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Chapter 15: Found

Kira's POV
I watched as Neon avoided my gaze. Great. I think I have an idea of why she came back so late.

"Neon, what'd you do to Shelby?" I asked.

"....I....walked her home."

"You hesitated."

Neon groaned, getting up from her bed and walking towards her dresser.

"Does it really matter, Kira?"

"Just tell me what you did, Neon." I said, getting up from the bed and crossing my arms.

"I did nothing wrong." Neon said, taking off her nightshirt and putting her bra on. I groaned, rolling my eyes and shaking my head.

"Huh? We're gonna keep going back and forth, aren't we?" I asked, to which Neon, putting a gray sweater on over her head, nodded.

"Looks like it." I heard her mutter.

Without a word, I got up from the bed. This was pointless at the moment, so I'll might as well ask her later when she's ready to answer.

For now, it's best to stay quiet about it.
********
The next day rolled around and it was time for Yuki, Neon, and I to go to school. Once there, we went to gym class, and I noticed Shelby wasn't seen anywhere, not even on campus. I thought it was weird, but maybe she's sick. It happens.

When Neon and I were walking home, I began walking inside, but she didn't.

"I'm gonna walk around for a bit more. Here's my backpack." Neon said as she handed it to me.

"Alright. When will you be back?" I asked.

"I'm not sure."

"Whaddaya mean "not sure"?"

Neon shrugged, then walked away. I tried calling out to her, but got nothing in response, so I walked inside. After an hour, I walked outside, only to see Neon walking towards me.

"Oh. You're back." I said.

"Yeah." Neon muttered as she walked past me and into the house.

Well, she seems happy.
********
It's been two days. I haven't seen Shelby at school lately.

I already know what Neon is, and unfortunately I think I know what happened to Shelby.

As Neon and I went to school that day, and once again I looked around in the two classes I had to know if I could see Shelby anywhere. It's not like her to miss school.

What the heck did you do to her, Neon? Did you do what I think you did?

Or is it possible she's still alive?

If she is, I can't say how much of her is left. After English ended, Yuki, Neon, and I walked to gym class. No dodgeballs were ready for us and lined up on the floor, so it looks like we'd be walking around the gym today.

As gym class progressed, I looked around the gym every once in a while for Shelby. Never saw her once, not even to show up to the class late, which she did sometimes.

"Hey, where's Shelby? I haven't seen her around school lately. Is she sick?" Yuki asked, jogging next to me.

See, Neon? Yuki's asking too and he also doesn't like Shelby!

"I don't think so. I'm pretty sure it has to do with Neon when she took Shelby home a few days ago." I said, shaking my head.

"You think Neon's one of them, don't you, and that she did something to Shelby. That's what you're saying, right, Kira?"

"You got it, man."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Yuki shake his head.

"I think I get what you're saying. I don't like Shelby as much as you guys, but even she doesn't deserve something like that." He replied as he slowed his jog.

"SEE, NEON?!"

"Agreed. I'm going to have to see if I can find her after school. If not today, maybe tomorrow." I said.

"I knew you'd do something about it! That's my girl Kira for you!" Yuki said, catching back up to me.

"His girl? Like in the romantic way?"

Looking at his face, I could see a slight blush on his cheeks. I couldn't help but smile. Maybe he meant it in the way I thought he means, or maybe he's just being Yuki. Either way, it doesn't matter.

"Kira?"

"Yeah?"

"You think Shelby's still alive?" Yuki asked. I slowed my jog, looking down at the floor. Yuki continued jogging past me, unaware I had stopped.

"I don't know. She could be suffering a slow, agonizing death, or she could already be dead.....which is what I'm kinda worried about."

Able to hear me from behind him, Yuki stopped his jog and walked towards me while the other kids all jogged past us, including Neon.

"Neon seems to be doing better in terms of food. I have a hunch that maybe Shelby IS going through a slow death. It wouldn't surprise me given how much those two dislike each other."

"So you're saying Neon's paying her back for all the crap Shelby put her through?" Yuki asked, laying a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him and nodded my head.

"Exactly."

Yuki took his hand off my shoulder, then turned away and shrugged.

"Well, it does make sense given how badly Shelby always treated her."

"Yeah....like...."

"Like Neon is a monster just for existing." Yuki and I said in unison. We both looked at each other and began to laugh, both of us shaking our heads. I walked up to him and slung my one arm around his shoulder.

"You're cute, y'know that?"

"It's me, is it? It's you, Kira." Yuki said, poking my cheek.

"Get a room, you two." Neon said as she jogged past us.
********
Once gym class ended, Yuki and I walked out of the room together while Neon went home ahead of us. Yuki and I walked to my house together as well.

When we got to my house and Neon continued walking ahead of us, I pointed Yuki into the house. While we walked into the house, I kept an eye on Neon.

"Hey, I'll be right back." I said to Yuki.

"Gonna go check on Neon?"

"Yeah."

"Alright then. I'll chill in here." Yuki responded as he sat on the couch.

"Okay. See ya later." I said. Yuki nodded and reached for the remote, so I walked out of the house. I began walking towards the edge of town. Once there, I noticed someone walking out of the woods, so I hid behind someone's trash can. Don't know if it was Shelby's house but I guess it doesn't really matter. 

As I peered out from behind the trash can, I could see the person I saw walking out of the woods was Neon. She didn't notice me, thankfully, or if she did she said nothing. I watched as she walked away until she was completely out of my sight.

Once I could no longer see her, I walked into the woods. I walked, walked, and walked until I finally began to reach the end of them.

I couldn't see anything, so I turned around and began walking away. As I looked to my left, I heard what sounded like a small whine of some kind.

The more I walked, I swear I could see an outline of someone tied to a tree. As I drew closer, I could see who it was immediately.

That long brown hair always tied up at the left side of her head, that short stature....I've finally found you, Shelby!

End chapter