A.N.: Since the first chapter was so short, I went ahead and posted the second. I may or may not post the third as well :-) just kind of playing it by ear. Please review!
Chapter 2: Falling Apart
Bloop, bloop, bloop! Bloop, bloop, bloop!
Claire sighed, ending the call on the iPad Massie has given her and the other members of the PC for Christmas last week. They were all white, with black diamonds bordering the apple on the back. Only Massie's were purple. Claire absentmindedly traced the rough stones with her index finger. Why wasn't Massie answering? It had been almost two hours since the mall. Next to her, Claire's phone vibrated. 1 new message. Hoping it was Mass, she opened her inbox.
Kyle: Hey beautiful, how was diner?
Claire sighed inwardly. Kyle was hot times ten and really sweet but he just... Wasn't Cam. Claire pinched herself in the thigh. Her ex ha moved on, it was time she do the same. Instead of replying, however, Claire FaceTimed Alicia, who answered after the first ring.
"Hey what's up? I can't talk long, Ryan is on the other line," the Spanish beauty answered. That was obvious. Claire could see her navy and white striped top from earlier along with her pearl necklace. Her silky black hair was piled sexily on top of her head with several strands falling out around her face, not to mention her red lipstick looked fresh.
"Have you talked to Mass?" Claire asked.
"No, I texted her as I was leaving the mall but she never answered." Alicia paused, thinking. "By the way, what're you wearing to the party?"
"Wait you texted her two hours ago and she still hasn't answered?! Don't you think that's weird?"
"No? She's probs on the phone with Landon," Alicia shrugged.
"For two hours?!"
"Kuh-laire!" Alicia snapped, imitating Massie perfectly. "Stop worrying. I'm going to hang up now. Text me when you figure out what you're wearing," Alicia smiled sweetly before the call ended.
Claire flopped on her back, staring at the ceiling. Something just didn't feel right. Massie never ignored Claire, even when she was mad. No, something was off. But then again, nothing had really felt normal since Cam dumped her. Everything felt foreign. If it weren't for Massie practically dressing her every morning, Claire would've just rolled into school in the sweats she was wearing right now. She looked at the clock, which flashed 9:30. It was a little early for bed but maybe what Claire needed was a few extra hours of sleep.
Left, right, smile. "Go Trojans!" Alicia shouted, a big smile planted on her tanned face. She thrust a gold pom pom in the air, her long pony tail swinging behind her. Step back, clap clap, shout it out. "Go Trojans!" Alicia saw Ryan in the stands, smiling at her. He waved and she started to wave back when she saw another hand out of the corner of her eye. She whipped her head around, her hair slapping her in the face. There stood Olivia, waving flirtatiously at Ryan. He returned her wink.
Alicia sat straight up in her queen sized bed, gasping for air. Her forehead was slick with sweat. She knew if this didn't stop, she would have a major break out. Sure her and Ryan hadn't been perfect lately, but that was no reason to have nightmares over it. Alicia looked shakily to window and screamed when she saw she wasn't alone in her bedroom.
"Alicia, are you alright?" her mother asked, worry marking her face. Alicia looked at her clock. 3 a.m.
"Yeah, I'm fine. What are you doing in here?"
"There's some officers that need to talk to you," her mother answered, her voice shaking.
"What? Why?" She demanded, feeling her heart sink.
"It's Massie. Oh sweetheart, no one knows where she is," her mother whispered, taking Alicia in her arms.
Numb shock invaded Alicia's brain, turning her blood to ice. A cold dread swept through her body, choking the tears in her throat. No sobs escaped as her mother held her. Alicia pulled free, knowing she needed to get dressed.
Alicia didn't bother with make up. She only put on a bra, pulled on her new La Perla Maison silk robe she had bought at Barney's last weekend over her D&G night gown, and slipped her cold feet into a pair of Ralph Lauren slippers. Alicia followed her mother down the hall, hurrying down the elegant spiral staircase. The same staircase Massie would race up to get to the home theater for a scary movie marathon.
Two police officers sat on the couch in the front formal living room. Nadia Rivera had worked months on this room with their designer, Thea. They had gone through three couches before Nadia had been happy. Alicia studied the two officers. One was extremely young, maybe 21 or 22 while the other was much older with a thick black mustache. Len Rivera sat in a chair across from them, a fire crackling merrily behind him. Alicia made a mental note to compliment her mother on the stone they had chosen for the fireplace, then shook her head. What was wrong with her? Massie was missing and all she could think about was her mother's choice in rock.
"You must be Alicia," the older officer stood, taking her slim hand in his. "I'm officer Roberts and this is Officer Harlem."
Alicia nodded, unsure of what to say. Her father gave his chair to his wife and stood behind Alicia, his hands protectively on her shoulders.
"Sorry to wake all of you up but in these cases, every hour counts," Officer Roberts continued. Alicia just nodded again. What cases? Obduction? Kidnapping? Runways? No, she told herself sternly. Massie did nawt run away. She had nothing to run from.
"Mr. and Mrs. Block called us a few hours ago, saying they hadn't heard from their daughter Massie. We found her car still parked at the mall and her cell phone was laying next to it. Usually, we can't send out a missing person until 24 hours after the disappearance but-" the officer hesitated, eying Alicia.
"Tell me. Whatever it is, I can handle it," she whispered, her heart beating against her rib cage.
"We found blood on her phone. DNA matches it to Massie."
