Chapter 41

When Selina arrived on the Gold Coast, the first thing she did was look for Jerome.

"Where is he?" Selina wondered as she made her way towards the exit.

Suddenly, she felt someone hoist her up by her waist.

"What the?"

"Surprise, babe."

Selina noticed that it was Jerome.

"Babe!"

Selina hugged Jerome very tight. It felt so good for her to be in her boyfriend's arms.

"I'm so glad you came." Jerome said, smiling at Selina. "And I absolutely love your new hair!"

"Thanks, babe." Selina said, blushing slightly.

"Well, let's not wait around any longer." Jerome said. "Let's go to my place."

"Awesome." Selina said.

Jerome took Selina's bags and placed them in the boot of his father's Toyota Tarago as Selina got inside.

"Nice car." Selina said.

Jerome then hopped in the passenger's seat before the van drove out of the airport.

Meanwhile, Irene was stressing out big time.

"I just can't believe that little brat did a runner!" Irene snarled. "The minute she returns home, I'm going to give her the biggest telling off she's ever received!"

"Do you have any idea of where she could've gone?" Chloe asked her.

"No clue, love." Irene replied.

"Have you tried phoning Pippa?" Chloe suggested.

"Selina's not there." Irene told her. "I already phoned Pip."

"Have you tried her other friends?"

"All of them." Irene responded. "None of them have seen Selina."

"I just hope Selina is found safe and well." Chloe said.

"Me too, darl." Irene said. "I just hope the cops find that Anne-Marie girl too."

"Hang on a minute, Irene." Chloe said. "I think I know where Selina may have gone to."

"Where?"

"To see Jerome."

Irene looked shocked.

"Chloe, how can she afford a plane ticket to go to the Gold Coast?" Irene asked.

"Irene, think about it." Chloe responded. "Selina's been down in the dumps since Jerome moved away and that's why she probably started smoking because of how stressed she was."

"You know something, Chloe? You're absolutely right."

"What are you going to do?" Chloe asked.

"I'll phone Constable Walsh and see if she can notify the Gold Coast police on Selina's whereabouts." Irene replied before going over to the phone and dialling the number for the Yabbie Creek police station.

Chloe looked concerned.

That night, Selina and Jerome are in the living room making out. Jerome's parents are out doing grocery shopping and the young couple has the house to themselves.

"I missed this." Jerome said.

"So did I." Selina told him.

They resumed kissing.

"How do you like your new school?" Selina asked Jerome once they stopped kissing.

"It's awesome." Jerome replied. "I've made some good friends here."

"You on the rugby team?"

"Only just." Jerome responded. "I replaced one of the boys that used to be on the team. He ended up moving to Taree."

"I'm sure you'll be a star on that team just like you were on the Summer Bay High rugby team." Selina said.

"I really missed you, babe." Jerome said.

"Same here, babe." Selina said.

"Tomorrow, we can go to the beach after I finish school." Jerome told her.

"Don't you guys have school holidays here?" Selina asked him.

"Over in Queensland, school resumed last week." Jerome replied. "And you're in Queensland now, babe."

Selina laughed.

"Love you, babe."

"Love you too, babe."

Selina and Jerome resumed kissing again.

At Pippa's house, Tiegan and Sally were watching the local news on TV as Pippa was washing up the dinner dishes.

"Police are no closer to finding a missing teenager, who was last seen leaving a party in Yabbie Creek two weeks ago. Despite an extensive land and air search, there is no trace of Anne-Marie Barton. Today, her family made a desperate plea for information." the male newsreader said.

"I hope the police find her soon, Sal." Tiegan said.

"Me too." Sally said.

On the TV, they saw Anne-Marie's mother crying at a police press conference.

"Anne-Marie, we just want to know where you are." Louise Barton sobbed. "Just get in contact with someone and let us know you're safe."

Pippa came out from the kitchen and saw the news report.

"That has to be every parent's worst nightmare." Pippa said.

"I know what you went through when I ran away from home after you and Michael broke it off." Sally said.

"Who's Michael?" Tiegan asked Pippa.

"Michael was a man that I married after my first husband, Tom had died." Pippa explained. "Around Christmas 1994, we divorced and Sally ended up running away and slept rough in the city for a few weeks. Thankfully, she returned home but she did cause me a lot of worry."

"Jack's starting to worry to me." Sally said to Pippa.

"Why's that?" Pippa asked.

"He's isolating himself from everyone."

"Sal, Jack's going through a lot of trauma at the moment." Tiegan told her foster sister. "Imagine being in his shoes after some jerk held you hostage."

Sally looked sad.

"I'm just worried about him." she said.

"We all are, Sal." Tiegan said softly.

As Sally hugged Tiegan, Stephanie entered the house.

"Hello, Steph." Pippa said.

"Is Tiegz here?" Stephanie asked Pippa.

"I'm here, sister from another mister." Tiegan said to Stephanie.

"Let's go visit, Hillary." Stephanie suggested.

"Sounds good." Tiegan said.

When they arrived at the caravan Hillary was staying in, they peered through the window and were shocked at what they discovered.

"No way!" Stephanie said, looking horrified.

"Tell me that's not what I think it is!" Tiegan said angrily.

What they discovered was Hillary snorting cocaine.

"I don't believe this!" Tiegan said. "Hillary never touched drugs once when she was at Hartley High!"

"Maybe she's changed." Stephanie told her.

"We can't let her know that we saw her snort the stuff." Tiegan said. "This has to stay between us."

"But..."

"I know what she's doing is wrong, but I don't want us to ship her in to Pippa." Tiegan told Stephanie.

"Okay, sister from another mister." Stephanie said. "I won't say a word."

"And neither will I." Tiegan said.

Both girls then pinky promised.

Meanwhile, Jack was in his room feeling down. This whole kidnapping ordeal was making him snappy, tired and isolated. Not only that, Kerri got sent to Tweed Heads and he really needed to be with her right now.

"This is not fair!" Jack growled angrily.

Jack saw a box cutter that was on his desk and grabbed it. Once he was done, he put the box cutter away and inspected his left arm.

"That's better." Jack said, sighing.

NEXT TIME...
- Tiegan catches Jack trying to inflict self-arm and immediately tells Pippa
- Stephanie confronts Hillary about her cocaine habit
- Selina has a romantic time with Jerome on the beach