"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" Noah exclaimed from the cab of his truck as he peered through the sheet of rain and swishing windscreen wipers to examine the tailback of red lights blocking his route home. It was slightly past rush-hour but there were still enough cars on the road to create quite a backup.
Noah sighed and checked his wristwatch. He had finally managed to leave the studio at a reasonable hour to spend some much needed time at home and now this had to happen.
Luke was pulling back from Grimaldi Shipping; giving the new management team time to take the helm. As a result he was working more and more from home, which meant he could watch Nicholas and Noah could return full time to the studio. A complete switch of roles to what they had done before their holiday break in Oakdale. Noah smiled as he remembered it.
Engaged.
He laughed softly to himself. He loved that word and it instantly elevated his mood even after his marathon editing session and the pile of traffic ahead of him.
"Oh well." He thought "Nothing for it but to sit it out."
He pressed #1 on his hands-free and waited.
"This is Luke Snyder, I can't come to the phone right now…" Noah hung up. There was no point leaving a message. Luke would assume he was still at work… he wouldn't be worried.
He turned the radio up and hummed along to the tune, slowing inching his truck forward, whenever the break lights on the car in front allowed him too.
...
From: Joshua Carmody Sent: Thur 03/01/2012
To: Natalie Snyder
Cc:
Subject: Hey!
Dear Nat,
I have to write this quick because I've been banned from using the computer.
I'm grounded FOR LIFE!
I've never seen my folks so mad! I mean it was just a little weed! Jeez!
Anyways I'm sorry because it means I won't be at summer camp this year. And I was really looking forward to it! Damn!
Just wanted to let you know in case you looked for me!
Mom just drove up so I have to get offline fast!
Josh
This message and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this message in error please delete it and any files transmitted with it.
...
"Mr Snyder…"
"Oh, it's Luke… please!"
"Okay then… Luke..." The charming man smiled genuinely at him, "I'd just like to take a moment to thank you for coming in for this meeting at a time when, I understand, you're having family difficulties?"
Luke's hand squeezed a little tighter around the pen he was holding and he felt himself stiffen. He eyed the six men and two women at the board table. He hadn't expected this. He hadn't expected them to bring this up in the middle of a business meeting! He was barely holding on as it was. Quivering spasms, starting small, but gradually building in momentum, ran from the very centre of him.
"Um, it's no problem." He stammered, trying to keep his cool, just as he became aware of the sweat droplets building on this skin, "Um. I told you I'd be available to help you take over the company in anyway I could."
Noah was right! Attending this meeting at the request of the new owners had been a huge mistake!
"Luke?"
As much as he tried he couldn't keep his mind off of IT. He couldn't concentrate on the details being discussed. Voices droned on like the adults in the Charlie Brown cartoons Nicholas seemed to like so much.
"Luke?"
He realised the entire board table were all looking at him. How long had they been waiting for an answer?
"Um, I'm sorry, um, what was the question?"
Kieran, the man taking on Luke's role as CEO, frowned in confusion at Luke's obvious discomfort and lack of interest, "What are your thoughts on New York?"
He felt suddenly faint and his throat was dry. He leaned forward to pour himself a glass of water from the crystal decanters before him, but he couldn't reach from a seated position and as he stood he felt all the blood leave his body.
Things went black.
"Luke? Luke, wake up! Wake up, Luke!"
He opened his eyes to find his PA, Ellie's face staring worriedly down on him, her palm on his cheek.
"Oh my god, Luke! Are you okay? You just collapsed!"
He looked around and realised he was lying flat out on the floor by his chair. The rest of the board members stood around him dumbstruck.
"Are you okay?" Asked Ellie again, "Should I call an ambulance?"
Luke sat up and smiled at her, "No Ellie, thank you. I just fainted. I didn't really eat today. I'm so sorry!" he said to the people around him, "I can't think…"
"Not to worry Luke." Said Kieran, "It's clear you're not up to this meeting and it's completely understandable under the circumstances."
Luke really wished he would stop saying things like that.
"Can you walk?" Asked Ellie.
He pulled himself up half with her help, half by gripping the table and then he allowed Ellie to escort him back to his office.
"Thanks." He sighed as he sat back behind his desk, holding a hand to his forehead and sipping at the water she handed him.
Before he knew it she was using his phone.
"Who are you calling?" he asked, "I told you I don't need an ambulance."
