Sorry for the wait! Grace and I were stacked with studying for Finals and school projects and couldn’t fit any time for writing/posting, but we’re guaranteeing more updates and chapter uploads now!
Once again, we apologize for the delay and hope you don’t hate us! xoxo
I carpooled in Drew’s car to an urbanized cafe near his apartment called InSpirit. The scenery was dramatic and a bit gloomy but I assumed it was because of the mood I was already in. A waitress approached us before we could even sit comfortably in our cushioned chairs.
“I’ll have two decaf americanos, to stay.”, he bluntly ordered, not even asking me for my request. Noelle liked decaf americanos; she never ordered anything else.
The waitress kindly wrote down his order and left us to organize our cluttered thoughts. Silence rained over us as we both sat concentrated on one thing: Noelle. I tried to remember the last time I saw her. We were at the graduation party. I pursed my lips and tightened my eyes hut, hoping the motions would ease the difficulty in my terrible memory recovering. If only I had not taken those awful drinks, I could’ve easily regained the events of the party.
Before I could dig deeper into my thoughts, the waitress that had greeted us returned and stood patiently at our table’s side. She slowly placed our steaming drinks on the table, obviously aware of our need to be left alone. Something beamed of light from the corner of my eye and I turned to realize it was the waitress’ ring reflecting off the bright lights above us. It was an elegant ring with gold trimming and a well sized diamond firmly hooked. Where have I seen this ring before?
“I like your ring.” I shyly smiled, still having my eyes plastered on the shiny object.
“Thanks. A friend gave it to me as a graduation present.”, she chimed and wiggled her fingers around the ring. We smiled at each other once more and then she walked away.
“What was that about?” Drew asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
“What?”
“It’s just a ring.”, he shrugged.
He was right. It was just a ring. It was something about the ring that—
“Ah-ha!” I shrieked making Drew jump in his seat.
“This better be good…”
“The ring!” I snapped, my face lighting up in glee.
“What about it?” he tampered, seeming a bit annoyed for not getting straight to the point.
“The night of the party Noelle was given a ring…” Drew’s eyes widened and his jaw slightly dropped. Was he angry? Surprised? Jealous?
“And what does that have in common with our situation?” he said, emphasizing “situation” as to redirect me back on topic.
“Because that was the last thing I remember from that night and possibly the last time I saw Noelle. I took too many drinks and my memory is a bit… weak.” Instantly, my face flushed with red and I placed my head down in shame. If I hadn’t of gotten drunk it would have made this easier.
I’m guessing I fell asleep because I woke up on my bed, wincing as I got up. I cringed when I saw dried blood on my clothes and hands.
“You’re awake!” I looked up to see Wren sitting on a chair in front of me. I unconsciously backed away remembering the events of the previous night.
“You haven’t eaten so I brang you food.”, he gestured to a nice looking breakfast. I eyed it suspiciously with doubt creeping up on me. Why is he being so nice?
“I brang a wash cloth and bandages to clean up those cuts.”, he softly said, with pain in his voice as if he didn’t know he was the cause of these cuts.
”I bought you some clothes and changed you out of your old ones, but I guess these got stained too.” That’s when I noticed I wasn’t wearing the same clothes I had been wearing the other day. I shivered in disgust, afraid to think of what he could have seen.
“And I got-“
“I want to go home.” I cut him off.
“What? At least let me finish what I have to say.”, he chuckled, placing his hands on mine.
I slipped my hand away from his possesive touch and spoke louder, “I want to go home.”
“But I can take good care of you.” Wren smiled innocently. So innocently that it seemed like this was just a nightmare and Wren was the old Wren I knew.
“Drew can take care of me too. So can Jade.” I challenged, matching his piercing gaze.
“I can protect you better than either of them.”
“And locking me away is your idea of protection?” I spat.
“I have to protect you from the monsters that you call men who will just take advantage of you and-“
“The only person I want protection away from is you.”, I glared, despite the thoughts of what he was capable of doing to me.
“You know what? Fine.” Wren abruptly stood up, knocking down the chair he was sitting on, picked up the tray of food and walked out the door with a slam.
Maybe now he’d think about letting me go. I sat there silently, waiting for him to burst in with apology speech, begging me not to take him to court. But nothing. As I waited my stomach began to growl, finally realizing how long it has been since I last had a bite to eat. I worriedly began to bite at my nails in hopes it would alleviate my hunger the least bit.
How long would it be ‘til he comes back? He has feed me something right? What if he’s teaching me a lesson? I can’t go and knock for food… I’d look weak. These thoughts popped up as hours went by, my hunger getting worse by the second, until I found myself knocking on his door.
