Author's Note: First of all, I want to thank all the amazing reviewers: this is-ignorance, kale, GoodBadAndEverythinInBetween, and Major Grai. I tried to use the tips you gave me, but I am not sure if I was able to. And I also want to thank all the people who alerted and favorited this story. Here is the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it. Constructive criticism is appreciated :)
Chapter One: Of New Arrivals and Smart Ideas
"Excuse me, may you please buckle up your seatbelt? We're about to land the plane."
Kristen sighed as she slowly opened her eyes and looked up. The first thing she saw after a five-hour sleep was the smiling face of a brunette flight attendant. After realizing that the woman was talking to her, Kristen slightly jumped.
"Oh, I am sorry," Kristen said, "I didn't hear what you said."
The flight attendant grinned, "Please buckle up your seatbelt, we're about to land on Westchester."
"Oh," Kristen whispered, doing as told.
After Kristen looked up, the flight attendant nodded and kept walking down the airplane's aisle.
She sighed once again and looked out the window, where well-kept forests and big houses could be visible already. As she inspected a gigantic mansion, she couldn't help but list the differences between Westchester and California –like she had been doing the whole time she had been awake. Kristen got out a small notebook and flipped it open. It was stupid, she knew, but her mother had left all her magazines and books in her suitcase. Before she could start writing, though, a polite voice interrupted her.
"Kristen, did you finish reading the pamphlet I gave you?"
Kristen closed the notebook and turned around. In the seat behind her, her mother –or her aunt, as she was supposed to call her on the airplane –was looking intently at her through one of the creaks in between the seats.
"From cover to cover, Aunt Trudy," Kristen replied.
Mrs. Gregory smiled, her green eyes lightning up, "I know you're probably annoyed with that pamphlet; but you know…I've known Esperanza for such a long time, that when she called me telling me about, you know, her daughter, I had to do something."
Kristen half-smiled, "I know."
Mrs. Gregory nodded, "Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, sweetie, I've got a bunch of papers sprawled all over the seat that I have to pick up."
After her mother had flopped back down on her seat, Kristen turned around. She grabbed her lime green bag and took out a pamphlet.
"Tintagel Academy," Kristen read silently, "Where a girl I don't know disappeared."
She put the pamphlet down and exhaled.
Kristen remembered the afternoon that Esperanza Callas had rushed to the Gregory's house. The sun was about to set down, and the sky was a beautiful shade of yellow, red and pink. She remembered opening the door and looking at the tear-streaked face of a woman.
"I-I don't know what happened to Nina, Marsha," Esperanza had cried after Kristen had let her in, "I even spoke to the girls who had seen everything –even they were terrified! Can you imagine what Nina is going through! And it's been four days…four days! I haven't heard a thing about her."
"Well, w-what do you want me to do?" Mrs. Gregory had asked.
"What you detectives do when a child disappears!" Esperanza had exclaimed. After a minute of silence, she lowered her voice to a whisper, "Find my daughter, please."
Just remembering the sorrowful face of Esperanza gave Kristen a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach.
That same night, Mrs. Gregory had found out that the housemother in Nina's building had quit after the disappearance. She immediately called Tintagel Academy and they had accepted her that same evening. After Mrs. Gregory enrolled Kristen in Tintagel Academy, both had gone packing and left Malibu the day afterward.
And now Kristen was supposed to help her mother by befriending the students at Tintagel Academy, or at least the closest ones to Nina. That way, Kristen could help her mother by giving her every single detail of Nina's social life.
All of a sudden, a loud noise boomed in Kristen's ears, interrupting her thoughts. She started to feel that familiar dizziness she always got whenever an airplane was supposed to land. She looked out the window as she inhaled sharply. I am not gonna die, I'm not gonna die, I'm not gonna die, Kristen repeated to herself as she witnessed the airplane getting closer to the ground.
"I am not gonna die," Kristen whispered. She shut her eyes closed as she felt the wheels of the aircraft make contact with the ground.
Luckily, the impact wasn't as hard as Kristen thought it would be.
Scattered claps were heard around the airplane as the intercom cackled to life, "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have arrived to Westchester's National Airport. Please keep your seatbelts on and every electronic device off until the seatbelt sign turns off. I hope you enjoyed your flight, and….welcome to Westchester."