"Hello, Noah?" He heard her say, "It's Ellie here… I'm fine thank you but… oh no… no… don't panic… it's just… he kind of fainted…"
"I'm just fine!" Luke exclaimed, annoyed that she had involved Noah.
"Hang on." She handed him the handset, "He wants to talk to you."
"I bet he does!" Groaned Luke, "Hello?"
"Luke!" Noah's voice was urgent, "What happened?"
"Ellie is making a big deal about nothing!" Luke insisted, "I just fainted in the meeting. I didn't have time to eat today."
"Dammit Luke! I told you not to go to that meeting!"
"Okay! Okay! Calm down! I'm fine!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, really… I'm fine. There's no need to worry, okay?"
"Okay, but you know I'm still picking you up?"
"Noah! I can drive!"
"I'm picking you up!"
"What about Nicholas?"
"I'll just have to bring him along of course! I'll be there in a few minutes."
He didn't wait for Luke to argue, the phone cut off.
...
Lilly had just popped home to pick up her mail on her way back to the Lakeview, when she found thirteen year old Natalie slumped at the breakfast bar in an obvious funk.
"Hey sweetie! Back from school already?"
"Yeah…" She dropped her head onto her elbows and blew a wisp of dark hair out of her face.
"But it's Tuesday? Don't you have cheerleading today?"
"It was cancelled… Coach broke her toe…" She picked up her phone from the table without lifting her chin from her arm and checked the display before sighing heavily, in that way only a teenager could.
"Something troubling you baby?" Lilly was actually due in a meeting and needed to go, but she got the distinct impression Natalie wasn't exactly happy.
"No one's around!"
"Well, what do you mean?"
"I mean I've tried to get in touch with somebody and NO ONE is answering me! I've texted EVERYBODY on my phone!"
Lilly felt for her. She was such a sociable child, so different from her sister Faith, who could entertain herself for hours with just a book. Natalie seemed to need companionship on a constant basis. As much as she differed from Luke in her appearance; somehow being the only one of Lilly's children with hair so dark it was almost black; in personality, she was so strikingly similar to him.
She knew that Natalie loved hanging out with her family, but it could also be such a chore for her, especially since she often ended up as babysitter for Ethan.
"Well," tried Lilly, "who did you leave these messages with? Did you ask them to meet you?"
"I didn't exactly ask if anyone wanted to get together. I just texted "hi" to a few of them… But NO ONE responded!"
Lilly chuckled. Obviously in the teenage world the word "hi" was laced with meaning beyond the obvious. It seemed to imply "what are you doing" and "do you want to get together"…
She pulled her daughter's hair up in a ponytail behind her head and suggested, "Why don't you phone one of them and actually ask them over? Maybe they don't realise you want company."
"I guess…"
Lilly frowned. Her efforts to improve on Natalie's mood didn't seem to have made any difference. And it wasn't just today. Natalie had been like this for at least a week or more.
"What is it baby?" Lilly pleaded, "You seem so sad lately."
"Can I go stay with Luke and Noah for a few days?"
The question came out of nowhere and was so left wing of the original topic that Lilly was taken aback.
"What?" she asked.
"Well Spring holidays are coming up and it would just be nice, you know? To get out of here for once…"
Lilly considered this for a while. She was old enough to fly alone and Lilly really couldn't think of any reason so say no, besides the fact that she would miss her terribly. Even if it was just for a week…
She leaned over and kissed the top of her head, "I'll have to talk to your father first…"
"But I can go?" Excitement and hope filled her voice and she perked up immediately.
Lilly laughed, "If your Dad agrees and Luke and Noah are okay with it, then I don't see why not."
Her daughter flew her skinny arms around her neck, and in-between kisses on Lilly's cheek yelled, "Thank you… thank you… thank you!"
...
Eventually Noah reached the point where the main road ended and the four lanes narrowed into three and then into two, becoming surprisingly narrow for a few miles before branching off in different suburban directions. He cursed slightly when he realised this meant the problem was emanating from this two lane road and he was most likely in for an even longer wait to get home.
"Why tonight of all nights!" he grumbled to himself.
Finally after another twenty minutes of slow tail backing he caught the lights of the emergency vehicles up ahead.
"Not long now and then I'm home!" he thought.
As he drew closer he couldn't see any smashed cars and wondered what the problem was. But it all became clear as he passed. He could see that the paramedics were just in the process of lifting a gurney into the ambulance so he knew they had a casualty. But then his eyes briefly caught the sight of a bent bicycle tyre.
