Re: :.:Gone:.:

[Princess]

I take my seat near the back of the room, next to a burly kid who was making fast business of wolfing down his food. I start gulping down the contents of my own plate; I hadn't realized how little I've eaten in the past week until now.

I stop eating as Ingrid walks in, my face turning into an embarrassing reddish hue. I cross my leg over my knee and fix my eyes to my plate, poking uncomfortably at the food on it.

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


The room is silent, save for the sound of the footsteps of kids going to get more food, and the chewing of everyone. I finish my meal in silence and sit back for a few minutes, staring at my empty plate awkwardly.

I lift my eyes and spot the piano in the corner of the restaurant. It's on a stage, a fancy one with lights shining down on it and red velvet curtains behind it. My legs act before my brain and before I know it, I'm walking, determined, to the piano.

I sit down on the stool and play a few keys, getting my fingers used to them.  As I warm up, I think of a song a bunch of kids will know from before the FAYZ.  One that will bring hope to them.

With no hesitation, I launch into 'Carry On'.

"Well I woke up to the sound of silence, and cries were cutting like knives in a fist fight. And I found you with a bottle of wine, your head in the curtains, and heart like the Fourth of July."

Though I feel the stares of everyone around me, the only thing on my mind now is the music.

"You swore and said 'we are not, we are not shining stars'. This I know, I never said we are. Though I've never been through hell like that, I've closed enough windows to know you can never look back."

I slam on the keys now, pouring emotion into my voice and willing my voice to go higher.

"If you're lost and alone, or you're sinkin' like a stone. Carry o-o-o-on! May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground. Carry o-o-o-o-n! Carry on, carry on!"

I reach the most vocally-challenging part of the song and close my eyes as my fingers fly across the keys. "Whooooaa, my head is on fire, but my legs are fine. After all, they are mine! Lay your clothes down on the floor. Close the door. Show me how; nothing's ever gonna stop us now!"

At the last verse, I drop my voice and gently press on the higher keys. "If you're lost and alone, or you're sinking like a stone.. Carry on. May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground.. Carry on."

[Princess]

I look up from my plate as Ingrid begins to play, a small smile creeping onto my face. Some of the kids are humming along quietly, others just looking on with content. They all lost the hopeless looks on their faces to replace them with happier ones.

My smile forms into a big grin as she finishes her song, and I can feel my cheeks burn. My heart races as I stand up from my chair and move closer to Ingrid, resting my hand on her shoulder.

"That was great," I hesitate before continuing. The kids that are still here look like they're ready to fall asleep on their feet. "It's getting late, we should get some sleep."

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


For once, I accept Paige's compliment and even offer her a small smile and a shrug. "Thanks."

I look around at the kids walking around with half-open eyes and feel myself let a yawn, stretching my arms above my head and rising up on my tiptoes. Feeling my shirt ride up, I tug it back down and rub at my eyes.

"Guess we should get to bed," I ruffle my hair and hesitate before walking away. I entwine my fingers between Paige's and smile slightly at her. "Okay?"

[Princess]

I nod and pull her out of the dining hall, up the stairs, and towards our rooms. I can feel my heart practically jumping out of my chest as we stop in front of our doors.

"Goodnight," I murmur as I hug her tightly, leaning in to press a warm kiss to her cheek.

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


I feel the corners of my lips tug upwards and my cheek tingle. "Come sleep with me," I blurt out.

"I mean, not like that, unless you, y'know, want to, I mean, like, just in my room." I mentally slap myself and feel my face flush at my moronic rambling.

[Princess]

I smirk and throw my arms over her shoulders, hesitating briefly before closing the space between us. I press my lips to hers; the butterflies in my stomach are going wild.

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


I don't hesitate to respond. My lips move against Paige's, and my hands snake around her waist, pulling her closer towards me.

I lose myself in her peppermint breath and soft lips. My head tilts to the right, adjusting our angle. I remove one of my hands from her waist and reach behind me, opening the door to Paige's room and guiding us both inside, closing the door behind us.

My hands return to her waist, slowly sneaking one of them under her shirt.

[Princess]

I feel myself grin into the kiss as Ingrid pulls me inside. Goosebumps begin to rise on my skin as her hand crawls up underneath my shirt, her soft touch sending shivers along my spine.

