Blocked

Chapter Seventeen

The cafeteria was unusually quiet the next day. Most students were buried in their books, cramming for the exam. My mind wasn't on the test, though. Not entirely. I was thinking about Hannah, the investigation Sebastian and I were about to start, and everything that had happened over the past few weeks. The weight of it all hung over me like a dark cloud.

I spotted Sebastian sitting at our usual table, already waiting. He waved me over, his usual relaxed smile on his face. "Hey, Mia. You ready for today's chaos?" he asked as I sat down.

I shrugged. "As ready as I'll ever be. How was your exam?"

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Let's just say I'm glad my future doesn't depend on Physics. At least I didn't cry halfway through it like last time."

That made me laugh, a small, genuine chuckle that I didn't expect. Sebastian's smile widened, clearly pleased with himself. "See, there's that laugh I've been waiting for," he said, nudging my arm.

I shook my head, still smiling. "Yeah, well, don't get used to it."

His expression softened, and he leaned in slightly. "So, where do we start with this whole investigation thing?"

I exhaled slowly, my mind racing back to the day Hannah disappeared. "We need to go over everything that happened that day. The day she went missing. It's all a blur, but maybe if we break it down, we'll find something."

He nodded, and I could feel his eyes on me as I started speaking, remembering everything in vivid detail. "That day... it was after school. I went home, and I—" I hesitated, my hands trembling slightly as the memory rushed back.

Sebastian noticed and gently touched my arm. "You don't have to tell me if it's too hard."

I shook my head, determined to push through. "No, I need to. I... I did something stupid. I—" My voice faltered, but I forced the words out. "I cut my fingertips. Not deep, just enough to feel something different, to let the pain out in a way I could control."

His face tensed, concern flooding his eyes as he glanced at my hands. "Mia..."

He noticed the faint scars, the barely-there marks that had started to fade but were still visible if you knew where to look. His hand brushed them lightly, as if touching them too hard might reopen the wounds. "You shouldn't do this to yourself. It won't help."

I pulled my hand away, embarrassed. "I know, I just... I didn't know what else to do that day. Everything was too much."

Sebastian nodded, his gaze steady but soft. "Promise me you'll talk to someone next time. Even if it's me. You don't have to do this alone."

I bit my lip and nodded, the lump in my throat making it hard to speak. "Okay."

We sat in silence for a few moments before I took a deep breath and changed the subject. "We need to go to the Frosts' mansion. Maybe there's something there we're missing."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "You think they'll let you in? After everything?"

I frowned. "Probably not. But we need to find a way in."

He leaned back, thinking for a moment, then grinned. "What if we pretended to be part of the local press? You know, like we're investigating the case for a school paper or something. They might not let you in as Mia Jenkins, but as 'Mia, student journalist'... maybe."

I blinked, surprised. "That's actually... brilliant."

"Don't sound so shocked," he teased, laughing softly. "I've got some brains, you know."

"Yeah, yeah," I said, rolling my eyes but smiling despite myself.

As we prepared to leave, Sebastian looked at me more seriously. "There's something I don't understand. Why did Chad and Hannah start bullying you in the first place? What's the deal with that?"

I hesitated, the memory of the first week at school flooding back. "It was because of Zaire Davis."

"Zaire?" Sebastian tilted his head. "You mean the hoodie guy? The one who always looks like he's about to run away from everyone?"

"Yeah," I replied. "He's a geek, terrified of people like Chad. I knew him from foster care. We were in the same house for a while when we were twelve. He's got glasses and braces, and he's always hunched over like he's trying to make himself invisible. But he's a good guy. Soft. A good soul."

Sebastian nodded slowly, listening.

"There was this day," I began, the memory playing like a film reel in my mind. "It was my first week at Bayview High. Chad and Hannah were messing with Zaire, making fun of his glasses, and pushing him around. I couldn't stand it, so I stepped in."

I could still see it—the way Chad shoved Zaire into the lockers, laughing while Hannah egged him on, calling Zaire names. Zaire's face was pale, his hands shaking, and I couldn't just stand there and do nothing.

"I stood up to them. Told Chad to knock it off, or I'd report them. He laughed at me, of course. But I wasn't backing down. I went straight to the principal, and luckily, there was enough evidence to get them suspended for a week."

Sebastian's eyes widened. "That's why Chad started coming after you?"

"Yeah," I said bitterly. "Ever since then, he's made my life a living hell. And Hannah, well, she just followed his lead."

Sebastian was quiet for a moment, processing everything. Then he asked, "Have you seen Zaire recently? He seems like the type who'd disappear into the background."

I nodded. "He tries to stay out of sight, but he's visited me a few times. Even at the hospital after... after the assault."

Suddenly, I shot my head up, scanning the cafeteria. "I wonder if he's here today."

But Zaire was nowhere to be seen, as usual. I sighed and stood up. "We should get going. We've got a plan to run."

Sebastian smiled, his usual calm demeanour reassuring me as we left the cafeteria. It didn't take long for us to make our way to the Frost mansion, the large, imposing building looming ahead of us.

We managed to slip past the gate easily enough, using Sebastian's 'student journalist' idea as a cover when one of the staff caught sight of us. He flashed a fake press pass he'd printed at the school library, and we were in.

The Frosts weren't particularly helpful, though. We asked questions and danced around the subject of Hannah's death, but everything they said was vague. There was no new information, nothing we could work with. It was frustrating, but I tried not to let it show.

After what felt like an eternity, we finally left the mansion, walking back toward the car. "That was a dead end," I muttered.

Sebastian nodded, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. "Yeah, but it was worth a try. We'll figure it out. One step at a time."

As we headed home, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing—something we weren't seeing yet. But whatever it was, I knew we had to find it. We didn't have any other choice.