Hope you guys enjoy the new chapter!

If you check my main page you can see which stories I am working on, or at least the ones I'm supposed to be working on. I tried my best finding all the spelling, and grammar errors.

Enjoy!

My Confidant

"Ms. Raymona, I'm ready to go."I called from the front door.

After taking off from school, and eating the soup Raymona made for me the day before I fell into a deep sleep. My body was probably trying to make up for the lack of sleep, because when I woke up it was already the next day. I was feeling better about going out this morning, and after reading all the text Lola and the others sent me, I felt like I should show my face. If they worried too much then they might try to come here, and I would have to explain why Trent wasn't here and sick like I said. I felt confident enough that I could get through today.

The main thing I had to worry about was my physical appearance. My next was still red from being choked so Raymona helped me hide it by applying some concealer. It was pretty amazing how normal it made my neck look, but just to make sure I also wore a Hufflepuff neck scarf. Luckily it was getting a bit colder so it shouldn't look too out of place. I wore thigh high socks to hide my knees, but sadly I couldn't do much about my hands. It would look too weird if I wore gloves all day. As for my side, a large bruise had formed causing my movement to become a little stiff. I couldn't raise my left arm too high because of the pain, but I would just have to bare through it. It was only for a few hours.

"Alright honey, here." Raymona finally came into view and handed me my lunch for the day. "Chief said you usually make your own lunch, but since you were asleep I did it for you."

"Thank you."

As I looked at the offered lunch I couldn't help but sigh softly. This moment felt so weird. Even without Trent here life still moved on. I looked up and met Raymona's patient smile. Her and Hiro's kindness through this situation helped me more than they knew. My father wasn't the most affectionate person, so it was nice having someone to fuss and worry over me. I wonder if that was greedy of me to think.

Raymona escorted me to the car where Hiro was already waiting. I slid into the back seat and soon we were off.

"Ms. Raymona, has my dad told you anything about the case? Do you know if they're any closer to finding Trent?"

Her look turned apologetic as she answered, "I'm sorry, hun. The Chief hasn't told us anything, but try not to worry about it. They'll find Trent, just you wait."

"I see."

I had the feeling that even if they did know something then, under Dad's orders, they wouldn't say anything. I didn't want to, but all I could do was wait until they found him. My frown deepened in thought as we got closer to the school. Was there really nothing I could do? I could try to investigate on my own...But...

I glanced at my escorts before looking back down.

There was no way I could if they were following me everywhere. I also wouldn't want to get them into any trouble by trying to run off. Besides, where would I even start? I didn't have the resources, and I didn't have a single clue to go on. I sighed a long sigh out of frustration. I wasn't going to get anywhere like this. Maybe if I visited Dad at the office he would at least let me know if they made any progress. Any sort of good news would help put me at ease.

We pulled up to Hogwarts and after telling me they would be waiting here when school ended we said our goodbyes. I took a deep breath to relax myself, and tried to appear as normal as possible. Once I was ready I went to class. Kat and the others were already there. They all sent me looks but I pretended not to notice and went straight for my seat. Since Lola was sitting next to me I couldn't avoid her, but thankfully class started the moment I enter.

Class passed just like I figured it would. My mind kept wondering to Trent making it hard to keep focus. That and Lola's persistent glances made me fidget uncomfortably. I felt like there was a huge sign on me saying-

HEY! I HAVE A SECRET!

I guess this is what Tom was saying. The more consciously you try to hide something, the more likely it is for the secret to come out. As soon as the first class was over, and we had a break, Lola turned to me with a worried expression. Mary and Kat also came over wearing matching looks.

"How is Trent? Is he ok?" Lola asked. "I texted you both but you guys didn't answer? Did something happen?"

I shook my head fighting down my nerves and anxiety. With as much confidence I could muster I answered, "Sorry, I was so focused on treating Trent that I didn't pay attention to my phone."

Luckily they bought my story.

"How is he doing? Was he really that sick?"

"Y-yeah. His fever was pretty bad yesterday, so even though he wanted to come I made him stay home."

Kat chuckled, "Even when he's sick he wants to come to school."

