Read Online Missing Abby by Lee Weatherly - Free Book Online Page B

‘We think you need to talk about it more. We're your friends; we want to help.’
    Warmth radiated through me, and suddenly I was ridiculously close to tears. Maybe I could talk to them, really
talk
to them, and it would be OK. Maybe I could even tell them – everything.
    ‘Thanks, you two.’ I drew my sleeve across my face, and Jo dived into her handbag to hand me a tissue.
    ‘OK?’ she asked gently.
    I nodded, dabbing at my leaking eyes. ‘Um, it's just been so – I mean, I'm worried about her all the time, and – I keep imagining all the things that might have happened to her, or
be
happening to her …’
    Jo and Debbie sat very still, nodding as I spoke. Behind us, I could hear someone ordering a café latte. I looked down, clicking my spoon against my saucer. ‘But the worst thing is – well, the way I, um … treated her, after I left Balden. See, we—’
    ‘Emma?’ As Jo and Debbie's gazes flicked behind me, I turned around in my seat – and almost passed out, right across the table and our cappuccinos.
    Karen Stipp was standing there.
    She looked just the same – tall and confident, with wavy golden-brown hair and dark eyes. And dressed perfectly as usual, in tight black trousers and a shiny white top.
    She smiled at me, just like she hadn't completely ruined my life at Balden. ‘Emma, hi … I haven't seen you in ages.’
    No, what a surprise! I tend to avoid people who make my life an utter misery.
    ‘Oh … hi, Karen.’ Suddenly I felt like a neon sign was blazing on my forehead: pathetic Emma,the freak of Balden. I bit my lip and glanced at Jo and Debbie, who were looking at Karen with interest. Somehow I managed to introduce everybody.
    Karen scraped a chair over to our table, sitting down uninvited with her coffee. ‘Emma, listen, are you OK? We're all really worried about Abby at Balden, so I can imagine how
you
must feel.’
    She actually sounded concerned. I gripped my coffee cup warily. ‘Um – yeah, I'm OK.’
    Karen glanced at Jo and Debbie. ‘Emma and Abby used to be really close. It's so awful, not knowing if she's OK or not. I have Abby for a few classes at school, and now it's like there's this gaping space where she sat …’
    I took a slurp of coffee as emotions crashed inside me like tidal waves. This could not be true – Karen Stipp being nice!
    Jo nodded. ‘We were just talking about Abby … it's really scary.’
    ‘Yeah, it is.’ Karen took a pack of chocolates from her handbag and offered us all one. Her eyes were wide and innocent as she looked at me. ‘Emma, doesn't it just seem really
freaky
to you? The way it's all happened?’
    I froze in my seat, splinters of terror icing through me. A tiny, questioning smile hovered on Karen's face. Oh, god – any moment now, she'd tell Jo and Debbie what had happened at Balden; she'd
tell
them.
    ‘Um – yeah.’ I strangled the words out. ‘It just … yeah.’
    ‘It's sort of hard for her to talk about,’ said Debbie, unwrapping a chocolate.
    ‘Oh, of course.’ Karen stirred her coffee, looking down like she was embarrassed to have even brought it up. She glanced over at Debbie's sketchbook, which had some drawings on the front cover. ‘Hey, whose is this? These are really good.’
    Before I knew it, Debbie was showing Karen her drawings for the fashion contest, and Karen was gushing all over them, saying things like, ‘Wow, that's
fantastic –
but have you thought about making this bit in gold? I think gold would go
so-o
well with the turquoise.’
    And Jo and Debbie were smiling, chatting away to her, with Debbie scribbling down Karen's ideas like they were precious coins of wisdom. When they weren't looking, Karen smirked at me over her coffee.
Freak,
she mouthed.
    My stomach lurched as I clutched my cappuccino. Oh my god, how could this be
happening
? Why couldn't she just leave me alone! And now Jo and Debbie liked Karen; they
liked
her. They had forgotten all about me, they were too busy matey-ing it up