WHEN THE SEA CALLS
Chapter 59: Where is Alan?

Chapter 59: Where is Alan?

Rhea could remember vividly that she had seen a girl who had spoken to her. She was seated with Louie on that day, too; Rhea cannot remember what day it was, though. The girl looked so much like her just like the one she saw today. Rhea thought the girl could be the same one she saw that day.

"You do remember now, right?" Sapphire asked.

Rhea ignored Sapphire. She shouldn’t be having a conversation with a stone. Or her attention will be diverted.

"Do you still see the girl?" Louie asked.

How will she explain to Louie what is going on? She just has to find a way.

Rhea turned to face Louie and then smiled. "I was just joking. I did not see any girl. I was only playing a prank on you."

Louie sighed. Why does he feel like Rhea was serious about seeing a girl? Why did she change her mind now?

"I got you, right?" Rhea asked.

Louie nodded. "You did."

"Come over here, Louie," Mr. Martins said.

He had just finished addressing the students, and it was time to cut Louie’s cake.

Louie stood up. "Rhea, help me with the cake."

Rhea stood up and helped Louie take the cake to the front. Louie walked to the front too. A happy birthday song was sung by the students for Louie. Louie made a wish and blew out the candle.

"Come cut the cake with me, Rhea," Louie gestured to Rhea.

Rhea moved closer to Louie and joined him in cutting his cake. He took some pictures with Rhea and then with the rest of their classmates. The cake was shared, and everyone headed for Mathematics class.

"Are you going to leave the gifts in the class?" Rhea asked.

Louie nodded. "They are safe in class."

"I know. I just thought we were going to take them to your locker or maybe your car."

"That would be during the lunch break. We can’t miss class for that."

Rhea nodded in agreement. Louie is right after all.

Rhea and Louie left the class together.

"I haven’t given you, your gift yet," Rhea said.

"I thought you had none for me," Louie answered and Rhea smiled.

"Of course I do. I was thinking about giving it to you later in the day but I changed my mind." Rhea opened her bag. "I will..."

"Can you give it to me later?" Louie asked.

"Why?" Rhea asked.

"I do not want it to get mixed up with the rest."

Rhea smiled. "You can easily differentiate mine from the rest of the gifts. But if you insist that I keep it for you. I will."

Louie nodded. "That is what I want."

Reece showed up behind them and wrapped his arms around Louie’s neck. "Hi, wizard..."

Louie groaned. "Can you stop calling me that?"

"I mean, hi, Louie. How is your birthday going?"

"As you can see. It’s going the right way," Louie answered.

"It’s good to hear that. Where are you both heading to?" Reece asked.

"Class. Shouldn’t you be with Alan?" Rhea asked.

Reece began to scratch his head. "I should be. I was actually looking for him. Did you see him?"

Rhea furrowed her brows. Is Reece joking about this or is he serious?

"You are joking right?" Louie asked.

"I am not joking," Reece answered. "He left the class before I did. You did not see him?"

Louie shook his head. "We did not."

Rhea nodded. They did not.

"That is strange," Reece mumbled.

Alan had left the class just a few minutes after Louie and Rhea left.

How come they did not see him? He sighed. Where could he be?

"Are you sure he left the class?" Rhea asked.

"Of course, he did," Reece answered. "He must have walked past you but you did not notice."

Rhea nodded. Reece could be right though. A lot of students had walked past them. It is possible Alan was among them.

"Maybe you should go to Mathematics class. He might be there."

"You may be right, Louie. I will go check him there." He waved at Rhea. "See you around."

Reece left and Louie frowned. Why wave at Rhea alone? What about him?

"He did not even wave at me," Louie said.

"Do you want him to?" Rhea asked with a smile.

"I don’t care if he does. Come on, let’s go."

They got to the mathematics class and saw Reece leaving the class.

"I don’t think Alan is in the class," Rhea mumbled.

Louie nodded. He can see that.

"You did not see him?" Rhea asked.

Reece nodded. "He is not in the class. But where could he be?"

From the look on Reece’s face, Rhea could tell that he was worried.

This wouldn’t be the first time Alan is going out on his own, would it? Why is Reece worried? Did something happen between them?

Rhea moved close to Reece. "Did something happen between you two?"

Reece sighed. Something did happen, but he is not going to tell Rhea about it.

"Nothing," he answered.

"Do you think something bad will happen to him?"

"Of course not. Why would you think that?"

