27th of January, 10:04 am
RUEL'S POV
I yawn as I feel the hard floor under the blanket and I remember where I was. I sat up in Elliot's bedroom and ruffled my hair, looking around to see everyone but Grayson still sound asleep. I gave a nod to Grayson as I grabbed my phone from Elliot's bedside table where I saw Alannah, wrapped in Elliot's arms. My heart aches as I remember the mornings where y/n would wake up in my arms, her strawberry and kiwi shampoo filled my nose when her hair would be in my face each morning. How she would always be awake before me but wouldn't move from my arms to avoid waking me, and then as soon as I gave a hint that I was awake, she would rush out of the bed, having to go to the bathroom.
As the wood floor creaks from under me, everyone winces awake and starts to sit up and instantly be on their phones. I climbed out of bed, grabbing my clothes from yesterday and heading to the bathroom to get ready for the day. I came back into the bedroom after 10 minutes where the girls were brushing their hair and the boys were sitting around the room, throwing a football around the room. I go over to Elliot's bedside table, pulling open the first drawer and taking the plastic bag out of it, throwing it on the bed
R: 'We gonna talk about this...'
G: 'Ask Mia, she found it'
M: 'I didn't know what it was until Ruel told me so. Ask him'
I feel them all look at me before I sighed and sat on the bed.
R: 'It's y/n's burner phone'
A: 'We all know that captain obvious'
R: 'Do you want to tell us all what's on the phone? I'm glad to listen if you want to'
T: 'Why aren't we going to the police with this again?'
E: 'Y/n's parents didn't know she had it'
R: 'Which means that we can't go to the police with it..Who knows what's on that'
M: 'Well shouldn't you know what's on it? You're her boyfriend' she says as she practically glares at me.
R: 'Yeah, I am. And that's why I respected her privacy...I have no idea what's on that' I gave it back to her
A: 'There's no time for secrets right now Ruel. If you know something we don't, it's time to share with the group. We kinda all deserve to know'
R: 'I have nothing to hide. Do any of you? Girls? Have an explanation on why you guys and y/n were whispering behind the deck last night?'
They shared worried looks between all three of them and then looked back at me with guilty eyes
R: 'So there is something going on...'
My heart races, not knowing what they were going to say...What secret was about to unfold
T: 'She was going to break up with you last night...' she whispers, but loud enough that I could hear
I swear my heart stopped for a second as the words came out of Tilly's mouth. I wanted to cry, yell and scream but none of these things happened. My body went into full shock as I zoned out and was staring at the wall until I finally got words out
R: 'Are you serious?'
Mia nods slowly and then looks at the ground, avoiding my eye contact.
R: 'Alannah?'
I looked at Alannah for some form of hope, the one person who would always tell me the truth, especially when it came to y/n, no matter if it hurt me or not.
A: 'I'm sorry Ruel...'
I zoned out everyone once again, the girls especially, who kept this from me. How was I supposed to trust my 'best friends' when they wouldn't even tell me that my 5-year relationship was about to end. I felt everyone leave the room but one person stayed behind, the person I did not want to talk to
R: 'Just go with them Alannah, I don't need the details on why she was going to do it....'
A: 'She wasn't going to break up with you Ruel' she says quietly as she sits down next to me on the bed
R: 'What are you talking about? You just told me that she was-'
A: 'It was to cover up the real reason we were talking last night'
R: 'And that would be...'
A: 'She was going to move states...Back to Melbourne. She didn't have to guts to tell you just now and she said that if you asked, we should just tell you that she was going to break up with you'
R: 'I don't understand..'
A: 'That's all I know but maybe she told Mia more? That's all I got from the conversation last night..'
R: 'Thanks for telling me..'
A: 'Sorry for lying...'
I smile and pull her into a hug before heading downstairs to where everyone was either going through the fridge or picking at the fruit on the fruit platter on the bench. I lean over to get a couple of grapes, throwing into my mouth before listening in on the conversation they were having
T: Sounds good
R: What sounds good?
E: We're going to the beach. Coming?
I nod as everyone catches the towels Elliot was throwing them and we started to walk down to the local beach which was a couple of streets away from Elliot's house.
MIA'S POV
I swam backwards into the sea as Ruel freestyled in front of me and I stood up in the water.
R: 'I know'
I gave him a confused look, knew what?
R: 'I know about y/n moving states...And not breaking up with me.'
M: Oh, right. Yeah, sorry'
R: 'Do you have any idea of why she would move back? She loves it in Sydney, right?'
M: 'Oh, um. Yeah, no idea' I say, trying to sound convincingly
R: 'I mean, her dad is an abusive alcoholic, why would she put herself in that position again?'
I shrug as I hope he will try to change the subject
R: 'Was she acting weird lately...I don't personally think so but maybe I need another person to see another perspective'
M: 'Um. Not that I can think of...But I guess she was acting weird at the dance convention a couple of weeks ago?'
FLASHBACK- A couple of weeks ago
I leant against the cold brick wall with Tilly, Alannah and y/n next to me as a dancer walked onto the stage and y/n turned to me, her yellow dress brushing against me.
Y/N: 'What time is it?'
A: '7 pm'
Y/N: 'I'll be back'
M: 'Y/n- You're literally on in 5 minutes. You're on next!' I shout in a whisper
Y/N: 'I'll be back, I promise!' she mutters as she rushes off down the hall and I see her disappear into the green room
T: 'What could be so important that she has to leave now?'
I shrug and then start to panic as the previous girl walks off stage after finishing her dance and I start to panic about where y/n was. The lady over the speaker calls for y/n and her dance as if she was standing there the whole time, waiting, she runs side stage, walking onto the stage, ready to dance.
