Misunderstood

Kenzie

The next day, I woke up hearing 'Me Too' by Meghan Trainer, my 5:30 alarm. I got up, longing for more sleep,  but I needed at least an hour in the morning to get ready, not including my makeup. I looked around my wardrobe, pulling out a peach crop-top, high waisted skinny jeans, white converse, and my peach emoji earrings. I thought I looked pretty cute when I checked in the mirror.

After about fifteen minutes, I figured out what to do with my hair. I put it in dual french braids, smiling a my reflection. As I hummed my favorite song, I did some natural makeup, but with glossy peach lips. My mom raped on the door, "Kenzie, we need to go-" she basically yelled. I shoved my gum container in my bag, as I opened the large wooden door, seeing my mom in her work outfit, "Come on, you're going to make me late." She spat, rushing to grab her purse and leaping outside.

I followed, checking my phone for the text messages I had, new likes, and new posts, before posting of my own. I posted a seflie, and slapped some hashtags on there before getting in the car with my mom, "You're going to need to start hurrying up, because your dad is not going to appreciate you taking your sweet time."

I scoffed, "But aren't you the one who says, 'time is money'? The more time I spend getting ready, the more money I can get from needy guys on the internet." I said to her, sipping my breakfast smoothie sassily. She rolled her eyes as me, and started driving, "1 Kenzie, Mom 0." I looked out the window as we pulled into school, "Have a good day getting guts out of corpses, mom!" I called, sarcastically, before getting out and walking inside. Before I could even think anything, Griffin ran up to me with a smile, "Hey, Kenz." He said, but it was totally fake happiness. I could tell because I was a master in the art of, 'smile and they'll go away'.

"Hey Griffy. What's wrong?" I asked, not taking his B.S. I watched the boy underneath looking hurt, as if he wanted to tell me something but couldn't. "Nothing, everything's fine." He said, kissing my cheek. I raised my eyebrow, "No it's not, please tell me!" I whined at him, hating seeing my boyfriend lying to me. "I just want to tell you..." I watched him look up and away for a moment...what was he looking at? "I'll be right back. I'm sorry-" He muttered, running off to whatever had distracted him. What did he want to tell me now?

I thought about what my dad said about not trusting anyone..anyone. That meant Griffin too...but Griffin would never hurt me, I know it. He was kind, and sweet, and smart, he can't possibly sell me off to these creature traders or what not. I doubt he even knows who they are. I took another sip of my kale and blueberry smoothie, as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum walked up to me. "Hey Kenz, did you hear about Harper?" Anna asked me in a hushed tone. "About the date? Yeah. Don't worry me and Griffin are-" "No, about how she has gone missing." Reese interrupted me, "What?" I asked, confused. "The last person she was with was Griffin, and he would't kidnap her."

"But thats the thing..people say Griffin and some doctor guy kidnapped her, and drove her off to a warehouse. Ask Zero..." She said to me, "He was at the warehouse all night, waiting to see if they would release her, but nothing happened. Everyone thinks he's crazy, of course. Will says they are shipping him off to the mental hospital after school today."

I rolled my eyes, "That's all probably gossip. Come on, you have to know better than that." I snapped, protectively, but a part of me wondered what was true and what wasn't. Griffin wasn't a doctor, He would never do such a thing. I wondered if she was even alive, as most people did, too. I was handed my copy of our school newspaper, "The Hornet Daily". I saw that our little friend, Harper Collins, had made the front page:

Yesterday, a student here at Cornerville had gone on a date with football captain, Griffin Meyers. Apparently this date was at the Holdsworth Cafe downtown, when a white van pulled into such. According to student and local wallflower, Zero Jones, this is how the events have crashed down on him. "This man in a white coat, like what a doctor wears, walked in to the cafe and sat about two or three seats behind Harper and Griffin. He pulled out this gun looking thing and put a syringe in it, which made no sense to me. But believe it or not, it shot. Harper fell out of the booth and onto the ground, where Griffin and this labcoat man threw her into their sketchy white van, and started to drive off. I grabbed a motorcycle and followed them, only to find they were going to some warehouse." We quoted him up until this point, because the rest of the details sounded as though they were coming from a mad man. If you happen to see the girl in the picture below, contact the police immediately. Depending on what condition she is in, I'd call the ambulance too. Griffin is supposedly going to be talking to the police today, using interrogation. If there is anyone else who knows about this strange and otherwordly event, contact me, Maya Octavian.

-Maya Octavian, Head Editor of "The Hornet Daily"

I threw the paper down, angry and frusterated. This was NOT right. I ran into Maya's office, and slammed the paper on her desk, "What is this?!" I screeched, demanding an answer. Maya smirked, "The truth, little miss perfect. It's my job to inform the school, and I think I do it quite well, don't you think?" She asked, not even looking up at me, staring at her computer.

This was not over.