Page 56 of All of You

“Yeah but before it was any male aged around thirty-six in the country. Now it’s like what? A pool of maybe twenty and who attended this high school,” I point out.

The bell rings. “Shit, we’re all going to be late. After school, library?” Miles asks.

“Definitely,” I answer before Miles heads out.

Lyra and I walk out together toward our classes in the same hall. “See you next period,” she says, dipping into her classroom.

When I walk into mine, Langdon is already seated watching the door. Watching for me.

I grin as I head for my seat. He doesn’t talk to me or wave, but he looks mildly relieved that I appeared. I pull out my notebook and my brain starts running. Why was my mom at Langdon’s house the day she left? I Need to talk to Anna. Definitely not at Sunday dinner though.

Twenty Eight

Delia

Irequire sunshine to start my day. Why should I start my day when the day has not started its own? I’m usually angry when I wake. I have this burning notion that I should have slept longer. If feels cruel to rise before the sun. I don’t like leaving the dream world for reality. Reality is full of things I must do, but don’t want to be doing. Sleep doesn’t require anything of me. But there’s school. And I can’t skip.

We’re huddled around yearbooks looking at High School Athlete team photos. Mypotentialdad played soccer. I’d never met or seen my dad but wondered if I happened on a picture of him if I would instinctively recognize him. If that was a thing. If I’d see myself in him.

My missing mom hits in frequent little pangs of despair these days. Sometimes it scares me that I’m learning to live withouther. If she comes home I don’t know if I’ll be relieved or angry or delirious with happiness. I don’t know anything lately except that I often feel like a tied-up helium balloon longing to be untethered. To float up and away. To join the clouds in the perfect clear blue sky and not think about real-life things.

“Anyone look…familiar?” Lyra asks.

I scour the team photos. “Nope,” I sigh and lean back in my chair to stretch.

Miles squeezes my arm. “Let’s keep looking.”

“These photos are tiny and blurry and black and white,” I mumble.

“Ok,” Miles says. “Read some names out and I’ll flip to their school picture.”

We spend an hour in the library looking at old photos before I give up.

I blow out a breath. “Guys. I’m done. Maybe I should read the rest of Mom’s journal and see if she happens to drop a name?”

Lyra looks deflated. “You need a phone. This whole not being kept in the loop in real-time is killing me. What if you find a name tonight and can’t even tell us until tomorrow morning?”

I snort out a laugh. “I mean, you’ll still find out.”

“I’ll buy you a cheap phone,” Miles says.

I hold up my hands. “Guys, stop. A phone isn’t going to magically solve this mystery. It’s fine. If I find something really big I can call you on the house phone.”

They both lean back, wide-eyed, looking horrified. “What?” I ask.

“Call us?” Lyra scrunches up her nose at me.

I can’t help but laugh.

I’m cutting across the front lawn when I hear my name being called. If I stop I’ll miss the late bus and then I’m screwed.

“Delia!”

I swivel my head in the direction of the shout.Danny.

“Wait up a sec,” he calls while jogging.

“What’s up?” I ask when he approaches. He shuffles his feet and stares at his sneakers. “I’m going to miss the late bus, did you need something?”