Loren is sitting at lunch with Chloe, Melissa, and Adrianna. She keeps taking glances around the courtyard, hoping to see Eddie somewhere. She hasn't seen him since Monday, and it is now Friday. She has texted him with no reply, so she called him and left voicemails. There has been an eerie silence on his end, though.
"What are you looking for?" Chloe asks.
"I think the question is who is she looking for?" Ade drags out who when she speaks.
"Now that you mention it. I haven't seen Eddie around." Mel says. "What's up with that Lo?"
"I don't know. I tried calling and texting, but I've gotten nothing." Loren says. She furrows her eyebrows, as she picks up her phone and looks at the unobstructed sunset that is her screensaver, meaning that there are no new messages that she needs to check.
"Are you guys, like…you know?" Ade struggles.
"Like what?" Loren asks.
"You know what I'm trying to say." Adriana says.
"I really don't."
"Are you guys together or not?" Mel asks bluntly.
"What? No!" Loren says. "I told you guys that we are friends and nothing about our relationship has changed since then. Why would you ask me that Ade?"
Adriana makes a sympathetic face. "It's just that you seem worried."
"I would be just as worried if anything like this were happening with you guys." Loren protests.
"But you've been all secretive about him, like you don't want us to know about him. You won't tell us anything. You can't blame us for wondering if something could be going on with you two."
"I told you that it's nothing. Why don't you just believe me?"
"I do believe you." Melissa says.
"We believe you." Chloe adds.
"Change of subject." Melissa says, breaking the silence between the four of them. "My party tomorrow night. I need all of you there to help me set up around five. It starts at 8, so things should be in full swing by about 9."
"So your parents are where exactly?" Loren asks.
"Lisa is going on some work retreat, and my dad already took Phil to look at some school in Florida that might actually accept him. They'll be back Sunday evening "
"Florida?" Adriana gasps.
They all look at her. "Yea. What about it?" Melissa says as she takes a sip of her soda.
"I just didn't know that." Ade says.
"Well I don't tend to talk about Phil that much."
"It just seems like that would be something that you would mention." Ade says.
"None of you guys are really close to him, so I didn't feel the need." Melissa lifts an eyebrow.
"Yea, totally. It makes since."
"Anyway," Melissa says "I'm going to need all hands on deck for set up and clean up. Can I count on you guys?"
"Of course you can." Chloe says. "Why don't we just sleep over tonight?" Loren suggests. "We can do some last minute planning, buy anything you still need."
"Yes, totally. It'll be so fun." Adrianna says.
"That sounds perfect. Lisa is leaving after work, so we'll have the house to ourselves."
The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. Loren grabs her bag and walks with her friends back into the school.
Loren sits in history class, but she doesn't really pay attention. She can't keep her mind off of Eddie and why she hasn't heard from him.
Once school is out, Loren goes out to her car and finds herself driving to Olive Garden. This is the only address that she can associate with him, since Eddie never let her give him a ride home. About ten minutes after pulling out of the school parking lot, Loren is pulling into a space at Olive Garden. She grabs her purse and walks into the restaurant. There are a few older couples scattered around the restaurant, enjoying their meals.
The host looks up at her and smiles. "Just a table for one?" He asks.
"Actually, I'm wondering if Eddie Duran is here. He usually works on Fridays." Loren says.
Amanda hears Eddie's name and turns around from where she sits at the bar. She looks at Loren, really taking her in, as this is the first time that she has been so close to her. She starts with the loose curls that fall just past her shoulders. The last time that she had seen her, Loren had hair that reached the middle of her back. Her eyes fall to Loren's crisp white shirt, which is tucked into a bright blue skirt that falls a few inches above her knees. The outfit looks very neat on her small figure. Amanda glances at the beige sandals that show of her perfect French pedicure. The thin silver bracelets on her wrists finish off the look. Loren's outfit is simple and elegant. She watches Joey, the host, interact with her. He was trying to be cool, but she could see his foot tapping rapidly on the floor, something he only did when he was nervous.
"Yea. I know Eddie. He hasn't been in since Monday evening. He's called in sick."
"Monday was the last time that I saw him at school. I've tried calling, but he hasn't answered. You don't know if anything is going on with him, do you?"
"Eddie's a cool guy, but he's not exactly an open book."
"Tell me about it." Loren says.
"Are you and Eddie friends?"
"We're getting there." Loren says as she plays with the pendant that hangs on the thin silver chain hanging from her neck.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Joey asks.
"No that's it."
"Thanks…"
"Joey." He answers.
"Thanks Joey. I'll see you around." Loren turns around and sees a girl staring at her. It is the same girl that she saw when she dropped Eddie off. Loren shakes off the uneasiness she feels and walks back out to her car. She gets in and starts on her way home.
Loren pulls into her driveway and goes into her house. Kylie is sitting in the living room, mesmerized by her favorite show, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. "Hi munchkin." Loren says. As she puts her back down on the floor.
Kylie turns around and smiles. Kylie runs to her and Loren picks her up. Loren kisses her on the cheek, making Kylie giggle. "Where's mommy?" Loren asks.
Kylie points down the hall. Loren nods. She puts Kylie down and walks into her parent's bedroom. "Hey mom."
