Page 132 of Shortcake
I pounded harder on the door. “Harper, if you’re in there,answer meor I’m literally breaking in!”
Still silent. Not even the rustling of footsteps.
Fuuuuuuuck. Fucking hell shitstorm pissant.
I rushed downstairs and grabbed the screwdriver from Conrad’s toolbox, then rushed back upstairs, getting to work unscrewing the doorknob from its jam.
As soon as I got it open, I shoved the door open, hopping over the grilled cheese and tomato soup.
And sure enough, there was no Harper in her room. Just her open window, the curtains billowing in the light summer’s breeze.
I ran to the window, looking out. Maybe she hadjustclimbed down minutes ago. Maybe she had crawled out the window as I was yammering on and I could catch her running down the driveway.
But as I looked out toward the road, there was no trace of her in sight. Just a few smudgy footprints on the siding of the house where she had climbed down.
Her bedroom wasn’t very high up. And there was an awning just below her window with a downspout beside it.
On the ground below? Crushed hostas. As though that’s what had cushioned her fall.
I yanked my phone out, calling Conrad immediately.
Voicemail.
I let loose a growl of frustration right as the beep sounded. “Conrad, it’s me! Harper’s gone. Her room is empty and it looks like she climbed out her window.”
I hung up and texted him the message quickly. Then I rushed out the front door, trying to follow any trace of her footsteps.
Her bike.
Her bike was gone, too.
Where the hell was she going? Where would I run away to as a teenager?
Adam.
Of course. If I were sixteen and running away, I’d go to my boyfriend.
I called Conrad one more time. Still no answer.
I couldn’t just stay here doing nothing. I had to do something to try to find her.
I punch in Elijah’s number, pacing the front lawn, realizing I didn’t know anything about Harper’s boyfriend. I sort of knew where Elijah lived—the general street. But it’s not like I’d ever been to his house. Plus, for all I knew, Adam could be at his Mom’s.
“Addy?” Elijah answered, understandably confused.
“Is Harper with you?” I blurted out.
There was a second’s silence before he said. “Harper? No—”
“What about Adam? Is Adam with you?”
“Yeah. He’s right here. Addy, what’s going on?”
“Harper’s missing. She climbed out of her bedroom window because—” I stopped myself mid-sentence, taking a deep breath. “Why doesn’t matter? It’s just been a rough morning for her, and she locked herself in her bedroom. I thought she was just being stubborn in there all day, but it turns out, she ran away. And I don’t know how long she’s been gone, and I thought maybe Adam knew—”
“Addy, Addy, breathe,” Elijah said, calmly. “Calm down. Adam and I are on our way over. We’ll find her.”
My eyes welled up with tears while I heard a car door slam on the phone. “What if we don’t?”
