missing and been found dead in a ditch three days later. After that, one of my dad’s doctor friends advised my dad to sedate my mother because she was completely inconsolable, bordering on hysterical. He hadn’t done it, but it had been a close thing.
You would think Jackson and Jeremiah would have been watched pretty carefully at this point, but my parents were beside themselves because I had been missing for so long. Security was searching the hotel room by room. The police put out a Missing Persons Report, and everyone at the hotel was looking for me. My brothers snuck off to find me.
They put their heads together to try to figure out where I could be. The day before we had been outside in one of the corners of the garden near the beach and found a dog that had had puppies. I had been fascinated with them. Somehow I had made it outside undetected and was asleep curled up in the bushes with the momma dog and the puppies. The momma actually growled at my brothers when they tried to get me out of the bushes. So, instead, they proceeded to shout the place down until someone came. My parents were horrified, embarrassed, and so relieved my mother couldn’t even speak.
Even though my brothers were the ones that found me, they got in a heap of trouble. They knew they were supposed have been watching me and they hadn’t. My dad sat them down and explained to them that as my older brothers they had responsibilities and what could have happened. Whether it was what my dad said or how scared they had been, I’m not sure. It must have stuck with them.
I have almost no memory of this event. I do remember playing in the bushes with puppies, but I’m not entirely sure it was the same day. I really liked puppies, and if they were around, I would find them.
They never lost me again, but I’m pretty sure this one event started the paranoia that now rules my life. Overprotective brothers and parents that still think I’m that little girl who wanders off.
#
The next day school buzzed about what happened at the church, and the fact that the three of us had to go to the police station made for a lot of staring and gossip. And answering the same questions over and over again. My morning classes seemed to last all day. I wasn’t sure if I was looking forward to golf practice or not, but at least I would be too busy to answer questions.
At lunch Dom cornered me at our regular lunch table. He knew I was not a morning person, so he hadn’t spoken much when he drove me to school. He had seemed preoccupied anyway. I hadn’t asked. I thought he was upset about the whole thing last night. Now I wasn’t so sure.
When I got there, our table was empty, thankfully. I found a spot in the sun. I couldn’t even think about eating, so I didn’t go to the caf. I just wanted to soak in some sunlight and have a quiet moment to myself. I leaned back with my elbows on the table and closed my eyes. The quiet lasted about twenty seconds.
“Hey, Ror.” I felt him sit right next to me on the bench. “People bugging you as much as me?”
“Yup.” I didn’t open my eyes. I didn’t want to talk or even think about it right now.
“I wish they’d move on to something else already.”
“Ummhmm.”
“Sooo…” Uh-oh. “Are you going to the Sadie Hawkins?”
Crap. I sat up slowly and opened my eyes. “You know I have to. All Student Leadership has to be there.”
“Are you going with anyone?” I saw his eyes flick to a table near where we were sitting. Gage was sitting with some of the guys from the golf team and a few girls. Gage was looking right at us. I looked away quickly.
“No. I have to be there early for setup, and I just planned on not asking anyone. It’s easier.” I resumed my sunbathing position. I didn’t want to get into this now. And certainly not with Dominic. I wasn’t going to start worrying about whom I planned to ask and whose feelings would get hurt. Not happening.
“But it’s our last one. You can’t
You would think Jackson and Jeremiah would have been watched pretty carefully at this point, but my parents were beside themselves because I had been missing for so long. Security was searching the hotel room by room. The police put out a Missing Persons Report, and everyone at the hotel was looking for me. My brothers snuck off to find me.
They put their heads together to try to figure out where I could be. The day before we had been outside in one of the corners of the garden near the beach and found a dog that had had puppies. I had been fascinated with them. Somehow I had made it outside undetected and was asleep curled up in the bushes with the momma dog and the puppies. The momma actually growled at my brothers when they tried to get me out of the bushes. So, instead, they proceeded to shout the place down until someone came. My parents were horrified, embarrassed, and so relieved my mother couldn’t even speak.
Even though my brothers were the ones that found me, they got in a heap of trouble. They knew they were supposed have been watching me and they hadn’t. My dad sat them down and explained to them that as my older brothers they had responsibilities and what could have happened. Whether it was what my dad said or how scared they had been, I’m not sure. It must have stuck with them.
I have almost no memory of this event. I do remember playing in the bushes with puppies, but I’m not entirely sure it was the same day. I really liked puppies, and if they were around, I would find them.
They never lost me again, but I’m pretty sure this one event started the paranoia that now rules my life. Overprotective brothers and parents that still think I’m that little girl who wanders off.
#
The next day school buzzed about what happened at the church, and the fact that the three of us had to go to the police station made for a lot of staring and gossip. And answering the same questions over and over again. My morning classes seemed to last all day. I wasn’t sure if I was looking forward to golf practice or not, but at least I would be too busy to answer questions.
At lunch Dom cornered me at our regular lunch table. He knew I was not a morning person, so he hadn’t spoken much when he drove me to school. He had seemed preoccupied anyway. I hadn’t asked. I thought he was upset about the whole thing last night. Now I wasn’t so sure.
When I got there, our table was empty, thankfully. I found a spot in the sun. I couldn’t even think about eating, so I didn’t go to the caf. I just wanted to soak in some sunlight and have a quiet moment to myself. I leaned back with my elbows on the table and closed my eyes. The quiet lasted about twenty seconds.
“Hey, Ror.” I felt him sit right next to me on the bench. “People bugging you as much as me?”
“Yup.” I didn’t open my eyes. I didn’t want to talk or even think about it right now.
“I wish they’d move on to something else already.”
“Ummhmm.”
“Sooo…” Uh-oh. “Are you going to the Sadie Hawkins?”
Crap. I sat up slowly and opened my eyes. “You know I have to. All Student Leadership has to be there.”
“Are you going with anyone?” I saw his eyes flick to a table near where we were sitting. Gage was sitting with some of the guys from the golf team and a few girls. Gage was looking right at us. I looked away quickly.
“No. I have to be there early for setup, and I just planned on not asking anyone. It’s easier.” I resumed my sunbathing position. I didn’t want to get into this now. And certainly not with Dominic. I wasn’t going to start worrying about whom I planned to ask and whose feelings would get hurt. Not happening.
“But it’s our last one. You can’t
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