Layla stared out the window of the abandoned factory. Why did she even bother coming here anymore? He was gone…he’d been gone for a while now. How long had it been 6 months now? She forgot to tell him that she loved him before he left, but it was too late now.

A sniffled cry escaped her mouth as she brushed away the tears that streamed down her face. “Why did he just disappear from my life?” she screamed to the sky. You see Layla here was in love with a young boy named Nick. Layla and Nick had known each other since they were six years old.

Over all their silly little fights, laughter, and tears she fell in love with him. When they turned sixteen he told her he loved her, but she couldn’t muster up the courage to say it back. He ended up missing school the next day, and the next, and so on. After a while she began to feel lonely, sad, and became depressed.

Here she lay replaying in her head what her mother had said. “Honey, didn’t he tell you?” her mother said with shock on her face. “If he told me I wouldn’t be asking.” She pointed out. “He moved. He said he was going to tell you.” She went quite for a moment. “The night you guys went bowling.” She said with the motherly sympathy in her voice. “Oh.” She said and left the kitchen table.

She was brought back to reality as more sniffled cries escaped her mouth. “Layla you can sob and whine all you want. He won’t come back!” She turned to Thia. “You don’t know that for a fact do you?!” Another wail. “I...I just feel so……lonely.” She said brushing away the tears descending down her face.

Thia pulled Layla up by her arms and half dragged her out of the factory. Only letting go of her when necessary. Silently they walked back to the car. Layla began to grow uncomfortable in the silence. She restrained from talking though. Layla watched as Thia pulled away from the curve. Layla unlocked her front door to an empty house. “Anyone home?” she called aware that nobody would answer.

Layla climbed the stairs one by one and slammed her bedroom door behind her. She looked at the letter on her dresser and threw it away without a second glance. As she walked over to her computer a small piece of paper with an address on it caught her eye. Layla picked it up and read the address, it wasn’t one she recognized.


She turned it over and read the writing on the back. “Oh my God.” She mumbled under her breath. “She picked the phone up off her bed and dialed Thia’s number. The shocked expression on her face changed as Thia answered the phone. “Thia! I know where he is! I know where he is!”
She was talking so fast that it all came out together. “Slow down.” Thia calmly spoke on the other end. “Nick he’s okay he’s alive Thia! He’s alive!” She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. “Alright I’ll be over in a minute.” She jumped off the bed practically running to her closet and slipped on a pair of gym shoes.
She checked to make sure she didn’t have any smudges on her dark blue jeans and black t-shirt. She skipped across the hall to the bathroom and ran a brush through her tangled dark brown hair. “Ding-Dong.” She dashed down the steps skipping ever other one to answer the door.

“Okay, spill!” Thia said stepping through the front door. “I found his new address and a letter from my mom.” She said a grin spreading across her face. “She found his new address for me!” she echoed.

“Hand it over! We’ll take my car.” She said as Layla handed her the address. “Layla, this is a different state.” She mumbled handing back the slip of paper. “We could always ask our parents if we could go on a road trip. I mean it is summer vacation.” She said automatically pulling out her cell phone.

“But, I can’t afford it.” Thia frowned and looked down at the ground. “You know both of my parents could.” Layla said matter-of- factly. “The question is, will they allow it though?” Thia flipped her cell phone out as both girls called their parents.

Layla closed her cell phone a few moments later and headed back inside the house with Thia right on her heels. Thia pulled two suit cases out of her closet. One of them was already filled with clothes. Layla and Thia always had clothes for each other at their house.

Thia rushed over to Layla’s closet pulling out clothes for Layla while Layla made sure Thia’s suitcase had suitable stuff for the weather. “Your suitcase is good to go!” she said swiftly leaving her room and returning with two toothbrushes and hair brushes.

Layla left the room and came back with the essentials while each girl threw the items into the suitcases. “Okay all we have to do is stop get some gas, and snacks. By the way what state is it?” Layla asked reaching for the paper. “It’s in Florida!” Thia grabbed Layla’s house keys. “Okay, we need to get a lot of gas and a lot of snacks!” Layla corrected herself.