Innocent Pains Stomach Revenge Cherilyn watched in amusement as Tanya ran around the room with a towel around her body. Tanya had already taken a quick shower and now searched for clean clothes while another towel, wrapped around her head, threatened to fall off at any given moment. Tanya saw her friend snicker and tossed the wet towel off her head at Cherilyn who caught it in mid air. "You could stop laughing and actually help." Tanya demanded as she dug through the wardrobe. "Why? It's more amusing to watch." Cherilyn said with a smile in her face, "I haven't seen you like this in a long time and I'm savouring the moment." She let out another giggle. A shirt landed on Cherilyn's head, "Well stop it." Tanya said, trying to act seriously, "You could at least try to help." Cherilyn got up, "Yes ma'am." She walked over to the girl and set her head on Tanya's shoulder while they both studied the contents of the wardrobe that stood before them, "How about that one?" She said, pointing at an orange skirt, "I've always liked that one." Pulling out the skirt Tanya looked it over, "You do, do you?" She smiled at Cherilyn, "I just don't like the tank top that goes with it... I don't know why...." "Why don't you just wear that white long sleeved one under it then?" Cherilyn said as she pointed to one of the several shirts that lay strewn across the bed. Tanya picked up a shirt and examined it, "You think that would work?" She raised one eyebrow at the set of clothes she had gathered. "I think," Cherilyn pulled Tanya into her arms, "That Kris will not care as long as you're not late. What do you think?" "Late?!?" Tanya glanced at the clock on her desk, "Ohmygod, I'm supposed to be at the mall in thirty minutes." She started to shove Cherilyn out of the room, "OUT! I need to get changed." "Awww... What does it matter, you're already naked..." Tanya glanced at herself and turned a deep red; she had lost the towel that was around her body in the chaos of finding something to wear. Cherilyn laughed as she allowed herself to be kicked out, stopping at the door and turning around to look Tanya in the eye, "Good to see you're back to normal." She smiled at the girl while holding the door open with one hand. "Thanks..." Tanya smiled while hiding behind the door. "Thank me when you bring those girls back, alright?" Cherilyn poked Tanya on the nose with a finger, "You'd better hurry now." She stepped out of the way of the door. "I'll talk to you later." Tanya said as she turned and let the door close behind her. It took Tanya only minutes to throw her clothes on, but she had to struggle with her hair for a bit longer. She tried her hardest to towel it dry but it seemed to stay damp. She finally gave up and pulled her hair up into a pair of pigtail and looked at her attire one last time, and then ran out the door, down the stairs and out of the dorm. Behind the school stood a small mall designed to give the girls something to do on their days off. It was run by some of the people in the nearby town and held a small restaurant, hair stylist and clothing shop among other things. Tanya quickly ran past the Head Mistresses house, and then passed through a small park filled with picnic tables for those warmer days, and by the time she reached the mall she was panting heavily, even though it was a all down hill. It didn't help that she had not been outside in months and not eaten much either, but she felt like she could run miles if it meant seeing Kris and Jenn again. She flopped on a bench near the mall and scanned the area in search of Kris, and then prepared to wait. There was no one else around so Tanya began worried that maybe Kris had already left. She checked her watch again to find it was now fifteen minutes past the time Kris said she would arrive at. She listened to her watch to make sure it was working then began waving her arm around wildly praying that it was not broken. "Is that some new kind of exercise?" A voice said from behind Tanya, causing the girl to jump. "EEEIIAAAA!!" Tanya yelled as she jumped to her feet and spun around. Kris was standing only a foot away from Tanya, "Good to see your lungs are still working." She said as she rubbed a finger in her ear, "I'm not to sure about my ears." "I'm sorry Kris," Tanya quickly apologized, "I didn't realize it was you." "I forgot how easy it was to scare you." Kris took the finger out of her ear, "I should know better." "I thought you said you'd be at the north entrance?" Tanya rambled nervously, "I didn't make a mistake, did I? Was I at the wrong entrance?" "No," Kris glanced around, "I just needed to get some money first. Sorry for the confusion." "Ahhhh," Tanya said letting out a sigh of relief. "Listen, have you eaten yet?" Kris asked glancing at the mall entrance. "Not really... why?" Tanya asked while eyeing the girl. "Good, then you won't mind us stopping for something to eat." Kris offered with a smile. "I guess." Tanya looked the girl over carefully, noticing that even though Kris appeared the same as the last time they met, there was something about her that had changed as well, mostly it appeared that the girl had not slept in a long time. Also there was something in her eyes and her voice, almost as if she was holding something back. This was not like the Kris Tanya remembered so dearly, but Tanya realized that whatever it was her friend must have a reason for keeping it a secret, so she