What happened to Grace Sinclair? (Friday Barnes)

~3~

                         ~the new problem~

Friday knew that staying hidden was the best option for everyone until she was cleared, but Friday was a busy body.

She needed something to do and painting Olives wheelchair was just not cutting it.

The four of them were all in the small apartment like room they shared, watching BBC Merlin and doing their own thing.

Friday was re-assembling Olive's wheelchair while Olive yelled at the characters on the show. Elliot was sitting upside down on the couch reading and Alice was scrolling through social media.

"There really is no limit to your intelligence is there Merlin?" She said at the same time as the character.

Alice chucked a pillow at the girl. "Olive, shut up."

Olive chucked the pillow back. "I wanna go grab some snacks from the shop, anybody wanna come or want anything?"

Friday tightened the last screw on the wheelchair then helped Olive into it. "I'll come."

They made their way down the hallway, past the other doors on their floor and to the stairs.

There were 5 floors of the warehouse, including the ground floor which was a communal space for all the kids living there.

Friday walked next to Olive as she lined up her wheels with the slab of wood screwed to the stairs, then rolled down onto the landing and waited for Friday.

They kept going, down more stairs until they got to the ground floor.

Kids sat on beat up couches and pillows on the floor chatting while others moved around in the small kitchenette and sat at the table eating food.

They made their way out of the building and down the street to the small supermarket.

There was almost nobody anywhere, only the occasional car and jogger.

They entered the store and Friday followed Olive around as she rolled through isles, picking up food and setting them in her lap.

"You seem distracted." Olive said, throwing Friday a bar of chocolate. She dropped it.

"I am a bit. I'm not used to sitting and doing nothing. I've always been doing stuff." She said.

Olive grabbed her wheels and turned to face Friday. "And because you miss that boy of yours."

Friday blinked. "How do you know about Ian?"

She had told them about her friends but had never mentioned that she and Ian were dating.

Olive went back to scanning the chip section. "I can tell. Whenever you talk about him you look a bit like you want a hug. That, my friend, is love."

Friday smiled. "I know a girl I think you'd get along very well with."

They payed for the snacks and Friday put them in her back pack as they left the store.

The sun was beginning to set as they started the half hour walk back to the warehouse.

Friday had taken quite a liking to Olive.

She was easy to talk to and open to most conversation. Friday wanted to ask about her disability but she knew it was rude, even though the curiosity was burning holes in her chest.

Olive was talking about the show they had been watching earlier. Apparently it was a take on Arthurian legend and was, in quotes, 'the best show she had ever watched'.

"And I just don't understand how Arthur doesn't know Merlin is magic because it's so obvious" she said, rolling along the street.

Friday was only half listening, because on the side of the path was a slip on shoe.

Friday bent down and looked at it. It wasn't uncommon to find things like this in the dirt so she left it, chalking it up to a night out that turned a bit chaotic.

She kept going with Olive.

"So anyway, Merlin basically protects Arthur from all threats, magical or not and- what's wrong?" Olive stopped, noticing that Friday had gone still.

She began to wheel over but Friday put her arm out, stopping Olive from seeing what was lying in the grass at Friday's feet.

"Olive, call an ambulance and the police." Friday said.

"Uh- ok." Olive pulled out her phone and called the emergency services.

She put her hand over the phone and asked, "why do we need them?"

Friday still hadn't let Olive see what she had found.

Friday swallowed, not taking her eyes off of the pale woman lying almost completely still in the grass.

"I think there's been a hit and run."