Maria was on the bus

Chapter: 8. Walkie-talkie

Maria was home.

After knowing Samuel was fine Ariana returned home. She was worried and
couldn't think of place where Maria can be. The hall was empty and house was
at awkward silence; she wasn't used to this. She took stairs to her room; there
was nothing to do for her. She didn't knew it would be this hard without Maria, she wasn't that close with her. She was too busy for that.

Ariana walked to Maria's room, if not her then her stuff may comfort. She
found Maria standing there. Scared and only scared.

She was teary and had no excuse for where she was. Out of all emotions Ariana was glad, not surprised and not curious just glad to she her there. She wanted to grab her, hug her, kiss her and she wanted to hold her close in every possible way. She would have
done all if things were never been awkward between them.

"Mom...mh" - Maria ran to her melting all the awkwardness. Ariana comfort her, calm her down. She has been called "Mom" after all. They went down in hall.

They had meal late in night. Television was still reporting about Maria's case.
Ariana had turned that off saying- "I'll handle everything you just get some
rest".

"I'm sorry". - Maria said making up for her mistakes.

"I know you are but don't, don't hold yourself responsible for this". Ariana
didn't want her to be sorry for things she wasn't responsible for. Maria was only
responsible for her absence and nothing else, never for that bus and nor about
Harris. Whatever was on TV, she had nothing to do with.

"Won't you ask where I was?"- Maria wanted to ask her that from the very start. She waited for her to asked but Ariana didn't; like she already knew. Knew that she shouldn't be asking for more; it would ruin things between them. It's not always a good idea to take a brick out the wall you build for your protection just for the sake of having a look to other side.

"I'm glad you manage out of there and that's enough for me" - Ariana knew
Maria didn't want to tell. It must be something hard to talk about.

"I'm too, glad that I manage out of there" - (That was heavier and deeper than it was perceived by Ariana.)

Maria had always been lonely since
her biological mother had divorced sir Mullin; she never knew her step mother
would love her that much. She was told by world about step mothers in different
way and so she never kept expectations. Although Ariana had not said that but it
was obvious by now that she cares for Maria. -"By the way you must have
missed me enormous." She teased Ariana by stating bluntly before she took
stairs for her room to rest a bit as she was told to do and Ariana smiled back to her and watched her back till she disappeared ahead.

"I did missed you enormously" she whispered in air.

She hurried and turned television back on as fast it was possible. Coverages
from Harris's funeral were still reeling. She saw Brandon and Evan holding
each other's hands tightly standing aside a lady and that was Jenny handling
upon them while Beth was busy. Ariana turned her back to news and dialled
someone; she walked between corners of hall while talking. That was to aid Beth, privately in every possible manner.

Maria too rushed in her room as soon she was out of Ariana's sight. She left
open her door in hurry and hunt up her cupboards, throwing all the things on
flor and finally taking a paper out of uppermost desk. She looked around to
confirm nobody watched her; it reminds her of ajar door, she then locked the door first and took a last glance on paper before tearing it down in smallest possible. Nobody should ever find about that. She flushed pieces.

She started gathering things she threw all over around; she found a red pocket
sized zip bag between her stuff. That was from Samuel, she unzipped side pocket of bag and it had pinky-finger sized sharp knife and a walkie-talkie under main zip. Samuel had gave her that to carry around and told her to open only when she feel scared and couldn't find him around. She turned that thing on and there was sound of somebody walking on dry grass. She got excited all over, it could be Sam she thought. She called his name countless of time and no words in back. She threw that stupid thing on bed and start collecting rest of mess.

"Hello....Hey, is there somebody? Can you hear me? Hallow..." That stupid thing blurted out; Rachel was there on the other side. For a short while when Elvis and Mathew were distracted with Lisa's injury growing worse of pain in her leg, making it difficult for her to walk along them, Lily ran behind a wild squirrel to play with. Lily had another thing with her in her pocket besides money she stole from her mother's purse and that was Samuel's walkie-talkie.

She was too scared to handle voices coming out of that thing so suddenly, (It was doing fine till now and nobody even caught her but out of sudden Maria's voices from that device...she couldn't handle those) and about to drop that on ground when Rach found her. If Rach had not developed crush over Elvis's efforts to take care of Lily and not kept her eyes on him all along, nobody could have find Lily for them. She would've not seen Lily and would've not followed her there. And that walkie-talkie would have remained there for forever.

Wilson and Lennon had offered to carry Stephen for Samuel was exhausted by
now. Lisa has hid her pain until it was unbearable and has not agreed when
Mathew decided to carry her. She has been too conservative for all her life to
accept her pain in in front of everyone and worse side was she has been offered
help. She has never been before; she was hesitating for what if she got use to
such things. All the good things.

The discussion was still into heat when Rach and Lily returned to group. Maria couldn't hear Rach through that tool when she gave it a try.

Samuel was tired and frustrated with things going out of hands. Nor Lisa
accepting help, nor she can walk and nor he can leave her behind. He takes out few of his frustration on Lily and strictly scolded her for making others worried for her and his sermon worked over Lisa also.
Before Mathew could hold Lisa's hand which she offered as her consent, Rach gave out walkie-talkie to Elvis. Elvis flirtatiously thanked Rach by saying -"Thanks for keeping an eye on me",
over which she gave him celestial smile.

"Who is it? Are you Sam? Can you hear me? Sam?" - Everybody including
Samuel could hear Maria's voice from the thing Elvis was holding.

Maria was in her dim room, trying her last with the tool, when she finished with mess on flor and went to bed. And that worked.

"Maria? Are you alright Maria?"- Samuel ran and speaks to Elvis's hands.

"I'm alright Sam. But where are you? They couldn't find you around that bus".

If all because of Maria, then all thanks to her.

----×××-----

It's almost end, I'll just make things back on usual in next chapter. Consider that chapter 9 as end and then 10 as extra which everybody wants.

Thanks as always.