I woke up the next morning with an excruciating headache and a throbbing sting on the soles of my feet. Note to self: Never wear 6 inch heels and attempt to dance ever again.I wondered how Noelle’s been able to wear heels since the 8th grade and still have her feet intact and functional.
“Wait— where is Noelle?” I quickly got up from my bed and instantly regretted it as a rush of blood drained throughout my entire body and sent me collapsing on my knees. Blurs from last night flashed through my head as I remembered glimpse of the party last night.
“Ugh. Stupid hangover.” I cursed under my breath and pulled myself up on my feet once again. Through my vision was still a bit hazy, I still managed to stumble my way through my room and grab a hold of my cell phone. I dialed the number and waited to hear her voice through the line, but instead it kept on ringing.
“C’mon Noelle! Pick up, already!” I mumbled and hung up, “Maybe she was a bit foggy from the party last night and decided to sleep in?” I doubted so, considering the fact that Noelle, no matter how late a party, always managed to wake up early and fresh faced. Another thing I envied about her; her ability to remain beautiful despite any situation.
After numerous phone calls to Noelle (all being transferred to her voice box), I resulted in texting her. She’d never miss a text, especially from me.
I quickly fumbled the text on my keys and hit “send”. I checked the clock every now and then, anxious for her reply. One minute passed … then five … ten …fifteen.
“Somethings wrong…” I whispered as I paced my room. I figured my hangover was beginning to clear up because my mind could finally focus remotely on one thing: where Noelle could be.
ΔΔ Δ
Was she mad at me? For what? Was this some silly prank?
No, Noelle never played pranks.
I was in my car now, on my way to Noelle’s house. I hoped she would still be there, she had to be. There was nothing else to do on a day like this, except shop. I made a mental note to check her favorite boutique not a few streets down from her house, in case I wouldn’t see her at her own home.
I drove in Noelle’s parkway and parked my car in front of the vast white and salmon painted house. Instantly, I noticed Noelle’s father in the front yard, watering the elegant rows of iris and freesia plants.
“Hello, Jade!” So nice to see you!” He gently waved and turned off his hose to approach me.
“Hey, Mr. Greene. Sorry to be coming by so early, but I was hoping you could tell me where Noelle might be?” An awkward smile managed to crease on my face as Noelle’s father looked blankly at his feet and put his fingers on the temple. He seemed a bit caught off guard with my question and soon brought his eyes back to mine.
“Funny thing, I don’t even know where she is. Nowadays, she’s all over the place, it’s hard to keep up with her! Somedays I wonder if I should put a GPS on her. But ask her mother, sweetheart. She knows Noelle better than I know my garden!” He chuckled.
Odd. Did this mean Noelle came home last night?
“Sure thing! Thanks!” I yelled off as I ran inside the home.
First thing I noticed when I came into the living room was the indoor decor. Marble walls were plastered everywhere, all glistening in different colors: white, beige, and salmon. Memories of sleepovers, birthdays, and hangouts crowded in my mind. I didn’t even notive that my jaw was dropping from the astonishment. I held onto each memory like they had happened yesterday.
“I can’t believe it either.” I jumped and swiftly turned around and found myself standing in front of Noelle’s mother, “Time flies fast.” I smiled at her sight and embraced her petite body.
“Nice to see you, Mrs. Greene.” I greeted her as we pulled away from our hug.
“Darling, I’m honored to have you here again. Come on in, now. Remove you shoes too. Oh! I just finished making cookies!” Noelle’s mother squealed with glee. She was short and slender with perfectly straight, light brown hair and a fair complexion. She had the typical “mother of the year” type of attitude that fit her caring and loving character. At the sound of “cookies” I slid my shoes off and followed her into the kitchen.
The kitchen still looked the same from years ago when Noelle and I would always come here and eat everything from her fridge. The longer I stayed at her house, the more memories rushed to me.
Noelle’s mother pulled a tray from the oven and placed a dozen chocolate chip cookies beside me. As much as I wanted to sit with Noelle’s mother and eat cookies all day, I knew I had something more important to accomplish.
“I actually came here to ask you something…” I said, pushing the tempting tray away from me.
“Anything, dear!”
“Do you happen to know where Noelle is?” I asked.
Come on, tell me she’s still sleeping in her bed or shopping.
“Hmmm…matter of fact, no. She never returned from the party…I thought she was with you.” Noelle’s mother said, looking up at me.
