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Teenage Ghost
Evan knocked on the door to Jeff’s house.
Rhonda opened the opened the door. Her entire body was puffed out and bloated. Her eyes were red and swollen. Her nose was ruby red, and some of the skin had been worn off from tissue use. When she saw Evan at the door the tears rolled fresh out of her and she sobbed uncontrollably.
Evan knew at once she had not seen Jeff either. Evan drew in a deep breath, “Are you ok? Is there anything I can do to help?”
Rhonda shook her head and open the door the rest of the way to let Evan in. She shuffled to the couch and sat. Silent tears fell down her eyes in a stream as she stared out the front window. She looked without blinking, as if just by her own imaginations she could see him walk across the yard to the front door. If she imagined it enough times, she would see it come true.
Evan closed the door behind him and watched Jeff’s mom, who now looked more like his own mother sitting at home. He sat in the easy chair next to the couch, staying out of her sight line to the front yard. “Have you called the police yet?” Evan questioned. “There’s only a few days left until school starts. Wont they be asking questions? Like, why isn’t Jeff at school?”
Rhonda sat motionless for a few moments, then found it hard to talk after all the crying she had been doing the past few days. She looked wearily over at teenage boy in her living room, how could she explain to this kid why she couldn’t call the cops? How can she tell him, Jeff is not my son.
Rhonda fought back fresh tears. Of all the predicaments she would get herself into, all the trouble she found her way into, this was the worst of it. At least in all the times before there was only herself to worry about. This time, this time however there was a minor involved.
Rhonda closed her eyes tightly and held them shut with everything she had within her. She did not care that she would go to jail, she did not care that Jeff would be taken from her and put in a boys home. At least then he would be accounted for, and alive. She hated herself more than anything, for not keeping him safe. For letting this happen, whatever happened. It was all her fault. She was in charge. She was the adult. And now she was accountable.
“Are you ok?” Evan asked her again, leaning forward this time. He knew she was on medication at one time, maybe she should have stayed on it. Then Evan stopped what he was doing and moved slowly back into his chair.
A slow thought crept into the back of his mind. What if she had done something to Jeff. What if he had come home late, and they had gotten into an argument, and she had killed him. He could be buried in the backyard right now. That’s why she didn’t call the cops.
Evan slowly got up from the chair. He chose his words carefully as he inched towards the door, “I’m going to go now.”
Rhonda managed to finally get a word out. The force she used made it sound more like a scream for help and a demand at the same time. “No!” She began to choke back fresh tears, “Please. Don’t go.” She looked at him through her swollen eyes, and pleaded to him with her expression.
Evan found it hard to leave, and he found it hard to believe she would do such a thing. However, he would check later tonight after she had gone to bed and see if there was any fresh dirt in the backyard. He walked back to the chair and stood behind it.
“I just.” Rhonda looked around the living room for a moment. “We should call the police.” she reached for a tissue off the coffee table and dried her eyes. “What will we tell them?” she looked to Evan as if he had the answers.
Fear gripped Evan as he looked at the woman. In a panic he blurted out, “Why are you asking me?”
“Weren’t you the last person to see him?” Rhonda asked in confusion.
“I thought you were.” Evan began to feel uneasy.
She shook her head slowly.
Evan quickly sat down in the chair and pulled out his phone. “Something must have happened to him on the way home.” he said as he dialed the police.