(no subject)

[leylined]

It's suspicious when Adam's already gone in the morning before anyone else. By third period it's obvious he never came to school, and when attempted to call, text messages are unanswered and phone calls immediately go to voicemail.

Comments

[safe_as_life]

Gansey has tried Adam's phone for the third time, only leaving a message after the last call, but he doesn't know what else to try. He calls Ronan, who doesn't answer, of course, and leaves a message for him too, only slightly irritated that he can never reach any of his friends by phone, even when they all have cell phones now.

He considers leaving school, but he knows he really can't and has to wait till last period before he can duck out of there.

[leylined]

By the end of the day there's still no reply. He's not at Monmouth and Cabeswater is empty as well. A call to Boyd's and his other job shows that he never showed up and called in sick. The Honda's gone as well. Finally in the middle of the night, a single text comes in with a simple message: I'm fine. Be back in a few days.

[safe_as_life]

Adam should know better, especially after the incident in DC, because by the end of the day, Gansey has several search parties looking for Adam, in Henrietta and the surrounding areas. He's worried sick that Adam has lost his memory again and has no idea how to get back.

When the text finally comes through, Gansey pulls over and hits dial, to call Adam back.

[leylined]

Adam's pulled over as well at a rest stop, Ronan's tape playing in the deck while he's stretched out on the hood of his car. The music is awful for the most part, but there are songs here and there that are tolerable, but he's really only playing it so that he feels less alone.

He almost doesn't get up when the phone rings, but guilt hits him and makes him get up from his spot, barely getting to the phone before it goes to the answering machine. "This is Adam."

[safe_as_life]

Gansey is cursing under his breath... actually cursing, when the phone keeps ringing. He sits up straight as a board when he finally hears Adam's voice filtering through.

"Adam! Where are you? Is everything alright? What happened? Just tell me where you are and I'll come get you." His voice is worried, but the tight knot in his stomach is releasing just a little, knowing Adam is alright enough to at least answer his phone and send a readable text message.

[leylined]

"Gansey, I'm fine. No need to call in an amber alert or anything like that." He settles into the front seat of his car and stops the music, perching his feet on the dash as he does so. "There's some stuff I need to do, that's all. I'll be back in a few days, promise.

[safe_as_life]

"No need to... Adam, do you have any idea how worried we've been? I thought... we had no idea..." Gansey cuts off, frustrated. He closes his eyes and takes a breath. Adam is fine. Adam is fine and that's all that matters.

"Why didn't you tell me? Or anyone? You could have told someone."

[leylined]

It takes Adam a long time to respond. No one knows about the visions and shadow images, and the only time Adam ever brought it up, he was completely dismissed. That night and all throughout the drive it'd been insufferable, even when he promised Cabeswater he'd do what it wanted. It only just started calming down, but every now and again he still catches glimpses of things that aren't there in the corner of his vision.

"I had to go. There's really nothing else to it. I didn't get kidnapped. Right now I'm outside Galax and I still have plenty of gas."

[safe_as_life]

"You had to go, but you didn't even leave a note. The last time you disappeared, things went south. I thought it was happening again." How can Adam not see that? Gansey doesnt' understand.

"Are you sure you're alright, Adam?" Because this isn't really like him. Then again, a lot has been different lately.

[leylined]

"Things aren't going south. I...," he sighs in frustration, watching bugs dart back and forth against a lamp at the truck stop. "I have to fix the line. It's pretty far out this time."

"I'm fine. Promise." Or he will be, at least. He hopes it comes out in his voice.

[safe_as_life]

Gansey rubs his lips in agitation, trying to push his anxiety over the situation away. At least Adam has a cellphone this time, he tells himself. Thank goodness for Kavinsky. Or whatever.

"I could have gone with you. You didn't have to go alone." It's a thing that Gansey tries to tell Adam all the time, with so many situations, but he doesn't know if it always filters through. "You said you'll be gone a few days? You're going to miss all your classes." He's already trying to think up ways to cover Adam so it wont make a difference what he misses.

[leylined]

"I'm top of the class, I can miss a few days. You can't." It's weak and Adam knows it. "I should be back by Friday. Saturday at the latest. I'll do all the work I missed over the weekend. It'll be like I never left at all."

Adam lets his eyes close. He knows he'll catch hell when he gets back. "I just need some time to myself, okay?"

[safe_as_life]

"I could have arranged something." Gansey's starting to wonder if that's all this is about. Ley lines don't usually cause Adam to keep things from them. "Will you at least tell me where you're going?" He can't remember the last time they spent that much time away from each other and he realizes how much he's come to rely on Adam always being there.

He wonders if he pushed too hard for Adam to move to Monmouth. "Okay," he says finally, a soft sigh escaping. "I'm glad you're alright, Adam. Please at least keep in touch? You can text me whenever. Day or night, I'll be awake, I'm sure."

[leylined]

"I don't even know yet. I keep scrying at each stop, and each place keeps telling me 'farther. Farther.' It's starting to get less urgent, though. I don't know if that means I'm close, but I'm making progress." Adam feels it, too, but not as urgently as Gansey does. He will be coming back, he knows. Maybe that's why it's different.

"I'll do my best. I'll stop in a few hours and call you to check up."

[safe_as_life]

"Well... you know best when it comes to the ley lines. Be careful, though. Farther and farther could mean anything." It's already too far, he thinks and he still worries that something might happen. He'll call Helen and make sure she's around, just in case. In case they need to take the helicopter out for Adam.

"Alright. Thank you. I'll let the others know you're alright." He starts up the Camaro again. "If you need anything, you know I'll be out there as fast as I can."

[leylined]

"I know. It has to be important, though. It's not letting me wait this time." And that one is the truth. Even as he speaks, a flash of a creature that shouldn't exist appears at the lamp, and when Adam blinks, it's gone. He gasps at the sighting, but his breathing returns to normal quickly.

"I have to go. I'll call you in a little bit."

[safe_as_life]

No, Adam, sounds of gasping are not exactly settling. But Gansey trusts him, trusts this thing he has to do for Cabeswater. Maybe he trusts in that too much.

"Okay. Be careful," Gansey says again, before the call disconnects. He doesn't like this one bit. He doesn't like how far out of his control it is, and that he still doesn't even know where Adam is.

He calls the others to let them know that Adam is alright and to call off the search parties, then heads back to Monmouth, staying awake for the rest of the night.