Forlot: The Dress That Was Once Hers - Book Six {Completed}

Chapter Forty-Six

The dance had to end so abruptly. The girls were shaking and whimpering, and who could blame them? The boys had to hold them and comfort them. Some of the girls were even panicking. Not just the girl whose boyfriend was shot in the chest, whom I found out later were Cindy Banks and Caleb Night.

One of the boys had his cellphone on him and called the hospital, requesting to come to the school at once. Not even a minute later, the ambulance arrived, and two men wearing all blue, blue shirts and blue pants, scurried into the gym.

"Who is injured?" one of them quickly asked as his partner surveyed the room.

"Here!" Cindy waved them over. She was on her knees and next to her boyfriend who was lying on his back and not moving. His eyes were closed, and blood was soaking through his shirt.

Poor Caleb.

The men hurried to them. One scooped up Caleb and carried him out, while the other relaxed Cindy and asked, "Do you know him?"

She wiped away her tears and rubbed her eyes. "Yes. He is my boyfriend! We love each other!"

"Do you know where any of his family members might be?"

"No. Sorry. I am not sure if he even has any who are living." She stood up. "Please. Let me go in the ambulance. Please! I must be with him!"

"If you wish."

Cindy lifted up her dress, revealing her golden shoes, and ran out of the gym as fast as the fastest thing alive, and the man followed.

I felt horrible. Just horrible.

Nobody should be shot! Nobody! Unless it is self-defense!

I was sitting in a chair and had my head in my hands, replaying the horrific scene and theorizing who could have shot him.

Who in their right mind would shoot Caleb? And why?

Revenge? For fun?

Whoever did it is a psycho.

Tippy and Dejah were on either side of me. Dejah had a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright, Eleanor?" she said softly.

"Yes," I immediately answered.

"Are you sure?"

I shrugged. "...not really."

Tippy was checking my arm. "Thank goodness that you were not standing in front of Caleb," he stated. "The bullet nicked you before it went straight into his chest. That is why your arm hurts. You could have been shot."

I noticed that my skin was turning pale. My teeth chattered as I realized something. Something truly scary.

What if I was supposed to be shot? What if whoever did it was aiming me and missed, hitting Caleb instead?

My stomach twisted into knots, and I rubbed it, trying to get it to relax.

What if...it was my fault? My fault that he had gotten shot?

Of course not, Eleanor. Do not think like that. You did not know that a person who is twisted as your own stomach would do such a thing. That he or she would plan such evil at a cheerful event.

But who would be that twisted?

"Excuse me. May I have your attention," Ms. Hayley Taylor said into the microphone. "The dance will resume soon. Do not go home. Please? I promise that everything will be alright."

Tippy snorted. "Likewise. I do not feel like dancing anymore. Or staying here for that matter!"

"We should head back to your house, Eleanor," Dejah suggested. "The three of us can hang out there." I did not say a word, so she helped me up. She practically had to drag me out of the chair. "Eleanor?"

I sighed. "Actually...I do not feel like hanging out tonight."

I could tell that she was concerned about me. "But do you not want some company?"

"I—" I was interrupted by a loud ding.

Ding! That was my phone.

I pulled it out and squinted at the screen. It was a message. From Ch&d&gghast6.

Strange. I thought that we defeated Chad's ghost.

I read the message, but not out loud.

"Hi, Eleanor. Come to the woods behind the school. I will be standing right by one of the trees. I know where your brother is."

I became shocked.

He knew where Leonard was? I had to go and meet with him.

But before I could leave, a cop who was from another town ushered in with a man in handcuffs. The man was young, probably in his forties, and wearing a lab coat.

"This is the man responsible for shooting that boy," the officer stated, reassuring us. "His full name is Dr. Hugo Maxwell, and he will be going to jail for quite a while."

Dr. Maxwell did not look mad or upset that he was being arrested. He had a smirk plastered on his face.

Little did I know...

I told Dejah and Tippy that I would be right back and went through the back door of the gym that led outside.

I scanned the woods - and spotted a figure standing next to a tall tree. I could see him as plain as day, and he was not Chad.

He had short, brown hair and wore a black, short-sleeved jacket and black pants with black boots. He also had a black eyepatch over his right eye.

I called out to him. "Are you him? The one who just texted me? Ch&d&gghast6?"

He nodded his head and motioned for me to come closer. So I did.

"Is your name Chad?" I asked.

"My real name is Slapi," he said in a raspy voice. "And here is your brother." He shoved something to the ground, and I gasped.

It was Leonard! He was tied up and gagged!

I glared at Slapi. "Did you do this?!"

"Nope. But my sister did."

"Why?!"

"To get your attention. To tell you something."

"And what would that be?!"

He leaned over and grinned. "You are a clone. Just like me and my sister, Ava. We were made by Dr. Hugo Maxwell."