A/N: I'm back from summer camp and ready for another chapter…..Enjoy. ;)

Chapter Sixteen

The Sweet Feeling of Despair

January 10, 2013

Vi is gone. Can't write; in too much of a shock.

Later

Currently I'm lying in the nurse's office on the lifted cot with an icepack on my head and springs poking into my back.

The only time that I think Vi might have gone missing was yesterday as the dismissal bell for World History was ringing. I'd already finished all my work for the day and was allowed to go to the restroom for the remaining minutes of the period.

By a suddenly bout of self-confidence I'd left my backpack (which contained Vi) in the room and by the time I came back everybody was streaming down the hall away from the classroom; since we had P.E. next period (now with Coach Yaz back with a vengeance) Lilly had not waited for me but left a note saying where she went.

I'd groaned and shouldered my backpack and in my rush to get to P.E. forgot to do my daily backpack check. I hadn't noticed that Vi was missing until today after class when I'd opened my backpack to get Vi to write in.

When I didn't find Vi in my backpack I didn't take it well.

To be more precise I fainted.

I'm a very precise person and very organized so I knew that I'd put Vi in my backpack yesterday morning and had not taken it out since then.

Now Lilly and Nathan and scouring the school for Vi (restroom, study hall, world history classroom, my dorm, the lost and found, etc.) and I'm writing in my Journalism notebook half berating myself for being so careless, so stupid, and half trying to keep from crying.

I don't cry easily; I get frustrated easily but I don't cry easily, but Vi was a vital part of my life and after finding my little brown book missing…..it's an horrible feeling.

Oh Lilly just walked in; must go.

Even Later

They still haven't found Vi; when Lilly walked in I stopped writing and glanced sideways.

"Hey." Lilly said

"Hello" I mustered a weak smile and nodded towards her dark pink hair, "I forgot to ask; cherry blossoms?"

She shook her head, "Strawberry yogurt actually."

"Oh."

Lilly smiled, "So how are you holding up?"

I chewed on my lip (a nervous habit I'd developed in the past twenty-four hours) "Would it be pessimistic to say horrible?"

Lilly sat on edge of my cot, "Probably but you're in no state to care."

I grimaced, "All those lessons on not caring what people think and I finally do it when I'm emotionally challenged."

Lilly swung her feet across white floor looking uncomfortable.

"About that Juliet…."

I narrowed my eyes "You don't think I'm overreacting do you?"

Lilly shook her head wildly, her bangs flying around her round face "No nothing like that; but I mean…..if we…..for some reason….can't find….Vi….th—"

"No" I growled "I refuse to believe that."

"I'm not saying you have to Juliet—"

"Good" I snapped not meeting her eyes.

Lilly blew out in annoyance "I'm just saying that you should be open to the idea of-"

"No."

Lilly blinked "But Juliet you haven't even heard what I was going to say."

"Don't care."

Lilly's eyes narrowed. "Well sorry for trying to look on the bright side and trying to find a way to deal with all this."

"Bright side?" I let out a harsh laugh "What bright side is there?"

"Maybe if you stopped wallowing in self-pity for five minutes, and listened to me-."

I rolled on to my side and faced the eye chart.

I felt Lilly rise from the cot.

"So you're giving me the silent treatment now."

I fixed my eyes on my tiny letter e and muttered; "You don't understand."

"I would if you told me."

I remained silent.

"You know," I heard Lilly snap "I don't even know I'm wasting my time on deaf ears."

"Leave then." I snapped back.

"Maybe I will!" I heard stomping footsteps, the door open, and then slam shut.

As soon as the door closed my fury rose and then vanished in an instant; I wanted to run out there after Lilly and beg for her forgiveness. Tears stung my eyes and I rubbed them away with a shaking hand.

Inside my head a mental debate started:

"Nice going Juliet."

"She deserved it."

"Maybe, maybe not but now you've gone and lost one of your only friends."

"I have Nathan."

"But he's not Lilly."

I grounded my palms into my eyes and curled into the fetal position. My conscience was right, I hated to admit it but it was right. Now Lilly was probably fuming somewhere and all because I took some of my frustration out on her.

I choked back a sob.

What was wrong with me? Was losing Vi that important to me that I'd snapped at one of my best friend's here? Did finding my missing diary when more to me than my best friend?

The right answer was a resounded no, but right now I didn't know what to think or what was right and wrong, I was so tired for all of this.

