Author: Guess what guys? I'M NOT DEAD AND NEITHER IS THIS STORY! I'm freakishly sorry for the extremely long wait. I was supposed to finish this months ago but I have been getting sidetracked, especially after starting a new story. To make up for it, I made this chapter pretty long. Hopefully it doesn't suck as much as I think it does. I apologize for any mistakes. I wouldn't be surprised if anybody forgot about this story. I have been debating for a while about rewriting this story but I chose to keep it.
WARNING: This chapter is a bit more serious than the previous ones.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: I planning on making some minor changes/additions to the previous chapters but they should not be extremely important.
I'm sorry to say there are NO sonic characters in this chapter. Therefore, I own all characters within THIS chapter.
Anyways, enjoy!

Translation key:
-mírame, porfavor*= look at me please.

I lay in bed, letting the darkness of my room consume me. I haven't slept, eaten, or interacted with anyone for days. The only time I would get up is to use the bathroom. Lucky for me, I have my own bathroom in my room so I won't actually have to step out of my room. Today marks my seventh consecutive day like this. I feel like all of my happiness has been taken away from me...because she was taken away from me...

~A week ago~
Everyone had evacuated the school due to an unexpected fire that seemed to appear out of nowhere. I stood in the school parking with the rest of the students and faculty, while the firefighters began to extinguish the fire.
Luckily, it was just one of the school buildings. Students were told to stay with their class until their teacher is finished making sure all of their students are accounted for. In the meantime, I was talking with my right hand man, Matt.
"Whoa, this is insane! Where do you think this fire came from?" He said, marveling at the flames. "I shrugged, marveling at them myself. "No idea, dude. It's so weird." "On the bright side, this means no school for the rest of the day!" He fist bumped the air. "Yep, I can't wait." I said with a bit of nostalgia in my tone. "Ohhhhhhh, spending some alone time with your girl, huh?" Matt asked, smirking. I chuckled, catching his drift. "Nah, I promised Sasha it would just be me and her hanging out today, since it's been kind of a while since we have done so." I replied to him. "Oh I see. How is she doing, by the way?" He asked.
Unlike everybody else in this school, Matt doesn't have a problem with Sasha at all. In fact, he even had a crush on her at one point, but that's just between me and him.
"She's doing ok. She probably would be better if it wasn't for that damn bastard, Eric." I cringed at the feeling of his name leaving my lips. "Oh yea, I can't stand that dude either. He acts like he own this school just because his dad in the football coach and the principal's favorite." He said, agreeing with me. "And what about that girl you dated? Pamela, I think her name was?" He added. I groaned at the mention of her name. "Please don't even talk about her." He laughed at this. "I told you not to date her dude. So when are you gonna explain to Krystal about your plans with Sasha? Knowing her, she's not gonna be too happy." I opened my mouth to say something, when said person ironically shows up. "Anthony!" Krystal ran up to us and threw her arms around my neck. "I guess I'll tell her now." I said as I wrapped my arms around her waist and leaned down to give her give her a sweet kiss. "Tell me what, babe?" She asked as I broke the kiss.

Well...here goes nothing.

"I promised to spend the day with Sasha today." Almost instantly, Krystal's expression changed from a huge smile to a frown in a split second. "I think she's going to explode..." I heard Matt say, while snickering to himself. I just ignored him and return my attention back to Krystal. "Ohh, are you...?" She asked in an amused tone. I knew she wouldn't like this, but she would have to deal with it. I refused to break a promise to my best friend.
"Yea, I kinda have been neglecting her lately and I want to make it up to her. You understand, right babe?" I said to her in a sweet voice. At first she glanced at me as if she was pondering on whether to trust me or not, but then released a soft sigh. "Ok babe, I understand." A smile grew upon my lips. "And that's why you're so amazing, Krystal." I said to her in my Spanish accent, causing her to gush in excitement as she threw her arms around my neck. I couldn't help but chuckle as I returned her embrace. At this moment, Matt leaned in closer to me. "Dude, how do you get these girls?" He whispered. I only smirked at him and said. "Skills." Matt burst into laughter at my response.
"Alright everyone! The fire is taking a while to put out and it seems to have caused severe damage to the building. Therefore, school will be canceled until further notice. You may now go home." Everyone cheered at the sound of the fireman's announcement as the all began to disperse. "That's my cue, guys. Adios." I said before pecking Krystal with a quick goodbye kiss and went to search for Sasha. "Later, dude." "Bye, Babe." I heard them call after me. I made my way deeper into the crowd, saying what's up to others as I walk by. For some reason I had this nagging...feeling...that something bad happened, but I suppressed it and continued my search for my best friend. After a few moments, I still haven't found her.

