I apologize for getting this up late! The morning I was typing it up I got sponsored for a free trip to Epcot unexpectedly and we had to go before I finished posting it. I’m so sorry, Team Fedora! :(

I used all three prompts for this one and two from previous ones. :)

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Determined

“No!” Elaina sputtered in disbelief. “I didn’t know it was the last time I would see her. If I had, I would have held her tight and never let her go.”

“Your eyes are telling me a different story,” Patrick muttered between his grit teeth.

“But it’s the truth,” Cried Elaina in desperation. Tears filled her brown eyes and threatened to spill down her dark cheeks. Why wouldn’t Patrick believe her? He was great buddies with her little brother Eddie. And he was Elaina’s desk partner in school. Not only that, but when the worst had happened and her previous foster parents decided they no longer wanted her and Eddie, Patrick was her friend when no one else would be.

“This is going to cost you big time,” Patrick threatened with fury.

“W-what do you mean?”

Patrick didn’t answer. He coldly walked past Elaina and stalked off towards the exit, leaving her alone by their lockers in the hallway.

“Patrick, please don’t post any photos from last night!” Was Elaina’s plea as Patrick pushed open the door to the school and stepped out. He had promised he wouldn’t, but now he was angry. There was no telling what he would do to get back at her.

Elaina let out a defeated sigh and leaned against her locker. If those photos of her got out, she would never heard the end of it. She begged Patrick not to take any during the final school play rehearsals but he found it highly illogical and insisted on practically filming the entire thing. She messed up big time on her part, small as it was, and tripped over half the scenery – and the actors – in the process. She was supposed to be the comic relief, but because of her clumsiness she ended up acting more like a human bowling ball. Elaina was just grateful that hadn’t happened on opening night.

It hadn’t even been her fault that Patrick’s younger sister Kimberly had walked home from school alone last night anyways. Right after the rehearsal, Patrick got the stomach bug and had to stay in the nurse’s office until his parents came to get him. Nobody had seen Kimberly since, and the police assumed she had been kidnapped.

Yet Patrick seemed to think Elaina had encouraged Kim to go by convincing her that she was responsible and old enough to walk home without her older brother. It was true Elaina told Kim that she should make the decision, but she didn’t encourage her to go without Patrick.

Elaina let out another sigh as she began to trudge down the hallway towards the door. Arguing with Patrick had caused her to miss the bus, and Eddie would be wondering where on earth she was. It wasn’t like her new foster parents would care, however, so she wasn’t worried about that.

Before she reached the handle, something on the floor caught her eye. Overcome by curiosity, she reached down to pick it up.

It was a picture of two shadowy silhouettes appearing to be trekking on a journey at sunset. Captioned in bold, adventurous letters were the words, “You’ve been kidnapped. The characters from the last TV show you watched are trying to rescue you. Who is coming to save you? Tell the story.”

“A member of the after-school writing club must’ve dropped this on their way out,” Elaina assumed aloud as she unzipped the backpack to stuff it in. “It looks like some sort of writing prompt.”

But before she could place it in her bag, Elaina once more stared at the picture in her hands.

Why not? Crossed her mind in a fleeting flurry.

No, no, that’s stupid. Leave finding Kimberly to the adults, Elaina began to reason. The price might be more than I’m prepared for. I wouldn’t know how to proceed. But the more she argued with the insane rumination, the more it made perfect sense.

I’ll make it up to Patrick by finding her myself. I may not be from a TV show, but I’m stubborn and determined. Elaina decided. Her foster parents certainly wouldn’t care, would they? And hey, why not invite Patrick to go along?

That’s exactly what Elaina planned to do. ZIpping her backpack up and clutching her inspiration in her hand, she shoved open the door and took off running in the direction Patrick had taken. With shoulder-length super curly dark hair flying behind her and feet sprinting down the sidewalk as fast as they would carry her, she eventually caught up to him.

“Patrick!” She gasped, out of breath. Please listen to me. I know this sounds crazy, but just hear me out.”