Lost Horizons

Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Eight

"Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones. I will try to fix you," -Coldplay

"This girl means a lot to you, son?"

The question came as a surprise to Tristan. He hadn't expected his dad to ask him personal things like that. It wasn't as if they had a close father-son relationship where they told each other things like that. Of course, seeing as Tristan was asking his dad a big favor it was only fair that he ask some questions. Tristan just hadn't been prepared for that specific one. His feelings for Sienna were something he liked to keep to himself. The only other person he had shared them with was the girl in question herself. And even telling her had proven to be a challenge. He had only done so because the other alternative at the time was losing her and that was something he couldn't handle.

"She does," Tristan replied to Dr. Lucian. "She's the most important thing in my life right now. She's been the only thing keeping me sane." He left out the part about how, at times, she was the one thing driving him crazy. He needed to sound truthful and convincing to his father.

"Well she must be very special. I promise we will do everything in our power to get her out of here in time. Have you spoken to her about the plan?"

"Yeah, she knows everything," Tristan said.

"Did you tell her about m-"

"No don't worry. I left your identity out of it. She only knows what she needs to know," Tristan told him before he had even finished his question. He had kept his promise to his dad about not revealing his father's involvement to Sienna. He didn't know exactly why his father wanted to be kept a secret but Tristan wasn't one to question his wishes.

"Thank you, son. The car will be parked three blocks down from here waiting for her. I've given the driver specific directions to the safe house where she will wait until we arrive. From then on you can both decide what you want to do. Even though your mother will always be waiting for you, you know you can always come stay with me," his father explained.

"Thanks dad," Tristan replied. He had no intention of coming to live with his dad. All he needed was his help to escape in exchange for helping his father with the plan. It would take years to build back the broken relationship between him and his father.

"Now let's go over the details for tomorrow. We need everything to go as planned. One slip up could be our downfall." Dr. Lucian took out the school map he had and laid it out on the dusty, old table. Tristan did his best to hold in the sneeze that was threatening to shoot out from his nose, thanks to the dust flying everywhere. The basement had become their new office. It smelled like mold and was too dark but it was the only place in the school that had no cameras. Aside from the occasional mischievous teenagers no one came down here. It was secluded and that was exactly what they needed.

"I-I-I'm...anorexic," Ana confessed.

Sienna stared at Ana in surprise. Somewhere in her mind she knew there was something seriously wrong with Ana but she hadn't expected her to actually tell the truth. Sienna found herself feeling lost. She was like a detective trying to gather information about Ana to uncover her secret but now that she knew it she didn't know what to do with it. What could she do to help?

Ana had appeared so normal when Sienna had first met her on the bus from the airport to the boarding school on that first day. It seemed like so long ago when that had happened yet only a few months had gone by. A few stressful, secretive, overwhelming and crazy months.