Last September, in my composition class, we were assigned to write a narrative essay. And you know me (actually, you probably don't), I was thrilled about the chance to get creative. It was about this girl whose best friend ends up "missing," or so everyone thinks. I edited it a bit, and I thought I'd share the story, so here it is.

***

Missing

I hear a knock on the door. I pause the movie player, throw off the covers, and walk to the door. The person knocks again, sounding impatient. I open the door, surprised to see my next door neighbor May standing in front of me.

"Hi, Emma," she says with a small smile. "May I come in and speak with you for a bit?"

"Oh course." I gesture for her to come in and she does. She sits in one of the recliners with her hands folded in her lap. "Would you like a bottle of water?"

She nods her head and asks me if I have seen Sadie lately. Sadie is her daughter, and my best friend. They have lived next door to me and Mom since Sadie and I were in elementary school.

"Not since yesterday afternoon," I say, crossing the living room into the kitchen to grab her a water. I come back and hand it to her and she accepts it graciously. "She texted me last night saying she was shopping with you today, though."

"I haven't seen her at all today," she says, worry evident in her facial features. "She never came home last night either."

I freeze, trying to process this information. She never came home last night, which is not something she would do without telling anyone. And she said she would be shopping with her mom today, but that obviously did not happen. Something must have happened to her, and I need to figure out what.

"I'm sure she will return soon, Mrs. Lancaster," I say with a reassuring smile. "In the meantime, you should go home and wait for her there. Try to stay calm, okay?"

She nods and gives me a quick hug before walking to the door. It shuts softly behind her. I walk to my mom's house office and knock on the door frame. She glances up quickly, still typing at her computer.

"Sadie didn't return last night," I say. "Can I go and look for her? See if I can find her?"

She checks her wristwatch and frowns.

"Sweetie, it is almost ten. It is kind of late to be out and about." She looks at me a few seconds, studying my features, and then sighs. "Please be back before eleven. Drive safe and take your pepper spray."

I say a quick thank you and dash back into the living room. I grab my keys off the hook by the door and slip on my jacket. I hear a thud and look down to see an envelope with my name on the floor. I pick it up and recognize Sadie's handwriting on the front.

I quickly open it up. It reads: There is something important you need to hear, so if you can, please meet me. Do not tell anyone you got this letter, and please come alone. XOXO

At the bottom of the note is an address for a house across town. I plug the address into the GPS on my phone and slip out the door. I unlock and start my car. I reverse out of the driveway and follow the GPS's directions. I find myself in front of a vaguely familiar house. I step out of the car and shut the door as quietly as possible. I make my way to the front door and knock.

I lift my hand to know again but the door opens, revealing Mr. Ross, the theater director at my school. I stand here, confused and embarrassed, not knowing how to explain why I am standing at his front door after ten o' clock.

"Oh, I must have the wrong address," I say, sounding like a moron. He stands there in front of me, not saying anything. "Well, see you in class."

I turn around but a familiar voice stops me in my tracks. It's Sadie.

"Emma, hey," she says enthusiastically and pulls me inside the house.

I glance up at Mr. Ross, but he has his head turned the toward Sadie. They stare at each other for a few seconds, seeming to be communicating with just their eyes. I clear my throat, causing them to snap out of their weird trance.

"I need an explanation, like now." I cross my arms, awaiting an explanation. They have another staring contest and I snap my fingers. "Someone get talking."

Mr. Ross nods and Sadie takes a deep breath. She glances at him before lacing her fingers with his, making my eyebrows shoot sky high.

"Mr. Ross and I are dating," she says with a wide grin. "We have been for a while."

If my jaw was not connected to my body, I am fairly certain I would have had to pick it up off the floor.

"I'm sorry I just now told you," she says, a guilty look on her face, "but it would have been to risky for anyone to know."

My best friend is dating our teacher. My mind seems to be having trouble wrapping my head around that piece of information.

"I accepted a job offer in Ireland," Mr. Ross says, finally deciding to speak up. "We are heading out tomorrow morning."

Sadie looks at me sheepishly and I share at her wide-eyed.

"I'm sorry this is short notice," she says, stepping forward and wrapping her hands around mine. "But this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. He didn't want to leave me so we're moving together."

"You're kidding me, right?" I pull my hands from her grasp and turn around, finally taking notice of the room around me. Everything has been packed in boxes, except for the couch against the wall.

"No, I'm not. Everything is set in stone." I turn back toward her and she continues. "My mind is made up, so don't try talking me out of it."

***

This was changed quite a bit from how I originally wrote it, but it is still the same idea. This idea was sparked from a prompt I found on Pinterest, but I changed it to make it my own. Anyway, I hope you liked the story. :)