"Massie, people are starting to think we did something to Nina," Alicia hissed as she opened Massie's door.
Massie's amber eyes looked up. Alicia's chocolate brown eyes were full with hatred and her red lips were curved into a scowl.
"Go and tell that to Skye or Kori, they probably spread the rumor" Massie replied.
Alicia sighed angrily, "I bet that if we told them what we saw, people wouldn't be believing those rumors."
Massie put down the magazine she was reading, "You heard Mrs. Fleming. People already suspect that something is up because the school was delayed a week and Adele decided to quit. If we talk, the students will get freaked out, the media will somehow get into this, and…it'll be a disaster."
Alicia stared at Massie, emotionless, "What's the big deal about that?"
Massie sighed and opened her magazine once more.
"Shouldn't the school be happy to be in the news?" Alicia continued.
Sometimes Alicia can be so clueless, Massie thought, shaking her head.
After a few seconds of silence, Alicia scoffed, "Really Mass? You are going to give me the silent treatment now? That is so mature."
Massie glanced at Alicia quickly and flipped a page.
"Fine," Alicia murmured, "Is not as if I need you speaking."
She heard Alicia's heels tapping against the wooden floor as she walked toward Nina's former bed. After a while, Massie heard Alicia open Nina's closet and drawers. Massie smirked, Just as I thought.
"Where's all of Nina's stuff?" Alicia asked.
"Stored in the extra room at the end of the hallway," Massie responded.
"Why?" Alicia questioned.
"New girl's arrival," Massie replied.
Alicia's mouth parted, "So they are just going to get rid of her stuff?"
Massie scowled at the memory of two teachers boxing Nina's stuff, "Just like that."
"Oh well, I never liked her anyways," Alicia replied.
Massie shut her magazine close, "Just because she wore the same dress that you did to Skye's party? Seriously?"
"Of course not," Alicia responded, "I always disliked that girl. Ever since I saw her entering this hallway."
Massie snorted, "I'll tell you what's really going on. You're jealous about her for some reason or another."
Alicia exhaled and plopped down on Massie's bed, "Say whatever you want. I don't care."
Massie shrugged and continued reading. However, Nina's terrified image kept popping in Massie's mind, making it hard for her to concentrate. How could someone kidnap a girl like Nina? Sure, the Callas family was known for their immense wealth, but so were Massie, Alicia and a bunch of other students at the academy. So, why Nina?
"I still can't believe it," Massie whispered, "I can't even imagine what's Nina going through right now."
Alicia sighed, "Then why don't you play detective and try to find her?
"Oh, stop being sarcastic!" Massie exclaimed, "This is serious. A girl was kidnapped in front of our eyes."
"I wasn't being sarcastic," Alicia said.
Massie looked at Alicia, disbelief reflected in all of her features.
"Really, just think about it," Alicia explained, "We're supposed to have "magic". Some people don't believe in the Fay kids, because they claim that only the Ambrosius kids have our abilities. Which they don't. Not even us do."
"And?" Massie asked.
Alicia stood up, "And if we find Nina, we are not only going to help her…people are going to believe us when they say that we used our abilities to find her!"
Massie pondered over what Alicia had said. How would a couple of tenth grade girls be able to find a missing girl? They wouldn't have the support of anyone. And, besides, if they did do it, only Dylan would know; not even Mrs. Fleming, who had ordered them to tell them everything related with Nina. But, Alicia was right. It was getting tiring the way the Ambrosius kids always took credit for the Fay kids' abilities.
"Maybe you're ri-"
"Knock knock."
Startled, both girls turned to look at the door. As soon as they saw who it was, they groaned.
"Get out of here!" Alicia demanded, "You're not wanted in this place."
"You're not allowed in here, either" Massie added, crossing her arms.
Derrick Harrington smiled, his hazel eyes glinting, "I know I'm not. But I had to help her out…she was more than lost."
Massie and Alicia glanced at each other.
"Help who?" Massie questioned.
Derrick motioned at the hallway. After a few seconds, Claire Lyons walked into the room with a girl by her side.
"The new girl," Derrick replied.
