Saved By Her Guitar

“Hello?”
“Thank God, Dillan!”
“Bailey?”
“Morgan’s missing?”
“What?”
“No one has seen her in two days and she isn’t answering her cell.”
“Wait. Start from the beginning.”
“Her mom died.”
“What?!”
“Her dad came up to school to tell her and she took off. No one knows where she is. You’re her boyfriend. Maybe you know where she hides.”
“She must be—man.”
“You have to find her.”
“I’m on it.”
Dillan threw on some clothes and blew out the door. No one could find her but he knew exactly where she was.

When he pulled up to the spot where the cop had caught them making out, her car looked empty. But after approaching it, he saw her seat was back with her curled up in it.
He knocked on the window and she didn’t move at first but eventually she sat up and opened the door.
“I heard. Everyone’s worried.”
She looked confused but he could see the recognition in her eyes as she remembered. She slowly began to cry again. At first, he just watched, still feeling awkward about the night her band performed, but he couldn’t only stand there as she mourned her mother. He pulled her from the car and held her closely to him.
“I’m right here…and I’m all yours.”
That seemed to make her cry harder which he let her do for awhile then he drove her home.
“Thank God,” Shelton said hugging her.
“Call me if you need anything. No matter how late.”
“Wait, Dillan.”
She pulled him aside, her face puffy and eyes red.
“Don’t go.”
“Your sister needs you.”
“I can’t be there for her. I’m a wreck.”
“People don’t always need you to be strong for them. Maybe she needs you to cry with her. Maybe she needs you to acknowledge your mom, to that you did love her.”
“She’s not used to me crying. I can’t hold it together.”
“You can do this, Morgan.”
She closed her eyes and tears rolled down her cheeks. He wiped them away and kissed her simply.
“Anything.”
She nodded and let him out.
“Morgan,” her father called.
He stuck his head in the hallway and caught her just before she went into Melanie’s room.
“Hold on a sec.”
“What?”
“How are you?”
“My mother just died. How do you think I am?”
“What’s with the hostility?”
“Honestly?”
He raised his eyebrows.
“Just stay away from me.”
“No. Now what is the problem?”
“You’re the problem!” she erupted. “Mom was fit and healthy before the separation. Then she found out you were cheating and you moved away to live with the other woman who was somehow more important than your family. I didn’t help by being rebellious but I was only trying to deal with your walking out on us. It’s your fault she’s dead! You killed her!”
She escaped into Melanie’s room and slammed the door.
“Mo?”
She turned sharply. She heard Melanie heaving and that resurrected her own tears. She and her kid sister were in pain because their mother was gone.
“Oh, Melly.”
Morgan went over and held her sister to her chest as she cried. Melanie held her sister while she cried.
“I thought I’d lost you, too when you didn’t come home.”
“I’ll do everything within my power to make sure I never leave you.”
“Knowing you’re alive is good enough.”
They cried quietly.
“I think you should move in with Dillan when we get back.”
“What?”
“You’re going to kill Dad and I can’t handle you going to jail forever.”
“I’m not leaving you in this house with him.”
“You hate him. I don’t. You can’t stomach him. I can. You have to go. Do it for me.”
Morgan was taken aback.
“I’ll think about it.