Finding Myself

chapter 22~

Eleanor and the guy got out of the car.

"Who's Gus?"

"I am."

"What lady?"

"The one at the center of second floor, you'll know who."

"Ok."

Eleanor followed the guy inside,
the first floor was a "Sweet and Fruity," She saw as the guy climbed some steps at the center of the "Sweet and Fruity," and she sat at a table.

Eleanor thought for a while, she took off her backpack, and she searched for her last envelope.

That envelope was the thickest, so it must have a revealing ending.

A "grand" finale.

But Eleanor searched, and searched, yet nothing was found.

She frowned. She placed her backpack back on her back, and she climbed the stairs to the second floor.

She was stunned by it.

It was like a gift shop/toy store/ customers service, Eleanor walked by the Crystal balls, and the chocolate scented teddy bears, past the porcelain doll, and the train collections, she avoided bumping into the mugs, and glass cups, and she walked to the lady in the desk, right in the middle of the place.

"So yes, I'm telling you, So I told her she had no chance, and she went hysterical by my honesty, and yes, no, you wouldn't believe it, I think Blake was cheating on her, yes, yes, NO!!! hahaha, I'm telling you, she can't loose-"

Eleanor tried to get the clerk's attention, "'Scuse me?"

"-but she told her the dress made her look fat, I mean, can you believe it? that's like totes bad to tell to Margaret, but did she cared? No, so she-"

Eleanor tried again, "Excuse me, Ma'am? "

"yeah, so," The lady turned to look at Eleanor, "Sorry sofie, I have to go, there is an angry costumer waiting for me... wha? HAHAHA , no, maybe another brat asking for directions, yeah, ok, byes friend, call you later....

ok, so, what do you want sweetie, And hurry up I have work to do?"

"Where is Gus' office?"

"Whose?"

"Gus'"

"Is it important?"

"If it weren't, I wouldn't have interrupted your important phone call."

The lady stared at Eleanor for a minute.
"Hold on, let me contact him..."

The lady pretended to call Gus, but Eleanor was no fool to fall for the fake phone call trick.

"Sorry girl, Gus is in a meeting, But tell me your name, and I'll let you know when he's available."

"Eleanor Ryden."

"Okay." The lady forced a fake smile at her, showing her perfect white teeth, "I'll tell you when he's available."

Eleanor nodded. She walked towards the stairs.

Yet when she got there, before going down, She had an idea, she looked at the lady's direction. When she was sure the lady was not looking, she ran to the stairs that went to the third floor, and she climbed them stealthily to avoid getting caught.

She finally made it to the third floor. There were offices there. Many of them for Eleanor's liking.

She couldn't walk, for the offices had glass windows as walls. It was all glass except for the first three feet in the bottom.

Eleanor got down to her knees, and she crawled her way across. She reached the guy's office, but she kept on crawling.

She finally reached one office, the only office, in fact, that was not see-through.

Eleanor noticed that difference, and if it was not see through, it must contain some important information.

It was right across where she was, right around the corner, if she was going to do something, she was going to do it her way.

So she cartwheeled to the room.

She tried to open it, but it was locked.

She had a plastic bookmark, almost the same width and thickness as a credit card.

She slid it in between the door frame and the door, it pushed the lock back in the door, and the door opened.

She crept inside, and she locked the door behind her.

A small smile formed as she walked to a cabinet with the employees information.

She looked under R for Ryden, but her aunt was not there.

She looked under E for Eugenia, but it wasn't there either.

Then she looked through every single file for Gus, it is really bad if you do not know someone's last name.

Thankfully his last name was in the B's and not in the S's or T's.

"Gus Butler."

Whispered Eleanor.

A smile forming in her face. She looked for Eugenia with a last name as Butler. And sure enough, she was there, right next to Gus's.

Eleanor read the file.

And she dropped the file as she knelt in the floor and tears flowed down her cheeks.

Meanwhile:

Gus' boss entered Gus' office.

"I need you to get me Martin's file."

"Now?"

"No, in New year's eve- Yes now!"

Gus got up reluctantly, he was the only one that had the key to the room, so he had to get plenty of files to hate it.

He walked to the room. He saw Eleanor lying there, sobbing near a file that he had seen plenty of times before.

He walked towards Eleanor. "You shouldn't be here."

Eleanor turned to look at him.

"Where is she?"

"Um..."

"Can you take me to see her?"

He nodded, "We'll go when I get out of work."

Eleanor stood up.

Gus grabbed Eugenia's file before stealing a glance at the huge word stamped in red ink at the bottom of the page.

Deceased.