They didn’t stop running till Alice leads them into the deep woods.
“I’m tired,” Bella said, breathing hard. “We need to stop here before I faint.”
The six of them stopped too and then sit under the oak, not knowing that the son of Santiago, the shooter was on the tree, gazing down.
“Oh my God, ” Lucy said, looking at Sophia who’s leaning her head against the tree, feeling tired.
They all kept silent for a while, waiting under the cool lawn, refreshing their strength. And not long after, Ben bent his head on his lap, sobbing, and Lucy walked to him saying, “What’s wrong, Ben?”
“Everything,” he replied, his head is still on his lap, he did not want others to see his eyes dropping tears. “I missed Erica, please let’s go back home.”
“No, we can’t, we haven’t found Henry yet,” Sophia said.
“Henry had already dead,” Ben shouted.
Sophia looks at him and boomed, “Don’t dare to say that again?”
“You mean I shouldn’t say the truth again?”
“Is that the truth?”
“Yes, Henry is dead. How can you expect him to survive after jumping in the river,” he said, “We are just risking our lives on nothing. I’m going home.”
“Go anywhere you wanna go, my friends will stay,” Sophia shouted
“I’m not staying,” Lucy said.
“Me too,” Bella said.
“We need to go home,” Ben added
“Okay okay, you guys can go, I will wait for him,” Sophia said.
“We need to go, Sophia,” Lucy said, “Staying alone here is dangerous.”
“Leaving without Henry is dangerous too,” Sophia boomed, “Try to understand me.”
“How sure are you that Henry didn’t shoot Erica?” Ben said
“I believe he can’t do that,” Sophia asseverated.
“How sure are you?”
“Hundred percent and I will believe this for the rest of my life,” Sophia said.
They keep silent for about good thirty minutes, looking at each other. Alice and Henry exchanged glances, and Alice could see in his eyes, that he want to tell the truth, but she gives him a quick sharp look not to dare to do that if he doesn’t want to die.
“A minute,” Henry said, walking to the back of the next tree.
“Anabelle, where are you going?” Alice asked.
“I’m coming. I wanna ease myself,” he said.
Alice knows he lied, she knows he went there to cry. “Alright.” She looked at Ben saying, “What happened to Henry?”
“Everything,” Ben said.
“He was Sophia’s boyfriend?”
Ben noded.
“Sophia should stop crying,” Alice said, “she will find another love again.”
“I can’t,” Sophia raised her voice, “And if I do, it can’t be the same.”
“After he’s dead,” Henry said
“Don’t never, say that again,” Sophia said, “in your life.”
“Relax men,” Alice said, “Everything will be fine.”
“Everything is not fine,” Sophia said, “And I don’t think it would be unless we do something.”
Alice sat down, she was fed up with begging her, in that same hour she remembers her mom and concluded that she missed her mom too. And then she remembered back then in school when she rejected Micheal flowers. She remembered how bad he cries when she ignored him and warned him to stop begging her for love. “Is this what Micheal felt too?” She thought to herself, “I thought we are too young to love. I shouldn’t have treated him that way.”
She remembered her mom’s favorite quote that says, “Love is timeless treasures emotions that heals.”
“Everyone is so cruel,” Sophia said shedding tears. “Everyone.”
Henry get back to them and sat down, and one could see the trace of tears on his eyes. He looked at Sophia, thinking maybe he should review the truth. And to stave off any catastrophe. Alice said, “We can’t go to work. The boss would be angry by now.”
“Is it because we didn’t ask for her permission before we went to the King palace?” Henry asked her.
“Yes, she won’t accept us again. I think we should stay till Ruben come.”
Ben looked at her and says, “Do you know Reuben”
“Yes, he was my father’s friend. If he sees me, he would remember me.”
Sophia sighed. “Alice, do you help me see Henry.”
“I don’t know who you are talking about. But I remember that a boy came to me and asked for money for food.”
“How does he looks like,” Sophia said. “Which clothe did he wore? ”
“Football jacket and he has pink lips, curly hair,” Alice said.
“Oh! Tell me more please,”
“Let me remember everything first.” She looks up, pretending like she was thinking of something. “Yay, his clothes were wet when he comes to me ”
Sophia looked and her friends and say, “He was him. I told you guys that Henry didn’t die.”
“Do you mean you just said, “Bella asked Alice?
“Yeah, ” Alice said, “he told me he comes from the city from music school.”
“Oh my God, ” Sophia said, “That is him. Please take me to him.”
“Since that day, I don’t know where he is,”
“Didn’t he tells you where he lives.”
“Not at all. Although I asked him but he said he can’t answer me because he doesn’t want to die ”
“I know Henry hasn’t died, ” Sophia said looking at her friend, “are you still going to leave me here. ”
“I’m sorry Sophia, ” Bella said
“I’m sorry too, ” Lucy said, “this is time to find him, we should not waste all our effort ”
Ben said, “I won’t wait because I love Erica and I have missed her a lot.”
“You cause a lot of pain to Erica. She cried every day because of you,” Sophia boomed, you that realize you love her when you let her go.”
Ben wears a countenance of anger.
“And it was shot because of you after she waiting for hours that night.”
“What are you trying to say?” Ben asked.
“What do you want me to say?” Sophia shouted, “what do you want to hear?”
“Was that why Ben shoot her?” Ben shouted, “I will leave you guys alone and find him, and I will make sure I shoot him down too.” He dropped Lucy’s bag, walking away.
“Don’t dare to do that,” Sophia shouted.
Henry rushed to him.”Please don’t go, you know you are the only boy among us.”
Sophia rushed to Henry and holds his hands. “Anabelle, leave him alone, let him go.”
And then Ben left them angrily.