[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Chapter 27

Nick had conditionally un-grounded me.

The conditions was that I wasn’t allowed out on weeknights, which I rarely did anyways and if I did go out on the weekends, I had a new curfew of 11pm, and I needed to check in with him. I hated that last part. I didn’t think he needed to be so strict. I thought it was stupid that if Chelsea and I went to the movies, I had to let him know when we got there and when we were leaving.

But he had said that he was the boss and if I didn’t want to abide by his rules then I didn’t have to go out at all. So I just shut up about it.

Besides, I had more important things on my mind. Sunday night Chelsea had driven home and I hadn’t heard from her since. She hadn’t been in school at all and it was now Thursday. She wasn’t returning my texts or phone calls. There was one thing I always did when I wasn’t sure what to do.

Go to Nick.

I walked into his office and he smiled up at me but frowned when he saw the expression on my face. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t get ahold of Chelsea,” I felt like I was about to burst into tears. “She hasn’t been in school all week and she’s not returning my calls or texts. I drove by her house on my way home yesterday and there were no cars in the driveway.

“What do you think happened?”

I sniffled, “I don’t know! I just know something’s wrong.”

“Okay,” he pushed himself away from the desk and picked up the phone. “Go into the kitchen, makes yourself something to eat, and finish your homework.” When he stopped dialing he looked up at me, “I’ll take care of it Ally.” I nodded; I knew he would. He always took care of it.

So I did what he told me to do. I made some popcorn and started my homework. But I couldn’t concentrate. I had no idea where my best friend was. I was going out of my mind, thinking the worst. Chelsea wasn’t a rational person. She ran from everything, which is why she had a reputation around school. Only this time, instead of running to a guy, she was literally running away.

“You get your homework done?” Nick sat across from me at the table.

“No,” I sighed, “I can’t focus, sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he said, “I can understand why you’re upset. I called Chelsea’s mom, and she didn’t answer so I want you to think.” I frowned, I didn’t want to think because then I tended to overthink, which was never a good thing for anyone. I would imagine Chelsea in a ditch somewhere, or worse, we couldn’t find her at all. “Where do you think she could have gone? Is there someplace you know she would run to?”

“I can’t think of anything, that’s the problem. Chelsea never ran to a place, she ran to a person, but I don’t think she ran to anyone this time.” I caught Nick’s frown and blushed. I didn’t want to rat out my friend’s promiscuous behavior to my father, but I had to consider all of the possibilities. “But I don’t know where she could’ve gone to.”

“Why don’t we drive around town for a little while until we find her,” he got his keys and looked at me expectantly. “Are you okay?”

“I just don’t want anything to happen to her.” I was grateful when he wrapped his arms around me. His hugs never failed to make me feel better. “Let’s start off with hotels, see if her car is in any of the parking lots.” I doubt she’d be there but it was a place to start.

And I was right; she wasn’t at any of the hotels in town. I made Nick drive to three different shopping malls, driving up and down every aisle all the while constantly calling Chelsea. Nick had stopped for gas and I tried calling her one more time. Instead of ringing give times and going to voicemail, it went straight to voicemail. That meant she turned her phone off. “Chelsea, Nick and I are driving all over town looking for you. Where are you? I’m so worried, please call me.” I hung up and burst into tears.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“She turned her phone off,” I cried, “which means she’s been getting my messages.” I wiped my eyes, “why won’t she talk to me?”

He put his hand on my shoulder, “maybe she just wants to be alone.”

“But this isn’t like her, if she’s out of school this long, she always tells me. She tells me everything.”

He turned towards me, “think of where she might be. Is there any place that she used to go to when she was a kid?” He ran his hand through my hair, “Someplace that made her happy?” I was so upset though that I couldn’t think. “Ally don’t worry,” his voice was soft, “we won’t stop looking until we find her okay? She’s probably just hiding out somewhere, didn’t she say the divorce is rough?”

“Yeah,” I took a deep breath to calm myself down, “sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” I wasn’t sure if he was talking about Chelsea or my reaction. I couldn’t stop worrying about Chelsea though.

I tried paying attention to where we were, looking at every car we passed but still, all I could think about was that something horrible was happening. I nearly fell out of my seat though when Nick stopped the truck short. “What?” I looked around for another car but the street was deserted.

“Look,” he pointed at the parking lot to the marina, and there in the middle of the lot, was Chelsea’s white Mustang Convertible. I gasped as Nick pulled into the parking lot next to her car.

“Her dad has a boat here!”

Nick locked the car up as we exited, “do you know what slip?”

“No,” I frowned, “but the name is ‘Better Days.’” The marina was huge, I felt like it was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack. Nick and I had started at one end of the marina and by the time we made it halfway through, it was getting dark. I grabbed ahold of the sleeve of his sweatshirt and let him lead us through the slips.

