The Transitioning Series: Transfiguring

Chapter Six: Tragedy

Chelsea sorted out her clothes for school and picked up her bag, leaving a little earlier than usual so she could walk to lesson with Isabelle. She walked a few minutes down her street and knocked on Isabelle's door to be greeted by Sarah, her mother. "Good morning Chelsea."

"Hi Sarah. Is Izzy there?" She asked and smiled warmly. Sarah shook her head and then slowly sighed.

"She's not feeling very well today Chelsea. She said that she will call you later."

"Oh okay. That explains it."

"Explains what exactly?" Sarah asked.

"She seemed a little off yesterday actually. It wasn't like the usual Isabelle."

"She goes through these phases, Chelsea. I wouldn't worry about it." Sarah reassured her.

"No, Sarah. I'm being serious. Isabelle was completely different yesterday." Chelsea glanced at her watch on her wrist. "I best go. Tell Isabelle I'll speak to her later." She smiled and then walked out of their garden and towards her school.

"So I want to apologise for being horrible yesterday." Chelsea started to talk, standing behind Oliver who was putting books into his locker. "I was being really mean and the way I treated-."
"It's fine don't worry." Oliver grunted as he replied.
"No no Oliver I'm really sorry."
"I said it's fine!" He spun around quickly and snapped back at her, causing Chelsea to jump backwards at his abruptness. "I- I'm sorry Chelsea. it's been one of them days."
"It's only 9 in the morning?" Chelsea chucked and was as his hard face softened a little. She looked up to his eyes and stared into them. "Your eyes hm... they're black."
"It's fine." Oliver said quietly. "They are a dark brown."
"Aren't your eyes blue?" Chelsea questioned and saw as Oliver looked at her. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry." She shrugged her shoulders and then smiled brightly towards him. "Are we going to class or what?"
"What?" He asked.
"You have geometry right?"
"Erm.. yeah."
"Come on then. We're late." She walked a few steps in front as he followed quickly.

The next few days went quite quickly, Chelsea tried to study for her mid finals but the thoughts just kept going through her head. Her best friend hadn't called her for the last 2 weeks and if she did it would be for a minute or two before she made up some lame excuse and hung up the line.

Chelsea decided on walking to town for a bit, to clear her mind. She slipped her shoes on and walked down the road. She walked further along the path and then saw Isabelle's house, surrounded with people with black and yellow tape going around the path and her house. Chelsea ran quickly and stopped next to some people, she looked around and saw cameramen and a woman news reporter. She pushed through the crowd of people and came to the front where she heard one of the police detective speak while holding her hand up. "Please cease all filming until we are ready to make a statement." She spoke sternly.
"What is going on?" One person shouted from the back and the police officer shook her head and turned around when she was spoken to by another officer. Chelsea tried to move forward but was stopped by one of the side officers.
"No wait! Someone tell me what's going on!"
"Sorry ma'am. Until the Sargent has released an official statement then we are unable to tell you anything."
"But that's my best friend!" Chelsea screamed and then was pulled away by someone quickly. Oliver appeared and brought her into a hug, shushing her gently. "Oliver... I..."
"It's fine. You'll find out sooner or later."
"But I want to know now." Chelsea sniffed lightly.
"Come on let's go get a coffee, we need it." He smiled warmly and moved a little closer as they walked together.

They walked back towards her house and Chelsea spotted more cameras outside the house than earlier which made her run quickly. She pushed through again and stopped in front of the tape. The Sargent nodded and held up a piece of paper. "Good Evening. My name is Detective Branson. Earlier this morning we got a distressed call from one of the neighbours across the road about a disturbance in this house behind me. The house had been broken into so it seems and bloody marks and broken furniture was found smashed around but no bodies were found. We are treating this as a suspicious case and are taking extra care looking for any suspects. We are also treating this case as the three residents have gone missing and no one has seen them since 7pm last night. If anyone has any leads or important information about this case, or the missing people involved you need to come forward now and make a statement. Any close relatives and friends have been informed of this unfortunate situation. Thank You that is all." Detective Branson folded the piece of paper and walked back into the house. Chelsea stood there, her mouth open wide and a few single tears every so many seconds trickled from her eyes. Oliver took her hand and walked her away.

Chelsea lay still on her bed, staring up at the plain ceiling. A light tap on her door sounded and she raised a little up. "honey? Are you okay?" Her father came into her room slowly. "I heard the news." Chelsea just stared at him. "Baby you can talk to me."
"I.." Chelsea went to speak but then her voice broke into sobs and then she was crying instantly. Her father walked over to her bed and sat down hugging her tightly and she cried into his shoulder. "I can't believe someone would do this." Chelsea muffled as she spoke.
"It's awful, but maybe we will get past this."
"But dad, their bodies are gone. So this means if they are dead, the person who committed the crime has taken their bodies so they don't get found. It just seems weird."
"I know honey, but that's police business you're talking about. They have to find the suspect." Her dad kissed her hair and got up from her bed. "Listen, Chelsea it's been a long day. Get some rest and see what tomorrow brings. Okay?"
"Okay." Chelsea nodded and smiled slightly as she watched her dad leave the room. Chelsea sat up from her bed and dialled a phone number. No answer, so she put her phone on her side table and decided to call it a night.

"Sophie listen to your mother." Pete said sternly as he sat reading the paper at the breakfast table.
"God dad." She complained and turned to Chelsea who just shrugged her shoulders trying to not get involved.
"Baby I'm only saying what's best for you. You're only 13, I want you to get your grades."
"Mom I'm a teenager. I need to start doing teen stuff."
"But that doesn't mean you can neglect your studies." The doorbell sounded through the house and Chelsea jumped at the chance of getting away from the little row between her family members. She walked through the hall and opened the front door and was greeted by a smiling Oliver.
"Good morning, miss Adams." He spoke first.
"Hello Oliver." Chelsea smiled a little.
"How are you this morning?" He asked her gently.
"Hmm... I'm a little better I guess."
"Well I'm going to change that. Get dressed and be down out here in ten minutes." Oliver instructed her.
"What?"
"I'll tell you when we're ready to go. But I'm not letting you know anything just yet. You're wasting time Chelsea." Chelsea chuckled and then nodded. "I'll be down soon."
"I'm counting the minutes." Oliver stuck his tongue out playfully and watched as Chelsea shut the door.
"Honey who was that?"
"Oh it's Oliver."
"A boy from school?"
"Yes." Chelsea grabbed onto the stair railing and went to start climbing.
"Is it a date?" Her mother asked.
"No mom. oh my god." Chelsea mumbled as she walked quickly up the stairs.

Fifteen minutes later, Chelsea was standing outside in the middle of the path wearing dark sunglasses covering her eyes and her long brown hair down past her shoulders. "Fifteen minutes you took."
"Hey there's only so much time a girl can take to look half decent every day."
"Well I think you look lovely." Chelsea looked down at her feet and saw the pair of converse that she picked to wear with stonewashed shorts and a red camisole and the black cardigan that covered her shoulders.
"Thanks ollie. Now are you going to tell me what we are doing today?"
"Er, actually I was thinking you had some place. I just wanted to get you out for the day." Chelsea tutted and then laughed as he looked like a little confused child.
"How about a walk?"
"Sounds great. Where to?"
Chelsea stayed silent for a good few minutes before speaking again. "Wherever the path takes us... I guess." She laughed and then walked in front of him. "Well come on then. Don't want to waste more of the day."