An Introverted Extrovert

Chapter 8 (Investigation)

The email got all of us thinking. It's kinda weird how something as simple as that can really change your thoughts.

Mum showed the email to the police this morning after I was real eased and they're currently trying to track down the location, although they're not sure if they'll receive a good outcome because it was obviously sent from a rural area.

I try to jog my memory, who was Dad afraid of? Did he have any enemies? Why are they coming for us? All these questions and so many more begin to form a rat race in my mind, until the point of a killer headache.

Fumbling with my fingers, my name is mentioned.

"Adele."

In a split second I flip my head up to see Ms Shores, my English teacher leaning down on me asking me the answer to a question. She was lovely, but extremely confronting.

The thirty pairs of eyes trailing on me didn't help either. I bite my lip awkwardly.

"Um. I didn't get the question, sorry."

After this Ms Shores then continues to rock on the back of her heel and proceeds to ask another student.

Ty gives me a sympathetic smile from across the room and I immediately feel less out of place.

One long English lesson later, we are finally dismissed.

"Del, I'd like to speak to you," Ms Shores speaks up to me as I'm shoving books into my bag. Annabelle shrugs at me unknowingly and points to the door, reminding me that she'll be waiting outside for me.

"Yeah, what's up? I'm really sorry about me today. I've just got a lot on my mind," my eyes shift from corners of the room, trying to avoid any form of close eye contact.

"I was wondering, are you, by any chance interested in singing for the school performing arts group? We're in some serious need of decent and capable students, and I know you can sing beautifully."

My eyebrows raise and I step back.

"That sounds lovely and I would be more than happy to, but I've just been crazily busy lately. I'm really sorry Ms Shores," I feel guilty for not accepting it and lying about me being busy. Really, I should just tell her about stage-fright.

"That's okay, just get back to me if you change your mind," she replies, as she swipes a lock of caramel hair from her face.

I can hear the sadness in her voice but I try to focus on myself.

The rest of the day is slow and boring, but together Ty, Annabelle and I get through it. We're sort of our own clique now, Ty obviously being the popular one, me being his antisocial girlfriend and Anna being the loud and annoying one.

We plan to make our day slightly interesting by meeting up at the local shopping centre and grabbing a bite. The second the bell releases us to our afternoon activities, I hurry to my small and beat up car, only to meet Anna in less than fifteen minutes from now.

After arriving at the small 'food court' (which is about eight or nine arranged shops, all desperate for customers), I see a flash of red hair, emerald eyes and framing freckles.

"Are ya ready? When's Ty meeting us?" Annabelle asks before I can begin to explain.

"He's going to meet us in an hour, he has a lot of science homework to catch up on."

She bite her bottom lip and smiles shyly.

"That's okay. Do you wanna look at some clothes or something in the mean time?" Anna gives me a mischievous look.

We have so many hilarious memories of being small teenagers, just trying to have fun. Together we have games we play in shopping centres, such as
'Who Can Make The Ugliest Outfit' or 'Who Can Find The Ugliest Item'.

People give us weird stares, but
ultimately that's the aim of the game. And I knew that today was gonna be another round of searching busily through racks of clothing trying desperately to find something unattractive.

We're losers, but we're okay that way, and now here we are, standing in front of a mirror dressed in an ugly leopard print blouse and disgustingly blue leggings.

"I think we're too busy caught up in thirty years back," I mumble.

"Yeah, the 80s couldn't handle Adele the fabulous, and Annabelle, the glamorous!" she cries out dramatically.

Shaking my head, Anna gives me an odd smile I've never seen before.

"How's things with Ty?" she asks sensibly and unjokingly. This is unusual, but accepting it I open my mouth to respond.

"Yeah, we've been good, it's just that, well..." my voice trails off quietly.

A look of concern crosses the girls face. "It's just what?"

After taking a big gulp and deep breath in, I begin to confess.

"I just feel as if he's too good for me. Like, we'll be walking through the hallways and everyone will ask him about his day, or how he's going or appear to be his closest friend.
Then I'm standing there awkwardly, because they don't even know my name. And I just don't want to have that 'Ty's girlfriend' label anymore. I'm tired of existing in the background. Do you get what I mean?"

Suddenly I feel kind of bad for saying what I said, but a heavy weight has appeared to be off my shoulders.

Annabelle is contemplating the thoughts I've communicated and responds slowly.

"Don't hate me for saying this, but Ty obviously sees you as the most perfect girl in the world, and he doesn't care what anyone else thinks, as long as he has you," I can see the honestly in the bright girl's eyes and know she's right.

But I have to ask.
"What exactly makes you say that?"

Smiling, she replies, "He loves you and he's told me that before."

Chuckling, - and probably sounding like a complete idiot - I can't help but smile gratefully. Little things like this make my day.

And the next day when I see the tall boy trudging grumpily down the hallway, my initial thought is to run at him. Arms wrapped around him, I give him the biggest, most loving hug I can let out.

About a week later, we receive a phone call from the police and they've surprisingly tracked the postal code for the area where the email was sent from.

98108.

The police department explained to us earlier that when they track the area down they could no longer assist in our investigating as no lives were at risk.

Or so they thought.

With that, we are on our own from their on.

The next morning, across the table we are discussing ideas of how we are actually going to find Dad.
Mum (despite being worried), really has no emotional connection anymore since she's moved on, but she is willing to help out in any way possible.
Bree and I, are half scared and half glad that he's moved on, but we finally come to a conclusion.

After several phone calls between Drew and I, we decide to follow the postal code and go to the small town.

Georgetown.

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I'm suuuuuper sorry about lateness of this update, it's been hard finding inspiration to write.

Hope you guys understand.

- Aly :)