Chapter 3

April sighed in relief as Carson and Jackson walked through the door of a shed in the school gardens. They'd been split up for most of the day, they had all of their classes together but they had different partners and groups in the lessons, so they didn't have a chance to talk. Then when they finally met up at break, they were surrounded by reporters asking them questions about June, like if they thought she was dead, or if they thought she was in danger, or if they missed her.

It was completely overwhelming and had ended in April bursting into tears and Jackson facing the other way crying silently while Carson had tried to stay strong and tell the reporters to leave them alone, but his voice kept breaking.

So, they'd agreed to meet up at lunch in the most hidden abandoned shed.

"No one followed you?" April double-checked, looking out the door nervously. Carson sighed and pulled his sister in for a hug.

"Don't worry sis, it's not going to happen again. I spoke to Headmistress Jane, she called the police and said we were being harassed. The reporters are all gone. We're alone."

"Ok, thanks Cars." April smiled at him sadly. "You're the best."

"So, what did you want to tell us Apes?" Jackson asked nervously. "You sounded pretty serious when you told us to meet you here."

April took a deep breath, this wasn't going to be easy to say.

"The day June went missing, My parents were supposed to be in the kitchen. But they weren't, they were in the back garden. June saw something, something she was confused about. She went through the side path to investigate, and didn't come back. I heard the sound of a door shutting, and a scream, but that's it. My guess is that she discovered something about my parents, something she shouldn't have."

"So, basically, our parents may have done something bad to June." Carson said quietly, pronouncing the word 'our' extra carefully as if April had forgotten.

April sighed.

"Maybe. I-I don't know. Mum did admit to doing something this morning, what if she kidnapped June or something. Or helped people kidnap her. We need to be careful."

"Great. This is just...great" Jackson muttered sarcastically. Carson looked at April in shock.

"Apes, I- I don't know. I mean, I can imagine Dad doing something bad like kidnapping, but mum? There's no way she could've been involved."

April sighed again.

"Look, guys. There's always been something that hasn't added up about the day June went missing, I just couldn't figure out what it was. But I figured it out this morning, my parents said June had left half an hour earlier…but when I checked my watch it hadn't even been 20 minutes since she'd left. Plus, I heard a small scream just before my mum screamed June's name."

She sighed again and closed her eyes.

"For gods sake stop sighing April!!" Jack yelled. "You sound like there's something wrong with you!"

April looked away, hurt, and Jackson sighed, trying to blink back tears, which resulted in him getting the hiccups.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I got angry like that, but, just the thought of my Aunt having something to do with my sisters disappearance. It's hard. Plus . . . Plus I just miss June so, so much. A-A-All I-I want us for J-June to appear through that door right now like nothing's h-happened . . . A-And suggest we watch a movie or something. And n-now, tha-th-that may never happen again. I just so want to hug her and a-apologise."

"I know, Jack, I know." April cut in, reaching over to put her arm around him. "And I'm not saying she's dead, I-she can't be. It's hard to explain, but it's like this-this-"

"Feeling? Like when you start to let your mind cross the possibility she may be gone, and suddenly you get this weird sense. As if June's telling you not to give up." Carson interrupted. He looked at Jackson, who nodded slowly.

"I feel it too."

"Wait- let me get this straight. All three of us have the feeling that June's alive. That can't be a coincidence. We knew June better than anyone, that must be why!"

"That does technically make sense I guess." Carson said quietly. Jackson nodded.

"If only there was something that allowed us to track June's location."

"Yeah" April agreed. "That would be so helpful."

"I guess all we can really do is wait for this afternoon to come so we can ask mum." Carson said quietly again.

"Yeah. But it could be dangerous." April whispered, trying not to look up.

Carson was mostly focusing on calming down Jackson, who was now sobbing again, which normally triggered April. In the end, the three of them sat hugging in the middle of the floor crying in each other's arms. They were distracted by a knock on the wall.

"April-Lea, did you just say something you're doing is dangerous?!"

There, standing in the doorway, were two almost identical boys, David, and someone who looked a lot like David, but with round glasses like Harry Potter and blue eyes.

They were staring at the three of them in shock. April groaned. This day was turning out to be even worse than she had expected.

"David, Stuart, hi. We were just. . .um..."