Hey guys! I felt bad about not updating for so long, so here is a longerish chapter for you! Enjoy!!

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Their next class together was P.E.
(This is where the real work begins) Tao thought to himself. He walked into the boys’ locker room and cringed. The stench of sweat and overwhelming cologne burned his nostrils. He got dressed as quickly as he could and returned to the gym. The girls were playing badminton and the guys were wrestling. Tao had no problem at all with wrestling but it made it hard to keep an eye on Mae. He quickly finished off every opponent, causing the wrestling coach to blanch.
"You are amazing! How would you like to join the wrestling team?" the coach said to him excitedly. Tao politely declined. The coach was put out and walked away, mumbling.

“That kid doesn’t know what he’s missing.  What a waste of talent!” Tao’s lips quirked.  (If only he knew.)  No one else wanted to go up against Tao again, so he wandered over to the girls’ side to watch Mae.  He sat down on the bleachers beside the courts and ruffled his hair, unsticking a few sweaty pieces from his forehead.  Then he exhaled and brought his arms over his head into a stretch.  He heard a clatter and abruptly stopped, his arms still in the air.  He looked down at the badminton game. All of the girls were staring at him with wide-eyed shock and curiosity.  Slack jaws snapped shut and blushes appeared when the girls realized that Tao had noticed them gawking.  He then looked at Mae, who had her palms covering her eyes.  She peeked through her hands and Tao noticed her pink cheeks.  A well-built girl named Jen started giggling hysterically and pointed a pudgy finger at Tao’s midsection.  He looked down, turning pink himself.  He lowered his arms and heaved a sigh. (I’m never going to live this down.)  Tao’s shirt that Mae had given him for PE was really too short for him, and he’d just succeeded in flashing the entire girls PE class his midriff section.  A lot of the girls were disappointed when their show had to end.  The boys’ side had noticed the girls.  A few were snickering at Tao’s blunder, some were angry saying he had done it on purpose and then… there were a few blushing themselves.  After a few minutes, and the coach yelling, everyone resumed their activities.  Amberleigh, who was also in their PE class, was whispering to her friends.  Her eyes flitted between Tao and her friends.  They un-huddled, looking devious.  She nodded to her friend with the birdie and the game began.  The shuttle was hit into the air.  Amberleigh was in front, poised to jump.

“Hit it over the net!”  “Jump!”   Amberleigh leaped, smashing the birdie into the other court.  She landed gracefully, but then dramatically toppled over.  Her friends gathered around her, sharing a secret look.

“Are you okay?”  Her friend, Cookie, asked. Amberleigh grabbed her ankle, crocodile tears springing to her eyes and answering a little too loudly.

“It hurts so badly! I think it’s broken!” By this time, Tao had noticed Amberleigh on the floor and was making his way to her.  “Great job girls.” Amberleigh whispered to her friends with a wink, and then turned to her ‘rescuer.’

“Tao.” She sniffled. “Would you be willing to help me to the nurse?”  Tao looked over to Mae, who was now slowing bending over to pick up the birdie.  She turned, walking back to her spot. Their eyes didn’t meet once.  (What is up with her?)

“Sure.” He helped her up, putting an arm around her waist to support her. Amberleigh fake-limped halfway to the door and then “tripped” over something invisible. She landed against Tao her fingers splayed on his chest. 

“Sorry,” She said. She looked away as if she was embarrassed. “I don’t think I’ll make it to the nurse.”  Tao sighed, glancing at the girl with distaste. He swept her up in his arms and quickly made his way out of the gym, leaving the now squealing girls behind them. 

Mae was glad that he hadn’t looked back, or else he might have seen her about ready to cry.  She looked around her, noticing a circle of Amberleigh’s friends had swarmed around her.

“You heard what we have to do.” One girl spoke to all of the others.  They all nodded in return.  Mae was beginning to get nervous.

“What are you guys talking about?”  The girl that had spoken earlier, glared at her.

“Shut up!”  Mae closed , surprised.  Claw-like fingernails were upon her, and she was dragged out of the gym.  Mae knew where she was as soon, as she was dropped into sticky, black mud.  She turned and faced the most terrifying building on the school property: The abandoned PE storehouse.  All of the windows were boarded up and the door was made of thick, aged metal.  Trees and savage looking plants had grown on and around it, making it look even scarier.  Not even the teachers came near it.  Mae whimpered.

