Chapter 66

                                    

                                          
Chapter 66
                          
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"Guys, have any of you seen Rachel today?" I ask the boys. They all shake their heads.
                          
She has been missing school a lot lately and when I ask, she just texts me saying that she is sick.
                          
Last week she missed one day but I didn't think anything of it. But she has been missing for three straight days and I am starting to get worried. 
                          
She hasn't answered any of my texts or calls. At first I thought she was just grounded and her phone was taken away, but the more I think about it, the more I worry. Just the way she has been acting, mixed with this, is a toxic combination. 
                          
"Luke?" I ask on the way to our next classes.
                          
"Yeah?"
                          
"Uh, will you maybe come to Rachel's with me after school?"
                          
"Of course," he looked at me puzzled, "why?"
                          
"Look I'll explain later okay?" I say as I enter the class that I am almost late for.
                          
--
                          
"Really? You think he would actually do that?" Luke doesn't seem to be buying my conspiracy, but he is going along with it anyway.
                          
"He is crazy."
                          
"More like a lunatic. And you still want to actively seek out this guy?"
                          
"It's less of a finding him and more of a helping her."
                          
"Alright. I just don't want you to get hurt. If I wasn't at the airport, I don't even want to think what would've happened."
                          
"Me neither. Now we just have to prevent those things from happening to Rachel." He smiles over to me and squeezes my thigh as we pull up to her house. It is dimly lit and overall seems too creepy to be her house. I even check the house number again just to make sure. I've been here plenty before, but this house does not look familiar. 
                          
"Stay here." Luke tries to tell me.
                          
"Hell no." I say back. He meets my eyes dead on.
                          
"I can't let you walk into something that could be potentially dangerous."
                          
"Luke, there is no way I am staying in this car." He sighs and looks towards the front door. 
                          
"Fine. Just please don't dissappear."
                          
"I won't." His eyes come back to meet mine as I make the promise, "Now let's go."
                          
We get out of the car and approach the front door. Luke raises his hand to knock when we hear a scream.
                          
"That's Rachel." I say. He tries the handle and it's unlocked. We enter the house with as little noise as possible. A whimper comes from the upstairs and I nearly call out but remember that alerting whoever is in the house would probably be a bad thing. "Justin! Stop!"
                          
We are then bounding up the stairs, Luke's legs carrying him faster that I even thought possible.
                          
By the time I reach the room, Justin is out cold on the floor and Luke is attempting to approach the trembling Rachel. She just keeps moving away and repeating, "Please don't hurt me."
                          
"Rachel?" I say and her head snaps in my direction and her bruised eyes focus on me.
                          
"N-N-Nikk-ki?"
                          
"Oh my God what has he done to you?" I rush over to her and examine the wounds that cover her.
                          
"I-I'm sorr-y. I di-didnt mean to." 
                          
"Mean to what?"
                          
"I should, should have listened to you. P-please for-forgive me."
                          
"Yes, yes, now let's get you to a hospital." All she does is nod before I lead her away from the corner she backed into.
                          
Justin groans and turns over, but Luke kicks his head and once again the body goes limp.
                          
"Oh and guys?" Luke speaks and I look behind me, "the police should be here. I called them so we could get him locked up as soon as possible."
                          
"Th-thank you." The still trembling girl whispers.
                          
And sure enough, outside there were several cop cars and officers waiting for us. 
                          
--
                          
"How are you feeling today?" I ask as I enter Rachel's hospital room
                          
"Much better. Thank you again." She smiles slightly at me. That's progress.
                          
"You've thanked me enough already you don't have to every time I see you." 
                          
"But I do. I don't even want to think what would happen if you got there later."
                          
"Yeah and all I can think is why didn't I get there earlier." 
                          
"Hey stop that. I was the one who told you no, when you were trying to help. In fact, this kinda is my fault, isn't it? I mean I'm the one who overrode your warnings." Not down this road again.
                          
"No no no do not think like that. You did not cause that sicko to do those things to you, understand?" I say frocefully. I have to say the same thing every day to her but if that's what it takes to get it through, then, I'll do it.
                          
"But-" she tries to argue.
                          
"No buts. Now I have to leave for school, I will see you later today, good?"
                          
"Yeah." She doesn't return my smile and looks down when I leave her room. 
                          
"How is she?" Luke asks as I walk up to his car where he was waiting for me.
                          
"No where near better, but she is getting there."
                          
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Hey hey hey hey.
                          
I love Grace Helbig
                          
Okay byeeeeeee
                          
xx
Noelle
                          
(P.S. thanks for your lovely votes and comments I love you all!!)