Part 6

The high school stadium was packed as vehicles continued to fill the parking lot. The principal, teachers, councilors, the mayor, other city officials, and the police had decided that having an open gathering was a great idea. It was a way to remember Norton Gibbs as well as to remind anyone who might have information to please come forward.

What better way to get everyone really involved in the missing son of the man who was the president of the largest local bank. There was a lot of publicity revolving around Norton's disappearance and Mr. Gibbs could pull a lot of power when he needed to, and this was definitely one of those moments. Norton's parents were not the kind of people to let this type of thing go unnoticed. They would use every resource they had to get their only son back.
         James and I like always met outside of his house. We had become like two peas in a pod more than ever now. James stayed closer to me than ever before and since I had no problems being with him this really worked out to my favor. It was bad in one way for me to think that I was using Norton's disappearance to further my situation with James, but then again it would be so totally stupid for me not use this moment for my own gain. It was just one of those things that you simply can't do anything about. Besides I wasn't going to let something like Norton's missing in action stand in the way of me getting closer to best friend.     

James stood outside of his home looking around as though he half expected to see Norton. He seemed overly fidgety tonight and that made me a little nervous as well.  

"So, here we are again. You ready for this big hoopla?" I ask.
         "Yea, guess so. Let's go." he replied as he grabbed my arm and began walking.

"What do you think all of this is going to get any of us? Really, what is there left to say about Norton?" Keeping pace with James' long strides I fought hard to think of conversation.
Without saying anything at first we walked down the darken road just listening to the night chatter of all of the critters in the woods around our neighborhood. It was as if James had something to say, but couldn't.    

Deciding that maybe for once in my life I should remain silent I just walked along with him without talking his head off. No matter what I wanted from James at this point I knew him well enough to know when to just be quiet, and this one of those times. He would let me know when he was ready to share whatever was on his mind. Until then the calmness of the night settled over us as we walked down the road towards the high school stadium. It was going to be one hell of an electrifying night with everything being laid on the line. There was no telling what was going to happen and James appeared to have that weird feeling that once again a new mystery was going to be born.      

There were plenty of times that I knew that James could feel things coming that no one else could feel. It was during those moments that I had learned to pay attention to what was going on with him. Something strange was coming and James might be the only one that really could see it for what it was.
However this night would begin, it would not end in the same positive mode that it had begun. Things were about to take another twist and it was one that no one could have seen coming, not even James.