Saorsa

Miscommunication

"Where'd Serena go?" Harper asks, her body sprawled out across the picnic blanket as her head rests on Lucian's lap.

"Bathroom," I reply simply, sitting down next to Tyler. She nods, looking back up at Lucian and continuing their conversation.

I watch Serena walk further down the field, my eyes trained on her as she weaves in between groups of people. I'm focused on her until my phone rings.

"No way," I announce, unable to contain my smile. "Who is it?" Lucian questions.

I turn my phone around, revealing the caller being one of our closest friends back in England, Carter.

"Put it on speaker," Harper gushes, sitting up.

I do just that, letting everyone catch up with him. We fill him in on everything going on in our lives and he tells us how everything's going at university and with his girlfriend.

The conversation was so refreshing that when I eventually hang up I'm surprised to see that almost twenty-five minutes have passed.

My happiness quickly dissipates when I realise that Serena should have been back by now.

"I'm going to go check on Serena," I announce, trying to hide the worry lacing my voice as I rise to my feet.

A look of realisation appears across all their faces, as if they too are just realising that she should have returned.

"We'll all look," Lucian decides, sensing my rising panic. "No you guys stay here, Tyler come with me," I instruct when they all start to get up.

"You should stay just incase she comes back, it's probably nothing anyway," I explain, my voice wavering.

"She went off this way," I mumble to Tyler as we storm off through the crowd. I rush towards the bathroom, my mind immediately thinking of the worst possibilities.

She could have collapsed again, been sick, been targeted, kidnapped or-

"She'll be alright man she's probably just in a long line or something," Tyler comforts, patting my shoulder.

"Right," I nod, wanting to believe he's right.

We make it to the bathroom, scanning the area for her only to see a line of men. "The women's is over there," Tyler announces, his back turned to me.

I look at where he's pointing, anxiety coursing through me when I spot the small outhouse building in the distance. It's right at the back of the field, the cloak of tall trees behind it being an entrance to a large forest.

My pace quickens as I head over to it, my shoes trudging along the unkept grass. My worry increases when I see that there's only two unfamiliar men over here, meaning it hadn't occurred to my guards to post themselves out here.

"Serena?" Tyler calls out multiple times, looking around every inch of the surrounding area. We make it to the bathroom, analysing every woman in line.

No Serena.

I cut the line, pulling open the door of the small building. The room is painted a shade of green that resembles vomit, the floor a sea of grimy looking beige tiles with three toilet stalls and a row of taps.

The long fluorescent light above flickers as I step into the room, my eyes immediately falling on the three occupied stalls.

"Serena?" I call out, only to get no response. "Serena are you in here?" I call out again.

No one replies so I resort to ducking my head to get a look under the stalls, only the women's feet being visable.

I scan each stall, finding a pair of sparkly flats, some red converse and some fluffy Uggs.

No Serena.

I storm out, realising that she isn't here. "No luck?" Tyler asks, his face scrunched together in concern.

I shake my head, pulling out my phone to message our security. "Call the others and tell them to start looking while we search over here" I instruct, my actions quick with panic.

He pulls out his phone as he follows behind me, almost having to jog to keep up with the speed in which I'm walking.

We search around the bathroom, looking at the face of every girl that passes. We look for around ten minutes, my panic almost unbearable as Tyler feeds me updates on what the rest of the group are saying.

Just when I think I'm going to need backup from my father, someone catches my eye. At the edge of the venue, standing right next to a patch of trees I see her.

The second my eyes land on her I'm certain it's her, that big curly hair unmistakably belonging to my Serena.

What surprises me is that she doesn't seem to be in trouble, in fact she's talking cheerily with another girl.

My panic ceases and is replaced with anger. She seriously worried all of us just to sneak off and gossip with some random girl in the woods?

I storm over, Tyler following close behind.

"Serena!" I shout, the rage evident in my voice. She snaps her head towards me, the smile on her face dropping.

Her eyes are wide as I approach. "Are you fucking kidding? Did you not think to let us know you wouldn't be coming back?" I shout.

"We've been looking for you," I yell at her, now only metres away.

I come to a halt in front of her, my breathing heavy as I try to control my anger. As I've gotten closer I can get a better look at her face and the fear painting it. She opens her mouth, seemingly desperate to explain herself but nothing comes out.

Instead something I've very rarely seen her do happens, she starts crying.