Chapter 5: Strange Behaviour
White Lies
Disclaimer: I do not own PRDT. I never have, and never will. The events in the story are based on "The Missing Bone", whatever happens after that may or may not be parallel to the actual storyline.
Author's Note: The story will be mostly Conner/Kira/Trent and will be written as a compilation of POVs. Thank you, LatinaGurl96 as well as fellow readers, for spurring me on to continue this long overdue story.
Conner
It is not like her. Not like her at all. Disappearing in the middle of a fieldtrip like that. As much as she wishes to put up the rebel front, I know that her inner Hermione is in there. Not that I read Harry Potter or anything. It's just faster to watch the movies.
"Where could she have gone?" Ethan exclaims. His voice is increasing in pitch. Any further and he would sound like my aunt. And as quickly as the seconds tick by, something snaps. A faint shadow flashes behind one of the tall glass cases, accompanied by off-rhythm footsteps.
"There she is!" Ethan exclaims, a sweat-load of relief sweeping over him.
Kira appears at the end of the large hall, panting and pale-faced. She lightly pinches the bridge of her nose and shakes her head into focus.
"Kira! Kira!" Ethan calls out.
We frantically rush over to her.
"Are you alright? What happened?" Ethan asks.
She looks up, slightly dazed.
"Huh? Uh… yeah. I'm fine. I just got lost," she replies, her gaze averting our stares and darting about unfocusedly, sounding not quite convincing.
Did I just hear that right? "Lost?" I repeat, edging my head closer and raising my eyebrows.
"AsinnotfoundbutI'mfine. Areweleaving?" Kira answers hurriedly, her stare trails from me to Ethan and intensifies to punctuate her last sentence.
Ethan's eyes are wide open in disbelief, his face looking like he had just seen Dr. O on the dance floor. "Yeah, we're leaving-"
"-Great, let's go," she says definitively through gritted teeth, barely brushing past Ethan as she heads for the exit.
Our heads turn to follow the girl who, in an instant, seems to have morphed into a stranger. Ethan turns back to me with a "what-was-that-about" glance, leaving me with no clue how to respond except to leave.
[Later, at Hayley's Cyberspace…]
"Something's not right," Ethan murmurs to himself as he taps his pen, obviously distracted from his work.
Why wouldn't he be? After all, Kira's hiding something from us and we don't know what that is. I'm worried as hell, not just from wondering what had happened back there, but also worried that something might have happened to her.
My head is running through an endless list of worst case scenarios and I am mentally cursing myself with each one, hoping that neither one of them turns out to be true.
In the meantime, Kira is just sitting at the bar stool doing her work, practically ignoring Ethan and me like we did not even exist. How's that for friendship?
And Hayley comes to the rescue.
"Hey, Kira. How come you're not sitting with the guys?"
Unflinching, with her hand still propping her face, Kira responds with snide disinterest, "What, we have to do everything together?"
"Well no, but you usually do, don't you?" Hayley asks, her forehead furrowing and brows narrowing.
"Not anymore."
Hayley slightly retracts in shock.
Kira turns to face her.
"Look, Hayley. I don't mean to be rude but I need to get this done for Dr. Mercer's class."
Hayley seems to take that as a reasonable explanation, probably thinking that all the pressure must be getting to Kira and that she needs some time alone. Anyway, what's up with Kira getting serious about Mercer's class?
Hayley seems to be on a different topic, but sharing the same sentiment.
"Ugh, I'll never get used to the sound of that. Dr. Mercer's class?"
"Hey, he's a really good teacher and we're gonna learn a lot from him."
And what's with that textbook response?
"Okay, whatever you say, Kira," Hayley says, deflated and defeated. She retreats from the bar and shakes her head as she releases a hopeless sigh.
I- We didn't mean to eavesdrop on their conversation, but that is it. Swiftly, I move out of my seat and inwardly prepare myself to face Kira, putting up a normal front and pretending that I did not hear everything they had just said. Ethan instinctively follows behind.
Okay. Act casual. Casual stroll. Casual chat.
"Hey, you wanna go to a movie tonight?" Wait, that came out wrong. I hope she doesn't take it the wrong way. Thank goodness Ethan's here-
"No." Great. I guess I don't have to worry about that now.
I press my lips into a thin straight line to contain my frustration. Ethan looks on with an expression that crosses between disgust and "oh-no-you-didn't". My muscles tense.
At the moment, I am at a loss. Kira's word stung and pretty much ended the conversation right there and then. All I can manage now is, "You know, when someone doesn't want to hang out with people, they usually come up with some sort of excuse."
Kira turns to face us, then states matter-of-factly, "Look, I just don't feel like spending any more time with you guys than I really have to. Okay?" she pauses for a fleeting second, as if expecting a response, then continues, "I have to go. I have something to do."
She grabs her laptop, holding it protectively to her chest, slides out of her stool and heads for the exit just as Ethan dodges out of her way.
"What's up with her?" Ethan asks.
I wish I knew.
TO BE CONTINUED...
