Troubled

FIFTY FOUR

KYLE GARCIA

I was a mess. And I'm not even ashamed to admit, that on the drive to her grandmother's house I had gone through a full pack of cigs.

"You have to calm down. Jesus. Smoking intensely won't help us find her." Xander muttered irritated. He had launched into series of complaint when I lit the second stick.

"You are driving right now Kyle, fire? Remember?"

I waved it off then.

"Seriously we have to keep the windows down because of that. He complained while I took the third stick.

"Kyle, if you're about to commit suicide, do it alone, why do you want to kill me too?" He groaned again.

I sigh, my mind was giving all sort of scenarios. What if she was lying somewhere in a ditch? That was not Cora's style, like she said, not a damsel in distress. But I couldn't help worry about her, and there was no way to communicate if she was okay or not.

"The smoke calms me down." I tell him before taking another drag.

"It's worrying me. I don't feel like dying."

I still don't stop. Calming down only when there was a cop in the road.

"What is going on with Cora these days? First the gashes on her body, now she ran away? I'm really worried about her." Xander says quietly from beside me.

I don't say anything, I had an idea, at least a suspect, but I couldn't share it with him for the fear of it being incorrect, and the privacy of Cora.

"Let's just hope that she is actually there. What do we do if she is on her way home right now? We'll start driving back?"

My phone ringing interrupted my answer, which was good since I had no answer to give him.

"Kyle, what is going on with you? Are you okay? I haven't heard anything from you since morning, I hear you skipped school." Mom sounded worried.

"I'm okay mom, it's complicated, I will explain when I get back home."

"Oh you definitely will, are you on your way back home?"

I wince,

"Actually, not yet. Remember the complicated thing I talked about? It ran away. I'm trying to find it."

I could almost see her brows creasing in confusion.

"Don't worry mom, it's nothing bad. I'll be back soon."

"I'm trusting you Kyle, be okay. Be safe. I love you."

I see Xander smiling from the corner of my eye.

"Love you too mom."

"Oh, and your grandma is furious. She might actually whoop you this time, you didn't see Miss Suzie?"

I flinch away from the phone as I drive.

"Still complicated, talk to you later, greet dad for me." I say quickly before disconnecting the call.

"It's going to be a really long night if Cora isn't there."

"Plus it's already getting dark out. How do we come back?"

I don't know or care how we came back, I wanted to be sure Cora was safe indoors, wherever she was.

"I'm thirsty, do you think we can stop somewhere?"

"Reach into the back, there's a can of soda. We can't afford to make stops now, so if you have to go, that's on you. You will be holding it in."

I see him pout before reaching into the back seat for the soda.

"Are you guys having a party soon? Your friends and you?"

I frown.

"You would know, you're my friend. Are we hosting a party?"

"No, no, Ray and Dawson."

"Oh, oh, no we aren't. Why?"

"Then did you and Cora host a party without me?" His eyes were wide.

"No, that's how I pack my drinks, i hate being stranded when I'm thirsty."

"Cool."

From then on, we drove in complete silence till we got there.

My thoughts weren't silent. I knew something was wrong with Cora, she wasn't your normal seventeen year old. She spaced out for minutes with her eyes wide open. She held her head while falling, she was obviously in pain. And her mother whipped her so much she had gashes on her skin. And now, she cut someone's cheek with a scissors. Was that why people said she was troubled? Did she cut her cheek because she provoked her? Was I in the clear from her being violent? Was Xander? Was that why her father took her brother away? My head was full of questions, and it's only Cora, or Miss Suzie that had the answer.

"We are finally here!!" Xander exclaimed excitedly.

It was a small town tucked out of the state, it was such a small town with even fewer people.

"I'll go down and ask for directions." He offered, like he was running away from something. My best guess was, he was tired of the smoke.

I throw the stick of the window, Cora might be in there, I couldn't approach her smelling of smoke. I let all the air out of the car, before using air freshener and popping gum into my mouth. I even used the cologne I usually keep in the car.

"It's further down the road.. you used air freshener?" Xander asked after sniffing around.

"Yeah.. bad?"

He laughed a little before getting in.

"Someone doesn't want to look bad in front of their elders." He cooed. It only made me frown, he didn't know. He thought I was doing it for her grandma. I wasn't going to correct him though. It was useless.

"Take your right, they say it's a pale green house, you can't miss it."

I drive a little faster than you would in a tiny town, but I was in a hurry. I wanted to see her again.

I even got down before Xander. I quickly knocked on the door.

"Who's there?" I hear a man's voice call out. Must be her father. I coughed out the gum, straightened my shirt.

"My name is Kyle sir, I'm a friend of your daughter."

I hear him rush to the door before swinging it open. And I'm disappointed. For a girl like Cora, her beauty was something you stop to stare at. Her father on the other hand? I was willing to believe she was adopted.

"Cora's friend?"

His eyes were warm, his voice held surprise and excitement.

"Yes sir, the two of us."

"She has two." He whispered while smiling at us like we had the cure to end world hunger.

"Hi, I'm Alexander, your daughter calls me Xander."

"Come in, come in." He shifted from the door frame to let us in.

I instantly disliked the house. It was not homely. It felt like the owner wanted you out as fast as possible.

"Is there any problem with Cora? Is she okay?"

My face fell as Xander and I shared a look.

"She's not here?"

"What do you mean? It's just my mother, myself and her brother here. Isn't she with her mother?"

I swallow. Suddenly I wanted a stick again. I needed it.

"No sir, that's why we came out here to find her."

"Maria should know, let me call her mother, if you will excuse me."

I couldn't really wait to hear from him, it was a waste if time even, her mother knew less than I did.

"Hello mom? Can you give me Miss Suzie's number?" I ask as soon as the call connected.

She sends it immediately, as if she sensed it was a serious issue.

"Hello?" Miss Suzie called out in confusion.

"Don't bullshit me. What did you diagnose Cora with?"

"Kyle.." she sighed tiredly.

When I don't answer she knows it serious.

"Personality disorder Kyle."