Where Have You Been?

Warning strong language

The morning was spent walking around with Ethan as I went to each of my teachers in the early morning to explain my situation and figure out what I had missed. Needless to say after talking to my math teacher I was exhausted, though it didn't stop the day from continuing.

"Y/n! We've missed you so much!" Mia pulled you into a tight hug as soon as she saw you enter the room. "Where you sick? You didn't answer any of my messages-or calls." She pouted while Andrew remain absent, most likely running late like usual.

"Something like that..." You mumbled shyly while Ethan poked his head in through the door frame and gave Mia a wave.

"Hey Ethan! Haven't seen you in a while." She waved back before Ethan glanced your way.

"I'll see you later y/n. And if you start feeling down just think about me~." He winked and quickly left before you could give a response. Half flustered and half annoyed you grumbled while resting your head in your arms.

"And there he goes," Mia raised her eyebrow slightly at your reaction. "Did something happen between the two of you-"

"Nothing. Ethan is just being his usual annoying self." You brushed it off before turning your attention to the empty desk lacking of the brutish ravenette. "What have you guys been up to since I've been gone?"

"Eh, mostly just boring school stuff. With you and Ronnie being absent I only really had Andrew to talk to. Tao isn't really great at...talking."

"Ronnie has been gone?" You questioned slightly concerned for him.

Mia pressed her lips together and hummed as she recalled how he acted the other day. "Yeah he didn't look too good the last time I saw him. He was all jittery and he seemed sick. All sweaty and pale you know." Her eyes flicked over your body once more before she continued. "He was asking about you too, wondering if I heard anything about where you've been. He was the most worried about your absence before he disappeared as well, though he at least told us he was out sick." She added the last part sassily.

"Sorry about that, I had my phone taken away and I still haven't gotten it back." You muttered. "Don't worry though I plan to get it back today."

"Your parents take your phone? Isn't that like abusive?" She looked at you with disbelief while you looked back at her with the same surprised look.

"You think that's abusive?" You frowned at her choice of words as you repeated it back to her. "Don't you think that's a big extreme to say? It's not that bad."

The conversation died as Mia's face twisted slightly as she watched my reaction. Like clockwork class started with the late arrival and the empty space at the front of the room. The bell sounded and I gave a final wave to Mia and Andrew before heading to English. Tao almost jumped from his seat when I sat down beside him and he swiftly snapped his head in my direction.

He blinked, almost not believing I was there. His eyes scanned the room with caution before landing back onto me seeming relieved to not find what he was looking for. Though that quickly changed as I met his eye watching as his concern filled gaze trailed over me.

"Where you hurt? Is that why you've been gone?" I almost fell out of my seat at the sound of his voice.

"No, I was out sick," I lied through my teeth as I tilted my head at his question. "Why did you think I was hurt?"

He looked away almost as if he was caught doing something wrong. "I...I saw you before you disappeared. Your dad..." His voice trailed off and I understood what he was referring to.

"You saw?"

He nodded his head.

"I was staying after for photography..."

The conversation snuffed itself out for the rest of the period. The day passed by like a blur as I tried to make it through the rest of my day. Though I was eventually brought out of my day dreaming.

"Y/n-Hey I'm right here!" Ethan flicked my forehead as he furrowed his brows with worry. "I asked if you were alright, but clearly you're not."

I looked away as I tried to figure out a way to bring myself back to reality. "I'm fine, I've just been tired. Sleep schedule is a mess and all."

Ethan only frowned at the response before walking along side me as I headed to health, happy that the day was almost over.

"I told you that we should have stayed home."

"And? I still need to go to school or else I fail!" You shot back causing his stern gaze to soften. "Life keeps on going, I can't be held back again. I refuse to let it happen," You added right before heading into class. "See you later." You muttered though Ethan didn't hear you as other students filed into the class. Letting out a sigh Ethan tried to get himself to class only to be stopped by the ringing of his phone. Pulling the device out reluctantly Ethan grimaced at the caller ID and quickly found a empty classroom to hunker down in.

