Chapter Seven

Camille stared into space just as Blake barked out her name. She shook her head when a hand swam into her vision. She yelped, and looked to see Andie, her concerned face tipping just enough to overwhelm her vision. Andie smiled softly, before pointing to the floor. The pump of music pounded in the background like a snaredrum and she started, realising she was supposed to step up and dance, like everyone else had.

She looked to Blake, before she mouthed her apologies. Blake sighed deeply, looking down at the clipboard he carried and writing something on it. Camille looked back down to the floor and fidgeted with her hands, uncomfortable and worried.

The speakers died down and the music pummelled out. Silence drowned the class as Blake explained something to the students, but Camille never listened. She was waiting for him to appear. All day, she had been waiting to feel his presence, but nothing ever came. There was no flicker of laughter in a pair of chocolate brown eyes, no mop of curls that seemed to tickle his cheek, and no dance moves that would put off any pro dancer. She was alone, and she felt scared for it.

Where was Robert?

She looked over her shoulder as the bell rang and the students filed out one by one. The dance hall was cleaned when she woke up, the lights had been turned back on, and there were no menacing shouts or overkilled music playing in the background. No darkened lights, no gloomy atmosphere, nothing. Moose had completely disappeared overnight, and he wasn't here at all.

He cleaned up the mess left behind by whoever they were, she knew. She didn't know how he done it, simply because he was a ghost, but he had done it, nonetheless. In fact, it looked cleaner than it usually did on Thursday evenings, which told her enough to know that what happened to Moose was as real as what had happened to her before those thugs broke into the school.

She gripped her hands and breathed slowly. That week, he was everywhere, speaking to her, getting to know her, even saving her from those boys who ganged up on her. He banged those lockers and got rid of them, he helped her to make friends, and showed her how to laugh, to grow, to have fun. He was a real guy. She remembered what happened when she touched him, the sound of the heart monitor, the sound of screams and the sight of bright lights.

He didn't know why he was in this school when he believed he should've been dead.

Her eyes widened as she felt someone tap her shoulder. "Wow, you're really out of it today," Andie piped up softly. "What's wrong? Is it this guy you were speaking so vibrantly about earlier last week?" Camille didn't answer, until she touched Andie's hand.

"I need to ring Tyler," she said gently, trying to shake her head. Andie sniffed, narrowing her eyes.

"What's going on?" she asked softly, "The guys are meeting up, and the Streets are coming up anytime now." Camille walked out of Andie's grip, shaking her head while staring at the floor.

"If I was to tell you, Andie, you really wouldn't believe me," she explained, before she clasped both of Andie's hands in her own. "But yes, it has to do with the guy who had choreographed all those dance moves I showed you on Monday, and- well- um-" She fished her phone out of her pocket as she spoke. "This guy, he's, he's very sick, and he doesn't know why," she looked through her contacts, trying to mull over the whole thing out loud.

"Who is sick?" she heard Chase say. She didn't realise the others had come in while she zoned out. She looked up to see the whole crew staring at her like she grew a pair of heads.

"A very, very good friend," she replied softly, before she found Tyler's number. It rang and rang, and all she could think was Moose needs my help, he needs me, please answer, Tyler, please-

"What's wrong with him?" Monster asked. He looked as worried as she did.

"He's disappearing," she whispered, and Missy cocked her eyebrow up.

"Well, if the guy's disappearing, maybe all he needs to do is make some friends," she replied, matter of factly. "Cant have someone fading into the background, now can we?"

"Camille! Is everything okay?" Tyler's voice rang out on loudspeaker. "What's up?"

"I need you to do me a big favour, Tyler. Just please, please don't question me on it," Camille replied. A picture of Moose's face came up, soft, happy, smiling. She remembered him laughing beside her as he danced, the invisible guy in the background while the whole crew practised and trained. She remembered all the faces he pulled while Blake tried to teach her a new move she hated so desparately. She remembered all those times they shared- the blush he had when he proclaimed she was cute, and then her answering blush when he asked her if she really thought he was sexy.

"Can you see me?"

Yes, she saw him, and she understood what he'd been trying to say this entire time. He was scared of being alone, of being lonely, yet through that sadness, he was always just as pleased when he saw she was enjoying herself-

"Say yes, say yes, say yes!"

She smiled when she recalled how overjoyed he was for her when she was accepted by these people. These were the people he wanted to get to know, these were the guys he liked, the ones who done their best with what they had, not with what they hadn't.

She knew he was afraid, frightened beyond all belief that he would always be a backdrop to someone else. But she also knew that he didn't want to move on to that someplace else. He was just as scared of being there, as he was of being here. In short, he just wanted to come home. He wanted to be here, among the living.

"Tyler, I need you to go to the local hospital," she informed him, "I need you to look for anyone who has been in a serious car accident by the name of Robert. Anyone who is on life support and is around seventeen." At the looks of shock and horror on all her friends faces, she shook her head. "I know it sounds weird, but you have to do it for me. Please do it, and I'll be there as soon as I can to help."

"Is there any reason as to why I'm doing this, Camille? Nora and I just got back from this tour and-"

"I'm begging you, Tyler. This is something you have to do," she replied, her voice pleading with as much sorrow as pain. "This is something I need you to do for me. He's a friend, but I don't know which hospital he's in, if he's even in this city." She sighed, running a hand through her hair, feeling a prick of tears come to her eyes. "I need help."

"You got it, kid. I'll ring you as soon as I hear news, 'kay?"

"Thanks, Tyler. Andie says hi," she added, before she cut the phone.

Missy watched her, before Kido put in, "I thought you said he disappearing?" She looked brokenly up to Kido, to all her friends, ebfore she felt her shoulders crumple in defeat and her eyes well up. She gasped and closed her eyes as she felt a stab of pain hit her heart. Tears slid down her cheeks as everyone came to wrap their arms around her.

"He is disappearing, he's been disappearing very slowly this entire time."

A/N:::Oh dear, where's the tissues? Thank you everyone for your reviews! I'd give each and every one of you a mountainload of cookies if I could afford it, but an air hug would have to do... *gives air hug*

xoxox