Once again, I would like to thank all my readers and reviewers out there. I really appreciate the helpful and kind reviews you have all given me. Thank you too: Diamond of the Darkest Night, Angelmail, RavenAngel21, SparkleGlitz101, Kathleen, RandomShadows, Xpskl, Darling Summers and Mary,who reviewed my last few chapters. I would also like to give special regards to Angelmail, who is leaving soon. I hope you get to read this before you go! And without further ado, here we go again.
Beaten, but Still Fighting
"Jane, have you seen Connie at all today?" Anneena asked, as she turned around in her seat. It was the final class of the day, and Connie still hadn't shown up.
"No, I haven't seen her since lunch yesterday, when she went home sick. After school, when I got home, I even tried calling to see if she was okay, and her aunt said she couldn't talk and hung up the phone. Do you think she's well?" Jane asked agitatedly. Connie was almost never sick, and when she was, she dutifully came to school anyway. It wasn't like her to leave at lunch and not return the following day.
"I'm not sure; I tried calling Connie's phone as well, and got the same story from Mrs. Clamworthy." Anneena said awkwardly, still unused to calling Evelyn by anything but her maiden name.
"Anyway, when I asked what it was she had come down with, she said Connie had the flu!"
"What's wrong with that? You sound like you don't believe her," questioned Jane. While talking to her friend, she sneaked glances at the front of the class, trying to make sure Mrs. Sonora was busy on other things and didn't notice the two of them talking.
"Well, I mean, did Connie look sick at all to you? Before she left?" Anneena asked loudly, oblivious to Jane's signals to keep it down. "And right after Jane left, Col sprained his ankle in the parking lot and had to leave for home as well."
"Are you two girls actually working back there?!" Mrs. Sonora demanded suspiciously, as she finally noticed the chatting girls. "If you aren't going to actually do any work, I will send you down to the office to do it there."
"Yes, we were working, Mrs. Sonora." said Anneena challengingly, daring her to question them. Mrs. Sonora obviously knew that wasn't a bright idea, and so gave a skeptical 'humph' and continued with her work.
"Anyway," continued Anneena, returning to her previous subject as if nothing had happened. "What are the chances that something like that would happen simultaneously?"
"Well, you do have a point," Jane conceded, "But still, it could be a coincidence. We would have to get proof that something actually happened."
"You're right! So where should we start looking?" Anneena grinned expectantly, eagerly searching Jane's face for some sign of a plan.
"What do you mean?" Jane asked incredulously, "I'm not saying we should actually go looking for proof!"
"Well, it is a good idea," Anneena insisted. "Connie and Col could be in some sort of trouble and we could help them. Something doesn't sit right about this whole thing."
"I guess you're right. When Col left, he looked really upset. But if we want to help, we first have to find out what happened."
"Well, if we can't get a hold of Connie, and Col's gone as well, were there any other people that could have seen them?" Jane inquired, as she got down to business, working out everything in her head.
"I don't know," said Anneena despairingly. Jane sighed and slumped down in her seat, resting her chin on her arms.
"Wait! Connie got a note saying to meet her in the school parking lot." exclaimed Anneena excitedly, her spirits rising once again. "It was in her locker and was really inexplicit and secretive."
"Really? Well that could be it, then. At least we know where she was at lunch, but could there have been anyone who could have seen her?"
"Hmm, I don't know. Well, at least we know what to look for," said Anneena optimistically.
Suddenly, the bell went off, signaling the end of class. And with a loud scraping of chairs against marble tile, everyone began to pack up and leave the school. Jane and Anneena both rose and stretched their arms.
"Well, Anneena, should we look for a few clues before the buses come?" Jane inquired as she swung her now-bulging bag over her shoulder.
"Yup, that sounds good, and since everyone will be waiting near the entrance, we can start there." Jane said resourcefully. They both headed to their lockers to quickly grab everything they needed, and scurried off to the entrance hall. Once there, they questioned everyone they could find if they had seen Connie or Col at lunch the other day. Most people overlooked them callously, not caring what the other two 'weird girls' were on about. However, as Anneena started to grow discouraged, a younger girl peeped up.
