A D A M
“Have you seen Naya?” 
Everyone I have been asking just shake their heads for the last two hours. I've been wandering around hoping to get answer. It's hard to concentrate and I try to hide my worry. I have to show a just-curious look at her whereabouts so Chloe won't suspect something isn't right. 
The last time I saw Naya was when she kissed me out of the blue last night. Then she never once again comes across my way. 
Is it my fault? Did she go back home already?
I feel bad. I feel so bad. This is all my fault. Nobody but me. 
“What are you doing here young man?” Mrs. Lee approaches me. 
I've never had a conversation with each other ever before. But how I perceived her as my teacher is always been good. I honor her for such a wonderful job, regardless that I have always wondered about her life. 
“I'm just thinking,” I tell her.
She nods slowly, taking that as an honest answer.
I should probably ask her. “Have you seen Naya around?”
She looks at me briefly then glances behind her. “No, I haven't. Why?”
I shake my head. “I don't know. Something's not right.” 
“What do you mean? You're worried about her, aren't you?” Her question makes me think again. 
I do. I nod with a small smile. I always care. I just never get to say it out loud too often. 
“I have been looking for her. Asking everyone. Nobody has seen her. I hope she's okay. If she's at home already, then that's better.” The truck we're riding home is parked at the side of the campsite. I watch as each of my classmates starts to pack up and prepare to load their baggage back In. 
They look happy and have enjoyed... 
“Have you ever been in love, Adam?” I freeze at her question. 
Every time someone asks me this. I never know what to say. What to answer. I want to say yes but love is such an extreme declaration for someone like me to admit. 
“I don't think I am there yet,” I reply. “I would say I want her to be happy.” 
“Who is she?” Mrs. Lee asks.
“Naya.” I confidently answer her.
“Oh,” there's a surprised look on her face. But her smile never leaves her face as if she knew it before. “Naya? What about Chloe?” We both have our eyes on Chloe now, who's zipping close her bags on the broken branch of a tree. 
I eye the ground. “There's just nothing real in there. I wish there is, but there isn't.”
Mrs. Lee's hand lands on my shoulder. “You should tell her. She might start to hope for something to happen and as your teacher, I won't be pleased by you getting a heart wounded.” She says in a calm voice. “I know you will do the right thing, Adam.” 
“I hope so,” I whisper. “What about you, Mrs. Lee. How's your... life? ”
Is that a little weird question to ask? No. It's just that I haven't asked her anything like this before.
“My husband has been dishonest with me lately. But he never says a word. I know he's got a mistress, however, I'm only waiting for him to tell me about her.” The look on her face changes into a frown like in just an instant, she's drowning in sorrow. “I'm still hoping I am wrong.” 
“Have you ever caught him?”
“Never, ” she says, shaking her head.
“Maybe it's just your preconceived ideas.”
“I haven't seen him come home in two months now, Adam.” 
“Where is he?”
“No clue.” She says. “No text. No calls. Not even letters.” 
“Have you looked for him?” 
“Like you are now for Naya? Yes, every day.” 
“This is getting sadder. I'm sorry to hear that.”
“Well, I apologize Adam for making you feel this way.” She says wiping her smile away from her face. “Life is full of sad things but the good ones remain stronger, don't you think so?” 
She doesn't wait for me to answer instead she goes back to her students and gets ready to go. Mrs. Lee isn't so bad at all. I've known her strict but she's got a story to tell. A story I never heard before. It must have been hard for someone like her to wait for someone who had never come home for two months and she's never had a clue where her husband have been. 
I agree with her. Life is full of sad things but the good ones remain stronger. I hope I'll remember this from her someday. 
When I look away, I see Cannon walking toward me. “She's nowhere to be found. I've been looking for her.”  Her eyes are filled with worry. She looks like she hasn't gotten asleep. 
“Should we tell, Mrs. Lee?” Her voice sounds panicky.
I shake my head, “You don't have to tell her that Naya's gone. Well, she knows I've been looking for her but not gone. I should do my best to find her. Mrs. Lee has a lot on her plate. We can't add up to it.” I say. “I will look for Naya and make sure everyone won't notice she's gone.”
“Wait a minute. What's happening with Mrs. Lee? Is she okay?
“She is fine. But with her married life? No.” 
“Why?”
“Don't ask for it now.”
“I want to know.” Cannon insists.
“Well, not now. I have to start looking.” I tell her. Picking up my bag from the floor. “I'll be back tomorrow.” 
“What should I tell everyone in case they ask me?”
I take a pause and think. “Just tell them we ran away.” 
