A/N: As promised! Here is the next chapter right awayyy...
Happy reading!
~ Miss Elle
________
Cindy
Oh freaking gosh!
I wasn't able to attend today's classes!
Luke and I are on a run.
Annie's been missing since yesterday!
I mean, since last night! She was not able to do what she said to me before we part ways yesterday... But anyway, it doesn't matter anymore! What matters now is that we must find her.
"Still no contacts?" Luke asks, he's driving the car all over the town and even to the place where Annie and I used to visit before.
"No. She's still out of coverage area." We can't reach her for some reason. It's either her cellphone is off or it's either there's no signal on the place where she could be right now.
"Damn Matt!" he hisses as we drive through the night streets of the shop where Anna and I were working. He's honking the car in exasperation.
"If he's really the one behind this, I swear —"
"Hey, just cool down, I'll try to call her again." And I do try again. But then, it's still the same. My phone is already heating up due to tons of trying to call Annie.
"No?" he asks, again, for the nth time.
"Still no answer..."
"Damn!" I look outside the window. I don't think Anna would be here or she would say something to Mrs. Engel for her sudden disappearance.
But we need more options to continue searching for her.
"Cy, I know it's Matt." He's on it again. He told me last night, yes, last night. He went to our place right after he knew that Annie wasn't able to go home right on time and made me waited for 2 hours. He saw me crying on the front gate of the building, waiting for Annie. Luke said to me that Matthew has been missing for already a week since, err, well, the episode that happened at the parking lot of the school.
At first, I was like - oh my gee!
And actually, until now.
But I don't think that Matthew could do that to Annie or harm her in any way possible. I just don't feel like he could do that...
"Matt has been causing a lot of trouble to us for an entire week already. I didn't even had time for Anna because I have been helping dad in searching for him. Mom is another thing, she's getting crazy..." Well, in that manner, I believe for the trouble he could cause.
But where is he right now? I'm just hoping that he's doing just fine and not with any harm. But! Yes, there's another but.
But if Luke is right, I'm gonna be the first one to kick his butt off. No one can harm my dear Annie!
"Alright, Luke, I'll head inside. Just stay here. Maybe I can order some food for us. It's already evening, after all. What do you want?" I speak quickly.
I'm getting anxious you know. We've been on the road for hours since last night! And we didn't have a good rest since then until now. Only the food can fuel us up.
"Thank you, Cy. A sandwich would be fine." he says. See? He also knows that food is vital.
"Alright, I'll be back." I hop out of the car.
As I walk inside, our very own goody Ella sees me at first glance.
Her face lights up. And she flashes that adorable smile of her as she makes her way to me.
I sit down on the available table near the entrance.
"Cindy!" she cheerfully greets.
"Hey, Ella." I greet her back with much effort because I don't really feel like being jolly right now. For goodness sake! My best friend has been missing!
"You're here as a customer? That's new!" Yeah, and your cheerfulness isn't doing any good now, Ella. If I must say.
"Yes." I say.
"We've been missing you! I'm gonna tell Mrs. Engel that you're here, I'm sure —"
"No!" her eyes got big.
"Umm, I mean, I'm here as a customer and am so hungry now. Could you please just get my order first then I'll try to talk?" I calmly say. With all my best.
"Oh, okay!" She's still beaming. But thank you, she gets out the notebook off her pocket.
"Good evening Ma'am, may I know your order?" she's enjoying this.
"Alright, two club sandwiches, a slice of apple pie and butterscotch cake. Dine out."
"Dine out?"
"Yes." I smile at her.
"I thought you'll be staying to talk -"
"I'm sorry, I'm afraid that I don't have time tonight." I apologize.
"Oh... That's sad..." and she looks really sad.
"But it's okay! I know it's because of Anna —"
"Wait, what do you mean?" my attention is now all on her.
"What do I mean?" she looks lost. Oh goodness.
"About Anna, what do you know about her?"
