Surviving or Living

Chapter 36: Insane Experiments

"What's going on?" Michael said approaching Alicia.
She was passing in the sidewalk, right in front of Abigail's house, and biting her lips worriedly.
"Have you seen Elyza?" She asked stopping to pace, and looking at Michael. "We're all looking for her, but she's nowhere"
"I talked to her last night" Michael said. "Calm down. She's probably with her mother"
"That's what I thought" Alicia said, worried. "But I knocked at the door, and nobody answered"
"Wait here" Michael said with a little smile.
He walked to the door and opened it.
"Abby?" He called entering the house. "Abby!"
He closed the door, and walked to the living room.
"Abby ?" He called again, but didn't get any answer.
Knowing where she might be, he walked to the back room, that was now used as a scientific laboratory and opened the door. He was suddenly met by a worried Elyza, who was sat on an armchair pressing a compress on her arm, and a furious Abby who was examining something with a microscope.
"What's going on?" Michael asked.
"What's going on" Abby said angrily. "Is that the asshole who's actually my brother used my daughter as a lab rat to do some experiences with the virus!"
"What ?" Michael exclaimed, and as he saw that Abby was very upset, he put his hands on her shoulders. "Hey calm down."
"I have to found out what he did to her" Abby said still upset, then looked at Elyza. "Did you have some symptoms? Like a fever ?"
"No" Elyza said shaking her head no. "I just felt dizzy, but I suppose it was because of the medicine he gave me to keep me asleep"
Abby nodded and turned her head to continue to look in the microscope.
"I can't believe it." She said. "He ruined my life by taking you away from me, and now he's doing it again with you."
"Relax Abby" Michael said starting to massage her shoulders. "You won't find anything if you're upset."
"No and there's nothing. I don't find the virus strain, and that's impossible because we all have it."
"Maybe he cured me" Elyza suggested.
"Or maybe the virus mutated" Abby said.
"Is there anything I can do?" Michael asked.
"Yeah. Can you go to see her friend... It's Meghan right?" She asked looking at Elyza, and the girl nodded. "Go find Meghan, and asked her to give you the laptop."
"The laptop." Michael said a bit confused. "Alright"
With that he walked away and left the room.
"So um" Elyza started. "Are you like together?"
"Who ?" Abby asked. "Michael and I ? No we're just friends" she said with a little smile, starting to calm down. "What about you? I saw that there's a lot of boys in your group. Is one your boyfriend?"
"Oh no" Elyza chuckled. "No boyfriend. But I have a girlfriend"
"Really?" Abby asked raising an eyebrow. "Did I see her ?"
"The brunette who was waiting outside with Travis, Daniel and I"
"Oh yes. What's her name?"
"Alicia" Elyza said with a big smile, but it quickly faded away. "Does it bother you?"
Abby raised an eyebrow, looking at her daughter a bit confused.
"Of course not. Why would it bother me?"
Elyza shrugged her shoulders.
"It's Jason, right?" Abby asked with a sigh.
"Yeah" Elyza said.
"I'm sorry. He has always been like this. Racist, and homophobic. But I'm not like that. Love is unpredictable, so as long as you're happy, it's fine" Abby said smiling at her daughter.
"Did you feel that way, with my father?" Elyza asked shyly. "Did you love him?"
Abby sighed and lowered her eyes to the ground a bit ashamed, biting the inside of her cheeks, and shook her head no.
"It's okay" Elyza said. "You can tell me. Who is him ?"
"I don't know" Abby said being honest. "Actually I don't even remember what happened that night. I suppose I was too drunk or too high"
Elyza raised an eyebrow, shocked, and this made Abby chuckled nervously.
"Yeah I wasn't really a good girl at this moment. After my parents' death, I was totally lost. And Jason became my legal guardian and wasn't really helping." She said that quietly, and her eyes started to be filled with tears. "I regret everything that happened at this moment. Except you of course. You were my little sunshine" at this moment, a tears rolled down Abby's cheek, and Elyza bit the inside of her cheeks, trying to not cry as her throat was burning in the promise of tears. "You became everything for me. And he took you" more tears rolled down Abby's cheeks, and she started to sob. "He took you and I couldn't do anything. I'm so sorry"
"Shh" Elyza quickly stood up, her tears escaping from her eyes, and hugged her mother as tight as she could, smiling at the thought. After twenty two years of hope, she was finally hugging her mother. "It's not your fault I know it"
Abby shook her head no.
"A mother has to do everything to protect her child" she said, her face against her daughter's hair.
Elyza stepped backwards and looked her in the eyes.
"And what about a sixteen years old teenage girl and her big insane brother?"
Abby chuckled, making Elyza smile.
"Is everything okay?" Someone asked from the doorframe.
Elyza and Abby turned their heads to look at the intruder.
"Yes" Abby said quickly drying her tears. "Everything's fine Michael. Do you have the laptop?"
"Yes" Michael nodded, and give her the laptop. "Elyza, there's one of your friends outside, Alicia, who's really worried about you"
"Oh" Elyza exclaimed, and looked at Abby.
"It's okay. Join her, I'll see you later"
Elyza nodded, and walked out of the room.

Elyza exited the house. There were a lot of people outside, some adults were talking while some kids were playing. She noticed Elena, the five years old girl was playing football with a blond boy who seemed to be twelve, and she saw that her friends were talking with some strangers. And, across the street, Elyza saw Alicia who was leaning against a car, but she wasn't alone. A guys, who seemed older than Elyza, was talking to her, holding Alicia's wrist as he was examining her tattoo, caressing her skin with his thumb. He probably said something funny because Alicia started to laugh, and Elyza could feel her cheeks becoming red as she was trying to control the anger and jealousy that was overcoming her. Determined, she walked toward them quickly. Alicia saw her and turned around to face her, freeing her wrist from the guy's hand.
"Hey !" Alicia started.
But her girlfriend's lips crashed against hers interrupted her, and Elyza pressed Alicia against the car, their bodies pressed against each other's and kissing so deeply and passionately the guy next to them started to be uncomfortable.
"Wow" Alicia exclaimed, pulling away.
"Sorry princess" she said in a low voice, but loud enough for the guy to hear her. "I missed you last night"
Alicia raised an eyebrow.
"You were the one to run away" she said in a playful voice.
"Yeah sorry. I just freaked out, I guess"
"How are things going with your mother?" Alicia asked, genuinely concerned.
"Great" Elyza said with a big smile, looking straight in her girlfriend's eyes, just like if they were alone. "She's great"
The guy next to them cleared his throat, reminding the girls of his presence. They looked at him, Elyza glaring at him.
"So um ... You're the doc's daughter?"
"Sorry who are you?" Elyza asked bitterly.
"This is Bryan" Alicia introduced him. "Bryan, this his Elyza."
"Her girlfriend" Elyza said.
"Yeah I noticed that" Bryan said laughing nervously. "I guess I'll leave you alone"
Elyza nodded quickly, still glaring at him and pressing her lips together. Bryan stepped backwards.
"See you later" he said looking at Alicia, then he walked away.

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Author's note
Hi :) please comment to let me know what you think :) and thanks to Queenarex13 for giving me some ideas ^^