We were all thinking the same thing as she danced. She was incredible. Her technique, her tricks and the way her movement and emotion connected to music made it 100 times better than it originally was in rehearsals. We had all been watching her work on this dance for a couple months now and there was just something about her when she goes onto the stage, a whole new y/n comes out and it was truly amazing to watch. She walks off the stage after taking her bow and walks up to us as she started to take bobby pins out of her hair and she pulled off her false eyelashes
A: 'That was amazing'
M: 'You actually killed that'
Y/N: 'It was terrible but thanks anyways' she sighs as clips the bobby pins onto her dress
T: 'What do you mean? That was incredible'
A: 'Yeah, I don't know what you're talking about. It was perfect, I couldn't fault it'
Y/N: 'My technique was off the whole time, my jumps were high enough and my emtion was so faded, it probably looked so random on stage but fuck it'
She starts to walk down the hallway, back into the green room as I exchange confused looks with the girls. Why was she so upset about her performance?
RUEL'S POV
I walk into the back green room with the music from the stage in the background and I see y/n sitting in her chair, taking off her makeup. She smiles at me, spotting me in the mirror and turns around.
R: 'You did amazing' I walk up to her, handing her the bouquet of flowers
Y: 'Thanks..but I don't know if it will be good enough'
R: 'Good enough for what?'
Y: 'Oh um... For the judges I guess. I'm hoping to get bumped up to a higher level of dance. The 17.1 class' she nods her head as if she was trying to convince herself that's the reason she was nervous about the dance.
R: 'Well, after that performance, you will definitely get in'
I kissed her bare cheek that was wiped clean from makeup and watched as she threw on one of my unreleased merch jumpers and we started to walk out of the green room towards to back exit
A: 'Where are you going? Mia is about to go on...and you missed Tilly and I's duet'
Y: 'I'm just going to head out early... Sorry'
Y/n keeps walking towards to exit as Alannah gives me a look which said 'What the hell' written all over it
R: 'She's just tired, she wants to go home and I'm taking her now'
A: 'We all are tired and want to go home but we still managed to watch her solo'
I could hear that she was pissed about the situation in her voice but I sigh and look at y/n who was waiting at the door and then back at Alannah.
R: 'I'll text you later, k?'
She shakes her head in disappointment and heads back to the side stage as I start to walk to y/n.
PRESENT
ELLIOT'S POV
After a couple hours at the beach, Ruel, Grayson and I headed back to my house whereas the girls headed over to Mia's house to clean up the house. Ruel and Grayson both collapsed on the couch as I got an ice pack for Grayson from the freezer
E: 'Here you go softie' I throw the ice pack at him before he put it on his swollen foot
G: 'Mate, if you stepped on that rock, you probably would've told us to call an ambulance for you'
R: 'At least it's stopped bleeding'
G: 'Feels like it on the inside'
I chuckle at Grayson as we turn on the tv before hearing a knock on the door. I get up to answer to door and I open it to 2 police officers standing there
E: 'Can I help you?' I heard the TV being turned off and the boys starting to walk up behind me.
PO: 'Are your parents home?'
E: 'Um... No? Is there another update with the case?'
PO: 'That's confidential. We need to search the house' they hold up a search warrant and I grab it from their hands
E: 'Really? Do you think that y/n is hiding in my closet?'
PO: 'Excuse us' they take the piece of paper out my hand before slipping through the door before
Ruel and I follow them as they go upstairs and into my room where Grayson started to walk out of it. They went immediately to the first drawer of my bedside table and pulled it open to reveal nothing but packs of gum and my wallet. How did they know to immediately look there? Did someone tell them we had it? Ruel and I connected to dots where Grayson had been
R: 'Where did you put it?' he whispered
G: 'Second box above Elliot's wardrobe that was filled with cute baby photos'
E: 'Seriously mate?'
I watch as Grayson reaches into his back pocket, pulling out a fade and crumbled baby picture of myself.
G: 'Whatta cutie' he says before I grab the photo back.
We focus our attention back on the officers who gave a nod to each other and started to walk out of my room
PO: 'We'll be on our way'
R: 'That's it? You're not gonna search anything else? Just Elliot's room?'
They ignore Ruel's comment and walk past us 3 before going back down the hallway and we watch them leave.
G: 'Wonder how the girls are going at Mia's house...'
Tilly's POV
The last of the police officers were just walking out of Mia's house when we saw Mia's parents in the front yard, looking out onto the street which was crowded with police cars.
MI: 'Mum I am so sorry...' she whispered
MU: 'Honey. It's ok, I'm just glad you girls are safe' she sighs as we are pulled into a group hug. 'They didn't take anything so if you want to head into the house and start cleaning up the mess you made, you should'
MI: 'Yeah of course mum'
She kisses her dad's cheek and we walk through the doorway to immediately see cupboards open everywhere, each door was open and there had been clearly spraying paint on the floor. I watch as Mia closes all the doors before getting a garbage bag out and Alannah and I start picking up all the bottles and cans and putting them in the plastic bag.
MI: 'Oh. Girls. You guys don't have to do this...It's my punishment'
A: 'It's ours too'
T: 'If you're going down, we all are'
She smiles before continuing to pick up random rubbish from the ground. We hear the front screen door slam shut and look up to see Mia's dad holding a white envelope
D: 'Honey, this is from Lucy Guerin Inc'
M: 'No way! They arrived!'
A: 'My mum texted me this morning that mine came! I didn't even notice'
T: 'Let me call my mum, oh my god'
M: 'Wait, dad. Can we go get everyone's letters? I'll be back to clean it up! I promise'
He nods as Mia grabs the car keys and we follow her outside
A: 'I'll text to the boys to meet us at y/n's'