I push her back against the door and press my body into hers, as close as physically possible. My hands grip onto her hair as I pull her lower lip between my teeth, nibbling at it softly.

My face feels as if it's on fire as the urgency in the kiss becomes overpowering. I pull away from her lips, feathering my own slowly along her jaw.

Everything that's happened to us seems to cease to exist, and all I can focus on is her.

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


A soft moan escapes my lips as Paige's lips dust across my neck agonizingly slow. More. More. More. All I can think of is Paige. Her hair. Her skin. Her lips. The breathy inhales she takes. I stay pressed against the door, my eyes shut, hands firmly against the wall.

I come out of my trance and put my hands on Paige's waist, bringing my head up to the side of her neck. I press my lips against a spot that can't be hidden without great determination; a spot in which a mark couldn't be mistaken for just a shadow.

My lips part slightly over the area and then attach, sucking slightly. I hum happily and suck harder, the edge of my teeth behind my lips lightly gliding across Paige's skin.

The sucking turns to light nibbling and then my tongue licks over the slowly forming bruise. I pull back with a satisfied smack of my lips, smirking at the mark I've left. Claimed.

I place my lips back on Paige's, this time with more hunger. While my hands slide under Paige's shirt, up, up, up towards her belly, my tongue slides along her lower lip.

[Princess]

I fight the urge to make any sound, but small whimpers force their way out as Ingrid leaves her mark on my skin.

I pull her away from the door, and push her onto my bed. My heart races as I climb on top of her, finding her lips once more. I can hear a soft knock on my door but ignore it, hoping that whoever it is takes the hint.

"Are you oka-" I'm halfway into pulling my shirt over my head when Ingrid's friend, Maddie, bursts through my door. I let out a loud squeak and jump off of Ingrid, trying desperately to find something to say.

Maddie's face flushes bright pink as she realizes what she has almost witnessed. "I-I'm so sorry," she stumbles over her words. She stares at her feet as she remembers what she came here for.

"Something's going on downstairs," Maddie shuffles her feet uncomfortably as she continues. "Ryan and Riley are fighting, we don't know how to stop them."

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


I almost whine when Paige jumps off, tugging her shirt back down. Sighing, I drag myself off the bed and smooth out my own clothes.

"Where are they?" I ask Maddie, running my fingers through my hair.

Maddie, still not comfortable enough to make eye contact, says, "Third floor. Right in the middle of the hallway."

"Alright, you go on up, we'll be right behind you."

Maddie nods and walks out the door, taking a left towards the staircase. I gesture for Paige to walk in front of me, and as she gets closer, I bring my hand down on her butt. "We'll finish this later," I promise, whispering into her ear.

[Princess]

I jump as Ingrid smacks me, my face becoming a darker shade of red than I thought possible.

As we climb the stairs, I shiver at the sudden drop in temperature. Several kids are crowded in the hallway, watching Riley and Ryan fight in the middle. I step closer on my toes, trying to peek over their heads to see the middle.

Ryan is standing behind Riley, his arms wrapped firmly around her as she shrieks profanities at him. Ice is covering several areas of the wall and ceiling as if she had been throwing out random shots of ice.

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


I watch as Ryan holds onto Riley as though she weighs nothing; he doesn't seem to be struggling in the slightest. As Riley grows more frustrated, more ice slithers up the walls and around their feet.

"Hey!" I shout, clapping my hands together. "Oy!"

Ryan, his arms still locked around Riley, looks up at me. Riley stops squirming and does the same.

"Seriously? You guys are fighting? Don't you get that we need to stick together?" I cross my arms. "Arabella and her gang are probably looking for us right now; if we turn against each other, how are we supposed to defend ourselves against them?"

[Princess]

Ryan hesitates before releasing his grip on Riley, who immediately jumped away from him. They both shoot angry glares at each other, but leave to their own rooms without arguing. Maddie hurries behind Riley, probably telling her all about what she saw in my room.

I feel stares burning into me as some of the kids notice the obvious mark on my neck. I bring my hand up to cover my neck as they clear out of the hallway, giggling among themselves.

Once everyone else has left, I move closer to Ingrid and grasp onto her hand. "Let's get to bed," I yawn. "It's been a tough day."

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


"But I'm not tired," I whine like a little kid and rest my head on Paige's shoulder. "Besides, I promised we'd finish what we started."

