It takes half an hour, there's some complications on Skyar's end and it takes a lot of reassessing. We manage to alter things accordingly and it's sorted. I fly up the stairs and dart to A, smiling, trying to keep his hopes up.
"Come on, we can go now" He doesn't seem so energetic any more. "A, we can go and see BB, you still want to, right?" A nods, allowing me to help him up and guide him to the garage like a lost puppy. My stomach sinks. "A, are you ok?"
"I'm fine Melly!" He suddenly sparks. "A-OK, remember?" He takes the leathers and puts them on with ease, gladly accepting the helmet before holding onto me for dear life. "Please don't hurry Melly" I laugh.
"I promise I'll keep within the speed limit and take all main roads" I flip the visor down and rev up the engine, keying in the code for the garage to open up for me, specifically. We have individual codes for our own purposes. For the limo, it's 4, where the doors open and stay open for twenty seconds before closing. For me, it's 1, because it was my idea for the system. Ha! I press one and the doors open, stay open for five seconds and then close again. Perfect timing for the bike.
The ride there is leisurely and A seems to relax a bit more. By the time we get there, he's only barely gripping me and I feel proud. Like I took his Bike-Virginity or something. I did, but that was a long time ago. I hop off and let him strip off his leathers before putting them in the compartment. I realise that I haven't spent much time on My Lovely recently, so I stroke her fondly and make a promise to do a road trip with her at some point.
"That was good, and we didn't die" A laughs, his eyes lighting up as he see's the entrance to the hospital. "Let's go Melly" He's off before I can agree, surprising me by even sporting a light jog all the way to BB's room. I run to catch up, half expecting him to stop once we're almost there but he doesn't. I come to a halt beside him, quickly apologising to one of the nurses I'd almost swirled into. She tells me to be careful and hurries off, so I follow A inside.
The room is empty.
"Melly?" A whispers, his voice shaky and hollow. "Where is he?" I blink, scanning the room for any signs of BB. I check the ensuite bathroom, but he's not in there. "Melly?" A's voice turns to panic, he faces me with his fists balled up, his eyes threatening to pour over. "Melly?" I dive out of the room, hitting the opposite wall with my shoulder as I miss the sharp turn. Flying into the main desk, I demand to know where BB is, I give them his patient number and the room number and his last known stats from the night before. She replies unhelpfully with-
"He hasn't been discharged...maybe he's gone for a walk" I stalk back to the room, my fingers curling into my hands as I debate what to say to A. Do I tell him what the nurse says? Do I try and make him believe that BB has gone for a walk, or do I tell him that honestly, I don't know where he is? That the police might've taken him? That he might've escaped the hospital and gone into hiding? Do I get his hopes up by saying that maybe he'll be waiting somewhere? That he'll be in touch?
No.
"Melly...He's not here is he?" I can't do anything but smile apologetically. It lingers for a few seconds before I forget why I'm smiling at all; it doesn't seem appropriate. A sits on BB's bed, his hands feeling the sheets where BB was laid. "What if the police took him again?"
"I doubt that A...BB wouldn't let that happen, would he?" A shakes his head.
"No, he wouldn't" Neither of us know what to do, but I don't want to hurry him. I begin to check the cupboards, the floor, the shelves and the ensuite bathroom again for anything that could be a clue, but A simply laughs quietly and tells me not to bother. I find it weird that BB hasn't left anything.
"Maybe he'll find us Melly; we should do something fun" I blink.
"Fun?"
"Yeah. BB might need time to do a few things before he finds us, and he's always watching so he'll know where to find us" I have my doubts, but I don't tell him this. "Melly, how about we go shopping. I think we should"
"You're supposed to be evading the police; shopping isn't the best Idea you've come up with A" He huffs at this.
"I suppose... I don't want to be house-ridden all day though, hmm" He slips off the bed and smiles. "You're good at thinking of things to do Melly, what can we do?" I shrug.
"I dunno A, I'm not in the mood for a movie-night, you?"
"Nope"
"Uhm..." Somewhere in the corridor the phone rings typically, invading our silent thinking. "Prank calls?"
"Wouldn't that be mean?" I grin at his naivety. "Oh... that being the point"
"No, it wouldn't cheer you up" I sigh and keep thinking.
