Gone Again

Chapter Twelve

Sal:
A/N: I know I know, I took forever. But I have been so busy. But here it is.
We walked back. "Of course she had to leave. To get herself in trouble. I can't believe her. And Grant! I'm going to kill Grant. When I get my hands on him, his biggest fear will come true." Macey ranted after a few minutes of cursing. "Macey is really mad." Crystal said. "Yeah she is pissed. She is at the highest level of pissitity there is." I said laughing. To my surprise the girls were laughing too, even Ms. Dirty Mouth. "So what do we do now?" Mary Ann asked as we entered. "I don't know. All I know is when I see Bex after I hug her she is going to regret not listening to me." Macey said. "Well we need to find them. We can track them right Liz?" Ellie said. "Well yeah, but that will take awhile. We may not have that much time." Jonas said. "Have you ever thought about figuring out who the kidnapper is?". My question was answered with silence. "Find the kidnapper, find Bex.". Macey pulled out her phone and said "Joe, I need a list of your enemies. I don't care how long it is! I know I know you're a hated men. Get me the list Joseph! I want it by time I get back.". With that Macey hung up. "Start tracking." M said leaving. My phone rang. "Hasina Shay." I answered. "Hasina Shay where are you?" my mom asked. "Um, don't get mad but I snuck out and I'm on my way to Gallagher.". "Good. You're safe. For once you being the little rebel you are came in handy. Honey I want you to know that I love you. And so does your father. We'll always be proud of you no matter what you do. Okay?" She said. "Mom, what's wrong?" I could feel everyone staring at me. "Promise me you won't to come back to the city." I could her her running and then coming to a stop and a lock turning. "Mom?". "Promise me!" She whisper yelled. "Mom, I promise I won't go to the city. But you have tell me what's going on." I told her. "Hasina Shay you will be great. You are destined for greatness. I knew it from the day you were born. You would have been a great queen, Sal.". "Mom what's going on!" I screamed into the phone. "Remember Gabriel Marino? His brother is after us. He's in the city. He's in the palace, which is in the middle of the city. He has bomb attached to him. And your father. And myself. He says he has ten other bombs in the city. He's a suicide bomber. We're not gonna make it Sal." Tears streamed down my face. "Don't say that." I screamed. " You have to accept it baby girl. We're not going to make it, baby. We're not going to make it." she was now crying. "No. Don't say that! You can't just say you're not going to make it! You've always told me to have hope, faith. That, that we'll always find each other again.". "Yes I have. But that's not going to happen. There's no way we're going to get out of this, baby. But I will always be with you. Always. I'm always gonna be in your heart.". "I love you." I told her. "I love you too. The bomb is set to go off in two minutes. I'm sorry, I just wanted to say goodbye.". "You haven't said it." I could feel her smile at my smart assness. "Goodbye baby girl." she said sadly. "Goodbye mommy." I heard the bomb go off and I fell to my knees. I cried out pain. Not just for my parents but for the people, for their children. For all the little girls I hugged at all the parades. I cried out in pain for the loss of my city. Liz hugged me as I cried. I fell asleep in someone's arms. I woke to find out they were Ri's. Ellie grabbed my hands "Sal what happened?" she asked. They all seemed to be there for me, even though they had only known me for a few hours. "Suicide bomber. The brother of the guy who first came after my family. Bex killed the guy who came after me. I guess his brother blamed my parents. Placed ten bombs in the city, and one on both my parents. The city was blown to pieces. My mom called me to say goodbye." Ri hugged me again. "I'm sorry kid." She said. "Thank you. Well there's now only one person I love on this earth, I wanna focus on finding her." I said. "Well we're here, I'll introduce you to Mrs. Morgan." Macey said. I was still amazed by the school. I saw girls learning fighting moves. I smiled as Macey knocked on the door. "Macey, hi. Is this her?" "Hasina Shay, this is Mrs. Morgan." Macey said. I smiled. Bex had always told me about how Mrs. Morgan always took her under her wing. "It's so nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you from Bex." I said shaking her hand. "I want to talk to you Sal." She said in a sweet motherly tone. "You snuck into my school." I immediately became stiff. "Yes I got in through a passage way that led from out side your wall into your school. More like a long dark tunnel." I told her. "I understand. And snuck onto a plane.". "I was trying to surprise Bex." I said. "Ok. You helped on the mission and then you witnessed your mother die over the phone." She said. "Is this a debrief?" I asked. "No. I want you to go to my school. You're incredible. You're 14 and you are at a sophomore level of my school. I want you to help them find Bex and Cammie. Then I would like you to attend my school." I froze. "Seriously? Attend the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women?" She smiled. "Yes.". "What about the whole foster care thing? My mom always told me if anything were to happen to both my parents, I