Cross My Heart

I must have sat in my room for over a week. No one came to see me, my only food came from Adam placing a plate outside my room, and I would find it when I needed to go to the bathroom.
I didn’t see Josh, which surprised me. I figured he’d be worried by now. But apparently not.
I was summer now, so it wasn’t like I was missing school, but still, one morning, Adam came crashing into my room.
“Phoenix Johanna Hansen!” He screamed my full name at me. “You have locked yourself in this room for eight days, its time you get out!” he yelled. I simply looked on with a look of indifference. “Shower, get dressed, and get out. I don’t want to see you home until 11.” Adam slammed the door.
I sighed, figuring I should. I’d go over to Josh’s and sulk.
I dragged myself to my bathroom and started the shower. The water hit me like a slap to the face, I felt refreshed. Though not perfect, for sure better. I quickly dressed and pulled my hair back into a pony tail. I whipped my smudged glasses on my shirt and I was off.
I jumped off the front steps of my house and ran over to Josh’s. The sun felt good, as did the warm air in my face. Thank you Vancouver, for the welcome mood swing.
I bounded up the steps to Josh’s front door and knocked twice, then let myself in.
“Josh!” I called into the house. To my surprise, Josh’s sister Ange stuck her head out from a room down the hall. I had never met Ange, for she had graded and moved out before I had met Josh, but I had seen pictures and Josh had told me about her.
“Oh!” Ange sighed, relieved that it wasn’t a serial killer. “You must be Josh’s girlfriend!” She ran down the hall with an energy only a Ramsay could have.
“Hi…I’m guessing you’re Ange ?”
“Yeah yeah, do you know where Josh is?” Ange asked me, looking frantic.
“Um…no. That’s why I’m here. I haven’t seen him in a week.”
“Oh…” She backed away from me, looking crushed.
“Why?” I asked, worried now. “What’s wrong.”
“No ones seen him in a week. Mum said he disappeared at 3 AM…to take you out he said – and never came back.”
“What!?” I jumped in the air. “He brought me back, so obviously he came back. You’re bull shitting me!” I think by then I was just in denial from what I knew was happening.
“No…no one knows where he is.”
I sighed and fell back against the door. I scrolled through all the places I thought Josh could be.
“Um…could you like, drive me around town. I like I might know where he could be.” I said, looking up to Ange. She looked like Josh, tall with blue eyes and dirty blonde hair.
“Of course, anything. We just wanna find him.” Ange agreed, slipping on her shoes and running out the door to a Ford truck I hadn’t noticed before.
*
(Author, oh my god, guess who’s entering the story!?)
I gave Ange directions half way across town. As we pulled up to a small house with a dodge in front, I knew we were here. Josh had been talking about how Ramsay’s Fiction was looking for a new drummer, and this guy was perfect. I had been half asleep, but I had been here before.
“Kay, I’ll go see.” I said, jumping out of Ange’s truck. I ran to the door and hit the door bell with full force. This guy lived on his own, and the house looked ragged.
A man about 5”11 with long curlyish hair opened the door. “Um…hey…your, uh…Phoenix?” He guessed.
“Ya ya ya, hey Ian.” I said to him (Author, that’s who) “Do you know where Josh is?”
“Ramsay? No clue. I haven’t seen him since the last band practice….why?”
“Thanks Ian!” I yelled running back to the truck. “No such luck.” I slipped in next to Ange. “That’s all I got.” I said, leaning back.
Ange sighed with exasperation, letting her head hit the steering wheel, making the car honk. “That damn kid!” She yelled without warning.
I clung to the side of the seat. “Well, maybe now that you’re out of hiding he’ll surface.” She said, smiling at me.
“Huh?” I asked.
“Mum was saying she was surprised you hadn’t come around yet…she really likes you.”
“Oh…well…Im just going through some shit in my life.” I said, hanging my head.
“Language, young lady.” Ange said to me.
“What are you, three years older than me?” I laughed.
“Two, Shawn in three. Sara…well, you know Sara.”
“I hope Josh is okay…” I said after a few minuets of silence. Ange had started the truck and we we’re driving back towards Josh’s house.
“Ya…so do I.”
We were pulling into they’re drive way when I noticed something.
“Oh!” Ange said. I barely heard her because I was concentrated on what I had seen. “Mum said she wanted you to stay for dinner.”
“Ya, ya. Tell her I’ll be there in a minute…I gotta check something.” I climbed out of the truck and sleuthed my way over two houses, where I had sworn to see a flash of brown hair behind a bush.
To my expectations, I found Josh sitting behind it.
“Joshua Keeler Ramsay…” I said to him, my hands on my hips.
“So you’re alive?” He said to me, smiling.
“I could say the same.” I decided not to be mad at him, and instead sat down with him behind the bush. “So why not come home?” I asked.
He just shook his head. “I couldn’t…Me and dad got in a pretty huge fight…and so I just stormed out.” I ran a hand through his greasy hair. “I stayed with Matt for a night, but then his mom found out and I had to run again…stayed with Ian for a bit…he’s a dirty pig, you know?”
I couldn’t help it, I giggled. Josh smiled.
“So where have you been?” Josh poked my shoulder.
“Holed up in my room...” I hung my head, my smile disappearing. “Lisa’s not coming home…she’s dying in that damn hospital.” I chocked out, nearly crying.
“Oh god…” Josh said, then leaned over and hugged me. “Baby, I’m sorry.” It felt good to have his arms around me again, after a Josh-free week I was ready to never let go again.
“I’ll be okay.” I said, lying down on this random strangers grass. “Circle of life I guess.” I said.
“If you’re gonna keep going, then so am I.” Josh said, holding out his hand to help me up. “But you’re coming with me…Ange scares me.”