Chapter Four

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews guys! So far this story has been hard to write, so I hope you guys are still enjoying it. Review! Check out A Twinkling, the other story I'm working on right now, if you haven't already(: There is a bit of cursing in this story, for which I apologize. Oh, and for everyone wondering if Trinity is based off Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter- yes, she is. :P

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Chad's POV

Kick.

Kick.

Kick.

"Cut it out!" The red haired boy in the passenger seat hissed, twisting his head sharply to the left so he could get a good look at me. Finally. I'd been kicking the back of his seat for the last three minutes. There was duck tape strapped across my mouth, so it's not like I could rebuttal. I'd give him a rude finger gesture, but my hands were tied together behind me with a rough piece of rope that was seriously annoying me. All I could really do was kick Ginger's seat. The kid had serious anger issues. His face was as vibrantly red as his hair.

You're probably wondering why I'm tied up in the back of a tinted black van, that's been on the road for what felt like hours and hours. Honestly, I'm wondering too. I was on a date with my girlfriend, going to get her an ice cream cone. I'm a gentlemen, obviously. So anyways, this bushy haired boy was standing in the Ice Cream Truck, and he asked if I could help him fix a flat tire. First, I had said "No." Chad Dylan Cooper doesn't do 'friendly' to people he doesn't 'know/care about'. Next thing I know, some guy in a black hood draped over half his face like the Sith had grabbed my hands and jerked me towards a vehicle. I started to shout, but the Ginger's grimy hands taped the silver muter over my mouth! I hate being helpless, but what could I do?

So anyways, back to reality. The Sith had taken my cell phone, of which I was highly distressed. I always have my phone on hand. I can check my reflection, fix my hair (not that it ever needs adjusting, I have perfect hair) and get text messages from people saying how great I am. So Sith took it, and sent somebody a text message. I was dying to know what it said, but I was still duck taped.

"Rupert!" The Sith finally spoke. "Enough of you. You're horribly annoying." His voice sounded vaguely familiar. My eyes widened and I made a muffled attempt at speaking.

"Un-tape him," Sith made a snorting noise, and I stiffened. Ginger (I mean, Rupert) yanked his head back over his seat to smirk in some 'evilly happy' way and sent his translucently pale hand towards my mouth, and before I could react, Rupert tore the tape off my mouth. It stung horribly, but I bit my tongue and merely flinched.

After rubbing my mouth for a few seconds and absorbing the quiet, I exclaimed toughly, "I know who you are!"

Sith snorted again. "It wouldn't take brain surgery to know that I'm-"

"Mr. Condor?!" I accused, totally shocked. Why would Mr. Condor kidnap his beloved teen heartthrob? His ratings would totally go down, and how could we film the rest of Mackenzie Falls, his most popular show? My mind was beginning to overflow of thoughts, and I had to tune myself back into reality.

"I thought your last name was Peterson," Rupert shot a sideways look at the driver, looking suspicious.

"For the love of bread, you blokes!" He erupted. With a jerky gesture, he whipped off his hood and stuck his face in mine. Familiar electrifyingly bright green eyes glared at me, and the familiar bad breath made me crinkle my nose.

"Craig?" My voice cracked, and immediately I threw a look of haughty boredom on my face. Keep your cool, I thought to myself. Visions from five months ago finally poured into my mind, like a flood flowing from a broken dam. I had blocked those painful memories from my head, but looking into those emerald daggers made it all come back.

"No, Santa Claus." Craig sneered before turning back to the road. I slumped in my seat, a headache coming on. "This doesn't make sense," I murmured. I mean, celebrities get kidnapped sometimes. But getting kidnapped by the same Wacko as last time? Nuts.

"Are you kidding? It makes perfect sense!" Rupert yelled from the front seat, not bothering to turn around, but I watched as his chalky white ears flashed red. He probably didn't have much luck with the ladies, judging by his tomato complexion.

"Who even are you?" I snapped. From all the recollections of last time, I couldn't pick a livid Ginger out.

"I'm Rupert Diggory," was his impatient reply. "I'm an accomplice!"

"Awh, makin' Mommy proud?" I said mockingly.

"My mother is dead." Rupert said flatly.

"Like I said," I was unfazed. "Makin' her proud?"

Rupert whipped around the best he could with his seatbelt, and flames shot wildly in his bleak blue eyes. I watched in amusement as his face flushed from red to the color of pluming lava. But Craig stopped him before his mental volcano could explode.

"Shut up." Craig spoke. "We're almost there."

"Where?" I started to panic. I didn't see any Police officers. No cars. No people. We were driving down a deserted highway, shrubbery lining the road, and the cries of the gulls echoed overhead.

"Lake Cabacksowa," Rupert said promptly. I wondered what he was even here for. What was he, fourteen? A bit young to be dealing with kidnapping. Unless…

"Yo, Craig. Ginger here your son?" I asked, earning a furious glare from Rupert.

"No." Craig said coldly. "He's just a foolish boy who was lured by the promise of money."

Rupert was on high alert now. "Lured?" He sounded alarmed. "I'm still getting the one thousand dollars, right?"

Craig laughed, a low and frigid sound. "No." He said again, amusement flickering in his eyes.

Rupert's body started to shake. I started to feel sorry for the kid. So much anger in such a small frame. Motherless, too. I couldn't picture my life without my Mom. With a pang, I realized she was humming in the kitchen, preparing tonight's dinner. When would she notice I wouldn't be coming home?