Before we moved into the house we were in now, Nick had kept the boat at a marina. I used to love running up and down the docks, the way they swayed ever so slightly made me feel like I was flying across the water. One year for my birthday, Nick had bought me water color paints and then took me out on the boat to watch the sunset so I could learn to paint it. Nick warned me not to run along the docks with the paints, but of course I didn’t listen, and when we got back, I ran along with them, tripped on a plank and not only did my paints fly everywhere but I slipped into the water between two very large boats. Needless to say, walking on the docks at night is not something I like to do.

“Any sign yet?” I was giving up and I hated feeling defeated. I was about to suggest that we leave when I saw her. The light to the cabin in the boat was on and she was standing on the starboard side looking out into the water. “Chelsea!”

She jumped out of the boat and onto the dock when she saw us and wrapped her arms around me, “sorry I’ve been ignoring you.”

“Are you okay?”

“No,” she started to cry. When she pulled away I got a look at her face; it was bruised.

“What the fuck happened to you?” My worry turned into anger.

“Let’s go on the boat,” Nick wrapped his arm around Chelsea’s shoulders and led us to the boat. “Now,” he started once we were all situated, “what happened honey?”

“I got home Sunday night,” she whispered, “to my mom and dad fighting like crazy.” My eyes narrowed, I didn’t like where this was headed. “He was calling her a whore, telling her that he never loved her, how all of the other women he slept with while he was away were so much better than what he had at home and I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t take coming back from a perfect weekend to that. I was tired of putting up with their bullshit, so I stood up to him.” She looked up at me, “I finally stood up to him Ally.” My anger blossomed into rage when she said, “And then he started hitting me.” She started crying again, “Once he realized what he did he left, but I couldn’t stay there. My mom didn’t do or say anything to stop him, she let him hit me.”

I wanted to find her scumbag of a father and hurt him like he hurt my best friend. “Where did he go?” I was seething.

Nick grabbed the back of my shirt when I went to leave to find the motherfucker. “Slow down there killer.” He stood up, “go outside and calm down. I want to talk to Chelsea alone for a minute.” I looked at both of them and then stomped out of the cabin.

Everything was going to so well and then this happened. What killed me was that I wasn’t there to do anything about it. He was her father. He wasn’t supposed to lay a hand on her. He was supposed to love her, protect her and support her. It was hard to comprehend a parent not being like Nick, who was perfect. I didn’t want to know how long it had been going on for but he had been hard on her for years, and she never stood up to him.

My thoughts of revenge were broken when Nick said, “Ally baby, take this.” He handed me Chelsea’s bag, “Take this to the car okay?” I looked at him expectantly, “she’s coming back with us.” I nodded; she was safe with us.

The car ride was silent and tense. I could tell Nick was angry. I was angry and Chelsea was broken. She rested her head on my shoulder and whispered, “Sorry I was ignoring you, I just didn’t want you to see me like this.”

“I’m sorry I wasn't there to kick his ass for you,” I whispered back.

She shook her head, “I saw his face when he realized what he had done. I don’t think he’ll show his face around here again. He’ll make a clean break, which is the way I want it.”

“You’re not going back there any time soon.”

She sniffled, “Nick said I was staying with you two until things at home are better.” She looked out the window, “which means I’m probably staying with you for a while.”

“Good,” I whispered. That way I could keep an eye on her. Tears welled in my eyes when I caught Nick’s eyes in the rearview mirror.

Nick got Chelsea’s things as made our way inside. I got her an ice pack for her eye and when Nick came back into the kitchen, he rubbed her shoulders. “I put your things in the guest room. Do you want something to eat?”

“No,” she didn’t sound like the Chelsea I loved. This voice was soft and broken, not light and flirty. “If you don’t mind, I’m just going to shower.”

He lifted her chin frowned, “your face still looks swollen.” He got the nighttime aspirin out of the cabinet and handed her two tablets. “You know where everything is Chels, just make yourself at home okay?”

“Thanks for everything,” she bit her lip. “I don’t know how I can repay you.”

Nick shook his head, “you know you’re welcome here any time Chels. You’re like family.”

When she left the room I threw my arms around Nick’s waist. He hugged me back tightly, “I can’t believe he would do this.”

“I told you I’d take care of it,” he whispered, “I promise I will.” He kissed my head, “I love you Ally, I just want you to know that.”

I did know that, “I love you too Dad. I promise I won't argue with you anymore about the rules you set for going out. I won't argue with you about anything anymore. I’m so lucky to have you.”

He kissed my head again. “Me too. I don’t even want to think about where I’d be right now without you.”

I didn’t either.