1) Goodbye, Ashlee -ALEX-

          I never would've thought that this would happen to me, Alex De'Angelo. Even out of all the people in the world (billions) something crazy like this happened to a girl who lives down south in good ole' North Carolina.

          As I walked into the kitchen I saw not just my mom, but my best friend Bethanny. She was pale and had the most eery look on her face; which scared me for some reason. I walked over to her and probably had the stupidest look on my face as I said, "Hey, uhh...why are you here?" Bethanny smiled a little and my mom just kept cooking.

     "Can we go upstairs and talk?" One thing about Bethanny is that she can say anything in front of anyone; which meant that this was really important.

     "Uh sure." We went up to my room and Bethanny closed the door behind her.

     "What's with the door shutting or are you just paranoid?" I joked with her, but I realized I shouldn't have. She was still very pale and her hands shook as she paced back and forth.

     "What's wrong?" I could tell she was upset about something or someone.

     "Ashlee...she's...she's...gone."

     "Gone? Bethanny you know Ashlee. She probably just  got bored or something, but she's fine. She's always been fine. What's so different about now?" The way I saw it Bethanny was freaking out over nothing. Ashlee left randomly all the time on her 'adventures' and she always came back.

      "She's gone and I don't think she's coming back this time because this time she didn't go alone. This time is different." I was so confused.

     "She didn't go alone? Ashlee always goes by herself. Who'd she take with her?" I thought for a moment and realized that whoever Ashlee took with her must've been really special to her because she's never even let me and Bethanny go with her.

     "Gabe Jackson. The kid who lives next door to me. I saw Ashlee come and get him yesterday. Plus she left this note on my doorstep explaining everything." Bethanny reached into her pocket and pulled out a very thick envelope with our names written on the outside.  

     "It looks like it was written in a hurry with all the scribbling, and we both know Ashlee is sorta a perfectionist." She said handing it over to me and she was right. It takes Ashlee like 10 minutes to write her name on papers at school, and even then she thinks it's sloppy. I unfolded the note and examined it. It was a short letter, and sadly it didn't tell us much about where she was going and why.

 

 

 

 

 

 

          Wow I can't believe Ashlee would just leave like that. Does her family know? Is she coming back? Where is she going? All these questions raced through my head, but the most important one was WHY? Everybody knows that Ashlee doesn't love being here,(considering the time she spends complaining about it) but come on you're gonna run away? With no explanation whatsoever? Ashlee is one of my best friends, but I don't exactly like her choices.

     "What are we gonna do Alex?" 

     "I..I don't know." I looked at her and shook my head.    

     "Do you think we should tell our parents?" I asked her looking for conversation.

     "Well, yeah, but maybe not right away. I mean she could change her mind and come back, and we don't want to get our parents worked up if it turns out to be nothing." She did have a point.

     "Yeah I guess we should wait a few days. Worst thing that happens is she gets killed."

     "Alex!" Bethanny yelled at me.

     "Sarcasm only sarcasm! I'm sorry it happens when I get nervous."

     "Yeah, yeah...I know." That was Bethanny's way of apologizing.

     "Tell you what...let's not worry about Ashlee anymore today. It's going to drive us both crazy, so instead we're gonna go to Kat's Cafe' and have brunch or lunch or whatever you want to call it! My treat." I knew this would make Bethanny happy. She loved going there, but only if she could get a cup of coffee.

     "Deal."