This book is terrible and I want to remove it so badly but y'all wanted another chapter. It's long as anything and extremely unedited.
Chapter 12
MISSING
JANINE LOUISE- MATEL
IF SPOTTED, PLEASE CALL THE
FOLLOWING
Rebekah had just exited the leisure centre after a two hour swim. It was just what she needed to relax her muscles, and it succeeded. She didn't communicate to any of her friends, and just swam until she forgot why she'd swam so hard in the first place. She finally felt chilled.
That was until she noticed the poster. She read the small sign with utter wonder and confusion; all that tenseness within her returned quicker than a flash of
lighting in the night sky. Where was Janine and why hadn't she been home? Janine was always one to stay out late, partying and drinking booze, but she'd always make up a lie to her foster mom first.
Above it was a small picture of Janine. Her dull green eyes surprisingly stood out on the photograph and her dirty blonde hair tied back into a tight pony tail. Rebekah was never one too judge by someone's appearance, but never did she think Ethan Riley would date someone like Janine. Rebekah thought Janine was a rather beautiful girl, but many said her appearance wasn't healthy and for some reason the fact she didn't live with her real parents meant she was trash to the school. But Ethan , a boy who is expected by his own father to marry into a wealthy and recognised family, actually dated her for a long period of time.
Janine's foster parents weren't rich, but they always tried their hardest to support Janine, despite her horrible attitude towards them at times. Janine had a mean persona quite often, which was super hard to deal with. Especially when they didn't understand her that well because they weren't real family.
But surely Ethan's parents wouldn't want him to be with someone like her; it was all crazy really. Rebekah really couldn't understand. The way Ethan just didn't care that Janine was missing filled her with so much disgust. He cheated on her after all- it could even be his fault she's gone somewhere unknown.
But why would he care? He was a monster.
Rebekah couldn't stop thinking about it on the walk to school that morning. Where she'd gone, and if she was safe. As far as Rebekah was aware, Janine didn't even like her. She'd even called her a 'posh snob' on several occasions. But the curiosity of where she may be was eating Rebekah alive; it was the strange behaviour from everyone around her that was adding fuel to the wonder in her mind.
When Rebekah reached the school, her hair was still dripping wet- the wind had done no job at all on drying it. She usually used the hair drier that the centre provided, but unusually, she was late this morning, and had to hurry off. Her dad would be the first too hear about her off clock arrival.
Her first lesson was Sociology, and Rebekah was not looking forward to seeing Kade. What happened yesterday had still traumatised her. Mr Berta took her home because she was worried about her, and explained to her dad the situation.
( deceiving situation)
In a way, Rebekah was glad, because she knew her dad still wanted to speak to her about the other night, and she weren't ready for that conversation.
Rebekah headed towards first period. Her arms felt like jelly, and the books felt heavy as they slid out her arms. Her teeth were chattering together and she could feel a sunk chill on her brow. Being like this was giving them what they wanted. She needed to stop.
She reached the door and removed a shaky, pale hand, her unpolished fingers gripping the door knob ( they were usually painted a crimson red colour), and opened the door.
The students in the room were beginning to take their seats, and Rebekah's eyes scanned the room in search for her torturer.
Oddly, they failed to find him.
Rebekah hurried towards her desk, scrunching her brows. She plopped her bag on the ground and continued to search; he wasn't there.
Kayden Samuels thought he was the school's tank. Surely, he was going to show up late to lesson. Rebekah had never seen him on time, so why was she so confused now?
She felt he was consistently watching her steps, but maybe she was watching his.
God.
This is what these boys were doing. Making her blame herself for their actions. Ethan may have got 12/80 on his Maths exam, but when it came to hurting another, he was an A* student.
Miss Laramie began handing out the books, and Kade still hadn't walked through the door. Rebekah knew Kade wouldn't miss her lesson. She was a young woman, only in her mid twenties. Miss Laramie had golden blonde hair that was always tied up into a ponytail, but somehow reached her hips. She had piercing blue eyes and freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose and her cheeks. Kade and his stupid friends spent the entire time flirting with her, and she was happy to flirt back. She didn't act intelligently, considering she was a teacher. Kade was a moron.
