Chapter 12: The Mysterious Absence of Simon

The meeting was held after classes that day, and it was only for Simon's classmates.

Miss Grace, their English teacher, stood at the front of the school hall,

a large room with cream-colored walls, dark wood paneling, and a high ceiling that seemed to echo with the weight of their concern.

The hall was filled with rows of wooden chairs, each one adorned with a small desk attached to the armrest, and a podium stood at the front,

where Miss Grace now stood, her usually warm and welcoming smile replaced with a concerned expression, her brow furrowed with worry.

"Class, I have some difficult news to share with you.

We have been trying to get in touch with Simon,

we all know he has been absent for weeks now, finally we have reached his parents," Miss Grace began.

The students exchanged anxious glances, their faces etched with concern.Rachel's hand shot up, her voice trembling.

"Miss Grace, what's going on? Is Simon okay?"

Miss Grace's eyes filled with sympathy.

"Well, kids, he's not back. His parents said he's missing, they can't find him."

The students erupted into a chorus of questions, their voices filled with worry. "When would he come back?" "Why did he run away from home?" "Was he kidnapped?"

Laura's voice was laced with worry.

"Well, firstly, he ran away from home, but now we no longer know if he has been kidnapped or something.

He has been gone for too long,"

Miss Grace explained, her voice filled with concern.

Ashley added, her voice filled with emotion, her eyes welling up with tears.

"He was always so cheerful and friendly. This silence is eerie, like a shadow hanging over us."

Peter, usually bubbly and chatty, looked somber, his face a mask of worry.

"I can't believe he's been gone for so long. It's like he vanished into thin air, leaving us with only questions and fears."

Merry, who sat beside Laura, put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"We'll find him, Laura. We won't give up."

Martha, who was sitting on the other side of Laura, nodded in agreement.

Miss Grace nodded, her eyes sympathetic, her voice filled with determination.

"We're doing everything we can to find him, class. But we need your help too. If anyone has any information or ideas, please come forward. Let's work together to bring Simon home."

''Yes Miss Grace,''

''Okay everyone,I think we should go out and search for Simon,we are his friends and we know were he might be,who is with me!,''

Jack said loudly,

''Me!''

everyone repiled,

''So we will meet at Icestone,''

He added.

The Kids erupted into a chorus of agreement, the students vowing to do everything in their power to find their missing friend.

As they dispersed,

''i think we should go and change first,''

Rachel suggested,

Laura looked at her in some way,and said.

''who doesn't know that,you keep trying to act smart,''

Rachel was angry but she just swallowed it.

Ashley gave her an encouraging look.

And said,

''Okay girls,let's start calling our parents to come pick us, we need to start heading home so we can come back quickly,''

the girls decided to head home first to change into more comfortable clothes before gathering for the search.

Rachel changed into her favorite pair of jeans and a bright yellow t-shirt,

while Laura put on her trusty sneakers and a black hoodie.

Ashley wore a pair of ripped jeans and a white tank top, her hair tied up in a ponytail. Merry and Martha,

Laura's loyal friends, followed her everywhere she went, offering their support and service.

As they gathered at the designated meeting spot, they met some of the boys from their class.

There was Jake, the star athlete, who had a charming smile and a confident air about him.

He was joined by his friends, Matt and Chris, who were both quiet and reserved, but had a keen eye for detail.

But as they began to discuss their plan of action, tensions started to rise. Laura and Rachel had different ideas about where to search first, and their conversation quickly turned into a heated debate.

"I think we should start with the park," Rachel said, her voice firm.

"Simon loved playing basketball there."

"Who told you that,he loves reading more,just shut up,I've known Simon longer than you will ever know him,

Let's check the library."

Laura countered rudely .

"He was always reading something new."

"I've already checked the library," Rachel replied, her eyes flashing with irritation. "There's no sign of him there."

"You are such a lier,when was that,we just got here,''

Laura yells,

''yesterday,''

She repiled.

''Well, maybe you missed something,"

Laura said, her voice rising.

Ashley stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. "Hey, let's not fight about this. We need to work together to find Simon."

But Laura and Rachel were too caught up in their argument to listen. They continued to bicker and snipe at each other, their voices growing louder and more intense.

Finally, the argument erupted into a full-blown fight. Laura and Rachel stood facing each other, their fists clenched and their eyes blazing with anger.

"You're always trying to be in charge, Laura," Rachel said, her voice venomous. "But this isn't about you, it's about finding Simon."

"You're just jealous that I'm leading the search," Laura retorted, her eyes flashing with anger. "You're not even taking this seriously."

Ashley tried to intervene, but Laura and Rachel were too far gone. They continued to fight, their blows landing

As the fight between Laura and Rachel escalated, their friends tried to intervene, but they were too caught up in their argument.

Merry and Martha stood by Laura's side, while Ashley tried to calm Rachel down.

Jake, Matt, and Chris stood back, unsure of what to do.

The fight continued, with neither girl willing to back down. They were both determined to prove their point, and their anger and frustration boiled over.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the fight ended, with both girls standing panting and tearful. The rest of the group stood in stunned silence, unsure of what to do next.

"We need to stop fighting and work together to find Simon,"

Ashley said, her voice firm but gentle.

"We can't do this alone, we need each other's help."

Laura and Rachel nodded, still looking angry but also ashamed. They knew they had let their emotions get the best of them, and they were determined to make it right.

"Let's start again,"

Jake suggested. "We'll work together and search every place we can think of. We'll find Simon, and we'll do it together."

The group nodded in agreement, and they set off, determined to find their missing friend.

They searched the park, the library, and every other place they could think of,

with his photo but each person the asked said no.

When the got to the Basketball court,

''lets ask this guys,''

Ashley said to Rachel, pointing to a direction,

''no,Laura is heading there already,''

Ashley understood this.

Rachel made sure to avoid Laura during the search,

As the sun began to set, they gathered back at the meeting spot, exhausted and defeated. They had searched everywhere, but they had found nothing.

"We'll find him tomorrow," Ashley said, her voice firm. "We won't give up until we do."

The group nodded in agreement, and they went their separate ways, determined to find Simon and bring him home.