Where's Neil?

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"You usually like sports, but you now look tired," Faiz said as he threw a basketball at Skylar who was captured by Skylar half-heartedly. He twirled the ball lazily and threw it back to Faiz.

Skylar's body felt hit with something that made him tired even though he did nothing at night or this morning. Plus his class during sports hours mixed with the class next to him, making Skylar feel even more crowded. Skylar this time does not like the crowd, it feels like it wants to be alone. The voices of the people, steps, laughter and excited cries made Skylar even more uncomfortable. Skylar felt Skylar shouldn't be here.

So he walked to the stands to sit for a while until the sports hours ran out or Skylar could ditch to the roof of the school later. Faiz's ear-piercing calls Skylar ignored, he just wanted to be alone. So after sitting in the stands Skylar exhaled his breath roughly. In his seat he could see a group of people playing on the field, they seemed to enjoy the game they played as if they did not want it to end.

Skylar's eyes went around looking for someone who was always conspicuous in his sight in another class who exercised, yet he couldn't find it. Skylar narrowed his eyes once again looking, again he didn't find. Where?

"Skylar!" A girl's voice called out until Skylar realized from her daydream. Skylar only turned his head in response to noticing his face was filled with anxious strokes, he was dressed in sports clothes that Skylar often saw with Neil.

"See Neil?" he asked. In response, Skylar shook his head. As well as wondering where Neil was going, he was always with this girl. Even this morning Skylar still saw it.

"Yes, thank you." The girl was about to leave, but Skylar immediately called her.

"Where is Neil?"

The girl frowned while watching Skylar's face closely but she still replied, "He didn't come in, even though this morning he sent a message if he went to school again on the bus. On the phone, he didn't answer until now."

After saying it the girl was silent with a worried face waiting for a response from a silent Skylar silently. Skylar's breathing became irregular and Skylar's heart pounded at hearing that. This morning when Neil helped him avoid the bike, Neil was still behind him.

When he had already entered the gate, Skylar looked through the end of his eyes he couldn't find Neil behind him. Out of curiosity, Skylar turned his body around and he saw Neil still in front of the gate, but the gate had closed. Neil was there. Skylar became worried, Neil was not okay. Skylar's feelings since the morning turned unpalatable. Skylar's ice-cold fingers squeezed him unconsciously.

"This morning, I saw him in front of the gate when it closed," Skylar said quietly as he was still thinking about the possibility of where Neil was. "Where are you looking?"

"I've been looking for almost all the schoolrooms and places where Neil often goes but doesn't exist. I've been asking here and there and I think you know," he said quickly.

Skylar sighed her right hand massaging the pain relief forehead that came suddenly. "We have to find out, I have a bad feeling from earlier."

The girl nodded and started following Skylar but she stopped. "Skylar, we can't get out of that school."

"Through the back road."

The girl shook her head. "Can't. There's a cleanup there."

"That's right, we can wait until we get home from school. Maybe he's going home." Skylar convinced himself. The girl simply nodded but still looked unsure, her hands twisting the ends of her clothes restlessly and her eyes roaming in all directions away from Skylar's gaze.

"Okay, I'll wait for you at the gate after the bell comes home."

***

Throughout the rest of Skylar's lessons completely unable to focus, he was occasionally reprimanded by Faiz for daydreaming in class. His mind always made shadows that were likely to happen to Neil. The longer Neil sat quietly in class, the more his premonition worsened. It's possible that the over-the-top Skylar responded to something about Neil. Neil may be coming home or having fun somewhere. But Skylar doubts about Neil having fun, while his friend searches to and fro.

Time was slow, and Skylar was getting impatient. She wanted this lesson to be completed quickly until she could go out looking for her brother to be.

***

Now they are in front of Neil's house, more precisely the house where Skylar once lived happily. Before Skylar searched for Neil to get here, the girl Skylar knew named Michelia got a call from Neil when he was about to ask for his phone to die but before that, he heard that Neil looked in pain. When he wanted to call him back, but couldn't connect anymore.

So Skylar was forced to come back here, where she had promised not to come back. Skylar knocked on that huge door, the two of them standing restlessly. No answer came from inside the house, making Skylar knock on the door even louder.

"I don't think there's anyone inside. His dad used to not come home and Neil didn't seem to be inside," Michelia said.

"Michelia you're coming home," Skylar said as he looked at Michelia pacing restlessly.

"But Neil? He's not home yet. I know Neil's not okay. I know Skylar, it's not as usual." Michelia refused to go home, she kept glancing at the big door.

"He's fine." Skylar cut off any words that would come out of Michelia's mouth again.

"It's already afternoon. Want me to take you??" asked Skylar. He wants to see his father. However, Skylar is grateful Neil has a friend like Michelia who cares about him. Skylar continues to persuade Michelia to go home because it's too late for a girl outside the house.

"I can go home alone. If you've met Neil, please send me a message." Michelia was finally forced to go home with the corner of her lips down. Michelia's eyes looked teary, giving her and Neil's number to Skylar with a piece of paper.

Michelia continued. "I know you don't hate Neil. And also I feel like you guys are like, yes like brothers."

He saw the big door once more and went on to leave. Skylar called Michelia who immediately turned her head.

"Neil and I are brothers. You see it." Skylar pointed at her face while sighing heavily.

Michelia smiled slightly while nodding. "I know."

***

Thank you so much for reading.