Mrs. Rivera whimpered softly, but Alicia remained quiet and still as her father squeezed her shoulders.
"Her phone records show you're the last person to have talked to her," Officer Roberts stated, looking into Alicia's big brown eyes. " Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt Massie?"
"No," Alicia answered instantly.
"Did Massie say anything to you about going somewhere tonight?"
"She was going home for diner, just like the rest of us."
"Is there any reason Massie would want to run way?"
"Absolutely not," Alicia snapped.
"Has anybody been bothering her the last few days?"
"No one," Alicia answered, knowing it was the truth.
"Everyone loved Massie," Mrs. Rivera whispered. Alicia bristled at her mother's use of pass tense.
"So we've heard," Officer Roberts smiled sadly. "If you think of anything or hear from her, please call us. We'll most likely need you to come down to the station for a more thorough interview."
"Here's my card. Call us anytime," Len answered, handing both officer's his business card.
While Len walked the police out of the giant house, Alicia's mom silently wrapped her arms around her daughter. The shock and sleepiness had faded and tears filled her brown eyes.
"Shhh, bebé, it'll be okay," her mother whispered, stroking Alicia's hair as she sobbed, snot staining her mother's Donna Karan night gown.
"We can't do anything for her tonigt," Len told them, kissing Alicia's head. "Get some rest, well do what we can in the morning."
Alicia's parents left her in her room with a glass of warm milk with cinnamon. It had worked when she and Josh broke up and even when her grandma had died, but the old treat was not enough tonight. Alicia pulled her iPhone from her night stand and sent a text.
Alicia: SOS. Inc call.
Then she speed dialed the five way call she had for the last five years. Massie's line went straight to voicemail, bringing a fresh wave of tears. Dylan answered on the second ring, Kristen on the fourth, but Claire's phone also went to voicemail.
"Leesh?" Kristen's voice sounded choked. She already knew.
"Wasgoingon guys?" Dylan mumbled sleepily. Kristen broke into a fit of hysterical sobs, leaving Alicia to explain the catastrophe they were in. By the end of it, Alicia was gasping for air she was crying so hard. It was the first time in four years she had cried in front of her friends. Sure, she had teared up every now and then but she hadn't full out cried since the night Massie told them she was moving to Europe.
"B-but they'll find her right?" Dylan whispered, tears strangling her own throat.
In answer, the other two girls cried harder.
"It's a perfect day, nothings gonna bring me down-"
"Uuuughhhh!" Claire moaned, slamming her palm on her alarm clock. She had barely slept last night. Cam had stalked her dreams. Claire pulled her phone towards her. 11 missed calls. What the hell?
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Claire stumbled downstairs. She walked past the living room without a glance and went into the kitchen. She opened the cabinet and stared grumpily where her favorite cereal should be.
"Mooooooom! Todd ate all my cereal!" she yelled.
"Claire, can you come into the living room?" Jay Lyons answered back stiffly. Great. What had she done now?
"Wha-" Claire chocked off the word, staring at the two police men sitting on her couch. She quickly crossed her arms over her bra-less chest.
"Clairebear, these officers need to speak to you," Judi Lyons whispered.
"What's going on?"
"Massie's missing," her mother sobbed, pulling Claire into a hug. When she was released, Claire's face was already wet. All she could think was I have to get to Alicia's. It was their emergency meeting place when Massie was in Europe. It's where they had all gathered when Massie had gotten her appendix out two years ago and it was where they would all run now.
Claire rushed through the officers' questions before sprinting to her car, ignoring her parents' calls. She reached Alicia's mansion in record time, taking note of Dylan and Kristen's cars parked haphazardly in the driveway. The door was open when Claire tried it and she took the stairs two at a time. The sound of a loud tv told her where to go.
Kristen, Alicia, and Dylan were all squished into a love seat in Alicia's media room. Without a word, Kristen made room for Claire and draped the blanket they all shared onto her shoulders. A beautiful red haired anchor woman spoke on the tv.
"-a real tradgey today, Rob. 18 year old Massie Block has reportedly gone missing last night. Her friends last saw her in the mall wearing a white sweater and jeans. If you have any information on this teen's wearabouts, please call the number on your screen or contact the authorities-"
One of Massie's senior pictures flashed across the screen. She was sitting on a set of old brick steps outside a church in downtown Westchester, smiling sweetly. It was a beautiful picture. Kristin rested her head on Claire's shoulder, tears soaking through to her skin through her pj top.
"Where are you Massie?" Claire whispered silently in her head.
The first thing Massie felt was a sharp pain in her head. This was worse than any hangover she'd ever had. She must have had too much to drink, she didn't even remember the party.
Massie opened her eyes and sat up, a fresh wave of nausea running through her. She looked around her. Everything was... Unfamiliar. Grey concrete was cold beneath her and the peeling white walls of the room were windowless. There was a single lumpy looking mattress sitting in one corner and a bucket in the other. Massie was startled to see she was still in the cloths she had worn to the mall. What the fu-
Everything came back in a flash. The parking garage, the person attacking her. Massie ran to the door and tried to open it but it was locked. She banged with her fists, screaming to be let out. No answer came. She paced from wall to wall, but found nothing.
A clicking noise filled the room and she turned slowly towards the door as it opened.
A.N.: okay so there is chapter two! please review so I know how I'm doing :-P Chapter three is a LOT longer then the last two but I'm waiting for reviews before I upload :-P its a good one too, so review!
Love, Nikki
