| Three |
| �So, it�s been a three weeks. You�re almost halfway through, huh?� He nodded against the cell phone in his hand. He had finally given in and called one of the guys instead of just getting the scoop from Johnny. �Yeah, Chris.� I wish it were over, he thought silently. �So how has your break been?� �Good, good. Been working in New York a lot with the clothes. Spent a few days at home with Mom. I never thought I�d say it, but I�m bored to death, man.� He chuckled sympathetically, though he couldn�t really relate. This was torture, he was on edge constantly. It was worse than being on tour. Chris�s voice broke into his thoughts. �So, we didn�t want to worry you or anything, but uh, your mom thought it would be alright. She said if one of us heard from you it would probably be a good idea for us to tell you. Not like there�s anything you can really do about it, or anything, just we wanted you to know I guess.� �Chris, if you have something to say, get it over with.� He rubbed his temples tiredly. On the other side of the country, Chris took a deep breath. �That last letter you sent to B � well, it came back, unopened. No one has heard from her since before you left. We�re not sure where she is or what happened to her. I�m sorry, man,� his voice trailed off. He allowed a few moments of silence to pass while he gained his composure. Four weeks, no one had called her that. Of course, none of them would have known to. It was something his friends had made up for her. The absolute shortest version of her name, they had laughed. Only the group of people closest to the two of them were privileged to call her that. To everyone else, she was Gabriella. �She�s here, Chris.� His voice came out raspier than he had intended. �What? I thought you just said B was there.� He swallowed. �I did. She is.� �But, you�re not � She didn�t �� He was quiet while his friend soaked in the situation. Several expletives were let out before Chris spoke again. �God, I�m sorry man. I�m so sorry. Does Johnny know this?� �I doubt it. He cares about her almost more than I do. He wouldn�t do this to us.� �So you think someone did it deliberately?� He rubbed his face wearily. �I don�t know what to think, man. I really don�t. I just know that being here is killing her. It really is.� It�s killing both of us. �Man, it�s killing you too, and you know it.� He smiled at how well Chris knew them both. �There�s nothing we can do about it?� �I don�t know, man. Not without stirring up a whole bunch of trouble, I�m sure.� �Excuse me? Did I just hear you doubting our willingness to be involved in something that might stir up trouble? Boy, you need to come home, you�re forgetting us already!� He allowed himself a laugh. Chris could make him laugh in any situation. Even this one. I wish he could talk to Gabby. She hasn�t laughed since Spin the Bottle. �But seriously, man. Do you want us to see what we can do?� One oddity he had almost forgotten: their tendency to speak and act as a collective. They were individuals, yes, but they were a group as well, and nothing could break that. �Hold off for now. I think we�ll get through this, Chris.� I�m just not sure what will be left when we do. �So what do you think has been up with Gabriella?� He and Jared were in the house�s small weight room. It had been a month now. After the Spin the Bottle incident the first week, Gabriella had shut herself off little by little. She only spoke when spoken to, was polite to a fault, only interacted when it was absolutely necessary. He wasn�t sure exactly what was going on inside her head, he only knew a few of the outside factors influencing her right now. He shrugged. �The girls have been awfully rough on her, don�t you think?� That was an understatement. Emily and Sarah were out for her blood. And Gabriella was letting them walk all over her. They dropped all of their household duties on her and she shouldered them silently. They borrowed her things without asking and she just nodded when they asked her how cute they looked wearing her clothes. They badmouthed her while she was in the room, complaining that she thought she was better than them. He didn�t understand any of it. What he did understand was that neither one of them had stopped trying to get him in bed with them since that first week. And that Mark hadn�t quit with Gabriella, either. Whereas Jared just had a simple crush on her that was easily dismissed, Mark wanted her. He was constantly making suggestive comments, touching her, rubbing up against her. It made him see red. And it was making her shut down even more. He didn�t know what to do. �Did you know she has a boyfriend?� he asked Jared suddenly. �Who, Gabriella?� He nodded. Jared looked shocked. �How do you know that?� He shrugged. �That chain she wears, with the ring on it?� Jared nodded. �She left it in the bathroom after her shower one day. It had an inscription inside it, so I asked her about it. She said it was just a close friend, but it was their names together surrounded by two hearts.� He shrugged again. �Wow. I wonder why she never mentioned it to anyone. Especially Mark.� �With a guy like Mark, it wouldn�t make a difference,� he said, trying to keep the disgust out of his voice. Jared nodded in agreement. �But still, you would have thought that after a month, we would have known she had a boyfriend. She hasn�t talked about him at all. Don�t you find that weird?� Jared�s mind was blown, obviously. It almost made him want to laugh and clap the man on the back. Jared�s �goddess� had just fallen and he wasn�t quite sure what to do with himself now. �Man, with women, I don�t find anything weird.� They both had a laugh and exited the weight room On his way to the kitchen for some water, he tripped over something. It was after midnight, the hallway was dark. He kneeled down to see what the offensive object was. His heart caught in his throat. Gabby. She moaned, as if he had said her name aloud. Her face was contorted in pain, and tear stains covered her cheeks. She whispered his name unconsciously, and he reached for her. �Gabby, wake up. C�mon, wake up.� In her passed out state, she flinched at his touch, bringing up her arms to ward off his hands. He caught them, and she yelped. �What the�� Turning her wrists over, he noticed faint burn marks around them. �Gabby,� he whispered more urgently. Her head rolled to the side, and he noticed two things immediately: there was a bruise on the side of her face, faintly resembling a hand print; and the corners of her mouth were cracked and bleeding, a red line similar to that on her wrists making its way around her head. Panic and anger filled him immediately. �Gabby, can you hear me? Gabby?� His voice was gaining several octaves as the panic engulfed him. The sound of a camera focusing in on them caught his attention. Swiftly, but gently, he picked her up and marched to the nearest mirror. He didn�t know exactly where the operator was, but it didn�t matter. He banged on the glass with his fist. �Do you see this?� he yelled. �Do you?� When there was no reply, he banged again, harder. �We�re out! It�s over! Get us out of here. Now, dammit!� The lights behind the mirror came on, and the operator held up his phone, dialing it at the same time. He sank down onto the floor, cradling her in his arms. All around him, hidden �players� were revealing themselves, throwing the scene into a scurry of action. But he just held her tightly until the paramedics came, whispering all the while that he loved her and he was sorry. Four ~Home~ ~Plot Mistress~ |