I check the screen. The number is unknown, just like last time. So I answer it.
“What do you want?” I ask.
There’s a brief silence before Sam answers. As soon as he does, I notice a pain in his voice. “I’m sorry,” he says. “But I think I need your help.”
“Sam, what’s wrong?”
He lets out a breath. “I don’t know how to explain it,” he says.“But it has something to do with my family. I have this bad feeling in my chest. I’ve never felt it before. Have you heard from them lately?”
An ache of guilt in my chest returns. Because I haven’t spoken to them since Sam died. I’m ashamed to answer this question. “No, I haven’t in a while. I’m sorry.”
A silence between us.
“Do you think you can do something for me?” Sam asks.
“Of course. Anything.”
“Check up on my family for me, if you can… Maybe ask Mika if she knows something.”
“Do you think something’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. I really hope not.”
“Let me do it right now—”
Once we hang up the phone, I text Mika right away, asking her if something’s happened. She responds almost instantly.
It’s James. He never went to school. We think he ran away. Everyone’s out looking for him. I’ll let you know if we find him.
I call Sam back and tell him this.
“Do they have any clue about where he is?” Sam asks.
“I don’t think so,” I say. “Mika didn’t mention anything.”
“Dang it, I wish I was there. I bet no one knows where to look.”
“Where do you think he might be? I can help search for him,” I say.
“It could be a dozen places…”
“We’ll check every single one.”
“Let me think—” His voice is strained.
“It’s gonna be okay, Sam. We’re gonna find him.”
I write down locations Sam recalls on a piece of paper andtext Mika again. She takes her dad’s car to come pick me up, and we go searching for James. Mika and I divide the list of places in half, based on their proximity to each other. Since I’m taking the north side of town, Mika drops me off near the theater and I go running. I check the comic store, the drive-in, the donut shop, and everything in between. When I realize he isn’t in town, I run to the lake to see if he’s there, but there’s no sign of him. So I keep going. It’s a long jog to memorial hill, but I have to check. This one isn’t on Sam’s list of places. I had this feeling James might be there, sitting with him. Once I reach the gates and make my way up the hill, I’m disappointed to find out I’m wrong.
I check the list again. The last few places Sam named are a bit out of the way. They are locations around the old neighborhood where he used to live. One of them is a small park where they used to ride their bikes after school. I don’t know what the chances of James being there are. But I leave memorial hill and head for it anyway.
It takes me a while to figure out where the park is located. I’ve never been to this part of town before. I have to stop and ask people on the sidewalk for directions. When I finally find it, tucked away at the end of a cul-de-sac, I spot a familiar green jacket hanging over a bench. The second I spot James sitting alone on the swing set, staring at the ground, I stop short to catch my breath.
I haven’t spoken with him since Sam’s death. I don’t even know what to say as I approach him at the swings. Although I’m still catching my breath from the run, I keep my voice soft as I lower myself to him. “Hey there, James…” I say. “Everyone’s been looking for you, you know? You had us all worried.”
James doesn’t look at me. He keeps his gaze on the ground.
“They’re gonna be glad to hear you’re not hurt,” I continue. “What are you doing all the way out here?”
