Chapter 3

'What's my special ability, you ask?' I will tell you but you have to promise you will keep it a secret! Basically ever since I can remember I can find missing people. Dead or alive - preferably alive - I can find them. Problem is my secret is meant to remain, well, a secret. I can't have the government, Nancy and Terrance, or anyone at school know about my ability. So to save the missing children that are alive I either go find them myself - with the help of John, who insists on coming with me to make sure I'm safe - or I call the missing persons help line: 800-MISSING-PERSONS-HELP-CENTER. If the government find out they may take me away and I wouldn't be able to deal with, not being taken away from Nancy and Terrance, but, being taken away from Tammie, Josh and John.

"Look," Tammie went on, "I know that there were many psychos that have either hurt you or tried to kill you and John has always - always - saved your but." If only Nancy could hear Tammie talk like this! Nancy would have a heart-attack! "And then there was the whole 'but I've graduated and you are still in school' and the whole 'your parents would never approve' and the 'I like you... a lot' thing. The 'you're going to get him arrested as he's already on probation' thing." Tammie looked up and asked, "has he even said what he's on probation for?"

"No, not yet." It couldn't be that bad if it landed him on probation. Who knows, if I keep solving the missing person cases my way, I may be joining him on probation. "Hey, don't change the subject!"

"I really would love it if you dropped this issue," Tammie complained, "did John actually say you are his girlfriend?"

"No, he hasn't said it. But he kisses me and stuff... It's like he does love me but he doesn't want to." I sighed and logged on to facebook.

"Boys," Tammie rolled her eyes and sat up on my bed, "oh, I almost forgot. We're going over to Josh's tomorrow after school. Do you want me to pick you up after detention and then we can go together?"

"I'm afraid not, you see, I'm going over to John's. Also there's bound to be another missing person that I'm going to know where they've-"

How right was I? Tammie's colour in her cheeks drained and she was gaping at my computer screen. I looked at the screen too. Posted all over facebooks were comments and pictures of a girl from our school.

"Eliza Dixon?" Tammie finally spoke. "She's missing?"

"Isn't she a cheerleader?" I asked and Tammie answered with a nodd. "She's been missing since Monday!"

"Everyone thought she was ill, but the school sent an email and phone calls to parents about it. And then news knows too!" Tammie knitted her eyebrows.

"Great. So I've got to help someone that I'd rather leave not being found since she's a real pain in the-"

"Don't even think about it, Florence!" Tammie snapped. When Tammie calls me 'Florence' and not 'Flo' she's dead serious. "If you find Eliza, don't you think she will blab about it, everyone will know about," she whispered the next part, "your 'special ability' and then you will get everything you don't want. Name-calling, the government, mum and dad-"

"You mean your mum and dad. What am I supposed to do, as much as I despise her, just leave her missing and maybe even dead?" That's when the phone rung.

"No, call 800-MISSING-PERSONS-HELP-CENTER like you did before." Tammie said in a tone that made me glare at her.

"Exactly," I hissed, "I've given the addresses and told them where they could find people too many times. Jackie's supervisour is on to me!" Jackie is the lady that takes the calls and she also knows about my anonymous calls but she doesn't know that I have a psycic ability.

The worst part is when I go to sleep I will see what is happening to Eliza in my dreams. I hate that part. That's the only way, that I know of, to find out where they are.

"You are so not going over to John's so you and him can go out and find her. You are going over to Josh's where I can keep an eye on you." Tammie ordered.

"Or what? Are you going to tell Nancy and Terrance about what I can do? They'd never believe you. You'll be joining me at Mr Ward's office." Mr Ward is my councillor at school. Let's just say when people are horrible to me - like I don't mean calling me a freak, I mean about how my parents died... ecetera - I tend to use my fists as a comeback.

"Girls, come down here now, please!" Terrance shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

Tammie and I dashed out of my room because we knew we both wanted to get out of the whole convosation about me finding Eliza.

"Oh, good. Max you're home." Nancy said as Max walked through the front door. "In here now." Nancy directed him into the living room. Max goes to the local University, he's also the same age as John.

"What's going on?" Max asked with a playful glance in my direction.

Max is such a nice brother! He's fun and doesn't complain when you need his help. Tammie doesn't get on as well as I do with Max, but I guess that's because Max and Tammie are actually related.

