Part 1 - What's going on?
17 year old Sydney Reynolds yawned. She had been planing the whole afternoon for over a week, she and The Four Amigas (Emmy Mendoza, Sophia Lancaster and her best friend Olive Rozalsky) were going to go see the latest Marvel movie after which they were going to go to a party they were invited to. Yet, a storm even worse than the one that interrupted Olive's Bar-mitzvah had Portland under heavy rain and winds for several days straight. And the worse part was that Olive couldn't even come and spend the night for the same and obvious reason. So, all she could do was browse on the social networks and try to find something to entertain her. What she never imagined was that she was about to open the door to something that was about to shatter her world and all the she thought could never change.
-This is so boring… when is this darn storm going to end…
As she scrolled she stumbled across something that caught her attention, it was a Facebook page called "Remembering Ava, we're not going to stop looking for you" the top banner had a picture of a little girl that was strikingly familiar to someone she knew very well…
-This… can't be…
She clicked on the Facebook page and there were more messages encouraging visitors to help them find the little girl and a link to a page on the Charley Project, a page dedicated to missing persons, there, she began to look at the pictures of the little girl, yet the one that made her shiver was one that read "age progression to age 17".
-Oh my God..
The details of her disappearance were also shocking, her parents had died on a car accident on their way back from Portland, Oregon to New York City after her dad attended a business meeting. The girl, Ava Morgenstern, six at the time, was not believed to have been in the car with them and was not found in their parent's apartment or with any other relatives as per police investigation. Sydney felt her hands trembling and her heart beating fast, she was startled by a thunder, she was regaining her composure when the door opened and her dad announced that dinner was to be ready in minutes.
-Thank you Dad, I'll… I'll be down…
Both her dad and her grandmother noticed that she was not her usual self during dinner. The later was the first to ask.
-Noodle is everything OK?
-Huh? Yeah… I'm.. I'm fine, not just too hungry… can I be excused?
-Yeah sure, you sure you don't need anything? - her father Max asked
-No, it's fine…
Sydney returned to her room and sat on her bed. She remembered meeting Olive when she came to her school… exactly when she was seven years old… but… don't they say all of us have someone with an incredible resemblance somewhere in the world? With those thoughts she went to bed, yet the doubts and the fear of what she had seems remained in her mind to the point of keeping her from paying attention in class the day after.
-Sydney please come to the whiteboard and solve this polynomial equation.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she failed to hear the teacher until Sophia, almost falling along with her desk, was able to lean and punch her in the arm.
-OW, what's wrong with you?
-Miss Reynolds, we're waiting for you to grace us in front of the class.
Startled she got up.
-Sorry Miss Leighton, I'm coming.
After class Olive walked to her.
-Sydney are you OK? You have been distracted all day.
-I'm fine Olive…
-Sydney tell me the truth.
-Huh?
-I can see it in your eyes. Something is bothering you.
-Olive I promise, I'm fine.
Later that day Max was surprised as he arrived to the store and was told by Harley Diaz, the new girl in charge of the smoothie area, that Sydney was in his office waiting for him.
-Well this is a surprise, you never come into the office.
-Dad I need to talk to you
The seriousness on her face and the tone on her voice led Max to the wrong idea
-Oh God you're pregnant…
-DAD!
-So you're not
-NO!
-Oh thank heavens… so what's bothering you?
-Look, if you know something… something that could literally change everything you know and hold dear… will you… do something about it? Or… leave it as it is?
Max glared at his daughter for several moments.
-Perhaps the question you need to ask yourself is if this that you know will actually benefit anyone or just cause pain. Then you will know what decision to make.
Sydney hugged her dad and walked out of the shop, she directed herself to a nearby park where she loved to sit and think.
-If.. If I do this… and Olive is this girl… I might lose my best friend forever… but she… she probably will get some of her family back… but will know that her real parents are dead… oh God… this is so messed up…
In New York, 25 year old Maya Hart returned to her dorm room at New York University, it was her second year in college and she still couldn't believe she had been able to get a full scholarship, the only caveat was that she couldn't see her best friend of over 20 years as much as she would have wanted it, yet at least video chatting with her every day made things easier. After taking a shower and getting a chocolate milk from the fridge she sat in front of her computer, it was time to chat with her best friend, as she waited for her to respond she quickly gave a look at her emails to see if she had her latest grades sent to her. Yet what she saw was an e-mail originating from Ava's Charley Page. Curious she opened it, she was reading it when her best friend picked up the call.
-Hey peaches
The brunette realized her best friend was looking intently at something.
-Peaches is everything OK?
-You're not going to believe this…
Riley Matthews, Maya's best friend, listened intently as she described what the e-mail said.
-Peaches… I want as much as you to have her back… but we have gotten so many fake leads… what makes you think this is different?
-I don't know… the way it's written… it's not like the others…
-So… what are you going to do?
-I'm going to write her back and ask her to video chat me. See where it goes from there.
The following morning as Riley checked her phone she saw Maya's response. Again she was distracted in class and this time, Sophia was not as lucky, Sydney, along with the teacher and the rest of the class were startled when a scream and a crash interrupted the proceedings.
-SOPHIA!
-Miss Lancaster, what exactly are you doing? - said the teacher
-ow…
It was then when Sydney realized something else
-Sophia…
-what… I'm trying to get up…
-Your skirt…
At lunch, both Olive and Emmy couldn't help but laugh.
-So… how long was Sophia flashing everyone? - Olive asked while she laughed
-IT WASN'T FUNNY! Now I have everyone talking about the
She was interrupted by a boy passing by
-Hey, let me know when I can pat your bunnies... - he said with a wink
Sophia blushed and became more upset.
-Relax, you'll be yesterday's news tomorrow - Olive said giggling - besides, bunnies are sexy too
-OLIVE!
Sydney looked at Olive, her perkiness and joy were the two things she loved the most, was she doing the right thing? Did she had the right? Her thoughts were cut short by Emmy shaking her.
-Are you OK?
-huh? Yeah, I'm fine… I'm fine.
Later that evening Sydney sat in front of her computer, closing her eyes she pressed the enter key, a few moments later the image of a young woman with blonde hair and green eyes appeared on the screen.
-Sydney Reynolds? - she asked, with a little bit of surprise
-Yeah, it's me…
-You wrote saying you know about Ava…
-I… I don't know… I
Maya began to feel upset
-OK, I don't know what kind of game you think you're playing but I don't have time for this so good
-NO WAIT! Just… look…
Maya's eyes opened wide as Sydney shared two pictures with her. One of she and Olive when they first met, and one of Olive taken a few days early when they were together at school.
-Oh my God…
To be continued…