"How is she?" Mia asked, jumping to greet the doctor. She, Zac and I had been sitting in the hospital waiting room, waiting for news of Ellie's condition.
"Not good. She's bleeding internally." The doctor looked up at us. "I'm afraid there's not much else I can do."
"No!" I heard Zac whisper. Mia crumpled into a chair, sobbing. I felt like I was in shock. I wasn't going to let Ellie die like I'd let Karine die.
The doctor left us alone, and the waiting room was silent. An ambulance pulled up outside. I looked up to see Taylor and Gabby enter the hospital!
"Taylor, Gabby!" I yelled. Zac looked up and groaned, holding his arm. Taylor and Gabby ran towards us.
"Celine!" Gabby cried, running into my arms. "What's going on?"
"What happened to you two?" Zac asked.
"Time for that later. How's Ellie?"
"She's…not good," Zac stammered.
"I have to be with her!"
"Gabby, you can't be."
"She needs me! Where is she?"
"I don't know, but we're going to find her," I said determinedly. Zac, Gabby, Taylor, Mia and I walked down the hallway, where we ran into the doctor. "Where's Ellie?"
"In there." I started into the room when the doctor pulled me back. "Not too long."
I squared my shoulders and walked in.
Ellie's body on the bed almost made me sick. This was my best friend. We were supposed to graduate from high school and college together! What if she didn't make it?
I went over to her bedside and brushed away a strand of sticky hair. I knelt beside her and took her hand. Zac stood next to me.
"Ellie, I'm here now," I said. "We're all safe. You're my best friend. I did some crazy things while you were captured. Luckily, Isaac and Taylor were there. But, although I may be crazy, I do know one thing. If you die, I die, too." My voice cracked. "Ellie, I love you so much. Please, please wake up!"
I put my head on her bed and started to cry. Zac and Taylor put their arms around me. I couldn't stand it. First, I'd lost Jeremy. Now I would lose Ellie. I never had Isaac to lose. Where would I be without Ellie?
A twitch under my hand brought my head up. "Ellie?" Zac whispered.
Ellie struggled to open her eyes. She did for the briefest instant, looked at Zac, Taylor, Celine and finally me. She knew I was there. And I knew she'd be okay. We both had major healing to do, but we'd do it together.
"How are you doing?" I asked Zac as we left Ellie's room. Celine and Gabby were staying with Ellie.
"This arm hurts way more than I thought," Zac mumbled. "But the important thing is that Ellie improves."
"Yeah." I nodded. "Boy, you two have been through a lot together now."
"What's going to happen at the end of the summer when we leave? We'll have to pick up the tour again now that Mom delayed it for us."
"Don't worry," I comforted. "You and Ellie have a secure relationship. I'm sure you'll be able to write to each other."
"But, Taylor," Zac wailed. "I won't get to see her, and you know I just can't live a minute without her!"
I smiled, seeing the first signs that Zac was recovering…or at least his sense of humor was.
"Well, you have some time," I explained. "We don't have to leave until December. Mom, Dad and the kids are flying up here to stay with us until Christmas Eve."
"Christmas Eve!" Zac exclaimed. "You mean we can't even stay for Christmas Day?"
"Come on, Zac!" I said. "At least you get to be with Ellie longer!"
"I could never be with her long enough," Zac sighed.
My eyes opened again to see Celine and Gabby sitting beside my bed.
"Ellie?" they both said as my eyes focused. "How are you doing?"
"All right, I guess," I responded. "I feel much better."
"I was so worried about you." Celine began to cry.
"You came so close to dying twice," Gabby continued.
"Don't cry," I said. "I'm still amazed that I am alive. I'm so sorry we put you guys through all this. Zac and I never should have gone off alone."
"No, it's all right, Ellie," Celine said. "You're back and everything's going to be okay. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine for not paying attention." Both Celine and Gabby reached over and squeezed my hands.
"What was it like…to almost die?" Gabby asked.
"I felt so scared at first." Tears began to roll down my cheeks as I remembered what it had felt like to be that scared. "I didn't want to die. I was afraid of what they would do to me, how they would kill me," I sobbed. Celine wrapped her arm around my shoulders. "Zac kept promising that it would be okay, but I hardly believed him. How could I? Even once we climbed into the vents, it didn't seem like we had a chance. They were chasing us, and I was hurt so badly, not knowing whether I would die from the girls or my injuries. When you finally found me, Celine, I thought it was them. I thought it was over. Then the strangest thing happened. I wasn't afraid anymore. I guess I just sort of passed out, knowing that I was done for. Then I opened my eyes and saw Celine. I think that is a moment I will never forget. You guys saved my life."
"We were so scared, too," Gabby said. Celine nodded.
"You should see my house," she laughed. Just then, the door opened and my mom and Zac walked in.
