Some answers...

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When I woke the next day, I immediately reached over Lexi for my phone. Flicking on the screen, I was hopeful to see a text.

But my phone was blank.

Lexi stirred in my arms, blinking an eye open to look at my screen. "Still nothing?" she yawned, snuggling into me.

"Nope," I whispered, heart calming down from its racing beats, but that familiar sting coming to my eyes.

"Maybe he will be at school today," Lexi offered, still trying to force her eyes open to the day.

"Maybe," I said back, though I had my doubts.

Nonetheless, eventually we both climbed out of bed and got ready for school.

I looked like shit. There was no way to say it nicely. No amount of makeup was going to bring the swelling of my eyes down after all the crying.

And the small part of me still hopeful that I'd see Flynn's brilliant smile today wondered how much he'd laugh at me for crying over something so insignificant.

But as we climbed out of mum's car, the front of the school yard was free from Flynn.

And my first two sessions were Chemistry and English—also classes we did not share. Though Lexi had HPE with him.

It was risky turning my phone back on when the teacher wasn't looking in Chem. Nonetheless, Lex promised she'd text me if she saw him.

After my phone confiscation yesterday, I was on a last warning. Mum or dad would have to pick up my phone this time if it was taken again.

But it didn't stop me.

Flicking my screen on, as discreetly as I could, I pulled it from my pocket.

Swiping open Lexi's message, my heart pounded in my chest, making its way to my throat.

"And?" Sara whispered ever so quietly to me, keeping an eye on our teacher.

He's not here, the text read.

Holding the off button, I went to slip my phone away, shaking my head at Sara.

But I was slightly too late.

"Callie Peterson-Williams!" my chem teacher scolded, causing the hairs on my arms to stand up. "You know the rules. Phones should be off in class."

"I was just turning it off, Miss," I quickly said, pulling it out to show her, pressing the volume buttons to demonstrate.

But she shook her head. "You showed me it was off on the way in. So how was it suddenly on?"

"I think I bumped it," I said, but I was the worst liar. We all knew.

She held her hand out to me and I reluctantly handed it over.

All the while my heart whispered, what if he texts...

His table was empty at first break. No Flynn. No friends. No family.

And again, it was empty at second break.

Then when I entered maths, he was nowhere to be seen.

Once school was out, I headed straight to the office to collect my phone. But, as expected, they refused to hand it over, stating they had notified my parents and they would pick it up—though not until after work. Which would be after the school office closes, meaning mum wouldn't be able to grab it until tomorrow morning.

Heart sinking, I walked out to the front, joining Sara and Lexi as they gave me pitied looks. Then we climbed into Sara's mum's car as she drove Lex and I home.

Mum and dad didn't hold back giving me a lecture about being on my phone. And dad was quick to berate me about why letting boyfriends ruin my education was a stupid move.

Nonetheless, just like last time when I was grounded, Lexi snuck into my room when they had gone to bed and handed me her phone to call Flynn.

But just like every other time, the line rang and rang and rang. And he never picked up.

Mum walked onto the school grounds with us on Wednesday—Flynn was still nowhere in sight. She got my phone back for me and handed it over, warning me if she ever has to collect it again then I will have it confiscated for over a week.

And this time, I listened. 

Because he wasn't answering my calls and texts anyway.

I turned my phone on nonetheless on the way to homeroom, and, as expected, nothing was waiting for me. So I switched it off until first break again.

Aunt Jojo was waiting out the front in her car when school ended.

"Why's she here?" Lexi asked in confusion.

"She's giving me a lift," I replied nonchalantly, slinging my bag over my shoulder as I headed towards her car. "I'll meet you at home."

A few steps behind me as I marched on my mission to my aunt's car, Lexi called out, "Where are you going?"

Stopping as I opened Jojo's car, I said over my shoulder back to her, "The only place I can to get answers."

His house was the same as the last time I saw it in the darkness and the early hours of the morning. But this time in the full light of the afternoon, I could see its decay even better. Fence battered and broken, leaning forward and not really doing a great job at keeping anything in and out—it was a good thing they didn't have a dog.

The grass on the lawn was high enough to harbour all sorts of creatures within it.

And the garage had a big ding in it.

"I don't know if I'm being a responsible adult letting you go in there," Jojo said from behind the wheel as she leaned around me to get a look at the place.

"I've been here before. It's nicer inside than out," I then added... though, it wasn't much nicer. "I'm just going to see if he's there. You can wait here."

"Okay... but if he is, he is coming with us. I don't want to leave you here."

Rolling my eyes, I climbed out of the car, starting to prepare my speech about how to get him to come with me. 

