A/N: Hello Everyone,

I'm finally back. I hope you all had a good winter holiday and a happy new year. I just wanted to inform you all that I'm moving. I got a new job. Next month's chapter might be a bit delayed because of that. Thank you for commenting, following, and favoriting over the last year. I'm looking forward to continuing this story into this new decade. That's it.

See you all later!

Chapter 27: Missing

The morning shift ended. Gab left right at 8 am, but Ruth put an iron hand on my shoulder that stopped me from following him. A shiver of déjà vu overtook me as I turned to face her.

Her expression was disapproving as she said, "You're wearing yesterday's clothes."

I shook my head. "Well… You see… things were a little hectic this morning. Dhiren was in Lisa's enclosure and-."

She waved my words away. "I don't care about the excuse and I don't need it. You were on time. Barely." She narrowed her eyes, but then her expression shifted to something I hadn't seen on Ruth's face for a long time:

Kindness.

She continued, "But that's a shade better than the last time you burst through those doors. So, at least you seem to be improving."

I gaped at her.

"That's not a compliment," she said scowling again. "Maurizio and Viola have been working on me all summer about their silly compromise. All today shows is that they weren't talking complete nonsense. You are changing and it's about damn time. But I told them and I'm telling you, I'll tolerate no backsliding. Nobody got time for that. Not even you. You hear? You be on time, do good work and listen to what I say. And then we all get what we want."

She gripped my shoulder hard. Then she leaned in and said "Kelsey? Don't tell me you're not listening. I swear to god, child."

I blinked up at her. I wasn't listening. I just stared at the woman. I had seen her mouth move but it was all static. All that I heard was:

Compromise.

For one glorious morning, I had actually forgotten about last night. Yet with that little word, it all came rushing back to me. Suddenly the problems from this morning fell away and I was right back in Mr. Maurizio's office. The words of that meeting again flooded my mind and I remembered: the compromise, Mrs. Gailon's accusations, Mr. Maurizio's betrayal, and finally the choice.

That horrible life-changing choice.

My eyes filled with tears.

Ruth shook me and I heard her words at last. "Don't get hysterical on me Kelsey Hayes. This morning doesn't undo anything. It's just the beginning, so save the waterworks for September."

Just the beginning? This morning was just the beginning.

I replayed the last few hours in my head. This morning I had had to deal with Dhiren popping up out of nowhere, Matt reaching a new level of avoidance, and leaving Lisa in that travel trailer just so I could get to the kitchen on time. And the worst part of it all?

I had been happy about it.

Now that I remembered last night it was almost comical, but I didn't feel like laughing. The image of Lisa's tired face as I left her this morning crossed my mind. There was nothing to laugh at.

"Kelsey?" Ruth demanded.

"I…" Water clogged my voice and I had to choke out. "I need to go." Lisa was waiting.

I pulled out of Ruth's grip and ran out the kitchen doors. Just as I left the cafeteria, Ruth called after me, "You better come back on time."

I kept running. I made my way to the enclosures again but Dhiren was still in Lisa's enclosure. I ran past the white tiger to Lisa.

She was the one I wanted to see. I needed her.

The look she gave me this morning, flashed across my mind again. More importantly, she needed me.

For the second time that day, I sprinted across the circus grounds. I reached Lisa's travel trailer, but the door was open and the trailer was empty.

I stared at the dark space, not understanding.

"Lisa?"

There was no answer. A chill went down my spine. Not again. Not her.

"Lisa!" This time I shouted. I turned and looked around me. I felt that same horror. Where was she? Where was my bobcat?

The answer came to me.

Anywhere. She could be anywhere.

I swallowed and because I couldn't help it, I shouted again. "LISA!"

The morning was quiet.

My whole body was tense. I had to find my bobcat. Somehow the trailer had been opened and she'd been let out. It was Dhiren on the Fourth of July all over again.

My mind raced. Who had done it? Matt? Mr. Davis? Then I remembered. Cathleen. She had promised to feed Lisa. Right now, she'd be in the big top practicing with her brother, Keith. I made my way over there.