"That was the headmaster of your school," Nancy said looking at me and Tammie, "he says there's a student that went missing and if you have any enquiries, worries or troubles then you can talk to the guidance counsillor, Mr Wards."

"Are you two friends with her?" Terrance asked, looking concerned.

"Yes" I said as Tammie said 'no' but I saved it by adding, "I am, but Tammie didn't really get along with Eliza."

"Eliza?" Terrance straightened. "No the person who is missing is Harriet. A cheerleader from your class."

"Harriet who?" I automatically said.

"Harriet Phillips. She was last seen on yesterday at practise." Nancy looked grim. "Honey, who's Eliza?"

I looked at Tammie who was clearly looking at me like 'told you so', then I looked over at Max, who actually helped me out by saying "mum I'm having half a day on Friday so I can be here for Flo's birthday."

He was going to be in a lot of trouble for not telling them and for not going to Uni when he isn't even ill. But at least he created a diversion for me to vacate the room and double-check the posts on facebook.

They were definately of Eliza, pictures and comments saying 'I hope she's alright', 'Pray that she'll be home soon', when I clicked on a picture of her and her only, I froze. Suddenly I remembered the dream I had last night, about Eliza being trapped - I must have saw a picture of her on facebook or something but I was too tired to read the comments - and I had forgotten the dream because I was going to be late for school (luckily I wasn't late) and I also had a Chemistry exam in the morning.

Max made me jump. He always just walks into my room without knocking. "Hey, jumpy."

"So did you get in trouble?" I smiled gratefully.

"No but I did get an earful but I convinced them that it was a good thing." Max shrugged. He would make a brilliant lawyer. That's what he's studying at university, law.

"Can you make sure mum and dad are distracted and don't call anyone?" I begged.

"You calling John?" Max added, after I nodded, "okay. And I guess you want me to cover for you tonight?"

"That'd be brill, thanks so much!" I squeezed him tight. "I promise that I'll try not to end up in hospital or anything." Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

"Just take some extra change for a pay-phone considering Mrs Lane took yours off of you." Max rolled his eyes. They are brown just like Tammies.

I searched through facebook for Harriet Phillips. It turns out that everyone know's she is missing and has made a facebook shrine for her. Come on! I thought. I mean, it's not like they know she's even dead! And if that was me no one would do the same. Tammie thinks that it's stupid to write it on facebook since it's not like they'll be on it to read it anytime soon. Max says that it's way more nicer to lay flowers, or bring over food, or give your condolences in person. Me? I have no opinion. On one hand it's nice to know that a lot of people care about you - including others around the world, who have facebook and like the pages that are made for you - and it's nice to know that they are thinking about you too. But on the other hand, having pictures and comments of you so the whole world can see them is a little... disturbing. Also, like Max and Tammie said, it's way nicer to do it in person and not on a social networking site where the person won't actually read it.

After dinner, Max snuck past my door with a thumbs up which meant Nancy would be watching a soap-opera and Terrance would be talking to Max about anything, from football, to girls, to university, to my birthday present.

I picked up the phone, that's in my room, and dialled John's number - which I know off by heart. It rung twice before he answered with a "hello?" that makes your knees go weak. Well, mine anyways.

"Hey, it's me, Florence." I closed my bedroom door.

"I know it's you Ryder" John said and when I didn't answer - mainly because I went into a slight trance due to the way he had casually said my name - her added, "what's up, Ryder?"

He said my name again and all that came out of my mouth was, "um... err..."

"Flo," he was serious, "what's wrong?"

"Oh," I snapped back to earth when he said 'Flo', "nothing's wrong. It's just there's this girl - well two girls but I only know where on of them is at the moment - she's missing but I don't want to help her because she's mean and she will tell everyone about my ability. But then I know I have to because if I was missing I would want someone to find me - if my attempt of an escape wasn't working - but then I can't call 800-MISSING-PERSONS-HELP-CENTER because they've already reccieved a lot of calls from me and then the government might take me away and-"

"Ryder," John cut me off, but I didn't mind since I love his voice, "I'll pick you up at eleven-thirty."

"But-" he knew I was going to end up going. "Fine." I sighed into the phone.