Rhea shrugged. She doesn’t know what to think if not that. Reece looks so worried.

"You look worried," she answered.

"It is normal for a friend to feel that way," Louie answered moving closer to them.

"How about you call him then?" Rhea suggested.

"He can’t speak," Louie whispered and Rhea groaned slightly.

She almost forgot that.

"I mean you should text him," she said quickly.

"That will not be necessary. I think I know where he will be. Thank you, Rhea, for your concern. And you too, Louie. I will take my leave now."

Reece left and Louie and Rhea went into the class.

"Do you think something happened between them?" Rhea asked.

She was certain something happened between them but could not say what it was.

"I can’t say. Do you think so?" Louie answered.

Rhea nodded. "I think so. But I can’t say what it is."

"Maybe nothing happened. Maybe Alan just wants some time alone. You know how he can be."

Rhea sighed. How can she prove that there is something wrong?

"Do you want me to help you with that?" Sapphire spoke up.

"I do not need your help," Rhea answered in a low voice.

"What did you say?" Louie asked. "Were you talking to me?"

Did she speak out loud? Rhea wondered.

"I wasn’t talking to you," she replied.

They found a seat and class began. Throughout the class, Rhea kept looking at the door for Reece and Alan but they did not show up.

"Do you think Reece has found Alan yet?" Rhea asked when they left the class.

"I can’t say. Are you worried?" Louie asked.

Rhea nodded. "I am."

"You shouldn’t be. They will be fine. What subject do we have next?"

"I think biology. I am going to my locker to get my books."

Louie nodded. "I should do the same too. I will come to you. You have to wait for me."

Rhea smiled. "I will do that."

Rhea went to get her books from her locker. Sasha and Dahlia were there. She decided to ignore them. She picked her books up and turned to leave.

"Rhea?" Dahlia called.

Rhea stopped. Why is Dahlia calling her? She looked around and noticed Sasha had left already. Sasha did not send Dahlia to bully her, did she?

Rhea folded her arms. "Is there a problem"

"No," Dahlia answered. "I just want to apologize for what Maya did to you, yesterday."

Rhea stared at Dahlia. Why is she suddenly apologizing? Because Sasha is not here?

Rhea believed that was the reason Dahlia could apologize; Sasha would not let her do that if she was around.

"I know you are angry right now," Dahlia continued. "I..."

"It’s fine," Rhea answered.

She wasn’t sure if Dahlia’s apology was sincere. She wasn’t going to drag the conversation longer than it is now either.

"Rhea, I..."

"Dahlia, I do not wish to talk about this. I understand that you are sorry and I accept your apology. What I don’t understand is why you are the one apologizing and not Maya or Sasha. I know she sent Maya to do that to me. Why isn’t she apologizing?"

Dahlia took a deep breath. "I..."

"You don’t know why. Do you? Then you should not apologize if you don’t. If Sasha and Maya are not apologizing, why should you?"

Dahlia sighed. "I get that."

Rhea left Dahlia standing and went to look for Louie. She met with him on the way.

"I said I was coming to meet you. Why did you not wait?" Louie asked.

"I saw Sasha and Dahlia. And..."

"Did they try to bully you?" Louie asked.

"They did not. Sasha did not speak to me. Only Dahlia did."

"What does she want?"

"She apologized for what happened between Maya and me."

Louie folded his arms. "And what did you say?"

Rhea shrugged. "I told her not to apologize if Sasha and Maya will not."

Louie smiled. He loves Rhea’s reply to Dahlia.

"Rhea, If they try to bully you again. Just let me know."

Rhea nodded. "I will. You don’t have to worry about that, though. They won’t be bullying me in a while."

Rhea was certain of that. She won’t allow that to happen.

"I won’t let that happen too," Sapphire chipped in.

"Can you just shut your mouth up," Rhea said with gritted teeth.

"Are you okay?" Louie asked.

"I am fine."

"Let’s..."

"Reece?" Rhea called.

He was standing close to a class. He waved. "Hi."

Rhea and Louie walked up to him. "Have you seen Alan yet?" Rhea asked.

Reece shook his head. "I haven’t. He wasn’t in the place I thought he would be."

"Do you think he went home?" Louie asked. "He might have gone back home."

Reece shook his head. "I don’t think he did. I called home and the housekeeper confirmed he wasn’t there."

Rhea furrowed her brows. Then where is he? Where could Alan be?