Time to Dance

I woke up in my bed. How did I get here? I thought I went outside last night to get some air.

I looked up over at the clock. It was nine a.m. I feel so fuzzy.

I decided to get up and take a hot shower. I walked to the mirror of the bathroom to check my neck. I don't know what compelled me to do this but I felt like I needed to check for bite marks. There were none. What a relief. I must have had another nightmare.

I showered and got ready for a new day. Afterwards, I went and made breakfast for Lizzie and Will because I figured that they would be waking up soon. I heard a knock on our patio doors.

"Nate?" What are you doing here?" I smiled.

"I just thought that I would drop in and see how you were doing this morning." He replied.

"Breakfast?" I asked as I made some pancakes.

"Sure." He said taking a seat at the kitchen table. My brother and sister snuck down eventually and downing their food.

"Well, aren't we hungry this morning?" I asked shocked at the way they ate. You would think that they were raised by wolves or something.

"I got to go." Will said getting up and grabbing dad's keys to his suv.

"Whoa! Where do you think you are going?" I asked.

"I am meeting Bailey and Josh for basketball at the park." Will said dumping his plate in the sink.

"Uh, no. We need to go to the hospital and visit mom." I said.

"Mom is going to be ok. Dad is fine too." Will said taking off.

"Hey! How can you say that?" I yelled.

"I just know." He said walking out the front door. I ran out after him and yelled, "Be back before dark!" Then I walked back into the kitchen.

"Alex, I am gone too. I am heading over to Allison and Casey's for that sleepover." Lizzie said getting up and cleaning her plate off.

"Mom is in the hospital and dad is missing. I don't understand how you guys can be so calm." I said as Nate just watched us.

"You worry too much. I told you that Dad was ok last night." She said running back upstairs.

"I wouldn't worry about them. They are just handling what is going on the best that they can." Nate said trying to comfort me.

"I know but..." I said suddenly having a sharp headache.

"Things are ok." I finished.

"Alex, are you feeling ok?" He asked as I placed my hand on my forehead.

"Yeah. It was just a headache. I suddenly feel like my thoughts are blurred." I said sighing.

"Maybe it is from all the stress recently." Nate said as I got up to wash the dishes.

"Now that we are dating, I want to ask you something." Nate said getting up and helping me clean up.

"What's that?" I asked.

"I know that everything is chaotic right now but I also know that your mom is going to wake up soon and the police will find your dad." Nate said.

"Dad is ok." I said shaking my head. Wait, did I just really say that?

"Alex?" Nate asked concerned.

"Sorry, I just...nevermind." I said as I washed the dishes.

"I'm gone! Allison just called me on my cell and Aunt Chrissy is here." Lizzie said flying down the stairs with her bag and pillow.

"Have fun." I sighed as she left. "I'm sorry, Nate. What were you saying?" I asked feeling drained from all the emotional pressure I was feeling.

"I want to know if you will be my prom date?" Nate asked.

"What?" I asked stunned and forgetting about prom.

"I know it is in three weeks and I have to start calling to rent a tux." Nate replied.

"It's in three weeks? I totally forgot! I don't have a dress or shoes or..." I trailed off.

"Alexandra, its ok. Breathe." He said grabbing my wet hands.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love hearing my name come from your lips?" I blurted out.

"That's odd, you hate your name." Nate smiled.

"Yes but you have a way with saying it that drives me wild." I laughed.

"Is that so?" He said raising his right eyebrow up.

I looked down and turned back to doing the dishes. "Nate, I would love to go to prom but I don't know if I can. I mean where is Lizzie going to stay or Will?" I asked.

"Will wants to go with Kayla, remember? Seriously, you may have just turned eighteen, but Alex you aren't ready to take over adulthood. You have a right to be a kid still until you graduate. I am sure Lizzie can stay at my house or something. I mean how many so called aunts and uncles do we have around here?" Nate laughed.

"True." I said as he pulled me close. "I really hope mom wakes up by then. I know it would make her happy to do my hair and makeup as she did for our ring dance last year." I smiled.

"I tell you what. How about I drive you to the hospital. You can call Will and tell him where you will be." Nate said taking care of me.

"That would be nice." I smiled.

"Maybe I can get Kayla to go dress shopping with you this week. You know how she loves to shop." Nate laughed.

"I don't know." I said.

"Your parents raised you, your brother, and your sister to be strong individuals. I know that they wouldn't want you to miss out on life." Nate said making sense.

"Are you going to stay with me at the hospital?" I asked.

"I will for awhile but I told Sean that I would meet him at the movies tonight. I think he likes Olivia and I told him I would hang out so he could talk." Nate said.

Nate drove me to the hospital and stayed with me until around four that afternoon. "Thanks for breakfast." Nate smiled as we kissed.

"Your welcome." I said kissing him again. "Thank you for dinner at the cafeteria." I laughed as the food was not so good.

"Bye, Mrs. Wentz. You take care of my girl here." Nate said kissing my mom's forehead and being so proper. He never called her by her first name even though my mom insisted on it and he never called her aunt. Half the time I didn't call his mom aunt. It was sweet of him.

"Bye." He said kissing me and then leaving me. I watched as he walked out the door.

"Mom, I really like him." I said.

I watched a little bit of tv and talked to mom hoping that she could hear me. When I got bored I walked outside for air. I eventually fell asleep in a chair around ten p.m. I awoke to the sound of Dance Dance on my cell phone around one a.m.

"Hello?" I sleepily replied.

"Alex, I am so glad to hear your voice." I heard a frantic Erelin on the other line.

"What is it? What's a matter? Have they found dad?" I asked.

"No. Is Nate with you?" She asked.

"No. I haven't seen him since four this afternoon. He isn't with Sean?" I asked getting worried now.

"I called over at Chrissy's and Sean came home around ten. Nate left the movies at the same time Sean did. He hasn't come home." Erelin replied.

I dropped the phone. This wasn't happening. My Nate was not missing too. All at once I felt this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach like I now had a hole in my heart. A piece of it was missing and I may never get it back.