“Oh, no. She left the party early and I haven’t seen her since.” I noticed the surprised expression in Noelle’s mother’s face and I wondered if it was something to be frightened of?
“That’s strange.” She whispered, searching the kitchen counter for her phone. She brought it out and then diverted her attention back to me.
“She hasn’t texted me.” She shot a traumatizing look at me whilst the phone trembled in her hands, “She always texts me in the morning. Always.”
This was unusual of Noelle. I pitied her mother as her shoulder swooped down and she bit her manicured nails. I feared if I stayed any longer, she’d start crying.
“Oh…yeah, I forgot! I think I saw her leave with Drew last night…must’ve slipped my mind!” I lied. I hated lying to any adult, especially Noelle’s mother, but I had to save her from breaking down in front of me. A bit of hope revived in her face and a flush of guilt washed over me.
“Well, thank you, dear. I really appreciate it.” And before I could boil up in my own guilt and lies, I waved goodbye to her and rushed out of the house.
Next stop: Drew’s apartment.
ΔΔΔ
I drove up to Drew’s apartment after my visit to Noelle’s house in hopes that Noelle would be there. My palms got sweatier the closer I got to his door. I knocked a few times on his door and waited patiently. Nothing. Not even the shuffling of bodies or any evidence of a family living inside. I turned around to face the parking lot and oddly Drew’s black Mustang was parked firmly in between a light pole and another vehicle. Then why isn’t he answering? I banged heavy on the door once more and after an estimated five minutes of waiting, I gave up and began to walk to my car.
“Hey!” A voice shouted behind me, “Were you knocking?” Of course, there stood Drew. His hair was a bit tussled in curls and he only wore gym shorts and a wife beater top. I blushed at the sight of his muscular abs peeking through the flimsy top.
“Uh, yeah…I hope I didn’t wake you up or something?” I blushed even more and awkwardly slid further away from him.
I could always come back later. When he’s dressed and not half awake.
“Nah. Not really.” He shrugged and combed his hands through his wild hair.
“Oh.” I murmured.
I shot my eyes back to his at the same moment he had. He looked at me with some odd expression in his face that made me hot all over. Noelle was right; this boy is totally not ‘readable’.
“Well?” He raised his eyebrows and dug his hands in his pockets, still looking me in my eyes.
“Huh?” I squinted my face and immediatly released it, “Oh! You’re probably wondering why I’m here…” I clumsily blurted, regretting my stupid question. Of course he’s wondering why I’m here. It’s not everyday your girlfriend’s bestfriend comes to visit you while your sleeping and almost naked.
“Yeah. I kinda am.” He blurted back.
Ouch.
“Oh, sorry. I was wondering if you had seen Noelle…” He squinted his eyes at me and his eyebrows danced and formed an odd line on his forehead. I wanted to giggle at him but then I knew that would ruin everything.
It was cute, in a way.
“Hmmm. No. She left the party earlier and never came back. I thought she left with you, until I saw you leave with your dad. I even tried texting her. She never replied.” He said firmly. His jaw clenching as he spoke, sending chills down my spine. Get it together, Jade. This is Noelle’s boyfriend. You’re here for Noelle.
“That’s strange…she never replied to me, either. Or her mom.” The atmosphere between us became silent and the only thing making a sound was fear crawling in our hearts. Drew’s eyes shot out with concern. He rushed back inside, leaving me baffled and alone but quickly returned before I could recap this moment. He now wore a full outfit and his hair looked neatly brushed.
“Wh-where are you going?” I stuttered.
He slammed the door behind him, sending vibrations throughout my body. His keys danced in his hands as he looked at me with stern and bold eyes.
“We are going to find Noelle.”
Here is a brief and updated summary of our novel before we release the upcoming chapters. We don’t want to give out all the details, and will when we obtain more followers to share it with.
Two best friends (Noelle Greene, Jade McKinley) graduate from high school. The day of their graduation party, Noelle Greene is kidnapped and taken to some layer where she meets her kidnapper (Wren Forester) and is forced to do what he says. Meanwhile her friend (Jade McKinley), along with her boyfriend (Drew Minster) , are trying to collect clues and find out where she is and who kidnapped her. While Jade is investigating with her her boyfriend, Drew Minster, Jade falls in love with Drew and there are clues that he too could like her back. The possibilities of finding Noelle become slim and Jade and Drew must make a decision. Should they let their fling be the obstacle from saving Noelle?
Yeah, there is a lot of suspense, romance, drama, and action… that I am sure of! Thank you for following, more chapters coming today! xoxo
