I was standing in front of my locker with Ian in front of me.
Ever since Skye... he had just been with me.
Holding me and making me laugh, trying to make me smile because I totally stopped since Skye's disappearance.
I was laughing at a harsh comment Ian made about our geography teacher, while my head was in my locker.
It wasn't long after my laughter died down that I heard a female voice greet us.
"Hey guys" she spoke and I immediately removed my head from my locker but not before hitting it against the roof of the locker.
If I was deaf, I still wouldn't have missed Ian's snort that he masked with a short cough.
I turned to glare at him and caught a pair of Cat green eyes.
"Hi Sabrina" she smiled briefly and looked at me worriedly... I think.
"Heyy" I couldn't even return her broken smile.
"I wanted to invite you guys to our table and I know you don't want to see or talk to Jack and Dave, especially after what happened at the party, but I promise you that nothing of that sort will happen. Everyone is pretty... occupied at the moment and I really want us all to talk about the... current situation" she tried to coat her words but I didn't understand what she was saying, all I understood was the pleading look in her eyes and I swear, I couldn't remember the last time Kiara pleaded.
Before I could tell the meaning of consequences, I found myself nodding slowly.
"Thank you, it's really important, please don't change your mind" she said before walking off.
I turned to Ian whose eyes were already on me, catching me by surprise.
"Are you going to convince me not to go because if you are, I-"
"I'm not . I'll be there in case Jack or Dave act like boneheads. It sounded important or shit" he shrugged, tearing his eyes away from mine as if his own words sounded foreign.
Ian never ceased to catch me by surprise, I'll give him that.
The bell sounded not too long after, and Ian and I walked into the cafeteria hand in hand.
We slowly walked to Kiara's table where Jack, Dave and Jerome were also sitting.
Ian took a seat beside me as we remained quiet.
"Hi guys" Kiara gave her best fake smile and I was a breath away from calling her out on it.
"Hey." Ian answered for both of us, knowing how uncomfortable I was.
I loved how he could read my body language.
"Um...yeah, so I called you guys here to talk about Skye." she whispered her name like it was a taboo and I cringed in my seat examining all of their faces.
Jack hadn't said anything to me yet... hell I doubted if he even knew I was right in front of him.
His hair fell to his face as he stared down at his hands, glaring at then but at the same time touching then gently.
Dave who was always joking around was just mute, without an annoying smirk plastered on his face.
Jerome was... well, Jerome.
He was always quiet and broody so seeing him sitting in his chair, with his perfect gold-brown hair matted against his forehead and some some part of his eyes, his hands shoved into his hoody pockets as he rested in his seat was normal... I guess.
Everything was off and you could feel the tension.
Skye.
They wanted to talk about Skye. Did they finally find her?
Did they know something we didn't?
They were the only ones left at the party with her after Ian and I left.
Did they hurt her with one of their games?
My head throbbed.
"Wh-what about her?" I asked, my lips almost quivering.
"We want to start a search party"
Kiara said and it was then Jack's eyes landed on mine. I quickly averted my gaze.
Devious orbs.
A search party?
Why would they want to do that?
"Why?" I croaked out, hating the silence that remained after each statement.
"Because Skye was our friend." It was Jack who spoke.
"She was... a good friend and I-we care about her a lot. It's been more than a week since the night she went missing and I can't stand the thought of anything being wrong with her" he said still staring at me.
Is that why they were all stressed? Because of Skye?
Skye was a good person really, everyone loved her, but it was really hard for me to believe the words coming out of Jack's mouth.
"We just want to help Sabrina. Skye is important to us and we all love her" Jerome smiled softly at me and I took a breathe in before nodding.
"Okay, so what do you want us to do?"
"Well, you're her best friend. We need you because you know her best, so you would probably be able to know what could be the best theory to go with" Kiara explained and I nodded again.
"We've been deliberating on it seriously but we don't know what could've happened to her" Jack said, he looked... frustrated?
"Well, you and Ian had left the party before her so you must not know what exactly happened" Dave said.