"Actually, Melly...I'd like it if we went home. Spending the evening with you could be fun" I frown.
"Are you sure? We can look for BB if you want"
"No, im sure he'll find us when he wants to. In the meantime..." He moves over and links his bony arm through mine. "... We should make him that jam cake, yes?" I smile, albeit suspiciously, as he leads me out of the room and walks by my side until we reach the bike.
I swear that A is hiding his worry over BB. It doesn't sit right with me, that A is being this normal in BB's absence. Normally he'd be fretting, curled up in a ball on his bed and refusing to do anything until BB was by his side. Voluntarily making BB a jam cake with a smile on his face, as though BB were in the room next door, is not something I was accustomed to. So I spend the day cautiously analysing A's movements and words, suspicious of everything. I'm good at hiding it though (Skyar went through it with me during Training), but I don't doubt that A would have an inkling that something was up. The jam cake turns out well and it's left in the fridge until BB comes round, or is at the very least found and safe.
"Melly, do you even like jam cake?"
"I do for you A" I grin. "But jam has probably worn off on me since BB obsesses over it" A laughs and hugs me tight, his skinny arms around my waist, his pale face slightly pink with the heat of the kitchen. He hugs me for longer than he normally does, which worries me a little, but I don't question it. I simply let it slip as A missing BB and wanting comfort, so I hug him back.
"Melly...if I didn't have BB...i don't think I'd have ever had the courage to talk to you" I laugh at this as he pulls away and our hug is forgotten. "No, really Melly. If you and BB weren't friends, I would never have even thought about crossing your path. You can be scary sometimes..." He sighs. "I'm glad you're my friend though...my best friend. And I love you"
"D'awwh" I pull a childish face and clasp my hands together. "Love you too A!"
"Yeah, but - Melly, don't take this the wrong way, but I wouldn't love you the way I love BB. You aren't my type"
"Sorry A, am I not insane enough?" I joke. He chuckles and hugs me again. I pat his head affectionately. "I knew that already, silly"
Rod comes back sometime after one o'clock and we tell him what happened at the hospital; A gives a very clear warning not to eat the jam cake, so Rod leaves the fridge alone for the rest of the day. Skyar comes back not to long after supper, but by then, myself and A were chomping on chocolate and sweets up in my room, as hyper as could be whilst listening loudly to some of A's iPod tunes. It's only as we begin to tire from our sugar rush, at around half past two in the morning, that I realise how weirdly ordinary the day has been, how normal A has been, and how much time had been and gone. My concerns are left floating in mid-air, not solved or processed, as I slip into a sleepy slumber with smile on my face.
Monday 21st December.
I wake up at half six in the morning.
Automatically, I scan the room and sit up groggily, sighing heavily and looking across the bed. I find the bed empty with the covers made, as though nobody had laid or slept there.
Where's A?
I slip out of the bed, checking the ensuite.
Then the corridor bathroom. The hallway.
The kitchen and the living room.
By the time I reach the conservatory, I'm panicking.
Suddenly, a baseball bat flies out of nowhere and I grab it with both hands in mid air.
"Skyar?" I whisper.
"Mello? The hell you doing up at this time?" He sighs and lowers the bat. "Can't sleep?"
"Have you seen A?"
"No...he isn't in your room?"
"I'm beginning to think he's not in the house" I whisper. I suddenly realise the severity of the situation. "Oh God – he's not in the house!"
"Mello don't panic-"
"Skyar? Mello?"
"Rod!" I squeak, turning to the voice in the winter morning darkness, squinting to see a face. There was the early bustle of a few people awake; they probably had work.
"Ay, ay, keep it down. What's all this then?"
"A's not in the house" I blurt. "He's nowhere"
"Maybe he went for a run?" Skyar offers.
"Skyar he doesn't even do PE, he's not going to go for a fucking run"
"Mello" Rod scolds, frowning and suddenly seeming a lot closer than he was. My shoulder is weighed down by his hand. "Skyar, check the camera's"
"Please" I add. Skyar nods and rushes away.
"Mel?"
