She looked out the window anxiously as the car crept forward in line to drop kids off for the first day of school at Whitman Post Elementary. She couldn't wait to tell Jamey all about the wipeout on her bike last night as she tried to get up enough speed to jump over a ramp that she had put together from stuff she found in the garage.

As her Mom's SUV inched closer to the circular drive her baby sister Lissie began to fuss in the car seat next to her.

"Honey," She looked up to see her mom's eyes looking at her in the rearview mirror. "Can you find Lissie's pacifier for me?"

She looked around and car seat and found the ladybug pacifier that had fallen under the babies blanket. She put the pacifier back into Lissie's tiny mouth and watched as she settled right down and went back to sleep.

"Thanks sweetie." Her mom said. They were almost to the circle and she could see Jamey standing there waiting for her as she quickly unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed her backpack. "What do you want for your birthday dinner tonight?" her Mother asked again through the rearview mirror.

"Um..." She thought about it for a minute. "Macaroni and cheese and ice cream!" Her favorite foods in the whole world.

"I should have known." Her mom laughed as she stopped the SUV so she could get out. Emma flung the door open and stood on the door rail so she could see over the door.

"Jamey!" She called out to her best friend. His smile grew when he saw her. She jumped out of the big SUV and spun around waving goodbye to her mother.

"Have a good day!" Her mom called to her.

"Bye, Mom!" She called back as she slammed the car door shut and ran over to him.

"Hi, Emmaline!" he said as he held out a small box toward her but she was busy peeling the band-aid off her elbow to show him the scrap.

"Check it out, I fell off my bike last night- skidded a whole foot. It bleed a lot.” She was so proud of her bike stunt and Jamey smiled at her approvingly.

"Did you cry?"

“Absolutely not.” She replied wrinkling brow and looking around to see who might have heard. Jamey smiled at her but said nothing as he continued holding out her birthday present. She took it from him and turned it in her hands as she examined the Peanuts comics that it was wrapped in. He knew that Snoopy was her favorite.

“Well, maybe I cried a little.” She quickly blurted out, she could never lie to him. Jamey laughed and pushed her to distract her from their ritual morning race to the swing set. She gave him the little head start then took off after him. Emma knew she could catch up to him in no time, she was faster. But as she began to chase after him an ugly pain gripped her stomach. A man stepped out from behind one of the large evergreen trees as Jamey ran past.

“Jamey!” Emma yelled a warning to him but he kept running. He looked over his shoulder at her with a big smile as the man put one hand over Jamey’s face and with the other arm swept him up off the ground. Jamey tried to scream and kick but the man was too big.

“Jamey!” She screamed again not believing what was happening right in front of her eyes. “Someone help! Jamey!” She could hear teachers and parents coming up behind her but it was to late. The man had Jamey in the rusty old red pickup truck and was already driving away. “Jamey!” Tears streamed down her face as she yelled his name over and over again.

Arms wrapped around her and held back as she tried to chase after the pickup. She fought and twisted as Principal Newman kept her from running out into the street. She heard adults calling for someone to call the police and to get all the children inside but it was to late for her best friend. Jamey was gone.