Chapter 20

Hey, where are you?

Hello?

I guess I will just ask Maya.

I texted him urgently, I was going to be late if he doesn't arrive soon.

As a last resort, I called Maya, "Hey, do you think Tom can drive me too?"

"Sure." She sounded surprise.

"Thanks." And I ended the call. I checked my phone again, nothing.

Minutes later, Tom's car appeared in my driveway, I got in the backseat and thanked him.

"Shouldn't Asher be driving you?" Maya turned around and asked.

"Yes but he is not answering my texts or calls. I guess he can't?"

"Oh okay." She said.

We arrived, I thanked Tom again, then Maya and I went to our lockers.

"How was the talk?" I finally asked the question I was dying to ask.

"It actually went better than I thought, he didn't pressure me at all and told me to take my time and there's no need to rush and that whenever I'm ready." She gushed about him, her eyes lit up whenever she talked about him.

"Wow." I'm impressed, I guess he could be the one for Maya.

"Yeah he is so great." She signed dreamily.

Asher wasn't in school that day, I asked his friends and none of them knew why.

Maybe he is just sick or has some emergency.

He hadn't gone to school for three days, and no one knew why. I texted him everyday and he hadn't reply once.

During dinner, my dad asked, "I haven't seen Asher come over these few days, is everything alright?"

"Hmm," I nodded, after swallowing I said, "But he hasn't been in school for the past couple of days. Mom do you know anything?"

"No, we tried calling his father and no one answered." My mom replied.

"Oh." I said in a monotone.

After dinner, Maya called me, "Hey, you want to sleepover tomorrow?"

"Yeah sure."

"You sound very far away, what's wrong?"

"He hasn't been in school for three days and even my mom don't know why." I said worriedly.

"Did you try to text or call him?"

"Yes like a thousand times!"

"Hmnnn if you are so worry, you should go to his house and find him." She said teasingly.

I rolled my eyes at her tone, "I don't know where he lives."

"What? I thought you guys are friends! And you guys watched the whole Marvel franchise together."

"It's always at my house."

"Oh."

"Do you think he is fine? Or may-"

Maya cut me off, "He doesn't hate you or anything."

"Hey! I wasn't about to say that!"

"But I know what you are thinking." I could feel the disapproval in her tone.

"No you don't." I tried to argue, but I knew she was right.

"Don't even denial it, I know you Laura." I could just imagine her shaking her head.

"I wish I know his address." I sighed wishfully.

"Shouldn't the principal have the address? When you enroll into the school you need to give it right?"

"Are you saying I should ask my mom for the address or?" I said, knowing what she was suggesting.

"You should ask her for the address first, if she doesn't give it then..." She trailed off.

"Okay." I understood what she was implying.

I went downstairs and my parents were sitting in the living room, watching some reality tv show.

I tried to ask casually, "Mom, do you have Asher's address."

"Yes of course." She said, still watching the tv.

"Can I know?" I shifted uncomfortably.

"That's private, I cannot just tell you." She replied, still watching the show intensely.

"Please? I just want to know is everything alright." I plead her.

"I cannot just give it to you, that's violating the law." She finally looked at me, since the commercials had came on, "but I heard he lives on street 913, third house on the left."

"Thank you." I managed to say these two words, I never expected my mom to tell me.

"But I'm not sure." My mom shrugged and once her show was on again, she put her focus back on the show.

I ran up the stairs, two step at a time, once I was back in my room I called Maya excited, "Maya! I know where he lives now!"

"Woah that was quick, how?"

"I asked my mom, at first she didn't want to say since it's private information. But then she told me!" I said breathlessly, trying to catch my breathe and control my excitement.

"Great, let's go there first thing tomorrow after school!"

"Yes." We chatted a bit more and then we ended the call.

That night, there were too many thoughts in my head, enabling me to sleep.

Tom drove me to school once again, since Asher was still MIA. Once we arrived, students were all pointing and staring at us, specifically at me.

Putting my poker face on, I walked down the hallway with my head high.

I could only hear bits and pieces of what they were whispering about.

"They weren't together again."

"He's with Catherine."

Unease, but I hid it well, Maya and I went to our lockers to get our books. And a few lockers away, was Asher. With Catherine.

Relieved and overjoyed, I quicken my pace, "Hey, I'm so glad you are alright! I thought-"

Catherine noticed me first and scoffed at me, "What do you want?"

"I wasn't talking to you." I snapped at her, she scowled at me but didn't say anything.

"Asher?" I tried to get his attention once again.

Finally, he turned around and I almost couldn't recognized the person in front of me. All trace of the Asher I had known was gone, his smirk was replaced with a scowled, his face showed pure annoyance.

He must be pranking me, this is just a joke. Any second now he will laugh and tell me everything is fine.

I tried searching for the Asher I known, it was like trying to find something that was never there. The boy standing in front of me looked like him, but their personalities were completely different.

"What do you want?" He voice was so cold, so unfamiliar. He pulled Catherine closer towards him, until she was flushed against him. She gave me a complacent smile.

"To know that you are okay?" I managed to not stutter my words, pulling myself together last second.

"I clearly look fine, don't I." He sneered, rolling his eyes at me. His reply was liked a punch in my stomach, knocking the reply straight out of mouth.

"Great." I managed to reply, trying to choke back the feeling of rejection and walked back towards my locker liked everything was fine. I noticed a small crowd had gather and I gave them a deathly glare, they all scurried away.

Why is he like this? Did I do something wrong? Or was everything just a lie? Am I just overthinking again? Being paranoid? Is he okay? Was I too naive?