I walked down the street, it was dark and I was just getting home
from my friend Chrissie's house. I passed a dark alley way and started to
shake. Chrissie's mom had offered a ride home but I told her I'd just
walk. "Stupid!" I said under my breath
"I am?" said a voice from behind. I shrieked and spun around. I backed into the circle of light that a nearby street light cast.
"Who's there?" I said shakily.
"It's me, Will," said the voice. "I didn't know any other way to talk to you. You won't answer my calls, you won't talk to me at school, and I doubt that you would talk to me if I came to your house. Not to mention your sister and mom would want to know everything and eavesdrop."
"Your probably right. I don't know why I'm ignoring you. I just…" I said trailing off.
"It's ok," he said finally. I know what you mean, you felt uncomfortable talking to me. You most likely didn't know what to say… what I'm trying to say is I understand."
"Your absolutely right. I guess I didn't know what to do," I said quietly. "I'm sorry."
"It's ok. I missed you. Life is hard without a best friend," he said with a wry smile. I smiled a small smile back.
"I don't want to upset you, but have you heard any news about your mother?" I asked.
"No, but, I am planning on doing something about her. I am going to find her," he said. "I know it sounds stupid but if I can find my father in the world of the dead, I can find my mom in this world. But wait, what if she found a widow they hadn't closed yet…" he said trailing off. My eyes grew twice as large.
"No, if that happened, there's no telling where she is, or what she is doing!"
"This is going to be hard finding her. Are you sure you're up to it?"
"Yeah, I'm the only help you have, except for Mary."
"The thing is, I don't know if we can do it. Last time, I had the alethiometer, knife, angels, bears, witches, and… Lyra. Not to mention Mary is in London for some conference."
"Oh, I hadn't thought of that."
"Don't worry, we'll figure it out somehow," he said.
'Yeah, somehow,' I thought. Then I said out loud, "Um, don't you think we should get home. It's getting late, and my mom thought I was going to be home by 7 o'clock, and it's," I looked at my watch. "Nine thirty! She's probably sent out a search party by now," I said rolling my eyes.
"Let's go then, I'll walk you home."
"Um, Will, Mary's gone right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, no one is at your house then."
"True, but what has that got to do with anything?"
"I don't want you to be all alone!"
"I do all the time. I mean, when my mom was, well I mean, before everything, I was practically alone. My mom was there, but wasn't there, you know?"
"Yeah, but you don't deserve to be alone! How long is Mary going to be gone?"
"Until next week," said Will quietly.
"That's it, you are coming to my house and bunking in the guest room," I said firmly, my face set decisively.
He laughed and said, "Ok, ok, I'm coming home with you. You don't think your mom will mind do you?"
"No way, as long as you stay downstairs in the guest room. She has this idea in her head that we like each more than friends," I said. We both cracked up. The idea was enough to make as laugh.
"Yeah, well, the one she should be worried about is your sister! I swear, she is in love with me or something!" I giggled.
"She has a crush on you big time, it scary!" We both laughed as we walked up my porch steps and realized we'd gotten to my house. The door flew open and there stood my mom, she had that mad look where you knew she was really worried but also really mad.
"I am?" said a voice from behind. I shrieked and spun around. I backed into the circle of light that a nearby street light cast.
"Who's there?" I said shakily.
"It's me, Will," said the voice. "I didn't know any other way to talk to you. You won't answer my calls, you won't talk to me at school, and I doubt that you would talk to me if I came to your house. Not to mention your sister and mom would want to know everything and eavesdrop."
"Your probably right. I don't know why I'm ignoring you. I just…" I said trailing off.
"It's ok," he said finally. I know what you mean, you felt uncomfortable talking to me. You most likely didn't know what to say… what I'm trying to say is I understand."
"Your absolutely right. I guess I didn't know what to do," I said quietly. "I'm sorry."
"It's ok. I missed you. Life is hard without a best friend," he said with a wry smile. I smiled a small smile back.
"I don't want to upset you, but have you heard any news about your mother?" I asked.
"No, but, I am planning on doing something about her. I am going to find her," he said. "I know it sounds stupid but if I can find my father in the world of the dead, I can find my mom in this world. But wait, what if she found a widow they hadn't closed yet…" he said trailing off. My eyes grew twice as large.
"No, if that happened, there's no telling where she is, or what she is doing!"
"This is going to be hard finding her. Are you sure you're up to it?"
"Yeah, I'm the only help you have, except for Mary."
"The thing is, I don't know if we can do it. Last time, I had the alethiometer, knife, angels, bears, witches, and… Lyra. Not to mention Mary is in London for some conference."
"Oh, I hadn't thought of that."
"Don't worry, we'll figure it out somehow," he said.
'Yeah, somehow,' I thought. Then I said out loud, "Um, don't you think we should get home. It's getting late, and my mom thought I was going to be home by 7 o'clock, and it's," I looked at my watch. "Nine thirty! She's probably sent out a search party by now," I said rolling my eyes.
"Let's go then, I'll walk you home."
"Um, Will, Mary's gone right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, no one is at your house then."
"True, but what has that got to do with anything?"
"I don't want you to be all alone!"
"I do all the time. I mean, when my mom was, well I mean, before everything, I was practically alone. My mom was there, but wasn't there, you know?"
"Yeah, but you don't deserve to be alone! How long is Mary going to be gone?"
"Until next week," said Will quietly.
"That's it, you are coming to my house and bunking in the guest room," I said firmly, my face set decisively.
He laughed and said, "Ok, ok, I'm coming home with you. You don't think your mom will mind do you?"
"No way, as long as you stay downstairs in the guest room. She has this idea in her head that we like each more than friends," I said. We both cracked up. The idea was enough to make as laugh.
"Yeah, well, the one she should be worried about is your sister! I swear, she is in love with me or something!" I giggled.
"She has a crush on you big time, it scary!" We both laughed as we walked up my porch steps and realized we'd gotten to my house. The door flew open and there stood my mom, she had that mad look where you knew she was really worried but also really mad.