For Ellie Timmers, Superdani akaVioletFairchild and FanOfTv with best wishes^^. This story is for you:).

CHAPTER FOUR: TRUTH

"What are you thinking about?" JJ asked. Freddie closed his eyes. He was laying next to his friend in JJ's bed.

"Nothing," he lied.

"Nope. You're thinking 'bout her."

"Her?"

"That Polish girl, Ewelina."

Freddie didn't answer but that was true.

"You like her."

Freddie again said nothing.

"But she lied to you, she lied to us," JJ carried on. "On the other hand, she helped Panda, right?"

"I don't want to talk 'bout her," Freddie said finally.

"You think she's okay? She hasn't been at school for four days."

"Yeah, she's fine," he lied again. She wasn't fine. When he saw her entering her house in that stupid Panda's tee after he had walked her home, she was crying. After she said that thing, she didn't look good. She wasn't good. He texted her twice. OKAY? was the message but there was no answer.

Not until he saw Effy talking with Cook, did he decide to go to Ewelina's place.

He didn't knock the door, nor ring the bell, he just stood there in front of her house on the other side of the street staring at shining window of her room. He withdrew his mobile and called her. No answer.

He went back home in a bad mood. Then he came up with an idea. A weird one. He checked Google Maps looking for Ewelina's mum's workplace; it was easy to find. He noted the address on his palm and took off taking his skateboard.

Half an hour later he entered the building. The receptionist was chatting on the phone laughing slightly. He approached the desk.

"Hi, I'm looking for Mrs. Lato," he said.

"Wait a sec, darling. I'll call you back," she said hanging up. "Can I have your name?"

"It's Freddie McClair."

"Have a sit. I'm not sure but Mrs. Lato can have a meeting right now."

He nodded and sat on the chair next to a woman in a smart suit. He heard the receptionist saying his name on the phone.

"Mr. McClair," the woman said with a smirk, "Mrs. Lato's expecting you. Sixth floor, room A43."

"Thanks."

When he stepped out of the elevator, he was in a neat corridor. He find the door and knocked.

"Come in," he heard and entered the room.

Ewelina's mum was sitting in front of a computer's screen.

"Freddie," she said and blinked. "I thought it could be you, but... Is something wrong? Something happened to Linka?" She stood up slightly scared.

"No, I think," he smiled. "But... I was wondering... She hasn't been at school for four days and I thought that maybe... she's ill or somethin' and...", he paused.

"She hasn't been at school for almost a week?" the woman looked shocked. "But every morning she was out! With me! Going to school with her bag and books! And you telling me that she has been playing truant for four days?"

"Uhm, sorry, but yes."

"Where was she then? Where is she?"

"I don't know."

She signed and withdrew her phone. She was angry but after a moment she looked sad.

"I don't want my Linka to be in trouble. Again," she said putting the mobile against her ear. "She doesn't pick up the phone." She checked something on the screen. "I have a meeting in ten minutes, cholera..."

"I can go. And checked if she's fine," Freddie said quickly. Too quickly. But he didn't want to admit that he wanted to see Ewelina.

"Could you? Really?"

Suddenly a short music sounded.

"Wait, she texted me," said Mrs. Lato. "Mum, I'm at school. Right." She opened her bag and withdrew keys. She passed them to Freddie. "I trust you, chłopaczku. Check if she's at home first. Then... Well, I have no idea where she can be. Maybe you know."

He took the keys.

"I trust you," she repeated. "You seem to be a nice one."

Freddie stood up smiling. I'm not, he thought.

"Take care of her. I don't know if she's going to talk with me. Maybe with you."

"I will try."

"Thank you, Freddie," she smiled. "Linka's very delicate, you didn't notice probably."

"I didn't," he admitted.

"Go then. Bye. And thanks again."

While walking back he looked at the keys in his hand. The proof he cared. He cared for that Polish girl. For Ewelina.

He opened the door silently and went inside. The kitchen was empty, so was the living room. He went upstairs without calling her name but he didn't know why; it would be easier if he simply called her. He could hear the music playing. Some rock. So she was here.

And all of sudden the bathroom door opened and Linka appeared in front of him. She was topless with a toothbrush in her mouth wearing only knickers. It were the strangest ten second in his life. The girl looked truly shocked and the toothbrush fell on the floor. She covered he breasts with both hands but he noticed a piercing in her left nipple and a butterfly tattoo under the right one.

"Co do kurwy?!" she screamed in her mother tongue. "What the fuck?! What are you doing here?!"

"I'm... sorry," he started but there was another tattoo – some Chinese characters next to her belly button – that didn't help him to calm down and think clearly. "I-I..."

She disappeared in her room shutting the door loudly behind her.

Freddie heard meowing and Maniek joined him on the stairs. He took some deep breaths but it didn't really help: his pants got tighter and he could hear his heart beating faster and louder.

The door opened. Ewelina was wearing the ugliest track suit he had ever seen. But it didn't decrease his arousal. He cleared his throat though.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Your mum... I was worried 'bout you and... the keys..."

"Oh, come on! You must have seen thousands of naked, partly naked and not naked girls before! Pull yourself together, shall you?"

She passed by him going downstairs but then she stopped.

"Or go whack off to the loo." And she was gone.

After a minute he went downstairs.

"Listen, Eve," he hissed. "I was worried so I talked with your mum. She gave me the keys and I came here to check if you're okay. And I can see that you're more than okay so have a fuckin' nice day." He threw the keys on a table and left the kitchen. But when he touched the doorknob, she was right behind him.

"Stay," she said. "Please." He felt her palm on his back.

"Okay."

She took gently his hand and led him back to the kitchen.

"Green tea?" Ewelina asked.

"No. I hate green tea."

"Oh, come on. It's good. Really good. Or wait. We can have hot chocolate."

"Hot chocolate would be better. But vodka the best."

"Sorry, no vodka today."

She prepared two mugs of hot beverage and took a box of small marshmallows.

"Upstairs we go," she ordered.

Freddie sat on her bed and she gave him a mug. Maniek jumped onto her desk and started to hunt her pencils. Ewelina smiled sitting on the other side of the bed. He sipped his chocolate; it was milky and sweet.

"You're wondering if what I said was true, it was, I'm sorry. I know it's sick but it's truth."

"Tell me, please. I want to know everything." He looked at her.

She made herself more comfortable.

"Robert and I, we had never been friends, just, you know, siblings, mean and nasty to each other, arguing all the time, fighting... Like a brother and a sister, normal ones. But then our dad found a job in London and my parents decided that Robert would go with him. I stayed at home and for a half of a year we hadn't seen each other. Six months. I really wanted to go to the UK and learn English. And I did."

She paused and sipped her drink.

"At the airport I saw that boy... Tall, handsome, well-built, dark-haired, in sunglasses, in Armanis, perfect... And he smiled at me. It was Robert. But he was different. So different. Totally sexy. My brother had been chubby, sloppy, always in old clothes, dirty, smelly, nightmarish, but then I saw a new version of him... A better one."

Freddie took a deep breath.

"I moved to my dad and Robert's place and Robert organized a party for me. A welcoming party. And I entered his world."

C.D.N.