Shirley Holmes finished typing up her e-mail to Carson Jordins and logged
off the internet. Carson, a 14 year old guy she met in a chat room one
night was now Shirley's new found friend, and they were in the middle of
explaining their interests. Shirley walked over to her c.d. player and
turned off her Tori Amos c.d.
Bo Sawchuk bounded into the attic, Shirley smiled at her best friend
and new boyfriend.
"'Sup?" Bo asked, sitting on a chair backwards.
"Nothing." Shirley sighed. A moment of silence followed before she continued,
"That's the problem! Nothing's happened! I miss MOlly's attempts at making
me miserable! I wish it was Halloween again!"
Shirley's hands flew up in exasperation.
Bo raised his eyebrows and remembered how they had narrowly missed death due to fire at the Halloween dance. They were also caught up in a nasty fight for Scream Queen.
"Shirley you were like-" Bo paused, the stuck out his tongue and rolled
his eyes back in demonstration. He laughed a little.
"You were like GONE. You didn't even remember the fire, I mean it wasn't
funny then, but now," Bo looked at Shirley, who was giving him THE GLARE.
"But now it's still not funny." Bo straightened his smile quickly,
and surpressed some laughter.
Shirley thought for a moment, remembering that Halloween which was only
two months ago, and felt a familiar wave of anger.
"I still can't believe Molly and I tied, after all THAT... but it was
still pretty exciting." Shirley sighed and felt depressed. Bo walked over
to her and gave her a light pat on the back. In more ways he was still
more her best friend then her boyfriend.
"I think you're in a slum, Shirley. And I think that's okay. All this stress you're letting build up just doesn't look great on you. Relax, have a little bit of a life outside of mystery! I'll see you at school tomorrow- I'll pick you up." Bo assured her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, and bounded out of the attic.
Shirley smiled. Then again, Bo could be more of a boyfriend then a best friend too.
* * *
BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP.
Shirley groaned and rolled over in her bed, quickly shutting off her
alarm clock. She glared at it for a moment.
"I don't like you today." She muttered, not feeling like her usual
morning person self. After Bo had left the night before, Shirley logged
back on the internet on a whim that Cason would be on, and he was and they
talked until after one in the morning.
Shirley glanced at her alarm clock again and did a double take- it was ten o' clock! Brushing off her yearning to climb deeper under the covers she ran downstairs.
"Dad!" She exclaimed, running towards her father who was walking past
the stairway. Robert appeared a little startled.
"Morning Sweetheart." Robert greeted her, giving Shirley a quick kiss
on the cheek.
"Dad, why is it that I'm waking up on a school day too late and I'm
not in school?" Shirley demanded to know.
Robert sighed, used to the feeling of being interrogated in his own
home by his own daughter.
"What is it?" Shirley asked, noticing her father suddenly looked concerned, worried and serious all at once. She had never seen him look like that since their mother disappeared, and since her mother was back, he shouldn't look like that at all.
"Shirley," Robert began, "I don't enjoy telling you this, but you need to know. Yesterday, Kimberly Gutruck's was was on her way to meet a long-distance friend, her friend reported her to have never showed up, it appears that Kimberly has been kidnapped. The whole town has been put on alert and the police believe that the kidnapper is still at large and in Redington. The school is compiling some rules to ensure the safety of the students and will represent them tomorrow."
Shirley gasped and looked at her father.
"I know Kimberly. I mean, we're not friends, but I KNOW her."
Robert looked sad but continued.
"Until this whole thing, Grams, Mom and I will take turns giving you rides to school. Mrs. Sawchuk has arranged that we pick up Bo to- as his parents are already gone when he leaves for school."
"Oh good." Shirley said relieved that she didn't have to ask.
"You're Mom's home today too... SO you really like Bo hmmm?" Robert
looked at his daughter teasingly.
Shirley blushed and replied, "Maybe I'll go back to bed." She ran upstairs
and decided not to go back to bed afterall, but to go to the fish shop
where Bo worked and discuss the events of the day. Shirley got dressed
quickly and was about to leap out the door when her mother stopped her.
"Wherever you're going Shirley, let me drive you.. I don't want anything to happen alright?" Joanna appeared worried, and the whole reality of the kidnapping set in on Shirley.
* * *
Shirley ran into the fish shop so quickly that she nearly ran over a
customer in her haste. She reached the counter where Bo was intent at chopping
up a fish.
Without looking up Bo said, "Welcome to the Sawchuk Fish Shop. What
can I get you today?"
Shirley smirked. "I'd like some salmon and one of you please."
"Sorry, that and the salmon aren't available." Bo said as though girls said that to him every day. Bo looked up.
"Oh, Shirl! Hey!" Bo wiped his hands off on a cloth and gave Shirley
a once over.
"Did you just wake up?" He asked.
Shirley tried hard to appear casual.
"Um... why do you ask?"
Bo nodded at her shirt."You're shirts on backwards."
Shirley's face flushed and Bo busted out laughing.
"Just kidding!" Bo assured her, "You just look a little worn. What were you doing last night?" Shirley sighed, and yawned, feeling tired.
"I was talking to my friend Carson on the net." Shirley explained.
Bo raised his eyebrows.
"A guy?" was all he asked, but his voice had an edge of jealousy at
the same time.
Shirley hid her smile and said, "He's fully aware of you Bo, so you have nothing to worry about."
Bo shrugged, "I wasn't worried." He lied.
"So did you hear about the kidnapping?" Bo asked.
"Yeah... Poor Kim. She like, had it all. Looks, popularity, money. I mean her dad's what- one of the richest men in Redington? Maybe she's being kidnapped for ransom..." Shirley said suddenly, feeling very excited at the prospect.
"Could be Shirley. But there aren't any big leads, so we don't have a reason to get involved."
"Yet." Shirley added firmly.
"Yet," Bo repeated in agreement.
"I still can't believe Kim's been kidnapped! There MUST be something the police missed!!!" Shirley exclaimed, she thought.
"Um, Shirley?" Bo asked hesitantly.
"What?" Shirley asked.
"I don't like this... you have that look in your eyes again."
-End of Part 1-