Finding Mercedes.

Hit with the car

I was still standing on the balcony, Mercedes had told me to hurry up and follow her. I couldn't move, Mercedes had just nearly killed a woman who was due to have her first child by a surrogate mother and was the girlfriend of one of the hardest men in the village.

"Ellie-Anna," She shouted again, "The police will be on there way," I slowly walked towards the balcony again, this time when I looked over people were crowding around Grace like flies around rotting flesh. 

"Coming," I whispered, shoving myself back into the loft and running down the stairs as fast as I could in my heels. 

"You get straight over to the car, get in and keep your head down, alright?" Mercedes asked, she had a raised tone in her voice and she turned to face me when I didn't reply with in three seconds. "Do you understand, Ellie-Anna, this is so important," She shouted, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me like a rag doll. 

"Yes, I understand," I lied, I hadn't been paying much attention to what she was saying.

"Walk in front of me," She demanded, shoving me in the front. Mercedes opened the door, then wiped it with the bottom of her dress. I stood still and looked right at Frace who was laying lifeless still on the ground. Frankie Osbourne, Esther Bloom, Kim Butterfield and Dylan Royle were all gathered around her, shouting her name and Esther was on the phone to someone who I assumed was the police or ambulance service. I stopped walking forward, Mercedes was already nearly at the car but I suddenly found myself walking towards Grace. Nobody had noticed me until I knelt down beside Grace's head.

"Grace," I whispered, she had her eyes open and she looked at me with blankness in her eyes. She tried to open her mouth but I interupted her. "Don't talk," I told her.

"No," She stuttered, her eyes were filling up with water and everyone was now crowding around looking at me, not Grace. "I tripped," She finished.

"You tripped?" I confusenly asked.

"You and Mercedes weren't here," She ensured me, I placed my hand on her cheek.

"Ellie-Anna, get a move on you fool what are you playing at," Mercedes screamed at me and everyone turned around to look at her too. Mercedes sighed very loudly and grabbed a hold of her hair. "Now Ellie-Anna, or I'm leaving without you," She shouted.

"Go," Grace whispered, I bent down and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, before climbing to my knees and walking over to Mercedes, I kept looking behind me on the way and Mercedes placed her arms around my neck.

"We're in serious trouble," She hissed as we hurried very fast to the car.

"Grace's wont say anything, about what happened," I reassured.

"What?" Mercedes gasped.

"As far as we're concerned, we're still missing," I muttered. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Nana in her mobility scooter, followed by Mum and Porsche who was holding hands with Jacqui.

"Get in the car," Mercedes demanded and that's when Jacqui saw us.

"Mercedes, Ellie-Anna!" She screamed, so loud and she began running towards the car. We quickly jumped in and Mercedes began the engin straight away. I looked out of the window and Jacqui and Porsche were both running towards the car. 

"Stop," I shouted, Mercedes sped up despite what I said. "Mercedes," I yelled at her.

"No, now shut up," She screamed back, taking her eyes off the road and looking at me. I scowled at her and looked forward to the road.

"Mercedes, watch out," I screamed, grabbing the steering wheel and quickly turning it right. It was too late, Porsche hit the bonnet of the car and flipped over, she cracked the windscreen and landed behind the car with a huge, spine shivering thump. Mercedes slammed the breaks on and both our heads hit the head rest. There was a few seconds of silence, I turned around and looked at Mercedes, she was already looking at me. I grabbed the lock on the car to get out but Mercedes grabbed my arm.

"We need to leave," She hissed.

"I'm not leaving my cousin to die in the middle of the road," I hissed back, tugging my arm away from her reach.

"Why? It's not like we're even close to her," Mercedes asked. 

"You might not me, but when you left she was rock," I told her, opening the door and slamming it closed. Nobody was beside Porsche on the road, Nana and Mum were on their way towards her and Jacqui was trying to open the door on the drivers side of the car. "Porsche," I whispered in her ear. She was looking up at me. Nothing on her body was cut or bruised or bleeding. 

"Where have you been?" She mummbled.

"Ellie-Anna, is that you?" Mum shouted, she was walking towards me at a faster pace now.

"No where," I told her. Jaqui came up behind me and grabbed me , pulling me off the ground. For a moment it looked like she was about to punch my lights out but then she softened her grip on my arm.

"You, lady, have had us worried sick," She whispered and I walked into her and she hugged me. Mercedes was slowly getting out the car, Jacqui pushed me out of her grip and walked to Mercedes. I turned and walked to Mum and Nana, Mum was crying and Nana was standing and her mouth open with shock.

"You're ment to be dead," She whispered, pointing at me.

"I'm not, that's a good thing right?" I asked.

"You faked this whole thing?" Nana asked.

"No, my blood on the scene is real, the knife that stabbed me was real, all the messages and the money is all real," I whispered. Porsche, behind me, sat up.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"I'm alright," She replied, but I insisted she get checked out anyway. Mercedes and Jaqui came over to us. Before anyone got any words out an ambulance and a police car drove past. I looked at Mercedes and she looked at me again. 

"I think you two should go," Mum advised.

"What?" Jacqui gasped.

"They're going to get arrested, then we'll never see either Mercedes or Ellie-Anna again!" Mum explained.

"There they are, the two missing girls," Frankie pointed out, two police officers came from around the corner.

"Get in the car now," Mercedes demanded.

"You go, I'm staying," I replied.

"You've got thirty seconds to make up your mind, I'll see you around," She screamed, shutting the car door behind her and starting up the engine. She waited a few seconds and I could see her looking at me throught the back window. She drove away, which gave me butterflys of guilt in my stomach. She threw something out the window, the police were slowly walking towards me and I had time to go and pick up whatever she had thrown. It was my passport, the fake one, I'd get into trouble for having that.

"Keep this, safe," I whispered, passing it to Nana who shoved it under her bum on the mobility scooter. 

"Ellie-Anna McQueen?" One of the officers asked.

"That's me," I sighed, I didn't know whether I regreted not going with Mercedes or not.

"We need you to come down the police station, for questioning," The other one told me.

"Sure," I whispered. "Can I have a moment with my family first, I'll only be a minuet," I asked and they both nodded and took a few steps backwards. "Promise me, promise to take Porsche to go and get checked at the hospital, please keep that passport out of police way and don't go anywhere near Grace Black until I say," I whispered.

"Call us later," Mum smiled, she was still in shock. I smiled back, walking towards the police and they walked me into their car.