If only Miss Laramie knew what he was really like. She wouldn't be harmlessly flirting then.
Throughout the entire lesson, Rebekah couldn't concentrate. The fact that he hadn't arrived had her questioning his whereabouts. Was he attempting to murder someone else? Where could he be?
Class was dismissed and Rebekah rushed out the room as if her life depended on it and scurried down the corridor, for some reason trying not to be seen.
For the next few periods, Rebekah didn't see Kade, and she gave up wondering where he could be; she was fed up with thinking he could possibly be lurking in the distance, awaiting her. She was mentally exhausted with this car crash that had entered her life.
It was time for lunch, and she made her way to the cafeteria. She picked up her food from the cue, and went and sat down. Rebekah couldn't help but think back to that day; how she was right now reminded her all too well of it. This had been the start of it. She'd came into the canteen, sat alone and enjoyed the aroma, only to be bombarded by Vicky and the girls, then the boys including them.
Could the way she'd positioned herself now be telling her something?
Whilst eating alone, Rebekah's mind wandered back to Janine. This bad ass girl, who drank and smoked had never once entered her mind, unless Rebekah seen her. But since hearing she was missing, Janine was all she could think about; it was driving her crazy. It really did prove that nobody cares until you're gone, because now she's nowhere to be seen, people are questioning what's happened to her. Even Rebekah.
Rebekah's thoughts were interrupted when someone's hands slammed onto the table, and Rebekah jumped in fright, letting out a little yelp.
She darted her eyes up, and she was surprised to see Ethan, a serious look on his face. Breathing in, she turned to see the rest of the people around her gazing at her like she had three heads, and she immediately felt the heat rise into her cheeks. She looked like such a fool- overreacting from a little tap on the table. Rebekah must've thought it was someone else, but it was just someone similar...
" Someone's jumpy," Ethan pointed out, taking a seat in front of Rebekah, and she shuffled back, a scowl covering her face. She was still embarrassed. People were whispering.
Rebekah ignored him and continued to eat, avoiding his eyes. She didn't know if he still had a thin line across his lips, or if his remark had lifted a smirk onto his face.
But Rebekah could feel his piercing green eyes burning into her cheek, and for some reason she felt her hands shaking as she continued to slice through the potato with her fork and knife. Ethan coughed before he spoke again.
" You know, I heard what happened the other day and- "
" Fuck off, Ethan," she swore, not meeting his eyes.
Ethan appeared taken back and let out a rippling sound through his lips. " Jeez, what was that for? I'm making sure you're alright."
Rebekah knew Ethan was lying. Why would he care about if she drowned the other day? He was best friends with the guy who'd attempted it. Rebekah wasn't buying it.
She threw her fork against her plate and crossed her arms, her eyes still not meeting his. The green in them was too powerful to look at- deep pools of manipulation.
" Anyway, Kade told me to tell you he wants you to come over tonight," Ethan said, and this finally caught Rebekah's attention as she whipped her head to finally glue her eyes on his .
" Are you crazy? No," her voice went high pitch as she viewed Ethan like he was trash. Her personality was changing so much that it was hard to recognise it was the Rebekah Fleetwood Ethan had known over all these years. The one who'd always be the first to get a teacher when you stumbled over in kindergarten. The one who'd ask you if you wanted to play with her in grade if you were on your own.
The one they'd lured into there house that night.
" He's not gonna hurt you, Becks, " Ethan told her quietly. " Seriously, he just wants to talk."
" Talk?" Rebekah scoffed. " More like try to stick his dick in me or throw me off a balcony. Which ever fits his mood today." She was growing angry, and Ethan watched her hands clench against the table. She wanted to ask where Kade was, but that would make it look like she was bothered, and she wasn't.
" Fine," Ethan said through clenched teeth as he moved right into her face, and slammed his hands against the table again. Rebekah was taken back. " Have it your way."
