Chapter 51: The Search Party

MITCHELLE/SUNNY’S POV

I couldn’t sleep that night.

I wonder what could have happened if we have both realized we were into each other.

Why she couldn’t say it to me before? And if she did, will I able to say that I’m feeling the same way too?

Rest did not come to me that night. I waited till dawn and early morning to phone Ari.

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THIRD PERSON POV

Maria slammed the bedside clock hoping for the beeping sound to stop. Contrary to what she had hoped for, the blaring continues. She was left with no choice but to squint her eyes as the peeking daylight find its way to her room. She had to find the source of the noise.

She groans as she realizes it was her phone beeping. The caller ID belongs to Sunny.

“Hello?” Ari answers half asleep.

“Maria!” Sunny excitedly greets to the younger girl’s annoyance.

It was still too early for her to be awake at this time of the hour especially during a weekend.

She gave a lethargic hum in acknowledgement.

“Hey, are you busy today?”

Maria tries to focus on Mitchelle’s question. In her half-conscious state, her mind slowly starts working on her schedule for the day.

“Ari?” The impatient older woman speaks on the other line.

She is still processing.

“Ari, wake up! Hey!” Mitchelle nags.

“I’m awake Sunny. You’re too noisy, how am I supposed to sleep again?!” Ari sighs in defeat.

Mitchelle apologizes to the girl she disturbed.

“I’m just going with Bree to visit Alex. By the way, what got you so riled up today?”

“You’re visiting Alex?” There was curiosity in Mitchelle’s voice that the younger one easily detected.

“Yeaahh…why??” Ari purposely drawls as if taunting the other girl on the line.

“I’ll come with you.” Mitchelle stated.

Maria’s eyebrow raised. “What gives?”

“Just…I’ll say it when I’m with the two of you. What time and where?”

“Nine sharp at the Central park.”

“Thanks. I’ll be there.”

“Okay. Bye.” Ari cuts the call. She groans as she finally gets herself out of the bed.

Picking up the clock, the time is at 6:19 AM. She groans, she can’t go back to sleep now or she’ll wake up late and wouldn’t have enough time to prep for the meeting. She knows just how much Mitchelle gets annoyed when she’s late.

She messaged Breana that Mitchelle will be coming with them to visit Alex’ apartment.

Three hours later, Maria and Breana are already on the meeting place waiting for their additional third member.

“You’re early today.” Breana notes.

“Aish, if Sunny haven’t woken me up, I would have been still on my way here.”

Breana giggles at the youngest’s grumpy mood.

Footsteps approached the two. They turned around and saw Mitchelle coming.

“Hi, uhhh… I know I asked Ari last minute and I haven’t even asked you first Bree, I’m sorry about that.” Sunny greets.

“Why are you sorry? We always go out like this together.” Maria asks the newcomer.

“Yeah, but well, coming here unannounced, I might be interrupting something…” Mitchelle kept the sentence hanging while exchanging quick glances between the two younger girls.

The two understood what the older woman was saying. Maria could only laugh awkwardly as she looks at Breana.

Breana blushes at the thought that Mitchelle thinks she and Maria are having their date today and that she might get in the way. “It’s nothing like that, we we’re just going to visit Alex, I swear.”

“Nothing like what?” Mitchelle decides to tease her. Maria looks at them amused, trying to keep her face straight as she sees Breana shift her weight from either foot.

“You – you know what, Sunny… Let’s just go!” Breana said dismissively as she turns around and started walking fast.

Maria and Mitchelle started snickering.

“I’m going to leave you two if you’re just going to laugh behind my back.” Breana loudly calls back. The two followed suit.

“Look who’s grumpy now.” Maria said out of Breana’s earshot.

With Breana leading them, they went to Alex’ apartment but was unable to find her there. They tried the café but their luck didn’t work. Maria finally decided to call Alex but she wasn’t answering, so is Jea.

“By the way, Sunny, why did you suddenly want to come?” She turns to the woman.

“She left me a message. It was on my spam folder. I decided to read her messages. She confessed to having feelings.”

“About d*mn time.” Maria puffs.

“Thru a message?” It was Breana who asked.

“Yeah, but there were some weird things about it.” Mitchelle couldn’t help but express her worry over the message.

“She’s usually weird.” Maria adds.

“No, I mean look at this.” Mitchelle opens the message and let two read it.

Breana’s forehead creased as she reads the message. Maria doesn’t seem to find anything unusual from the message.

“Well, just her usual greasiness. I cringed all throughout.” Ari jokes. She then tells Mitchelle about Alex’ messages to her and what Breana heard yesterday.

“It was her after all.” Breana agrees but she also finds the part ‘…you’ll see this; I hope you’re not mad at me anymore. I maybe far away from you as well’ somewhat strange. It has been bugging her all this time.

She hopes she could crack whatever Alex was hiding from them. Because she thinks that something not good might be brewing.