Page 4 of The Long Lost Omega

“Yes, they have been. They bought me a shake.” I said while she eyed the counter.

“And where are your parents, Safira?” Her words were warm as she moved over to sit on one of the free stools. She was short, barely taller than me, but her presence was big enough to fill the whole diner.

“Well, my family is nearby. I met these guys, and they took me here when I was hungry.” I replied. Kaden interjected.

“Can Safira come hang out with us sometime?” he asked sincerely.

“If her parents say it’s okay. But right now you need to finish up your adventures and head back home.” She gave them a look.

“Mom, we were just exploring the woods!” He said as she crossed her arms.

“Your fathers are going to give you all an earful. You need to take your new friend back to her family and come home or you’ll be in even bigger trouble.” Her words reminded me of my own mom. Jax stepped forward.

“Let us walk her back!” He pleaded, and she looked at me and nodded.

“Alright. Get her back safely, then come straight home.” She told them as she gave me another kind look. “It was very nice meeting you, Safira. Hopefully I’ll see you again soon.”

“We can treat you both to a milkshake!” Tony said excitedly, looking around at us.

“I’d love that.” I said, unable to stop a smile from forming despite my earlier emotional moment. Kaden’s mom turned to leave.

“Remember boys, get her back safely, then straight home!”

“We promise!” They turned to get the bill, but the server just shook his head.

“On the house, Jax. Next time don’t worry your mom so much.” He said as he wiped down a dish. I watched the interaction, surprised that everyone was so familiar with each other. I wanted to come back and be with all these happy, friendly people all the time. Kaden turned to me, giving a big sigh as he shrugged.

“Well, I guess we do need to find your family. Do you think they’re looking for you?” He asked, and I cringed internally at the thought. I knew they might eventually look for me, but I didn’t want to go back.

“Yea, they’re probably at the campsite. We should go back before it gets too dark.” I said as we got up to leave the diner.

“Let’s exchange numbers first.” Jax said as he pulled out his phone.

“I don’t have one.” I said with embarrassment. I was one of the few people my age that didn’t have a cell phone. The boys looked surprised, but Kaden quickly grabbed a pen from the counter.

“Here. When you get home, write it down.” He took my arm and started marking a phone number on my forearm, going over it twice to make sure it was legible. “There. Now you have ours.” He looked at me, beaming. I was too surprised to respond. My school experience so far hadn’t been the greatest, but these boys didn’t judge me at all.

My trepidation at having to go back to hang out with my cousins was easily forgotten as we walked, talking about our favoritethings. I told them about the books I’d read, surprised that they hadn’t heard of any of them. They told me all about the sports they played and how good they were, each of them emphasizing how many points they could score and how many games they’d won. I laughed as they tried to carry me again over the rocks and grassy hills once we reached the forest. It was getting dark out, but they retraced our steps, and I knew that the campground had to be close by.

“Are you sure they are out here? There isn’t a real campsite anywhere we’ve seen.” Jax said with some unease. I nodded, feeling a little worried.

“Of course. There were a lot of other people too. Just look for the tents and the big bathroom area.” I said as we hiked along, watching the moon slowly rise over the trees. An hour went by, but we still couldn't find any trace of the campsite. The boys were starting to get concerned.

“Safira, maybe we can go back to ask our families for help. I don’t see anyone.” Kaden said, his eyes searching the trees. I looked around desperately. Where could everyone be?

“I know they are here! We drove. They are going to be so mad at me.” I said, starting to get agitated. Jax reached for my hand.

“Don’t worry, Safira. We will stay with you until we find them.” He assured me.

“But you guys are going to get in trouble. I heard your mom!” I said, looking at Declan. But he shrugged it off.

“That’s okay. Our fathers will be mad, but they will get over it. The important thing is that we find your family.” he said confidently.

“What do you remember seeing? Any landmarks where they were camping?” Tony asked as we walked further.

“Well, I didn’t see much until I got out of the car. But I remember going for a walk, finding a place with a nice view, then laying down. I took a nap, and when I woke up, that’s when I saw you.” I replied. The boys looked at each other for a moment, then their eyes widened in unison.

“The lookout spot!” Kaden said as they pulled me in one direction. Their feet thudded through the forest as they jogged with me through the trees. I had no idea how they could figure out where we were. “Over here!” Kaden yelled as we weaved and turned through the woods. The day had been so long that I struggled to keep up, stopping to rest often. Jax noticed and crouched in front of me, motioning for me to climb on him again. Soon, I was piggybacking through the trees as they ran.

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