[Heaven Help Me] - [Part 70]

It was now 2:56 am and I was officially annoyed.

I was annoyed because Katie wasn’t answering my calls. I was annoyed because Cassie wasn’t answering my calls. I was annoyed because I knew I couldn’t call Liam because he was either asleep or drunk with the guys. And I was especially annoyed because I couldn’t sleep.

I watched as my alarm clock changed from 2:56 to 2:57 and then jumped when I heard footsteps creaking up my stairs. I sat up in bed and listened quietly. I could hear two voices whispering but, knowing my dad who can’t whisper to save his life, I could tell it was him. I got out of bed and opened my bedroom door which made my dad and Audrey stop immediately.

“Oh you’re still awake,” my dad said awkwardly.

“Have you talked to Katie tonight?” I asked, directing my attention to Audrey.

“Uh-what? Isn’t she here?” I could hear the concern in her voice and then remembered that everyone was supposed to sleeping over at my house.

“No she isn’t. It’s kind of a long story but I’ve been trying to call her all night and she won’t pick up. I’m assuming it’s just because it’s me calling she won’t answer, but she’s not picking up for Lauren either,” I explained in a rush.

Audrey walked past me into my bedroom and picked up the phone on my desk. She dialled the number and then held the phone to her ear, waiting.

“She’s not picking up,” she said.

“Well like Beth said it’s probably because she assumes its Beth calling. Or she might be asleep,” my dad offered.

“I’m just going to go and check if she’s okay.” Audrey put the phone back on the desk and then walked past us again.

“We’ll come with you,” my dad said, looking down at me.

I nodded my head in agreement before picking up a sweater from my floor and putting it on over my head.

“So that’s why you don’t bother cleaning up.” My dad smirked.

I rolled my eyes before following Audrey down the stairs. I pulled on my jacket and shoes and then the three of us left the house. We walked swiftly down to Katie’s house where Audrey took out her house key and opened the door. All of the lights were off in the house and Audrey and I both automatically made our way upstairs and towards Katie’s room. Audrey opened the door slowly; in case Katie actually was asleep, but once the door was open we found her room completely empty. Audrey looked down at me terrified, looking for an answer.

“I-I don’t know where she could be,” I stuttered.

My dad walked past us and flicked on the light, walking over to Katie’s bed and sighing. “She left her cell phone,” he said, holding up to show us.

“Oh my god.” Audrey walked into the room and sank down on the bed.

“It’s okay she’s probably just gone to a friend’s or something,” my dad said, sitting down beside Audrey and putting an arm around her.

“Or a boyfriends. She isn’t seeing someone I don’t know about, is she?” Audrey asked, turning to me.

“No she isn’t.” I walked over to where a phone was lying on the floor and dialled Lauren’s cell phone number.

“Hello?” Her groggy voice answered after 5 rings.

“Lauren its Beth, are you with Katie?”

“No...” she replied sceptically. “Why?”

“Because I’m at her house and she’s not here and she doesn’t have her cell phone. I mean, where could she be?”

I could hear movement on Lauren’s end of the phone and only now realized she’d been whispering.

“Are you at home?” I asked.

“No I’m at Kyle’s. Look Katie was pretty pissed when she left your house right? She probably just went somewhere to cool off.”

“That was hours ago Lauren! She left literally 20 minutes after you and Cassie did. She’s obviously not at Cassie’s so...” And then it hit me. I knew where she was.

“Oh my god,” I said.

“What?” Lauren and Audrey said at the same time.

“Where... or I guess I should say who is the one person Katie knows for a fact would greet her with open arms and make her feel better about herself,” I said, my stomach doing flip-flops at the realization.

“No,” Lauren said. “She wouldn’t go there.”

“Do you know where she is?” Audrey asked hopefully.

“I’m going to go over there anyway,” I said to Lauren.

“I’ll meet you there,” she replied before hanging up.

I hung up as well before turning back to Audrey and my dad. “We have to go to Mike’s house,” I told them.

“Mike’s house?” Audrey repeated. “But they broke up ages ago.”

I didn’t bother to respond. Instead I took off and made my way out of the house as fast as I could. I heard Audrey and my dad’s feet pounding down the stairs behind me and all three of us were in the car in record timing.

“Are you sure she’s here?” Audrey asked me from the passenger seat.

“No I’m not sure but I have a pretty good feeling,” I replied.

It only took a couple of minutes for us to get there and we’d just pulled into the driveway when I saw Kyle’s car pull up at the end of the driveway as well.

“Do you really think she’s here?” Lauren asked once we’d both got out of the cars.

I looked up at Mike’s house and started walking towards it when something caught my eye. I walked up the porch and picked up Katie’s jacket from the ground.

“I guess that answers my question,” Lauren said.

“I’ll call him,” Kyle offered. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and held the phone to his ear once he’d dialled the number. He waited for what felt like ages before Kyle finally started talking.

“Dude come outside,” he said. After another second he said, “Just do it.” He slammed his phone shut and the 5 of us stared at the front door in silence until it opened and Mike poked his head outside.

“What’s going on?” He asked sleepily, opening the door and stepping out in just his boxers.

“Just tell Katie to come out and we’ll leave,” I said through my clenched teeth.

“Katie?” He asked perplexed.

“Don’t play stupid,” Lauren spat at him.

“Look I just want to take my daughter home,” Audrey pleaded.

“I don’t know what you guys are talking about. It’s like 3 in the morning... why would Katie be here?”

“What about this then?” I held up her jacket. “How do you explain this?”

Mike stared at the jacket looking completely confused. He opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again. He took the jacket from me.

“Well this is her jacket,” he said.

I heard Kyle let out a frustrated noise before he had Mike pinned up against the wall. My dad immediately jumped in, trying to pull Kyle off.

“Where the fuck is she?” Kyle screamed.

“Kyle you’re going to wake the neighbours,” Lauren hissed.

My dad finally succeeded in pulling Kyle away and stumbled back off of the porch. I could hear him trying to calm Kyle down and Lauren went over to them as well.

“Mike please just tell us if she was here,” Audrey said.

“She wasn’t fucking here alright? How many times does a guy have to repeat himself? I don’t know where she is.” And with that Mike turned and walked back into the house, closing the door behind him.

“I honestly thought she would be here,” I said to Audrey.

“Well she was at one point.” Audrey picked the jacket up off the ground. “I just don’t understand why she would take her jacket off... and then just leave.”

I didn’t understand it either and I knew Audrey and I were both thinking the same thing; she might have had some “assistance” taking off the jacket.

My cell phone rang in my pocket and I took it out, praying it was Katie. I looked at the caller ID and was surprised to see Mitchell’s number.

“Mitchell?” I said once I flipped my phone open.

“Yeah it’s me. Look Beth I think you should come over here... Katie’s here.”