Chapter Sixteen
Taken

We all looked around at each other in Jack's house. No one was saying anything and I think it was because we were all pretty worried. We were all sitting in the lounge, watching a film called Fracture. Eventually, after Brett had sighed about fifteen times Jack got up and switched the T.V off.
"Do you not like the film Brett?" He asked, rubbing his eyes and scratching his head absent-mindedly. Brett looked around at all of us and shook his head.
"It's so boring! I'm so bored." He cried in exasperation. I stifled a laugh. It was like we were little kids again.
"Oh yeah, and what do you propose we do?" Jack replied.
"I say we play hide and seek." I laughed this time. I didn't expect Brett to suggest something so stupid. Melissa turned to look at me.
"What are you laughing at? Hide and seek is good." She said.
"It's a kid's game." I said, laughing again.
"Hide and seek it is." Jack said. I gawked at him and he shrugged. I suppose there was nothing else to do and if it entertained us then it'd be worth it. I did quite like the game when I was a kid. Brett suddenly pointed at me.
"Lizzie's on!" He yelled and ran out of the room. He was quickly followed by all who wanted to play; Jack, Melissa, Jared, Kerry and Guy. Everyone else stayed put and switched the movie on again. I smiled to myself. I was good at this game. I sat down and counted to a hundred.
I got up when I had finished counting and yelled the normal, here I come ready or not and started looking for the others. I found Kerry almost immediately. She had wedged her slim build behind a curtain in the dining room and was sitting on the windowsill. She huffed and ran back to watch the rest of the film while I found the others. I searched the rest of the dining room and then left the room, shutting the door behind me so I would know that I had already looked in there. I ran to the kitchen. I knew someone would be in here somewhere. I looked under the table and in all the cupboards I thought someone might have been able to get into to. I looked in the utility room and heard soft but obvious sniggering. I hit myself on the forehead hard. I hadn't checked behind the door. I whirled around and found Melissa standing behind the door.
"You... walked... right... by... me!" She said between laughs. I laughed with her and she decided to stay and help me look. No one else was anywhere downstairs so we headed upstairs and I started with Jack's room. I found Guy in the wardrobe and he went back downstairs, mumbling something about Kerry.
Melissa and I made our way down the hall when a door behind us opened. We turned so fast I think I cricked my neck. Jared was standing dumbfounded in the hallway, frozen under our stares.
"Jared, you can't move in hide and seek its cheating." Melissa said, laughing. Brett walked out of the room behind him, totally oblivious to us.
"Jared!" He whined. "You're so annoying, just as we get to..." He trailed off seeing us and turned slightly red. I looked between them both. Jared shifted where he stood, his eyes burning a hole in the carpet. Brett looked us and opened and closed his mouth several times before speaking.
"It's always been the same since we were little. Jared would come and hide with me because I was the best at hide and seek and then he'd always get us caught. Like I said; so annoying." He laughed and closed the door to the room they had just come out of. I was still looking at them both, everything Brett had told me in the past few weeks racing through my mind. There was a mystery guy and know one knew who it was but I knew he was someone close to home. So could the people making out been those two. My eyes flickered to Jared who had recovered slightly. But Jared liked Kerry, we all knew that. He made it pretty obvious and there was just no way he was gay. He couldn't dress well for starters and he was always looking at girls. He made comments about Sheila and that slinky dress. He was not... he couldn't be. I shook my head. Besides Brett and Jared were best friends. It would be weird. Right?
We found Jack in the airing cupboard and all returned to the lounge. I looked around. Everyone was still watching the television and all half asleep. I laughed, breaking the silence. Everyone turned to look at me.
"Look at us. We're all so bored it's funny. Why don't we go out?" I said. Jack looked at me like I was mad.
"I think my dad meant for us to stay here." He answered, sounding worried. I raised my eyebrows.