I made my way into history, my last period before lunch.
I glanced at Cora. She was giving me an 'are you okay' look. I nodded to her. My eyes moved to Lillian. She was looking questionably at a boy with dark hair and green eyes. Then, I looked at Aidan.
He was new.
I was surprised when I saw him here this morning. Cora seemed to know that he was coming here though. I really think something is going on between them. I tried to avoid it but, eventually my eyes drifted to Zee's empty chair.
I still felt her lips on mine. I stared out the window at the woods that reached even here. I wonder where she is now. I wonder if she's doing okay. I wonder if she misses me.
"Kane, Jacob." the teacher said, interrupting my thoughts.
I realized it was just roll call. "Here." I said quickly. He narrows his eyes and says, "Remember to pay attention in the future, Mr. Kane."
"Yes sir." I replied to the teacher whose name I didn't bother to learn. "Hunter, Zee." he said. Wait. She's supposed to be before me. I looked at Cora who rolled her eyes. She tore a piece of paper out of her notebook and crumpled up into a ball and threw it at me.
Zee usually did that.
I sighed. "Ms. Hunter? Has anyone seen her?" The teacher asked. I looked at Cora. She was fiddling with her pencil nervously. The teacher walked up to stand next to Cora's desk, "Do you know anything, Ms. Long?" She vigorously shook her head.
I rolled my eyes. She couldn't be more obvious. "Or you, Mr. Kane?"
"I haven't seen her today." I said. That was true.
"Perhaps yesterday?" he asked. Oh. Now I have to lie,
"Yeah, but she went home." I said.
He stayed quiet for a moment and said, "Mr. Kane and Ms. Long? Come to my desk after class." I nodded. So did Cora.
I couldn't wait for lunch.
* * * * *
I was about to go out the door to lunch when the history teacher asked, "Mr. Kane? Where do you think you're going?" I stopped and inwardly groaned. I turned around and walked to stand next to Cora. "I know you know where Zee is, so please just tell me."
How does he know? "I'm sorry, I have no idea what you are talking about." I said before Cora could say anything. He narrowed his eyes, "I'm sorry that you felt you had to lie to me, but believe it or not, you're not protecting her." He gets up and stands in front of me and Cora.
"Um, we're not-" Cora started.
"Look, you don't have to lie, I know." I stayed silent. Cora got the hint and stayed quiet as well.
"All I need to know is where she is. We're trying to keep her safe, as well as the rest of you."
Just then, Aidan, Lillian, and the boy Lillian was staring at earlier, named Ethan, walked in.
"We just wanted to check what our homework was." Aidan said, quickly. I see Cora mouth 'Thank you' to Aidan.
"You guys have no idea, do you?" he says.
"About what?" Cora asks.
"Exactly." I added.
"You better start explaining... mister." Cora said.
"So, you guys really have no idea?" he asks.
He sighed, looking around, "I cannot tell you here."
"Why?" Cora asked.
"People might be listening."
Lillian shivered. I wasn't scared, just confused. "Where are you going to tell us then?" I asked.
He thought about it for a moment, then said, "At the big rock in front of the forest. Seven o' clock." Cora and I nodded. The rest of them looked confused but, nodded, seeing that we knew where it was. Then he left. We stayed silent for a second.
Then Lillian asked, "Who else thought that was creepy?"
"Are we actually going?" Lillian asked.
"We don't really have a choice." Aidan said.
"What do you think he wants with Zee?" I wondered out loud.
"We need to find her." Aidan said firmly.
"How do you suppose we do that?" I ask him.
"I don't know, but there are five of us. There has to be some chance?"
"Five? What makes you think I want to be part of this?" Ethan asked.
I realized, he hadn't said anything the whole time.
"Why not?" Aidan countered.
"Well for one thing, he is a shady guy."
Says him, I think.
Aidan raises his eyebrows at him. "Alright, alright, bad reason." He said, "But why do you want me? Ask some other friend of yours."
Good reason.
"Because," Lillian spoke up, "You were the only one who saw where she went."
"What?" I said out loud.
Ethan sighed and put his hands up, "Fine. I'll help."
Lillian smiled, "Good."
* * * * * *
We were at the boulder where we would meet the guy in three hours. "So what's the plan?" I ask Aidan.
"Well, we go to where Ethan saw Zee. Then we split up and go different ways and look for her. We have to cover as much ground as we can. Call one of us if you find anything."
"Let's get this over with." Ethan said quickly and started into the forest.
Shrugging, the rest of us followed him.
* * * * * *
"Well, this is the last place I saw her." Ethan said.
Okay.
"I'm going straight." I said.
"I'll come." Cora piped up. I nodded.
"I'm going left." Lillian said.
"I'll come with." Aidan stated.
"Well, we'd better get going." Aidan said And we all went our separate ways.
I don't know if I want to find her or not.
* * * * * *
"Come on Jacob, we've searched pretty much everywhere. We need to meet the history teacher guy at the rock."
There has to be something, somewhere...
"Okay, we'll go back in five minutes." I said.
"Come on Jacob, you're acting like a three year old."
"Just five minutes. Until then, keep looking." I said.
"Fine. But that's it." About five minutes later, Cora said, "Look, we've been looking for-" She suddenly stopped.
"Cora?"
After a few moments, she called, "Jacob, you might want to see this."
What now?
I walked toward her voice and saw Cora looking at something and I ran over to her to see what's going on, "What's up?" She said nothing. I followed her gaze and saw it.
Blood.
Lots of it.