Because I was certain he had to be here. 

Where else would he be? 

Unless...

Though as I walked up the driveway, avoiding the tall grass, I noticed that the front door was closed. It hadn't been even when we arrived in the dead of the night after the party or when I got up to sneak out that morning.

I didn't think much about Flynn's aunt's car not being in the driveway—she would be at work. But the door being closed...

Nonetheless, I still knocked. Three sharp raps on the door, the security screen rattled in protest, in desperate need of the hinges being oiled and screws being tightened.

But no noise sounded.

So I tried again.

Then once more.

No one from inside called out.

No sound of someone scuffling could be heard.

There was just dead silence. Like no one was home.

Reluctantly, I began turning around to head back to Jojo's car. But as I made my way down the driveway, a car pulled up on the other side of the house and out jumped two familiar faces.

Hunter and Charlie came bustling out, running towards the house with grins on their faces.

"Hey," I quickly called out to them as they nudged each other on the way up the driveway, oblivious to me.

The car that had dropped them off paid no attention to the stranger in the driveway, taking off the moment the boys had exited.

But Hunter and Charlie stopped in front of me.

"Callie!" Charlie exclaimed, running towards me to throw his arms around me. "I haven't seen you forever."

"I was here a couple weeks ago," I mumbled back, awkwardly returning his hug.

"You were?" Hunter countered, brows furrowing.

"You two were asleep," I said, avoiding eye contact.

Though Hunter and Charlie snickered, nudging each other.

"Did you stay the night?" Hunter asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Clearing my throat, I said, "That's besides the point. Is anyone home?"

Charlie beamed at me and nodded. Then he said, "We are."

"But... anyone else?"

Hunter shook his head. "Just us two."

My brows pulled together. They're too young to be home alone, I thought. So then I decided it was time to just ask the question. "Where's Flynn? He hasn't been at school and he hasn't texted me."

"Oh, he's doing Sorry Business."

"Sorry Bus..." But I trailed off, my heart beginning to sink as I glanced between the two boys still grinning, unphased.

It must just be some member... no one important, I assumed. Because if it was someone close, Hunter and Charlie wouldn't be this happy.

"And you're both home because...?" I asked.

"We only had to go for the funeral," Hunter said. "And some other things. Otherwise we get to be home. But Flynn has to stay the whole time because he's a man and not a kid."

He's still legally a kid, I thought, but their words still had the curiosity stirring in me. "So who..." I knew I had to approach the question sensitively, but I needed to know. Because depending on who it was who died... It would tell me what state Flynn was in right now. "Who passed?" I finally whispered.

The smiles dropped from Hunter and Charlie's faces. As Charlie's shoulders slumped and he leaned into his brother, Hunter was the one who met my eyes and said, "We can't say his name anymore."

I nodded, remembering having learned this fact about Aboriginal culture. "I understand, but—"

"We called him Uncle, though," Hunter quickly added, giving me all the context I needed.

No, was my first thought. Surely not... Because if he's gone then... Flynn's Uncle Jimmy was everything to him and his community. It can't be. It can't—

"Has Flynn been home at all?" I asked the boys.

Charlie's brows furrowed and he shook his head. But then Hunter said, "He comes back for a few hours each night to sleep. But he's been gone early in the morning. He has to help out with all the Sorry Business stuff."

"I understand," I whispered, heart sinking in pain for him.

Well now I know why he hasn't texted... how could he even respond to me when he's going through... I'm so stupid.

"I'm sorry, to both of you, for your loss," I said. "And to your whole family and community," I added.

Charlie and Hunter nodded, not saying anything.

"Well... if you see Flynn, tell him I came by. And that I'm here if he needs me. But also no pressure to get in touch. He needs to be with you guys first."

"Okay," Hunter said. "I'll let him know."

And with that, I took my leave, heading back to Jojo's car, still not quite processing the pain for my boyfriend and what he must be going through.

Moreover, I felt lost. How do I support him? What's the right thing to say? And what are all the processes for his culture in this? How do I not overstep here?

At times like this, I would ask Flynn. But I couldn't right now...

I explained everything to Jojo on the way back to the house, then again to Lex and Sara when we got home.

Sara, Lex, and I spent the afternoon searching Google for answers on how I could support him.

But even still, we came out blank. Because, while there was a plethora of information online, they all said the same thing: mourning is different for each community. Meaning, I'd only know the best way to approach this by talking to someone from his community—someone who wasn't a child. 

Damn... I never know how to keep characters alive, do I?

Let's hope Flynn is doing okay...