"Mom! Zac!" I exclaimed. They both raced over to my side. Suddenly, everything that had happened in the last two weeks drained away. I was surrounded by the people I loved the most; Zac, my mom, Gabby and Celine. It was then I knew everything would be okay.
"Ellie!" I cried a few days later, coming into her hospital room.
"Hey, Gabby," Ellie said. Zac was sitting beside her, trying to get her to eat.
Taylor was visiting Isaac down the hall, who had almost recovered from smoke inhalation. I was fine. Zac was doing better as well. For days, Ellie had drifted in and out of consciousness. She'd had some signs of pneumonia, but the doctors were sure she'd be fine. I was so relieved. I didn't dare to think about what would happen next, with Randi and her Scream Squad.
"How are ya, Zac?" I asked, plopping down beside him.
"Okay. Where's Tay?"
"In with Isaac."
"How is he?" Ellie asked quietly.
"He's fine, Ellie. Just be quiet," I told her.
"I'm so sorry, Gabby."
"It's okay. Shut up now and eat," I said playfully. Ellie laughed a little, but stopped when pain set in. I felt better than I had for a long time.
"Hey, Ike, you almost ready to leave?" I asked, going into Ike's room.
"Yeah." Ike paused, playing with the blanket. "How's Gabby?"
"She's okay. Why?"
"Well…she hasn't been in to see me for a while. Maybe she hates me for knowing Randi was behind all of this."
"Ike, she doesn't hate you. She's just so preoccupied with Ellie's recovery now. Hey, you know, the day I rescued you guys, Gabby didn't want to leave your side."
"Really?" Ike perked up. I laughed.
"Come on, you can see her for yourself…now that everything is back to normal!"
"It's so good to see you every day!" I said to Ellie later that night. She and I were sitting in her hospital room. Today was the day Isaac was coming home from the hospital. Isaac, Taylor, Zac, Mia and I were staying at Celine's. "So…did anything happen between you two?"
Ellie blushed.
"I knew it!" I exclaimed. "Come on, I'm your best friend. I swear I won't tell!"
"Well, okay." Ellie paused. "Zac kissed me."
"He did?!"
"Twice."
"That's great!" I said, feeling a bit jealous. "You guys are so cute together!"
"We are!" Ellie laughed a little. "How about you?"
"What about me?"
"Oh, come on!" Ellie carefully reached over and punched me knowingly. "What about you and Ike?"
Everything I had done flashed before my eyes. "Ellie…it was terrible! I did some stupid things! I almost killed myself by jumping off a balcony!"
"You what?!" Ellie started, but she gasped in pain. I waited until she calmed down.
"Isaac saved me. No one even told me Randi was involved!"
"Gabby, they only did that for your own good. And don't ever try to kill yourself! Do you know how stupid that is?"
"I know. I'm so sorry!" I looked ashamedly as the hospital door opened. Ellie had spoken the truth, but I knew this wasn't over yet.
Taylor, Zac and Isaac stood in the doorway. Zac smiled and, holding his injured arm, ran to Ellie's side. I begged Ellie with my eyes not to tell Zac what I had just told her. She nodded knowingly. Taylor followed Zac inside, and plopped down in a chair with a cup of hot chocolate. Isaac came over, said hi to Ellie and stood beside me.
"Are you okay?" I asked him worriedly.
"Yeah," he said.
"Are you almost ready to go?" Taylor asked. It would be Isaac's first night at Celine's house in almost a week. I would be going with them, and Zac and Ellie were staying in the hospital.
"Bye, Ellie," I said, hugging her carefully. "See ya, Zac." Zac high-fived me and I followed Isaac and Taylor out the door.
The pounding in my side started to subside when Zac turned to me and smiled. "How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Better," I answered. "You?"
"Okay." There was a pause. "Ellie, there was something I was going to tell you back there when I thought we were going to die."
"Okay." My mind was so blurry. I had no idea what he was talking about!
"Ellie, I…" Zac stopped when his eyes met mine. Slowly, we both leaned towards each other until our lips met. Time seemed to stop. Everything was perfect now.
I pulled away from him after a few seconds. I really had no idea what to say. I had never really been kissed before, and now I was sitting in a hospital room, recovering, and Zac Hanson had just kissed me! I wished Gabby could be feeling the way I felt! Zac crawled up on the bed beside me, flipped on the TV and kissed my head. Then we sat, watching TV.
"Wahoo!" I yelled, coming into Celine's house. "I'm home!"
"You're in A home," Gabby joked, coming in behind me. "Not YOUR home."
I turned around and looked at her. Was this the moment that I should tell her I had feelings for her, now that everything was back to normal? "Gabby, I…"
The phone rang, interrupting me. Gabby looked questioningly at me. "Hello?" I asked.
"Is Gabrielle Anderson there?"
