Stella's POV
The air felt cold and heavy around us as we stood in that empty hallway, the silence pressing down on my chest. Mia’s words echoed in my head, and a sick feeling twisted in my stomach. Harper was in trouble, and we were running out of time.
Mia leaned against the wall, her face pale, her shoulders trembling. She looked so lost, so broken, and it scared me. Gwen was pacing back and forth, fists clenched, jaw tight with anger and fear. I hugged myself, trying to stop my hands from shaking. Everything felt like it was falling apart.
“What do we do now?” My voice was small, weak. I didn’t know what to say. Nothing made sense anymore.
Mia looked up, her eyes empty. “I don’t know,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I’ve never heard her like that... so scared... so hurt. I don’t know how to help her.” Her shoulders slumped, her body shaking. “I don’t even know where she is.”
Hearing Mia’s voice so broken made my chest hurt. Harper was always the strong one, the one who took care of us. But now... she needed us. And we didn’t know how to help her.
Gwen slammed her fist against the wall, the sound echoing down the hallway. “This is all Liam’s fault,” she growled, her eyes blazing with anger. “If he hadn’t... If he hadn’t done this to her...” Her voice cracked, her shoulders shaking.
I took a shaky breath, my throat tight. “We don’t even know if it was him,” I said softly, trying to be calm. “We don’t know who shared the video.”
Gwen’s head snapped toward me, her eyes sharp and cold. “Who else could it be?” she snapped. “He was in it. He used her... then left her to suffer alone.” Her voice wavered, her anger crumbling into pain. “I want to kill him.”
I believed her. The look in her eyes was dangerous, her fists shaking with rage. I stepped closer, placing my hand on her arm. “We can’t focus on that right now. We have to find Harper. If we’re too busy being angry, we won’t be able to help her.”
Gwen looked at me, her anger fading to fear. She let out a shaky breath, her shoulders falling. “I hate this. I hate feeling so... helpless.” Her voice was rough, tears shining in her eyes. “Harper always fights for us. She’s always the strong one. And now... we can’t do anything for her.”
Mia let out a bitter laugh, wiping her tears away. “Yeah. Some friends we are.” Her voice shook, her eyes red. “I should’ve known. I should’ve seen that she was hurting. But I didn’t. I was too busy having fun while she was breaking.”
“Mia...” I stepped toward her, but she shook her head, hugging herself tightly.
“No. I don’t get to cry. Not when Harper is out there... alone... dealing with this mess.” Her voice cracked, her shoulders shaking. “She must be so scared... so ashamed...”
The hallway felt colder, the air heavy with guilt and fear. We stood there, trapped in our thoughts, until Mia’s phone rang, breaking the silence.
She jumped, her eyes wide, almost dropping it before she quickly answered. “Hello?” Her voice was shaky, her face pale. “Harper?”
My heart stopped, my body freezing. Harper. It was Harper.
Gwen’s head snapped up, her body stiffening. We watched Mia, holding our breath as she listened, her face falling.
“Harper, where are you? Are you okay?” Mia’s voice was tight with panic, her hands shaking. “Please... just tell me where you are. I’ll come get you.”
There was a long pause. I couldn’t hear the other side, but I knew something was wrong. Mia’s face twisted in pain, her eyes filling with tears.
“Harper?” Mia’s voice wavered, her panic growing. “Harper, please... stop crying. Just... tell me where you are. I’ll find you. I promise.” Her voice was desperate, breaking with every word.
I could hear Harper’s sobbing through the phone, faint and broken. It was the most painful sound I’d ever heard.
Mia’s eyes were wide with fear, her grip tight on the phone. “Harper, please,” she begged, her voice cracking. “Don’t do this. Don’t shut me out. I... I can’t help you if you don’t tell me where you are.” Her shoulders shook, her tears falling. “Please... just let me help you.”
There was a long pause. Then, Harper’s voice came through, so soft and broken. “I... I can’t...”
Mia’s face crumbled, her tears falling harder. “Why?” she choked out. “Why can’t you? Why won’t you let me help?”
Harper’s sobs grew louder, her voice shaking. “Because... I’m... I’m so... ashamed...”
Mia covered her mouth, a sob escaping her. “Harper... it’s not your fault. None of this is your fault. Please... don’t do this to yourself.” Her voice was pleading, desperate. “I don’t care about that stupid video. I don’t care what people are saying. You’re my friend. Nothing changes that. Nothing.”
There was another long silence. Then Harper’s voice came through again, faint and broken. “Mia... I’m so... so sorry...”
Mia let out a choked sob, her body shaking. “Don’t... don’t apologize. Just... please... let me find you...” Her voice was trembling, filled with pain. “Tell me where you are. Please.”
For a moment, I thought Harper would stay silent, but then her voice came through, so soft I almost didn’t hear it.
“The... old music room... in the south building...” Her voice was faint, broken. “I... I didn’t know where else to go...”
Mia let out a cry, relief and fear mixed in her voice. “Okay... okay... we’re coming. Just... just stay there. Don’t move. We’ll find you.”
The call ended, and Mia stood there, her body shaking. She wiped her tears, her face hardening with determination. “We have to go. Now.”
Gwen nodded, her fists tightening. “Let’s move.”
I felt my heart pounding, my body moving before I even realized it. We ran, our footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.
We didn’t know what we would find. We didn’t know how to help Harper. But we were going to her. No matter what.