"Yeah, but if that's the case then he must not be that sick." Mary smiled in relief.

Seeing this made my heart ache. I didn't want to lie to them, but they couldn't find out Trent was actually kidnapped. Maybe they would find out later, but for now I didn't want them to needlessly worry. I didn't want anyone to feel the way I did.

"Perhaps we should make a home visit." Kat proposed. "See how our little runt is doing."

"I agree." Mary nodded enthusiastically, "We could bring some gummy bears for him, too."

"I don't think you should eat junk food when your sick." Lola laughed.

"Oh contraire!" Kat grinned, "Eating your favorite foods when you're down is the best pick-me-up."

I suddenly panicked at the thought of them coming by. This wasn't going as well as I had hoped. "A-actually, I don't think you should." They looked at me in question and I bit my lip as I scrambled to think of a story. "Because...uh-he is still contagious. Yeah, he's is doing better but he's still throwing up and really tired. I don't want you guys to catch anything, and having a lot of people around might stress him out."

"Really?" Lola raised a brow and I could see doubt forming in her eyes. Luckily our next class started which put our conversation to an end.

"Trent would have loved today's class." Mary commented as she took out her lunch for the day.

"Ugh, don't remind me. All those numbers gave me a headache."

Unlike the others I couldn't bring myself to laugh at Kat's plight. This secret was weighing me down. It was even hard to maintain eye contact because I felt like I would spill everything. I silently took out my lunch feeling more isolated from my friends than ever before.

"Woah, what happened to you hands?" Lola suddenly grabbed my hand and turned them palm up.

"Oh, uh, I...fell while going home from the store." It wasn't exactly a lie.

"Haha, you're such a klutz!"

"Will you still be able to play volleyball tomorrow?"

Oh, that's right. I told Mary that I would join her for a game this weekend, but I wasn't in any mood to play volleyball so I shook my head.

"No, probably not. I'll come next time though."

Mary frowned, "That's too bad."

"Sorry."

Lola took a moment to observe me as the gears in her head churned in thought. "You know...Lately, you've been kind of different." Her bottom lip jutted out in a frustrated pout. "You seem a lot more tense, and today your really quiet."

I kept my eyes glued on the table, "Sorry." All I could do was apologize. "I guess I have been stressed lately. Dad's been coming down pretty hard about my future and stuff."

"Is that all?"

I nodded, and thankfully Mary steered the conversation towards the topic of future plans. Lola continued to watch me for a while, obviously not convinced with my answer, but didn't press the issue.

Lunch ended soon after, and after a few more classes, so did school. When we arrived at the front of school my escorts were waiting right at the front gates. I stopped at the car and the others looked at me confused.

"What's up Raven?" Lola asked as she sent a glance towards Raymona and Hiro. "Are they here for you? Why?"

Raymona stepped forward with a smile, "Raven, your father has asked us to pick you up. He wants to talk to you."

Lola grabbed my wrist to stop me from leaving, "Raven, are you sure everything is alright."

I faced her and I could feel my heart squeeze painfully. They all looked worried as they waited for my answer. Even as tears threatened to fall I put on my best smile, "Seriously, I'm fine. You guys worry to much." I looked away sheepishly, "Actually I've been kind of avoiding my dad for a while because I didn't want to talk to him, but I guess he finally had enough." I chuckled, but it sounded hollow to my ears, "I bet I'm going to get an earful when I see him."

Apparently my act worked because they didn't seem as worried, and the tension in their shoulders vanished. I hated that I was becoming so good at lying, but I convinced myself this was for the best.

"I'll text you guys, and let you know when Trent's recovered from his fever."

With a small wave I entered the car, and once we were out of sight I sunk into the seats. I was both physically and emotionally tired from today. Not only that but it was so hard to move without aggravating my side, and now that I wasn't at school I allowed myself to groan in pain.

"Are you alright?" Hiro asked looking at me quickly through the rear view mirror.

"Yeah, my side just hurts."

"You should rest when you get home. I'm sure it was a long day."

I gave a small smile, "Yeah."

Before I knew it Saturday came and went, and Sunday greeted me with the smell of breakfast. Groggily I made my way down stairs and was greeted with a chirpy 'Good Morning' from my escorts. As I sat at the dining table a plate of pancakes, eggs and grits was placed in front of me.

