Revealed

63. Andre

We soon arrive at Solie's house. As she gets out of the car, news reporters come rushing out of nowhere and flood around her. They stuff microphones in her face from all directions and flashing lights are going off everywhere. I can tell that she's feeling very uncomfortable as soon as she looks at me with this kind of fear in her eyes. I do the only thing I can think to do.

I push through them to get to Solie. I begin to help her get into her house when the reporters begin to pull their attention towards me.

"Who are you?!"

"Did you kidnap Solane Royal?!"

"Where have you both been this whole time?!"

Solane is getting frustrated.

So I whisper in her ear, "You don't have to answer any of their questions. Let's get into your house."

Solane takes some deep breaths before replying. "No. They don't get to do this."

Then she shakes her hand out of my grip and turns to face the huge crowd behind her.

"My name is Solane Royal. And I was not kidnapped. I simply took advantage of an opportunity I saw. You do not get to invade my privacy like this. Leave." Solane speaks so calmly. It shoots fear through the crowd. No one speaks or moves. Then she turns back around to get closer to her front door.

"It doesn't add up. You called the police and told them you had been kidnapped." Someone has the courage to speak.

Solane faces them and I grab her arm.

"Solie..."

She disregards me. "I don't have to answer anything to you. Leave me alone."

We both enter the house. It had not been locked.

I have never been so amazed in my whole life. Solane slips her feet out of her shoes and places them by the door. I do the same. We walk slowly through the house.

"Wow. It's really quiet in here," she says.

We continue tiptoeing around.

"Hello?" Her voice echoes in the room. She looks over to me. "I don't think anyone's home."

"Oh.... so what now?"

Solie wraps her arms around her chest and looks around. Her eyes can't stand still. She's thinking.

"I guess we just... wait?"

"I'm cool with that." I slump back into the couch closest to me. Solie is playing with a necklace around her neck.

"I'm just gonna look around. I haven't been here in awhile."

I nod as she disappears into a room on the left. When I'm sure she's gone, I get up and walk towards a wall full of pictures of her and this old lady of whom I assume was Mama Dee.

Solie was an adorable child. There are a lot of award certificates all around the room. I read them aloud to myself.

"National Elementary Honors Society. Choral Achievement Certificate. Outstanding Musicianship. Certificate of Graduation. National Math League Award. 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony... successfully completed 8th grade."

There are so many, I don't even finish reading before Solie comes back. Her hands are in her hair and her eyes are glossy. She's breathing heavily.

"Solane. Are you okay?" I walk to her and she falls into my arms crying.

"Mama's been so depressed since I left. She's been drinking. There are so many empty bottles in her room. She did this... she did this when her husband died too." She stutters. Her tears are heartbreaking. "She was hospitalized for a week. What if something happened to her?"

I hug Solie tightly. "Shhh. She's gonna be fine. We can't know for sure until she comes home right?"

Pulling away from me, Solie says still tearing, "What if she doesn't?"

I look into her eyes. They are filled with terror, dread, but most of all, despair. I don't know how else I can help her. "I'm sorry Solie."

She quickly wipes the tears from her eyes and her breathing becomes even more heavy. "Oh my god. When we came in, the door was unlocked... Wha.. Why? Oh my god. I feel lightheaded. I'm hyperventilating. Where is she.... We need to find her." The pacing that Solie is doing could have been heard from all the way outside.

"Solane. You need to calm down. You need to breathe."

Her sweaty palms keep moving in all directions. Frustration creeps into her body faster than before. "Keys. Spare keys. Where are they?" Running to a drawer in the kitchen, she starts throwing everything out of it in search of the keys. Papers, tools, and pens go flying everywhere. When she has no luck, she moves back into the room on the left. I follow her. She's sobbing now. She kicks some of the glasses and bottles to the wall where they break. Then, she falls into the glass, giving her cuts all over her arms and knees. They bleed without a stop.

"Solie!", I yell. I run up to her and help her out of the room, still holding her in my arms. What a heartbreaking scene to have witnessed.