 The Missing Piece 

We all got back late that night, Miley was last to enter the hotel but returned with no Ryder. Of course questions ran through all of our heads, "where's Ryder?" Questioned Nicole.

Miley's face, like she had been running, "I took her to the bus stop. She felt homesick and uneasy. She says sorry." With all our worries relived we calmed down and debated if we wanted to go out to eat.

"Let's go to a cabaret!" Zada shrieked in excitement, "we're too young, Za." Harper responded in protest.

Of course we were too young, very young. To enter into one you need to be eighteen and twenty-one to drink. We were only seventeen, the best we could do was stand outside at the door.

With trouble looking at us Miley was first to agree with Zada. Yeah, bad to join in with someone who loves trouble and follows it.

It didn't sound all too bad when Miley talked us into it. How we would get in only concerned me most, guess it was one of those wait and see things.

With eleven o'clock rolling around we were finally ready, dressed as typical clubbing girls. Tight dresses, heavy make-up and tall high heels never was my thing but, hey, anything to dress like a slut to get away with your age. Perfect logic, just great.

We decided to save money and walk, not that it was too far, just right up the strip from the hotel. The sky, beautiful and bright gave enough to see, along with the city lights.

The perfect night to go out, gave a feeling as if you where at the beach. I loved it, the sweet smell in the air, the heat, the lights, all perfect.

The cabaret, Club Cabaret was lit up with dark purple, light pink and a dark blue looked pretty and upscale. We nervously stood in line hoping we could get in without an I.D check.

My heart raced the closer we got to the door, security seemed to be letting in people without checking identity but with us it would be a different story.

"Hello ladies, how many? Six?" He was muscular and had a deep and smooth voice. "Yes, just us. You wouldn't happen to need an I.D from us?" Miley was teasing him.

"You girls don't look twenty-one, are you eighteen?" My heart was beating out of my chest, I was ready to just say "just kidding!" And leave.

"Oh, we're not here to drink, just to eat. We're eighteen, is that a problem we left our I.D's at the hotel?" Miley was being flirty and winking.

"No, hate to see you pretty ladies leave. The food here is amazing, just give me your hands so I can mark them."

Miley reached in her purple clutch as she handed him her hand, she slipped him a small piece of paper and smiled.

The rest of us got marked a big 'X' in a black sharpie and stepped inside. "Miley! What did you give him?!" Harper demanded.

"Just my number, nothing wrong with that." She smirked as we walked to a booth. The speakers bumping from the bass of the music. It looked fun from the inside as much as it did from outside.

 

Just like the security guard mentioned, the food was amazing. I had chicken Alfredo and water, some of the best I had ever had.

Part of me felt strange about Miley, once we got back to the hotel she seemed to be keeping a close eye on her car. I tried to pass it by as, we were here in the city, we knew no one and maybe she was afraid someone would try to steal it or strip it for parts.

She seemed to be zoning out looking out from balcony, something about her was off. "Are you okay, Mil?" Harper questioned concerned, she sensed what I was. She was Miley's sister, of course she knew something was up.

Was I wrong for thinking something was up with her? No, I knew and so did Harper. Miley was easy to read, she expresses her emotions well, maybe too well.

"No, I'm fine. Just worried someone's going to know we're here. What if Ryder talks?" She was biting at her nails, glancing out of the balcony door.

"Why would she talk?" Zada chimed in, her now concerned. We were starting to believe this trip was a bad idea.

"Why wouldn't she? She got uneasy, she didn't like being here with us. Guys, just promise you won't speak of this trip to anyone!"

Miley was in total fear, part of me told me it went deeper than just us being here, like something else was going on, much bigger. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I could tell.

"Promise." All of us responded in unison, as much as we didn't want to, we promised just because Miley was on edge. Halie and Nicole called it for the night and dismissed theirselves to bed. As much as I wanted to I couldn't sleep, I laid in bed thinking, thinking of what could possibly have Miley torn up.