"Yes, hold on a moment, please." I handed her the phone and went into the kitchen, where Celine and Taylor were getting a snack.
"Hey, Isaac," Celine said, giving me a hug.
"Hey," I said dejectedly.
"What's wrong?"
"Should I tell Gabby I have feelings for her?" I blurted out.
Celine looked at Taylor and was about to answer when Gabby came in, looking pale.
"Gabby?" I asked, going to her side. I looked into her eyes and almost told her right there, but she obviously had other things on her mind.
She ran past me over to Celine. "Celine, it's not over yet!" she cried. Celine put her arms around her and motioned for Taylor and me to come over. "There's going to be a trial."
"A trial?" Taylor asked.
"Yeah…they're going to put Randi on trial. We all have to testify!"
Taylor and I looked at each other. Would this ever end?
The morning of the day I was supposed to testify, I woke up extremely nervous. I grew even more nervous as I got dressed in a light blue summer dress.
"Gabby, you ready?" Celine poked her head into my room.
"Yeah." I followed her downstairs where Taylor and Isaac were waiting. I didn't feel like talking, and I guess everyone guessed it.
The time passed by in a blur, and before I knew it, I was seated on the witness stand.
"Gabrielle, you went to school with Randi, correct?" the prosecutor asked.
"Yes, I did."
"Did she ever give you any clue about her conspiracy against Ellie and Zac?"
"No, but I never really knew her. I only came into contact with her because she…" I paused. "She was dating my ex."
"Explain to us how you felt when you discovered Ellie and Zac had been kidnapped."
"I felt very depressed and upset," I said, tears forming in my eyes just thinking about it. "Ellie is my best friend. She has been my entire life. I just didn't understand why anyone would want to hurt you." The pressure I'd felt during those two weeks came crashing back down onto me. I wanted to put Randi away! "Those two weeks she was gone were the hardest of my life. I tried to kill myself." My voice cracked and I knew I was about to lose it. "I'd never felt so terrible…" I couldn't go on. I started crying and couldn't speak.
"Would you like to be excused?" the prosecutor asked quietly and sympathetically. I nodded. Isaac came over to me and took me out of the room into the hallway.
"Isaac, I'm sorry," I said once we were outside.
"Why? You did a great job!"
"I just wanted to put Randi away so badly…I couldn't stand it up there."
Isaac looked at me. "Come here," he said. I stiffened when he put his arms around me, but soon I relaxed, glad he was holding me.
"Are they going to ask me to go up there again?" I asked.
"Maybe."
"I can't!"
"Yes, you can! We're all behind you, Gabby. It's okay. It's over. Randi's bound to be punished."
I felt Isaac gently kiss my head. Fresh tears formed in my eyes, not because of the trial, but because of Isaac's continual support. Maybe I was letting down another wall. I only had a few left, but it scared me to know I was so close to being in another relationship.
"Do you feel better now?" he asked quietly, pulling away and looking into my eyes.
"Yeah," I answered. Isaac wiped away a stray tear. I closed my eyes and grabbed his hand before it left my face. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me. You did it yourself."
I looked up at him. Our eyes locked. I felt our faces being pulled closer together. Was I ready to do this? This time I wasn't going to pull away, because I knew this was what I wanted.
Before Isaac could kiss me, the door flew open. Obviously, court had been dismissed for the day. I quickly pulled away from Isaac.
Randi walked past me. "I hate you," she mumbled. "You stole both of my boyfriends. I hope you go to hell!"
"I'll see you there," I answered. Randi glared at me, but was forced down the hall.
"Gabby, are you all right?" Taylor asked me.
"Yeah," I said, looking at Isaac. "I just needed a minute."
"Well, come on, guys. We'll have to come back tomorrow. Ellie is scheduled to testify," Celine said.
"I just want to go home," I murmured. Taylor came to my side and we walked out of the courthouse together.
"Rise and shine!" I said to Ellie the next morning.
"Why?" Ellie groaned sleepily.
"You have to testify today."
"Zac, I don't want to. What if I crumble on the stand like Gabby did? Our testimonies are the most important!"
"Ellie, sweetie, you're not going to crumble," I said, taking her hand. "You'll go up there and answer the questions, that's all."
Ellie looked up at me. "Okay." I helped Ellie out of bed, gave her a quick kiss and left.
"Ellie, you and Zac were kidnapped on July 5, right?" the prosecution asked me.
"Yes."
The attorney motioned to Randi. "Randi has a solid alibi for that day. Do you know what that is?"
"No."
"She was at her boyfriend's house."
I laughed. "At 2:00 in the morning?"
"Objection! Pure speculation. Ellie doesn't know that person was Randi!"
"Sustained."
"Ellie, how were you and Zac treated?"
"Very cruelly. We were tossed around like rag dolls. I was drugged and injured my side, and Zac broke his arm. We escaped through an airvent."