I see Cannon show a smile as turns around. “Ohkay. I'll do that.” She says before we drift away. 
There are times I wish I could run away with Naya. Bring her to a faraway land, but her life has been a mess. My life has been a mess too. With all the things happening with our family there isn't a chance to do it. I don't think we would enjoy running away knowing what's left behind is left unsolved. But isn't that a reason we're supposed to run away? To wish we can never see those things go broken and unfixed? To never feel and see the hopelessness. To distract ourselves from other people and places? 
Or maybe just to go find peace...
If Naya ran away and is not lost, I should try not to find her. If she has decided that she's tired of everything, I should try not to stop her. But that's not who I think she is. She won't run away from hopelessness. She would fight until she overcome it.
After half an hour, I reach a forest with tall bushes and trees. I've been walking and swatting away big leaves and have been sweating too. Still, no sign of her. Not like the movies do. She didn't leave traces of her. 
A few brown feathered birds are everywhere. Mosquitoes and other insects are brought on my skin. It's annoying how their attachment could irritate more than anything now. I'm glad I pack some food just to make sure I won't starve to death. 
I peeled a banana and eat it while I walk. 
“Naya!?” I yell. The voice fills in the atmosphere. I hope she didn't run away. I still have something to tell her. 
When I throw the banana away to the side, the rain starts to pour down on me. 
“Great,” I whisper at the rain. It doesn't take me too long when I notice there's a huge stone from a distance. It looks like a cage now. I hasten my pace. When I arrive, I put down my bag and sit in the corner. 
I pick up a bottle of water from my bag and take a drink. This rain should never stop me from accomplishing my task. 
As I put down the bottle, I hear someone cough a couple of times. I panic. I look around. I pick myself up and keep quiet. What if I get murdered and die? My body stays still while I duck down so I will not be noticed. 
There's another cough. Then follows another. I don't think someone is going to murder me. I walk behind the cage. My heart shrinks. My heart goes flat line when I see her down the huge hole. Naya. 
She's tied down with her head to the ground. 
I couldn't find the words. Not even her name out of my mouth. I'm just...I feel broken watching her.
My Naya. 
She's still wearing her bra and her denim shorts from last night. She looks really hurt. I have to go down there.
She coughs again from the consciousness.
“Naya?” I finally say. 
She moves her head from the ground but it's difficult for her to do so when her hands are tied behind her. I should do something. 
“I'll come down there. I'll find a way!” I begin climbing down. I have never done this before but I'm hoping I won't fall and kill myself instead. The ground is hard to keep myself steady. And that fact that there's nothing much I can hold onto when everything seems slippery from the rain. 
Naya coughs again.
“I'm almost there,” I whisper. I think I hear her say my name but the dryness of her throat makes it hard for her to say it loud enough. 
When I can't find a grip, my feet slip and then I fall. I feel the ground from the side of my body and the pain takes over me. I whimper in great pain. Fortunately, I have my bag behind me so my back is protected. 
“Naya?” I crawl my way towards her. Her eyes closed and I notice the blood on the floor and from the side of her head. “Naya? Naya? Are you okay?” I let go of my bag and move toward her as fast as I can. Worry and fear crash over me. 
“Naya?” I touch the side of her face with one palm.
She moves and coughs again. “A-Adam.” It's not even a question she needs to confirm. She knows it's me. 
“Hey, what happened?” I whisper. I slowly move her head to my lap. The stain of blood is now on me. “Are you okay?” My hand shakes as I keep her hair away from her face. She looks so hurt. 
Her face wrinkles in pain. “Adam.” She utters again. 
I take off my jacket and put it under her head as a pillow as I try to reach for my bag. 
“Don't worry. You'll be fine.” I try to convince her. My heart is breaking at the sight of her. Who would do this to her? Who would hurt her like this? She doesn't deserve this. 
I untie her hands from behind. I tear my shirt for a piece of cloth that I can wrap around her head to stop the bleeding but it isn't enough. When I feel her body shake, I let her wear my body shake. I take another piece of shirt from my bag. I finally lessen her blood from coming out of her head. Naya's eyes are still closed. I sit her up and make her lean her body on me. The rain is still pouring but not so much right now. 
When I feel her rest on me, I kiss the top of her forehead. “It's okay.” 
Naya doesn't say anything. And she doesn't have to. She doesn't have to force herself even if she wants to. I'll be here until she wants to say something. Until she's no longer in pain.
In this very moment, I look up to the sky above us. I watch the small drops of rain come to rest on the ground. And while this happens, Naya closes her eyes as she relaxes and becomes safe.