"There's plenty if you want more. So help yourself."

"Thank you, Ms. Raymona."

Ever since Trent had been kidnapped I haven't really been eating much. I just felt guilty about eating while not knowing if Trent was being fed properly. The more I thought about it the less of an appetite I had. So after eating a little more than half I stopped.

"What's wrong? Don't like it?"

"Huh, oh, no it's fine. I'm just not very hungry."

"You haven't been eating very well lately." Hiro pointed out worriedly. "You have to take care of yourself. I know you're worried about Trent, but starving yourself won't help anyone."

I dropped my head in embarrassment at being read so easily, but I couldn't do anything about how I felt.

Hiro sighed, "Though I suppose it's no good to force yourself either." He met me with a smile.

For some reason I blushed and Raymona laughed and winked at me. "It's a nice smile isn't it? It's what won me over."

This made me blush more, "N-no. I mean, it's nice-but I, uh-I don't-"

"Oh, so you like my smile?" He asked and sent another smile my way.

By now I felt like my head would explode. I sunk into the chair, dropped my head onto the table and covered myself with my arms. Seeing this they only laughed and that's when I realized they were only teasing me. I peaked at them through my arms while feeling a sense of warmth spread through me. They were probably trying to get me to relax and I was feeling a bit better now.

Breakfast ended on a light note, and I returned to my room. After a shower, and completing my morning routine, I check my phone. I had texts from my friends all asking how Trent and I were doing. After a generic response I put my phone away, and turned on the T.V. I flipped through the channels hoping to find something to keep my mind busy, but instead a news piece about Uncle Reed caught my attention.

"-Going to and from the detention center. Since Friday, Prosecutor Reed has been in regular contact with the defendant Torantino Valentine. With the guilty verdict practically evident, one has to wonder what there is left to talk about." The female news caster said.

"I have to agree. There has been speculation that some type of plea bargain will be made, which would in turn give the defendant a much more lenient sentence. Seems counter productive of all the work Reed has put in thus far." The male news caster then asked for a video to be shown.

It was of Uncle Reed walking out of the detention center with a police escort. The reporters shoved microphones and cameras into his face, all attempting to get something out of him. However, he brushed by them and quickly boarded the car waiting for him. I frowned upon seeing this. Uncle Reed looked so tired, and stressed out. He was probably doing all he could to get information on Trent's whereabouts, but since the kidnapping was being kept under wraps it must be hard. Not only that, but it's not like Terantino would just give up that information. Trent was his ultimate bargaining chip to a lesser sentence.

"-Many people have weighed in their opinions in this matter." Beside the anchorman tweets began to show on screen. "T_Ray says: 'The system is dirty. The crack was probably paid to help that thug get out.' Mary94Jay seems to agree and tweeted: 'I bet he was in their pocket all along! Can't trust anybody!'" The anchorman shook his head and looked to his co-host, "There have even been talk that the Wednesday trail may be pushed back. You have to wonder, just what is going on in that man's head. "

Rage bubbled inside of me the longer I listened to this. How could people say things like that without even knowing the full story?! Uncle would never do something as underhanded as helping the mafia. If everyone knew what was actually going on I bet they would be singing a different tune.

Uncle was working so hard, and I'm sure my Dad was too. Maybe I couldn't do anything to help find Trent, but maybe I could do something for them. The exhausted expression on my Uncle's face came to mind. Maybe I could deliver some lunch to them. If they didn't eat then they would collapse before finding Trent. I almost laughed at the irony as that was exactly what Hiro had told me during breakfast. I turned the T.V off and went downstairs to see only Raymona present.

"Do you need anything, hun?"

"Actually, I wanted to make some lunch for my dad and uncle Reed. I'm worried they've been neglecting to eat properly."

She smiled, "That's a good idea. I'll take you to the station and we can drop it off."

About an hour and a half later, and with Hiro's return, the three of us headed towards the station. When we arrived Hiro went off somewhere and Raymona escorted me to my dad's office, but he wasn't in there when I opened the door.

