Girl Meets Gone
Disclaimer: I don't own GMW in any way shape or form
Chapter One
"I think we can say it now," moaned the desolate schoolgirl scanning the foliage before her, we're lost."
"Lost? No, we're not lost, Riley. Being lost implies that we were at one point found. I think the term you are looking for is stranded." Farkle Minkus spat pointing an accusing finger in Riley's direction, "and it is all your fault."
"Can you two go five minutes without arguing." Added yet another frustrated camper named Charlie, frowning sympathetically he glanced at Riley, "Sorry friend but Farkle is right this is all your fault."
When Riley Matthews, class president and valedictorian of John Quincy Adams School for Boys and more recently girls was tasked with planning the senior class trip she never imagined the event going wrong in such a way. All it had taken was one small lie from a stranger to completely derail the entire trip. Three months ago she had come across Abigail Woods later revealed to be Aubrey from the block mistaking her for a professional tour guide rather than the mediocre improv actor who lived alone with her mother. Aubrey followed along with the lie building herself up to be a talented guide and offering her services for the low low price of $3,500, a discounted price Riley had convinced the school and hee peers was a worthy price. It was, for Aubrey who had quickly deposited the children on the mountains and the check in his banking account. Riley along with fifty-seven of her "closest" friends a.k.a two-thirds of the graduating class of 2015 were now alone in the Wardoff mountains.
They were cold, irate, and likely to be maimed by the local wildlife at any moment the sensation wasn't helped by the sporadic screams that had begun as the sun set and gradually continued its volume and consistency.
" I guess that perfect SAT score won't help you now." Sneered Maya Hart, Riley's current rival and former best friend. Riley sighed, ever since she had revealed her plans to attend a traditional Ivy League college rather than the smaller, local liberal arts college that the pair had dreamed of attending together for years Maya had been giving her the cold shoulder, it had been three weeks now. Riley had known her decision for five months and now in the final month of their senior week he had told Jackson the news,his friend had barely spoken three words to him since, and when he did it was only to release a swarm of hostility his way,
"Lay off her, she had no way of knowing that our guide was a fraud." Charlie said shooting Maya a quick glare.
"But he should've known that the guy was an actor, he had headshots for heaven's sake!" Farkle said cooly, his words inspiring the other seniors to resume grumbling, "and now thanks to our brilliant president all our hard work and money has been wasted."
The accused girl flinched, despite her best intentions she had single-handedly alienated her best friend and ensured that she would go down in history as the worst student body president Wardoff had ever set its unlucky eyes on. Struck with inspiration Riley rose to her feet before the teens.
"I can fix this," She announced with a false sense of confidence, " I have some experience hiking I'll hike a little ways, get help and.." Riley paused feeling her gut drop to the floor before she added her final plea " I'll even pay you all back for what you raised dollar for dollar and penny for penny."
The crowd cheered as she scanned the faces in the crowd mostly filled with relief two faces stood out . Riley saw the bemused expression of Farkle's face and the pity of Maya's. Riley knew that she was the only one in the crowd who knew where the money was coming from. On Riley's 16th birthday shortly after the sudden death of her Uncle Josh who was only a few years older than herself she had pledged to finish restoring the Chevrolet Bel Air that the pair had begun two years prior. Unfortunately it was a rare car and the final piece needed to restore the car to it's former glory cost $3,100 dollars, equal to the amount she had just pledged to refund the class, by herself.
After her announcement the crowd quickly dispersed and Riley set about the tedious task of preparing for the hike ahead. The mountains were known for its treacherous beauty typically made harmless by the presence of a wilderness guide; however without a seasoned explorer it was unlikely the young Matthews would even make it off the trail let alone to the authorities. The young president was stirred from her musings when a chilling scream echoed through the trees, shaken he scanned his surroundings suddenly noticing the two shadows in front of her. Recognizing the figures before her Riley let out a dark laugh.
"No, whatever you're planning no," She pointed to Maya," I thought you hated me!" Riley swung her head eyeing Farkle suspiciously, " I don't even know what you think you're doing here, you've never supported a single thing I do and usually you're right."
Maya shrugged, " I do hate you but," the girl's azure eyes suddenly became fixated on the dirt speck on her sneakers a rare look for her, " I did help you plan this and it's not fair for you to take the fall for it."
"But you're still dead to me."
Riley grinned feeling for the first time that there was hope for the broken camaraderie between herself and her triumphant she turned to the other figute beside tall enough that even she had to strain her neck to meet his eye, "Farkle?"
"Someone has to make sure you don't muck it up, again."
With those heartwarming words the trio set off the journey much lighter than Riley could have predicted. As they ventured out of the clearing and the trees became sparse thing began to change for the teens. Riley learned why Farkle was deathly afraid of an owl's cry. Finally under the eerie light of the moon lost in the woods she was finally able to see how deeply she had hurt Maya who at the end of the day wasn't hurt that her friend would be going to school on the opposite side of the coast but rather frightened that she would leave and never come back-much like Maya's own father had years before. Within minutes that turned into hours the trio had forged a tight bond and were soon approaching the nearest police station miles from the mountain.
Maya noticed it first the sheriff's car the secure looking building, "Is that what I think it is?"
"Yes!" Farkle shouted pumping his arms in excitement.
Not sparing a glance at his peers the lanky genius began sprinting towards the building, following closely behind were the two girls and the three soon entered the police building thrusting the doors open as they barrelled their way through. Riley flagged down the first available detective they saw and soon after a series of questions and phone calls they were headed back to the campground in the back of rookie Detective Babieneaux's jeep with a fleet of cop cars behind them, their flashing lighting turning the night sky into a mixture of blue and red. They steadily approached the campground the vehicles cutting their hike time in fourth eager to see the 54 faces of their classmates when they arrived, finally pulling up the ground the three raced out of the car to a disturbing sight. The entire clearing was bare of any sign of human life except the lone form of new student Lucas Friar who lay perfectly still beside the old oak where they had set up camp merely hours before.
"They're all gone!" Riley cried her chocolate eyes scanning the area, there was nothing, and noone. A million scenarios flashed through the girl's head as she turned to the waiting detectives and her shocked friends.
"They're all gone."
AN: Hey I'm back with another story which is pretty irresponsible considering I haven't updated my other story Girl Meets Texas but I was actually writing for a promt in my creative writing class about a boy named Noah Scott and realised that with some tweaks it would be the perfect GMW mystery, which also explains any incorrect pronouns because I had to change out the chracters to make it work better. Thankyou for anyone who reads this and for those who are still awaiting an update on my other story it is coming, maybe sooner than you'd think.
PS: I know nothing about cars so if it sounds incorrect it probably is, Google can only do so much.