Where is she?!

Eventually, I ran into Sasha's friend, Angel, who seemed to wear a concerned expression as she looked around. "Hey Angel, have you seen Sasha?" I asked her. "No, I haven't actually and I'm getting worried..." She said, her hazel eyes full of concern. That feeling was now coming back to me.

No way! Stop worrying, Anth! I'm sure she is fine. I am going to find her...we are going to leave campus safely...and we are going to hang out together like we usually do...she is fine...

"You don't think-" "WAIT! WAIT!" Angel was cut off from her sentence when a teacher ran up to the same fireman that gave the announcement earlier.

Wait...Isn't that Sasha's science teacher.

"Sir, I am missing a student!" She said, in a frantic tone. "Please remain calm, ma'am. What is the student's name?" "Her name is Sasha...Sasha..." Angel gasped as she covered her mouth with her hands.

...no...it can't be true...she can't still be in there...

Before I knew it everything went black.
~Flashback end~

The firemen desperately searched for her, but they didn't find anything but her backpack that she left in the classroom. Everyone has convinced themselves that Sasha died in the fire, but I don't believe it. I refuse to believe it.
It's only been a week since it all happened, but it felt like forever. Everyone goes on like she never existed, and it pisses me off. There has not been a minute that has passed by when I have not thought about her.

I want her back...I want her here with me...

Knock! Knock! Knock! "Anthony...?" I simply turned away from the door, hearing my mother's voice. I didn't want to see or talk to anyone unless it was my best friend. I heard the door click open as the light from outside flooded my room. I squinted my eyes at the sudden amount of bright light. The smell of fresh pepperoni pizza filled my nostrils, giving me the assumption that she had brought me something to eat.
"Anthony...I brought you some pizza to eat..." I didn't move, indicating that I wasn't hungry. She released a sad sigh as I heard her place the plate on my night stand. I felt the bed dip behind me. "...Can you please talk to me...?" She said as she placed her hand on my shoulder. Without saying a word, I shrugged off her hand. "Anthony, mírame, porfavor*..." The hurt tone in my mom's voice made my heart ache more than it already did. For the first time in a week, I turned around to face my mom. Her eyes began to swell with tears, since this was the first time I looked at her in a week. Almost immediately, she pulled me into a tight hug. I returned her hug. Her tears salty tears soak through my dirty T-shirt and onto my back, but I didn't care. I hated it when my mom cried. Tears would have fallen from my eyes if they didn't sting so much from crying them out all week.
"…Please don't cry, Mom…" I said in a barely audible whisper. My voice was dry and raspy which made it difficult to speak. I heard mom sniff before calming down and releasing me from her arms. "I'm *sniff* sorry, Anthony. It's just…I been so worried about you. You won't talk to anyone. You haven't been eating anything all week. "
"I'm sorry…for worrying you, Mom. I…just miss her so much…." I said the best I could. "I miss her too." She said sadly before pulling me into another hug.
"But….I don't believe she is actually…dead…" Mom pulled away and stared at me with wide eyes. "What do you mean, Anthony?"
"Think about it, Mom. Isn't it weird that when the firemen searched for her body, they did find any trace of her at all?" I watched as she contemplated on what I said. "That is indeed strange… But if she is gone and her body was never found…. Then that could mean…"
"….She was probably kidnapped?"
We both exchanged shocked expressions. "I'm calling Sasha's parents and telling them to call the police." Mom said as she quickly stood up and walked towards the door. She pulled out her cell phone and began dialing. Before exiting my room, she stopped at the door and looked back at me.
"Anthony."
"Yes?"
"Eat something, porfavor?"
"Ok, Mom." I said, smiling at her. She returned my smile before leaving my room to finish her phone call.