"I saw her! She was in the parking lot, I saw her from the French room window," she said simply.
"Really? Could you tell me if she was with anyone?"
"Yup, first Connie walked into the yard and that mean girl, Alicia, started talking to her. Then Connie went over to the front door, but I couldn't see what happened because Mr. Heffernan's car was in the way. After a little bit, Connie ran out and around the side of the school, tears falling down her face," the girl explained.
"Thank you so much for your help!" Anneena said gratefully. She looked around and noticed that most of the people had left.
"Jane! Jane?" shouted Anneena, searching for her friend.
"There she is," muttered Anneena to herself, as she spotted Jane looking for more people to interrogate.
"Jane, I found it!" Anneena yelled excitedly, as she ran to catch up to her.
"She was talking to Alicia before something major happened. It sounds like the whole thing was a set up," Anneena fretted, tapping her foot in agitation. Jane glanced at her watch and groaned.
"I'm sorry, Anneena, but I have to catch the bus. How about we talk to Alicia and her group of friends tomorrow? If Alicia was there, then chances are, so were the rest." said Jane brightly. She was beginning to think she would be great for all this detective stuff.
"Okay, that sounds like a good plan," said Anneena agreeably. "Well anyway, I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Bye, Anneena! Do you want to try calling Col and see if we can get anywhere there?" yelled Jane, almost on the bus.
"Sure, talk to you later!" Anneena yelled after her friend, giving her the thumbs up. Anneena headed to her own bus and slumped down into her seat.
What a long day…
*****
"Col, would you like something to eat?" Lavinia asked as she knocked on Col's door. Receiving no answer, she sighed and headed back downstairs, sitting at the kitchen table and nursing her cup of tea.
She had barely heard a word from Col since yesterday, when he had called home for her to pick him up. She had tried asking him what the problem was, and did everything she could think of to get him to open up to her. However, Col had just stared out the window of the car, vacantly watching the landscape zoom by. She assumed he wasn't hurt or sick, else he would have told her. No, this was an emotional problem, and Lavinia knew that it would be best to let him tell her when he was ready. What had her worried the most, however, was when she had asked him if it was about Connie. He had stopped instantly, frozen on the spot as if turned to stone. When she had looked into his face, she noted the pain chiseled into his tense features and tried to question him again. However, he ignored her, and ran up to his room and slammed the door. He had only left to go to the bathroom, and then he returned to his room and shut the door.
"Oh what am I going to do?" Lavinia sobbed, knowing that Col was in a lot more pain then he appeared. She knew that whatever had upset him had something to do with Connie, but she couldn't for the life of her guess what. She knew that the two youngsters were crazy for each other, but then, what had happened between them?
"I have to call Evelyn!" she said to herself, determined to find out the truth.
Lavinia went for the cordless phone and sat back down into her chair. After punching in the number on the receiver, she heard a wary voice answer, "Hello?"
"Hi dear, it's Lavinia," she said hesitantly, unsure of what Evelyn's reaction would be. After a brief pause and hearing no answer, she continued; "Do you know if something is going wrong with Col and Connie?"
"Oh, there is something wrong!" said Evelyn angrily, "Connie called home sick yesterday, and begged to be picked up. When I got there, expecting to find her sick, I found her weeping heavily, shudders wracking her body. When I asked her what hurt and she replied 'my heart' and broke down sobbing."
"Oh my!" Lavinia said, deeply distressed.
"The moment we got home, she raced up the stairs to her room and locked the door. She hasn't been out since, refusing to open the door and talk to any of us." Evelyn said, worry making her voice crack. "I don't know what to do."
"I'm so sorry," whispered Lavinia hoarsely. "I had no clue…"
"How did you not know?" Evelyn asked incredulously, fury transforming her voice. "Did Col not come home, flaunting his heartbreaking abilities!?"