Max bursted into my room saying how Terrance is going to make a sandwich and a coffee and then is going into the study to work.

"Ryder?" I heard a faint voice. "Ryder?!" It was John on the phone, I forgot but it was too late to say goodbye because I heard Nancy calling my name as she was creeping up the stairs so I quickly hung up and put the phone back on the hook.

Then as Max sat on my bed so Nancy could make it through my doorway, I quickly put an old essay back up on my computer screen so it looked like I was doing homework not facebook-ing.

"Oh, Max what are you doing in Florence's room?" Nancy asked as she walked into my room.

"He's helping write my essay on the Great Depression." In english we did had to do that essay and everytime Nancy or Terrance walk into my room when I'm grounded and it's too late to shut down my computer, I bring up my Great Depression essay, luckily neither of them remember.

"How many times have I told you, Florence," Nancy said in her disappointing voice - which should technically be called the 'Florence voice' because she only uses it on me - and continued saying, "you should always do your homework yourself. How are you supposed to learn anything if you are always getting help from others?"

Normally, I would argue back saying 'I don't always get help and what am I supposed to do if I'm stuck?' Or I would conisder hitting a wall - since I wouldn't dare hit Nancy, I don't want to leave Max and Tammie. But this time I changed the subject, "is there something up?" Mr Ward would be so proud of me.

"Oh, I had a little chat with your father and we both agreed that as it's your birthday - and we can't make you stop liking John - and we want to get to know him, that John and his family can come over, also don't forget to invite Josh!" Nancy smiled faintly, was leaving and I heard her mutter under her breath "hopefully you'll make some new friends tomorrow and invite them round for Friday."

I wasn't planning on making any friends. Even though I found her, Eliza won't be my friend. The one thing I most definately wasn't planning on was losing a friend...

Chapter 4

John was throwing rocks at my window so I knew that he was waiting for me. I mean, how else is he supposed to let me know? Call me and wake up Nancy and Terrance? No chance! But it was like a scene out of a movie. I threw on my jeans and t-shirt along with my trainers and snuck downstairs and out of the house.

"Ryder, what took you so long?" John asked as he opened the door to his truck.

"You're early" I smiled as I got in his truck.

"Why'd you hang up on me earlier?" John frowned.

"Nancy was walking into my room, sorry about that." I answered keeping my mind on Eliza.

"Now who you looking for?"

"Eliza Dixon. A cheerleader. She went missing on Monday," I informed John, "but the weird thing is another cheerleader went missing yesterday after practise."

"Maybe someone's got it in for those cheerleaders?" John shrugged, "where we going?"

"To the school." I bit my lip. I knew exactly where Eliza would be.

We pulled up outside the school gates - which were bolted shut but anyone could climb over them. John demanded that he climbed first so he could catch me on the other side but I did it without his help - like I said that's how easy they were to climb - just to impress him.

"Where to?" John whispered.

"Err... girl's changing room." It was going to be a long akward night. "This way."

I lead the way to the changing rooms and paused when I noticed that John was going to walk right in there. I pushed him - by touching his solid chest - away.

"What's wrong?" John took a step back.

"You," I looked at him, "are not going in there. That is the girl's changing room."

"So?" John shrugged casually.

"So, what if she's - or if there's any other girls in there - ... you know..." I said but John just looked confused, "...naked?" I didn't want to put the thought of any naked girls into his head but it seemed like I had no choice.

"I don't care-"

"I bet you wouldn't." I mumbled.

"Because I am not letting you go in there alone. Either I come with you or we go home?" John gave me a choice.

"One you cannot make me go home and be neither can you take me in there with you following behind." I though I had him, I really did.

"Watch me." He said and then threw me over his shoulder.

My kicking and screaming didn't bother him. He began walking down the hallway when I shouted, "fine! You can come with me!" He placed me back on the ground, "I am not leaving Eliza like this, even if I hate her guts!"

John smirked at me and then said "good."

He can be so annoying sometimes, but in adorable way. John, I mean. He followed behind me. My stomach turned at the thought of Eliza's kidnappers being with her.

"So where is she then?" John whispered when he saw to coast was clear.

I gasped and then said, "omigod! I know where she is!" I pointed to the trail of blood that led out through the door to the swimming pool. Why couldn't it have been the field? I asked myself.

