Falling For Thy Enemy

27 : Damn you, Clara Emery James

CLARA

After school, Keith and Hannah offered to take me to Daily Grind to make up for my bad mood and even Harvey, the counter boy from before joined us as he was on his break. Keith and Hannah went as far as to tell me stories about how they were being wooed or wooing respectively and Harvey found it amusing but absolutely intelligent of me to have this condition us for going on a date with someone which I already knew.

Sure things got a little awkward when he asked me if I'd go out with him after the homecoming and due a very bad trait where I get absolutely overconfident whenever I'm nervous, I pink his cheeks and grinned what I hope was seductively and said why not.

Screw. Me.

It was a half past six in the evening when I got back and Josie was already home, telling us she was ordering Chinese take-out for dinner which was awesome in itself. Leave for Carl, Samantha and Stella, everyone is was present at home though doing there respective routines. I decided to help serve the food with Casey while Josie decided to pick up a movie for all of us to watch.

I was so engrossed in the food in front of me and bringing it all to the sitting room that I almost missed that the news channel was on instead of some movie and they were showing footages from Cambodia which was hit by a massive flood three days ago and the rescue operation was going on but it was difficult to get the news out because of lack of network signal as well as the disaster that destroy most of the land.

"..... informs us about how seven doctors from a team of doctors from New York that volunteered for a medical camp in the country are currently missing. The rescue team branched out in groups of two to search for the missing doctors, three of whom are confirmed to be middle aged females, two middle aged males and two young, interning male nurses......"

I did not notice when the bowl of Tso's Chicken slipped from my hands and fell on the floor. The sound of the bowl crashing was so faint, I almost didn't hear it. I wanted to look at the mess I had caused but I couldn't move. I was frozen, my eyes glued on the television where the female news reporter was reporting back the news of the missing doctors, two of whom could be my parents.

"Clara?" I heard my name being called but I couldn't turn to the speaker of even respond.

"C?!" It was Casey, I guess. Or maybe Colton. I couldn't tell.

"Emery?" Stefan's voice reached my years but it felt so far away, as if an eternity passed before I could hear him call for me. "Emery?!" I felt myself being shook and only then did I remove my eyes from the tv to the person shaking me. A concerned pair of green eyes met my terrified bluish grey ones as his strong arms held me from falling.

"Stefan..." I called out for him in a desperate tone but my voice was barely a whisper.

"Hey, look at me. Emery... it's alright. You're fine." Stefan spoke to me soothingly but it was as if I couldn't hear him anymore.

"It....it could be mom and dad. They could be one of the missing doctors." I fumbled over my words, my eyes burning with tears. 

"No, they're not. We don't know that. They're fine, Emery. These missing doctors could be anyone." Stefan said trying calm me down but I wasn't listening anymore.

STEFAN

"They could be hurt, Stefan." She said, her voice quivering, a sheen of tear glistening her eyes as I looked up at me and in that moment, all I wanted to do was protect her.