Adventures in Babysitting
Chapter Seventeen: Missing
Chapter Seventeen: Missing
“What?” I said. I couldn’t believe it. This must be a bad dream! Come on. Wake up. WAKE UP! Fuck. I’m awake. Oh my god...
“Adele went missing at the movies. Mikey, Ray, and Bob have looked all over for her and can’t find her anywhere. They even got the staff to help them. She’s disappeared.” I gulped down the sob threatening to escape my throat. I can’t cry now. I have to find Adele!
“I’m going out,” I choked out. I grabbed my sweatshirt off of the couch arm and started heading out the door into the October cold. I’d find Adele myself. Even if it took all night, I’d find her. I wouldn’t stop until I did.
“Frank wait up!” Gerard called after me. I kept up my quick pace. If I slowed down, I’d get colder and not find Adele as quick. I couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t. But I did walk a bit slower for Gee. “Listen, I know you’re upset,” he told me. Well, that’s a bit obvious!
“But you have to calm down,” he continued, “I want to find Adele too. I don’t think she could have gotten that far, considering she doesn’t even cross the street on her own yet. We’ll find her. Don’t worry.” I nodded. I couldn’t speak. If I opened my mouth, the sob would let out. I can’t cry. I have to find Adele.
We got to the movie theater quickly. Everyone was still searching for Adele. Mikey ran up to Gerard and hugged him. Poor Mikey. He’s so freaked out by this. I could see him shaking. “I’m so sorry Gee,” he said.
Gerard rocked him back and forth, “It’s okay Mikey. It was an accident.”
“I know,” Mikey pulled away, “I don’t know what happened. Bob said she went to the bathroom or something and didn’t come out for a while. He got worried and asked a woman working here to ask if Adele was in there. She did and Adele was gone.” He started to cry more. “I’m so sorry!”
“Mikey, it’s okay,” Gerard cooed, wiping some tears off of Mikey’s face, “We’ll find her. It’ll be fine.”
“Okay,” he replied. He wiped off the salty tears from his glasses and placed them back on his face. Ray and Bob ran over.
“We still can’t find her,” Ray told me, “Maybe we should search the town.”
“You’re right,” Gee replied, “Let’s split up. Mikey, come with me. Ray, Bob you guys go together. Frank,” he turned to me, “You’ll be okay alone?”
“I’ll be fine Gee. Don’t worry.”
“Okay then. Let’s go.”
“Wait Gee,” I said, pulling him back a little. Mikey, Ray and Bob turned around. Gerard motioned for them to move on. They shrugged and walked out the glass doors. “Aren’t you gonna tell them about Marc?”
Gee sighed, “I don’t think it’s a priority right now. Adele went missing five minutes after Marc called. He was still in Belleville. The chances of him getting her here are slim to none. Look, if we can’t find Adele, I’ll tell the guys. Okay?”
“Please don’t say ‘if we don’t find her’,” I replied. Gee nodded and pulled out of my grasp gently. He then walked away, still smiling at me, and went outside with the guys. i stood there for a while. I still can’t believe this is happening. But I have to believe it. it is reality after all. i went out into the lonely cold.
+++++++++++++
We met back at the van and hour later. Still no sign of Adele. Why can’t we find her? Where could she possibly be? “Okay, I think we should call the police,” I suggested. Everyone nodded. I took out my phone and started to dial the numbers. Suddenly, Gee’s started vibrating. He told me to hold on.
“Hello?” he said into the phone. “Oh my god! Really? okay, we’ll be there soon.” Gee hung up.
“Who was it?” I asked. He turned to me.
“The police station down the road. They found Adele and she told them our number,” he told me. My face lit up and tears of joy streamed down my face. We found her. I’m so happy we found her.
“Frank, you want to come?” I asked. I looked at him and nodded. We both headed for the station. I’m so happy Adele was found safety. I don’t know what I’d do if she were hurt and still gone. But my mind’s not just on Adele. A thought kept pulling at my mouth. I asked Gerard,
“What if Marc gets there first?”
