Chapter Six - What Does It Take?

The day after, we met as agreed. We had talked and made a plan: First we would walk the path from the café to the oak and then from the oak to the bridge. I was sure it would take all day, but that didn't affect my enthusiasm in any way.

For at least two hours we had already walked along the path from the café to the oak, had turned every stone and still found nothing. When Blake was about to give up completely, I tried to remind him that we still had the way from the oak to the bridge, ergo: the situation wasn't hopeless and we still had a long search ahead of us. Slightly tense, he gathered all his strength and walked on with a mild sigh. I rolled my eyes, brushed a strand of brown hair from my face and followed him calmly. He could be so exhausting...

So we started walking along the river. Unfortunately, we couldn't know exactly which route Jared had taken, so we just had to take the most probable one.

"So Morgan," Blake began, "You search the right side and I search the left! And we'll swap on the way back, so we can be sure we don't miss anything."

I had little objection to that.

"Yes!" I made a hand gesture similar to that used in the military.

Probably because he planned and gave orders and I carried them out.

We walked back and forth, back and forth, for another hour, but there was nothing but garbage that some idiots had thrown there unknowingly among the tall, green grass and other plants. Now I was beginning to have concerns that we might find something useful.

After a few more steps, Blake stopped abruptly and turned to me. "Morgan, I doubt we'll find anything here," he revealed his concerns, "It's not like I only think negatively, but..."

I had a direct view on the river and suddenly saw something floating there, so I interrupted his speech.

"Er Blake?" I kept staring at the water and fixed on this object as I talked. This was definitely not garbage. But he ignored me and kept talking. "... it's just that you have to give up sometimes. Even if it's difficult. Maybe we should just let it rest." Again I tried to draw his attention to it.

"Blake look!" However, he showed no reaction again.

"Jared is dead and we will never know why," he sighed. "We'll never be able to bury his body either. He's gone - forever."

But now it was enough. "Yo!", I had copied that from some idiots who went to my school. I have no idea where that came from so suddenly.

"Bloody hell Blake, look there!"

I took his head and turned him towards the river.

"Something's swimming!", he stated.

"Man, Morgan, why didn't you say anything?"

Was he serious? I gave him a serious look.

"I tried, and now try to fish it out of the water!" I commanded. Blake and I ran closer to the river. He picked up a stick and tried to get hold of the object, which turned out to be a bag, but unfortunately the stick was too short. And suddenly the current got stronger.

Of course we kept running after the bag, but unfortunately we couldn't reach it, because when a kind of small waterfall appeared there, which was at most one meter high, it dived under, but didn't reappear.

"No," I whimpered.

"Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" Blake cursed in an endless loop and kicked the nearest tree in anger, a poor chestnut.

"Blake, Blake calm down," I said a little out of breath.

"I can't stop myself, dammit! That was 100% his bag! Now we have nothing!"

I jumped a little when he screamed. He never looked at me while I was talking to him.

I impulsively went to him, took his face in my hand to give him courage again.

"Blake, you shouldn't just give up like that. I promise we'll find out why it all had to be this way. But calm down for now."

We looked deep into each other's eyes, no one had the strength to look away. There was something soft about the green in his eyes. But when I finally realized what I was doing, I let go of him and took a step away.

My heart was beating abnormally fast. How awkward.

Blake had actually calmed down, somehow he just blushed slightly, probably I was too. Luckily I couldn't see myself at that moment.

That had been another great idea, great Morgan, scolded a voice in my head. Make the situation unnecessarily weird again.

We both stayed quiet for a while.

"You're probably right," he broke the silence.

He paused for a moment, you could tell he was nervous.

"Hm, I should go then. My mother will be waiting." Totally embarrassed he looked over. I smiled at him reluctantly and replied with a "See you then." That was really embarrassing. Why did I always have to act so thoughtlessly and throw myself into totally uncomfortable situations.

Reassured that I could have avoided it all, I turned around and slowly put one foot in front of the next.

When I got home a short time later, I got a text message from Blake. Exactly, while I was walking in the front door.

Blake: 'Would you like to hang out tomorrow, just to do something normal?'

Me: 'Yes, please'

I quickly typed back.

He answered within seconds.

Blake: 'Just drop by my house tomorrow. I wanted to show you something else. I'll send you the exact address and the exact time later'

Me: 'Okay.'

It wasn't until I put the phone down that I realized what I had gotten myself into. I should come to his house. A guy I barely knew and yet helped because I could understand him so well.

And besides, his mother would be there too, maybe even his father. I've always been bad at introducing myself to parents - really bad! However, I didn't want to cancel. There was no way I would cancel, somehow I will manage that. I hoped.

Blake and I had been texting all night.

He had explained and told me a few things: e.g. that Claudio and Sven's father had always been a bit strange. Not so much to Blake, but to Jared. He just couldn't stand him. Her mother, on the other hand, was very fond of both boys.

He also told me stories from his childhood.

Of course I hadn't skipped my daily trip to the bridge. I couldn't just neglect this ritual like that. I thought I was alone there again, but surprisingly I met Bella along the way. Actually, she hadn't been to school for many days, but who was I - her mother?

She could do whatever she wanted.

She seemed as always: bright and happy. That's what she was.

She also told me that she was doing better and would be going back to school soon.

However, nothing spectacular had happened.

------------------------------------------------------

Now was the time. I should be at Blakes House in half an hour.

I slowly made my way, somehow craving to stop by the bridge. Something magically still drew me there.

I put a hand on the railing and a light breeze blew my hair back. If this were a ship and there was a handsome young man standing by it, I would feel like I was in Titanic.

I stared down the bridge at the cold water, rocks and grassy paths. It was really damn high. You had to have a lot of courage to jump down here! And Jared had the courage.

I swallow hard, startled.

Although I hardly knew him, he had had a profound impact on my life.

As I stood here so calmly and enjoyed this feeling of freedom that I owe to the wind, my cell phone suddenly rang.

When I answered, ignoring the number, and heard the words, "Hello, Rising Hill Police Department, this is Gash. There's something we'd like to ask you, Miss Adler," my heart skipped a beat