"Hey sweetie. How was school?" Nora is folding some clothes from a basket that is sitting on the bed.
"It was good. I'm sleeping over at Mel's tonight.
"Ok. When are you heading over?"
"After dinner. So I'm all yours until then." Loren smiles and hugs her mom around the neck from behind.
"Good, then you can help me with this laundry."
Loren lets go of her mom and the smile on her face drops.
"Really mom?"
"Really Lo." Nora says.
Loren starts helping her mom put away laundry and they talk.
"You haven't seen him since Monday?" Nora asks.
"Not at all. I even went to Olive Garden today so that I could see if he was working. They hadn't seen him since Monday either."
"You went to his job?" Nora asks.
"Yea."
Nora's expression is one of amusement.
"What mom?"
"Nothing."
"Tell me."
"You just seem to be putting forth a lot of effort is all." Nora says.
"Why doesn't everyone keep saying that?"
"Saying what?"
"That I'm caring too much."
"I'm not saying that you care too much. And who else said something?"
"Mel, Ade, and Chloe." Loren says.
"The things you're doing just seem like the kind of things that you would do for someone that you care about."
"I do care in way. We're friends."
"It's just interesting to see how your relationship with him has changed since the beginning of the year. You hated each other when you started that project."
"I didn't hate him. He hated me. But that is irrelevant right now."
"Ok, Loren. But if you say that he isn't answering any of your texts or phone calls, maybe he just wants to be left alone."
"Maybe."
"Did you guys fight about something?"
"No. the last time I saw him on Monday, everything was fine."
The front door opens and Kylie's squeal can be heard from down the hall. Loren folds the shirt that she is holding and walks out to greet her dad. Trent smiles when she comes around the corner. "How's my baby girl?"
"I'm good dad." Trent kisses Loren's temple.
Trent puts Kylie down and kisses Nora.
Nora makes dinner and they all sit down to teat together. After dinner, Loren packs a bag, says goodbye to her family, and goes over to Mel's house. When she gets to Melissa's house, Chloe and Ade are already there. Loren gets out of her car with her bag and knocks on the door. Melissa opens it. "Why would you knock? You're such a goody goody." Loren rolls her eyes and walks inside. She drops her stuff off in Melissa's room and walks out to the living room.
Eddie's House
Eddie sits up in bed and stands up. He walks to the bathroom and looks at himself in the mirror. The skin surrounding his left eye is a dark, bluish color and his lip is still swollen. Eddie's uncle has a little bruising in his face because most of Eddie's blows hit lower. However, Eddie was constantly hit in the face. Eddie has gotten calls from Loren over the past few days. Eddie trusts Loren, but he doesn't want her to feel sorry for him any more than she already does. He also doesn't want the bruises on his face to give the kids a school another reason to whisper about him. The whispers aren't the things that bother him per say, but they do when none of the things that are being whispered are true.
Eddie walks back into his room and picks up his cell phone from where it is buried under his sheets. There are multiple missed calls from Loren. He sees a voicemail that was left by her on Wednesday.
Hey Eddie, it's Loren. I just called to say that I missed you again at school today. I hope everything is ok. Call me back if you get the chance, but if you don't then that's fine. Maybe you want to be left alone or maybe you don't want to talk to me. If you don't want to, then that's fine too. So I guess I will see you around. Bye.
The corners of Eddie's mouth curl up in amusement. Even when Eddie was nowhere near Loren, he still managed to make her nervous.
Eddie gently touches the area around his eye. His eye is swollen. He needs more aspirin, along with some more ointment for his busted lip. Eddie grabs his wallet, his cell phone, and baseball cap. He puts the cap on and walks down the stairs and out the door. He starts walking to the closest convenient store in the area.
Melissa's House
"We need junk food. Lots and lots of junk food."
Let's just go to the 7/11 up the street. They've got everything we need."
They all agree and pile into Melissa's car.
When they get to the convenient store, Melissa, Ade, and Chloe go straight for the chips and candy. Loren, however, goes for the snack cakes and the slushy machine. She grabs a box of Little Debbie snack cakes and stands behind a guy wearing a black hoodie and baseball cap waiting to get her slushy. The guy moves to the side with straws and lids, making room for Loren to step forward. She looks at the cup and sees green.
"Is that the sour green apple? I've never tried that one."
The guy is startled by her voice. Loren notices the way that he twitched and turns to look at him.
"Eddie." Loren says, her eyes getting wider. She looks happy for a moment, but then Eddie sees a sadness appear in her eyes.
He quickly turns his face away from her.
"Eddie? You're hurt. What happened?"
"I have to go." Eddie quickly makes his way to the counter. He throws a ten dollar bill on the counter to cover the slushy, aspirin, and ointment. Loren is still in shock. She contemplates whether or not she should follow him.
But he ran from me. Loren thinks to herself.
She decides against it, as well as the slushy, and Little Debbie. She completely loses her appetite. Loren walks up to the register where her friends are checking out.
"Where's your stuff?" Melissa asks.
"I don't really want anything. My stomach is feeling a little queasy.
Melissa looks at her friend with sympathetic eyes.
The other girls buy what they want and they walk out to Melissa's car. Loren looks around in the dark, but she sees no sign of Eddie.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!