As I sit in the classroom and listen to the clock tick like a metronome, slowly moving at a steady pace, the teacher drones on about bio-physics. I look at the floor, a pale blue carpet with occasional scraps of paper, like looking at an ocean with occasional surfers. At last my eyes come to the metal foot of a chair, its occupant missing. The black seat, sitting alone somehow seemed like a sad picture. As the bell rings, I take out a pen-covered sheet of paper and add 1 more strike, day 10 that Kathy has been missing.
On the way out of school my boyfriend Bob stopped me. “Still haven’t found her have they?” he asked in his deep tenor voice. “No. They haven’t.” I said, brushing back my light brown hair. “Don’t worry, they’ll find her.” he said, reassuring me. “I hope so.” I said, my voice in a happier tone. “See you later, I have to go.” I said leaving.
At home my feet creaked on the oak floors as I walked in to the Italian-style kitchen. “Hi, honey.” my mother said as she walked around the kitchen cleaning the marble counter. “Hi mom.” I said, trying to bring my voice to a happier tone. “Oh by the way, the police called.” she said. “They did, oh what did they say, is it good, is it bad, oh what did they say!” I said, my voice excited with the newly given information. “I’m sorry honey…” that was all she had to say, then everything else she said was inaudible. My eyes filled with tears. “How could they not find anything, they’re the frikin police!” I said, frustrated. “Oh, this is worse than the time you guys got me a Barbie doll set for my 13th birthday!” I said, running up the stairs and into my bedroom. I jumped into my bed and cried in my pillow. As I sat in my haven, tears streamed down my eyes, finally, I decided. That’s it. I thought determined. If the police can’t find Kathy, I will. I thought getting up from my bed.
I tip-toed out of the house in my pink and black sneakers secretly. I knew my mother wouldn’t approve of me searching for Kathy. I could already hear her telling me, “Oh it’s not safe, honey” and “Oh, leave it to the police”. I took my bike, as I sped through town I showed people a picture of Kathy I had taken from home. I must have looked pretty funny, a 15 year old girl in knee-pads elbow-pads and a helmet riding through town so different from all the other teenage girls riding around like rebels with no safety gear on. But as my motto said “Better to be safe than sorry.” I was about to go home when I passed one more person and asked him if he had seen Kathy. “Yes, I have.” he said, seemingly not interested. “When, where, with who!” I asked, excited. “Calm down, sugerpops. Jeese who are you, the energizer bunny? he said, staring at me strangely. “I saw her about a week ago, I forgot where, but with a guy who was tall and had brown hair…” he said, thinking about it. “Bob!” I said trying to fit everything together. “Ok, thank you so much,” I said, shaking his hand. Why would Bob want to kidnap Kathy? I thought to myself. Ok, calm down, find Kathy first, then worry about relationship problems. Where is Bob’s favorite place to be? Think, Think, you’re his girlfriend for pete’s sake. Oh, the football field! I thought, already getting onto my bike.
When I got to the football field I headed to the back shed, the only place to hide anybody from public sight. The back she was huge with two doors, one in the front and one in the back. Before I went in, I swiftly took out my cell phone. 9-1-1 was the number I dialed. “Hello” a woman said. “Hello, this is Caroline Falama, I’m at 2776 Brookefield Lane, the football field shed, you’re going to want to see this.” I said my voice serious. As I walked into the disgusting shed I saw Kathy in the corner and immediately ran to her. “Kathy’s face was as pale as a vampire’s with sweat sticking to her white complexion. Her eyes wide open staring at the white wall in an endless gaze. Her sclera was yellow, a putrid grayish yellow. She was indeed, gone. My vision started to blur as water filled in my eyes. I sobbed on her lifeless body remembering all of my memories with her. I heard footsteps as I turned around to see Bob’s guilty face. “You, you did this.” I cried, in between my sobs. “Why Bob, why!!!” I screamed clutching my dead friend’s hand. “Can’t you see, Caroline. Kathy was ruining everything between us, you weren’t yourself anymore after hanging out with her!” he said anger in his voice now. I stared at him my mouth gaping. “So you killed her!!!” I yelled my voice incredibly louder than it normally got. “Think about it as a favor, now we can continue or relationship as it was before you were friends with Kathy.” he said, to my anger, with a tone of happiness in my voice. “Are you kidding me!!! I never want to see you again. In fact I called the police already, and they’re going to come here and take your butt to jail.” I shouted, feeling the anger keep me going like a light with electricity. I heard sirens outside of the building and saw the police come inside. Suddenly, Bob tried to sprint for the back exit his legs moving at lightning speed. But I was faster. With the anger of a friend’s death I pounced on him like a cat on a mouse. I screamed for the police to come over and get him and right after they handcuffed him I fell off him on the dirty floor, taking breaths.
As I sit in the courtroom and listen to the clock tick like a metronome. slowly moving at a steady pace, the judge drones on about legal terms. I look at the floor a hard marble floor that is clean, more like looking at a desert than an ocean. At last my eyes come to the metal foot of a chair, its occupant nervously waiting in handcuffs. The black seat, with someone in it, somehow seemed like a good picture. As the judge says the words I want to hear, the occupant in the chair yells and screams. Bob has just been sentenced to prison for 20 years.