"Exactly."
"Well, after you both left, Skye came out of the bathroom, stumbling over her own self, we had a round of poker and then we went to dance in the crowd that had gathered. It wasn't long that we didn't see her again but we assumed she must've gone home or was with a guy. None of us really read meaning to the situation till Monday, when Kiara told us Skye hasn't been online and that she wasn't in school" Jerome narrated.
"Okay, so what are the possible things that could've happened?" Ian asked, speaking for the first time during the conversation and Jack stared at him with his clouded eyes like he was just noticing the smoldering black boy beside me.
"Well, lots of things. We don't for sure if she got missing on that Friday. But it's most likely that she did. The possibilities are endless, so many dangerous things could happen to a drunk 17 year old at night" Dave said.
"She could've gotten lost somewhere"
"But that is highly unlikely because the police have searched that area and willow creek isn't big enough for a whole human to vanish and besides, Skye has lived here all her life, it would be odd if she didn't know the area" I said and Jack nodded once.
"She could've gotten hit along the road and the fucker buried her body..." Jerome suggested and it sounded strange hearing such violent words from a peaceful creature.
I cringed in my seat at the suggestion.
"Positive" Ian agreed grabbing my cold hand in his under the table.
"She could've gotten hurt on her way home and someone is now taking care of her" Kiara suggested and I shook my head 'no'
"She would know that we are looking for her and would try to call" I said and they all nodded.
"Unless she can't. Maybe Skye was kidnapped. It only makes sense how she could stay away for so long and not come back. She can't just vanish into thin air. It's either she was taken against her will or murdered and her body was expertly hidden. It's the only suggestion that makes logical sense" Jack said and I ached to remove the picture from my head.
I didn't want to see it.
I didn't want to see the creature from my dream-
Nightmare.
His face was embedded in my skull and I couldn't rid my mind off it.
"Why would anyone want to kidnap her" Ian asked.
"She's sweet to everyone and if she was kidnapped, there hasn't been a call for ransom. What would the kidnapper want?"
"Her" Kiara said staring into Ian's perfect blue Iris.
"Maybe he just wants her and nothing else. He could be an ex-boyfriend..."
"She hasn't dated" I stated.
"Well, he could be someone close to her that she probably offended and who has it out to get her"
"I hope all your assumptions are wrong and she's just taking a break from society some where" I muttered as Ian caressed my hand.
After a while, we all concluded that she was kidnapped.
We left the table and I went for my next class with Ian. We had most of our classes together.
Ian and I had gotten closer since Skye's disappearance.
I didn't know why or how but he understood that I was in pain and tried his hardest to make me smile at least a few dozen times everyday.
After what happened that night, he didn't make it weird.
We didn't talk about it, it was just something that happened and ever since then it hadn't repeated itself.
I didn't even know what was going on between us. If we were together or not and to be honest and I didn't quite care.
I loved how he would hold my hands for hours and gently caress then or how he could stroke my hair lightly.
I loved the affection and care he gave to me and the attention he dedicated to me.
He treated me... differently and I loved our nameless relationship.
I could stare into his eyes for hours till I fell asleep. I loved how he looked at me, I loved how he stayed over every fucking night since Skye went missing.
I loved that he was my distraction during those troubling times, because I knew I wouldn't have made it out alive without him.
_____
14 days.
She had been missing for 14 days.
I walked into the class with slumped and baggy eyes.
I had just a strand of hope left.
I felt completely defeated and hurt.
I, Kiara and the group had been analyzing and trying to find some clue or figure out what was missing but just like Dave once said; 'she completely vanished into thin air'
I sat beside Ian who kept a seat for me as always.
"Hey" he smiled and I returned it.
"Hey" before we could commence further, our teacher came in saying he had an important announcement.
"Damon Grayson has been declared missing as of yesterday" he said and I felt like my head was lighter.
Ian placed his hand on the small of my back, holding me in place as if he knew I was going to fall.
Murmurs could be heard, loudly and some girl whined.
