by Lena. "Slow down—slow—I can't here you!" Elliot insisted, sounding worried. "What? No, I haven't seen Gabriel. No, he's not here. I don't know; I don't think he had plans today. Did you check Hannah Miller's house? You did? Oh…"
Finally, Elliot hung up, looking worried.
"Gabriel didn't show up at school today, even though Leslie says he drove with her and headed to class." Elliot told Lena. "Nobody knows where he is, and he hasn't come home at all…"
"Maybe he's just ditching?" Lena suggested.
"No," Elliot told her seriously. "I know Gabriel. He wouldn't do that. Lena, Gabriel is missing. "
Chapter Thirteen
After days flew by with no sign of Gabriel, it became obvious that Elliot was completely correct. Gabriel was gone; not ditching, he was missing.
Hannah Miller was not looking quite so beautiful these days; she had lost her two closest friends within the span of a few weeks. It startled Lena to look at her; gone was the arrogant, wealthy snob of a girl. In her place was a lost looking mess. Her long black hair hung limp and greasy-looking to her waist, her once carefully chosen outfits now looked like they had been scraped off the floor. Her brown eyes were constantly wide, staring around, as if any second now, Rebekah or Gabriel would step out from behind a door and say, just kidding, we're right here. Lena couldn't help but feel bad for her, she had never seen anybody look so alone.
The police returned to Chillhowie, interviewing Hannah, Gabriel's teachers, and Leslie. Finally, turning nothing up, they called the school into the auditorium to talk. Lena recognized Officer Meyer right away, and shifted so that she leaned against Megan's shoulder. Megan sat to her right, Elliot to her left, with Robert seated to Megan's right.
"With all that's happened to this school in the past few months," Officer Meyer spoke in a clear, professional voice to the student (and teacher) population, "It's clear that this town is no longer safe. Two girls are dead; although Valarie was too old to be a student here, she was once a student. And as for the disappearance of Gabriel Metcalf… Of course, it could be a coincidence. But it feels too fishy to be taking any chances."
Megan leaned in to whisper to Lena. "This is getting scary. I don't like this. Did you know that Valarie girl went to High School with Vanessa?"
Lena was startled; she had had no idea. "How do you know stuff about my sister that I don't know?" she replied. Mentally counting, she realized that her friend was right; Vanessa would have been a senior while this girl was still a freshman.
Officer Meyer continued to speak. "We have decided to set up a Buddy system. No student is to be alone at any time; not on the way to school, not on the way home… not even between classes."
The whispers in the audience began anew; a slow, unsettling fear making everybody shift uncomfortably in their seats. They weren't even safe between classes? But of course they weren't, they reminded each other. Think of Rebekah.
Officer Metcalf began a brief explanation of self-defense and how it was used to protect yourself, not to harm others.
"Shout loud ," he told them. "No tiny little squeaks of a scream. If you want to be heard, you have to roar." Lena reached a hand into her purse, touching the plastic handle of the miniature Taser. True to her word to her sister, she had not let it out of her reach. Although it was breaking multiple school rules, she couldn't help but feel better with it by her side.
"If any situation seems suspicious to you, even a little out of place, leave. Go to someone you can trust. You might be incorrect, but it's better to be wrong then to be dead."
The finality of that last word silenced the gossiping crowd, and everyone looked at each other uncertainly. Seeds of mistrust were already showing on their faces. Was it a teacher? Lena could practically read on their faces. Maybe that boy who is quiet on the bus. What if it's my rival on the tennis
Finally, Elliot hung up, looking worried.
"Gabriel didn't show up at school today, even though Leslie says he drove with her and headed to class." Elliot told Lena. "Nobody knows where he is, and he hasn't come home at all…"
"Maybe he's just ditching?" Lena suggested.
"No," Elliot told her seriously. "I know Gabriel. He wouldn't do that. Lena, Gabriel is missing. "
Chapter Thirteen
After days flew by with no sign of Gabriel, it became obvious that Elliot was completely correct. Gabriel was gone; not ditching, he was missing.
Hannah Miller was not looking quite so beautiful these days; she had lost her two closest friends within the span of a few weeks. It startled Lena to look at her; gone was the arrogant, wealthy snob of a girl. In her place was a lost looking mess. Her long black hair hung limp and greasy-looking to her waist, her once carefully chosen outfits now looked like they had been scraped off the floor. Her brown eyes were constantly wide, staring around, as if any second now, Rebekah or Gabriel would step out from behind a door and say, just kidding, we're right here. Lena couldn't help but feel bad for her, she had never seen anybody look so alone.
The police returned to Chillhowie, interviewing Hannah, Gabriel's teachers, and Leslie. Finally, turning nothing up, they called the school into the auditorium to talk. Lena recognized Officer Meyer right away, and shifted so that she leaned against Megan's shoulder. Megan sat to her right, Elliot to her left, with Robert seated to Megan's right.
"With all that's happened to this school in the past few months," Officer Meyer spoke in a clear, professional voice to the student (and teacher) population, "It's clear that this town is no longer safe. Two girls are dead; although Valarie was too old to be a student here, she was once a student. And as for the disappearance of Gabriel Metcalf… Of course, it could be a coincidence. But it feels too fishy to be taking any chances."
Megan leaned in to whisper to Lena. "This is getting scary. I don't like this. Did you know that Valarie girl went to High School with Vanessa?"
Lena was startled; she had had no idea. "How do you know stuff about my sister that I don't know?" she replied. Mentally counting, she realized that her friend was right; Vanessa would have been a senior while this girl was still a freshman.
Officer Meyer continued to speak. "We have decided to set up a Buddy system. No student is to be alone at any time; not on the way to school, not on the way home… not even between classes."
The whispers in the audience began anew; a slow, unsettling fear making everybody shift uncomfortably in their seats. They weren't even safe between classes? But of course they weren't, they reminded each other. Think of Rebekah.
Officer Metcalf began a brief explanation of self-defense and how it was used to protect yourself, not to harm others.
"Shout loud ," he told them. "No tiny little squeaks of a scream. If you want to be heard, you have to roar." Lena reached a hand into her purse, touching the plastic handle of the miniature Taser. True to her word to her sister, she had not let it out of her reach. Although it was breaking multiple school rules, she couldn't help but feel better with it by her side.
"If any situation seems suspicious to you, even a little out of place, leave. Go to someone you can trust. You might be incorrect, but it's better to be wrong then to be dead."
The finality of that last word silenced the gossiping crowd, and everyone looked at each other uncertainly. Seeds of mistrust were already showing on their faces. Was it a teacher? Lena could practically read on their faces. Maybe that boy who is quiet on the bus. What if it's my rival on the tennis
Similar Books
