He wasn’t answering calls, and his truck was gone.
After hearing from another parent that Caleb spent prom night with me, his parents hoped maybe I knew where he was.
I told them I didn’t.
Technically, that was true. But after they left, I kept thinking about the abandoned buildings near the edge of town where Caleb and the football players always hung out whenever they wanted privacy.
So I lied to my mother and told her I needed fresh air.
Then I grabbed my backpack and headed for the bus stop.
Because for the first time since the fire, I felt like the truth was finally within reach.
And I needed to hear it from Caleb himself.
The bus dropped me off three blocks away from the old factory site. Years ago the town had shut it down, leaving behind broken windows, graffiti, and empty buildings where teenagers hid from adults.
I spotted several football players sitting outside one of the buildings almost immediately.
The second they noticed me approaching, the conversations stopped. A couple exchanged looks. One guy laughed quietly under his breath. I ignored them and walked straight over.
“Has any of you seen Caleb?” I asked.
At first, nobody answered.
Then one boy leaned back against the wall with a smirk. “Why? Are you his girlfriend now?”
A few others laughed.
I should’ve walked away right then, but after everything I’d heard that morning, I wasn’t about to back down.
“I just need to talk to him.”
Most of them avoided eye contact after that, but eventually another player named Drew finally spoke.
“He might be at Taylor’s house.”
The others looked at him judgmentally.
“What?” Drew shrugged. “We all know they’re secretly dating.”
That surprised me.
“Taylor with the piercings?” I asked.
Drew nodded. “Her parents are out of town this weekend.”
I asked for the address, and he gave it to me.
I thanked him and left before anyone else could speak.
Twenty minutes later, I stood outside a small blue house after getting out of a taxi. I knocked on the door.
Taylor answered wearing an oversized sweatshirt, looking genuinely shocked to see me.