"Eliza?" John began to call out when we stood by the swimming pool. I closed my eyes tightly because it was bad enough seeing it in a dream instead of seeing it in real life. "Ryder, what if that's her captors' blood?" John suggested.

"No," I looked at him, "it is one hundered percent not her captors."

"How'd you know?"

But instead of answering him, I kicked off my trainers and jumped in the pool. Luckily there was faint pool lights on in the pool so I could see Eliza and swim to her. It was hard, very hard, to swim and save someone at the same time. My clothes - especially my jeans - were slowing me down. I grabbed one of Eliza's tied up arms and pulled her to the surface where I could get some air.

"Bring her over here!" John shouted clearing away some space for us to lay Eliza on the floor.

Things I do for people - like jumping into a pool on [locked] school grounds, saving them and performing CPR on them (better me do it than John otherwise Eliza would be asking him out and blabbing how he kissed her instead of saving her). I managed to save her; she coughed and spat out water to the side of her and gasped for air.

"Eliza," I said gently, "it's me Florence. Are you alright to stand up?"

"Hey... Florry..." she said breathlessly. I would have pushed her back in the pool for calling me Florry but I guess I had no choice but to let that one slide. "My... head..."

That's when I noticed through her dark hair that her head was bleeding. "Okay, you're bleeding. We need to get you to the hospital now, so get up very, very slowly." I took her arm.

"No... leave! Before... they come back!" Eliza panted.

"Who's they, Eliza?" I pulled her up but her eyes were closing without a reply. I turned to John, "help me. We need to get her out of here!"

John scooped her up and carried her to the truck. It was amazing how he climbed the gate whilst holding an unconsious cheerleader. He placed her in the back of the truck, covered her up in a blanket and gave me his jacket to keep me warm. It took ten minutes to get to the nearest hospital. John carried Eliza through A and E. Some doctors and nurses immediately ran Eliza down a corridor. A nurse insisted that I was checked out no matter how many times I went 'oh, but I'm fine. It's Eliza who was left for dead!'

John and I sat in the waiting room where Eliza's parents came barrelling through the hallway. When the doctors and nurses left Eliza's room and went to continue their work, Eliza's mum walked out and gave me a cut-off-my-air hug.

"Thank you! You saved my baby!" Mrs Dixon had tears streaming down her face. "How can I ever repay you?"

"Well," I slipped out of her grip, "it was more of a team effort." I glanced at John who looked slightly amused by Mrs Dixon. "And really we're just glad that Eliza's alright. We don't want any repayment."

When Mrs Dixon finally returned to Eliza's room, John and I made our way back to the truck; then he drove me home. I leant against the door, sucking in the fresh air - I hate the smell of hospitals, I really do and it had be a little stuffy in his truck - and John was standing in front of me.

"Hey, what's up?" John asked me because of the expression on my face. "You just found - and saved - another person. You've got to give yourself credit for that."

"It's just..." I began to confess, "Eliza is going to gossip about me finding her, then there will be questions and when I find Harriet Phillips tomorrow - or should I say today? - then everyone will definately know about my 'ability'."

"I think..." John pulled the open sides of his jacket across me to make sure I wasn't cold, "that you worry too much." He said with that half-amused smile.

His lips were centimetres away from mine and when I leaned in for a kiss, he pulled away. Afraid that I might of be too forward I asked, "what?"

"We can't." John shook his head. "We can't do this," he reffered to me kissing him, "you haven't even told Nancy and Terrance about me. What will they think?"

"I don't care" I shrugged with a smile. "And actually I-" I was going to say I have told them but he wouldn't let me finish.

"It's not fair for me to be going out with you and them not knowing. They won't even want me to look at you if they found out I'm on probation." John wasn't looking at me then.

"But, John-" I tried again.

"No." John walked around the truck, opened the driver's door. I walked on to the pavement and was about to make him stop as I took off his jacket and was going to give it back. "Keep my jacket if you want." He said and then was off down my road.

Gaping as I snuck back into my house, I completely forgot about Eliza. I walked into my room, after shutting the door I got changed into my pjyamas and collapsed on my bed. I was so tired and confused, hugging John's jacket, I fell asleep. Of course, it wasn't a very pleasant sleep.