Smirking and wiggling my eyebrows up and down, I tilt my head upwards to softly connect my lips with Paige's. "Pleeeease."

[Princess]

"Okay, okay," I suppress a giggle, pulling Ingrid towards our own room.

Once we reach the door, I check behind us to be sure nobody else plans on walking by. I pull her inside, making sure to lock the door this time.

As soon as we're inside, my arms are tight around her. I lean my forehead against hers, our lips barely brushing each other.

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


I smooched Paige and then fell asleep.

[Princess]

Timeskip to morning)

I sit up from my spot next to Ingrid, still groggy from sleep. I push a strand of hair out of my face as I pull myself out of bed, stretching my arms up above my head.

I shuffle to the bathroom and drop my towel on the counter, shutting the door behind me quietly. I let my shorts fall to the floor as I turn on the shower, pulling my shirt over my head as I wait for the water to warm up.

As I step inside, I hum softly to myself as I let the water cascade down my back.

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


The sound of the shower running awakes me from my sleep. I groan as sunlight peeks in through the curtains, right into my eyes. Somewhat hesitantly, I roll out of bed and stretch my arms upwards.

While Paige showers, I dig through the suitcases in the room until I find http://cdnpix.com/show/imgs/5f2f44d2349d9444a83f15b9338c57e5.jpg After stripping myself of my pajamas and changing into the new outfit, I tip my head over and tie my hair into a ponytail.

I search the hotel room until I find a piece of paper and a pen, with which I scrawl;

'Gone to check on the others. Meet u in the restaurant in ten!
-Ingrid xx'

After placing the note on Paige's bed, I step outside of the room and begin to knock on every door, one after the other, making sure everyone is awake.

[Princess]

The shower squeaks as I turn the water off; it's become too cold for me to stay any longer. I pull my hair up into my towel, digging through one of the luggage until I find another baggy T-shirt and skirt. I tuck in the shirt, throwing my towel off of my head and onto my pillow.

Once I'm dressed, I pick up the note from my bed. I squint, bringing the paper closer to my face as I struggle to read Ingrid's messy handwriting.

I fold her note before shoving it into my pocket, rushing out the door of my room. I'd been in the shower much longer than 10 minutes; she's probably been waiting for a while.

Once I turn the corner to the restaurant, I scan over the tables for Ingrid. I take my seat next to her, planting a soft kiss to the corner of her lips.

"Sorry I made you wait, what did I miss?"

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


When I get to the restaurant, I grab a bottle of water and sit down at the back. I feel everyone's eyes locked on me. This is just like Perdido , I think. They're all wanting me to do something. What do they want me to do? It's a stupid question, of course. I know what they want me to do; they want me to attack Arabella. They want me to kill her.

The mere thought of killing someone makes me cringe and hide my face in my hands. Last night, I awoke every 10 minutes, paranoid that Arabella would be in the hotel. I've cried in the shower; I've cried every time I'm alone. I haven't had a genuine smile or been genuinely happy in days. For Paige's sake, I try to act happy. I try to forget that we buried Ellen's body in the back of the hotel and Arabella has a gun and wants to kill me.

I try to forget my 16th birthday is approaching in just 4 days.

When I hear footsteps coming, I pull my head up. When I see it's Paige, I smile and accept her kiss. "Not much. Listen, I was thinking that maybe we should head back to Perdido."

[Princess]

I squint at Ingrid as I pull my chair closer to the table, not sure if she actually said that. "You're joking, right?" I glance around the room; most everyone here has finally calmed down.

"Why do you want to go back there?" I look down at my hands and suppress a shiver. "Bella probably has people all over the that place to find us."

"Besides," I gesture towards the kitchen of the restaurant; there's enough food in there to last us a while longer. "We have everything we need right here. We even have showers."

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


I toss my water bottle from one hand to another. "I just... I just can't stop thinking about what they could be doing to the people there," I place the bottle down and rest my face in my hands. "If they put all of you in fucking cement, what could they be doing to them?"

My stomach starts to ache at the thought. "We need to get rid of Arabella." Not we. I do. Before I turn 16.

[Princess]

"What do you mean 'Get rid of Arabella?'" I fidget in my seat; I'm almost certain I know exactly what she meant.

"What are you going to do?" I lower my voice and look back down at the table. "Kill her?"

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


"She could've killed you," I point out. "And everyone else that she captured."

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