“What?” I said. I couldn’t believe it. This must be a bad dream! Come on. Wake up. WAKE UP! Fuck. I’m awake. Oh my god...
“Adele went missing at the movies. Mikey, Ray, and Bob have looked all over for her and can’t find her anywhere. They even got the staff to help them. She’s disappeared.” I gulped down the sob threatening to escape my throat. I can’t cry now. I have to find Adele!
“I’m going out,” I choked out. I grabbed my sweatshirt off of the couch arm and started heading out the door into the October cold. I’d find Adele myself. Even if it took all night, I’d find her. I wouldn’t stop until I did.
“Frank wait up!” Gerard called after me. I kept up my quick pace. If I slowed down, I’d get colder and not find Adele as quick. I couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t. But I did walk a bit slower for Gee. “Listen, I know you’re upset,” he told me. Well, that’s a bit obvious!
“But you have to calm down,” he continued, “I want to find Adele too. I don’t think she could have gotten that far, considering she doesn’t even cross the street on her own yet. We’ll find her. Don’t worry.” I nodded. I couldn’t speak. If I opened my mouth, the sob would let out. I can’t cry. I have to find Adele.
We got to the movie theater quickly. Everyone was still searching for Adele. Mikey ran up to Gerard and hugged him. Poor Mikey. He’s so freaked out by this. I could see him shaking. “I’m so sorry Gee,” he said.
Gerard rocked him back and forth, “It’s okay Mikey. It was an accident.”
“I know,” Mikey pulled away, “I don’t know what happened. Bob said she went to the bathroom or something and didn’t come out for a while. He got worried and asked a woman working here to ask if Adele was in there. She did and Adele was gone.” He started to cry more. “I’m so sorry!”
“Mikey, it’s okay,” Gerard cooed, wiping some tears off of Mikey’s face, “We’ll find her. It’ll be fine.”
“Okay,” he replied. He wiped off the salty tears from his glasses and placed them back on his face. Ray and Bob ran over.
“We still can’t find her,” Ray told me, “Maybe we should search the town.”
“You’re right,” Gee replied, “Let’s split up. Mikey, come with me. Ray, Bob you guys go together. Frank,” he turned to me, “You’ll be okay alone?”
“I’ll be fine Gee. Don’t worry.”
“Okay then. Let’s go.”
“Wait Gee,” I said, pulling him back a little. Mikey, Ray and Bob turned around. Gerard motioned for them to move on. They shrugged and walked out the glass doors. “Aren’t you gonna tell them about Marc?”
Gee sighed, “I don’t think it’s a priority right now. Adele went missing five minutes after Marc called. He was still in Belleville. The chances of him getting her here are slim to none. Look, if we can’t find Adele, I’ll tell the guys. Okay?”
“Please don’t say ‘if we don’t find her’,” I replied. Gee nodded and pulled out of my grasp gently. He then walked away, still smiling at me, and went outside with the guys. i stood there for a while. I still can’t believe this is happening. But I have to believe it. it is reality after all. i went out into the lonely cold.
+++++++++++++
We met back at the van and hour later. Still no sign of Adele. Why can’t we find her? Where could she possibly be? “Okay, I think we should call the police,” I suggested. Everyone nodded. I took out my phone and started to dial the numbers. Suddenly, Gee’s started vibrating. He told me to hold on.
“Hello?” he said into the phone. “Oh my god! Really? okay, we’ll be there soon.” Gee hung up.
“Who was it?” I asked. He turned to me.
“The police station down the road. They found Adele and she told them our number,” he told me. My face lit up and tears of joy streamed down my face. We found her. I’m so happy we found her.
“Frank, you want to come?” I asked. I looked at him and nodded. We both headed for the station. I’m so happy Adele was found safety. I don’t know what I’d do if she were hurt and still gone. But my mind’s not just on Adele. A thought kept pulling at my mouth. I asked Gerard,
“What if Marc gets there first?”