remained silent, and simply watched the girl as they approached the mall entrance. "Then let's get going." Kris said and Tanya jumped into step beside her friend, "How does a sundae sound to you?" Kris asked, opening the mall's doors. "Great!" Tanya said with smile, "I'm starved." Kris stared at Tanya in shock, "I thought you would have been at breakfast when I called?" She asked while holding the door for the girl. Tanya nervously stared at the ground guiltily, "I sort of missed breakfast... and dinner...." she whispered ashamed of herself. "Why didn't you say so earlier?" Now it was Kris’s turn to study her friend and for the first time she noticed just how pale the girl was, and worn down she appeared, "Have you even been going out at all? You don't look to hot." There was a note of concern on her voice that reminded Tanya of the old Kris that she knew. "Ummm..." Tanya nervously rubbed the back of her neck. Kris grabbed the girl's arm, "In that case we're going to get some food in you, understood?" She said as if there was not going to be any arguments about it. For some reason, hearing Kris talk to her like this made a smile break out across Tanya's face and she suddenly wrapped her arms around the girl's neck, "Kris! I've missed you so much." Tears filled her eyes. "Me too, kid." Kris spotted a few people watching them and she began to usher Tanya through the door, "Let's find a place to eat so we can talk." She pulled the girl along and entered the first place that looked quiet and served some form of food. A waitress in her mid twenties approached the two girls, "Is there anything I can do for you?" She said with a warm smile. "A table for two, please." Kris said, still dragging Tanya behind her, "And could we have a quiet place in the back?" The waitress blinked for a moment then smiled, "Alright miss, if you would follow me." She pulled out two menus from a slot on the wall and began to weave her way to the back of the restaurant, the two girls following closely behind her. She stopped at a table for four at the far corner and set the menus down on the table. Kris nodded in approval of the table, which had a short wall covered in plants surrounding three sides of a small square table, a small yellow lamp swinging slightly overhead providing a soft glow that was not too dim, but not harsh either. Kris gestured for Tanya to take one side of the table as she moved to the other. "Would you like anything to drink before ordering?" The waitress politely asked. "Water." Kris requested as she sat in the chair closest to the wall. "Ummm..." Tanya thought as she pulled out the chair directly across from Kris, "Can I have a strawberry banana milkshake?" she asked. "Sure thing." The waitress wrote the order down on a small pad, "I'll be back to take your orders in a few." She turned around and left the two girls on their own. "Milkshake?" Kris gave Tanya an amused look. "Well, you owe me, so expect to pay big time." Tanya stated, as she crossed her arms and leaned against the back of her chair, pushing two of the chair’s legs off the ground until the back of the chair rested against the wall behind her. "I guess it's the least I can do, considering..." Kris let out a deep sigh as she placed her elbows on the table, laced her fingers together, setting her chin on her hands and watching Tanya, "So how have you been?" "Horrible." Tanya glared across the table, "First May dies, then Jenn tries to commits suicide and then she disappears from the hospital. Soon after you up and disappear without so much as a goodbye. How do you expect me to feel?" Tanya growled. Kris lifted her head in shock, "Didn't you get my letter?" She asked concerned. "Oh you mean, 'I'm off to find Jenn, Kris.' That letter?" Tanya let the chair fall back to the floor as she felt herself struggling with the urge to stand up and scream, "You never even called once to tell me how you were doing." "I'm sorry," Kris let out another sigh, "I never meant to hurt you or anyone else. I just..." "Your milkshake." The waitress appeared out of nowhere and placed a tall glass in front of Tanya, "And one water." Setting another glass by Kris, "Are either of you ready to order?" "No," Kris said not looking up, "I'm not very hungry right now." Tanya quickly skimmed over the menu, "I'll have a cheese burger with fries and a banana split for afterwards." She smiled over the menu at Kris, "Is that alright with you Kris?" "Sure," Kris rubbed her forehead. The pain in her head had been growing since she returned and didn't seem to be letting up. She had an idea this was going to be a long morning, but was not prepared for Tanya's stomach revenge, "Anything you want." She waved her hand in Tanya's direction. Smiling, Tanya set the menu next to herself, "In that case I'll keep this for now." She said to the waitress, who gave the girls a confused look. "One cheese burger and fries then." She stepped back from the table, and again ran off. "I guess there is no way you'll forgive me?" Kris said softly. "I don't know." Tanya said smiling at Kris, "Seeing as I was so worried about the two of you for the past while that I haven't eaten much of anything, I think your paying for the tab will at least get you back in my good books. That is if I get to see Jenn anytime soon. You mentioned on the phone that she is also back, is that true?" There was a soft thud as Kris hit her head on the table, "You