New York- Where Dreams are Made

Chapter 23- Love is Love

I rushed into Music Theory five minutes before starting time. Alexander sat by himself drawing in a notebook. I had felt so good after meeting the boys. Something about them. The idea of starting over and escaping the past was overwhelming. The feeling that everything might be ok after all. It's amazing. I leaned carefully over Alexanders shoulder and tapped his head. "Whatcha drawin?" I asked staring down at the paper. My heart stopped as I saw what it was. He scrambled to close the book. He was drawing me. He had a sketch of me with a notebook under my arm staring into a light and my eyes aglow. I stood straight. "I-I'm sorry. I d-didn't know." I flung around and flew up the stairs to my normal seat. I felt my face burn through the entire class and couldn't wait to leave. Good mood diminished.

I raced to my dorm. Katie still has an hour. I burst into the room. It seems I always burst in here. I threw myself onto my bed and screamed into my pillow. I sat there a minute. "Katie?" I lifted my head from the pillow. I looked around our dorm. No Katie. "Okkkkkk..." I'll just text her. I reached for my phone and sent her a message.

Message to: Pouffy haired Patsy- Katie did you go to eat without me? Are you ok?

I waited a moment.

Ding!

It wasn't my phone. Katie's unmistakable pink glittery phone was laying on her nightstand. What the heck?

Message to: Mitch the Witch- Hey have you seen Katie? She isn't in our room.

I felt myself start to panic but I pushed the feeling back into my stomach.

Ding!

I reached for my phone like it was falling from a cliff.

Message from: Mitch the Witch- OMG no we had breakfast and she left to go to your room about an hour ago.

No.

I grabbed my keys and ran outside. I ran to Professor Williams room. Professor Williams always cared so much for his students. He could help. I ran for three miles and I was out of breath. "Professor Williams! Katie is missing I have no idea where she went she was supposed to be in our dorm I think she might be hurt or with someone we don't know I called all our friends me nobody knows where she is you have to help us find her and I-"  he held up a hand. "Charlotte dear you're speaking in french again." I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "Katie was not where she was supposed to be. None of my friends have seen her and she never goes anywhere without her phone but here it is." I hold up her blinding pink phone. He scratched his bald head and held it. "Ok I'll see what I can do." I almost slapped him. "Youll see what you can do?!" I cried. "We have a missing student here and all you say is 'Ill see what I can do.'?" I screeched. Mitch came bursting in. "Charlotte..." I turned to face her. Her face was sad and her eyes were distant. "We found her." I swiped Katie's phone from the professors hand and ran after her. She was leading me to our dorm. Katie sat on our couch blood dripping from her mouth and head. She was bruised all over her face and arms. "KATIE!" I cried and ran to her. "I-I'm fine." She said holding a cloth to her face. Angel was putting bandages on her arms. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "What happened Katherine?" I used her name. "G-Grace caught up to me when I was coming home from breakfast. One of her friends hit me with a metal thing and the rest is kinda fuzzy." The usual sass and flair had come out of her voice and it was sad. I felt anger rise in the pit of my stomach. "Sit down Charlotte." Mitch said and held my arm. "That little b-" Angel hit my arm. "How are you two not furious?! This girl has made a mess of us and our friends! She's the devil! Look at Katie guys! How are you not pissed?! I'm pissed!" Katie looked at me with sad eyes. "Stop." She said grabbing my wrist as I stood up. I pulled my arms out of their grasps and stood there a moment. "You're never like this you just need to calm down let me ma-" "no!" I shouted. I threw open the door and ran into the campus garden. They don't get it. This isn't ok. I put my head in my hands and sat on a bench. I remembered getting beat up back home for being different. Now it's happening to Katie. And it's killing me.