| More time passed, and Michelle received a few more roses. She didn�t tell any one, but the thought of Jaden was never out of her mind. When she was alone she played her violin, in an effort not to think too hard about him. Maybe he could get into the castle. She was quite scared. But Jareth wouldn�t believe him anyway. He would just assume his brother was trying to upset him. She just had to remember that. Michelle opened her eyes. Sister Angela looked down at her. �Sister?� she said. �Michelle,� said the nun with a smile, �nice to have you back again.� �Back?� �There�s no time to just sit around, Michelle, you have AS levels in less than a term, now get to class.� �Sister?� �And don�t forget to see the Sargent.� �The Sargent?� �Yes, the Sargent. The police won�t find Pascal on their own, you know.� Pascal, Pascal, her best friend in the world. What had happened to her? Why hadn�t she seen her since�.? The police? She had to talk to the police about Pascal. She had seen Pascal, but where? She couldn�t explain it to them. �Where did you see her?� said the man in a cheep grey suit. �What?� she asked. �Look, Michelle,� said the pretty lady in police uniform, �we�re only trying to find your friend. Can you help us?� �No, I�� �You don�t want to help us,� said the man in the cheep grey suit, �you�re tangled up in this somehow, and you�re not telling us everything.� Michelle felt herself start to cry. �I don�t know where she is,� she blurted. �Michelle, is there something you�re not telling us?� asked the lady in uniform. Michelle looked at her. �If there is and you don�t tell me young lady, I will come down on you like a ton of bricks, do you hear me?� The man had almost shouted that right in her ear from behind. Michelle put her head in her hands �There�s something, isn�t there?� When Michelle didn�t answer, she stroked the girl�s hair. �Come on, Michelle, you can tell me.� �I� I�� she couldn�t do it. �I�was walking back to her Mum�s car with her, I forgot something, went back for it, and never saw her again.� She sniffed. �I found her violin metres from where I saw her last.� �You�ve already told us that!� the man was shouting. �What else do you know?� �I don�t know anything!� she shouted back. �Well have you seen her since then?� �No,� she said more quietly. �Michelle, if you have, it�s very important that you tell me when and where,� said the woman. �Pascal could be in danger.� Michelle sniffed again, and looked at the table in front of her. �Are you pregnant?� they asked in unison. �What?� �Who�s the father, Michelle?� �I�m not pregnant!� she said. �Look at yourself Michelle, you can hardly hide it.� Michelle looked down at her huge belly. It hadn�t been there a second ago. �Who�s the father Michelle?� asked the lady. Michelle looked at her in amazement. �You need to tell us Michelle.� �Unless you�re too much of a slut to know,� said the man. Michelle felt sick, like she had the first time anyone had accused her of being a slut. If only they knew. �Who�s the father?� �Mr Landau,� she said. �Who is Mr Landau?� �The music teacher.� �We have no teachers of that name.� Sister Angela was suddenly in front of her again. �Our music staff are all female.� �You�re lying to us Michelle,� said the lady. �I�m not.� �How can we believe what you say about Pascal, when you lie like that?� said the man in the cheep suit. �I�m not lying.� �Where�s Pascal, Michelle?� �I don�t know,� she cried. �We don�t believe you.� Silence. She looked up. They�d all gone. It was dark. �Michelle.� She looked around. �Rosy?� The fifteen-year-old nodded. �Rosy, where have you been, your Mum�s been so worried?� �I�ve been here Michelle.� �Where�s here?� she asked. �Where are we?� �It doesn�t matter, Michelle. But we�re here, and you know why.� �I know?� �Yes you know you stupid bitch,� the voice came from behind her. Michelle spun to see a girl she used to see hanging around the playground, passing a cigarette round her friends. She even remembered a name. �Lisa Spencer.� �I know my name you stupid slapper.� �You�re calling me a slapper?� �You didn�t tell anyone what happened. Didn�t you figure it out?� �Figure what out?� �What happened to us, you stupid cow.� �Leave her alone, Lis�,� said Rosy. �She�s had almost as bad as us.� �What happened to you?� asked Michelle. �They never found you.� �You really are a stupid slut aren�t you?� said Lisa. �I don�t understand.� The younger girls backed away, and Michelle couldn�t seem to go with them. �What happened to you?� There was a noise in the darkness, but she couldn�t see anything. �Where have you gone?� she whispered. �Lisa? Rosy?� �What happened to you?� �I happened to them.� She spun. �Jaden!� �I think someone�s forgotten our little deal.� She couldn�t think about that at the moment. �What did you do to Lisa and Rosy?� He laughed at her, long and hard. She really was sixteen again. �JADEN!!� she shouted over his laughter. There was silence, and then a wall hit her, and she felt his hands on her neck, holding her there. �Don�t defy me, Michelle,� he growled. �We�re meant to be getting revenge on Jareth. You�re just making him happy.� �You can�t tell him. Not now. What about Dominic?� �I will make him hurt, Michelle,� he said, tightening his grip on her neck, and leaning right into her ear. �And if that means hurting you in the process, then so be it.� Michelle couldn�t hold back the tears anymore. She sobbed lightly, trying her hardest to hold herself steady, but failing. �Oh, poor little girl, all scared,� he jeered. �You think this is frightening, you think what happened to those girls.� He whispered He bit her violently on the neck. Michelle screamed, or assumed she screamed. Her voice was screaming. |