Hi Friends! This is Chapter 8. I hope this chapter won't really be boring. Chapter 7 took so long I felt like it was boring. Perhaps this chapter will be better, that is for you to decide!

Okay in this chapter Mai is goin be thinking more than usual so her thoughts will be in italic.

Chapter 8

Tea drove Joey and Serenity to Mai's place. Joey had become again silent with thought as they turned down the street where Mai lived.

"This is it," Tea said neither happy nor upset.

To be honest Tea didn't know what to make of the whole disappearance of one of her friends. Mai never got in to trouble and if she did she always took care of herself. She was sure it was another case where Mai could get out of trouble herself. But Tea didn't want to ignore Mai if she needed her help.

The whole thing confused Tea and she wasn't sure what to do.

Mai's apartment didn't look broken into from the outside and her car was still in front of the building. They decided they wouldn't find much more out here so they went inside.

Mai lived on the third floor. As they climbed the beautiful stairway, both Serenity and Joey wondered what Mai's home would look like. Serenity decided that it would deeply describe her. Joey, (being a man) decided it would smell like her. He had no idea what it would look like.

Tea had a key to Mai's apartment because Mai was out a lot and she had told Tea that her home was also Tea's home.

The inside of Mai's apartment was clean and it smelled much like perfume, all different kinds. The smell wasn't so strong that it burned the nose of whoever inhaled deeply. But it smelled lightly of perfume, it you feel made you peaceful. As Serenity had suspected Mai's home was very clean. Inside, directly to the left there was a cute little living room with two couches and a TV. The couches were velvet purple and the carpet underneath was fuzzy and light green. Matching blankets were draped over the couches.

Down a small hall was a larger room recognized as the kitchen and a dinning area. This large room led to what looked like the door to one of the rooms, or maybe the only one.

Behind the kitchen area was another sitting room and beyond that was a balcony.

"Oh these apartments are gorgeous," Serenity exclaimed. "Joey we need to move here."

Joey gave his sister a frightened look.

"Okay you guys just look around for something wrong or out of place," Tea told them.

"What do you mean look for something that's out of place! Everything's perfect!" Joey said looking area at the spotless apartment.

"Joey! Just look!"

They all searched around the apartment but found nothing that looked suspicious or out of place.

"I told you this place was spotless," Joey said to Tea.

"Well all I found in her room was a pair of boots thrown carelessly in the corner, not put away," Serenity reported holding the purple boots up at eye level.

Joey and Tea took one look at them and decided to discard them as nothing of consequence. But then something struck Tea and commanded her to turn back and look at the boots a second time. Then she realized; Mai was wearing those boots the night they went out.

"Wait Mai was wearing those two nights ago while she was with me," Tea said.

"But you knew she was missing for two days already didn't you?" Serenity questioned.

"Yeah but this means that Mai came home and went to bed right after, other wise she would have put the boots away," Tea said finally seeing the light.

"Wow I wouldn't have been able to put that together for my life," Joey said surprised at Tea's intelligence.

"You just have to really know Mai, but I don't need to tell you that," Tea said.

Joey got what Tea was trying to get at, and personally he didn't think his relationship was any of her business.

"Well since we found no forced entry I guess she left the building by herself," Serenity said.

"It's not like it makes this any easier," Joey said upset that no better clues were found.

"It's okay, Joey, we'll find Mai," Serenity said in comforting words.

"I guess now we'll have to look elsewhere," Tea said.

Mai ate her bread although it wasn't near as much as she needed to fill her stomach. She was still very ravenous. When she finished she was still so hungry that she would have eaten anything more.

Through the small window above her Mai could see that the night had closed in. (A.N: The times are not even. Mai is in the night before Tea, Serenity, and Joey go to her apartment sorry it's confusing).

I would go to sleep just to pass the time if I had something comfortable to sleep on.

I could use something to drink too. I wonder how far away those idiots are. Maybe if I yell they'll hear me.

Mai had been thirsty for a while now and her thirst had been growing. Now she was driven by dehydration and she didn't feel like what she was doing was totally unlike her.

"HEY IDOITS, I NEED SOME WATER! NOW!"

"GET OVER HERE AND GIVE ME SOMETHING TO DRINK!"

The room started to spin and Mai was over come by a huge headache. She sat to try to steady herself from the spinning phenomenon by the room continued to go around and around.

I know I'm not drunk I've been there and back and it's way worse. I must be dehydrated! I can't remember the last time I had something to drink and they haven't given me anything.

Mai knew she wasn't going to feel any better anytime soon so she curled up in a ball in the corner of her cell and fell asleep. Mai fell asleep so quickly that she didn't notice someone had come to her call and as Rick watched her sleep he felt that she was no longer just a prisoner they kept.

Ok I'm done that wasn't so hard. If you haven't figured it out, yes, Rick is falling for Mai. I don't understand why Joey is the only one who has a big crush on her so I changed the rules. I know I'm horrible but it makes for a good story.

LOVE!