" Rebekah?" A voice said, which made both of them swing their heads to the side. Rebekah noticed Kyra and Cheryl stood there, perplexed looks on both their faces as they skimmed their eyes over the two.
Rebekah's eyes were still wide from Ethan's closeness- it was intimidating, and his left eye had even twitched at some point.
Rebekah tried not to let the breath get stuck in her throat as she forced a smile onto her lips.
" Hi," she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
" Are we interrupting something?" Kyra asked, her eyebrows furrowed as she gazed at Ethan.
Rebekah cleared her throat and looked up at her best friend. " Uhh... we- "
" I was just leaving," Ethan didn't take his eyes of Rebekah when he said this, and she just focused hers on his plumped lips that were beating at her. She knew his expression would be coated in animosity.
Without another word, Ethan stormed off, and the two girls' eyes followed him before they scoffed and sat themselves down with Rebekah. Cheryl looked a little hurt. It was probably because Ethan hadn't let on to her.
Rebekah was wondering where Vicky and Francesca were when Cheryl's whiny voice spoke.
" What was all that about? Ethan was getting a little personal then." Cheryl pulled her face, her eyes still dreamily staring into the distance where Ethan had walked off into. She'd always fancied him. Always.
" He.. he was just mad because I wouldn't give him the answers to the homework in maths." Rebekah lied, fixing her tear-filled, turquoise eyes on the ground.
Never been a good liar.
Kyra still looked confused, and Cheryl began to play with her hair between her index finger and thumb. " You know, Ethan's been really different recently."
Kyra nodded whilst playing on her phone and Rebekah didn't respond. As far as she was aware, Ethan had always been that way. Awful.
" Do you think it has anything to do with Janine?" Cheryl scrunched her nose up, and goosebumps immediately formed on Rebekah's skin from the mention of Janine. Kyra looked up from her phone, but then straight back down.
" Maybe," Kyra said. " They dated for a long time, so he has to be a little upset."
Cheryl rolled her eyes and threw her hair out her hand as if it was trash. Her eyes now narrowed into two angry slits, and she huffed, pouting like a toddler.
" Yeah, well it better not be," she complained. "Me and him have been really close recently."
" Ethan sleeps with everyone, Cher," Kyra said sympathetically, but Cheryl just scowled. Cheryl didn't have to mention sex for the two girls to know what she was talking about.
It was true. Rebekah knew that.
But this was the part Rebekah couldn't get her head round. Why did Kade and Ethan want her for sex when they had people like Cheryl? Cheryl didn't have a brain cell to her name. A boy only had to breath near her for Cheryl to think they were getting married; it was no exaggeration.
The bell rung violently, knocking Rebekah out of her thoughts and she began walking towards maths. She knew the conversation between her and Ethan wouldn't be over, and now she had to go and spend an hour with him.
All lesson, she felt his eyes piercing into her, but she decided to act like he weren't there. Even when Mr Gibson would tell her to read the answer out, and explain to the entire class, she'd avoid those icy, turquoise eyes. Today, they looked odder than usual.
When the lesson ended, Rebekah was practically running out to avoid being stopped by Ethan. She was rushing down the corridor with a thud- her bag was falling of her shoulder, and she kept tripping over her feet.
As she raced off, she felt a drag at her shoulder. She turned rapidly, swinging her bag, to see Ethan stood there, a flat expression across his face. Rebekah moved his arm from hers, and he dropped it.
She narrowed her eyes, and scrunched her nose, but before she could speak, Ethan said something.
" Just come, Rebekah," he said quietly, his voice defeated. " Nothing's going to happen if you just come."
Strangely, there was something about this morbid tone that convinced Rebekah it would be fine. That even though she'd be having a conversation with Kade Samuels, it would be better if she just went. She knew all too well what would happen otherwise, so she didn't understand herself why she hadn't just agreed in the first place.
Rebekah looked right in his eyes again and for some reason, it made her heart still. She felt her eyes going glossy too and she let out a shaky breath.