"First Skye and now Damon!" The murmurs grew louder and my heart clenched.
"Decorum. Keep shut!" Mr. Frizzle tried to reduce the noise but was failing miserably.
"Can you all just shut the fuck up" Ian said loudly and the class fell silent.
"Thank you Mr. Brown" Mr. Fizzle said before starting the class
_____
"Grayson Damon, the school mascot boy is missing" Jack said immediately he sat down at our table.
"Yeah, every fucking body has been talking about it for hours" Ian groaned and it took all the willpower I had left not to just start crying.
"Do-do you guys think his disappearance has something to do with Skye?"
I voiced out my thoughts.
"It's hard not to think they're somehow related" Jerome pointed out staring at his hands.
"Okay let's think rationally. Skye got missing at the party right? And then two weeks later, a classmate, Damon gets missing too. What could actually be happening?"
"I'm trying hard not to assume that there's someone kidnapping people randomly and shit" Jack's voice quivered and I sighed.
"I also think there's someone behind these disappearances and I have a strong feeling that Skye and Damon are both in the same place" Ian said.
"Well, how can we stop it? How do we know who the next person is?" I asked all at once and calmed down a bit when Ian's hand landed on my thigh, caressing it slowly.
"Well, I remember reading somewhere that the best way to anticipate on enemy's next move is to know their motive so I think we need to figure out what this person is after" Dave said and I didn't know what was more difficult, believing Dave Lewandowski could actually read something or trying to figure out the intentions of someone I had never even met.
"What would he gain by kidnapping high school kids?" Jack asked, his face a little twisted.
"That's the type of questions we need to be asking ourselves. Maybe Skye has something or knows something that none of us do and maybe Damon does too" Kiara suggested and Dave nodded.
"Yes, there could be more clues, a letter, a piece of clothing or something that the cops missed out in Skye's house" he said and Ian nodded.
"Ian and Rina should go. They're closer to Skye's mother" Jack said and I nodded.
Normally, I would be disturbed by the fact that Jack Adams called me by my nickname, but given the circumstances, I brushed it away.
We all left the table and went for classes after lunch was over.
_____
School was over and I was alone in the school field with Midsummer-nights dream in my hand.
Ian had gone home for some family emergency, so I was alone.
I sat in the bleachers, resting my back in the seat and staring into the sky, not noticing Jerome approaching so I was kind of startled when he said "Hey Sabrina" and by 'kind of startled' I mean I fell to the floor like a lunatic.
The huge grin on his face was priceless as he helped me up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you" he apologized taking a seat beside mine.
"It's cool" I said.
"So, what are you doing here all alone? Where's Ian?"
"Just clearing my head I guess, Ian went home for a family emergency" I explained and he nodded, staring at the green grass.
"Weird isn't it?" He asked and my brows drew together
"Huh?"
"Everything that's going on is weird don't you think?"
"It'd be weird not to think it is" I shrugged and he smiled before it completely vanished.
"Are you scared?"
"Yes, yes I am" I replied honestly, staring down at the fields too but Jerome's eyes were focused on me.
"I-I'm scared too. I just can't think of a reason why someone would do this"
"I just hope no one gets missing again and that we find Damon and Skye"
"I'm sure that's everyone wish Rina and in not trying to be negative but I'm positive this isn't the end" I sighed.
Jerome and I spent the afternoon together and then he offered to take me home.
I sat in my balcony staring at the sun that was beginning to set.
Everywhere was quiet and empty and I tried not to think too much about it.
'You've reached Ian, please leave a message. I'm busy'
Beep!
"Hey Ian, it's Rina...um...are you okay? Please call me back"
Beep!
I hated the silence that deafened me in the huge mansion I lived in and the loneliness, eating through my skin but the thing I hated most was the fear.
Fear of being the next one, fear of being taken.
"Nana, I'm so tired of everything that's happening. I don't even understand what's going on. Why is everyone disappearing? I wish I could just finish high school in peace and just go for college. I'm really tired of this Nana" I ranted to my paralyzed Nana who was staring into space.
