Chapter Eight
The girls all smiled and some even found the energy to high-five each other.
Olivia wandered over to help Ellie from where she sat, breathing heavily on the practice mat. "That was brutal but I agree with the coach. We were on fire. I couldn't believe how you flew today."
Ellie accepted Olivia's hand and climbed to her feet.
"Your tumbling was pretty sensational too Liv" she smiled in return.
Simone wandered past, her round firm breasts straining to burst through her small white top. She had let her blonde hair loose from the tight ponytail she had been wearing and her hair hung about her shoulders. She gave each of the girls a congratulatory pat on the back before adding,
"Awesome Ellie but try not to let anything distract you!" she warned, turning to look to the top of the office stairs. Ellie turned towards the metal stairs and noted that Melissa was still standing there. She had watched the whole session and, when she saw Ellie look up, she smiled and waved.
Olivia and Simone shared a questioning look and Ellie used the distraction to give Melissa a signal to go back into her office. Melissa puckered her lips into a brief little kiss and then reluctantly went back into her room.
"That was weird?!" Olivia stated, looking up after her.
"I know right! I've never seen her without a scowl. She almost looked kind of pretty." Simone added.
There was an uncomfortable pause and the girls looked again at Ellie.
"Definitely weird...," Ellie stammered, feeling her face going red under the scrutiny of her friend's gaze, "Anyway, aren't we going to your place for dinner Liv?"
"Yes, we are! See ya Sim." Liv hugged Simone, snatched up her bag and hooked her arm around Ellie's to pull her along toward the Gym exit.
The girls said a few more goodbyes to Libby and Lucy on their way to the door before pushing it open. They were greeted with a blast of cold wind.
The girls huddled together for protection against the elements. Olivia's ravishing mother stood only a few meters away, a full-length white coat wrapped around her hourglass frame, her raven black hair blowing in the wind. She stood before the same Cadillac as Ellie had travelled in with Olivia many times in the past.
As they approached Frankie moved from behind the car to open the back door for them. She realised she hadn't seen Liv's old driver Frankie in weeks.
Ellie pulled up and let go of Olivia.
"Oh shit! I forgot my school bag. I'll be back in a minute."
She turned to race back.
"Wait. Give me your Cheer Bag" Olivia urged, taking Ellie's bag from off her shoulder, "Hurry up! Mum doesn't like waiting."
Ellie raced back inside and searched around the locker area until she found her school bag. It was tucked behind someone's top they'd left behind. She scooped it up and went to leave but then remembered how cold it was outside, so she stopped and took out her jacket and put it on. She then zipped her bag back up and raced back out into the wind.
The Black Cadillac was already leaving! Ellie chased after it waving her hands and yelling out for them to wait, confused they would go without her. The car paused when it reached the end of the carpark and Ellie was able to race closer.
Olivia was looking out the back window, a terrified expression masked her features. She waved her arms and seemed to be crying out for help. Ellie raced forward but then the car broke out into the traffic and, just like that, her friend was gone. Lost in a weaving sea of cars.
Ellie stood in the middle of the carpark in complete shock and confusion for what must have been minutes. The wind whistled about her bare legs and her nose began to run as she tried to make sense of what just happened. It wasn't until a horn tooted her from behind that she finally broke out of her fear-clouded introspection.
She turned, her eyes blurry from tears. She hadn't even realised that she had been crying.
Libby had stepped out of her car, the engine still running.
"Are you ok El?"
Libby approached carefully as if she had just found a startled, hurt animal.
"I...Olivia...something is wrong. I was meant to go to Liv's house with her but the car left without me," the words began to tumble out.
"Maybe they just..." Libby started, reaching a reassuring hand out to touch her shoulder but Ellie shrugged it off.
"No, Libby! Olivia is in trouble! I saw her face. She was terrified. She tried to cry out to me for help. She needs help. We need to help. How can we help!!!" Ellie implored, grabbing Libby with two hands and staring into her eyes with desperation.
Libby stood silent for a moment digesting the information while she absentmindedly played with her long plait.
"Maybe we call someone?"
"Yes! I'll call my Dad," she exclaimed, slinging her bag from her shoulder and already searching through it.
She stopped abruptly and a look of dismay took over from one of hope she had had only a second before.
"No, no, no!"
"What's wrong?" Libby asked
"My phone! I left my phone in my Cheer Bag that Olivia took with her!"
Both the girl's shoulders slumped and Ellie put her face in her hands.
Suddenly, Libby sparked up.
"I've got my phone though. We can use Snapchat to track Liv's phone!!!"
Libby fished out her phone from her bag and the girls frantically fumbled through the screens until they found what they had been looking for.