Chapter 21: – Chapter 21

It’s been two weeks since we got back from New Hope. I still can’t believe that Yasmin agreed to move in with us. It seems surreal and that everything is too good at the moment. Arden and Rhys had bailed me up and told me that I needed to ask her and not just assume that she would.

We’ve fallen into an easy routine. Yasmin and Millie are still staying with us.

Her dad messages occasionally to apologise, but he isn’t forcing them to come home. I don’t know what changed his mind, but I have a feeling Mum has something to do with it.

We go to school then either go to my house or Arden’s. We’ve been spending more time there, making the most of spending time with Julia now that she has let us back into her life.

It’s going to be hard for Arden to leave her behind next year.

We graduate in a month.

This is it.

We’re on the home stretch.

Rhys, Arden and I are currently waiting for the girls to arrive. We’re meeting them for dinner at Mushu’s. This has sort of become a Saturday night tradition. I suggested it when I realised just how much Yasmin loves Chinese food. She’s discovered a newfound love of dumplings and the rest of us don’t mind. I can’t wait to tell her that Arden has convinced the owners to open up a restaurant in New Hope.

Yasmin and Ally arrive just as the food arrives. Yasmin stops to kiss me, and before long, Arden is making gagging noises from across the table.

“Seriously? We’re about to eat,” Arden says through his gagging noises. Which earns him a smack over the head from Ally.

“You can’t comment. Do I need to remind you of what I witnessed this week?” Ally asks narrowing her stare at him.

Arden’s quick to stop so he can glare at Ally. “You wouldn’t. You promised,” he hisses. Ally raises her eyebrow in a querying manner and Arden visibly pales which gets everyone’s attention.

“What happened this week?’ I ask Arden. He avoids looking at me and continues to stare down Ally.

“Nothing.” His tone is short and very un-Arden like.

“What did you see?” Rhys asks Ally. If we push from both directions, one of them is bound to cave. Ally widens her smirk in a menacing way. I know that smirk. She’s about to tell us just to piss Arden off.

“You wouldn’t,” Arden threatens.

“Wouldn’t I?” Ally responds in a cool tone. Yasmin’s phone vibrates and she checks her message.

“No fucking way!” Yasmin exclaims putting her phone down and joining Ally in the stare down.

What just happened?

Arden looks between the two girls confused.

“You made out with Stacey? What the fuck were you thinking?” Yasmin says, letting the cat out of the bag.

Arden pales again “How?” He ignores her question, more concerned about how Yasmin found out. He must’ve missed her checking her phone. I’m impressed with Ally’s ninja texting skills under the table.

Yasmin waves her phone in the air in response.

“What the fuck dude?” Rhys says, smacking him in the back of the head. “The restraining order gets finalised next week.” We met with Mr Gilmore when we got back from New Hope. I found a tracker on Arden’s car, and that was enough for a temporary restraining order.

“She mauled me.”

“That isn’t what I saw,” Ally retorts. “You had her pinned to the wall and it looked like you were enjoying it.”

“ARDEN!” Yasmin yells.

He holds his hands up in a defensive way. “Okay, so she mauled me first, and I’m male. I wasn’t thinking with my brain.” He’s on the defensive and if I’m honest, it’s actually quite amusing.

“That’s a shitty excuse,” Yasmin tells him with a huff.

We’re distracted from putting shit on Arden when Julia walks in.

“Where’s Millie?” Yasmin asks, her mouth full of dumpling.

“I thought she was with you?” Julia says as she sits in an empty chair. “I haven’t seen her since this morning,” Julia adds while putting food on her plate.

I see the panic take over. Yasmin stops eating and picks her phone up off the table. She presses a button and puts it to her ear.

I can hear Millie’s voicemail pick up the call. It didn’t even ring.

Yasmin starts to shake as she tries again and again. I lose track of how many times she tries to call Millie. She sends text messages between leaving messages. Yasmin stands and starts pacing the restaurant.