Maybe I should go clean myself up.

I pushed myself off the bed, staggering a little due to the sudden use of my legs. I dragged myself to the bathroom and started the shower. While I waited for the shower to heat up, I glanced at myself in the mirror and was nearly horrified at what I saw. My hair looked like it hasn't been combed in months. My eyes were bloodshot and had bags under them due to my lack of sleep.

What happened to me?!

I took off my shirt and examined myself. I can tell I had lost a pound or two, but luckily it's hardly noticeable since I'm pretty built.
I decided not to worry about it for now, as I took off my sweat pants and boxers and stepped in the shower.

After taking a warm shower, I decided to eat the pizza mom brought me to regain my strength. It may not have been as hot as it was before I took a shower but it was satisfying regardless. I nearly forgot what it felt like to have something in my stomach.

I sat in my bed, waiting for my food to digest until I glanced at my phone on the nightstand. I haven't touched it at all this time. I plugged in the charger and powered on my phone. After a few moments, my messages began pouring in like crazy.

114 messages!?

I scrolled though every last message. Some of them were either from friends friends or family while more than 50 percent of them were mainly from Krystal. Krystal can be pretty over dramatic so this doesn't surprise me.

I'll just text everyone back later.

As I put my phone back on my nightstand, I heard a loud scratching sound coming from my door. Already knowing who it was, I made to the door and opened it. A giant ball of brown fur excitedly tackled me to the floor and ecstatically licked my face. "What's up, Cody?" Cody is my german shepherd I adopted some years ago.
I smiled and ruffled his fur. "Sorry I haven't been paying any attention to you lately." He nuzzled his head in to my hand, begging me to continue patting him. I glanced over at my alarm clock to see it was 3:32.

I could seriously use some fresh air right now.

With that being said, I slipped into my running shoes before grabbing my phone and Cody's dog leash. "Come on, Cody. Let's go for a walk."

After walking down the streets for about ten minutes, we finally arrived at the city park. I unhooked the leash from His red spiked collar as he barked happily. I then reached into my pocket and pulled out Cody's favorite tennis ball. "Hey! Hey, Cody! Want the ball?" Cody barked excitingly while wagging his tail, anxiously waiting for me to throw the ball. "Go get it, Boy!" I yelled as I threw the ball as far as I could, which was a pretty good distance. Cody took off after the ball with great speed, as he barked like he was the happiest dog on Earth.
For the first time in a week, I laughed a bit. It seemed almost foreign to do so. Ever since the day Sasha disappeared, I haven't smiled once. Instead, I isolated myself in my room.

Is this how Sasha feels every day?

