Chapter One: When you think you're safe.
Ally's POV:
I wait patiently in my empty living room for Trish and Kira to pick me up. We've planned this shopping trip for a few weeks now, because we all need dresses for the Spring Fling at our school, even though it's like two months away. Trish and I are going alone of course. Kira is going with Austin. They have been going out for about a month now, and they seem really happy, therefore I am happy for Austin. Because that's all I want is for my best friend to be happy…
I hear the car horn through the open window and jump out of my seat. I grab my cell phone and purse and jog out the door when I'm greeted by a grinning Trish in the driver's seat of her new jeep Cherokee. She turned sixteen about six months ago and this was one of her birthday presents. Kira just smiles shyly and gets of out of the front seat and gets in the back. I raise an eyebrow, "You didn't have to do that Kira." I tell her politely.
"It's okay, it's no big deal." She says with a smile. I nod at her and jump into the front. That's one of the cool things about her; she knows how close Trish and I are and she doesn't try to get in-between us, she just wants to be friends with everyone.
"Are you guys ready for a fun day of shopping?" Trish yells; her voice full of excitement.
"You know it!" Kira replies.
I just nod and smile at her. Sure, I like to shop and I always enjoy buying a new dress but something just doesn't feel right in the pit of my stomach. Plus, Trish knows I don't want to go to the dance without a date, but she refuses to let me stay home.
"Cheer up Ally." Trish says and shakes her head.
"What's wrong?" Kira asks.
"Nothing, it's nothing." I assure her.
"Ally's bummed because I'm making her go to the dance without a date." She says.
"I'm fine." I say.
"You aren't its okay." Trish says and laughs. I shake my head but laugh with her anyway.
"You don't need a date to have fun!" Kira says.
"Exactly, that's what I have been telling her." Trish says.
"I know, but I want my fantasy dance to happen." I blurt out.
"What?" Trish asks.
"Well I've always wanted to go to a dance alone and just be sitting there all lonely and then the guy of my dreams walks up to me and ask me to dance, and completely sweeps me off my feet." I say, my eyes searching the side of the road.
"Aw, that's sweet." Kira says.
"Too bad it will never happen." I mumble.
"Well who is the man of your dreams Ally?" Trish says, smiling.
I shrug, "Not real. Don't have one." I say.
"Yeah I bet." Trish says. Thankfully we are pulling into the mall and the conversation ends. I don't know why I even shared it with them. They probably just think I'm really pathetic or something, especially Kira. She has the perfect boyfriend, and I'm here creating an imaginary one.
We walk into the crowded mall, eyeing the closest dress shop. Kira points out one and we head over, trying not to bump into anyone. Saturday's are one of the busiest days at the mall, which is another reason I wasn't looking forward to going today.
We look over the racks of dresses, skimming through them. Trish goes for all of the pink and zebra ones. Kira goes for the long ones and I pick out one red dress and follow them to the dressing rooms. While we wait for one of the workers to unlock the dressing rooms, Trish shakes her head at me, eyeing the dress.
"What is it? Do you not like it?" I ask, holding the dress up in front of me and looking it over again.
"I do, but you only have one and we have like twenty to try on." Trish says, looking from Kira to herself.
"So?" I ask.
"We are here to shop for dresses which mean trying on as many as possible!" She says.
"But I like this one." I tell her.
"What if you don't like how it looks on you?" She asks.
"Then I don't?" I say back hesitantly.
She rolls her eyes, "Oh Ally, you will never learn." She says.
Finally, we are let into our dressing rooms. I wait for them to each put on a dress and show me before I try on mine. After I tell them both that they look great (because they do) they just shrug and go back in to try on a different one. I slip off my clothes and put on my red dress. I look into the mirror and study it. It looks really good; it's definitely one of the prettiest dresses I have ever seen.
I walk out and twirl around in front of them, and Trish whistles at me, causing me to burst into a fit of giggles, "Okay, you were right. This dress is perfect for you." She says.
"It's beautiful!" Kira says.
After about an hour, Kira and Trish finally pick out a dress. Trish's dress is a short dress, with zebra on the top and black on the bottom, it looks great on her. Kira picked out an adorable light green strapless dress that is short in the front and long in the back. I didn't think it was my place to tell her that Austin absolutely hates green. Shouldn't she know that about her own boyfriend?
After we purchase our dresses, we walk over to the food court for some lunch. Kira and Trish order Chinese, and I just order a salad. We sit down in the middle of the food court and start to eat. I drink down my iced tea very fast; I've never been so thirsty before. After we're almost done eating, I regret drinking the large tea and can't hold it in any longer, "I'll be right back; bathroom break!" I say and stand up.
"Yeah, you drank that tea pretty fast!" Trish says and laughs. I stick my tongue out at her and laugh. I leave my stuff there and then walk towards the bathrooms.
After I'm done and washing my hands, I realize how quiet it is. When I got in, there were a few girls but they left. I dry my hands with a few towels and throw them in the garbage. I take one last look in the mirror, fixing a curl that misplaced itself and head out the door.
As I step into the hallway, I feel like someone is behind me. When I'm about to turn around, I feel big strong hands wrap around my shoulders and a cloth hits my face, and I start to feel sleepy… I can't fight back.
Austin's POV:
"How long does it take for girls to shop for dresses?" I complain out loud to Dez. We're sitting in my room, playing Call of Duty but I'm hardly interested in it. I'm more interested in when Kira and I can hangout.
"It takes a long time to pick out the right dress." Dez says, not taking his eyes away from the television.
"How would you know?" I ask him.
"My mom and sister used to drag my shopping with them. Can you say torture?" He says.
"I bet." I say. I pick up my phone and unlock it. I still don't have any new messages. I texted Kira like two hours ago. Maybe I should text Ally. But I don't know… Things have been different with Ally and me since I started dating Kira. Ally seems to keep her distance now, and I have no idea why.
"I'm hungry." I tell Dez, "Let's go get some pizza." I tell him.
"But we are in the middle of a game!" He whines.
"You'll live." I tell him, grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the room.
After we go to the pizza place and get two large pizzas, we bring it back to my house. By the time we are done eating, I feel like I never want to eat again. Dez goes back to playing video games and I check my phone. I'm really starting to get worried now. They have been gone since this morning and I know it can't take this long, its five now. I hit the 'call' button under Kira's name.
When she doesn't answer, I know something is up. Kira is like obsessed with her phone, and for her to not answer it; something must wrong. I call Ally next, and I don't get an answer either. I start to panic and call Trish, nothing, "Dez, something is wrong." I say.
"What do you mean man?" he asks, and then pauses the game.
"I called Kira, Ally, and Trish, and none of them answered. They have been gone way too long." I say.
"Austin, you don't need to be worried. They are girls, they shop for hours." He says.
"Kira always answers her phone, I mean always." I say.
"Maybe Trish and Ally made her shut off her phone, you never know with them." He says.
I shrug, "Maybe you are right."
Dez grins, "I've never heard that before!"
I just laugh at him and shake my head, "Let's watch some T.V."
I turn off the game and turn on the cable box. I swim through the channels, but nothing seems to interest me. I notice the news is on and decide to just put that on. I look through my phone again, not paying attention to the T.V, until I hear something on the news that I can't believe.
"Amber Alert for the Miami Florida area, we believe that sixteen year old Ally Dawson was taken from the local mall this afternoon." I look up at the T.V, and then at Dez, whose face is the same as mine, filled with horror.
Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed my first chapter. :)