"Just wait here. I heard he was in a meeting."

"Ok, Thank you."

As soon as she left I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I sat on the sofa in the center of the room and placed the lunches I made on the coffee table in front of me. I then took out my phone and when I did my face went white.

Tom: I'll deal with you Monday.

That's right! Today was Sunday and I was supposed to be seeing Tom to continue our deal. With everything going on I completely forgot! I should have texted him. Now he might think that I tried to run away and break our deal. If he did would he make Kat's debt return? My heart raced as I rushed to text him to try and give an excuse...But what should I say?

Me: Sorry...

I sighed heavily. In the end I couldn't think of anything to say and just apologized. Wait...He said he would deal with me Monday. Is he planning on doing something to me at school? But we made a deal that he wouldn't do anything while at school, and what if someone saw us together? All sorts of questions will be asked.

Suddenly the door opened and my father entered the room. He had dark bags under his eyes and the lines on his face seemed to deepen over the past few days. Seeing how hard both him and my uncle were working made me even angrier at all the bad things people were saying to them. I would have to worry about my problem with Tom later.

"Raven, why are you here? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothings wrong." I walked over to him with the lunches I made, "I was just worried that you two weren't eating properly, so I made some food." I smiled sadly, "It made me feel like I'm doing something to help too." When I looked up I met his tired eyes, "Are you guys any closer to finding Trent?"

He closed his eyes, the small movement saying so much. I could see the frustration in the tightening of his brow, his stress in his tense shoulders and the exhaustion from his drooping face. Finally he opened his eyes and took the offered lunches, "Not as fast as we would like, but it's getting there."

"I see." I fiddled with my shirt and looked off to the side.

"If there is something you wish to ask be quick. I have to get back to work."

"...No...Nothing." I smiled, "Just make sure you two eat when you can."

A small, tired smile formed on his face and he gently pat my head before ushering me out the office, and closing the door behind him. I watched the door for a while before meeting up with Raymona and Hiro at the station's entrance. Once they saw me we piled into the car and headed back to the house.

This first thing I noticed was our mailbox. It was open, and I'm sure it was closed when we left. Also, it was Sunday and the mail isn't delivered on this day. After exiting the car I checked inside and saw a white envelope. I examined the letter wondering what it was. There wasn't a sender, and after feeling it there seemed to be something small and hard inside.

"Ms. Raymona, Mr. Hiro!" I called to them. "I got this letter in the mail." They walked over and I handed it to Hiro.

He examined it with suspicious eyes, "That's odd. There isn't a sender." He carefully opened the letter and dumped the contents out into his hand.

Suddenly his eyes widened and he quickly dumped the items back into the envelope to keep me from seeing. It was too late. Panic, fear and hysteria began to settle in the pit of my stomach. My shoulders began shaking and I covered my mouth in disbelief. The thing in the envelope - that was sitting in our mailbox - were 5 finger nails that still had pieces of the skin and dried blood still attached to them. There was only one person that those could have belonged to.

My mind was thrown into chaos. What were they doing to him? How could they hurt him? Tears formed at the corner of my eyes as my worries began to overpower me once again. I suddenly found it hard to breathe and my chest heave from the strain. I was startin to feel faint and my legs started shaking. If Raymona hadn't taken my into her arms, I would have collapsed onto the ground. They quickly spoke to each other and Hiro was jumping back into the car while Raymona led me back into the house.

That night I had a hard time staying asleep. Nightmares of the horrible things they could be doing to Trent kept waking me up, and despite Raymona's instance I went to school, hoping that it would keep me distracted from my thoughts. When I met up with Lola, Kat and Mary they knew something was really wrong. I saw they share looks with each other, but none of them, not even Lola, commented on it. I was glad that they decided to leave me alone, but it was strange to have them tiptoeing around me.

As classes progressed I absentmindedly scribbled into my notebook. I should have listened to Raymona and stayed home. Being at school didn't help me any. I couldn't even pretend to be ok.

"...-ark...Ms. Clark...Ms. Clark!"

I jumped from hearing my name being shouted at me. I focused on Professor Binns guiltily as she looked at me.

"Are you alright dear? You look a bit pale."

