The Forest's Secrets

Chapter Six: Where is she?

Her father made her apologize, then took her by the arm and pulled her along. She didn't protest, and also didn't seem scared. He seemed really angry and as if he would snap at his daughter any moment, but she almost seemed relaxed. Her stiff and cold facade seemed to have disappeared.

"What was that all about?", Jaden asked distrustful. She seemed taken back by what just happened.

"Apparently she isn't just a gene-freak, she's also crazy", Karin replied hatefully.

Gabriel and Fate looked at each other but stood quiet.

"And that Bitch is supposed to be a killer?", Karin continued as she looked at Fate.

The silence that took over the room again was pressing. Neither any of the teenagers, nor one of the officers replied, until Brooks said:"You all know it's not nice to assume something like that. Also, if I find out that any of you had had a run-in with her before Ashly and Fate went missing, we will revoke the description of the wanted. Now leave."

The teens tried to complain, and argue over how unfair that was, but Brooks sent them home. As they were leaving, he asked for Fate to come back the next day.

A few hours later, Jaden and Fate were making dinner, as Fate suddenly asked:"Would you still be my friend if I was gay?"

"Why are you asking?", Jaden asked back after a few silent moments.

"Nothing, the lesbo-girl had me taken a bit by surprise earlier. She was as worried about her sister, or whatever, as I was about you all", Fate replied slowely.

Jay rolled her eyes and scoffed. "C'mon we're just messing around a bit! Now let's get to eating, I'm starving!", she exclaimed and took the hot noodles of the stove.

Fate couldn't help but laugh at that, and so the two girls had a very fun evening.

The next morning, neither of them had too much motivation to go to school. They tried to avoid talking about it, but both were unsure of what had happened to Eli- or Elisa- the day before. And Fate was nearly certain, that if something bad had happened, she'd blame them.

The friends got ready slowely and walked down the streets to their school slower than usual. As they entered the classroom just a few moments before the teacher, they noticed that they didn't have to worry about a thing; Eli wasn't there.

None of the teachers said anything about her absence and Fate was quite sure that no one really noticed the empty seat.

But that changed at lunch. Almost all the students asked the group of friends various things about what had happened. There were questions like: 'Who was that?' 'Where is she?' 'Why have I never seen her before?' 'What happened that you started fighting?' 'How did she move like that?' and many, many more.

Some of the questions the teenagers couldn't answer, some they didn't want to answer. Near the end of the break, most people were satisfied and had left them alone. Gabriel suddenly called:"Hey Sally, get over here!"

Fate hadn't seen the small blackhead, until she started to anxiously make her way towards the older students. "Yes?", she asked quietly, as she stood next to the table.

Gabriel pulled her onto the bench and put his arm around her shoulder. Fate watched as her teary eyes went wide with terror and shock, her breaths were out of control and the first tears started to roll down her cheeks.

"Where's your weirdo sister?", Jaden demanded to know.

Sally mumbled something under her breath. As Gabriel's grip got tighter, Fate could hear a strangled, quiet cry. "C'mon, we can't hear you", the boy demanded roughly.

"She got home with our Dad, but I only heard them talking I didn't see her. And in the morning Dad told me to go alone", the blackhead said a bit louder, her voice heavy with tears and fear.

Gabriel lifted her into his lap and said, with a dark grin on his face:"Baby don't cry."

He and Karin and Jay started to laugh as the little girl broke down crying. Fate couldn't watch that any longer and stood up.

"Gabe leave her be. She's just a dumb twelve year old queer", the girl shrugged. Her friends looked at her in surprise as she grabbed Sally's hand and pulled her out of Gabriel's lap.

As the small girl ran off, Gabriel grabbed Fate and pulled her into his lap now. "What was that for?", he asked, unhidden anger in his voice.

"She could just tell her damn sister again", Fate replied coldly," also what is this? Your new power move?"

The others looked at her in surprise, then Gabe started to laugh. Fate was about to say something else, when the boy suddenly kissed her. She could feel his lips on hers and somewhere she heard her other friends squeal in excitement as her own cheeks flushed red and she kissed him back.