"I know what you're doing-" was the first thing Ethan heard once he answered the call. Ronnies tone was unhinged and ragged. "You think you can keep her from me!? I pay you! You do what I ask! Or have you vermin been lying to me when you said you'll do anything for money?" The brunette spat into the phone as his driver pulled up to the school.

Ethan couldn't take it anymore with the other boys bull and let his frustrations go. "You're crazy! If you care for her so much then where were you when her house was broken into!?" Ethan yelled as he clutched the phone tightly. The other line was quiet for a moment as the boy was unable to say anything in retaliation. "The one day you're not creeping on her and shes hurt! Some 'protector' you are!"

Ethan heard a door slam on the other side of the phone as Ronnie's voice was menacing through the line. As Ethan remained quiet Ronnie chuckled.

"Don't tell me you like her to? Who am I kidding, of course you do. That's why you couldn't play the part as 'bully' like I ordered." Ronnie sucked in a breath as a way to calm himself but it did little to relieve any pain he felt in his head. "You know what? I'm just going to kill you, yeah...Yeah I'm Going to- AHAHAHAHA"

Ethan hung up the phone quickly before throwing it out the window. Though to his dismay he heard a sound ricocheting off the walls of the courtyard. Looking through the glass he eyes the small figure jittering and laughing to himself. Looking up Ronnie grinned at Ethan with a crazed glare.

Ethan watched as the laughs died down and the boy turned to face the direction of where he stared through the window. He watched as Ronnie slightly mouthed words before rushing to the nearest door.

You're dead bitch.

You stood outside the school for a while as something prickled the back of your neck. Your stomach felt sick as you made your way to the bus waiting to drive you home. Though one of the first things you notice was that Ethan was missing. You where worried about him as the doors closed behind you and you took your usual seat.

'Did he forget about our plans? No he was the one who insisted we go.'

You chewed on your nail nervously as the bus drove off without a care. He said he was going to help you find your phone in your house. Now that you were there alone fear clouded your mind. Walking up to your house you carefully lifted the rock beside the old flowerbed and found the spare key underneath. With a sigh you steeled yourself in entering your own home only for nausea to take over. It was like the first time coming home after Nate's death only this time your whole house felt wrong to enter. You closed the door and sat on the porch as you tried to calm your stomach down. Everything looked clean as though there was no murder that took place, minus the obviously missing carpet that had been ripped up to remove the blood patches. Who cleaned it all though? Last time they had to call a company to help take care of Nate's body.

Who called?

An eerie creek sounded out behind her as a figure walked through. To her surprise the last person she thought to see was there. She was quiet as her wide eyes took in the sight of a rugged man wearing a hoodie and jeans. His face was somber as he realized who tried walking through the door. The girl blinked furiously as she recognized him as well allowing the flurry of emotions to take over.

"Where the fuck have you been Zane!?" She spat as she stood to confront him. He didn't flinch at her shouts nor her aggressive gestures. "Why are you here now!?" Tears flowed free as her face burned in rage.

"Where's Jarah?" He asked with concern.

"What do you mean 'Where's Jarah?'" She glared at him with tear filled eyes.

"Can you yell at me inside, please?" His hand rubbed the back of his neck as he nervously glanced around.

The girl stood there with her arms crossed as she stared him down. Her chest heaved with every breath while her scowl wavered slightly. It was a long pause as her eyes became softer replacing her resentment with dejection.

"No, why did you leave me? Why...didn't you take me with you?" She asked with a shaking breath.

Zane looked away as guilt crossed his features. "It wasn't safe for you to come with me at the time. I always planned to come back for you."

"What wasn't safe? What have you been doing?"

Zane flicked his eyes around again and opened the door wider. "I'll tell you inside, can you please trust me?"

She held her movements back with a flinch as a thought crossed her mind.

"Are you the reason Dad's dead?"

Zane looked away guilty. The girl took a breath before uncrossing her arms, walking past him and through the door. She tried to keep her eyes closed and her breath steady as she ventured into the kitchen. The two sat across from one another in the dining room as the light of the afternoon sun flooded the room.

