CHANGE OF POV: SAM'S POV
The final bell of the school day had rung and I was starting to feel a sense of panic as I searched the crowded hallways for any sign of my friend, Ray.
He was nowhere to be found and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. My heart raced as I pulled out my phone and tried calling him, but the call just went straight to voicemail.
I tried again and again, hoping he would pick up, but each time was met with the same result.
I sighed.
'Where did you run off to?' I asked no one in particular.
Just as I was about to give up, I heard a familiar voice calling my name. I turned to see Kira and her boyfriend, Jack, approaching me with concerned looks on their faces.
"Hey Sam,..." Kira said, "...with that look on your face, I can tell you've been trying to reach Ray. Any luck?"
I shook my head and explained, "I haven't seen him since lunch. He even missed English class. I'm starting to get worried."
Kira nodded understandingly and said, "I haven't seen Mia either since lunch. Her phone goes straight to voicemail when I try calling her."
Just then, Jack spoke up, "there she is."
We all turned to see Mia walking towards us, her wet hair falling in tangled strands over her shoulder. She looked pale and distressed, and I could see that she had been crying.
Kira rushed over to Mia and asked, "Mia, what's wrong? You haven't been picking up your calls. I was so worried. Where have you been?"
Mia's voice was thick with emotion as she replied, "Can we just go home? I need a nap."
I couldn't help but feel a pang of concern at the sight of our normally bubbly friend looking so unhappy. "Oooo… someone's not happy," I said, trying to inject some levity into the situation.
But Mia was in no mood for jokes. She snapped back, "yeah, thanks to that heart breaker you call your friend."
We all looked at her in confusion, not understanding what she meant. Kira asked, "what do you mean by that, Mia? What happened between you and Ray?"
But Mia ignored our questions and simply repeated, "can we just go home?"
Kira nodded and the two of them turned to leave. As they walked away, I called out to Mia, "can you at least tell me where he is? I'm really worried about him."
Mia stopped in her tracks and turned to look at me with tears in her eyes. "Well, as for his whereabouts, I don't know and don't care. But the last time I saw him, he was making out with Lily in the gym. They'll probably be needing a room soon. I guess you already know about that since you seem to be his closest friend," she said before continuing on her way, leaving me standing there in shock and disbelief.
Kira looked back and made a gesture that she will call us and went away with Mia.
As I struggled to process the million thoughts racing through my mind, I turned to Jack, desperation etched on my face. "We've got to find Ray," I said, my voice shaking with urgency.
We frantically ran back into the school, our footsteps echoing through the empty corridors as we tried to come up with a plan. "I'll go check the locker room to see if his stuff is still there," Jack suggested, panting heavily. "You go check the gym."
I nodded, and we separated at a fork in the hallway. As I entered the gym, my heart sank at the sight of the empty courts.
I scanned the area frantically, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ray, and that's when I saw it – his face towel, crumpled on the floor.
I knew it could belong to anyone, but the particular type and color were so distinctive that I was convinced it was Ray's.
I grabbed the towel and raced back to meet Jack in the locker room.
When we met halfway, Jack was holding Ray's bag. "His things are still here, his clothes are still in his locker," Jack told me, his face grim.
"Let's check the field, he might have football or basketball practice," I suggested, hoping against hope that we might find him there.
We rushed to the field, our footsteps pounding against the grass as we checked both the basketball court and the football field.
As we approached the football field, we saw Luke. "Hey Luke," I called out, trying to sound as normal as possible.
"Wassup, Sam, hey Jack. What's going on? We're trying to get a hold of Ray, but no luck," Luke replied, concern etched on his face.
"That's the same reason we're here," I told him, my voice laced with worry.
"He must still be somewhere on the school premises," Jack said, trying to sound positive.
I couldn't help but let out a frustrated sigh and facepalm at the thought.
"I'll be going back to practice. Let me know when you find him," Luke said, before jogging back to the field and giving some orders to his teammates.
I knew that if anyone would know where Ray was, it would be Lily. She was the last person known to be with him, and there was no way I was going to leave any stone unturned in my search for him.
Without another thought, I marched towards the cheerleaders, with Jack following closely behind me. I grabbed Lily by the arm and pulled her to a secluded spot, my grip tight on her arm.
"Hey, get your hands off me," she snapped, disgust written all over her face.
"I'll do that, your highness, but only after you tell me where Ray is," I shot back, my voice low and threatening.
"How am I supposed to know?" she asked, feigning ignorance.
"Are you asking me that? You were the last person known to be with him. What were you two even doing in the gym together?" I asked, my patience wearing thin.
"Oh, I was just reminding him of our past times together," she said, a smirk playing on her lips.
My grip on her arms tightened even more as I looked her straight in the eyes.
"Whatever you mean by that, where is he now?" My voice came out an octave lower at the last part, my fear for Ray's safety intensifying.
"I don't know. I left him in the gym," she said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.
"Well, for your information, he's not there," Jack interjected, his voice stern.
"Why should I care?" I could see she was enjoying every bit of this, mocking us with her eyes.
I looked at her squarely in the eyes, my grip on her arms never wavering. "I know you, Lily. If anything happens to Ray, I'll be back for you, and trust me, it won't be a pleasant comeback," I warned her, my voice low and menacing.
I let go of her arms, turned and walked away, Jack following closely behind me. As we walked back towards the locker room, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of my stomach. I knew we had to find Ray, and fast.
"Let's go see the janitor. He might have seen him or probably Ray is also looking for us as we speak." Jack suggested and I agreed with a nod.
As Jack and I made our way to the janitor's office, I couldn't shake the feeling of worry that had settled in my stomach.
The hallways of the school seemed unusually quiet and empty, our footsteps echoing on the linoleum floor adding to the sense of unease that had settled over me.
As we approached the office, the smell of cleaning chemicals grew stronger and I could hear the sound of a radio playing softly in the background.
When we finally arrived at the janitor's office, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over me.
The janitor looked up from the desk where he was sitting and greeted us with a friendly smile. "Hey guys, how can I help you?" he asked.
"We're looking for Ray, we don't know if you've seen him recently."
"Oh, Ray. Your friend Ray was rushed to the school clinic about an hour ago," he told us. "I found him unconscious in the gym, and according to Mrs. Nicks, he isn't in a good condition."
The news hit me like a punch to the gut, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing.