Chapter Twenty Nine

                                    

                                          
Jack scowled as Isaac kicked a stick out of the way of his egotistical path through the forest. He hadn't stopped complaining about the trek for the past couple of hours, his friend Oliver agreeing with every stupid thing he said. 
                          
She didn't understand why Andrew had grouped them specifically all together. Yes, they were all searching for Lily, but did she have to listen to Isaac moan and groan about his ruined shoes? Jack was losing her mind. 
                          
When they'd realised Lily had gone, her scent apparently disappearing by the lake at the back of the packhouse, Andrew had rallied up everyone to begin the search. If she was missing, then Poppy's chance of being saved went down the drain. If she'd gone to take Poppy's place, which Jack knew she would, then the defeat of the rogues was imminent. He'd divided everyone up into groups, the teachers at Nova High even getting involved with the other students, anything to save one of their own...even though they'd kicked Lily out yesterday.
                          
Andrew hung up his phone, shoving it back in his pocket. "That was the pack house - Poppy just came home." 
                          
"What?" Laura snapped her head to him. "Is she okay?" 
                          
"She's fine." Andrew breathed a sigh of relief. "She's just exhausted. She's not talking much, traumatised by whatever she saw, but she said she ran south until she found the house." 
                          
Ryan stepped forward. "Was Lily with her?" 
                          
Andrew placed a hand on his shoulder. "Poppy said she traded places. She's been running for hours." 
                          
Ryan clenched his jaw and kept on walking. "Then we head north to find her." 
                          
Claire and Karen walked up on either side of Jack as they followed him north, the group begrudgingly moving as one even though they disliked the company. "Do you think Lily's okay?" Karen whispered to Jack. "She's in this Yuric's clutches, he doesn't sound nice at all." 
                          
Jack looked to her kind-hearted friend. "I know you always see the good in people Karen, or try to, but Yuric isn't good. He killed Andrew's dad and now he has Lily." 
                          
"But he let Poppy go? He has to be good in some way if he let her go?" Karen tried to find something for her to cling to; if he had a semblance of kindness then she could have hope that nothing bad would happen to her newly found friend. 
                          
Jack didn't respond to that, dropping back to think for a moment. She couldn't handle Karen's hope, and she was glad she stepped away because Laura soon came over to Claire and asked about the formal. 
                          
"Hey Claire, Jack was saying that you have some spare formal dresses?" Laura asked. 
                          
"Oh yes! Did you need some?" Claire asked, eyes lighting up at the positive topic. 
                          
"How many do you have spare?" 
                          
"Well, I have the pink one, Karen's got the purple, I'm giving Jack the green-"

                          
"Wait what?" Jack blurted out. 
                          
"-and then Lily's having the blue." Claire ignored her feisty friend. "I have three others; a white one, and then a red and a gold one that are the same besides the colour." 
                          
Laura beamed. "Can I have the white one? Tricia and Renee won't mind having the same dress, if that's okay too?" 
                          
"That's fine!" Claire grinned. 
                          
"Thank you so much, this will be a massive load off my shoulders." Laura sighed. "Hang on, is Lily going to the formal now? I thought she wasn't going." 
                          
"Well, I heard she said she didn't want to go, but I thought maybe if she had a dress she might?" Claire wondered. "I know she doesn't have her mother to shop with her. I hope she changes her mind, it'll be awesome to see her there."