Missing

As soon as we got home we had to get ready for work. I dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a Guns & Roses shirt. I didn't really listen to Guns & Roses, but it was Jesse's before he started working out and fits me well.

After throwing on a pair of Vans, I follow Jesse out the door and to the car. We've been talking about ditching our car and getting a new one, with the money we'll be making. If those drug dealers from San Diego know our car, it's probably safer to get a new one.

The bar was the same as yesterday. Frat boys, sorority girls, punkers, and Zacky's friends, "Hey, Van, can you get us a round of beers?" He asked and I nodded. I walked back over to the bar and grabbed ten beers. Not only were the five guys here, each one had a girl. Matt was with Val, the woman I met yesterday and Brian was with a woman who looked like her twin. Gena was there along with two other girls I learned to be Leana and Lacey.

I walked over and passed the beers around, all while be stared at by Brian, Matt, Val, and Michelle. It was awkward that not only did I look like one person at the table, but both. As I walked away I could faintly hear one of the girls turn to Val and say, "She does look like Vanessa."

I ignored that table for the rest of the night, giving orders to my co-worker, Stacy. I really liked Stacy. She was a blonde bombshell that had moved here all the way from New York. She was tall and blended in well with the California girls. Everyone at the bar liked her and she was extremely friendly. Stacy is twenty two and goes to Cal State Long Beach during the day, working at the bar at night. She's really smart and is majoring in engineering.

"You alright, Van? You seem distant," Jason stopped me and I shook my head.

"Oh, I'm fine. I was just thinking about something," I smiled to assure him, when really I was thinking about Val and Michelle.

What if they know my parents? Maybe we're related in a way, like cousins or maybe sisters. But who was Vanessa and why do so many people seem to compare me to her? I don't want to ask the twins if they know anything about my parents, mainly because I'm scared of Matt and Brian.

Either way, I turned to deliver a round of drinks. Jesse had been keeping a watchful eye on me, especially after yesterday. Matt and Jason couldn't care less, as long as I was alright. Hell, they even liked the action as long as it didn't involve me getting hurt.

After three long hours of work, I was free to have my break. Jesse didn't get his for another twenty minutes, due to the busy orders. I walked alone outside to the back of the bar, sitting on the concrete steps near the brick walls that formed the bar. The air was cool by the coast and I felt relaxed when a soft breeze hit me, "Taking your break?" A deep voice asked suddenly and I jumped in shock. He gave a hearty laugh and sat down, "Didn't mean to scare you," He apologized and I nodded.

"No problem," I looked over at him and noticed it was Brian. He was wearing a hat, but his hair was styled messily with gel and hairspray. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans with a studded belt and a t-shirt.

"You a Guns and Roses fan?" He questioned, taking a swig of the beer in his hand.

"Kind of. This was Jesse's shirt before he grew out of it," I told him and he nodded.

"Good band though," And I shrugged, "Listen, I want to apologize for Matt's behavior earlier today."

"It's not a problem. Zacky told me his daughter was abducted ten years ago and I guess he's still going through a hard time," I stated and he nodded.

"Zack told you about that, huh?" He shook his head, "It was hard on a lot of us. Mainly me and Matt because it was his daughter and my niece. I'm her godfather," He informed me and I nodded.

"I'm sorry about what happened to her, but at least there's still hope she's alive," I tried to suggest the better half of the situation and he shrugged.

"She was with Matt when it happened," He paused and took in a deep breath, "She was with all of us," Brian whispered before taking another drink and continuing, "Our concert had just ended and Matt needed to go do something before they left. He told Vanessa to wait by the door. He was gone for a couple minutes before he came back, only to find Vanessa gone. He was calm at first, but then he started to panic. Before you know it, there's cops surrounding us, taking fingerprints and reviewing security tapes. They didn't find anything," He shook his head, "It really hit Matt mainly because he felt responsible for leaving her alone."

"I understand," I said softly, "Can I ask you something?" Brian nodded and I sighed, "How old would Vanessa be by now?"

"Fifteen," I didn't speak, mainly because I was trying to piece together everything in my head, "You can understand now why Matt is so interested in you."

"I'm not Vanessa," I stated firmly and he nodded.

"Given the circumstances, I believed you were her as well. You're a spitting image of Val and Michelle. Only two children in the world looked like those twins," He gave a slight smile.

"Two?" I questioned. Wasn't it just Vanessa?