"Stop your trembling, boy." Craig's cold voice was shocking. He had been much less serious last time. Had five months of solitude warped him into a revenge hungry Voldemort?

"No!" Rupert snarled. "I did everything you asked for! Got information from Sonny, hid in the ice cream truck-" He was interrupted by me. "You talked to Sonny?" I pursued.

Rupert looked at me. "Yes. I just said that, idiot!" I frowned and leaned back in my seat. "Do you know who I am?" I said in disbelief. Nobody talks to Chad Dylan Cooper that way.

"Please take offence to this- but I'm more into So Random!. You suck eggs." Rupert informed me, leaving me gaping as he turned back to the quiet driver.

"Wait- why would you ask Sonny for information, then kidnap me?" I shook my head. None of this made sense, and I felt my internal hour glass lose sand as I could glimpse the outline of a gigantic lake. The closer we came, I realized it was built up rather high, mountainous crags surrounding it; the lake maybe started about fifty feet in the air. It was magnificent, but extremely scary at the same time. Visions of me getting pushed into that incredibly deep, airborne lake pushed and shoved their way into my mind.

"Rupert was SUPPOSED to get Ms. Munroe, but failed to get YOU instead." Craig turned his nose up. He smirked to himself. "Not to be worried, I took care of her."

Panic swelled in my stomach. I couldn't image Sonny in my position. Well, actually, I could, and it wasn't pretty. Suddenly, a really selfish thought crept into my mind. "If I wasn't dating Sonny, this wouldn't have happened." The thought continued to nag at my mind.

And I couldn't make it go away. Maybe going out with her was a huge mistake. It certainly was turning out that way.

You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships every day. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. –Epicurus

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Sonny's POV

"Sonny! Sonny, wake up!" Trinity's lullaby-like voice urged me.

"What happened?" I said groggily, forcing my body to sit upright. I had been curled up against the window. How long had we been driving?

"You fell asleep," Trinity answered serenely, her high pitched voice as calm as ever. "And we lost them."

My eyelids flew open. I was certainly awake now. "Trinity!" I cried. "How could you?"

Trinity's smile faltered a bit. "I'm sorry," She said quietly. "But it's been hours. I've never driven around here, I'm only seventeen, I haven't been driving for very long! He cut behind a different car, and before I knew it I was totally lost!" She summed up.

I prayed steam wasn't pouring out of my ears. I just couldn't believe this. "So he's gone," My voice was a ragged whisper. "After all this. Trinity, you don't understand!" Tears welled in my eyes as I faced the dreamy looking girl. "Chad isn't just my boyfriend," I shook my head, clearing the tears. "He's like my best friend. I can tell him anything and he won't judge me. I can act totally weird and he'll put up with me. When I'm having friend problems, I can go to him and he'll just listen!" My voice was wavering and a few tears were falling down my cheeks. "He pretended to be my fan so I wouldn't get ridiculed. He danced with me at Prom when I was utterly miserable and alone. He told me I had pretty hair and whenI almost went back to Wisconsin, he came down to the airport and told me he loved me." Alright, the tears were totally flowing by now. "I love him, and we can't let him go."

Trinity's own clear blue eyes were filled with tears. "That was the most romantic, touching thing I have ever heard in my life," She said placidly. "But I'm sorry, there's nothing I- we,- can do."

"I thought you said we couldn't give up!" I yelled angrily. This ditzy girl was going to abandon the mission, was she? "Fine." I fumed, forcing my foot to the right and breaking the car. Trinity screamed but I leapt out of the car. I glanced defiantly from left to right- no cars in sight. "Thanks for nothing. I could've found him by now, you just stalled time!..."

My eyes widened hugely and I stared at the blonde, who looked at me gently. "You bitch." I accused, crossing my arms. Trinity tilted her head to the side. "Tawni was right. You are working for Craig. All these hours, you just distracted me from rescuing Chad. I can't believe I trusted you." I slammed the door shut and started marching down the highway. I couldn't be too far. I'd walk if that's what I had to do.

"Sonny, you're wrong! And I wouldn't recommend that!" Trinity called as I continued my forceful walk. The air was getting chillier; it was probably around six. I ignored her and broke into a jog. After a few seconds, I had disappeared, away from The Traitor and her ugly car.

A bit out of breath, I sat in the shoulder of the road and called Tawni.

"Sonny? Where are you? You've been gone for hours!" Tawni greeted sharply.

"Tawni, you need to help me!" I cried. "Trinity was just stalling me, Craig got away, Tawn, I can't lose Chad!" I bit my lip.

Surprisingly, Tawni didn't let out an insult. "Should I call the cops?" She said uncertainly.

"Yeah. And my Mom. And Chad's parents. Try not to get media coverage like last time. And I'm lost, on some road. I have no idea where I am." Through tear-filled eyes I glanced up at the gray sky. "And I think it's gonna rain."

"Then go under a tree," Tawni attempted to soothe me. "Anyways, I'll make some calls. Maybe the Police can track your phone. I'll call you later, Sonny. Don't worry, everything will work out."

I tried to believe it. But it was hard.

"Hope is the expectation that something outside of ourselves, something or someone external, is going to come to our rescue and we will live Happily Ever After." – Dr. Robert Anthony