PERMANENT MARKER
Part 2
The school day passed by slowly. My friends sang Happy Birthday when they saw me, and some of the teachers did too.
I kept staring at my hand. On one hand, it said my math homework.
On the other, it had James's heart.
In English, we were talking about Shakespeare.
I was falling asleep when the classroom phone rang.
"Yes. Yes, I'll send her down. Thank you."
"Delia, please go down to the guidance office."
"Kay."
I was used to going down there. They always were checking up on my grades, making sure i was happy in the school, and seeing if i had any problems. Blah blah blah.
I sauntered in and the secretary immediately sent me in to the office with "MS. GERALD" on the door.
"Miss Delia, have a seat." Mrs. Gerald looked weary and uncertain.
"Hi, Mrs. Gerald. I have all A's and two B's. I love this school, and I'm having no friend or family problems." I took a breath. "Can I leave?"
She sighed. "I'm afraid that's not why you're here."
"Oh.." I sunk into the chair. "Then why am I here?"
"Sweetie, when was the last time you saw James?"
"This morning at breakfast. Why? Is he okay? Oh my god, is he okay?"
"I..." She trailed off.
The door burst open. My mom and dad walked in. My dad was holding my mom up by her elbow and she collapsed in the couch next to me. "Darling," she said, and clung to me.
"Would you like to tell her?" Mrs. Gerald said.
My mom opened her mouth to speak but she couldn't.
"Oh my god, please don't tell me James is dead." Tears started flowing.
"No, no. He's not ... He's not dead. We don't think.." My dad began.
"You don't THINK?"
"We can't find him, Delia. He's missing. We think he's been kidnapped..."
My world started spinning. "Kid..Kidnapped? Someone...took him..?"
"Yeah.." My dad said.
We all burst into tears and cried for about a half hour, holding each other and trying to comfort each other.
Mrs. Gerald left long before we stopped crying and got up.
We walked out the door and drove home in silence.
"Mommy..."
She shook her haid.
"Your mother's in shock, Delia."
"Mom.."
She looked down and let the tears fall onto her lap.
"Let her alone."
"How did you lose him? How could you let this happen?"
"DELIA, leave her alone. It wasn't her fault."
"THEN WHO'S WAS IT?! I WANT MY BROTHER BACK, DAD. IT'S MY BIRTHDAY. THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING ON MY BIRTHDAY."
He stopped the car.
"Don't you think we all want James back? Fact is, we're trying. We're going to find him, Delia, but stop making this about you, you're acting like a selfish brat!" He turned around in his seat. "This is about finding your brother, not about you. Sorry it's your birthday and sorry this is happening but it wasnt my fault nor your mothers so you can STOP that right now."
I stopped like he said. He started driving.
I started to sob, and my mom did too.
We pulled up at our house, which was covered in crime scene tape.
I pressed my kissing hand to my heart and prayed to God that he'd come home.
My kissing hand. His heart. The permanent marker.
I felt like i was holding him in my hand. I just kept it to my heart and prayed he'd come home.
James...James...Oh James...please, God, please..
GraceIsGone