would go to London and be placed in foster care.". "Don't worry about that, we'll work it out." She said smiling. "Ok." I said. "Do you accept?" She asked. I stiffed a laugh. "Well I'd have to be a fool not to.". "Alright Sal, we have to go." Macey said. "Sal I'm sorry for your loss." Mrs. Morgan said. "Thank you." I said hugging her. "You okay, kid?" She asked. "I just wanna find Bex." She smiled. "You and me both, kid. You me both." She sounded stressed. Which made sense. "Macey I want you to meet Nick Grand." Jonas said. "The Rome ambassador's son Nick Grand?" he nodded. "No. No. No. He can not join us.". "He's 14 in a sophomore class at Blackthorne." Jonas stated. After staring at Jonas for a long time, it seemed like they were arguing through looks, she rolled her eyes. "You fill him in. If he causes any trouble it's on you." Macey said getting onto the plane. "Now aren't you the prettiest thing." Nick said with a British accent. I rolled my eyes. "I'm Nick Grand, Rome ambassador's son. Who might you be?" He asked receiving another eye roll. "I'm Princess Hasina Shay." I said extending my hand. "Call me Sal or I'll kill you." I smiled pleasantly. Then turned around and got on the plane. "Hmm, princess how come I've never met you?" He asked. "How come I've known you for twenty seconds and I already want snap your neck?" I said in the same tone. "That's not very princess like." He said smirking. "I'm not like other princesses." I smirked right back at him. Macey handed Liz the list. Liz started typing away at her computer saying "Dead" or "In jail." every few minutes. "Layla, do you think we could look at each dead person on this list and check if they have any family members?" I asked. She just smiled at me and began typing. "Alright done. There's only three guys that's still alive and not in jail. They are Jefferson Walters, Henry Johnson, and Roberto Ruiz. All have no siblings or family." Liz said a half hour later. "And the only dead people with siblings or family are Jennie Richards, she has a brother Damion Richards, and father Tyler Richards. Daniel Holitik, sister Lalita Holitik, and mother Ericka Holitik who is in an asylum. And Norman Ripples, no siblings, wife Cassandra Ripples, child Erick Ripples, mother Amy Ripples and father James Ripples. Everyone else either has no family or family is dead." Layla said resting her hands on her legs. "Wait. Tyler Richards, rich charity guy, who's throwing a ball tomorrow night, Tyler Richards?" Ellie asked. "No the mechanic. Yes that Tyler Richards." Ri said sarcastically. "We have to get into that ball." Ellie said. "Well Macey you are dating a highly sociable man, maybe you can pull a few strings and get us in." I said. If looks could kill, I would have died at the hands, well eyes, of Macey. "No." . "Macey McHenry if you do not call Preston, I will." Liz said firmly. After Liz stared her down, Macey rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone. "Preston, I need your help." I listened in and could hear Preston say "Anything for you, sweet pea.". "I need you to get us into Tyler Richards' ball." Macey said. "Maybe not anything, I can't do that." He grimaced at the name. "Why?". "I hate him." to Preston it was a perfect reason, to me it was a silly excuse. "You can't hate him that much.". "Macey remember when I told you I hated politics with a passion?" he asked. "Yes.". "Yeah well I would run for president before I thought about getting into Tyler Richards' ball." he said. Macey is not a beggar, she is not a negotiator, she was not going to get this guy to give her what we want. My mom always told me to do things myself. I nodded over to Ri, Mary Ann, and Crystal, in return they looked at each other and nodded back. I snatched the phone out of Macey's hand, then Ri, Mary Ann, and Crystal held her back. "What will it take?" I asked. "It'll take a lot, I really hate this guy." Preston said smugly. "Dinner.". "Two days off, spent with me.". I looked at Macey, i could tell she hated taking more than one day off. "That's not going to happen." I stared at her eyes. "Then it looks you're not going to that ball." I could feel him smiling. I muted it. "Are you living with him?" I asked Macey. She shook her head. "Do you like him?". Instead of Macey answering Liz answered for her. "She loves him.". I nodded and unmuted the phone. "She'll move in, spend one day off with you, and will go on two dates within two weeks in which she chooses. " I offered. "And I get to go to the ball." of course he wanted to go to the ball. "Fine.". "How many people are going?" he asked cheerfully. "Four.". "And to think I would have gone for two dinners and a sleepover." he said before hanging up. "Looks like we're going to a ball." said smiling. "Why would you do that? " Macey said. "You said you loved him, I did you a favor." I said while grabbing a banana. "She said that." She pointed to Liz. "Denying the undeniable just makes you sound like a fool as well as a liar." Liz said. "I like that." I said. "Don't quote Townsend." Macey said. "So, you don't love Preston?" Macey looked to the ground as soon as she heard it. "That's what I thought." Liz said sticking her tongue out at her. We all laughed. "So what is this ball for?" Ri asked. "He's adopting a daughter. She's 14. Its technically two sperate parties. One's for adults only and