Lost
Jesse and the rest of Vocal Adrenaline sped down the highway, most talking about their most recent "funkification". Jesse gripped the steering wheel tightly.
"Did you see her face?"
"Yeah she looked like a deer."
"10 bucks that they replace her with that pretty blonde."
"Yeah, then we'll win again, not like they had a chance anyway."
"You know now that I think about it she really isn't that pretty. Her eyes are too big and a bird could probably land on her nose, not to mention she looks like a troll..."
"Enough!" Jesse voice was cold. The car quickly fell silent. Giselle touched his shoulder. He jerked away from her. Suddenly his phone went off. It wasn't a number her recognized, but he picked it up anyway.
"Hello?"
"Jesse. St. James?"
"This is he."
"Jesse, it's Hiram Berry." Jesse pulled a face that quickly got the attention of the rest of the car.
"Hi, Mr. Berry." A freshman named Jack, laughed loudly and jeered from the back; he was quickly silence by a quick cuff to the back of his head delivered by the two upperclassmen sitting next to him and a glare from Jesse through the rear view window.
"Is Rachel with you?"
"No, she isn't. Is everything okay?" He heard Hiram sigh and shouting in the background.
"Rachel didn't go to glee or go home and we thought she might be with you." Jesse's stomach twisted into knots.
"Well, she's probably in the auditorium working on a set list of Regional's."
"Jesse, Rachel is missing." Jesse's world stopped spinning. He quickly pulled over on to the shoulder, the caravan of range rovers following. He parked the car and buried his head in his hands.
"Was that her dads?" Jack asked cringing when as Matthew and Scott raised their hands. Jesse nodded. Giselle grinned.
"Were they calling to tell you that their beloved little girl lost her voice? I told you she wouldn't be able to sing after that "funkification"."
"Get out."
"What?" Giselle asked.
"Get out."
"You're not kicking me out."
"GET. OUT. OF MY CAR! NOW!" Jesse roared. The Vocal Adrenaline members scrambled to get out of the car. He locked the doors fuming with his team mates. He heard a tap tap tap on his passenger side window. Jesse turned toward the noise and saw his best friend, Chance, standing there. He unlocked the door and Chance hopped in.
"Dude, what happened? I heard you yell from Jaden's car."
"Rachel's missing."
"What are you doing here?"
"What?"
"Dude, you love her, she's missing. Go find her."
"What about rehearsal?" Chance gave Jesse a look.
"Really man? Really? Your girl is missing and you're worried about rehearsal?"
"Its' complicated."
"You're being stupid."
"I just cracked and egg on her head and now you want me to go and save her?"
"Hell yeah." Chance looked thoughtful at him. "Jess you've always had a flair for dramatics, think about it, it's like every good soap opera: boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy breaks girl's heart, boy leaves, girl does something dramatic, boy comes back and saves the day."
Jesse sighed and out the car into reverse. "You, my friend watch one to may TV. shows with you sister." Chance chuckled. "I know."
As Jesse and Chance raced back to Lima, leaving the faces of the outraged Vocal Adrenaline behind the only one thought was on Jesse's mind: Rachel.
Jesse arrived at the McKinley parking lot 20 minutes later, with Chance clinging to the seats.
"I think you broke every single traffic law ever written!" Jesse ignored him and hopped out, moving over to the pop-up tent. Chance hurried after him.
"Jesse!"
"Mr. Berry, Mr. Berry. Anything?"
"No, not yet. What are you doing here?"
"Helping look for her."
A police officer walked up to him.
"Are you Jesse St. James?"
"Yes?"
"Would you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Jesse and Chance looked at each other.
"Are serious?"
"As a heart attack."
"My girlfriend is missing and you want me sit here and answer some mundane questions? Are you mad?" The police officer didn't move.
"Fine, ask me here."
"I really think that we should move somewhere more private."
"No, ask me here or I'm leaving." The man sighed.
"You're Jesse St. James?"
"Yes."
"You are how old?"
"18"
"You are Rachel Barbara Berry's boyfriend. Correct?"
"Yes."
"How long have you been dating?"
"A couple of months."
"How did you meet Ms. Berry?"
"At the music store."
"Now have you ever touched her...?"
"NO!"
"Relax, just protocol."
"Have you ever fought with her?"
"All couples argue."
"That's not what I asked."
"Yes, we we're in the middle of a fight."
"What we're you fighting about?" Jesse sighed.
"She tripled casted me with Frankenteen and Puckerman."
"She what now?"
"She made a movie with me and two other guys."
"So you were upset."
"Yes, wouldn't you officer?" He nodded.
"Then what happened?"
"I left for spring break with a couple of friends."
"Was she upset?"
"I don't know I wasn't here, but probably."
"What happened when you got back?"
"We made up."
"Are you aware Mr. St. James that you are the last person to have seen Ms. Berry before she went missing?"
"No, I was not."
"Our witness says you two didn't look like you were on good terms. He said that it looked like she was crying. "Images of Rachel's tear filled eyes crossed his mind.
