Arbel picked up the crumpled pages. Straightening them before she began to read, or rather tried to read.
"I hate Leo," Arbel cried.
Rosie looked at her in confusion, reaching out and taking the pages from Arbel. It took her a quick glance to understand what was bothering her friend so much.
"Shit," Rosie muttered.
The pages were almost unreadable. Leo's handwriting was terrible. No, much worse than terrible. It was horrible.
The condition of the pages, which were wrinkled and stained, really didn't help.
Rosie narrowed her eyes, managing to understand about one word of each sentence.
"If I'm not mistaken, I think he's talking about Rosemary?" Rosie wondered and handed the stack of pages back to Arbel.
"Like the rosemary plant?"- Arbel asked,
sighed and took another look "I can recognize the words street, dream, darkness and butterfly. Besides, you're right, he talks about Rosemary quite a lot"
Damn. This shit sounds more like poetry than something that could actually help them.
Arbel hit herself on the forehead in despair, folding the pages and shoving them into her back pocket.
Hoping that maybe when she had time she could get more out of it.
Now Arbel already had somewhere else to be.
"Where are you going?" Rosie asked when she saw Arbel stand up and leave the room. Rosie hurried after her. Arbel heard her sneakers squeak on the old floor.
"Where I wanted to go before-" she answered "Ben"
Rosie clucked her tongue, trying to slow her friend down for a few seconds to thread words
"And what are you going to tell him? I know you're hiding something? Accuse him of having something to do with Leo's disappearance?"
Arbel glanced at Rosie. She knew she wanted to help, but right now she wasn't helping her, she was slowing her down.
"I'm going there-" she announced to her friend "-you can come with me or you can not"
Of course Rosie came with her. She complained all the way, but she came. And Arbel couldn't hide the smile and the relief at her presence.
It wasn't until they reached Ben's house that Arbel began to feel a little doubt about her amazing plan.
It wasn't much of a doubt, just a feeling in the back of her mind. But knowing that she really didn't have any better options helped her a little.
It's easier to jump out of a window when your house is on fire. And that's how it felt to lose Leo, like the whole bubble of life they'd built for themselves was crumbling.
So she didn't even take a deep breath, she just charged for the door.
She could hear Rosie cursing behind her but she ignored it. Knocking on the door aggressively and without remorse. Or at least pretending she didn't have any.
Ben's mother opened the door and Arbel faltered a little.
What was she going to say to her? 'Hey, can I talk to your son? I have a few questions?' What reason did she have to explain that she, the sister of Ben's friend, wanted to talk to him.
Ben's mother had met Arbel maybe twice, and that was only because in their mother's absence it was Arbel who was the ostensibly responsible adult. And yet, she smiled at her warmly, it was almost strange to be on the other side of such affection.
"Arbel, are you okay?" She placed a hand on her shoulder, eyes full of pity. "I heard from Ben about Leo. You must be going crazy with worry, I can't imagine what that feels like."
Arbel opened her mouth and closed it. She felt terribly embarrassed. What do you say in a situation like this?
"I'm sorry to interrupt," she tried. "Is Ben home?"
She thought Ben's mother would ask questions, like what the hell she wanted from her son. But surprisingly Ben's mother, who Arbel really needed to start remembering her name, welcomed them easily.
she simply nodded and invited them in, pointing to the stairs and saying that Ben's room was upstairs.
Rosie and Arbel exchanged confused looks but started up the stairs.
Arbel hadn't even reached the fifth step before she looked up and saw Ben waiting for them at the top of the stairs with his arms folded.
"I knew you'd come," Ben announced and disappeared into his room.
What was Arbel supposed to say to such an announcement? Good for you?
Arbel simply shook her head and looked at Rosie. "I remembered why I hate him," she noted.
Rosie laughed.