“You’re not going to put me in there are you?”  The girls didn’t have to speak because their faces said it all.  A tall girl with long, thin hair opened the screeching door.  She stood behind it, holding it open from behind so that she didn’t have to go in.  The other students who were holding Mae tossed her into the darkness roughly and quickly slammed the door.  Mae heard the clink of chain running through the handle of the metal door and the clink of a lock.  Mae cried out and tried shaking the door open.  She yelled and yelled for help, but no one was around. Everyone had left.  She scratched at the door to no avail. She hit her knees, trembling.  Her glasses had broken when she had gotten tossed in, and she was coated in a thick layer of mud.  Mae was blind in the dark, and that made everything so much scarier.  The wind was blowing harshly, rattling the windows.  Mae crawled over to a corner and brought her knees up to her chest.  (I’m going to end up dying before someone finds me.) 

Tao heard the bell ring for the next class.  He was still in the nurse’s office. 

“Excuse me.” He addressed the nurse. “I’ll be getting to my next class.”  Amberleigh pouted, but Tao ignored her.

“Carrying her here must have been hard work. Your girlfriend will be fine.” The nurse smiled at him.

“She’s not my girlfriend.” Tao replied, shortly and left.  Amberleigh smirked.

“At least not yet.” She whispered. “I’ll make you want me.” 

Tao arrived at his class and looked around for Mae. (Where is she?)  He tapped a girl’s shoulder, who had been in their same class earlier.

“Have you seen Mae?”  It was Cookie, a friend of Amberleigh’s.  She avoided his gaze, pretending to adjust the hem of her skirt.

“I heard she left.” Tao was confused.

“Left? To where?”

“Um. Well we’re not super great friends, so I wouldn’t really know. Maybe she felt sick and went home or maybe she skipped or something.” Tao knew Mae wouldn’t skip school. (Is she really sick?)

Tao worried all day, and went home as fast as he could.  Mae wasn’t answering her phone and he had found her backpack put away in the PE hallway.  He had asked a girl to see if her school uniform was still in the locker room and she confirmed that it was.  Tao had an awful feeling in his gut.  (Where could she have gone? I’ll have to go tell her dad.)  Tao ran a hand down his face.  He stood outside of Mae’s house and waited for her father to arrive.  He saw a sleek, black car pull into the drive.  He watched as Kris climbed out of the driver seat and went around opening the door for Mae’s father.  He climbed out, wearing a crisp, black suit and looking content.  Tao quickly approached him, ignoring Kris, now trying to greet him.  Mr. Jin read the look on Tao’s face.

“Where is Mae?” Tao bowed.

“I am so sorry.” The older man hitched a breath.

“What happened?”

“She… disappeared.” Her father’s face crumpled and he placed a hand on the car to steady himself.

“I don’t believe this.”

“Sir, I’m sorry. It is all my fault. I should’ve kept a better watch on her.” The man held up a hand and Tao fell silent.

“Kris, you can leave. It is really late.” Kris bowed, casting a worried glance between Tao and his employer.

“Good night, Sir.” Kris pulled the car out and left.

“Tao.” The man looked defeated. “We will look for her tomorrow.”

“But Sir…”

“Tomorrow.”  Mr. Jin left Tao standing in the driveway and went inside.

                The next morning, Mr. Jin gathered all of his employees and told them about Mae’s disappearance.  They split into groups and prepared to search. Mae’s father approached Tao, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“This isn’t your fault. I need you to go to school and look around there. Be attentive.” Tao avoided the man’s gaze and bowed. 

                When Tao arrived at school, he noticed a group of girls whispering anxiously to each other, casting glances over at him.  Cookie was sitting in his first hour class when he walked in.

“Tao.” She said catching his attention. She was nervously twisting her shirt. “Where is Mae this morning?”

Tao narrowed his eyes.

“She didn’t come home last night.” He watched Cookie’s face, as her eyes widened with guilt and realization.  He frightened her as he slammed his hand into the wall, next to her face.  Tao was now only inches away.

“But I think you are going to tell me where she is at.”

                Tao was running.  (How could those girls have locked Mae into an abandoned shed! She could be hurt!)  Cookie had cried while spilling the story. She knew she was going to get in trouble with Amberleigh but she never wanted to hurt Mae.

 “I thought she would be able to get out!” She explained, not making the situation any better.  Tao got to the storehouse and took in the appearance.  He pounded on the door.

“Mae! Can you hear me? Mae! Mae!”

… There was no answer…  

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Cliffhanger... haha feeling a little evil. Please leave me your thoughts! I love hearing from you guys and thanks for not giving up on me! :)