Maybe this was the escape I needed, "Actually, I'm not feeling very well. May I go to the nurse?"

"Of course. Will you be fine on your own?"

"Yes, thank you."

I quickly stood and scurried over to the nurses office. When I got to the infirmary a thin, middle aged woman welcomed me. Her name was Riley Witherspoon, but everyone called her Madam Witherspoon. For some reason all of the nurses in the school were addressed as 'Madam'. She wore the typical nurse outfit, along with a long white coat. When she saw me her brow creased in worry and she scuffled her way towards me.

"Ms. Clark, are you alright. You look pale."

"Sorry, I'm just a bit tired. May I rest here for a while?"

"Yes, of course." She led me to a bed and smiled at me. "Should I call someone to come for you?"

"No, it's alright. I'll go back after lunch."

"Alright dear."

I settled into the bed and pulled the covers over my face. It was silent and I was able to relax just a bit. Maybe it was because I was tired, but I didn't really think about anything. Even though I was able to relax I couldn't make myself fall asleep. I pulled the covers down and stared at the ceiling. I counted the tiles and before I knew I fell asleep.

The next time I woke up Madam Witherspoon was looking down at me. "Sorry to wake you, but it's lunch and I was wondering if you wanted to eat something. You're looking a bit better, so I think eating would help too."

"Yes, thank you." I answered still half asleep.

"I'll get your bags from your class."

I nodded still trying to wake up. I must have been in a very deep sleep because I felt really groggy. The good news was that I didn't have any dreams, or if I did I didn't remember them. Soon I heard the door open again but I was still trying to wake myself up. I yawned and rubbed my eyes as Madam Witherspoon stopped by my bedside.

"Sorry for making you go through the trouble." When I turned to face her my smile faded, and something that I read the day before suddenly flashed through my mind.

"I'll deal with you Monday."

It wasn't Madam Witherspoon that had delivered my lunch, but Tom that was now staring down at me. I watched him wide eyed, now fully alert, wondering what would happen. How should I explain why I wasn't there yesterday? Would he even listen to me?

"I didn't think you had it in you to not show up." He spoke in a soft, calming drawl that made my hair stand on end. He sounded much more threatening this way then if he were yelling at me. I gripped at the bed sheets fighting the urge to hide under the blankets. Possibly sensing my desire he roughly snatched the blanket and tossed it onto the floor.

My eyes widened in fear, "I-it wasn't...I didn't mean to not come.

"With a single word, I can make her debt return." He threatened as he slowly drew a line down the side of my face.

Panic filled me at the thought, "Y-you can't do that." How come I couldn't catch a break? "I'm sorry I d-didn't show up yesterday. Things...Just...Kind of happened."

Suddenly Tom smirked, "That's fine."

I watched him confused as he moved towards me. Before I knew it I was looking up at Tom with the familiar backdrop of the ceiling. Realizing our position, and where we were, I tried to push him off but he responded by pinning my arms down. Seeing my panicked expression he smirked.

I shuddered, "W-what are y-you doing? You cant do th-this...At school..."

"You were the one who broke the contract first." He chuckled darkly. "It's only fair that I take what I was denied of yesterday." When I looked ready to protest added, "Or, I could talk to some friends of mine about a certain debt.

As I battled with my conflicting thoughts I bit my lip. Surly Tom wouldn't do too much while we were at school. Also, once lunch was over he would have to leave. My main worry was being caught. What if another student walked in, or even worse, we were caught by Madam Witherspoon. Our parents would be called and my life would be over. My father wouldn't trust me any more. Not only would I be caught doing something obscene at school, but it would be with Tom.Also, doing this while Trent was missing left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I didn't want to cause trouble for anyone.

I made the decision to refuse Tom again, but when I met his eyes all of my willpower went away. I was too afraid to speak up, and instead I looked away.

"No one will interrupt us so be a good girl, and I'll make you feel good like I always do." He grinned mischievously and shifted his weight slightly, but because the bed was so small his knee had pressed into the side where I was still sore from being kicked. My eyes slammed shut as I hissed from the unexpected pain. Above me I felt Tom freeze.

"Are you hurt?"

