What happened to Grace Sinclair? (Friday Barnes)

~2~

~up to speed~

When Olive had said makeover, Friday nearly jumped out the window.

But the stretch between their floor of the warehouse and the ground outside was awfully far, and breaking her legs didn't seem like the best response.

Once she saw herself again after the 4 hours Olive and Alice had spent changing her, she had finally felt like herself again.

Alice had been in charge of dealing with Friday's hair. She had dyed the platinum blonde the almost the same shade of brown as her original hair, then cut curtain bangs so that they covered Friday's face.

Olive had wheeled out to get new clothes for Friday. She had come back with black jeans, a yellow shirt and a brown hoodie.

That was almost a week ago.

Friday had been spending her days trying to find the best possible way to contact Ian, or Melanie, or Bernie or anyone who would help her. Only problem was that Interpol were currently hunting her down and all phone calls and letters would be intercepted.

Now, Friday was sitting on the dusty floor with Olive and Alice, painting the disassembled parts of Olive's wheelchair.

Despite having no ability to move her legs, Olive was the happiest person Friday had ever met. She had the most beautiful sandy hair and warm sun kissed skin with ocean eyes.

Alice, on the other hand, was very intimidating. She was Japanese with the typical black shiny hair and siren eyes. She walked with the confidence of a queen and looked like one too.

They had divided the amount of wheelchair pieces evenly, leaving another pile for Elliot for when he got back.

Olive was painting her parts light colours with little white stars. Alice's parts were very dark shades of red and green and Friday had used light greens and browns to paint leaves.

The door opened and Elliot walked in, throwing his backpack onto the ground and shutting the door. "You're on the news again, Detective."

Friday scowled at his nickname for her, but ignored it and asked, "what's new?"

Elliot sat down in their circle and picked up a paintbrush. "They've put a bounty over your head. $500 for anyone with any information on your location."

Friday nodded. This was getting worse. Interpol were desperate and would no doubt have people everywhere looking for her.

She needed to contact Ian.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Friday sat in the back booth of the Hungry Jacks, reading a small article in the newspaper.

She hoped that Ian and Melanie had managed to sneak away to meet her.

She had left them a very vague note on where to meet her and what time, but she hadn't signed it with her name, instead she had used a name only Melanie knew. Astrella. Her middle name.

The bell above the door rang and Friday looked up.

Melanie spotted her instantly but made her way over slowly so she didn't draw attention.

She sat down next to Friday, and Ian took the spot across from them.

Melanie pulled Friday into a hug. "We saw the news. $500 for your location is wild. Oh my gosh look at your hair! It's so pretty!"

Friday waited patiently for Melanie to finish asking her 200 questions.

Ian leaned forwards. "What are we going to do about the bounty? Interpol is desperate to get you back and in custody. They've got people everywhere."

Friday nodded. "I can't find anything about the murder in the news or in papers. Nobody knows anything so I can't try and solve it."

"Agent Gillard is working on it. Nobody believes that you did it, but the law is demanding they have you in holding." Melanie said. "She's getting very close to proving it isn't you."

This was good. Once it was proven that Friday didn't kill anybody, she would be able to come out of hiding.

"Are you ok?" Ian asked. "Have you found a safe place to stay?"

Friday nodded. "Yes. There's a place not too far from here with some people our age who live there. They're letting me stay there."

Ian nodded.

Someone knocked on the window and they all turned to see a tall girl with glossy black hair and sunglasses.

Alice breathed on the glass then wrote 'hurry up' in the condensation.

Friday sighed.

Melanie frowned. "Do you know her?"

Friday nodded. "That's Alice. She's one of the people who I live with."

"She's very pretty." Ian observed.

Both girls looked at him. Melanie was glaring and Friday frowned.

"Uh- I mean- no, she's not nearly as pretty as you, Friday, but-" he stammered.

Alice knocked on the glass again, telling Friday to get a move on.

They agreed that Friday should stay in hiding until Agent Gillard clears her, and promised to stay in contact.

Melanie stood up, letting Friday scoot along the booth and stand up too.

Melanie pulled Friday into a hug. "It'll be over soon. Then you'll be back."

Friday nodded.

Melanie grabbed her bag and began to make her way to the door.

Friday followed and felt Ian fall into step next to her.

"Sorry." He said.

Friday frowned. "What for?"

"For saying Alice was pretty." He said.

Friday laughed. "You can call other girls pretty, Ian."

Ian went pink.

Friday pulled the sleeves of her hoodie down over her arms, protecting them from the cold air.

Alice came around to meet them.

"Alice, this is Ian Wainscott and Melanie Pelly. Guys, this is Alice Rockefeller" Friday introduced.

Alice looked at them through her sharp eyes. "A pleasure I'm sure. Let's go, Detective, I've got places to be."

She slid on her sunglasses and her hair fell over her face. She walked away.

"She's friendly." Melanie said, turning to Friday.

"Just wait till you meet Olive and Elliot, they make up for her." Friday told them as she shouldered her backpack.

She gave Melanie one last hug and kissed Ian's cheek then began to walk away.

"I won't see you for who knows how long and all I get is a kiss on the cheek?" Ian called after her.

She smiled running back to kiss him properly.