will." She said without lifting her head, "She's sleeping in the clinic right now." "So what happened?" Tanya said in excitement, "How is she? And where have you been all this time?" "Hard to explain..." Kris rolled her head to the side while curling an arm under it, "It's like some weird dream or something. I'm not sure how to explain it all." "Well, strange things are known to happen around here." Tanya was again scanning the menu preparing for what she would order next before her hamburger even arrived. "This was just..." The more Kris tried to think, the more her memories became confused, "You know that feeling you have right after you wake up, where you're not sure if you were dreaming the moment before or not?" "Yeah, I have that feeling all the time." Tanya peered over the top of the menu, "But what does that have to do with you running away?" Kris looked up at her friend, "I had a feeling." There was a dreamy look in her eyes, like a cloud was forming over them. Tanya gave her friend a puzzled look, "A feeling?" She said in dismay. "I entered the western woods." Kris whispered. "YOU WHAT!?!" Tanya stood up in shock, nearly knocking her chair over, "What made you enter that place?" "Shhhh...." Kris tried to calm the girl down, "Will you sit down." She half commanded. Tanya slowly sat back down, "What do the woods have to do with Jenn?" She asked more confused than before. "I don't know. It's so weird." Kris continued, "It was almost like falling asleep, and I was dreaming about Jenn, and May and everyone else. It was like I'd entered Jenn's dreams of how she wanted the world to be. Then there was this other girl I'd never seen before who suddenly appeared out of nowhere." "Another girl?" Tanya sipped on her drink, "Do you know who she was?" "Her name is Kimberly and..." Kris sat up straight as she struggled with her memories, "She and Jenn seemed to get along rather well." At that moment the waitress returned with Tanya's meal, but this time she quickly set the plate down and ran off without a word. When the waitress was gone, Kris looked at Tanya with a serious look on her face, "You've been a friend of Jenn's almost as long as May. Do you remember any girls with long fiery red hair hanging around her?" Tanya raised her hamburger to her mouth then stopped and thought, "Not that I remember." She opened her mouth to take a bite then stopped again and looked at Kris curiously, "Why do you ask?" "Something about the way those two reacted to each other. Like Jenn knew the girl or something." Kris stole a fry from Tanya's plate; "Jenn took notice to the girl very quickly too." Tanya lowered her meal. Her hamburger now forgotten, "She did?" Tanya sat back in her chair staring at the ceiling, deep in thought, "That doesn't make sense." She looked back at Kris, "Jenn doesn't usually talk to girls she doesn't know closely." "That is what I thought, but Jenn remembers her. She remembered this girl, but not me or anything else. Nothing. Not even May's death." Kris said with a sigh, "That's why I wanted to meet up with you first." "Have you told her anything?" Tanya asked, eyeing the girl. "No," Kris said sheepishly, "I don't know what to say to her. I can't just blurt it out, now can I?" "You do realize what you're suggesting?" Tanya said almost calmly, "This is not like keeping a present a secret. If she finds out you have been lying to her..." "I know, I know." When Kris looked up at Tanya a small tear formed in her eye, "Do YOU want to be the one to tell her?" Tanya closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "No, but still..." She looked down at the hamburger, "I think I lost my appetite again." She set her cheek in her hand and turned towards the entrance of the restaurant to see Natalie waiting to be served with another girl hiding closely behind her, "Oh my god. It's Natalie!!!" "Who?" Kris asked, munching on another stolen French fry. "You don't know?" Tanya cowered low in her seat, "It's The Natalie Harshaw! Prince of the Western Wings!!" She said in a low whisper. "You know her, I guess." Kris gave Tanya an odd look. "Kris dear," Tanya patted the girl's hand, "After you disappeared Natalie took over your spot as the second most popular girl in the academy. Second only to Alyshione Dalfort, leaving you in third place." Tanya glanced back at Natalie and let out a sigh, and then a puzzled look crossed her face, "What is she doing with that other girl. Last I heard she was dating Alyshione." Kris set her face in her hands, "Not this again. You girls never change." She glanced up to get a look at what was so special about this girl Tanya was going on about. Her eyes fell on Natalie who appeared, to Kris, like an ordinary teenager. She had a bit more of an athletic build than average, but nothing special, other then the fact that she wore a thick buckle covered leather jacket with a short jean skirt. Kris's eyes widened a moment later as Kimberly stepped out from behind the girl, dressed in a long blue short sleeved dress with a black turtle neck underneath covering the girl's entire arms to her finger tips. "Is there something wrong?" Tanya asked, curiously watching the expression on her friend's face. Kris abruptly stood up, "It's her!" She exclaimed. "Who?" Tanya munched on her burger again, trying to get a clear look at who Kris was looking at. "It's the girl I was just telling you about." Kris said, still astonished to see