Hidden Close (Jr. Year)

Chapter 21

Part 21 Of The First Draft

Renee couldn't protect her. Becky was as much as a hand full as she was as a ghoul. Since Becky stopped drinking Carlita's blood, she has proven to be a challenge to even keep alive. Becky wasn't the real problem, though. In fact, I have even came to admire her. Maybe it's because she reminds me too much of myself. Whatever it is, I love her.

When we went back to school that week, something major came to our attention. Becky was no longer able to keep up with the other kids on the track. After we had finished our two laps, Becky took a knee, and asked us,

“Mindi....Perry. Can you please tell the coach that I'll be back? I have to use the restroom....”

Perry nodded, and Becky excused herself. I recognized her game, though, and I followed her towards the bathroom. When I found her in there, I could smell blood. As a lycanthrope, or as we call it, a “Wild Girl”, we have extremely good senses, and even more so for our ability to pick up and recognize scents. Lana had turned me into a Wild Girl like her when we were fighting Judge Jackson, and I am forever in her debt for the strength she had given me. I opened the stall where the scent of blood had been coming from, and I was shocked over what I found.

It wasn’t Becky, but instead I found Ben's corpse. He had a few stab wounds in his chest and stomach, and was still breathing. I shouted, and the coaches and students came and tried to help save Ben. When the ambulance came for him, he told me as he was carried out on a gurney,

“Infernal girl...I guess she found me first....”

Does he mean Becky? What was he doing here? Why would Ben have quarrelled with Becky here if he had not intended to hurt her? Either way it is safe to say that Ben was a villain all along. He had done nothing but deceive us since day one. It is so odd. Where did Becky go?

Perry split off from me, calling out,

“I need to find her before they do....”

I also panned out and began looking for Becky. Outside the stall was a knife that was wiped clean of fingerprints in the garbage, but what didn't add up was that it was not Becky's knife. Just then, the intercom for the school came on, announcing,

“Due to recent events on campus, school has been closed. Go home everyone. School dismissed.”

I pulled out my phone and dialed Becky. No answer. I then called Renee, and she answered,

“Where are you, Mindi? Carlita is after both you and Becky.”

“Wait? Ben isn't working with Carlita?”

“No. Ben was trying to warn Becky. She had disguised the murder to look like Carlita wasn't there. I already talked to Perry. He told me everything.”

“How am I to find Becky?”

“She probably ran away, Mindi. Lana might know where she went. Gosh...where is Lana?”

“Lana is at college. I'll call her. Thanks, Renee. Love you.”

Lana knows everything about the streets of Knoxville. She's been at it for way too long. If anyone knows where she may have gone, Lana would be the one to track Becky down. When Lana texted me back, her message read,

“I heard about Becky. I would try the downtown runaway shelter. Renee already tried to get ahold of Veronica. Becky's not there.”

“Can you take me to the shelter?”

“Yeah. After school. Becky is a tough girl. She'll be fine until then.”

“Okay....hurry Renee. I don't want to sit here and think that Becky may already be dead.”

“Sure, Mindi. Take care.”

Perry was already waiting at his car. I asked him,

“Did you find any trace of Carlita around here?”

Perry sighed loudly in pure frustration. He answered me,

“Not a shred. I'll go with you to the shelter. Maybe the three of us together can find her. We can't let Becky fall into the hands of Carlita again. I’ll admit it: Becky is special.”

We drove the rest of the way home with his radio blaring rock n' roll. It's clear he is angry. He just doesn’t want Becky to be hurt. He's a real sweetheart even when he is furious. When we pulled up to his family's home, he told me,

“Go on ahead. I'm going to wait out here and try to gather my thoughts.”

Knowing him, I won’t see him until we have to go to the shelter. Renee came to the door when I made it inside, and she commented,

“Oh, he must be angry.”

I smiled, knowing fully well that this was Perry's way of showing adult emotion. The ability to feel guilt is merely a way of showing responsibility. He'll make a fine husband one day, that is if we survive this nightmare. The only snags in our relationship have only ever came from me. When I first told him I like girls too he didn't freak out. When we became engaged, he understood fully that I was committed to him. I told him it's normal for me and it doesn't make me a slut who will cheat on him. I do fancy Lana and Becky but, you know, I don’t want to go with them. It’s more of a spiritual sort of thing. Now, I love Perry more than ever. I'll never betray him. Isn't that what love is? Eternal interest and desire for only one person? A true intimacy that is one stored in the heart?

“Yes, Renee. It's about Becky. Isn't he too sweet?”

Renee laughed and hugged me. After a moment’s embrace, she revealed,

“Becky will be okay. She knows that Carlita means to nab her. Honestly, she might be safer away from here.”

What a drag. I never thought about her being at risk here. I had taken her company for granted. Now I have a hard decision to make. Renee has a point and if I truly love Becky, I can't be selfish. I hope that Lana gets here soon. If we find her at the shelter, who knows? It might be the last time I see her. I have to stay positive. If we do apprehend the watchers and Carlita, maybe, just maybe, things can return to normal. Well, normal for us.