I tried to stay calm. There was probably a perfectly reasonable explanation for why Lisa had been removed from the trailer. Maybe Matt had taken Lisa for a walk? Or maybe they were doing the transfer now and I had just missed it? Surely, they would not have lost my bobcat and just preceded to not tell me. Right? Right?

I called out for Lisa as I walked over. As I neared the big top, people started to stare at me, but I didn't have time to explain myself. I entered the big top.

Keith and Cathleen were in the middle of their routine. They were swinging on their scarfs. I looked up at them and shouted, "Cathleen!"

The two of them stopped moving and looked down at me. Keith stared at me with curiosity, but my eyes were on Cathleen's guilty face.

"What's up, Kelsey," Keith said, "Or should I say, what's down?"

I ignored him.

"Where's Lisa?" I said to Cathleen.

Cathleen's eyes widened. "Isn't she in the trailer?"

"No, she's not. You saw her last."

Even from this distance, I could see Cathleen wince. "About that," she said "I actually didn't. I forgot to feed her. Sorry."

"What! No, you had to have seen her," I said desperately.

"Sorry," Cathleen repeated. "I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't seen your bobcat since this morning. I've been with Keith most of the time."

"It's true, bestest friend," Keith said, "I grabbed Cathleen for breakfast as she was walking Matt's dogs. She's been with me ever since."

"I'm really sorry about forgetting to feed her. It just slipped my mind," Cathleen added.

"That's not the problem," I growled. "Lisa is gone. She's missing."

Cathleen stared at me with such confusion that I knew she didn't know what I was talking about. That only made me angrier. If she had done her job, we wouldn't be in this mess. If…

It dawned on me. It wasn't her job. It was Matt's. I switched tactics.

"Fine. Where's Matt then?" If she didn't know where Lisa was then that weasel would.

"I told you. He's running an errand for Tiger's Day," she said, not quite looking me in the eye. "He wouldn't know where your cat was either."

That was a lie. I could tell. She was lying to me. "Tell me the truth," I demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Cathleen was pale and still refused to meet my eye. The expression reminded me of Matt. It disgusted me.

"Lisa is missing," I shouted at her. "I don't have time for this. If you ever cared about me, you'd stop lying and talk to me for once. What do you know!"

Cathleen recoiled from me like I was some sort of wild beast.

Keith answered for her, "Whoa, Kelsey, friend, you need to chill."

"Stay out of this," I snapped at him. Then I said to Cathleen, "Why can't you just tell me? Look. I'm sorry we stopped being friends. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. And I'm sorry it took me so long to apologize, but you can't keep ignoring me or telling me to go away Cathleen."

I advanced towards the scarves they were hanging on. I would climb that rope and shake some sense into her if I had too.

Before I grabbed hold of her scarf, Keith intercepted me. He had somehow dismounted from his scarf. "Kelsey," he said, "Stop."

I tried to shake him off and I snapped at her, "Now, you're going to have Keith fight your battles for you?"

She looked away.

I was so angry at Cathleen, at Matt, at Keith who wouldn't let go. I was angry at everyone in this godforsaken circus. Lisa was missing and Cathleen couldn't even summon up enough empathy to look at me.

She had been playing games with me for weeks. She had refused to have a single real conversation. How had I ever thought we could be friends again?

"Why do you hate me so much!" I shouted at her. "Why can't you move on?"

My words seemed to echo through the tent, but Cathleen was unmoved. She did not even turn around to acknowledge me. Instead, the silence was broken by my phone ringing. It was loud and insistent. It seemed to mock me and this entire conversation.

At first, I didn't even want to pick it up to silence it. I wanted Cathleen to finally tell me the truth, but on the third ring, I remembered Lisa.

I slowly pulled out my phone. The number was local. My heart skipped a beat. Someone might have found her. I answered, "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Lisa's owner?" a male voice asked urgently.

"Yes!" I cried out, my anger giving way to relief. I answered quickly. "Have you found her? Where is she?"

There was a pause and then the man said, "We're at Banfield Pet Hospital. Your cat is in surgery."