"Now listen here, there is something wrong with all this." Lavinia said firmly, standing up for Col. "The moment Col got home, he ran up to his room and slammed the door, where he has remained since yesterday. Don't blame him until we both know what's exactly going on. You didn't see the aggrieved look on his face."
"You're right, of course," admitted Evelyn, beginning to calm down. "We need to find out what exactly happened."
"But how do we do that? Neither of them seems willing to talk at the moment."
"Oh, can you wait one second? I've got an incoming call," Lavinia said apologetically into the phone. She hit the 'talk' button and switched over to the second caller.
"Hi, this is Anneena from school. Can I speak to Col, please?"
"Oh, Anneena! Do you know what's wrong between Col and Connie?"
"What?!" said Anneena, startled that Col's grandmother knew anything. "No, I'm not sure; Jane and I only heard that they had left at lunch. But when we asked around, someone told us that Connie had been with Alicia before she left."
"Who is Alicia?" she asked, confused.
"Ah, that's the bad part," Anneena said, concerned, "She is one of Courtney's close friends. And Courtney and Connie don't get along at all."
"This is troubling," Lavinia agreed, biting her bottom lip, frowning up at the ceiling. "Are you trying to find out what happened too?"
"Yes, both Jane and I are." she confided.
"Okay, do you think you could tell Evelyn and I what you discover? We are both worried sick, neither Col nor Connie have left their rooms since they got home."
"Okay, I'll do my best," she promised. The call ended with a click, as Anneena placed the phone back onto the adapter. Lavinia sighed, and reverted back to Evelyn's line.
"Hello dear, you still there?" she asked
"Yes, so the problem remains. What are we going to do?" Evelyn repeated.
"That was Anneena who called. She had some interesting things to say," said Lavinia wearily. She then proceeded to repeat the conversation she had with Connie's friend. After she explained everything and told her of Anneena's promise to contact them, should they find anything, Lavinia slumped down into her chair, suddenly worn out.
After a brief pause on the other end, Evelyn said guiltily,
"I'm sorry I accused Col of anything, I wasn't thinking straight. I'm just worried sick for Connie. She hasn't eaten a bite, and I doubt very much that she's been sleeping. I feel so useless."
"And I for Col," said Lavinia.
"Yes, but you were able to keep a cool head. Thank you."
"You're welcome," she said warmly. "Well I had better go; I have to see if Col wants to talk to me yet."
"OK, and remember to keep me updated." Evelyn insisted. Lavinia smiled and placed the phone back on the receiver, ending the call. Putting her now empty mug into the sink, she headed back up the stairs, determined to break through the shell that Col was trapped in.
*****
Col lay in bed, silently staring off into nothingness, taking relief in the blessed numbness. Time went by, speeding through hour after hour, and he felt none of it. His only companions were the ticking clock and the fan that made a soft whooshing noise.
Col had been like this for a day and a half now, lying on his crisp, clean bedspread, in clothes from the day before, as he stared off into space, replaying yesterday's confrontation in an endless loop through his head. He wallowed in despair and anger, feeling pain every time he saw Connie's tortured face. It felt like he was being stabbed repeatedly, straight to his heart. To think that Courtney could be so terrible, as to put them through this, made his blood boil. But it was too late now, much, much too late.
Connie hated him and everything about him now, he was sure of it. Nothing would ever be the same again. In all of a moment, he had lost the one girl that meant more to him than the whole world. Suddenly, the stress overwhelmed him and became more than he could bear, and he fainted, collapsing from exhaustion, hunger and pain. This had been occurring throughout the day and a half, and his times of unconsciousness were becoming longer each time.
Lavinia knocked on the door and softly, hesitantly said, "Col? Can I come in?"
When she received no answer, she slowly inched the door open, searching for her grandson. As she spotted him lying on his bed, eyes shut, curled in a ball with his arms around his knees, she sighed unhappily. She went over and pulled a blanket over him and put is lunch on the nightstand beside him.
