Chapter 12

As I walked into the mall Salene appeared

"Where have you been?" she asked sounding exasperated

"Out" I said frostily 'welcome home Ebony' I thought

"Out!" she said, "Ebony, I have been worried. Java." she began

"I can deal with Java," I told her in the same tone as before, Salene's over protective nature was really getting up my nose recently.

"Ebony you are part of this tribe" she said trying to convince me, it didn't work. I never had been and never would be a part of the whole "Let us help you," she pleaded

"Salene, believe me, Java is the least of my worries" I told her truthfully, I hadn't thought or worried about Java since the conversation we had had in the stairway we were in. Until she actually attacked me I had more pressing concerns.

"God you're as bad as Cloe" Salene suddenly screamed completely flipping and letting out raw emotions. By the look on her face I suspected this little fit of over protectiveness had very little to do with me and a lot to do with someone else.

At that moment Pride rounded the corner with a worried look on his face

"Sal there's no sign of her anywhere" he said sounding frustrated

"Where is she?" screamed Salene flinging her arms around like a child.

"Whoa, ssssshhhh" said Pride soothingly putting his arms around her to calm her. I began to edge towards my escape route trying to get out of what was fast becoming a very private scene however Mouse came in breaking up the moment

"Salene, Salene" she cried in her child's voice

"What is it Mouse?" asked Salene tenderly bending down so she was at Mouse's level. "Lex said they didn't find her, she's not in the mall," she gabbled out

"Who's missing?" I asked wondering who it was

Pride turned away from Salene and looked slightly guilty "May" he said quietly. That explained why Salene was so upset, it probably had something to do with Pride.

"They said everyone was meeting in the café," said Mouse

"Right" Salene said following her "Coming Ebony?" she asked looking at me, I sighed and followed, it didn't look like I had much choice.

When I turned up at the café trailing behind Pride, Salene and Mouse the entire tribe was there. Patch and Dee and Lex and Siva were sat wrapped around each other, Lex and Siva had obviously made up. Taisan was sat on her own and so was Sammy though Mouse ran and sat with him. Amber and Baby Bray were sat at a table and Salene and Pride went and sat with them. Jay was stood in the corner of the room watching what was going on, I tried to ignore him as much as possible, to block him out of my sight but it didn't work, all the time he stood there like a beacon in the corner of my mind.

"No one's found her?" asked Salene heavily when she sat down, when silence was all she got she asked hopefully "A clue to where she went?"

"Nothing" said Jay from the corner

Salene put her head in her hands "This is my fault" she said heavily to the world in general "How can it be your fault?" asked Amber in her tender loving caring way that made me want to throw up

"Sal, we should tell them, they have to know sometime," said Pride quietly to Salene

"What is going on?" asked Lex sounding as frustrated as I felt.

Salene took a deep breath "I'm pregnant" she said

"Are you sure?" asked Patch fiddling with his glasses as Amber hugged Salene

Dee elbowed him in the stomach "Patch!" she hissed

"I'm sure," said Salene smiling, then she faltered and her face fell slightly "I have been pregnant before" she told him

"Well I think its great news" said Amber smiling broadly, typical Amber "But what has this got to do with May?" she asked, for once, much as I tried, I almost had to agree with her

"May heard us talking." Pride said, there was no need to end the sentence and explain why May had gone.

"Hang on a sec," said Lex "Your telling us she hasn't been taken, she's gone of her own free will, so why are we looking for her? Doesn't she have the right to leave if she wants to?"

"But." said Salene

"Salene, much as I hate to agree with Lex on anything" Amber said putting a lot of emphasis on the anything "This is May's choice, she doesn't want to be followed so we shouldn't follow her" she told Salene tenderly. For the second time in several minutes I almost agreed with Amber, this was too strange, I told myself I agreed with Lex, that was less strange, slightly. Salene got up and stormed out, after a few seconds Pride got up and followed her slightly more calmly.

Gradually the tense silence after the storm broke down into quiet talking, next to me Lex asked Siva

"The Bar tonight?"

Siva smiled at him "Sure" she said and then turning to me she asked, "You wanna come?" behind her Lex scowled. A bar, away from the mall, away from Zoot, it sounded brilliant

"Yeh" I said, I had to stop myself from laughing at the scowl on Lex's face that disappeared when Siva turned around and said

"That's okay babe?"

"Sure" he said smiling chamingly.