Above the Ground

18- A Hundred Times a Therapist Was Needed

Ben's Pov:

We checked the treehouse, but sadly they weren't there. Since Allie kept insisting they were on a date, she dragged me to our local ice cream shop.

"But would they really go there on their first date? Would they really let Cole see that?"

She smirked. "Who said it was their first date."

I smiled as I felt her hand slip into mine. "Read anything good lately?"

She bit her lip, thinking. "A lot of fanfiction, mostly."

"But you hate fanfiction."

She wailed. "I knowww. And it's always the ones with horrible English that were translated from other languages that have the most heart-wrenching stories that keep you up until two a.m. crying your eyes out. It's terrible."

"Two a.m.?? Baby, do you really stay up til two a.m?"

"What, it's a bed time story. With a little bit of criminal injustice. You'd like it."

Allie chuckled as I opened the door for her. The bell dingled playfully above.

"I hate that door." Cole's voice trailed over the counter to us as we walked in. "Sickly sweet innocent little jingle. Makes me sick."

"Hello to you too."

"What can I get for you?" he sighed, obviously having a long day.

"Information. Have you seen Daisy? Did she come here?"

Cole shook his head, confused. "No. Why?"

"She and Joe are missing, we thou—"

My girlfriend interrupted me. "We thought they might've gone on a date."

"Allie!"

She smirked, ignoring me.

Cole leaned on his elbow on the counter. "Wait, are they finally official?"

Allie opened her mouth to speak, so I slapped my hand over her face. "No, they're not. So you haven't seen them?" I quickly retracted my hand from Allie's face as I felt her tongue lick my hand.

Cole shook his head. "Maybe they were working on the case? Daisy's been going nonstop to figure it out."

"We checked the treehouse, they weren't there."

"Hmm." Cole tapped the glass counter with his fingers. "Where else? Unless... They wouldn't have. Not without you guys. Not without backup. The haunted house?"

Allie pulled away from me, an accusing look in her eye. "No. No, no, no. We're not going there again."

"What if they're in trouble?" I said. "Cole might be right."

She sighed, knowing I was right, and nodded solemnly.

I nodded back. "Let's go."

"You wanna bring em some soft serve for when you find em?"

*time skip brought to you by Ellis. Grace's father has a restaurant and agreed to let Ellis be the manager after he lost his other job. And now, back to our regularly scheduled program...*

Allie's Pov:

The haunted house didn't feel so empty anymore. Instead of an abandoned home with collapsing shudders and eerie windows, the lawn and house now teemed with patrol officers and ambulance nurses.

Daisy lay on a stretcher, an oxygen mask over her face. Her eyes were barely lifted, but she was alive.

After Ben and I had walked to the place, we noticed a modern car sitting in the shady side of the house, under the cover of some trees. We didn't want to risk any danger, so we called the police to come before we went inside.