A Kind of Medium Thing {COMPLETED}

AKOMT_Part 12

**on the site, I'd given three options (13a, 13b, and 13c) and the girls on there liked this version most so I only uploaded version 13c on here for anyone who read it already and may get confused**

___Part 13C___ (where Sang doesn't get kidnapped)

I exhaled a relieved breath when the Voltos stopped moving towards me. I didn't like being this close to anyone except for the boys and I wasn't entirely sure that these guys, the Voltos, wouldn't hurt me. He, or he, or whichever one it was, hadn't hurt me before, but I hadn't done anything he'd told me to. Nor did I want to, not really.

I was scared enough of McCoy without asking the boys to take me to where Volto believes they buried his body or for proof that he would be leaving me alone. 

I had little desire to check up on my mother even though I knew it was my fault she was there. If only I had taken better care of her, I knew she would have gotten better if I wasn't stressing her out all the time.

Now, however, was not the time for me to think about my shortcomings. 

I straightened my back, determined to stand tall. I would not disappoint Mr. Blackbourne even if he wasn't here. If he wanted me to stand up for myself, I would start now.

"You can talk, but then afterwards, I want you to listen to me, okay?" 

My voice was softer than I had intended, but my words were said clear as day. I planned to have my say this time, as well. 

The one in the middle, Volto1, said "Fine. First I have something I want you to see."

Volto2 pulled a black bag from behind him at the same time as Volto3. 

They each pulled out black folders with white stickers on top, but the words labeling the folders was different. 
The folder Volto2 held out to me, was labeled S-O-L-U-T-I-O-N-1. 
The foler Volto3 held out to me, was labeled the same except for a 2, S-O-L-U-T-I-O-N-2.

Volto1 reached out and took folder 1 from Volto2 and handed it to me without saying a word. I took a deep breath before I opened it knowing that if it was something he was willing to show me, it had to be something bad about the boys.

Inside the folder was a lot of papers. By a lot, I stress the words a lot. 

I skimmed it quickly not wanting to take my eyes of them for too long but names popped out at me. 

Owen Blackbourne.
Sean Green.
A Report.
What was an A Report?
Why was Mr. Blackbourne requesting a full file on....Ms. Sang Sorenson. He had me checked out?

What was this about a ghost? A bird? Ghost bird? What was this?

I didn't pretend to understand. It was like when the boys did their silent communication thing or spoke in Academy talk. I couldn't fully grip what I was seeing.

I flipped a few pages.

Dakota Jameson Lee, Nathan Griffin, all of the boys names were listed... I skimmed more and saw sentences about favors, and random numbers and phrases popped out like in the red or in the black. 

I looked up at Volto1. I couldn't put any order to all of this. What was going on?

He did not say a word to me as he took the folder back and handed it to Volto2 who slipped it back into his black bag. 

After a moment of silence where we all just stared at each other, Volto3 finally said "Just tell her." 

Volto1 shook his head in the negative. I was starting to get irritated, though. What was this? What did he want him to tell me?

Volto1 said "Not that, that's not for me to tell her." He then took the folder from Volto3 and handed it to me. He nodded his head at the folder and I wasn't sure if I wanted to read it either. I already had a headache forming from the information in the other one and I didn't want more information in my mind that yet another person was unwilling to explain. Neither of them said anything, but they waited for me to look at the folder so I did.

Inside the SOLUTION2 folder, there were pictures. It was not as thick a stack as the stack of papers was in the other folder, but the impact was much deeper.

The picture on top was of North at school with Jade clinging to him like a vine. He was looking down into her face in the picture and she was smiling up at him with shiny red lips. 

"Look closer," Volto2 instructed.

I tried but I couldn't see anything other than what I'd already....

North had red on his shirt collar in the picture. 
I refused to connect those dots. 

Sure, North wasn't my boyfriend. I mean, none of the guys were. Silas was only doing that at school to keep others from picking on me so I had no real right to feel hurt or betrayed but I did. I did, and I hated the feeling. 

I flipped to the next picture.

Gabriel and Luke were together in the picture. Luke was doing something on his phone while Gabriel held up clothes against a dark haired girl's body. 

She looked older, but not by much. I didn't need the Voltos to say anything this time; I scrutinized the picture as hard as I could but could see nothing else. Gabriel was dressing another girl. He'd said I was his first girl to dress, right? I remember that. 

He had also said he'd never done a girl's hair before mine, but, in the next picture, he was clearly holding a comb in the same dark haired girl's hair while Luke sat on the floor cross legged looking up at the two. 

I flipped faster and faster. 

Dr. Green was wearing his white coat and leaning over a counter with his flirty smile on. I could see his dimples in the picture and he was looking at a red haired girl who grinned back up at him. She was wearing a nurse's outfit so I assumed they worked together. He gave me that same smile when he called me Pookie. 

There was no picture of Mr. Blackbourne, Nathan, Kota, or Silas. There was, however, several of Victor standing with a rich looking girl. The pictures had different girls, however, from blonde girls to black haired girls to red haired girls each one dressed in fancy clothing and holding onto Victor's arm...like a date.

When I saw a drop of moisture hit the picture on Victor's face, I closed the folder and flung it back at Volto1. 

I hated him. 

I hated every second he breathed.

Worst of all, I hated myself because I knew not one of the boys had even said anything to make me think they wanted me in that way. It should not have hurt me as much as it did to see those pictures but it did. I felt broken again. I felt like nothing I did would fix it. 
I sunk to my bottom on the ground with my back up against the tree. 

With my head in my hands, I allowed my tears to fall freely not caring that the three Voltos were watching me dispassionately. The masks they wore hid their faces but I knew a kind soul could not be hiding underneath them. No kind hearted person could break mine so easily.

"Sang, I'm sorry I had to be the one to show those pictures to you, but I needed you to see that they were not as perfect as you believed." 

I didn't say anything, instead choosing to continue my crying. It just hurt so much.

Images kept flashing in my mind of North with Jade, or Victor with all those girls, or Gabe... I didn't know which hurt worse. Knowing they were with other girls, or knowing not one of them said anything to me. If my emotions were as clear on my face as they always say, there was no way they didn't realize my feelings. But they didn't care. 

I thought...I thought I found my family. I thought I found someone--no someones--to love me back. Someones who would care. 
It hurt so much.

Still, when Volto (I'm not sure which one because I didn't look up but I thought the sound came from my right so maybe Volto3?) said "Do you want us to take you somewhere safe now or are you still planning to go back with them?," I shook my head no.
I wouldn't go anywhere with them. I didn't trust the Voltos either. 

"Does that mean she wants to go back to them?" 

Another Volto answered, "Yes, I believe it does."

Another Volto responded, "Pathetic."

I didn't even stop crying to respond to the prick I felt on my neck but as my body started to freeze up, I realized they had done it again.

I blinked really fast since my vocal chords had frozen up already. Why would they do this again? I thought I had a choice?

I was now looking up at them and Volto1 said "We'll leave you with them. I thought you were so much better than this though, Sang, I really did."

He bent down and picked me up and started walking. As he walked, he said "I'll leave you on Nathan's porch, they're all there now."

I wasn't sure if the other two were keeping up with his strides, but somewhere along the way, my eyelids began to feel heavy. 

I just decided to let them close. With my luck, I would have nightmares and scare him into dropping me. 

Sleep was still welcome though. Anything to delay the pain. It just hurt so..so much.