third chapter - Trying to listen

The morning after his brother disappeared was so normal it hurt, He got up late, went to school, got out of school, and traveled around the town. He haven't seen his brother all day but he assumed he was with his friends. When he was out he saw Marcel's friends searching by the river, the road, the tunnels, and the woods. They looked so serious, Silvia was also there and then he knew something was really wrong. He knew about their story, he knew Silvia would come back only if Marcel would be in danger.

He rushed up to them, looking at the scene of everyone searching in a trance, he got information from them yelling at each other and collected the pieces together. "Keep looking, don't give up," Adrian said, Areena was looking in the woods "Marcel! marcel!" she kept yelling. Nelson got closer to them with terrified eyes, he looked at Silvia when she passed by the water to look for clues, at her messy hair, her teary eyes, and her dirty clothes.

He ran back home to tell mom and dad, when he got there the first thing he did was call their names and when they didn't answer he climbed up to their room. He opened the door fast and exhaled to collect air. They looked at him concerned and got up to him. "What happened, my love," his mother said in a high voice. He looked at them and barely swallowed "Marcel's gone" he said with a serious face, the concern on his mother's face had gone and switched to her annoyed gaze, "So ?" she asked him and he looked at her with shock.

"What are you saying? Do..? we need to call the cops" he got closer to her and looked her in the eyes, he started to lose his love for his mom," we need to look for him, he's somewhere out there ". His dad got up as well and put his hands on Nelson's shoulder, "Son, you don't need to care about him, he was nothing but a burden to us all". Nelson breathed out in shock and felt a tear split down from his eye. "I can't believe this shit".

He brushed his father's hands off his shoulder and ran out of the house, he went to the river, Marcel's friends were still there, and he started looking by himself, he went down the river till the end, scanned through the road back and forth but found nothing. He called the cops and he met up with Alceo every week asking if there have been any progress. Alceo didn't help at all, he kept saying stuff like, y"our brother is gone' "he left nothing behind him". It made Nelson upset, he didn't have it in him to give up.

Nelson has been all around town at night and day looking for clues, and he finally found something. He took out his brother's bracelet from his pocket and held it carefully, "where have you gone to?" he asked the silence in despair. A new voice spoke up to him and startled him "That's exactly what I'm asking, are you avoiding me on purpose?", Alida Gallo went into the classroom and trailed towards him as she looked at him joking, but he still didn't miss the concern in her eyes. He breathed out and got up towards her, they met and looked at each other, he at her from above and she looked up at him in anger "Could we sit, my neck hurts" she said annoyed, he grinned at her when she said " so unfair", he looked at her as she set down and crossed her legs underneath the chair.

"Do you want some food?" she asked him and he nodded immidetialy "Of course, do you have any?" he said as he set down in front of her, they were facing each other. She gave him an angry eye stare "would I have proposed if I didn't have any?" she took out some snacks and gave it to him, he took them gladly and started eating fast.

"Mmm, that's good", he said as he ate and she rolled her eyes, she started eating one too "Did you find anything?" she leaned back and stared at his eyes, she didn't miss the glimpse of hope in them."Shit, you really found something?"

He smiled at her and showed her the bracelet, she stared at it and her eyes jumped with question marks. Nelson gave it to her "It's Marcel's ", he said and he looked at it again, more carefully this time, "Silvia gave it to him the day they broke up", he added and she rose her eyes to his, his green eyes looked back at her and she felt her cheeks getting warm. She looked away and caught a little, he smiled at her as he watched and she gave him an annoyed look.

"So you found his bracelet," she said to fill the awkwardness from before, his eyebrows went up, waiting "What are we going to do with this tho?" she said eventually. He got up and took the bracelet "oh, that's not the important clue, this is just for me to have " he said and put it in his pocket again. "So?" she asked. Her saying that reminded him of the day his brother disappeared, how his mother didn't care at all. A shadow filled his face but he ignored it, "There was a smell down there".

"Where?" she asked in silence, she also noticed the shadow, knowing it was her doing, and blaming herself for giving him more pain. Nelson set again, their faces were close to each other and they didn't back away, "In the sewer, can't you smell?" he laughed and came to hug her, she burst him off, disgusted, "Get away from me".

"Why did you go there ?" he gave her a look and she gave him one back, "Its was my dream my whole life to visit there, the place I dream of every night", he joked, "Why does it matter why? what is important is that I know where he went". Alida stopped eating her snack and stared at him in shock, he gave her a serious look back. "Where did he go?" she asked him. Nelson gave her a little smile and she could see he was recalling the memories in his head "His hideout" he answered.

"Would you mind tell where it is or am I supposed to guess?" she said and stared at him, "I mean, it's great you know where he is, you found him, but don't keep me in the dark, come on", she wined and he laughed at that. "Did you really think I'm not going to tell you? you're coming with me after school, idiot" he nudged her shoulder and she hurried to defend herself "I had no doubt" she said with a smile "but I still don't know where it is though" she said stubbornly. He shrugged at that "you're gonna find out anyway. " he finished his snack and stood up.

"Now we have another problem," he said to her, and she got up as well "And what would that be, god I'm so curious," she said half-heartedly, he snarled at her and laughed along "You need to get past gym and stay alive", he started to the door but she caught him and smacked his knee, "I have no idea what you're talking about". he held his hand to his knee in pain and followed her out, they headed to the cafeteria with sluggish steps.