Teen Detective

Chapter 0|1

Allan Anderson missing

A portrait of him where his lips were smiling,  a look of a carefree teenager with neatly combed frizzy hair. That is how his poster was designed. 

He is one of, if not the most popular and loved person in the Seaside High School, the boy is the first black student council president in the school, straight-A student, leader of the chess club and the best swimmer in the school's team.  

You could easily describe Allan in just two words: 'golden boy.'

It was Monday the first day without his notorious presence; then the second arrived. By Wednesday his parents had filed a missing file report. According to Mr and Mrs Anderson, Allan hasn't been home since Sunday, the day of the party before the start of school which is always held on the last day of summer in a random kid's house.

Teenagers are crazy to go on a full party mood a day before school, I am not the one to judge as I always participate, but this year I was unable to due to being forced into babysitting my baby brother of thirteen, dad doesn't trust leaving Brian home alone because when he was eight he tried to imitate the boy of Home Alone, that memory still haunts my worst nightmares.

Most of the people present at the party affirmed that they had seen Allan there.

It was inevitable for him not to be the topic of many conversations around the school and town; he even appeared on the local TV channel and newspaper. To a certain extent the way Allan's missing case has been sensationalizing it's understandable because this is the first missing case in over a decade.

On Thursday the headmaster of the school, Mr Shovel, during the third period gathered all students and teachers inside the cafeteria room to announce that on the following day a research party will be carried on and lessons would be dismissed on the day.

It is for this reason that at the present moment I am being exposed to the burning sun of 41 degrees Celsius and being drilled with the ultraviolet rays while walking for two hours straight without a break in circles while shouting Andre's name; my throat is in deep pain and dry.

"Allan." The rest of my classmates and some civilians shouted in hope that the dark-skinned boy would come from nowhere and shout back 'I am here.'  How sad, that is why after the third time I shouted his name I realized how stupid this is.

"Hey guys, I think we should have a five-minute break before we move to other areas," said Monica Allan's best friend and the leader of this search group. They divided people into 5 groups that should search in at least four areas and this is just the first, and it is killing me already. These areas are possible places Allan could be according to the police, the assumptions were made based on the president council's favourite places.

I went to sit on the sidewalk where Monica was already there with a bottle of water, she saw my eyes fixed on the precious liquid, and she gave me it. I accepted it. "I want him back, Kelly." Her eyes had dark circles, a sign that she didn't have a good night of sleep during the past days, her long raven hair was flying all over her head, in a few words she was just in a completely and utterly mass state.

Her state was more than understandable given the fact aside from Allan's parents she was the closest person to him; they had known each other since they were babies.

After taking a long sip I was able to say back "Don't worry, we will find him." How hypocritical of me for saying something I don't even believe in. It is not like I wanted to lie, but right now, I was telling the exact words she wanted to hear, but my mind was having different thoughts, that he was not coming back.

After two minutes they started walking in the left direction and I went to join them.

The search ended with a small gathering on Anderson's humble house where food and drinks were being served while discussing the unsuccessful day today has been. Who was me to not accept the invitation made by Allan's parents? Of course, I couldn't miss the free food after the tiring day I had.

***

The towel was still tied to my head where my curly hair is, because of the sweat I had to wash my hair when I showered. Just because today was a day without school does not mean that the work I have to deliver until 11:59 pm can be cancelled. I have to type an essay of fifteen hundred words about the early apartheid laws before 1948 for my history assignment. That's why my fingers are pressing the buttons on the computer keyboard at twenty words per second speed.

I decided to rest my fingers a bit to pick up the phone on the nightstand to check the hours and to make my calculations on how much time I still had to finish and send to the teacher by email within the deadline timeframe. To my surprise, there was an unanswered call from a contact that stopped my breathing.

Missed call from Allan at 8:32 pm

My heartbeat stopped. I was unable to react. I was in a state of pure shock. The brain cells inside my head were working at a speed of 270 km per hour.

What the actual fuck?

Just imagine someone who has been MIA for a couple of days suddenly calling you. How am I supposed to react to that? Call the police? Scream? Call back? Ignore?

The options were endless. I opted for the option to call back as the old saying states the 'curiosity killed the cat' but what was killing was the unknown.

Using my fingers pressed the icon to call back.

After the first ring without him answering, I tried again. And the sound of the famous song that all the kids grew up listening to "I am a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world, Life in plastic, it's fantastic!" Don't judge me; the music causes good nostalgia for me. What I didn't notice is that at the end of the song he answered.

His thick voice penetrated my ears, eliminating any doubt that this was some messed up prank and that it was Allan calling me "Kelly...'' He paused with a big sigh and continued "I need your help."