Power Moves - Exodus

Chapter 16: To non-friendship

Leila woke up feeling queasy; she must have fallen asleep while watching TV. She turned around in her bed smiling to herself; she took out her phone and saw it said 7:40am. Today was a public holiday which meant no school... she had a little surprise in store for Zach. She got up from bed, and jumped into the shower, with a little spring in her step, she rushed to change into the most casual looking item she could find, (which wasn't casual at all from her standard). She rushed her way out of the room. She took a small piece of paper out of pocket where Loide had drawn a little map for her with directions, which showed her how to make her way to the kitchen. Strictly speaking Leila wasn't too sure, if she was technically allowed to do this...but since she couldn't buy a gift...she really didn't have a lot of options.

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Zach checked his reflection in the mirror with a tad bit of disappointment, the makeup artist had done a good job of course, all his tattoos were gone ....and just like that the part of him that he came to really love and respect had to go into hiding for yet another week. Without even thinking, he grabbed his phone and scrolled through it to look for her room. To his shock, she wasn't there...he roughly scrolled through the other CCTV footage in other nearby area's...he couldn't find her there either. He panicked for a flash of second, remembering Skinner's words last night, about what were to happen to Leila, should any of the dangerous young men that come to his basement every Thursday ever happen to get into contact with her.

He took out his phone and dialed Clifford's number

"Good Morning Master Williams.." Clifford answered promptly

"Have you seen Leila? I can't seem to find her anywhere.."

"Unfortunately not. I am not in the Williams residence today...in fact none of the housing staff are..." Clifford said rather surprised

"What ! ...why?!"

"We have been given the morning off Master Williams.."

"Off...? Given the morning off ?! By whom !" Zach asked angrily

"By Miss Adams.....she said ...er...she would attend to you ....er...personally this morning Sir" Clifford said, and although Zach couldn't see him, he could hear the smile in his voice clearly, and not surprisingly his anger vanished in the flash of a second.

"thanks..bye.." he said excitedly, roughly putting his black jacket over his shoulder he got into his personal lift and pressed the big G button. He got out at the foyer, making his way to the hall where they normally had their breakfast, but there was no one there. Oddly enough, it was probably the first time he recalled seeing the breakfast hall without the dishes and table laid out, and without having his staff wait on him. He felt his phone vibrate, taking it out of his pocket. He smiled answering it

"Hey ! Er..i wanted to invite you somewhere .." Leila said nervously

"So you want to invite me ...in my own house?"

"y-y-yeah..something like that.."

"Cool...where..?"

"come down to the kitchen please.." she said,  Zach paused for a while...

"where might that be?"

"You don't know where your own kitchen is?!"

"No..." he could almost envision her rolling her eyes "wait for me at the foyer..ill come get you"

He waited impatiently; still trying to look for her through all the various CCTV footage he had access to in his phone....there definitely seemed to be a blind spot somewhere since he still couldn't find her. He heard a small ting of the lift doors opening, there she was looking even more breath taking then he remembered. She said something to him, but his brain couldn't register, he felt all the blood leaving his brain and rushing elsewhere...