561 words
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School:
Once the school day ends, Alex comes up to me.

"Do you want to go home with us today?" She asks me.

"Yeah, sure," I say.

I'm in a group of friends with Alex, Iris, Cassandra, Charlotte, Lucy, and Lillian. I don't sit with them at lunch, and most days I go home with them. I usually go to school with other friends.

I follow Alex outside of the school.

"We are going to meet up at the entrance," says Alex, and I nod my head.

I get my bike and I go to the entrance to the school. I see that Alex, Lillian, and Iris are already here.

"Hey," I say.

"Hey," Alex and Iris both reply.

"Hi," says Lillian. Lillian and I don't know each other very well.

I see Cassandra and Charlotte coming over.

"Lucy is the only one left. I'm going to call her," says Iris.

Iris takes out her phone and calls Lucy.

Iris frowns several minutes later and then says, "She didn't pick up. She did say she would go home with us earlier today."

No body says anything. I wasn't there when this was said, but it seems like everyone else was.

"Do you think she lost track of time?" Charlotte asks.

"That could of happened. She would of been keeping track of time because she would need to come back for her bike," Alex says.

"I doubt Lucy would be ignoring us. If anything, her phone could have died. Although she brings a charger with her to school..." Says Iris.

"Why don't we wait for her?" I suggest.

"Let's take a vote. Raise your hand if we should wait," Iris says to everyone.

Everyone raises their hands.

"I guess that decides it," I say.

"Yeah," replies Iris.

We wait for Lucy, not saying much.

"I'm a little worried. It's been 10 minutes..." Says Lillian after 10 minutes.

We continue to wait, talking and using our phones.

Lillian looks at her phone and then says quietly and worriedly, "It's been 35 minutes..."

I know that Lillian is sensitive. I expect Alex to tell her not to worry, but she doesn't.

"Lucy would of been back by now..." Is all that Alex says.

"I'm starting to get worried too," Iris tells us.

"Should we tell a teacher?" Lillian asks.

"No! Even though the teachers don't seem to care, if we tell them that she left school, she would get in big trouble..." Says Alex.

"She would probably get suspended," I say.

"Maybe not that far. Although the Principal doesn't know about this. She might not get in trouble from the teachers... But I'm sure she would from the Principal or Vice Principal," Alex tells us all.

"If we tell the teachers, they will have to tell the Principal, right?" I ask.

"That's right."

Alex is never like this. Only when something bad happens does she act really serious. Iris is the same. One of them will take the lead.

"At this point it may be best to text her and go home ourselves... Our parents must be worried... Lucy can fend for herself," says Iris.

"Lucy..." Whispers Lillian.

"That's probably best at this point," says Alex.

The 6 of us get on our bikes and go home. As we ride, it is silent. No one says anything. We don't even say bye to each other.