The Change

C H A P T E R 6

Alex Lange. The guy of the comment. Of course it had to be him who shows me around! That's ridiculous, I have the worst luck EVER. I feel my cheeks becoming red as Mr Jensen introduces me to Alex. The guy has blue eyes, blond hair, he looks like the perfect guy kind of thing. He smiles and I can see he has a gap between his teeth. He looks really cute though...
"Have fun you two, but don't be late in class!" Mr Jensen says. He walks back in his office. What the hell just happened?
I look at Alex and smile awkwardly. I've never been the new girl in a school before, how am I supposed to act?

Alex is a really nice guy. Really. But I can't stop thinking about the comment he left on Aubrie's post. How does he know her and her friends? I guess it's because they go to the same school, obviously. But, I don't know. I feel like I'm missing out on something.

He shows me the whole school. Like, literally. And I am here, nodding to everything he says but actually thinking about theories that would explain if he used to be friend with Jane and Aubrie or something. I bet the answer is actually really easy but as my mind likes to do it I just imagined a bunch of unlikely scenarios. We end this little tour of the school by coming back in front of the principal's office.

"Well, I guess this is it," Alex says smiling at me, "I hope it helped you a little."
"Yes, thank you," I answer focusing to not show him that I actually didn't listen to a single word he said.
"It's not very difficult to find your way in this high school, you'll see. But if you need anything don't bother to ask me!" he says.
   "Oh, okay thanks! That's very nice of you," I answer, still focusing.
   But I think he noticed that I am not completely focusing on him and his presentation of the school by the look he gives me.
   "So, is everything okay?" he finally asks.
   "Yeah, why?" I answer a bit awkwardly.
   "I don't know, you seem... somewhere else."
   He giggles saying that and I do the same when I see his smile. His smile is fucking beautiful. Really. It might become my favorite smile — with Daniel's of course. I want to ask him about Jane but actually cannot do it, that would be inappropriate to the situation. But it's stronger than me, I have to talk about it.
   "Oh no, it's just this whole Jane story... It's a bit confusing, you know," I reply. "I mean, the second day after I arrived here and a girl is missing? That's not really reassuring."
   I try to act normal.
   "Yeah, of course I understand. What's happening is awful. But if you worry, you'll never be able to do anything in your life so... just live in the moment. Focus on you and your well being. I'm sure the police will find Jane," he answers.
   "I guess... it's just... I'm sorry but I have to ask: do you know Jane?" I finally ask. "I mean, of course you don't have to answer..."
   He smiles a little.
   "Um, yeah. Yeah I know her. We used to date," he answers.
   Well, what did I tell you? The easiest scenario. I whisper a little "oh" and I chuckle nervously.
   "We were best friends at first and then we dated for a few months. Then we broke up but we stayed on good terms though. I really don't understand why a girl like Jane would run away. Seriously, she wouldn't do that to her family and her friends, she cares too much about them," Alex explains. "And she loves her life here."
   "Then, what do you think happened?" I ask.
   "Kidnapping," he says in a sigh, "as dark and awful as it sounds."

   Shivers run through my body. That's just horrible. If there is someone out there who kidnapped Jane, and if that person happened to be the same person who kidnapped the missing girl of last year, then that means he or she — I'd say it's a "he" — is probably plaining on kidnapping other girls.
What kind of psycho would do that?!
   "I also heard another girl went missing last year..." I say.
   "Yeah, that's Diana. I don't know her though I heard she is very nice," he says.
   "Do you think she was kidnapped too?"
   "Maybe, I don't really know. Maybe it's the same psycho who kidnapped Jane, maybe Diana ran away... Maybe Jane ran away, who knows."