My thoughts were interrupted when I saw a group of guys headed in my direction and I instantly recognized who they were. "Come on, Cody. Let's go somewhere else." I said as I attach the leash back onto his collar. I wasn't in the mood to put up with this. I wanted to get away from here as fast as possible, but apparently I wasn't fast enough.
"Well, if it isn't everyone's favorite little prick." I clenched my fists in anger and slowly turned around. "What's wrong, Eric? Jealous 'cause I get more girls than you?" Eric frowned at this, causing me to smirk. "I attract just as many girls as you." I laughed at him knowing very well that it's not true. "Yea, keep telling yourself that, but we both know the truth." I watched as he gritted his teeth in anger and smirked. "Too bad the girl you care about the most is dead!" My body tensed up and I felt a pain in my chest, almost as if I was stabbed. It was now Eric's turn to smirk. I heard Cody began to growl lowly. He must clearly sense the hostility between us.
Seeing that I wasn't replying, Eric took the opportunity to continue. "Somehow I always knew she would burn in flames." After that, I couldn't take it anymore. But before I had time to react, Cody charged at Eric, but was instantly stopped due to my tight grip on his leash. Eric flinched and his expression was filled with fear. "Whoa! Call off your stupid mutt!" Seeing this started to amuse me. "Now, why would I do that?" I asked sarcastically as smirk slithered its way onto my face. I loosened my grip on the leash a little, causing Cody to jerk forward a little bit. "Hey! Knock it off!" Eric exclaimed, while taking a step back. A dark chuckle escaped my lips. "Are you scared, wuss?" I asked as I loosened the leash a little bit more. Cody jerked forward again, still barking violently at Eric. "STOP PLAYING, DUDE!" Eric exclaimed, his expression now changing from fear to panic. This time, my smirk turned into scowl. "I'M SICK OF EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT SASHA LIKE SHE'S NOTHING! BUT MOSTLY I'M SICK OF YOU, BASTARD!" Just as I was about to fully release the leash, something or someone stopped me.
"ANTHONY! STOP!" I immediately stopped and looked behind me to see Angel running up between us. She still was still wearing her pink ballet uniform and had her hair pinned up in a bun so she must have just came from ballet practice. By this time, Cody had calmed down and was now focused on Angel. Eric and I watched as she looked between us with disapproval. "Eric, why don't you take your business somewhere else?" Angel asked calmly with her usual angelic tone in her voice. "Pffft, you really think I'm gonna listen to you, Powder Puff?" Eric asked with a raised eyebrow. Angel only smiled at his defiance. "Ok then. You can stay here and play with your new buddy if you like." She said, gesturing to Cody who was sitting quietly next to me. Eric glanced down at Cody who lowly growled at him. I did my best to suppress my laughter. Eric slowly started to back away. "Fine...whatever." He said as he finally left the park.
Relief washed over me as watched that douchebag leave. "Thanks, Angel." Angel placed her hands on her hips and glared at me. "Nobody hears in from you for a week and when I finally find you this is what you're doing?" I chuckled nervously as I scratched the back of my head. Angel rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to say something but instantly stopped when she saw Cody happily approach her. Her eyes widened as she slowly started to back away.

Oh yea, I forgot she is afraid of animals.

"Don't worry. Cody's not gonna hurt you. It's only people like Eric he doesn't like. Other than that, he's really friendly. Hold your hand out to him." Angel looked from me to Cody hesitantly, before slowly holding her hand out in front of him. Cody curiously sniffed her hand before happily placing his paw in her hand. Angel giggled as she shook his paw. "Nice to meet you too." I couldn't help but smile at this.
A moment later, Angel stood up and gave me a concerned look. "Where have you been all this time?" I just shrugged. "Nowhere..." I said nonchalantly as I sat down on a nearby bench with Cody following. Angel released a small sigh before sitting down next to me. "It's about Sasha isn't it...?" She asked solemnly. I averted my eyes away from her. "Anthony, please talk to me...I may not be as close with you like Sasha is with you but...you need someone to talk to." I knew she was right. Sasha is the only person I would ever open up to but with her being...gone I probably should at least talk to someone.
Finally, I let out a deep sigh and decided to open up. "Yea...it's about Sasha. Ever since that day...I locked myself in my room and...I haven't been the same since." I glanced at Angel as I waited for her to respond. Angel stared solemnly at me as she was at a loss of words. "Ohh..I see..." She finally said a moment later. Seeing she wasn't saying anything else, I took the chance to continue. "Today, I decided to get up and get some fresh air with Cody but...then I ran into that stupid bastard and-"

"By the way, whatever happened between you, Sasha, and, Eric that caused you guys to hate each other so much? I tried to ask Sasha once but it seemed to really bother her so I didn't want to pry." I tensed up, not expecting the question. Memories of that very day flooded back through my head and I HATED it. "O-ohh n-n-no, I didn't mean to pry. You don't have to tell if you don't want to. I was just curious." Angel babbled apologetically.
"No it's ok. You've actually grown pretty close to Sasha and I can tell she trusts you, which is actually saying something for her. So I'll tell what happened..."

~About two years ago~
Early during freshman year, things were different. Sasha wasn't always the cold distant person you see now. She was sweet, loved by all, adored things cute and girly, and she always had a genuine smile on her face. But during that year, things started to go downhill.

"It was so funny! So after that Eric said-"
"Sasha, I don't think you should be hanging around that guy..."
"Why you say that...?
"I don't trust that guy. There's just something about him that just rubs me the wrong way."
"I have been talking to him all this time and he seems fine to me. Sure there are times when he would poke fun at me from time to time but he's only teasing."
"Hmm...still just...please be careful."
"Don't worry, Anthony. I will. Anyways I gotta go. I'll catch you later!"
"...you said that before..."

