Dearly Beloved
The Scene
Billie's POV
I pulled myself up from the backseat. I looked around to find myself in front of my house. That was quick. I jumped out of the car and walked across the street, leaving Tre snoring away in the passenger seat. I realized I didn't have my keys, so I knocked on the door. I realized that the living room lights were on. I then wondered where Mike was. I didn't see him the car. Or did I? I need to get some sleep.
Adie opened the door. She had a tired and disturbed yet worried expression on her face. She smiled as she saw me and hugged me tightly.
"You're home early," she whispered.
"Yeah. I'll explain later." I said as I walked into the house.
"No need, Mike told me." she informed as she picked up the empty mugs left on the coffee table in the living room.
"Oh, okay. Well, where is Mike anyway?" I asked. I gave a long yawn and rubbed my aching eyes.
"Maybe you should go to bed honey; you look like you went to Las Vegas and back in one night." she said sweetly. She led me up stairs, stumbling all the way up. I collapsed on the bed, dead as dust, and I was out. Adie kissed me and quietly closed the bedroom door.
Claudia's POV
I couldn't sleep. Something kept me up. It wasn't the strange silence that fell across the house when Tre wasn't around. It wasn't Frankito. It wasn't those canned pickles I ate for dinner...well, maybe it was, but I was creeped out. I knew exactly what raced through my mind and kept me awake and tense. What happened earlier today, with her. I knew I should've told someone, but I was scared. What I was scared of, I don't know, but I kept my mouth shut. Maybe it was because I was in a state of shock. I knew if Mike knew, he wouldn't have kept it a secret. I was afraid what she might be doing. I realized that what I was really afraid of was that she might even kill herself. After the enlightening show this afternoon, I knew she was that miserable and out of her mind enough to do so without a second thought.
Somehow, after three-something in the morning I managed to fall asleep and stay asleep, until I heard a ringing noise. I awoke to the sound of the house phone ringing. I ignored it, but they kept calling and calling until I finally stumbled out of my warm bed.
"What now?" I grumbled miserably as I somehow found my way to the phone and answered. "Haven't you people ever heard of such a thing as sleeping?" I whined, trying to gain my balance.
"Sorry. I need to talk to you. Now. Can you open the door?"
I squinted at the voice. "Mike? I thought you--"
"It's about Brittney. Please." I heard him plead. I realized that something was seriously wrong. He knew something, but he didn't know anything. I hesitated a bit.
"Okay," I murmured. I hung up the phone and went to open the front door. He was standing there. A look of concern was in his eyes. He looked tired, but not any less determined to find her.
"How much do you know?" he whispered to me. I sighed and shook my head.
"More than enough," I told him, "More than I should."
I pulled myself up from the backseat. I looked around to find myself in front of my house. That was quick. I jumped out of the car and walked across the street, leaving Tre snoring away in the passenger seat. I realized I didn't have my keys, so I knocked on the door. I realized that the living room lights were on. I then wondered where Mike was. I didn't see him the car. Or did I? I need to get some sleep.
Adie opened the door. She had a tired and disturbed yet worried expression on her face. She smiled as she saw me and hugged me tightly.
"You're home early," she whispered.
"Yeah. I'll explain later." I said as I walked into the house.
"No need, Mike told me." she informed as she picked up the empty mugs left on the coffee table in the living room.
"Oh, okay. Well, where is Mike anyway?" I asked. I gave a long yawn and rubbed my aching eyes.
"Maybe you should go to bed honey; you look like you went to Las Vegas and back in one night." she said sweetly. She led me up stairs, stumbling all the way up. I collapsed on the bed, dead as dust, and I was out. Adie kissed me and quietly closed the bedroom door.
Claudia's POV
I couldn't sleep. Something kept me up. It wasn't the strange silence that fell across the house when Tre wasn't around. It wasn't Frankito. It wasn't those canned pickles I ate for dinner...well, maybe it was, but I was creeped out. I knew exactly what raced through my mind and kept me awake and tense. What happened earlier today, with her. I knew I should've told someone, but I was scared. What I was scared of, I don't know, but I kept my mouth shut. Maybe it was because I was in a state of shock. I knew if Mike knew, he wouldn't have kept it a secret. I was afraid what she might be doing. I realized that what I was really afraid of was that she might even kill herself. After the enlightening show this afternoon, I knew she was that miserable and out of her mind enough to do so without a second thought.
Somehow, after three-something in the morning I managed to fall asleep and stay asleep, until I heard a ringing noise. I awoke to the sound of the house phone ringing. I ignored it, but they kept calling and calling until I finally stumbled out of my warm bed.
"What now?" I grumbled miserably as I somehow found my way to the phone and answered. "Haven't you people ever heard of such a thing as sleeping?" I whined, trying to gain my balance.
"Sorry. I need to talk to you. Now. Can you open the door?"
I squinted at the voice. "Mike? I thought you--"
"It's about Brittney. Please." I heard him plead. I realized that something was seriously wrong. He knew something, but he didn't know anything. I hesitated a bit.
"Okay," I murmured. I hung up the phone and went to open the front door. He was standing there. A look of concern was in his eyes. He looked tired, but not any less determined to find her.
"How much do you know?" he whispered to me. I sighed and shook my head.
"More than enough," I told him, "More than I should."