After about 2hours of struggling in her dream, Phidel finally jerked up from her sleep, soaked in sweat. She swiftly lurked around then to the clock just beside her bed. Luckily enough, she wasn't the type that usually goes to sleep with all lights off. Checking from her clock, it was still not yet time to get off bed so she rested her back on the wall, supporting it with her pillow whiles she reflected on her ordeal.
She tried to put one and two together to solve this weird mystery of a nightmare but nothing was really adding up. "Could this really be about Phidelia?" She grumbled mentally to herself. "But why has Auntie Emma not called yet?" She said and without another thought, reached for her phone which was on the mini drawer beside her bed.
She turned on the screen to see if she had missed any call but there was nothing. She went on, scrolling through her call logs to see if her mother might have by any chance answered a call from her but there was nothing like that. Only a WhatsApp message from Rio, saying how pissed she was and a few more from Luna and Cora; checking up on her as she had left earlier without their notice.
Phidel quickly sent an apologetic text to Rio and an assurance message to Luna as well Cora to put their minds at rest about her since she knew how worried they might have been.
When she was sure she had everything sorted with her friends, she returned her phone to where she took it from and glided off her bed.
Though it wasn't physical, she felt as though her head was splitting into two. She winced a bit, sauntering out of the room. Getting to the hall, she met her mother still seated at the same spot she had earlier left her but this time, looking so devastated while staring at the screen of her phone, "You were up all night?" Phidel said, making her mother looked up at her.
"Oh, you're up already?"
"Yeah mum–" She answered whiles shuffling over to her side. "Still haven't heard from them?" She went on, settling beside her disturbed mother.
Jerome was about to answer Phidel's question when the door cracked opened with Randy walking in. "Honey–" Jerome instinctively mumbled while she rushed into her husband's arms, her voice plainly expressing how worried and frustrated she was.
"It's alright dear." Randy uttered whiles he stroked her back. "You've still not heard from any of them?" He asked while drawing Jerome back from the hug. With a pathetic gaze, she nodded her response. He instinctively glanced over Jerome's shoulders and saw Phidel seated in the couch. For once, he felt her daughter 's fright and pain just staring at her.
"Oh dear, " He muttered, walking over to her. "Are you okay?" He sat beside her, draping a hand over her shoulders. Looking into her father's eyes, she faked a smile.
"I'm okay." She answered.
Back in Netherlands, Emma couldn't hold back her emotions as she tried hard to gather her thoughts. Everything was really taking a toll on her and Martin couldn't afford seeing her like that. Staggering out of the kitchen with a glass of water in hand, he approached the sofa in which Emma with her face buried in her hands.
"You should go freshen up dear." He said while handling the water over to her. She glanced up at him, her eyes a little bugged from crying.
"Thank you." She muttered as she took the water. Martin hived a sigh and sat beside her.
"Cheer up dear." He uttered while draping a hand over her shoulder. "I promise we're going to find her." He assured and Emma in turn, gave a weary nod before taking few sips of her water. Returning the glass to the table, she glanced back at her husband.
"Is Isla and Jade gone?" She questioned. Martin was about replying when the two glided down the stairs. They both looked like a fish out of water with their faces contorted and densed with emotions. The once joyous and active mornings was reduced to a gloomy one by Phidelia's disappearance.
With there being nothing much to say nor do, they bided their farewells and left.
*******
It was already past 7: 00am and Tina was the last person to walk out of her room all dressed up, looking as if nothing had happened. Locking her door, she adjusted her back pack over her shoulders and sauntered downstairs. She got to the hall to meet everyone already seated behind the table.
"Good morning mum.., Good morning dad.." She greeted whiles she dragged her chair, making a scrapping sound as she settled on it.
"Good morning dear." Mr. Anderson muttered with a straight but composed look since he wasn't much of a smiling person. Mrs Anderson on the other hand just raised her eyes slightly from her meal, giving her a courteous look.
Lucas was the only one who had his eyes fixed on her with a quizzical look on his face like he had something on his mind. Though Tina noticed, she gave him the cold glare as she focused on her meal, knowing well what that look meant but she wasn't ready to crack her brains on that.
Lucas stared at Tina with a calculating look for some few more seconds then spoke up.
"Where did you go last night?" He questioned out of the blue, making Tina deftly looked up at him whiles their parents rested their quizzical gaze on her. For a second, Tina wondered how Lucas got to know she went out in the late night but then remembered he had this tendency of walking over to her room every night.
"Sh–it.." She grumbled mentally to herself, involuntarily closing her eyes while slightly biting her lips in the process. Looking at how things were going, there was no time for thinking. "Well, I was in the washroom. " She hastily replied.
"Really?" Lucas muttered sceptically but then gave in, knowing well his parents may explode on him soon with his questioning since they were so cautious about table manners.
Tina instinctively let out an inaudible sigh as Lucas let go off his curiousness. The rest of the meals continued in silence and soon it was time to go. Tina and Lucas shrugged up from their seats whiles the helpers cleared the table. They bid their farewells and sauntered out of the house to meet their cars waiting for them outside. Lucas attends Stanford High whiles Tina attends Wesley High which meant they were both going separate ways which Tina was indeed grateful of. Settling in their various cars, it sped off.
The day had already began, Emma and Martin had both not had any rest since yesterday but yet still, their efforts to find Phidelia hadn't paid off and calling her parents was totally out of their suggestions. Neither could they contact the school authorities for help since they had found out her disappearance after school hours and to this effect, they needed to visit the school for assistance before any further actions.
Martin had offered to do that but Emma's anxious mind wouldn't let her sit back without doing anything. Martin tried to persuade her but she wouldn't be moved so he gave in. Looking all set, they hurried out of the house into the car. After a few seconds, they sped off to Wesley High.
*******
Tina's car sped through the busied town and after about 30minutes, pulled up in the school. She took her bag from the seat beside her and glided out of the car. Just as she stepped out, Roxy and Bella rushed up to her, their breath quickened.
"You have to come with us." Roxy uttered, making Tina furrowed her brows. Before she could say anything, Roxy dragged her along and Bella followed after as they took the path to the locker room. When they were sure they were out of ear shot, Roxy let go off her.
"What's this about?" She questioned with a tight-lipped smile.
"We're in big trouble Tina." Bella answered with hunched shoulders while Tina narrowed her eyes. "We were so into disposing Phidelia's body that we forgot about the camera in front of the washroom. I think we were caught on Camera." She pointed out.
"What?" Tina almost shouted.
"I'm afraid to get caught, Tina." Bella continued.
"We need to do something to get that footage or delete it." Roxy hinted.
They were still wondering on what to do when they saw Isla's parents walked into the school 's premises. A flush of shock instantly swept their faces whiles their bodies went numbed.