"Two. But that's a story for another day," He stood up and dusted the dirt off his back pockets before tossing his empty bottle into the dumpster near by. He turned back to me, sighing, "Here's my number," He handed me a small piece of paper, "Call me if you ever need anything," He paused, "Anything."

I took the piece of paper and he turned around, heading back into the bar. I smiled to myself. I had felt a connection with Brian, and not because he had explained everything to me. I felt like there was something else in him that needed to be found out, and maybe I could help. He gave off a protective-vibe, much like Matt but less angry.

I headed for the bar not long after, tucking the piece of paper deep in my pocket. The bar had a few less people, now that Jason and Matt started to cut people off. People were getting kicked out, and just leaving on their own. We were closing earlier than usual, and my guess was that it was because it's Sunday, "You took a long break," Jesse said as he started to wipe down the counter.

"Yeah. I was uh... talking to Brian," Jesse stopped and looked at me before discreetly looking back at Zacky's table.

"I told you to stay away from them, Van," He threw the towel over his shoulder and put his hands in his belt loops.

"He's different, Jesse. He's not creepy like Matt. He even apologized for Matt," I explained, but had left out the part about his number. I didn't want to piss of Jesse too quick.

"Just be careful, Van," He said softly and I glared.

"Why are you being such a jerk about it? You swear like I'm going to get killed," I snapped. Jesse took in a deep breath before leaning over the counter and kissing my forehead gently, erasing all of my sudden frustration.

"Because I care about you, Van, and I don't want to lose you."

The bar closed with Zacky's friends being the last to leave. The girls waved goodbye to me, which made me feel emotionally happy on the inside. I had never known too many girls, mainly because Jesse didn't date and his friends were guys. I had a few friends over the years, some being the prostitutes Jesse had pimped when we first met. Other than those circumstances, the girls at the bar and the guys' girlfriends were the only potential candidates to be my friends.

"How was work?" Jesse asked once we were in our room. I sighed and lay down flat on the bed, staring at the ceiling above me.

"Fine," I muttered and he nodded.

"Do you like working at Johnny's?" I nodded eagerly. Despite the jerks I had met on a regular basis, being a waitress was fun. It gave me a chance to socialize with people, something I rarely did. It was my golden opportunity to make friends. The only true friend I had in my life was Jesse, and as much as I loved him, I wanted to know other people as well. Sure, Jesse was all I needed, but it doesn't replace being able to talk to a girl about how I look, or if I should cut my hair or dye it. It's different having friends that are girls.

I vaguely remember a girl when I was young. She had golden brown hair, cut into a short pixie style haircut. I don't remember her name, but I remember being the same age. If I try to think back and remember what happened, I can't. Sometimes these memories flood back to me at once, and I can suddenly remember playing in a park and building sandcastles on the beach. She's the only connection I have to my life before the foster home.

"You going to bed?" Jesse questioned and I nodded, burying myself under the covers and he kissed my forehead.

"I'll come up in a little bit. I'm going to have a drink downstairs with the guys," He smiled before tucking the covers tighter around me and shutting the door behind him. I sighed and looked out the starry window, falling into my deep and dark sleep.

Nothing can explain my fear for fires or flame. Nothing can tame it. All I know is that fire is dangerous and I break out in a sweat if I think about it. I've had panic attacks before, due to being around an open flame.

The house in front of me is engulfed in flames. Red, yellows, and oranges illuminated the entire street. I stood there, cemented to the ground as I watched this house crumble. The roof was starting to fall inwards and the door was off the hinges. Glass scattered the area, and I could feel blood trickling over my body as I was cut by a few pieces. Beads of sweat streamed down my face and I could fee dry tears glued to my cheeks.

Suddenly, I hear a car pull up and a woman scream. It's a long, gut-wrenching scream that I had heard in my dreams so many times before. Car doors slam and I can hear people yelling, but I don't turn around, I stay glued to the pavement. Inside, I can hear another woman screaming, but not like the woman outside. She's suffocating, barely able to breath. I don't know how I know this, but I'm certain of it. Besides that, the only other sound I hear is a crying baby, coming from the upstairs window.

A fire truck's sirens blare down the street and soon water is being pressured onto the home as men run inside to rescue the victims. People are crying, whimpering in fear as they witness a family's home burn to ash.

Finally, I can't take it anymore. There's so many emotions running through me, and my skin is burning. I feel shards of glass cut into me as the burning continues throughout my body. I feel as if I am the one trapped inside the flaming house. So I open my mouth and I scream.