Gazing softly at his pale, worn-out face, she softly whispered, "Oh, Col, I wish I knew what happened, so that I could help in some way." Stepping back, she left, softly closing the door behind her. She looked her age at the moment, anxiety having taken its toll on her body.
After another hour of unconsciousness, Col slowly woke and peered around him with hollow eyes. Nothing had changed when he was out, as he so often wished it would. However, as much as Col wished he could just slip back to the dark, empty snare of nonexistence, his body did not. Unwillingly, he noticed the food left on his bedside table, a bottle of water and a sandwich, and his stomach growled noisily.
Slowly, Col pushed the blanket off, not remembering ever putting it on, and sat up. He was running on empty, and he knew he had to eat something soon, but he didn't want to. It was so much easier to just sit there, with his face in his hands, and flounder in self-pity. However, his stomach persisted to growl and bother him, so he gave in and ate. He was feeling slightly better, yet he was still exhausted, and leaving his comatose state to eat had left him strangely unprotected and vulnerable. It was then that he noticed a deeply concerned presence entering his mind.
"Col! Are you okay!?" Skylark yelled in his head, whinnying in shock at the state of his companions being.
"Skylark…" Col muttered in his head as he recognized the presence. Stumbling towards the golden light that was his bond, he merged his being with Skylark.
"It's too bright," Col said, as his astral self shielded his eyes. Now bonded with Skylark, he was fully aware of his state of health. He was also aware of the depth of his loss, and it brought new waves of heartache sweeping through him.
"Col, snap out of it!" Skylark shouted at him, trying to get him to understand, "What happened?! You have to leave this depression before you waste away!"
"Oh Skylark, I don't think I can. I've messed up big time."
"Just tell me what happened, I want to help," said Skylark, concern shinning in his large brown eyes. The astral Pegasus moved over to Col and lay down next to his crumpled form, laying a wing over his back.
Col proceeded to explain his dilemma to Skylark, skipping nothing. As he reached the part in is summery where Connie ran off, his eyes misted up and his voice cracked. However, he finally finished it all, and sought comfort in his companion's presence.
"But companion, this is not your fault! None of this is your fault!" Skylark stated, confused at his partners guilt. "You didn't purposely do this to Connie; this is all that girl's doing."
"Yes, but I should never had agreed to go there, if I had never went, none of this would have happened," said Col simply.
"But you did, you can't change that. And to feel guilty that you fell into this girl's trap is stupid, it wasn't your fault," Skylark explained impatiently to Col. "This isn't the Col I know. Just explain things to Connie, I'm sure she'll understand."
"Well, I doubt she wants to ever see me again." Col said sadly. Yet despite this, he was starting to feel better to know that Skylark was there for him. And maybe he was right; maybe he could still fix things before it was too late.
"Make her see you! I'm sure that if she really cares about you, then she will give you a chance to explain yourself," said Skylark as he happily nudged Col with his nose. Col smiled and hugged the Pegasus tightly, burying his face in his mane.
Steeping back slightly, he said, "Thanks Skylark. Who knew you gave such good advice!"
"Well, most people do," he said, whinnying in his distinctive laugh. "At least those that come to me, instead of making me come to them know." the Pegasus said, dropping a badly disguised hint to his companion.
"Yeah, well, get used to it," Col said gruffly as he grinned at his companion, trying to make up for his previous moment of weakness.
"Col, you had better sleep, you haven't actually done any proper sleeping in a few days time."
Col could have pointed out that he had done nothing but lay in bed, but decided against it. Knowing Skylark, it wouldn't work anyway. Col said goodbye to the Pegasus and withdrew from the connection, returning to his body. After showering and changing, he crawled into the bed and drifted of into sleep, feeling better now that he had a plan. He would win Connie back and show her that he was innocent. Nothing could stop him!
Now that you've read this, you could do something extra wonderful and review. Am I right? Of course I am! So go ahead and review!
