----- Chapter Nine -----

I wake up the next morning to the phone ringing. I reach for it sleepily and glance at the clock - somehow I managed to sleep until past eleven. I yawn,

"Hello?"

"Did I wake you?" Abs asks apologetically. This must be his phone call to tell me all about his date with Danielle.

"Doesn’t matter…" I mumble, propping myself up in the bed, "How did it go?"

"What? Last night?" as if I could be talking about anything else…

"Uh-huh…"

"Well, um, we're kinda back together…"

That sure as hell woke me up. And upset me…damn I knew this would happen! My world was ending… "You are?"

"Yeah. I can't really talk now…" oh god, please don’t say he's with her, "Cos my mum's here."

"Oh," I knew that his mother didn’t exactly get along with Danielle.

"Have you spoken to Scott?" Abs asks me, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Not since last night, nope."

"I can't get through to him - his phone's turned off…"

"Maybe he's sleeping," I suggest.

"No - I gave him a call at home earlier on when I was coming home and Mick said that he wasn’t in…" when he was coming home? Damn, that means he stayed with Her last night.

"Maybe he's at Kerry's…"

"I spose…I'll try again later. D'ya wanna meet up later, see a movie or something?"

"Yeah," I confirm, "I'd like that…"

"Alright, I'll be round in an hour or so, yeah?"

"Ok," I yawn, "See ya then."

"I still can't get through to Scott," Abs mutters as he gets in his car, balancing his phone in his hand and scrolling through the numbers stored on it.

"Have you tried Kerry's house?" I ask. Scott's prolly there - somehow he manages to spend all his free time with her.

Abs frowns, "Have you got her number?"

"Yeah…" I dictate it to him. I never phone her, Scott gave it to me. He likes people to have every number he's ever gonna be at, 'just in case you're feeling chatty and wanna gimme a ring…'

Abs sighs, "No answer…this is pretty weird."

"Why d'ya wanna talk to him so bad anywayz?"

"I don’t…" he explains, "I just wanted to phone him, and then I got curious cos I don’t know where he is."

"Curious or nosey?" I tease.

"CURIOUS," he stresses, smiling. Then his face breaks out into a frown again.

"Maybe they went for a day out…?"

"Scott would have his phone on. Every time you phone, it doesn’t ring - it goes straight to voicemail…but it's not like him to have his phone turned off."

"Yeah," I agree. I grab Abs' phone, "Lemme give him another call…"

"You won't get through…" he claims in a warning tone.

"It's ringing!" I poke my tongue out at Abs, "I've obviously got the magic touch…"

"Hmm…" he raises his eyebrows. After about 5ive rings, Kerry picks up the phone and warily says, "Hello?"

"Can I speak to Scott please?"

"Uhh…no. No you can't."

"For Christ's sake…" I mutter, rolling my eyes. Then, through gritted teeth: "Why not?"

"He's not here. He is, but not in this room…" she says quietly. She's just plain irritating but I've got a feeling that something's not right.

"Well can you go and get him please?" I ask patiently.

"No."

"God - what is your problem?? Every time I phone, you're ALWAYS all up in my face. I just wanna talk to Scott!" I say, raising my voice. I sigh and pass the phone to Abs, "Try and get some sense out of it, please."

He frowns, "Where's Scott, Kerry?…yes, I do…what? Hang on…" he puts her on hold, "She's crying…" he whispers into my ear.

"Oops."

Abs starts talking to her again, "What…? What?? Why? What happened? Ok - we'll be down there as soon as we can."

"What?" I ask panicky, as he puts his phone away and starts the car up.

"Scott's in hospital."