Deception

Part I

*Two teenage girls went missing in Kent this week. Police have brought in a new suspects, but we believe that it will be nothing new from the others they have collected *

I flick through the channels, each one having something else to add on about the disappearances of hundreds of people around the world. Everyone has their own opinion, but we can all agree on one thing, no one is safe.

Sure, you can put up all the security you want, spend thousands on private investigators and body guards, but that can only help prevent the inevitable for a while.

" Turn that off Ivy, your dinner's ready!"

I flick off the TV and sit down at the table, telling myself I can get through one meal without disagreeing with someone.

"So, everyone, how do you like the new house, it's great isn't it."

Since the first incident, mum has been trying to act like it's still the same, trying desperately to make some sense of it, but we all know it can't be explained, it just...happens.

"Yeah mum, it's fab!" I put on my most sarcastic, moody teen voice I can, and see mum giving me disapproving looks from the corner
of my eye.

"Come on Ivy, I don't want to have to only talk about what new people have gone missing. I watch the news, I know this stuff, I just don't want it affecting my family. The less you think about it, the less it can hurt you."

Picking at my food with my fork I mumble under my breath "ignoring it won't do anything"

"Sorry, did you say something?"

Mums angry now, I can tell by the tone of her voice, great.

"No, don't ignore me, what did you say?"

"I said look at what happened to Sam mum! She did exactly what you are doing now, and nothing good came of it, did it! I can't just ignore it, mum, it's happening right now, it can happen to me!"

"That's enough Ivy, everything I do is to keep this family safe, heck, I even bought a brand new house with top security to make sure nothing happens! Sit down now and eat your food! If you say one more word..."

"...what, you'll kick me out of the house, and risk me never coming back! I'd like to see you try!"

"Ivy, just eat you food!"

"I'm not hungry anymore" I look up from my completely untouched bowl of food to my mum. "I'm going upstairs"

"Ivy! Don't you dare...!"

My dad puts his hand on mums shoulders and starts comforting her, works every time. Typical dad always acting like the hero but actually just covering up the scars with bandages instead of blocking them from happening.

I storm up the stairs and try to kick open my door. My foot gets stopped by a thick layer of concrete, and jumping up and down in pain, I remember that mum had several new locks added to my already safe door.

Angrily, I yank out my pair of keys from my pocket and start unlocking all 7 locks from top to bottom. I finally hear the click of the last lock opening and fling open the door, closing it with a dramatic slam so that everyone downstairs can hear my frustration.

I jump onto my bed, and open my phone, clicking on the group chat named 'best friends forever'. It's a stupid name me Casey and Emma chose when we were younger, but none of us have the heart to change it anymore.
I start furiously typing on the keyboard, quickly seeing each of Casey and Emma's little characters popping up above the keyboard, indicating they are on the group chat too. Even before I am done, a typing symbol pops up above Emma's head, and quicker then I can blink, she hits the chat with

"What's it this time, your mum again?-Emma"

I look at the text and erase the long message I had spend too much time on and instead replied with:
"Yep, same old same old, nothing new.-Ivy"

Casey then answers with the same sensitive text she replies with every night:
"Hey, you know you can stay at our houses if you need to-Casey"

"Nah, it's alright, mum will have already forgotten about it by tomorrow-Ivy" Although I don't show it, I still do love my mum, and wouldn't want to leave and have her be constantly upset and annoyed with herself the whole time I'm gone. I couldn't fall asleep knowing she is be stressed out and blaming herself for my actions.

I don't try to get into fights with her, but I just can't help it.I can never find a way to stand her happy, 'everything's normal' tone.

Already knowing the answer I ask "Anything new happened to with of you?-Ivy"

"No-Casey"

"Just the same boring stuff-Emma"

Knew it. Although there is a lot of drama happening, once you get past that, nothing really happens. "Well, i think I'm going to go to sleep now."

"Same, try not to get kidnapped, aha-Casey"

Of course Casey is trying to make jokes about this not funny, serious situation, but you can't take things too seriously when it's with Casey.

"*sigh* Casey are you ever going to learn. Anyway, goodnight too, I'll go to bed soon enough-Emma"

And with that, we all feel sleep, none of us expecting what was going to happen next.