Chapter 4

AN:Just a quick info,most of the scientific parts of the story are fictitious. Again most of the scientific parts of the story might not be true.

  Mel's POV

We looked everywhere but there was still no sign of her and it looked like we still wouldn't find her even if we kept searching. The city was up and bubbling with activities already and we didn't know how long their daylight was obviously, we also needed to know where we were, that was the most important thing to do right now. I tried to think of a way to let the others know all of these but their faces either held grief for Steph or fear of the unknown or both. Don't get me wrong, I'm worried for her but sitting here moping all day would do us no good and in my opinion she probably just ditched us thinking she was better off alone. I loved to sleep but I was a really light sleeper, so if anyone had come here to take Steph, I would've woken up and she must have struggled or something which would've woken at least one of us up.

"Guys sitting here is not going to bring Stephanie back", I started, "I think we should keep moving", I added. I was just about to give an explanation when Tyler stood up rage clear in his eyes as it had turned darker.

"Are you fucking serious, Mel, I knew you hated her but this is just pure wickedness, how could you suggest we leave without her", he exclaimed. Tiffany and Melanie looked at me with disgust,Adrian with disappointment and a little confusion which made my heart drop while Seth looked as if he was trying to decipher why I would say something like that.

"Bitch", I heard Melanie mumble scooting closer to Adrian and whispered something in his ears while giving me a dirty glare.

"First of all, I started, looking at Tyler who kept giving me disgusted glares

"I don't hate her,Tyler and if you had let me finish you'd have understood what I was trying to pinpoint", I said giving the dirtiest glare I could muster.

"Look at where she slept, I continued, there isn't a trace of a struggle and don't you think one of us would've woken up if we heard footsteps?", I said as I kept my gaze fixed on Tyler raising an eyebrow at him giving him room for a counter argument.

"So you mean she just stood up and left on her own"?, he retorted raising an eyebrow himself.

"Yes she did, don't you wonder why she was so quiet the entire time?We didn't hear a single word from her", I fired back.

"She probably thought she could survive on her own,she's an idiot to think that", Seth mumbled receiving a glare from Tyler." Am I missing something here?",I thought to myself.

"I also wondered why she was so quiet the entire time yesterday"Melanie added stroking her chin.

"I think its better we...., I started

"Wait", Tiffany urged.

"Yes Tiff?", Adrian asked for the first time.

"I remember seeing Steph last night,she stood up from where she was sleeping beside me and was tugging at her shirt underneath me,I rolled away to let her take the shirt then she left after telling me I was in a dream. So I nodded my head and went back to sleep", Tiffany explained while twirling her wavy blonde hair casually. It took all my will power and restraint not to strangle the living daylights out of her.

"Tiffany, why didn't you tell us sooner",Seth said face palming probably used to her stupidity. She shrugged and began biting her nails, she 'fracking' shrugged. At this point, I was probably burning red with rage and my knuckles had turned white from folding it too much to prevent myself from killing her.

"Mel, are you okay", Adrian asked me clearly noticing how I looked like a huge tomato with steam coming out of my ears.

I'm fine, I replied while trying to calm down, emphasis on the word trying. I counted to ten in my head and finally managed to calm down a little but not without moving away from Tiffany in case I 'accidentally' ripped her head off.

"So what do we do now", Seth asked looking at me which made everyone focus their eyes on me, looking expectantly. My eyes wandered to Tyler's and they held pain and betrayal in them, something was definitely up with Steph and him, I wanted to ask him but I knew it wasn't a good idea to confront him in front of the others, so I pushed it at the back of my mind for now and focused on what to do.

"We need to get out of this mountain first obviously,but how?, I mumbled to myself while pacing up and down stroking my chin.

"Any suggestion on how we can get off this mountain?",I asked hopeful that someone would have an idea.

"If we can't find Steph that means she got off this mountain, maybe we guys should go check things out while you girls stay back",Seth offered looking at me. He is most definitely the smartest one out of us all,I thought to myself, grateful that he was here or we'd all be doomed.

"Thank you Seth, that's a wonderful idea", I said smiling at him which he returned with a shrug although I could see the slight pink on his cheek.

We had waited for a long while and the boys were not back yet,I was getting worried and was pacing back and forth,something I've been doing quite often lately.

" Why aren't they back yet",Tiffany asked worry lacing her voice.

"We're probably in a really huge mountain", I replied trying to calm her down a little.

" Everyone is probably trying to run away from you",Melanie mumbled. I ignored her because I was too worried and exhausted to start a fight with her,plus I had a hard time thinking of a snarky comeback. She was about to say something else when Seth walked in dripping with sweat.

"We found stairs at the side of the mountain, Seth said trying to catch his breath,Adrian coming behind him looking like he didn't just do whatever it was that Seth did.

"Where's Tyler",Melanie asked looking behind Adrian.

"He's at the foot of the mountain, we went down to see if its safe and he decided to wait down while we came to get you girls",Adrian explained. I felt like he stayed down there probably with the hope that he'd find Steph somehow,poor guy.

Yeah,I jumped into conclusions, but in my defence it's kinda obvious something happened or is happening between those two.

The walk down the mountain was hard as hell,by the time we got half way through which was like forever by the way,I was panting like a fish out of water. I couldn't go any further but the others seemed pretty fine to me,they were all athletes except Tyler and I,and even Tyler went to the gym once a week,so I'm the only couch potato in the group. I'm starting to think there was another reason Tyler refused to come back up and then have to go back down,smart ass. I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard my name.

"Oh come on Ady,I'm exhausted,will you please carry me on your back?"Melanie asked looking at Adrian whose nickname I'm guessing is Ady,with puppy dog eyes.