Without speaking, she just began to follow him down the corridor.
As they exited the school together, they were greeted by a few strange looks, and whispers by a group of girls that must've been interested in Ethan. She'd even got a dirty look of Tasha Drawl's group, which was expected by Rebekah. Many people in her grade didn't like her because of her family- she presumed. Her dad wasn't the kindest of men, so god knows how he raised a daughter like Rebekah.
But he must've gone wrong somewhere for Rebekah to be in this situation right now.
They began hurrying, and Rebekah turned to view Ethan. He looked rather different at this moment in time. His hair was ruffled up into a dirty blonde ball and he had loose bags hanging under his eyes like he hadn't slept. His lips was dry, when usually, they were gently moisturised.
" Stop staring at me," he said, somehow nervously, but continued to stare forward. He violently licked his lips and his eye lids batted down extra fast.
Rebekah was confused why Ethan was acting this way, but she refused to let him have it like that with her.
" Trust me," she scoffed. " I wasn't staring at you."
Rebekah then bowed her head against the ground, and Ethan took his chance to stare down at her for a while. It wasn't an intimidating stare, it was rather sympathetic.
The rest of the journey was done in silence, and they finally reached Kade's gate. Ethan opened it, and rushed inside. Rebekah followed closely behind him to assure nobody saw them.
She felt her eyes falling for some reason. She was already done with whatever Kade had to say. Rebekah knew she shouldn't of came here- she was a smart girl, so why did she? Was it because it was her everyday activity now? Or was it because these stupidly handsome boys knew how to get in her head?
She constantly changed how she felt about what she was going. Her mind changed like the weather.
Rebekah immediately snapped into reality from loud shouting. Rebekah knitted her brows in confusion, and Ethan didn't turn to look at her. His body went rigid, and he clenched his fists in his hand.
What was that?
Rebekah was watching him when she jumped again from another, crazed yell. It took her a moment to realise that it was coming from inside the house. What the hell was going on?
Ethan still hadn't moved, and Rebekah was hesitant to speak to him. For some reason, Ethan's lack of communication and movement was putting her on edge; why was he acting that way? It's like he knew what was happening.
Was Kade doing this to someone else?
All of a sudden, Ethan swung his body around, and grabbed Rebekah's wrist in his hand before she had a chance to move.
" Let's go," he said, and somehow, Rebekah was able to throw him off. This was the only thing that made him make eye contact with her, and she was greeted with glossy eyes.
" What? No," her voice was so high pitched right now- you could hear the fear seeking through it. " What's going on in there?"
The shouting was getting louder, and Rebekah tore her eyes from his and inspected with her ears, but Ethan disrupted her.
" That's non of our business," he said through clenched teeth. " Now I said come on."
He gripped her wrist again, and Rebekah scrunched up her face into an angry ball. She hissed out when his nails dug into her skin, and Ethan's grip was too strong this time to escape.
Her heart was thudding rapidly in her chest, and she was so eager to race into that house and find out what was going on, but she knew Ethan was never going to let her with this tightness around her thin arm, so she decided just to follow.
Then, out of nowhere, a huge bang erupted in the air, like something had been slammed against the ground. It was followed by a enormous, airy scream that made Rebekah literally jump out her skin.
This was followed by utter silence.
The adrenaline hit Rebekah's body now and she someone managed to throw herself from Ethan's grip. The minute she did it, she didn't have chance to adjust and went charging towards her house, worry and fear buried in her eyes and in her expression. Ethan appeared shocked and turned to race after her, but Rebekah was already in the house and sprinting through the corridor.
Her heart rate had definitely increased above the average, and sweat was poring from her forehead like a broken tap. No matter what, her legs wouldn't stop moving, and she could hear the horrendous sounds of Ethan Riley's heavy running behind her.
But she reached the living room before Ethan got a chance to reach her, and Rebekah stopped dead in her tracks when she was saw what was right in front of her.
Rebekah let out the most horror-filled scream she'd ever protruded in her entire life, and Ethan finally reached the room to take a look himself...