"Another biker!" he thought. "Poor guy!"
...
From: Natalie Snyder Sent: Tues 03/13/2012
To: Joshua Carmody
Cc:
Subject: Re: Hey!
Dear Josh,
I hope you get this!
I'm coming! :-)
Spring break!
Love Nat xxx
This message and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this message in error please delete it and any files transmitted with it.
...
Noah pulled his truck into the garage next to Luke's car. In that moment he did perceive that something was different, but he was too tired to bother working out what it was.
As he entered the house, drenched from the rain, all was dark and dead quiet. He frowned. That was odd. It was only nine PM.
"Luke?" he called softly, not wanting to wake Nicholas. "Nat?"
Silence.
He dropped his bag by the door and hung his key on the hook, yawning broadly. He checked on Nicholas as he made his way down the passage and found him to be sound asleep with one leg hanging off the side of the bed. Noah chuckled and lifted the limb back up on the sheets. The child stirred and shifted into a tight ball, sticking his thumb in his mouth and sucking gently in his sleep. Noah pulled the top sheet over him and kissed him.
"Sleep tight, baby." He whispered with a smile.
He stretched his arms in the air as he made his way to the second bedroom where he expected to find Natalie, either on the computer or listening to music. He knocked a few times and when he didn't get an answer softly opened the door.
"Nat? You awake?"
The room was empty, the bed un-slept in.
Noah stared at the vacant darkness for a few minutes trying to work out where she could be. The kitchen light hadn't been on, he was sure. And anyway, wouldn't she have answered him if she was there?
Sure there was a logical explanation he finally made it to their bedroom, where he found Luke pass out on the bed.
"So early?" He said to himself.
He sat down next to Luke and shook him slightly, "Luke?"
"Hmm?" His hair was all tousled and spiky, as though he'd fallen asleep with it damp.
"Luke, baby? Wake up."
"Nooooo!"
Noah bent over and Eskimo kissed him, "You're already asleep?"
"What?" Finally Luke opened his eyes and seeing Noah turned to look at the clock by the bed. "Oh my god! I only meant to rest my head at six! I can't believe I fell asleep!"
Noah laughed, "Well! Maybe you needed it!"
"Yeah… I guess Nicholas finally managed to talk me into slumber!" he stroked Noah's arm, "You're all wet. Is it raining?"
"Absolutely bucketing it down!" Noah said smiling at him as he stood to begin removing his work clothes, "So, where's Natalie?"
"Huh?"
"Nat? Did you let her go out after all?"
Luke's eyes grew wide and he shot up and out the door so fast Noah had to do a double take...
"Luke?" Noah followed Luke into the guest bedroom and found him looking flabbergasted at the empty room.
"She didn't!" He stated angrily.
"Didn't what?"
"It was the same damn issue! She kept going on and on at me about letting her go out tonight and I told her explicitly no!"
"And she went anyway…" he said as though it was obvious she would. "Shit Luke! Where would she go?"
Luke rushed past him back to there room where he grabbed his mobile off the bedside table, quickly ringing her number. He locked eyes with Noah, now standing in the doorway.
"Nothing!" he hung up.
"Well, don't panic, okay?" said Noah. "I'm sure she's fine! I'm going to kill her when she get's back but I'm sure she's okay! I mean, how would she get anywhere? She wouldn't dare take the car again and…"
Noah's sentence cut short as a terrible thought came to him. Images flashed through his mind and his stomach did a summersault.
"Noah?" Luke sensed the change in him.
Noah sped to the lounge, grabbing his keys off the hook and rushing back out into the rain. Frantically he pressed the button that would open the garage door, praying privately that he was mistaken. But he was already in the grip of a sick feeling…
"Come on!" he yelled as it moved too slowly.
By then Luke had caught up with him, "What is it?"
As Noah turned on the garage light his fear was realised. The wall where Luke's bicycle usually hung elevated by special hooks; was empty… His heart was suddenly beating with a force that shook him like the skin of a drum.
He hadn't been thinking it! Why would he? But if he had looked, if he had really looked, then he would have known for sure what his subconscious already did. Luke's bicycle had white ribbons tied to the handle. Ribbons that were punched with tiny stars… Ribbons that Luke hated, but that Nicholas had made for him and insisted he tie to his bike.
Those ribbons had lain muddy in the wet grass, illuminated briefly by the headlights of his truck, still attached to the mangled bicycle by the side of the road.
...
Let me know what you think ;-)