All the Lonely People - By Angela


Part 20

Johnny, Jack, and Angela stared into their empty breakfast dishes, having finished eating quite a while ago. Mr. DeLanci had been called into the office, regardless of the fact that it was Saturday. Now they were all waiting for Clara to make her appearance at the breakfast table.

"Is sleeping this late...normal for Clara?" Johnny asked dubiously. Jack shrugged. Angela sighed and put her chin in her hand.

"I'm going to wake her up," Angela said flatly, standing up from the table. With that said, Angela exited the room and headed upstairs, to the Spanish room.

"Clara?" Angela knocked on the door. Hearing no response, she turned the doorknob and stepped inside. "Clara?" Angela repeated, approaching her sleeping form. Angela leaned over the bed, peering down at Clara. It was then that Angela realized that Clara was not sleeping. She was gone, a pile of pillows and an open window left in her wake.

"Oh, geez," Angela breathed, checking the room just to be sure. She leaned out the open window, cursing herself for selecting the Spanish room. The south window of the Spanish room has a large trellis, perfect for climbing, conviently located underneath it. Clara could have climbed out the window in a snap. Angela turned and fled the room.

Pounding down the staircase, she skidded into the dining room. "We have a VERY BIG PROBLEM!!" she thundered.

"What?!" Jack and Johnny jumped to their feet.

"Clara is GONE," Angela stared at Jack and Johnny, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

"What d'ya mean by 'gone'?" Jack asked, confused.

"Gone, as is she opened the window and climbed down the trellis gone!"

"So you're telling me that as we speak Clara is trapsing around Boston?" Johnny ventured.

"Well, apparently so!" Angela snapped impatiently.

"Great! Just great! Wonderful! Clara is somewhere out there!" Johnny pointed to the window. "So now what?"

"Now we look for her," Jack said determindly.

***

"I can't believe anyone could do something so stupid! I mean, she's never been to Boston, she has no idea where to go! And yet she runs away and it's all my fault and argghhh!" Angela grumbled, as she as Jack stepped out onto the street. Johnny had refused to help look for Clara; he said it wasn't his responsibity and that he had better things to do. This only succeeded in upsetting Angela further but it was beyond her control.

Jack sighed. "C'mon, let's get started. You take dis side 'a the street and I'll take da other and we'll meet back here," he directed. Angela nodded and they separated, questioning every person they passed on the street, asking them if they had seen someone matching Clara's description.

Two hours later Jack and Angela sat on Angela's front steps. They had come up with...absolutely nothing. No one had seen anyone fitting Clara's description. Angela sighed, "C'mon," she said, standing up, "let's go inside and eat lunch."

Read Part 21

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