the girl right before her. "Really?" Tanya could see Natalie and Kim walking towards them, " She is a cutie." Tanya said with a grin. "I..." Kris glanced from Tanya to Kim, "Give me a moment." Kris scrambled over a chair, knocking it to the ground, and ran over to the two girls, "Kimberly, is that really you?" "Kris?!?" Kim seemed startled to see the girl. "You know this girl?" Natalie asked Kim, keeping a suspicious eye on Kris. "I..." Kim rubbed her head, "She went to school with Jenn." "What are you talking about?" Natalie inquired, "What school?" "I..." She clenched the side of her head, "I can't remember." "It's okay." Kris said with a smile, "You at least remember me right." Her smile quickly faded as she noticed Kim's blackened eye, "What happened?!?" She exclaimed, then turned to Natalie to see the girl had a similar yet slightly faded bruise. "Don't look at me." Natalie said defensively, "She will not tell me what happened." Kris shuffled her feet nervously and glanced over at Tanya, "Why don't you two join us?" She offered. Kim looked brightly at Natalie, "Can we?" She asked, genuinely smiling for the first time since they left Amy’s clinic. Natalie shrugged, "It is up to you. Do you want to join them?" Kim slowly nodded. "Good then." Kris clapped her hands together and led the group over to Tanya, where she fixed the chair she only recently knocked over. "This is my friend Tanya." She gestured to Tanya, "Tanya, this is Kimberly and... Natalie was it?" Kris asked the blonde. "How do you know my name?" Natalie eyed Kris, "And how do you know Kim for that matter?" "Long, hard to explain story." Kris slid back into her seat with Kim sitting next to her and Natalie sat next to Tanya, who could not take her eyes off the blond, "As for your name, Tanya here seems to be a fan of yours." Kris explained with a nod at the pigtailed girl. "Kris!!" Tanya exclaimed, "Why'd you tell her that?" She asked worriedly. The waitress nervously waited for the girls to get settled, "Here are you menus." She set the menus in front of the girls and Natalie quickly picked up her's while Kimberly simply stared at the cover of her's. "Do you what anything to drink?" The waitress inquired. Natalie glanced over the menu quickly, "We'll have two glasses of milk. I'll have a hamburger and Kim will have a plate of eggs with toast." She peered over the top of the menu at her friend, "Does that sound alright to you, Kim." Natalie asked and Kim slowly nodded in agreement, "That will be all for now." Natalie handed the menus back to the waitress. "Al... alright then." The waitress took the menus and rushed off to get their orders. The table was surrounded in silence as they all waited for their order to arrive. "Where is Alyshione?" Tanya asked curiously. "At home more than likely." Natalie yawned, "She came home late the other night and crashed pretty quickly. More than likely she is still sleeping." Kim's head perked up, "Who is Aly...Alyshione?" She asked, curious about what her friend had been up to the past while. "Just a girl," Natalie stated, looking to see where their food was, "She helped me find you in a way." "Just a girl?" Tanya said excitedly, "Alyshione is more then just any girl. She is amazing, athletic, smart, charming, and so cool. Natalie smirked, "Is that how you girls see Alyson?" Tanya gave Natalie a sly look, "You would be the one to know the best. From what I've heard you are very close." "That is none of your business." Natalie glared angrily at the girl causing Tanya was startle and cringed in her chair. "So you are a West Winger then?" Kris inquired, understanding Natalie's discomfort with the current interrogation. "Yeah," Natalie set her head in her hands, "Only been for a few years now." "Really?" Tanya suddenly spoke up, finding her voice again and coming out of the corner, "What is it like?" "Nothing special I guess." Natalie picked at the table clothe, "It seems creepy at first, but everyone is really nice." She lifted her head to gaze at Kris, "What about you? I've not seen you around before." "I've been here a few years." Kris stated, munching on another fry. "Kris is lucky." Tanya said with a foxy grin, "She is the niece of the Head Mistresses." "Don't tell them that!" Kris exclaimed. "Now I know you." Natalie stated pleased, "You are quite popular in the East wing. Didn't something big happen to you and some other girls." "Our friend went missing." Tanya said sadly, "We were just talking about her return." "Are you talking about Kim's friend?" Natalie asked curiously, "Jennifer was it?" "Yeah." Kris said, "We are going to see her after we eat." "She was still sleeping when we left." Natalie said. "You saw her?" Tanya asked excitedly, "How is she?" "Hard to tell." Natalie said as the waitress arrived with their food, "These two nearly drowned to death in the pool last night if I had not arrived. I won't be surprised if they taste chlorine for a week. " "I'm sorry..." Kim lowered her head in shame. "The pool?" Kris asked aghast, "What were they doing there?" "Who knows," Natalie picked up her burger, "It is a good thing I was passing by when I did." "What were you doing in the pool at night?" Kris eyed the girl suspiciously, "Isn't it usually locked at night?" "Why does it matter?" Natalie took a bite of her burger, "You can ask her when you see her." ***** To be Continued...
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