"You outrun me during our morning runs Melanie,you can probably race down this mountain five times without breaking a sweat,its Mel who looks like she's in desperate need of a piggy back ride",he replied walking towards me.

I felt my heart drop into my stomach when he turned around and dropped to the ground gesturing for me to hop on with his hands. Ignoring the glares from Melanie and Tiffany,I hopped on wrapping my arms around his torso. It was a one time opportunity to get this close to the guy of my dreams and I wasn't about to let it slip away, Melanie could murder me after this and I wouldn't care.

When we finally got to the foot of the mountain, I was reluctant to let go of Adrian just yet.

"Uhm,here we are,you can hop off now",Adrian said,amusement in his voice.

"But you don't look or feel like you just walked down a mountain even with me on your back,Can't I stay a little longer,please?",I whined.

"Fine,just a little longer",he replied laughing a little. Soon enough,we were joined by the others,they didn't look like they just walked down a huge mountain, damn these athletes, I really should start working out.

  "You can get your ass down,we're no longer on the mountain",Melanie said glaring at me,anger in her eyes and her voice dripped with venom.

  "Its okay Melanie,she can stay a little longer,I'm fine with it", Adrian stated looking awkward.

   I thought I heard your voices",Tyler mumbled walking towards us with a full bag,probably his shirt though.He laid it down and our mouth hung open.

"Food!",I exclaimed jumping off Adrian's back and grabbing a huge leg of chicken not paying attention to how abnormally huge it is. I didn't know how hungry I was until I saw all the food. Everyone grabbed a thing or two from the platter. We sat on the ground,each one of is lost in the food and thoughts.

  Where did you get all this food man",Seth asked breaking the silence.

"I stole it,went into town and just grabbed it from a stall I saw,and before you ask,no,no one saw me",he replied.

I sighed in relief that no one spotted him. That would have been the end of us.

   When we were all done eating, we stood up,dusted ourselves and everyone turned to me, something they've been doing lately.

"What next?",Adrian asked me. It was a question even I was thinking about.I shrugged not knowing what to say.

"Tyler",I called, did you happen to hear anything about where we might be?",I asked.

"Nope,but I did hear about a huge festival or something like that,I think its in the honor of the princess",he answered scratching his head,something he does when he tries to remember something blurry.

"I suggest we lay low for now,try to figure out where we are without drawing any attention",I said, when we figure out where we are, we can start trying to figure out how we'd get back home. The best place we'd be lucky is the festival coming up but for now we should stick together at all times,we'd have a chance of leaving here when we work together".I explained.

Fortunately everyone nodded in agreement and we began venturing into the city,Tyler leading the way.

  "We should look for a place to stay in the meantime",Adrian suggested.

"I saw a motel,it looked kinda beat,but it'd be the best place to lay low for a while",Tyler said.

"How are we going to pay,we can't stay there for free",Seth added.

"I have a 100 bucks with me",Tiffany said waving it in the air.

"They might not use our currency or even money,so we can't use it here okay" I explained taking it slow so she'd understand. I was expecting a rude comment but she simply nodded putting the money back in her pocket.

  "Let's keep walking, hopefully we'd find an abandoned building somewhere",I suggested. Everyone nodded and kept walking.

  It got hotter and hotter and we had to take of our shirts,except Tyler,he wasn't wearing his. It wasn't a bad because they were really dirty from laying them on the floor.A cold shower was really needed. Also the few people we met on the way kept looking at us weirdly. I don't blame them though they all had tan skin,like really really tan skin like almost reddish brown. We looked pale compared to them. We looked like shit too. At least no one had raised any alarm, hopefully they were very welcoming people.

  "Or its the calm before the storm". My inner voice said."I was wondering when you'd show up",I replied.

  "Oh my God,look",Melanie exclaimed dragging me away from my thoughts. She was pointing at a bunch of really huge chickens she spotted on a farm.

" So that's where the leg I ate came from",I thought.

"Woah ",Seth exclaimed moving closer to take a look.

"Seth what part of not drawing attention to ourselves do you not understand",Tyler said grabbing Seth by the arm.

"Tyler is right Seth,if you look surprised to see the chicken, people will definitely know you are not from around here",I added giving him a pointed look.

"Sorry,the inner scientist in me can't help it. I bet they're GMOs,but what the heck do they feed them",Seth replied looking in admiration.

  We kept walking for hours,I think,my feet was throbbing already and I could feel my head spinning, it was really hot. Tyler obviously saw my state and offered to carry me on his back. I was about to hop on feeling like I couldn't take another step when Adrian said "Its okay Tyler,I can carry her,you don't look too good yourself". Tyler shrugged and kept on moving with the rest leaving Adrian and I behind.

  "You don't have to, I'll manage",I said out of embarrassment, he had carried me down the mountain already and I felt like It'd be exploitation if I let him carry me again. A part of me hoped that he'd insist but he didn't, instead he nodded and gestured me to walked on ahead of him. After a while,the aching in my leg became unbearable and I was panting with each step. I was about to give up and beg him to carry him.

  "With the way you're moving it'd take forever to find a place",Adrian spoke behind me, amusement clear in his voice.

  "Ugh,I give up,carry  me please?",I whined giving him my best puppy dog eyes. He simply ruffled my hair, chuckled and winked at me before squatting a little and gesturing for me to hop on.

Ignoring the butterflies in my stomach, I hopped on.

"We've been waiting for you guys,Tiffany found an abandoned building ahead "Seth said startling me a little. I didn't even notice him approach us.

  How would you notice him,when you were busy with Adrian.

  I shrugged the thought away and looked ahead noticing Adrian following Seth.