"This doesn't sit right Rod... it feels wrong...my stomach is churning – I can't help it" one hand clenches inwards, my knuckles baring white as my arm snakes around my stomach. I feel sick. I start pacing, just to keep moving, but it doesn't keep me comforted for very long.
"Check your phone" Rod tries. "He might've messaged you" I stop pacing and dive upstairs, but I cant find my phone. I search the shelves, the pockets of my jackets, before then deciding on the drawers. I find it, seeing that I have two messages, one from A and one from BB. I don't read them then, instead I race back downstairs until I reach Rod, waiting for then to read the texts. I open A's first.
Hi Melly. I'm sorry I left, I really am. You aren't mad at me, are you? Please don't be. I'm fine. I'm with BB (: Love you Melly x
I check the time, noticing it was sent at half past three this morning. Considering we fell asleep at half two-ish, I begin to doubt that A fell asleep at all. I look at BB's.
Hi Mel, I've got A. We're safe, so don't be a worry-whore. Be careful – take care. BB x
"Woah – that insane one gives you x's at the end of a text?"
"Shut up Rod, and no, not normally..."
"Well their safe at least"
"Yeah but where?" I sigh.
"Leave them be, they're together. Want some breakfast?" I check the time on BB's text too, which was sent at 32 minutes past three. It all seemed odd, but Rod bribes me to breakfast with a large box of cocoa-balls and a soon-to-be-made hot chocolate. I quickly text them both back, which makes me feel a little better.
A, I'm not mad at you. I'm glad you're safe, please stay that way. Melly x
BB, you're asshole. You end up in a coma, disappear, then take A without telling me? Fuck knows why I'm your friend. YOU make me a worry-whore damnit! Stay safe, & be careful. I know you'll take care of A for us both. Don't let me down. Melly (: x
Part of me feels better knowing that they're ok. Even though my text will be a few hours late, at least I sent one. I enjoy my cocoa-balls and hot chocolate, tuning into the seven o'clock news as background noise. I'm laughing with Rod about something when my attention is drawn to the television. I don't know why I looked that way, but I did. I glance over the headline and think not-so-much of it, other than it's another murder. First Derrick, now another? Rod notices me looking and turns it up.
...
It isn't yet obvious as to what's happened exactly over the last few hours, but we have been told that the body of a young male teenager has been found in an apartment complex in the area.
The body has not yet been identified, but is believed to be a student from the local prestigious school in this district. It's also suspected that he was under suspicion for crimes previously committed during the course of this month. The young male was found by two police officers, wanting to speak to the tenants living there about a statement made. The young male wasn't living alone, however the other resident fled the scene as the police broke into the apartment after receiving no answer.
Landlord – Mr Jackson
Well it's a shame to 'appen to such a youngun' innit? The pair of em' were quiet n' kept to themselves most o'th'time, the occasional noisy laughter, a strange pair I s'pose, but harmless, really, specially tha' one, yeah,…s'a'shame".
From the evidence acquired so far, it is presumed that the incident was in fact a murder. Police have found a gun at the crime scene, however there is no evidence of it being used. The body of the young teen has been taken in and is being examined for a cause of death. Numerous empty syringes were also found at the scene. The police suspect the other resident of the apartment as the primary suspect, but haven't yet managed to catch up with the runaway. The police have deemed it an ongoing and first priority case, - oh! We have this just coming in, it seems that the flat-mate of the apartment has been located! Here are the first images we have Live ... it appears that he's stood on the roof of the school he's believed to attend... emergency services have been called—
"That's BB!"I shoot up from the table, wobbling slightly.
"You're kidding" Rod scrutenises the shaky hand held camera, watching as it zooms in as far as it can go. I stare, BB's distinct frame and shaggy hair indeed teetering on the ledge of the school roof. "Shit"
"What is he doing!" I screetch, pushing the chair away and launching for the bike. I grab the keys from the hook and dive for the garage. Skyar makes me jump, coming out of the door to the basement, and I hesitate for a moment.
"Mello, stop!" Rod calls, coming closer. I shake my head and run into the garage, forgetting the protective leathers or the helmet and pressing 1 on the remote. By the time I'm around the corner, Skyar and Rod are following in the navy blue BMW close behind me.