Ashley and I hobbled slowly down the dimly lit road behind the woods. As we got closer to the pizza place we noticed signs and ribbons hanging on all the phone poles that weren't there earlier. Ashley got excited. "Omg!  They're looking for us!" 

I have to admit that I felt my heart begin to flutter as well. Maybe we were out there longer than I thought. We quickly limped over to the only pole that had partial lighting and got our first look at the flyer positioned just below a large yellow bow. Ashley lifted the sagging bow and staring smack dab into my eyes was a picture of Derrick! 

The sharpie message on the flyer stated that he was last seen Sunday night with a friend picking up a pizza. It had the word REWARD and a dozen tabs with numbers lined across the bottom. I felt myself spinning. Could Derrick have been in trouble the night we left the pizza place?  Was he into drugs?  Running from the law?  How would that look for me now that everyone thought we were going out? 

Ashley grabbed my shoulders. "Don't panic. Obviously he isn't missing. He's been talking to you right?  We need to tell the police!"

I felt nauseous and dizzy. It could have been the contamination from all the bacteria, the ooze Ashley and I were covered in, the excitement from tonight, the loss of blood, the poster. Heck, I'm obviously in worse shape  than I thought!!  I sat down right there on the corner. My skirt didn't cover the basics when sitting but I didn't care.

My throbbing foot was now being out shadowed by my headache. What was happening to my life right now. Was this punishment for lying? Why was I being targeted by doom? I needed to think quickly.

"Ashley, I have a confession. Derrick and I haven't spoken since Sunday. I know I said we had, but..."

Ashely interrupted and excitedly started waving her hands around.

"I knew it! That jerk-bait was totally pissed that you blew off his grandma's party to be with friends. I knew he wasn't all goody goody. God!! And now he's pouting so hard he isn't even answering his family? What an ass!!!"

I sat with my mouth open. My headache was throbbing and my thoughts spun. I could correct Ashley. But her story was perfect. And, technically, I wasn't lying because I hadn't said a word. She was truly a bestie. Who else could make an entire night disaster end on a high note!

I just flopped on her shoulder and gave her a hug. She was totally getting a YouTube shout out on my next show.

As we stood up she squeezed my shoulder. "You must be one heck of a girlfriend if he's that mad. Are you not telling me something?"

"I didn't go all the way, if that's what your asking. I would have told you!"

She gave me a grin like she didn't believe me wiggling her eyebrows up and down. "You better give me some lessons on first and second then because dayyumm, you wrecked that boy!"

When we reached Ashley's house it was late. Her mom was standing in the doorway with her arms crossed. I didn't have to have X-Ray vision to know behind the door she was tapping her foot to the tune of 'I'm ticked off and you're toast'.

We hugged and she scurried up the porch to deal with the wrath of a working woman deprived of sleep. She looked back apologetically and said "want me to ask her to drive you?"

I laughed out loud. "I've got my own lecture waiting, I think I'll pass. It's only glass. Good luck."

The door slammed and I could hear her moms voice from the street. I hoped my parents were in bed. They had always been relaxed about things like curfews and grades. Telling me they "will worry when I give them reason to".   Now that I think about it, that's pretty cool.

I hobbled past the corner and paused. If I took the alley there was no way I'd be able to outrun Chester with a bum foot. If I didn't take the alley it would take more steps and is a much longer route.

As much as I was tempted, without shoes and already bleeding, the alley would be certain rabies. All those broken bottles from Chester and no light. Not gonna happen. The long way it is.

It was chilly without Ashley and I crossed my arms across my chest to keep warm. I passed the next block slowly and noticed another flyer with Derrick's face on it. Jerk. Just when I was getting close to juicy make out stories.

The streetlight went out. Derrick's photo became a blur in the dark. I felt a breeze cross my back and a warm breath on my shoulder. Thoughts of Chester filled my head and I started a one legged sprint. Up ahead a lone porch light was on and I could see a shadowy figure on the sidewalk. Tall, lean, hard to make out, but then the arms came in to focus.

I kept struggling forward, questioning my sanity, and wondering if visions were one of the symptoms of rabies. I'd have to look that up tomorrow. I clenched my teeth and decided I wouldn't give in to being hysterical. People saw things all the time. Look at that crazy psychic with the spiked up hair. She made millions from things no one else saw. But for the most part, people who saw things were labeled loonies and locked up!

I saw him front and center then. Staring, mid sidewalk, arms stretched as if we were long lost friends. I stopped my forward motion and felt a tickle of panic rising in my chest. Was I on my way to being an outcast? Would I start dressing in black and hanging safety pins from my lip? Is that how it happens?

Somehow my body felt warm and there was an invisible pull tugging me forward in my head. I suddenly wanted to be wrapped in those arms. Like, that's all I wanted. Nothing else entered my mind. I stepped forward on both feet, oblivious to the pain anymore. I felt his arms wrap around me, and had an unexplainable urge to look up. His face hovered above me, white and blurred, I struggled to make out features when I felt him stiffen, lights came from nowhere and I heard Ashley's mom yell "Get into the car Lemon!"

I turned to see her car idling next to me. When I looked forward again, the vision of my tree man was gone. The warmth vanished and cold settled in, a deep down to my bones cold. I looked around, wanting to understand what happened when I felt arms wrap around me.

"I told you she was hurt mom!" Ashley ushered me towards the car. The street was empty. My teeth began to chatter and my foot remembered to throb to the tune of my headache.

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Lemon seems like she's getting close to a hook up. I wonder if her and Slendy would be a match on E-Harmony?  Stay tuned for more.

Next up- stitches mean a few days off, alone. Or, almost alone. Lol