luke. His chicken scratch was horrible. I couldn't make anything out. I handed it back to Jeff to see if he could read it.

"Luke, I love you. It says NO KISSING…END."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I questioned.

"NO KISSING, that is our code word for the Trails. The abandoned factory out by Lover's Park. We always joked that if you kissed somebody there you died. But people only go there to hurt some one. Mr. Bolton, they're gonna hurt him."

"Calm down. You're fine, he is fine. Now I need you to figure out the last part. END. What does that mean?"

"It could be the end of the building, the end of life. It doesn't mean anything specific to us."

"You didn't have a special code for something?"

"No we would try to use words for our combination locks but we haven't done that in forever."

I flipped the paper over and looked for more clues. Above the name JJ I saw a little mark. It was a number sign. My son was so smart. I loved him for that.

"Jeff, take END and put it into numeric form. Luke left us a number symbol."

"363." He instantly blurted out

"That was quick. It was our code the first 3 stood for 'I love you', the 6 meant 'Don't follow me' and the last 3 meant 'I don't want you to get hurt'."

"Well, that code is between you and him not me. I want you to go to Ryan and tell him everything. I am going to find my son."

"Okay….Mr. Bolton. Bring my boyfriend home….please."

"I will Jeff." I said as I gave him a hug. "Welcome to the family."

Troy searches for Luke but will he find him in time? Wait and see……Mwahahahaha!!!!