Missing ↝ ÉLITE ²

ELEVEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN
Promises

ARLO SKIPPED SCHOOL the first day of the week. She wasn't in the mood to face either Samuel or Guzmán. The only thing that nearly convinced her to go was that it was Ander's birthday but he reassured her that he really wasn't in the mood to celebrate. In all honesty, she was glad, but that didn't stop her dropping off a present at his house.

The girl sat at home, ignoring all the calls and texts her friends sent her trying to get her attention. She was situated at the dining table in her pyjamas doing her homework quietly. No one was home. Though Manuel and Esme had stuck around, they were taking care of business and Alma was out doing some shopping.

For the first time in a while, Arlo was truly alone in her house. She wasn't sure whether or not she hated it or loved it.

She groaned in frustration after not being able to concentrate on her work as she leaned her forehead down on the table. It was hard to believe that last year her biggest problem was not getting the grades she needed and wanted. And here she was, months later, still struggling with work and she couldn't care less. This was the last thing on her mind. The first was getting justice for the murder of her friend. But she wasn't even sure if she was going to get that.

She had seen something different the night of the party. If their hunch was right and they could prove it, a lot of people would get hurt, friends would be torn apart and things would never return to normal. Not that there was normal anyways. The normal had turned to boys getting in frequent fist fights and Arlo pulling her hair out at the amount of stress she had been under.

Arlo only realised she had been sat in the same place all day when Alma came home, followed by her siblings in their uniforms, both holding ice cream cones.

"Hey, Lo." Izzy greeted. "You feeling better?"

"Yep." Arlo lied, moving her hair to her face. "I very much needed this day off."

"Your friends were asking me for you after school." The 13-year old informed.

Arlo cocked her head to the side. "Who?"

"Guzmán, Samuel, a girl name Rebeca– who I love by the way, Ander. The usual." Izzy shrugged. "Said you weren't answering your phone."

Arlo sighed before she lifted her phone up and as she predicted she had a lot of missed calls and unanswered messages from pretty much everyone. She raised her eyebrows, not bothering to take it off do not disturb as she locked it and placed it face down on the table.

"They can live without me for one day." She stated.

"It feels like they don't want to."

"Go do your homework." Arlo deadpanned.

"Sheesh." Izzy exhaled as she stood up. "I was going to anyways."

Arlo then looked at her little brother who was on the couch, reaching for the TV remote. "Diego?"

Diego pressed his lips together as he turned his head at his sister. "Yes?" He responded, mimicking her tone.

The cheek. The girl arched an eyebrow. "Do you have homework?"

"Noooo."

"Are you lying?"

"Yes."

"Go do your homework." Arlo instructed. "Now. Or no fruit for dessert later."

"Okay." Diego groaned, throwing his head back. "Can you help?"

"Of course." Arlo smiled as he walked slowly towards the dining table to sit next to her.