“She’s probably just with friends,” I say trying to calm her down a little. She’s close to the edge.

“Who? Julia is here, and she hasn’t mentioned anyone else,” Yasmin says, the panic in her voice putting me on edge.

“Calm down, we’ll find her.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down. You don’t understand,” Yasmin spits out.

“Julia any ideas of where she could be?” I ask. She shakes her head, worry settling over her features as well. Yasmin furiously keeps trying to call Millie.

“We’ll split up, to try and find her,” Arden suggests.

“No, it’s too late. She could’ve been missing for hours. How could I’ve been so fucking stupid? I was supposed to protect her.” She mutters typing out another message on her phone.

“What do you mean? Protect her? She’s just a teenager. She’s probably just with friends. Her phone might’ve died. She’ll be okay. She’s a smart girl,” Arden says.

“Don’t try to tell me she’ll be okay. What do you know? You’ve been surrounded by security your entire life. You have the perfect life, enough money to buy anything you want and parents that support you.” Yasmin glares at Arden while speaking at him.

“Yasmin…” Ally says.

“Don’t you start. You and Rhys need to sort your fucking shit out. We all know that you like each other. This whole avoiding each other is bullshit and makes it fucking uncomfortable for us.” Yasmin aims her words at Ally, not even looking away when she lands the final blow and tears form in Ally’s eyes.

She’s pushing us away and I have no fucking idea why.

“Yas…” Rhys tries to warn.

“Don’t fucking bother Rhys. You hated me the moment that you met me. I guess I’m doing you a favour. Your group can go back to just the four of you. It’s what you always wanted right? It was easier to pine over the girl you could never have when no one notices or questions your motives? You’ve been lying to yourself for years because you’re too scared to stand up to your dad. Grow a pair Rhys. Be the big bad scary wolf you make yourself out to be.” I watch Rhys’ face turn to stone. It’s scary as fuck.

“Yasmin. Stop.” My words coming out harsher than I intended, but it works. She brings her eyes to mine and leaves my best friend alone. Rhys is furious, Ally is in tears and Arden is confused. None of us have any fucking clue as to what’s going on and why she’s reacting the way she is.

“I’m leaving anyway. I need to find Millie.” She says grabbing her keys and making her way to the door. I catch up to her and spin her around to face me.

“What’s going on? I’m coming with you.” Her eyes briefly search mine. I can see how scared she is. Her walls are firmly in place. The walls that I have witnessed come down more and more over the past few weeks.

“No Chase. You need to stay. I’m going on my own.”

“I want to help.”

“I don’t want your help.” She says as she walks out of the restaurant. The finality in her voice hits me hard. She just pushed me away and I have no idea why. We promised each other that even if this didn’t work out between us, that we would still be friends because she deserved to have everyone in her life.

In a twenty-minute period she managed to push us all away and hit us where it hurt. Although she didn’t take a shot at me personally, she targeted my friends, fully knowing that they were my weak point.

“What the fuck just happened?” Arden asks as I sit back down and scull the remainder of my beer.

“I don’t know,” I say my voice distant. I get the feeling that the girl I love just walked out of my life for good.

“Julia, do you have any idea on where Millie might be?” I ask curiously. They’ve become close recently. I’d be surprised if Julia didn’t have a hint of an idea.

“Ummm…” Julia hesitates.

“Spit it out. You won’t get into trouble,” Arden says gently squeezing his sister’s shoulder, reassuring her with a single touch.

“She might be with Hayden.” Julia says.

“Hayden? As in my brother?” Rhys asks, joining the conversation.

“Yeah, they’ve been hanging out. Sneaking off at school and stuff.”

Rhys picks his phone up and dials his brother. It goes straight to voicemail.

“That little shit.” Rhys mutters. “Let’s go. I think I might know where they are.” He says getting up and helping Ally to her feet.

“We’ll drop you at home on the way Julia.”

“Okay.” She replies timidly.