"Ahhh, that."
"Yes! About that."
"Well, I just happen to overheard Mrs. Engel when she told to Mr. Engel that Annie was feeling sick yesterday that's why she suddenly asked Mrs. Engel's permission if she could go back home early —"
"What?" my brows are crushing to one another.
"What do you mean what?"
"No, nothing." I say. No one must know. Especially Ella. Or else, the whole world might know.
"Oh, okay then. Just tell her, I'm hoping that she'll be alright soon." she says and she finally makes her way to the kitchen. Thank goodness...
But hey, Luke isn't wrong that we might find something here in the restaurant about Annie's disappearance.
Suddenly feeling unwell, my foot!
She's lying!
But then, the question is...why?
Where did she go?
Freaking Annie!
I'm gonna put some manacles on her the next time I see her and I won't let her go anymore! She's gonna give me a heart attack!
And yes, I am so freaking angry/worry/annoy at her!!!
All at the same time!
I try to call her again.
And of course, still the same.
Once again.
Still no answer.
Once more time.
Stillll no answerrrrr
Ella is now coming with a bag of food. And yes, she's smiling again. Oh, Ella. You're like sunshine in the midst of darkness. Thank you. But my Annie is like my Sun in the midst of my dark world. So I better hurry now.
I reach to my pocket and pull out a bill.
"Here's your order, Ma'am." I quickly snatch the bag out of her hands. She's quite taken aback.
"Thanks for this!" I quickly get out of the restaurant and he's straight to the car.
Luke is on his phone.
I slowly get in on the car.
"Dad, I'm doing my best. I'm still on the road. Yes, with Cindy." he looks at me. I'm now sitting while I fetch out my food.
"Yes, dad. Just stick with mom. We'll be going now. Yes, I'll update you from time to time. Alright, dad. Bye." then he sighs.
Meanwhile, I'm already munching on my sandwich. And obviously, I can't speak, so I just shove the bag to him.
"Any news?" he asks. Of course. But I wave my finger at him, saying no. And signaling for him to eat first.
Good thing he complies.
In just ten minutes, more or less, we're already done eating. I don't know to him whether he's hungry as a horse just like me or he's so eager to hear anything from me. Anyway, we're now done.
"So?" he speaks first. As expected.
"Well, the thing is, she happened to say something to Mrs. Engel before she went gone —"
"What is it?" He's definitely so eager. Not so hungry.
"She said that she's suddenly feeling sick and asked for Mrs. Engel's permission if she could go back home early —"
"That's it!" that's it? What is it?
"What is it?"
"Cy, Matt has taken her!" Oh.
"I don't think —"
"What if something happened to her..."
"You know, I really don't think —" arrgh! He's cutting me off! I also need to cut him off!
"Damn Matthew! He's gonna regret it if there would be any harm that could come to Anna! —"
"Hey!" I scream. He looks at me and that's good.
"You know what?" I inhale,
"I don't really think that it could be something like that. I mean, I know Anna. She's lying to Mrs. Engel. She's been so fine before we part ways yesterday. So there's no way she's suddenly feeling unwell."
"Cy, one thing is for sure, Matt is involved with her disappearance." he says with intense seriousness on his voice.
Dude, there's nothing I can do anymore to at least make him think that Matthew may not be involved with Anna's disappearance. I mean, she's done this before when she went camping.
But somehow, this time, I feel different. Like, there's something more on why she's suddenly gone...
"What now? What do we do now?" I ask.
"I still have one card left."
"Really?"
"Yes. I just found out about this while I'm waiting for you." Oh. So he's not waiting at all.
"Alright then, what about it?"
"We'll have to travel for an hour and a half to a province." what?
"Province?" goodness, why?
"Why for?"
"Matthew is there. And Anna might be there too." he speaks as if he's really sure. But I'm hoping that he's not right.
Or else...
The world would definitely go wild and crazy.
For all of us.