probably next, though. Yeah, let's go there."
Alex grabbed her hand, and they walked the three blocks to the park in silence. They went to their typical hiding spot underneath a tree with many swooping branches and sat down against the trunk, hidden from the world. Zoey leaned her head against his chest.
"Where do you think she is?" asked Alex.
"I hope she's having a good time with Jared, but the fact that he's gotten rid of everything identifying worries me. Why would he do that? I went through the messages he sent me, and there's nothing in there about him. All he did was ask me about Macy and say how much he wanted to make her happy. The police even said that sounds really suspicious."
"They should try to get into his account."
Zoey looked at him. "They did. They called customer support and everything. He covered his tracks by hiding his IP address or whatever. I don't know all that lingo."
"So, basically, they have no idea where or who Jared is."
"Nope." She pulled out a cigarette. "Want one?"
"I'll share with you. Sorry I got you hooked."
"I'm not hooked. I can stop anytime. I think it'll take the edge off." She lit it, took a drag, and then handed it to him.
Alex took the longest, slowest drag he could manage. He wanted to make it last since they were sharing. He didn't want to admit how good it felt. He knew if his sister was there, she would be mad at both of them, especially for encouraging each other.
They sat in silence until the cigarette was gone. Alex shoved it into the ground, twisting it back and forth.
Zoey leaned back against him. "What do you think is going to happen?"
He shrugged. "At home, I keep expecting her to walk around the corner. I know she's not there, but I keep thinking she's going to. It's stupid."
"No, it's not. I keep waiting for her to text me or something. I keep wanting to call her, but then I remember I can't."
"Do you think Jared was real? Or some old creeper?"
"I don't think it was the kid in the picture. He looked too sweet and innocent to do anything wrong. You know, the kind of guy who would insist on opening her door, not talk her into running away."
"What if we never see her again?"
"It's too soon to think like that."
"But you said—"
"Remember all those positive thinking CDs your parents used to make us all listen to when we were kids? If there's any truth to them, what Macy needs is for us to thinking she's going to come back. She needs our positive thoughts. They'll reach her and help her."
"You really believe that crap?"
"I don't know. It seemed to work."
"Did you actually try?"
"Yeah. Maybe."
"It didn't help my family. My parents fight all the time and they pushed Macy away."
"But they don't listen to those anymore, do they?"
Alex shook his head.
Zoey took his hand and slid her fingers through his. "See? They got along when they did. Remember?"
"I guess."
"They did. I was jealous. Trust me."
He wrapped his arm around her and sighed. "This whole thing sucks balls."
"It's an effing nightmare. When she comes back, I'm going to give her a hug, then I'm gonna slap her across the face."
"You and me both."
"When she comes back, we really should tell her about us."
Alex looked at her in surprise. "You think so?"
"Well, yeah. I always feel bad about keeping it from her. I was afraid she'd hate me. But if she cares about us, she'll be happy for us. Then we could all hang out together. We won't have to hide from her."
"Your parents would never let you spend the night again. We wouldn't get easy make out sessions anymore."
"Who said anything about telling them?"
They sat for a while, watching the feet of people go by and listening to kids squeal and shout at each other. Alex thought back to when they were all kids. Zoey had practically grown up with him and Macy.
She had been like a sister to him his whole life until last summer. Somehow she'd started to seem different to him. Then one night, Macy fell asleep while they'd all been watching a scary
Alex grabbed her hand, and they walked the three blocks to the park in silence. They went to their typical hiding spot underneath a tree with many swooping branches and sat down against the trunk, hidden from the world. Zoey leaned her head against his chest.
"Where do you think she is?" asked Alex.
"I hope she's having a good time with Jared, but the fact that he's gotten rid of everything identifying worries me. Why would he do that? I went through the messages he sent me, and there's nothing in there about him. All he did was ask me about Macy and say how much he wanted to make her happy. The police even said that sounds really suspicious."
"They should try to get into his account."
Zoey looked at him. "They did. They called customer support and everything. He covered his tracks by hiding his IP address or whatever. I don't know all that lingo."
"So, basically, they have no idea where or who Jared is."
"Nope." She pulled out a cigarette. "Want one?"
"I'll share with you. Sorry I got you hooked."
"I'm not hooked. I can stop anytime. I think it'll take the edge off." She lit it, took a drag, and then handed it to him.
Alex took the longest, slowest drag he could manage. He wanted to make it last since they were sharing. He didn't want to admit how good it felt. He knew if his sister was there, she would be mad at both of them, especially for encouraging each other.
They sat in silence until the cigarette was gone. Alex shoved it into the ground, twisting it back and forth.
Zoey leaned back against him. "What do you think is going to happen?"
He shrugged. "At home, I keep expecting her to walk around the corner. I know she's not there, but I keep thinking she's going to. It's stupid."
"No, it's not. I keep waiting for her to text me or something. I keep wanting to call her, but then I remember I can't."
"Do you think Jared was real? Or some old creeper?"
"I don't think it was the kid in the picture. He looked too sweet and innocent to do anything wrong. You know, the kind of guy who would insist on opening her door, not talk her into running away."
"What if we never see her again?"
"It's too soon to think like that."
"But you said—"
"Remember all those positive thinking CDs your parents used to make us all listen to when we were kids? If there's any truth to them, what Macy needs is for us to thinking she's going to come back. She needs our positive thoughts. They'll reach her and help her."
"You really believe that crap?"
"I don't know. It seemed to work."
"Did you actually try?"
"Yeah. Maybe."
"It didn't help my family. My parents fight all the time and they pushed Macy away."
"But they don't listen to those anymore, do they?"
Alex shook his head.
Zoey took his hand and slid her fingers through his. "See? They got along when they did. Remember?"
"I guess."
"They did. I was jealous. Trust me."
He wrapped his arm around her and sighed. "This whole thing sucks balls."
"It's an effing nightmare. When she comes back, I'm going to give her a hug, then I'm gonna slap her across the face."
"You and me both."
"When she comes back, we really should tell her about us."
Alex looked at her in surprise. "You think so?"
"Well, yeah. I always feel bad about keeping it from her. I was afraid she'd hate me. But if she cares about us, she'll be happy for us. Then we could all hang out together. We won't have to hide from her."
"Your parents would never let you spend the night again. We wouldn't get easy make out sessions anymore."
"Who said anything about telling them?"
They sat for a while, watching the feet of people go by and listening to kids squeal and shout at each other. Alex thought back to when they were all kids. Zoey had practically grown up with him and Macy.
She had been like a sister to him his whole life until last summer. Somehow she'd started to seem different to him. Then one night, Macy fell asleep while they'd all been watching a scary
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