The Garden of Eden || Canis Canem Edit / Bully [ #WATTYS2018 ]

Chapter Fifty-Six: Johnny is Missing Part One

It has been two weeks since Gary Smith had broken up with Eden Milenko. Two agonising weeks that Eden has been constantly preoccupying herself with things other than Gary. Whether that be hanging out with Mandy and the other cheerleaders, working out at the gym, studying or spending time with Petey and Jimmy, Eden tried to keep herself busy, Although, despite her efforts, she couldn't get his mischievous smirk out of her mind. It's been haunting her, or rather, he has been. Time has been slowly torturing her, eating away at her insides and gnawing at her mind. Eden only thanked time for allowing her arm to have a speedy recovery as she rid herself of the sling a mere week prior. It was still a pain, however, to wake up every morning and re-bandage her shoulder as well as her upper arm. 'That's the price I pay for not taking better care of myself.'

Eden took a deep breath of the fresh spring air as she continued her walk around the courtyard, her arm throbbing with a dull ache as she strode. Her body was screaming at her to rest whilst her mind was screeching for her to run to her dorm room, and cry until she ran out of tears. Crying. That was another thing she had been doing for the past two weeks. Balling her eyes out until they were rubbed a raw red and her satin sheets were stained with teardrops. Eden could barely find it in herself to muster an empty smile to the familiar faces that walked past to her, waving cheerfully with big toothy grins spread across their lips. 'What are they smiling about? It's a horrible day, much like any other horrible day here.'

She shook her head promptly, relinquishing all the incessantly atrocious thoughts. 'At least with Gary gone I can wear my poker face freely without being questioned as to why I'm upset.' Her orbs were a dim shamrock shade of green as she scanned the courtyard, in search of someone she could rant to. Suddenly, Jimmy Hopkins came speeding through the campus, pushing through a group of girls who were huddled together nearby him. His thunderous footsteps could be heard from miles away as, with a look of determination, he sprinted in the opposite direction of Eden. 'What's he up to?'

"Jimmy!" She called, catching up to him and latching onto his arm.

The said stocky teenager broke out of his trancelike state and laid his eyes on the taller girl. "Oh, heya."

"You're always running and causing mayhem, aren't you?" Eden questioned playfully, despite her stoic face. "Where are you running off to this time?"

"It's nothing important." His chestnut eyes darted away from her piercing gaze, as she dropped his hold on him.

"Nothing important, hm? Then why can't you look me in the eyes?"

Jimmy let out a huff of air, crossing his arms over his chest. "Johnny Vincent, he's locked up in the mental house."

"Mental house?" Eden spluttered out in shock, barely believing the words that were leaving her own lips.

"Yeah, Happy Volts Asylum."

Her breath hitched at the name of the facility, the title itself leaving a bad taste in her mouth.

'"Eden my dear, do you see that man over there? By the fountain?" My dad whispered in my ear, as my eyes followed where he directed.

"Yes dad, I see him." I nodded, straightening out the satin fabric of my expensive dress as I brought myself to my feet.

"That is Lionel Tee, a very important client of ours. You see, he owns and runs the Happy Volts Asylum and earns quite a bit of money from it. I don't know how seeing as the facility is derelict. Go, have a chat with him, get on his good side. Here's what you need to know about him..."'

"I'm coming with you."

He shook his head almost instantly. "I can't risk you getting into trouble."

"Look, Jimmy, Johnny is a close friend and means a lot to me. I can't let him stay locked up in that rundown asylum like a caged animal."

"How are you gonna help me?"

A smirk peered through her poker face as she slyly tucked a chocolate curl behind her ear. "I'm not going to let my infamous Milenko charm go to waste. I've visited the asylum a couple of times, four times to be exact, as I am on good terms with the owner, Lionel Tee. I have the entire staff directory memorised and I know the layout of the facility like the back of my hand."

Jimmy companion fell dead silent, contemplating deeply seeing as she rose a couple of good points. "Well, I have no choice but to babysit you now."

Eden's smirk grew as both mischievousness and amusement danced vividly in her orbs, her usual glimmer returning. "You won't be babysitting me, don't worry."

He matched her smirk with his own cocky grin and began racing towards the car park without a word of warning. "We'll take my bike there, I know a shortcut!"