"...No..." I answered quietly.

I felt his knee push into my side again, harder than before, and this time I felt tears prick at the corner of my eyes. I looked at Tom with pain clearly shown on my face. I thought I would see a bit of sympathy in his eyes, or maybe even a bit of remorse. Instead he was frowning, and a look of displeasure flashed across his face. He moved so that he was holding my wrist down with one hand, and his now free hand moved down my side to the hem of my shirt.

My eyes widened and I squirmed in protest. Tom clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Unless you want us to fall of the bed, stop moving."

"B-but you..." A rosy blush decorated my face when I felt a rush of cool air on my side. I couldn't look at Tom as he continued to pull up my shirt until my entire side was visible.

"What happened here?" He placed a hand over my discolored skin. It definitely didn't look as bad as before, but as it's only been a few days it was still very visible. His eyes narrowed, and his mouth was set in a firm line as he carefully examined me. "Did someone do this to you?" Though his expression didn't change, the grip on my wrist tightened, and his eyes looked colder than I ever remembered.

'What do I say? Would he believe me if I said I fell?'

"Don't even think about lying to me." He scoffed in annoyance when I looked at him in shock. "You're so easy to ready it's ridiculous, now answer my question." He stared directly into my eyes with a look that dared me to lie.

More than the teasing, or when he was angry, it was the Tom I was seeing now that made me feel the most terrified. There was no emotion in his narrowed eyes as he waited for my answer. Unable to handle the intensity in his gaze I looked away. Why did he want to know anyway? What would he do if I told him? I was told to keep what happened a secret...but...I was tired of keeping secrets, and telling lies. Truthfully I wanted to tell somebody. Everything was too much, and after what happened yesterday I felt like I would break at any moment.

I could feel my eyes tearing up again, but somehow I managed to blink my tears away. A lump formed in my throat and as it made it's way up I found myself unable to keep my silence. "...Trent...H-he was kidnapped." As if the floodgates broke, once started, I couldn't stop myself from talking. I told him everything. Starting from what Trent was taken and up until yesterday when they sent his fingernails to my home. I don't know how but I managed not to cry, and Tom listened to me without interrupting me once.

"It was my fault." I squeezed my shut in anguish. "If I had been more attentive o-or if we just went home. None of this would have happened."

Tom didn't say a word and honestly it didn't bother me. After finally being able to tell someone it was like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. I felt so much better not holding it in. I relaxed beneath Tom and a wave of fatigue washed over me. I opened my eyes when I felt a hand on my head. Tom wasn't looking at me anymore, instead favoring the corner of the room. Though eyes burned with murderous intent, the hand that caressed my head was so gentle it made my heart squeeze sweetly.

The moment came to an end when the school bell rung. After a moments delay Tom quietly stood up, and left the room without looking back. The moment he exited, Madam Witherspoon walked back in acting as she had been here the whole time.

When she met my eyes, she walked over with a knowing smile. "Now, dear. You should be sure to straighten yourself up afterwards."

I didn't know what she meant until she reached over and pulled down my shirt. I was so overwhelmed at what happened that I was still in the same position when Tom had me pinned down. I blushed once I realized that not only had I been like that during my whole story, but I was caught in such a compromising position by Madam Witherspoon. I stared at her afraid that she would call my father, but all she did was return to me the discarded sheet before going back to work.

What just happened? Did...Did she just turn a blind eye? She didn't even mention anything about large bruise. Shouldn't that be something concerning to a nurse?

"You look a lot better now."

I jumped, "O-oh, yes. I do feel a bit better now."

"Why don't you get a bit more rest, before returning to class." Though she smiled kindly at me, I couldn't fight the eerie feeling I suddenly had.

I shook the thought from my mind and took her advice. I got myself comfortable and as soon as I closed my eyes I was fast asleep.

Sorry for the ending. I had actually planned on ending the chapter much earlier, but I couldn't find a good stopping point so I kept going. As you can see I still could find a decent ending point, so I apologize for how awkward it is.

Also don't worry, our favorite boy will make an appearance in the next chapter

Please review if you have the time. Comments, ideas, or constructive criticism is welcomed!'i