"Bear, wake up," the voice hissed, "he's gone. You can leave while I call Vincent."

The last of that day's November sun was fading behind the crowded, falling-apart houses as Barry struggled to open his eyes. One of them, he could tell, was bruised just the slightest bit, judging by the way it encroached on his eyesight. His bottom lip was crusted with dried blood that had managed to trickle sideways when he passed out.

As he moved to sit up, he felt the beginnings of bruises on his ribs and barely suppressed a groan. He was meeting Mystery Girl at five. With a jolt, he jumped to his feet.

"Bear, what are you doing?"

"I've got- there's a girl- her journal- so complicated- long story," he stuttered as he ignored the sting from his back lashes to throw his t-shirt and hoodie over his upper body.

"What if he comes back?" Her gaze tracked his frantic movements as he ran upstairs to his room to grab what he needed before coming back now.

"I'll have my phone, Mom. Don't worry,"

He glanced at the digital clock on his phone screen and repressed a sigh. He had thirty minutes to get to the coffee shop, if he left right now to get there at five, as promised.

"What's going on, Bear?"

"I'll tell you after you text me that Vincent took you to wherever he's taking you. We need a code word that you can send me?"

He had no idea where these clever ideas were coming from but they seemed like decent plans.

"You want me to go ahead and call Vincent?" she frowned.

"Yes! Hell yes," Barry said, ignoring the fact that he had cussed in front of his mother, something he tried not to do.

The journal was quickly stuffed in his hoodie pocket while his mother called her friend from the hospital.

"Don't forget the code!" Barry said as he grabbed a snack from the kitchen. He frowned and threw it back on the counter.

A slash on his back twinges sharply and he hissed slowly, reaching a hand back to gently press the edges. This only led to more pain as he encountered more cuts, smaller but deeper.

"Vince says that when we text you saying 'pick up milk from the store', you're to go to the nearest grocery store and wait by the milk aisle," his mother reported.

"So the Giant Eagle by the coffee shop? Alright, that's easy," Barry said.

"Honey, you can't go out with your eye like that. And you haven't even cleaned up your lip," she reached out at hand, to cup his face.

"I'll get it," he muttered.

The mirror greeted him with a face that he could barely recognize as his own. While his physical injuries didn't seem to drastic, especially after cleaning up the bloody lip, he looked like he had aged twenty years in four and a half hours. His brown eyes seemed darker than usual, dangerous but also filled with fear.

He tried a smile, to be ready to meet the mystery girl, but as soon as he did, the small scab on his lip split again. With another muttered swear he snatched a tissue and held it to his chapped, busted lip.

"Can I at least know her name? You know Vincent," his mother said, leaning against the doorway. Stress and exhaustion pulled and wrinkled her pretty features and Barry tried not to add more to it.

"That's the thing, Mom. The whole reason I'm going is to find out her name. And give her her journal back," he added as an after thought.

"Good lord, Bear," she sighed, rubbing her bleary eyes.

Barry gently pushed past her, thinking of anything else he might need but he came up blank. His phone, the journal, and himself. That was all he needed.

"Bear, don't you need to get to work soon?"

"Sorry, Mom. That was a bit of a lie," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I don't have to work today but the girl wanted to meet at the coffee shop so I figured that if Dad was curious, it was a decent enough lie."

"You still need me to drive you?"

"Probably. Unless you want me to take the train,"

"Lord, no. If he  comes looking for either of us, that'll be the first place he goes," she snapped. Barry held up his hands in surrender before wrapping his mother in a tight hug.

"How do you know you can trust this girl, Barry?" she asked as she pulled away from their embrace.

"I don't, Mom. I guess that's the questionable part of this whole expedition,"

"Alright, let's get you there then. I need to go to the hospital afterword anyway,"

***

The drive over was tense and as Barry hopped out of the rusting sedan all he got was an 'I love you, Bear. Be careful'. the coffee shop was full of working men and women who had gotten out of work a little bit earlier.

Barry found a comfortable table for two at the back of the shop. He chose the chair facing the door so he could see everyone coming in, watching for someone that looked remotely like what he remembered mystery girl to look like, keeping his hood up so no one could see his face.

Several times he nearly jumped out of his chair if he saw a tall man or a blonde girl, afraid his father had found him or the girl was waiting for him to come to her. Finally, he decided to text her.

Barry: I'm here. How do I know if you are?

It was several minutes after five before he got a reply.

Mystery Girl: I'll order a hot chocolate. Put my journal where I can see it.

His heartbeat picked up as he shifted, placing the black leather journal on the ceramic tile table top. It had become an object he had found comforting and familiar in the days he had had it. It was almost saddening to get rid of it.

No, Barry. You aren't getting rid of it. You're returning it, he mentally chided himself. Several more minutes passed as he watched several more blondes come in and out.

"Hot chocolate for Mystery Girl?" the new trainee at the counter called out, obviously confused by the name on the cup.

Barry tensed, subconsciously flipping the pages loudly to the last entry. He had only read the first line - I had a dream I lost you the other night. - Before he sensed someone looking over his shoulder.

"God, you are such a creeper, Barry Atkins," the amused voice said and Barry tuned around.

***

Bwahahahahaha, cliff hanger!! I know, I know. Y'all officially hate me. But tell me what you thought anyway! Don't forget to vote also!!

~Selene Rose

P.S. I love y'all so much I might have the next chapter up by the end of the day ;)