Olivia

Friday, July 19th, 9:00am.

My phone wakes me up the next morning as it buzzes angrily on the nightstand by my bed. I fumble and desperately reach for it before I throw back the covers in defeat as I sit up. I scoop up my phone and squint at the screen. I had been relieved to take back my phone last night, but now that it's waking me up I'm debating if I should have left it behind.

A picture of Mila's grinning face stares back at me with the added touch of a mustache I had photo-shopped on a while back as her number scrolls across the screen.

I hit the 'accept' button.

I barely have time to lift the phone to my ear when her voice picks up on the other side as she starts talking.

"Have you heard from Derrick lately? I've tried calling him a couple of times but he hasn't answered, do you think those weirdos from the game last night kept his phone? I know it was a brand new iPhone, but I don't think they would mess around with him since he's the chancellor's son but-."

I hang up.

A moment later, she calls again.

"Stop," I tell her before she can say anything and she remains silent on the other side of the line for a second.

"Look...I know...I know that the video he sent out to everyone was-."

I hang up again.

If only you knew the half of it.

I toss my phone onto the bed and walk for my window as I pull the curtains open to let in the sun. She hadn't been at the party that night.

She doesn't know the full truth, maybe if you told her...

I cut off the thought before I can finish it.

Not while Derrick is alive.

The phone rings again and I pick it up. I can't entirely blame her, I just can't, not when she doesn't know everything about that party.

"Let's start from the beginning, talk slowly," I urge and I can almost picture her pouting as she falls silent.

"Okay," she huffs, "so, Derrick hasn't called me back, I have tried calling him six times since I got up this morning at five," she says in a painfully slow voice as I roll my eyes and look at the alarm clock by my bed.

The time reads nine and I glance at the open doorway of my room, I hadn't meant to sleep in so late but at the same time, I don't regret the extra rest. I strain my ears to listen and when I hear nothing I can conclude that Emily has already gone to work and was likely up at the crack of dawn anyways.

"Hello?" Mila's voice suddenly interrupts and I snap back to the present as I blink at her harsh tone.

No wonder she called me, if she's been this bitchy it's a miracle if anyone else has listened to her, I think to myself as I bite my tongue.

"Yeah, so what are you thinking?" I ask out of politeness.

"Well he didn't go back to the building with us, remember? Paxon had left him behind because he wandered off?"

"Yes, I remember," I say in a low voice.

"He got a little wasted last night," she murmurs and I shiver.

I'm thankful then that I had locked myself in the car.

"Liv...I'm worried," she continues and I grit my teeth.

"Mila, he's probably just sleeping it off, I'm sure he'll call you back as soon as he gets a hold of his phone," I assure her.

"But what do I do if he doesn't?"

"Call his sister and ask if he came home," I suggest as I think about his sister Amelia and how she would likely know where he is. "Besides," I add, "their house isn't too far from the park to begin with and it'd be easy enough for him to walk home instead."

"You're right, maybe I should have called her first before I called you," she mutters, "I'll let you know what she says."

"All right," I agree as I wonder about what to eat for breakfast, "bye."

I hang up before she can say anything else and I take the initiative to wander out of my room. I was right when I thought that Emily had already gone to work, as her car is missing from the driveway and the door to her bedroom is open. My sister's bed is freshly made and our cat, Wonderball, is sleeping on the corner of the duvet where a patch of sunlight has landed.

The copper-colored tabby lifts his head when he hears me walking past and promptly hops off the bed as he meows plaintively.

"What?" I ask as he brushes against my leg, "Did Emily not feed you breakfast?"

He gazes up at me and blinks, his wide golden eyes glimmering brightly, the bell on his collar jingling as he licks his paw.

"Come on, I'll get you breakfast," I promise him as I start for the kitchen.

The bell continues to jingle as he trots along behind me and I dare to open my phone to peruse my text messages. There's one from Danica that I open as I grab the plastic container with Wonderball's food in it before I start to pour him his breakfast.

"Mila complains about me getting up early, but she has the nerve to call me at five a.m.?" is what her text reads and I grin at her shared frustration.

"She called me too, asked me about Derrick, have you heard anything from him?" I ask for Mila.

Wonderball meows impatiently from his place on the floor and I set the bowl next to him as he begins to crunch on his kibble. Danica's reply is almost instantaneous even though I know she might be out shopping for her school supplies for the upcoming semester

"No, she's stupid to be worried about Kingsford's little party boy, I'm sure he's just sleeping off his hangover from last night," she replies and I can't help but agree.

We all know that Derrick is a drinker, everyone in town does. If he didn't get enough at the game last night I know it's more than likely of him to stumble into town to use his father's credit card on a couple of bottles so he can lose himself entirely.

My phone begins to buzz, blocking me from the chance to send her a reply as Mila's number reappears. I accept her call once again as I resist the urge to hit reject.

"Yeah?" I ask her, knowing that she's sure to rattle off on whatever Derrick's sister had to say to her.

"Amelia said he didn't come home last night, she wants to meet up with us to talk about it and maybe track down his car if he hasn't picked it up," Mila explains and I can hear the worry that is starting to tear her apart.

Oh how I understood that feeling at one point.

I'm surprised by the sudden sympathy I feel before I banish it completely to the back of my mind where it belongs.

You're his ex for more than enough reasons.

"Okay, where does she want to meet?"

"The picnic area that's close to the Subway that's just off the bike trail," she replies quickly, like she's thinking that we can somehow track down Derrick faster.

"Why there?" I can't help but wonder aloud. "Why not their house?"

"She wants to keep us out of sight of the media, she thinks that they're already starting to come around the house since her dad called about Derrick being missing to the police," she replies and I almost sigh.

"Whatever, I'll be there in a half an hour," I tell her, hoping that it will be enough to please her.

"Thank you so much Livy, and...could you text Danny so she can meet with us?"

"Fine, yes, I'll text her," I mutter.

"Great, it's just important you know? The first forty-eight hours-."

"Mila, he's an alcoholic, eighteen year old man-child, not an infant," I say, though he acts like one most of the time, "I'm sure he's fine, I'll meet you at the picnic table but for God's sake don't make this out to be something it's not, he's probably just passed out in a ditch somewhere."

I hang up before she can reply, the sweet silence of my sister and I's shared house closing over me like a thick blanket as I take a breath. I stand for a moment and grip the edge of the countertop to keep me balanced as I breathe evenly.

Goosebumps prickle across my skin as I try to focus on the pattern of fake granite on the counter.

You're fine, you're safe.

I flinch when Wonderball meows and hops up on the counter. A purr rumbles in his chest as he brushes his face against mine and I pet him, his fur soft under my fingers as I hold my phone in my shaking hands.

I breathe out and push everything in my head away.

"Mila wants us to meet with Amy at the picnic area in front of the lakefront Subway, meet me there so I'm not alone with her?" I text Danica in hopes that she'll reply.

"I guess, see you there soon?"

"I'll be there in a half an hour," I confirm.