"She was upset."
"Why?"
"I had to go back to Vocal Adrenaline."
"This was a bad thing because?"
"My coach won't allow us to date our competition."
"So you were breaking up with her?"
"Yes, but I didn't want too, I love her."
"What did you do after that?"
"I left. I started heading back to Akron."
"That was the last time you saw Ms. Berry?"
"Yes." The police officer scribbled in his note book.
"Can I go now?" He nodded. Jesse bolted from the chair and hurried toward Chance. Chance fell instep beside next to him. Chance handed him a jacket, a flashlight and a walkie talkie. Jesse cocked an eyebrow but didn't say anything. The two headed into the forest.
Jesse and Chance crashed through the forest shouting Rachel's name for hours. Finally it started to get dark. Jesse stopped.
"We should split up."
"What? That not a good idea, Jess."
"We'll cover more ground."
"Yeah but if we get lost ourselves they'd have to split Rachel's search party into two: one for us and one for her." Jesse nodded in agreement.
Suddenly Jesse's head snapped around.
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"That noise."
"What noise?"
"Shhh"
"Jesse I can't hear anything."
"Shhhh!"
"Jess,"
"Chance! Shut up!" Jesse's head cocked to the right listening.
"I hear something."
"Obviously."
"Follow me." He head to the left. Jesse weaved his way through the trees, listening intently and stopping every couple feet and readjusting the direction they were heading. Jesse stopped.
"What happened?"
"It's gone."
"What's gone?"
"I thought I heard her singing."
"Rachel?" He nodded.
"Maybe it was just the..."
"Jesse?" A very small voice asked. Jesse spun around to see Rachel curled into a ball, her eyes wide.
"Rachel!" Jesse walked over and kneeled in front of her. Rachel's eyes widened. Now that he was only a few inches from her he really looked at her. Her face was pale and tear-stained, she trembled from head to foot and her wrist and ankle were bent at odd angles. Chance stood behind him. Rachel reached out and fisted his shirt and jerked him forward and sobbed. The cries shook her tiny frame and ripped through his chest. His heart squeezed.
"Shhhh, we found you, I've got you." Jesse rubbed soothing circles on her back and murmured in her ear. He turned to Chance.
"Run back to the main, group and tell them I have her and to call an ambulance."
"Jesse I don't think that is really necessary. Her dads can take her to the hospital..."
"Chance! DO IT NOW!" Jesse all but screamed using his Vocal Adrenaline voice that could Shelby a run for her money. Chance turned around and began to jog back the way that they had come. Jesse gently untangled himself from Rachel's grip. He shrugged out of his coat and wrapped it around her. He then scooped her up bridal style and followed his friend. Rachel curled against him, still gripping his shirt; she let Jesse's strides lull her into sleep.
Chance, the EMT's, Mr. Berry, Mr. Berry and the search party watched the tree line with anxious eyes. The police officer that had questioned Jesse earlier turned to him.
"Are you sure that he is coming."
"Positive."
"He had found Ms. Berry?"
"Yes." He made to ask another question when the sound of breaking branches caught the groups attention. Jesse walked quickly into the light carrying a sleeping Rachel. Rachel's fathers ran to Jesse, crying with relief and joy. The sudden noise woke Rachel, who was dissertated by the lights and shouts, she clung to Jesse. Her father, Leroy reached to take her from Jesse but she gripped Jesse tighter. Realizing that Rachel wasn't going to let the young man go her father's walked Jesse over to the waiting EMT's. Jesse gently lowered her to the stretcher. Rachel reached for his hand.
"We need to go, but only one can ride." Leroy and Hiram gestured for Jesse to get in.
"Sirs..."
"Go Jesse, we'll follow you." Jesse nodded once and followed Rachel into the back of the ambulance.
Several hours later Jesse slumped into a chair outside Rachel's room. She had a broken wrist and sprained ankle, but they were keeping her over night, just to watch her. Hiram and Leroy stepped out of her room.
'"She wants you." Jesse nodded and at went it and his heart broke. She was hooked up to machines and an IV.
"I thought you left."
"After a day like this?" The pair sat there and stared at each other.
"What the hell were you thinking? Why in the world would you run away?" He finally exploded.
"I...I was hurting and glee would have just made fun of me... so I left. I didn't mean to get lost."
"Do you know how worried I was about you?"
"How was a supposed to know you cared? You cracked an egg on my head, remember?" Jesse fell quiet.
"The only thing I was thinking about was what I was going to do if I couldn't find you." Jesse whispered. Rachel looked at him; she scooted over and patted the bed next to her. Jesse cocked an eyebrow at her but complied. He slipped into the small bed next to her. Rachel snuggled back into his chest with a contented sigh.
"Two things." She murmured. "One, never ever break another egg on my forehead or I will send Noah to hunt you down. Second, never leave me again."
Jesse smiled and nuzzled his head into her hair. "Never, you're stuck with me forever and for always." He kissed her hairline and wrapped his arms around her, letting the sound of her breathing lull him to sleep.
