Fire and Ice [Slow Updates]

Chapter Twelve

Fifteen minutes later, I was waiting at the restaurant with a new book and earbuds that I bought, watching for my parents. They finally appeared from behind a fountain, walking forwards. Both of them visibly relaxed when they saw me, obviously relieved that I had been kidnapped or worse.

But, I had been kidnapped, even if only temporarily, by the man my parents feared the most, with the fact that he would be watching me lingering in my head.

I gave them a smile, patting my hair and smoothing out my clothes before walking towards them. "You're late."

"By sixty seconds!" My mother pointed at her watch.

"But if I was late by sixty seconds, you would panic and then be furious." I replied.

As my mother struggled for words, my father chuckled. "She's got a point." My mom shook her head at his words , choosing to ignore him. "There's a bump on your head. Are you okay, what happened?" She stepped forwards, brushing it with her fingers.

"I'm fine, mom." I swatted her hand away from my head. "I just... bumped my head on a door, that's all."

"You smell strange, too. Where have you been?" Mom sniffed the air around me.

"I was in the candle and fragrance store mom, calm down. I'm fine, I'm here, now let's eat." I took a step away from them. "Come on." Once we were seated inside of the restaurant however, after we ordered our food, my mom leaned over again. "What candle scents are on you? I can't identify them."

I winced internally. "I don't really know, I just sorta opened random ones and smelled them. I had to smell the coffee beans afterwards to clear my nose."

Although I saw this as a flimsy excuse, apparently my mom didn't, since she seemingly bought it. My dad, too. He was busy watching the restaurant around us, his head nodding to the music as he sat back. My parents ate quickly when the food came, leaving me hurrying to finish my meal. They paid quickly, before leaving the restaurant.

"Why are we in a hurry?" I asked them, nearly running to catch up with them. "Because we're worried that he will appear. Apparently a girl was seen being kidnapped, and we don't want anything to happen to you," my mom replied.

I forced back a shiver. They didn't know that the girl had been me. I wonder what they would do if they knew that Janie and Nicolas had kidnapped me. There was no telling what they would do.

The car ride home was silent and tense. Both of my parents were obviously nervous, and I anxiously tapped my fingers against my leg. I wondered if the Joker was watching me right then.

I didn't have any way to find out though, so I sat back in my seat, waiting for when I could go inside my room and sleep. Neither Evelyn nor Grace had messages me at all today, leaving me to text Evelyn's boyfriend of five months, Tom.

He was either working or playing his music, as he rarely did anything else unless we were at school.

Are you busy?

I sent the message off, waiting for a response. It took until we were pulling into our driveway before he replied.

Not anymore, just finished a sheet. Why?

As I walked into the house, I sent a reply to him.

Because your girlfriend and Grace aren't replying and I have nothing else to do today.

It was a pitiful text, but it was the truth. I had no plans for the rest of the day, and neither of the girls were texting me. I sent a test to them to check and see, but I received no response. I decided that they were probably out shopping together, as they were friends before I came along, and they were always closer than them to me. Of course, it could have something to do with my parents rarely drove me anywhere, but I doubted that. Evelyn could easily pick me up, but she almost never did.

Tom eventually texted back after an hour or so. I wondered if he had also been texting Evelyn or Grace, or both. The three of them talked more than all four of us, and I wondered if that had something to do with the fact that I always got nervous whenever I texted anyone other than my parents. I didn't know why, I just did, unfortunately. It also didn't help that the three of them would always have a closer bond than me added in, simply because of them knowing each other for longer. Oh well.

A/N

Here's a double update, since I feel terrible about making you all wait five months for a chapter. I'll upload the next chapter as soon as possible (:

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