"First tell me where Jarah is."

She scowled at his demand.

"How the hell am I supposed to know? He wasn't at school."

"School? You went to that damn school!? You where supposed to be driven straight here!"

Zane had gotten anxious at her words and started to fidget with his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Lifting a cigarette to his lips he lights it before taking a long drag. He lets out a shaking breath as the tobacco attempted to calmed him. His stood up and pulled the blind at the window as he looked back at you nervously.

"I was trying to build a better life for the both of us," Smoke bled through his teeth. "After Nate died I realized I needed to step up as your older brother, so I tried making my own money. I worked multiple jobs, some at grocery stores while others where at restaurants. Back then pay was good work, was good, and life was good until I realized these dead-end jobs weren't going to be enough."

He pulled a gun from his waistband walking out of the room, motioning you to follow him as he started securing the rest of the house.

"There was this cafe I worked at, somehow the conversation got to money and they told me about an apprenticeship opportunity. Long story short I ended up shadowing a guy in trades. It was only after a few months in the job did I realize my mistake. Soon I wasn't just working the electrical lights for a chain restaurant and fixing run down refrigerators. The job required doing the dirty work of hire ups without complaints. I...was too far in to back out and eventually I had to leave you guys behind once I started falling in too deep. I became another card in the deck for them, to shuffle and dispose. I kept telling myself I'll get out eventually in those months I've been gone, that we can still run away after a few more jobs. That was until a stupid deal bit me in the ass,"

He rested another cigarette between his teeth and lit it while discarding the old one onto the floor with little care.

"A client of mine promised to help you get into that fancy school if I did some extra work for him, but he started getting too invested in you. Something must have happened one day to cause him to get erratic and order a hit on dad and to kidnap you."

Your eyes widened in disbelief in what you where hearing.

"What?"

"Luckily that didn't happen and you ended up somewhere somewhere safe with someone I use to work with. Though seeing as you arrived late and he's not here with you something must have happened. Ethan was supposed to come pick us up but I'm not so sure about that anymore."

"But Ethan was the reason I was at school. We rode the bus together," You trailed off as you heard a car pulled up outside. "Zane, Who's after us?" Your eyes fixed on him as your anxiety started to spike.

Zanes heart almost stopped beating as he quickly threw his cigarette and looked through the blinds. He spotted a familiar black car parked outside causing Zane to quickly run to grab the suitcase he packed for you and grabbed your hand. He dragged you out the door as a ravenette rolled down the window.

"Jarah?"

Zane questioned his sudden appearance.

"Where's Ethan!?"

"We need to move, get in!"

Jarah's gruff voice urgently directed the two of you into the car and without a second thought you jumped in. Your eyes glanced over Jarah's stoic form while he drove. He looked back at you through the rear mirror before rolling his eyes his cheeks warmed slightly under your gaze.

"What happened to the plan!?" Zane shouted as the car sped down the rode bringing Jarah back to the situation at hand.

"Our plan was shit! Ethan didn't care to tell me that my potential client was a creep too till a few hours ago! That dickhead is so dead when I get my hands on him!"

"Two guys!?"

Jarah glared at the interruption.

"I just fucking said that! It's your creepy boyfriend and urchin boy!"

"Boyfriend!?"

Zane shouted while my heart stopped beating for a moment as I saw a car speeding out way. Jarah noticed it too but we didn't swerve in time as our car was sent flying in the air. We all screamed before the impact that knocked me in and out of continuous. In flashes I watched as I was dragged onto the asphalt before ending up in a car.

"What's going on...?"

It was all I could muster as my vision went blurry again. My face was being gently caressed by cold hands.

"I'm taking you home y/n. Don't worry you'll be fixed up once we get there I promise."

I squinted trying to see who it was through the pulsing of my head and the further blurring of my vision. My heart skipped a beat as I recalled Jarah's words.

"Ronnie..?"

Whomever was caressing my face stopped and let out a dark chuckle.

"You...really know how to play with someones heart y/n."