The Case of the Missing Little Sister

Chapter Four

The door swings open, but it's not dad, it's mom.

"Hi sweetheart," She says and hugs me, tight. Her eyes fall on Ethan. Oh boy, hell is about to break open.

"Uh..." my mom begins, I gulp nervously, "Who is this new boy?" She asks walking over to Ethan and giving him a hard handshake. She smiles at him.

"He helped me get the car here, mom!" I lied. Ethan smiled, in tension. "Oh thanks... Ethan! Which university?" My mom starts a conversation. "Same as Emily's," he says.

"Oh... wow. So you guys are classmates?" "Yes, ma'am."

Ma'am and all, huh? I grin. "Mom, he's going to help me solve this mystery, till then he can stay in the guest room I guess?" I tell my mom. She looks at me for a second, doubtfully, then comes back to life and nods, "Yes, no problem with that. I'll get you both some soda and snacks? See you both in Emily's room in fifteen minutes." she instructs, smiles at Ethan and I.

I walk towards my car, open the boot and get my suitcase out. Ethan gets his out and closes the boot and walks behind me.

I open the door to my room, with Ethan still at the bottom of the stairs, "Emily, do I have to climb these with my suitcase!?" he asks. "Yeah, the guest room is here, too." I call out.

I hear heavy footsteps on the stairs. He walks down the short corridor, which has two doors to two rooms. One, which is my room and the second one is the guest room. My parent's room is on the bottom floor, while I'm on the first floor.

He places his suitcase in front of his room and starts walking towards my room, he comes in and closes the door behind him.

He turns around, "Wow..." He says dramatically and walks over to my bed. He stares at the letters on the wall where my bed is stuck to.

"Your full name is... Emily Elizabeth Walter?" He asks in curiosity, and looks at me in amazement.

I nod. "Cool name, dude." he says and walks over to my dresser and looks at the frame kept on it. I quickly walk to my bed and sit on the edge. I wonder if he's doing this on purpose, the whole, I'm-a-good-boy thing.

"That's your sister?" he points at the obvious, Olivia in the picture. "Yeah."

"But you have dark brown hair...?" he begins. "She's blonde, I can't help it." I say.

"Who's this guy?" He points at a tall boy with short blond hair, Mark.

"That's Mark, he was my neighbor and best friend in high school."

"Cool," Ethan mumbles and sits on the bed besides me.

My mom barges in with a tray, I jump to my feet to help her, but before I can take a step further, Ethan dashes towards my mom and takes the tray and thanks her, and keeps the tray on my table.

I walk further and start eating the fries on the plate hungrily.

My mom pulls me to one side, and whispers, "When do you want to see the letter Olivia left?"

I sigh, "Later, mom." I say and she nods and walks away.

"What did your mother say?" Ethan asks. "Nothing, just usual stuff?" I lie.

Ethan looks at me, unconvinced but nods after a few seconds and goes to his guest room. The bell rings.

I hear the door open.

Ethan comes into my room to ask a question but before that can happen, I can see a tall boy with short blond hair. Mark. I smile and walk past Ethan and give Mark a fist-bump and pat on the back.

"Mark, what a pleasure to see you again!" I say and he grins. "Well, well, well... I'm happy to you know? I couldn't meet up with you the time you were going, and I begged your mom to tell me whenever you would come back. She called me this morning and I came, but your mom didn't sound the same," he says, his smile suddenly dropping and before I know it, this conversation becomes a serious one. Which I hate to have.

"I know, Mark." I say, this time, not lying about anything. "Olivia's missing..." I say quietly, "She's left clues for me..."

He laughs uncertainly, a small quick laugh, he's stressed out now.

"You're kidding, right?" He asks, I shake my head. He wipes his forehead, for I don't know what.

Sensing the tension, Ethan steps in, "Well, Emily, you aren't introducing me! I feel hurt..." he says mockingly and brings his palm on his chest, showing that he is hurt.

I laugh and look at Mark, "This is Ethan, Ethan this is Mark."

"Okay, so you're the famous Mark?" Ethan jokes and fist-bumps Mark and they get into a conversation.

Now, I'm bored out of my skull. "Wanna see a movie?" I suddenly ask.

"I can't actually, Emily. I have to go somewhere..." Mark begins, nervously.

"Okay, no problem. I'm not going to kill you," I reassure him and he smiles and waves and goes away.

I look at Ethan, "That dude is cool," he tells me. "Yeah, I know," I say and go back into my room.

I close the door behind, leaving Ethan in the small corridor. I hear him sigh and I think he goes into his room.

I collapse on my bed, and I lie down. I stare at the ceiling, I imagine, that Olivia was here.

She was labelled the 'mischievous joker', by me. She always played pranks and made everyone smile. I smile unknowingly.

I remember one incident, distinctively, which annoyed me, far too much.

"I can't wait to see this horror movie!" Olivia exclaimed as Mark face-palmed himself. Olivia is so annoying. "We'll get the popcorn and soda and you are going to sit where you are supposed to, alright?" I said. "Okay, madam." Olivia walks off into the theater number three.

"Oh, boy, is she irritating?" Mark said. I smiled and said, "Well, let's just grab the popcorn and see the movie." He nodded and went to get it, while I went to get our 3-D glasses. It was actually a 4-D movie, though.

The movie began and it was dead quiet. Halfway through the movie, the protagonist, a guy named, Zachary Stephens, was walking down a cemetery and suddenly, a zombie jumps on him, and he tries to shoot it, but it's too late. Meanwhile, Olivia bursts into laughter, rocking on her chair, "Dude, that guy is dumb!" she said.

Mark growls while people stare at us like, "Can you make her shut the heck up?" I was embarrassed. I leaned over to Olivia and whisper-shouted, "Shut up. We're watching a movie." "But, you told me this was horror." she said. "This," I replied angrily, "was a horror scene, the only thing was, you took the horror out of it." I leaned back on my chair.

People glared at Olivia and I.