After that, Sasha and I began to drift apart. As time passed, we became distant to the point we no longer talked anymore. Between becoming a track star, dating all the popular girls, and hanging out with the cool kids, I quickly became popular. But as for Sasha...I wish I could say the same. She began hanging around with the wrong people, Eric particularly. At first the seemed to start off as her 'friends' but those so called 'friends' slowly started to become bullies. It nagged me everyday. I felt like should have done something to stop it but...I just pretended like I didn't notice. I figured she must have hated me for not being there for her and honestly, I hated myself for it too. I assumed she wanted nothing to do with me. Until one day during lunch, I was sitting in the school patio having my usual make out session with Pamela, who was my girlfriend at the time.

"Umm...hi...Anthony..." Me and Pam heard a voice that was barely over a whisper.
"Sasha?" We looked up to see none other than Sasha. She wore white sandals with a light blue top, a jean skirt that stopped at her mid thigh and a matching jean jacket. Her face showed no emotion so so I couldn't guess how she was feeling.
"What do you want? If you think you're gonna try to steal my man too, then you've got another thing coming." Pam said defensively while glaring at her.
"Hey it's alright, Pam. Just give us a few minutes." I assured her."Are you sure?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "I promise it will only be a few minutes." Pam gave me a skeptical look before smiling. "Fine." She gave me one more peck on the lips before she got up and left.
"Mind if I sit down?" Sasha asked after Pam had left.
"No, not at all." She quietly sat down next to me. BZZZT! Her phone went off as soon as she sat down. She pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at it, frowning before sliding it back in her pocket.
"...so how have you been?"
"I have been pretty good. And you?"
"...things have been...complicated..."
"...so I've heard..."
"You heard about it too huh...?"
"Everyone has." She sighed sadly in response. BZZZT! Once again, her phone went off. But instead of looking at it, she grimaced as she kept her glance on the ground. I watched her feeling a bit suspicious about who could be on the other end of those messages but figured it wasn't any of my business. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, I finally spoke up.
"I'm so sorry abou-"
"You don't need to apologize. I should have been more careful like you said. I shouldn't have trusted them. I shouldn't have trusted people like Eric and now look where it's gotten me…." Relief washed over me. All this time I was afraid she would be mad at me but she never was.
"Honestly….I didn't think you would want to talk to me…." I looked to her with a shocked expression.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Because…"
"Listen, I don't care about what happened. I'm not gonna let some stupid rumors mess up our friendship. We are still friends right?" For the first time, since she sat down she looked at me, completely shocked that I would say that. A smile soon spread across her lips before she nodded her head.
"Yeah, we are still friends."
"Good." I said before pulling her into a friendly embrace. I can tell she wasn't expecting it but she hugged me back regardless.
"Don't worry, Sash. Everything is going to be alright."