"I miss the times you used to talk. The times you would yell at Ryan and I and the times you'd scold Skye and I. I really miss you Nana. You're here but at the same time, you're not"
Evening had set in already and I was in Nana's bed humming to 'Bam bam' by Camila Cabello and Ed Sheeran.
"I know I'm disturbing you Nana but I'm kinda bored. Ian's not here and I really don't want to be alone right now" I muttered and it was just seconds after I spoke that I heard a sound from down the stairs.
"What was that?" I whispered turning to my inactive nana. The room fell silent for a few more seconds and I heard another sound.
Shit!
Someone was fucking breaking in!
I quickly stood up and grabbed my phone dialing Ryan.
"Ryan fucking pick up" I yelled as I held my phone tight to my ear.
Wait... what was I doing? Ryan was in New York.
If someone was breaking in, he couldn't do shit even if he wanted to.
I was alone in this.
I dropped the phone on the bed and looked around for any weapon I could use.
I saw a smile knife in a fruit basket and quickly grabbed it, clutching it to my side.
I opened Nana's door and tiptoed out, holding the knife in front of me as I walked slowly.
I heard the intruder stumble over something else and then realized he was in the library.
Wait, we had a library?
I opened the door and the lights were off.
No wonder he was falling over things.
"Who's there?" I asked, my voice shaking.
Please don't be the kidnapper, please don't be the kidnapper.
I prayed silently clutching the small knife tighter as I stepped my foot into the dark library.
I saw a shadow walk past the window and I instinctively threw my knife towards the figure, causing a groan to erupt from his lips.
"Fuck Sabrina" I heard and I swear I had heard that voice before.
"Who's that?" I asked and the light switch came on.
Ian was a few feet away from me with a cut in his arm.
"Ian" I whispered with my eyes going wide.
"Hey" he half-smiled, clutching his injured arm.
"Oh my God! What happened to you?" I asked totally forgetting I was the bitch who wanted to nail him with a knife two seconds ago.
"Oh I was trying to be a ninja and then I got hurt" he chuckled and I smelt whiskey on his lips as I held him leading him to a chair.
"Are you drunk?"
"I don't think so. I only had one glass" he replied and I knew he wasn't lying. I always knew when he was lying,
I could read him like that.
"How tall was that glass?" I mumbled, tending to his wound.
"This is gonna hurt okay, so you can squeeze my palm as tight as you like" I told him but he was mute.
When I looked up to meet his eyes, they were already on me, staring blankly and lost in his own world, but at the same time not so lost.
I knew he heard what I said.
I applied some ointment to his wound, blowing air on it to reduce the pain but Ian didn't even shake, he just stared at me.
"Does it hurt?" I asked and he smiled at me.
"No"
"wow, okay" I chuckled a bit.
"So what were you thinking breaking into my house?"
"Well, I thought you were asleep and um... I kinda knew you would be lonely and a bit scared, so I wanted to sneak in so I won't disturb you. I don't know, I wasn't thinking"
"Of course you weren't" I chuckled standing up and putting this first aid box away.
The library I forgot existed was almost a complete mess.
Most of the shelves were on the floor already.
"I didn't know this house possessed a library" Ian said getting up and picking the books he had fallen.
I think he had sobered up.
"Yeah, sometimes I forget it's even here"
"What were you doing before i came? You obviously weren't asleep"
" I was just with my nana. We were just talking" I said and then snorted "or rather, I was talking to her" I corrected and he nodded.
We finished arranging the books on the shelves and Ian carried me over his shoulder with a book in his hand.
I laughed as he set us both down on the floor close to the steps.
"What are you doing?" I asked, my smile still intact.
"I'm going to read to you"
"What book?" I asked resting my head on his lap as he stroked my arm.
"The bewitching"
"Oh!" I squealed, clapping my hands together
"Yeah, shut up so I can start" he rolled his yes teasingly.
Ian read to me and his was voice was the last thing I heard before I shut down completely.