the other 14 year old only no exceptions." Ellie said. Everyone looked at her weird. "What? I have photographic memory, I don't need much studying, a girl has to do something!". "Who's going? Because I know there's only two 14 year old." Nick said looking me up and down. I would have forgotten about him if I couldn't feel his eyes burning a hole through the back of my head. "Well, Ri since she could easily pass as an adult." Macey was cut off by Ri yesing and Mary Ann saying "Why does she get to go?". " Because I have the biggest boobs.". Jonas, Nick and, surprisingly Ellie laughed. "No. Just a little. Look she looks like an adult, she's tall enough, she has the breast of a grown woman, she's noticeable, and a older man thats single goes for her. Anyway I'm going. Then you and Sal." Macey said. "Wait I have to flirt with a old guy?" Ri asked and Mary Ann and Crystal laughed. "So, what am I going to wear?". " Macey just smiled. She grabbed me by the arm and pulled me into her room Liz followed. "Put this on." She said handing me a black dress with rhinestones on the bodest and straps that showed a lot of back. It was long, so long that I had to make sure it didn't go under my feet. "It fits almost. But everything else fits. Even her chest. Bex had the biggest boobs out of all of us. And she's only 14." Macey exclaimed. Liz saw my confused face and said "In our sophomore year there was a dance we had to memorize a cover, it was a milestone in all our lives. That was the dress Bex wore. Turn.". I did as I was told. " I think it needs to be... more fun, young... um... 14, you know." Macey said as I turned. "Well what do we do then, we don't have any other dresses." Liz said plopping in to a chair. "Do you think you could possibly convince Jonas to get us tulle, a dress slip, cute pannies, a cute strapless bra, and red ribbon?" Macey asked. "And tampons." I added. Liz just smiled and walked out of the room yelling "Jonas". "So this is the dress Bex wore, to an exam slash ball thing back in sophomore year?" I smiled at the mirror. Macey pulled out her wallet and then a picture. It was her in a beautiful green dress, Liz in a pink dress, and Bex in the dress I'm currently in. Macey stood with one hand on her hip with her back against Bex's who had her hands up making the shape of a gun, and Liz had her hands nicely in front of her standing on the step above them. In the background there was a girl in a strapless red dress one foot on the step ahead of her, slightly turned, smile on her face, and one of her hands formed a peace sign. You can tell there was a shadow in the direction the girl was heading. The shadow made one mistake, there was a mirror across from him where it showed his face. "Is that her?" I asked pointing to the blonde in the strapless red dress. "Who, Cammie? She was off to do something and she must of seen us taking a picture and turned around and photo bombed us." Macey said smiling and laughing at the memory. "And him?" I said pointing at the shadow in the mirror. "What are you talking about?" she asked confused at what I saw. I pulled out my phone and scanned the photo. Then I plugged it into my laptop. A picture of me and Bex at the ball where my parents honored her for defeating the bad guy and bringing me home. She wore a pant suit, which she rocked with red heels, her sunglasses in her gorgeous long flowing hair and a bracelet that said Sal, while I wore a blue Cinderella like dress with turquoise shoes with a bracelet said Bex. She told me as long as I had it we would never lose each other and we would always have a way to communicate. We were both smiling and laughing as they took this picture, mostly because when I told Bex I was going to miss her and I didn't want her to go, she said "Don't worry, kid. I couldn't get rid of you, even if I wanted to. You would never stop calling.". And she was right, I never stopped calling. I pulled up the picture and enhanced the picture to where you can tell who it was in the mirror. "You're good. I never thought anyone would ever catch Zachary in the act of following, not even Cammie could spot him. Which is why she hated him when they first met." Macey said leaning over me looking at the guy, smiling and laughing. "Zachary. As in Zachary Goode?" I asked. She nodded. I laughed. "I'm going to get a water, you want something?" I asked getting up. "Water, if you get anything on that dress I will smack the sound out of you.". I began to close the fridge when I saw Nick. "So we're going to the ball together." Nick smirked. "No we're not.". "Yes we are.". "No. We're not." I said again. "Why?". " You have not asked.". "Is that really a reason?" he asked looking at me. When I didnt answer he said "Fine. Princess Hasina Shay-". "Don't call me Princess.". "Hasina Shay-". "Don't call me that either." he looked at me blankly, as if to say 'then what do I call you?'. "Sal." I said slowly. "Sal, will you go to the ball with me?". "Nope." I said popping the 'p' and walking away. "What?! Why?!". I just kept walking away. "Here's your water Macey." I stopped as I saw Macey passed out on the bed. I sighed as I lied down, long days like this makes me miss Bex the most, when I really want to be able to hug her as she cracked a joke. I have to find her. She's the last person I love. She's the last person I have. She's my only family left.