Chapter 55: Lost
JULIA
The bell had rang, but Mrs. White held her hand up. Normally, the students would have complained. However, this was Mrs. White we were talking about.
Those who complained were punished.
“As you all know, your projects are due this week,” she said, reminding everyone. “To be precise, the final deadline is on Wednesday. I expect them to be on my desk by then. No excuses. I’ve already received submissions from several early passers, and I appreciate the initiative.”
“Another reminder that those who did not do their fair share of work in the project will receive a zero, and those who pass late will get a 50% deduction for each day.”
I swear her eyes went to me briefly before moving on. My eyebrows raised in surprise. I hadn’t done anything in particular to piss her off, did I?
As soon as she was out the door, I went to Heather. Despite our heated conversation a while ago, we were still partners for this forsaken project.
“Heather,” I called, standing in front of her to prevent her from leaving so fast.
She stopped and turned to face me, her eyes narrowing. “What now, Julia?” she asked. “Didn’t I tell you to leave me alone?”
I pursed my lips. “Look, I just wanted to check if you’ve passed the project for our group. I’m not trying to bother you. I just don’t want to spend the rest of the semester on Mrs. White’s bad side.”
She sighed and shook her head in exasperation. “I got it,” she snapped. “I’ll pass it before the deadline. You don’t need to keep hounding me about it.”
“I wasn’t hounding you,” I muttered.
Heather didn’t respond anymore and just pushed me out of the way before leaving the classroom.
I clicked my tongue in frustration and adjusted the strap of my bag..
She truly wasn’t going to make this easy, huh? With a resigned sigh, I headed for the bus stop.
A smile appeared on my lips with the thought of seeing Andy.
“You’re going to pick Andy up?” Harper asked.
I nodded.
“Would you like a ride?” Gianna chimed.
I shook my head with a smile. “You guys gabond. I know it’s out of your way. Oh, I should get going now before I
miss the bus!”
“Alright, Julia. Stay safe,” Harper called out as I ran out of the classroom.
Fortunately, I arrived just on time, boarding the bus and looking out of the window as we drove to Sunshine School
When I arrived, the playground was already peaceful. Ellie understood that I had my classes and would arrive later than their dismissal, so she always kept Andy company.
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Chapter 55 Lost
I entered the gates, glancing around for a familiar face, when I suddenly spotted Ellie frantically walking around
e playground.
“Ellie!” I called, jogging over to her.
Her face lit up when she saw me, but the smile quickly faltered.
“Julia,” she said hesitantly, wringing her hands.
I
I tilted my head to the side. Something about the tone of her voice set me on edge. “What’s wrong?” I asked, my heart skipping a beat.
“Crap,” she muttered before looking into my eyes.
“It’s Andy,” she said.
I froze, “What about Andy?”
She didn’t answer for a few seconds, so I held onto her shoulder and asked loudly, “Where’s Andy, Ellie?”
Ellie glanced around nervously before continuing. “He was here earlier, but now he’s gone. I don’t know where he
went.
“What?” I exclaimed, my voice rising in panic. “How is that possible? He never wanders around.”
“I swear, Julia,” Ellie said, her eyes wide and pleading. “He was just here! I looked away for a moment, and then he was gone. I’m so sorry.”
I ran a hand through my hair, my mind racing. “Did you see which direction he went? Did he say anything to your before he left?”
Ellie shook her head. “No, nothing. One moment he was here, and the next…”
She trailed off, her voice breaking.
I clenched my fists, trying to stay calm. “Alright,” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady. “We need to find him. He couldn’t have gone far.”
Ellie nodded, though the fear in her eyes mirrored my own I’ll alert the guards and the other teachers.”
I searched the school grounds frantically, calling Andy’s name as I checked every corner. The playground, the classrooms, even the cafeteria–there was no sign of him. With each passing minute, my anxiety grew.
Where could he have gone?
“Andy!” I called again, my voice echoing through the empty hallway.
Nothing.
Ellie caught up to me, out of breath. “I asked the teachers,” she said between gasps. “Nobody saw him leave. He must still be around here somewhere.”
“Then where is he?” I snapped, though my frustration wasn’t directed at her.
Ellie didn’t respond, her face pale with worry.
I leaned against the wall, my breathing shallow.
“That’s it. I’m going out to the streets,” I muttered.
“Wait, Julia!” Ellie exclaimed.
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Chapter 55 Lost
However, I was already running before she could stop me. I jogged through the sidewalks, asking every person I saw if they had seen my son.
“Oh, what a cute boy. I haven’t seen him around,” an old woman said.
“You should watch your kid better,” a grumpy man scolded
“What a shame. He might have been trafficked now.”
Every interaction with a stranger made me feel even more anxious.
The sun wasn’t as high now, and it cast a gloomy shadow over the streets. I sighed, looking up to the sky to search for any answer.
Think, Julia. Think. Who could help in a situation like this? Who would know what to do?
One name came to mind.
Pulling out my phone, I scrolled through my contacts until found his number.
Although it hasn’t been long since we’ve spoken about everything that had happened, I felt like he was the only person who could help me with this.
Evan,” I whispered.
Taking a deep breath, I pressed the button and brought the phone to my ear, hoping–praying–that he would
answer.
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