If only I knew that that day was going to take a seriously bad turn. Sasha happened to miss her bus. Since her parents were both were still at work, she had to wait for the activity buses. It would be a perfect chance to catch up since we would be riding the same bus. To pass the time, I invited her to watch me at track practice. It seemed to cheer her up a little.
"Hola, Princessa."
"Wh-What..?"
"Did you forget? That's always been my nickname for you."
"Oh yeah, didn't I tell you to stop calling me that?"
"Who said I was going to stop?'
"Anyways, practice is over in few minutes. So we will be leaving soon."
"Alright then, I'm going to go use the bathroom before we go."
….I wish I hadn't ad let her go alone…. When practice was officially over, I noticed Sasha never came back from the bathroom. I even sent a couple of texts asking if she is alright, but I never got an answer. Getting worried, I decided to go look for her. I walked down the empty hall where the bathrooms were. I decided to send her one more text. But something interrupted me before I started the text.
"I told you to leave me alone, bastard!"
That voice came from Sasha but it didn't sound like it came from the girl's bathroom. It sounded like it came from….the boy's bathroom… Just to make sure, I got closer to the door of the boy's bathroom, only to confirm that my worst nightmare was true.
"Who do you think you're talking to, slut!? You have no way out of this so you might as well enjoy it."
"Do we get a turn when you're done, Eric?"
"I don't care what you do with her when I'm done. Now hold her still for me."
"DON'T TOUCH ME!"
Instantly reacting, I barged in the bathroom to find Sasha being held against the wall by two of Eric's friends while Eric had one hand covering her mouth and the other hand up her skirt. My blood nearly boiled over. Before I knew it, I grabbed Eric and threw him out the bathroom door. He stumbled a bit. I can tell I caught him off guard.
"Dude, what the h-"
"SHUT UP!"
I kicked him in the stomach, sending him straight onto the floor. Anger took over me as jumped on Eric and began punching him in the face repeatedly.
"YOU SICK TWISTED BASTARD!"
By this time, blood was already dripping from his nose and mouth but I refused to stop. Eric tried to fend off my blows but it was futile for him.
"Guys….help…..me!"
One his friends tried to pry me off, but I wasn't having it. Once I was done with Eric, his pathetic friends were next. That's when footsteps began approaching from the distance.
"Someone's coming! Let's get out of here!"
Both of Eric's friends immediately ran the opposite way. In a few seconds, two security guards came and pulled me off of Eric and escorted us to the principal's office, along with a petrified Sasha. Ever since that day, She has never been the same.
~Flashback end~

As I finished, I glanced over at Angel, waiting for her response. She stared at me with big eyes filled with disbelief and pity. Tears filled her eyes as slowly began to shake her head. "That's...AWFUL! Why would he do something like that?!"
"I don't know what that turd was thinking. Sasha said before that all happened he came onto her when she came to him looking for comfort."
"What did the principal did the principal do about it? Did he get in trouble?"
My eyes shifted towards the ground as I clenched my hands into fists and gritted my teeth. "Eric's dad who is the football coach convinced the principal that his son was so 'innocent' and that Sasha and I planned the whole thing. In the end, we were suspended while Eric was let off the hook."
"WHAT?! That's not fair! What about Sasha's parents? What did they sew him at least? And who was the person that was constantly sending her messages?" I sighed heavily.
"Sorry Angel, but that's all I can tell you. There's still a lot more to the story but it's not in my place to tell. I promised Sasha that I would keep everything between us. If you want to hear the whole story, you would have to hear from her if she is willing to tell you..."
Or if we ever see her again…..
Angel opened her mouth to say something but closed it and simply nodded. "Ok, I understand." After short uncomfortable silence, Angel spoke up again.
"Anthony?"
"Hm?" I responded while looking towards hers.
"Do you think...Sasha really is dead? The whole thing seems kind of weird that her body was never found, especially since the fire wasn't ablaze for that long."

So she noticed it too.

"Me and my mom was just talking about it before I left. We think she might have been kidnapped." She raised her eyebrows at this. "Seriously?" I nodded my head. "There can't be any other explanation." I said clenching my fists. "I swear I will not rest until I see her again." Angel let out a soft chuckle. "What?" I asked shooting her a confused look. "Sorry, it's just that Sasha is so lucky to have a friend like you to look out for her. Especially with horrible people like Eric around. You're so loyal and sweet. You care about her so much and would do anything to protect her from harm. What would she do without you?" Angel said before smiling sweetly. A smile also began to graze my lips.

Heh, yea...what would she do without me?

"And to think that all this time I thought you were nothing but a flirtatious pretty boy that only cares running track and about girls."
"Tha- wait what?"
"Oh nothing!" She dismissed while laughing nervously. I just shrugged it off. Angel glanced up to see that the sun has almost completely gone down. "Wow, it's already getting late. I guess I better get home before my dad gets worried." She said before grabbing her bag and standing to her feet. "I'll walk you home." I offered while standing up too. "No it's ok. You don't have to." She said as she began walking away.
"Hey," I placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look back at me. "I don't need you disappearing on me too..." She gave me a sad smile and nodded. "Thank you, Anthony."
"No problem." I said returning the smile. With that, we exited the park with Cody happily trotting behind us.

Author: Phew! that's finally over with. I hope you all enjoyed and again please forgive me for such a long wait.
Thanks for reading. :)