Abducted

24 days: Lots of lies

FRIDAY: DECEMBER 2nd

I woke up the next morning feeling restless. I remembered the events from last night and slightly smiled. It was so was surreal. I've never felt so stuck. There was this sense of excitement. For once I felt happy to go to school.

I packed up my backpack and my gym bag, then made my way to school. When I got there I walked straight to my locker. As I walked down I felt eyes on me. I heard people whispering.

"Have you heard about Bianca? She might be seeing the new kid ," one guy said.
"They'd look cute together," some girl said from behind me.
"I heard she has a new boyfriend. Believe it or not it would be her very first!" another girl whispered to her friend.
I smiled and waved at a group of people standing across from my locker. They all smiled and waved back, politely.  I yawned as I opened my locker instantly greeted by a purple sticky note in the same spot as the previous note.

"You are my moon, sun, and all my stars. I'd do anything for you. ~Your secret admirer♥️"

A little corny. Cute but still corny.

"Hey Bebe!"
I gasped at the voice. "Minji! You're back!!!" I screamed while hugging her.
"Of course Bebe! I'd never stay away from you and Demi that long. And your brother," she said with a smirk.
"Disgusting,"I said laughing.

Minji had been mine and Demi's best friend since seventh grade. Our old best friend moved schools randomly one day and the next day Minji was in her place. We became extremely close and the rest is history.

"So what's that?" She asked, taking the note out of my hand.
"Just a note from my secret admirer," I reply back to her
"Oooo I wonder who it is," she says wiggling her eyebrows at me
"Could be anyone," I say shrugging my shoulders and putting my stuff in my locker.
"We can figure that out later. I heard there's a pep rally today so you have cheer."
"When?" I say closing my locker
"Two periods after gym class. The pep rally is 8th period," She answers.
"I am so tired. I don't even think I want to cheer," I say rolling my eyes.
"Demi to the rescue," Demi chimed holding three coffees in a cup holder.
"You are my God," I replied back to her.
"Mine too. Literally," Minji said giving Demi and quick hug.
"I know. I know. You'd both die without me," she joked.

The bell rang out, signaling the students to go to class. I waved "goodbye" to my girls. Dr. Fritz rambled on in monotone about covalent bonds. I pulled out my phone to text the group chat.

Bianca: Hey. You guys as bored as me?
Minji: Yes! Ms. Clark is killing me with variables right now.
Demi: Nope. I'm in art
Bianca: Don't you have History?
Demi: Yeah. So?
Bianca: Fair enough. So, Minj how was your trip?
Minji: It was great
Demi: Where did you go?
Minji: Just a little trip with my dad. Nothing big
Bianca: In the middle of the year? Come on you were gone for a whole month. Just tell us lol
Minji is typing...

"Ms. Brownstan. I hope my teaching isn't interrupting your phone business," Dr. Fritz said sternly. I closed my phone as I apologized to the teacher.

After class I checked my phone to see if Minji had replied. I noticed she hadn't, so I was hoping to catch her in the hallway, but she was nowhere. I texted Demi to see if they were together.

Bianca: Hey
Demi: Hey what's up?
Bianca: Where's Minji?
Demi: I think I saw her going into the media room with your sister.
Bianca: My sister? Which one
Demi: Anica. Gtg. Apparently there was a test in History today

I closed my phone and made my way to the media room. Once I was outside the door, I pressed my ear against it. I could hear muffled voices having a heated discussion. A moment later I heard the door unlocking. Anica opened the door to see me standing right in front of her.

"Bianca! How much of that did you hear?" she asked, looking past my shoulder.
"None of it? It's the media room. You can't hear anything from outside," I replied back.
"Right," she said just standing there awkwardly
"Are you going to move? I'm supposed to return a laptop," I lied, not completely knowing why.
"Oh, right. Sorry,"Anica apologized before speeding past me. Okay. Weird.

"Bianca? Hey," Minji said extending the "y" sound.
"Hey. What were you and my sister arguing about? Like just now," I asked.
"Oh. It was nothing. Just a group project," she said brushing a piece of her short, green hair behind her ear. She's lying.

We stood in awkward silence for a second longer before Minji just walked away with a quick smile.

What's with all the lies lately? Everyone is acting so weird.

At lunch, I waited at my normal table for Demi and Minji. Demi finally arrived holding two McDonald's bags. "You just have money to spend," I teased. "Got your favorite. Where's Minji? I drove to three different locations to find a stupid Oreo McFlurry," she said placing all the food in front of us. I just shrugged. "She was acting weird. She definitely lied to me last time I saw her," I confessed. Demi ate a nugget and some fries after dipping them in sweet and sour sauce. "About what?" she asked with a mouth full of her food. "Chew and swallow before you choke. And she lied about having a project with Anica. They don't have a class together," I said opening a ketchup packet. "Maybe they're planning a surprise for you," she suggested back at me. I shrugged again. "Maybe."

We sat in silence for a moment until Minji walked up to us. She seemed to be in a rush. "Hey," she said quickly. "Hey. Where the hell have you been? And why did you lie to Bianca earlier?" Demi asked without hesitation. I could tell Minji was taken aback by the immediate interrogation. "For me?" Minji asked, picking up the partly melted McFlurry. "Don't change the subject," I said just going with the direction of conversation. Minji took a bite of her McFlurry as she thought about what to say. "It's a project for a club and I have meeting. I better go," she said moving a piece of hair behind her ear and grabbing a few napkins. I noticed her looking past us every few seconds. As she walked away, I followed her gaze and saw Jay. They met at the cafeteria doors and disappeared around a corner.

How do they even know each other? He's new and she's been gone.

"That was really weird. You see her tuck that hair behind her ear? Definitely hiding something," Demi said scarping the sauce packet with her last fry. I nodded in agreement. "How does she know the new kid? She just got back today," I asked with confusion. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're jealous," Demi accused with a smirk on her face. "What? No way. I don't even know the guy," I said looking away. "You're lying. I can tell. Neither of you can lie like me," Demi teased. I laughed it off. "There's nothing going on there. Trust me. Thanks for the food." Before Demi could say anything else, I got up grabbing my trash and backpack. I gave her a quick wave and headed out the door, tossing my trash in the trash can on the way out.