fines

suspicion.

Talia's Pov:

"Miss Sky Lake?, can you please tell me the answer to this problem?", my algebra teacher, Mrs. Horton, asked me. Stifled laughs rang across the room. "It's..it's pronounced Skillick", I stuttered shyly. I looked over and saw that Ben was the only one who hadn't cracked a laugh. He, for some reason, hated when people picked on me, saying my
last name wrong. It was nice to have someone to care. "Oh, yes...I'm so sorry Talia...but do you have the answer to this problem?"

I looked up at the board, which read:
" +9-16+x-12-5-6x-12-2x "

I sighed and then thought for a second. "uhh...x=-4?", I estimated. "Yes! Great job, Mrs. Skylake", she said, pronouncing it correctly this time. She smiled and at that moment, the bell rang. "Now, class...don't forget. We have a test on Tuesday of next week. Have a great weekend.", she said as we all shuffled up out of our seats with our books and tried to hurry out the door. I was about to walk out and head to lunch with two of my friends, Gwendolyn Clarissa and Winston, Oliver, when Mrs. Horton called the three of us back to her. "Yes, ma'am?", I asked. "Do any of you happen to know where the Allens are? Addison and Penelope?", she asks.

"We really don't know, but I also don't know how we could do anything to find them", Gwen said, shrugging.

"Well, Miss Clarissa, you must be concerned at least?", Mrs. Horton says shocked by the tone of Gwendolyn's voice in her previous statement.

"I want to know where Addison is, yes. I'm sure it was Penny who got them into this anyway, so...", Gwendolyn replies, rolling her eyes. See, she was once very fond of Penny, and disliked Addie...a lot. But just recently, those roles have reversed for some unknown reason. Probably because of the influence of two of Gwen's other friends who don't get along with Penny.....

The teacher focuses on me and Winston.

"I know that you two care..do you know where they could be?", she asked caringly.

"We have no idea", I said, looking over at Winston who was in agreement.

"Okay, well. I want you kids to send out a search party this weekend. They're probably in danger, they haven't spoken to anyone in days..do you think you could organize it? I would be glad to help if needed...we need to know that these girls are safe", Mrs. Horton gave us the idea we, surprisingly, hadn't thought of yet. We had been to their house, called the police station several times, tried to contact them, made attempts to trace their steps...but nothing has worked. Maybe this would. The search party.

I looked at Winston and nodded.

"Of course we can. But, we're seriously going to need you to help", he spoke.

"Like I said, dear...I would be more than happy to oblige", the older woman smiled sweetly, and then sent us on our way to lunch.

I looked at Gwendolyn while we walked down the hallway. She look infuriated or something.

"Gwen...you good?", I asked, cocking an eyebrow up at her.

She stopped dead in her tracks, me and Winst doing the same. She looked at us and crossed her arms.

"Oh, obviously I'm fine! Just great! No. I'm not 'good', I don't see why this is such a big deal. Maybe, they finally got tired of us and decided to move to another school; or how about this, maybe they just moved from this town altogether!", she exaggerated, irritated. "Gwen..I--", I started. But she cut me off. "Don't 'Gwen..I--', me! Talia! NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE A BIG DEAL. NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE A BIG PRODUCTION!", she yelled, and then stormed the opposite way from me and Winston.

"Well then", Winston said, exhaling as if he had been afraid to merely breath just moments before. I would be too; Gwendolyn would have probably snapped my head off even harder just for that.

"It's normal", I shook my head and shrugged. That was true; this had become normal. Like Gwen had anger issues or something?

"Let's just go to lunch?", Winston suggested. "Yeah", I mumbled. And with that, we were finally off to the cafeteria.

But the whole time we walked, I was distracted by my thinking.

Why was Gwen so mad?

Did she...did she possibly have something to do with them disappearing?

No. Gwendolyn would never..

Or...would she?