 

With no concrete conclusions coming to mind I gave up and finally fell asleep around one-thirty in the morning. Part of me felt bad for Miley, in a strange way that I couldn't explain.

Maybe it was in her head, overreacting or even maybe her nerves. Whatever it was, had her on edge and knowing her, she wouldn't be able to hold it in for very long until she broke down.

I awoke to loud zippers opening and closing, groggily realizing we had to return back home today. I frantically rushed to my overnight bag to dig for some clothes and dashed towards the bathroom.

Miley talked to none of us that whole morning, just expressed herself with head nods, smirks and head shakes. I could tell she felt miserable on the inside, like she had a secret she knew she had to tell someone but just couldn't.

"Looks like we are all ready," Harper sighed like she wanted to stay longer. We placed our bags on our shoulders and headed to the cars while Harper checked out.

Miley hurriedly snatched our bags from us, "I'll get it, go get in the car." We all shrugged and carried on.

 

The next day back to school, Miley wasn't driving her car. I found it odd because, she hated Harper's driving, saying that she went too slow.

"Where's your car, Mil?" Halie asked meeting up at the stairs leading up to the school. "It's out of gas, haha." She replied with no emotion.

"I like your outfit, Hal!" Harper shrieked, Halie wore a black t-shirt, a hot pink high-waisted skirt to her knees, a sliver glitter belt around the skirt and pink strappy sandals.

Halie's dark tan skin could pull off bright colors like that, I was jealous of my pale skin. Halie had long auburn red hair and light green eyes. She was the sporty one in our group, she does softball and gymnastics but also done some surfing in the summer.

"Thanks!" She smiled sweetly, Halie is a good kid, much like Harper but around Miley, she's all about the party. She treats Harper and Miley both like her sisters, knowing them since pre-K.

By now Miley had already entered school and Harper's mouth poured open like a waterfall, "she was up all night." She shook her head in a 'what a shame' sort of way.

It was hard on all of us to see Miley like this, knowing we couldn't do anything for her. "Zada!" Halie called to her when she was getting out of her car.

Running to catch up with Halie and I, "what's up?" She panted, Zada was African American mixed with Caucasian. She had shoulder length light brown hair and bright blue eyes. She was the 'preppy' one. Always looking for a high end fashion designer tag on clothes or bags.

"I think Mikey's up to something. Ryder isn't here, tonight I'm going to investigate Miley's car, wanna come?" Zada looked at Halie for moment, "uh, sure!"

"I'll pick you up around ten." Halie grinned and walked to school, this was going to end badly.

 

I was anxious about prowling around Miley's car, it was silly to suspect anything suspicious but part of me felt like I should expect it.

Ryder never missed school unless it was a weather or family problem or if she was sick. I know I shouldn't worry since Miley took her to the bus stop, I decided to send her a text message asking about her.

I went all day getting my hopes up to have a message back from her, I got worried, I just wanted to know she was safe.

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Chapter 3 coming soon.
What do you think is about to happen?

What do you think is happening?

They're plenty more mysteries and twists to come!

What do YOU, the reader want to see happen?

 

Chapter Three: The Scavenge

It was about nine-thirty, I met Zada at the local gas station so we could look through Miley's car. We were hoping to not find anything but we didn't know what to expect.

"I'm nervous," I said with an anxious heartbeat and Zada agreed. It was nerve wrecking not knowing what we were getting into and knowing we were putting ourselves in trouble, it frightened us. Almost to the point of turning back but our adrenaline urged us.

We pulled over to the curb, allowing enough room for passing cars. We quietly got out and snuck Miley's car across from ours and peeked in the front, nothing.

Zada looked in the back, nothing. We were relieved, but what Zada found on the trunk shocked us all. Standing there with shock on our face as a stain stared back at us.

A red handprint on the trunk was looking back at us, scared to death we took off.