I didn't even know what happened; I mean I wasn't this girl. The girl that snapped like a turtle and thought books took a higher value over friendship.

I grabbed the pillow from under my head and crushed it to me for some comfort.

I wished that Lilly was here or even Nathan, I needed somebody to tell me what to do, and I didn't want to be in this alone.

"People don't always get what they want."

"Shut up."

I hugged the pillow tighter and tried to breathe deeply; but bad thoughts kept bombarding my mind, if Lilly were here she'd tell me that my aura was negative and that I should try some yoga.

Unbidden tears slipped out of my closed eyes, and before I knew it silent sobs were racking my body and wetness was sticking to my brown hair and pillow.

I welcomed it and when I was done relaxed as best as I could.

Maybe sleep could take me away from this grim reality.

A/N: And just when things were settling down too…..Just to let you know that spat was not in the game plan that was all characters talking. Juliet was all "I feel frustrated and alone; let's take it out on Lilly." Lilly reacted like Lilly. Tisk-tisk now I have to clean up this mess.

All in all though I felt this was a productive chapter although short, I mean we had some plot conflict and some character conflict. Now we have learned that both Juliet and Lilly when pushed have quite the tempers.

So basic recap:

Vi gone missing, Juliet and Lilly had a spat, Juliet feels horrible all around. Once again I have managed to leave you with a miserable Juliet and an angry Lilly which is quite an accomplishment.

So….Where has Vi gone? When will Juliet finally sort out her priorities? And will Lilly and Juliet makeup? Even I wanna know!

Do you? I bet you do. Tune in either Saturday or Sunday for the answers to some of these questions and more questions!

Now I'm sure you'll have one heck of a review for me.

Replies to Reviews

(I would like to THANK YOU ALL for the amount of reviews I received for the last chapter. I LOVE YOU ALL!)

Raven555: -giggle, giggle- Sorry about this chapter, I know it's quite unexpected. Never fear Lady P will be back with another chapter ASAP!

Casey H./In Case You Haven't Noticed: (I replying to all your reviews in this one)

Chapter 13: Why thank you! I enjoyed writing the chapter very much even though it was a little hard; I want to depict that Munroe and Principal Munroe although alike in appearance aren't alike in personality and I figured that since Juliet's been to the office once before the secretary deserved a little script time.

Chapter 14: -smacks head- Duh! Thanks for catching the glass thing sometimes I get the two mixed up….and typos, they just love to hide where I can't see 'em. I didn't look twice about the whole classical books line but now that you point it out I rather like how it flows too and the mirror bit too, Thanks for the head's up on Lilly's Sueness radar, that was exactly what I needed, I tried to make one of her flaws (her temper and stubbornness) more apparent in this chapter. So thanks for that again, the other advice about a little Mary-Sueness I really took to heart (even though about 70% of the time Juliet is a miserable wrench. XD) Cheers!

Chapter 15: "Wafted through the air" I liked that also."

I wanted to put some non-cliché (because everybody knows that floated through the air is kind of cliché) so thanks for that.

It's okay with me if you concentrate on the flow I need feedback on my usage and grammar as much as my plot! XD

Oh goody! You haven't figured out Munroe's motive yet, good this means I'm doing something right, don't worry I'll reveal in due time…unless….I could clue you in? Nah! I'm not about to take the easy way!

I actually had no idea I was spelling Claire as Clare now until you pointed it out, yeah that was an accident its Claire.

Lilly? A drama queen? Yes ma'am! A natural born one too. XD

On the bit about the hot chocolate Juliet wasn't rushing, I was! XD But thank you I'm glad she's still IC. Thanks so much for all the feedback!

Chapter 16: Maybe I should put a disclaimer "Any real life ties with Casey H. are completely unintentional; I'm not a mind reader or a stalker." Well maybe a little bit for the latter. :P

I read the first book of Artemis Fowl but it was so boring to me I almost stopped, maybe I should go back and finish the series….

Ahem back to the chapter: Yes I didn't want to again put a cliché so I thought "Why not a mouse?" and thus the mouse bit was born!

THANK YOU for all the reviews!

Anisthasia: Thank you! I quite enjoy the diary format myself, it gives me the chance to get closer to my characters and readers. Thanks for the reviews!

Lady P.

P.S. Lilly's hair color today is actually her favorite color! Not the color of strawberry yogurt more like dark cherry.

And if you happen to think of a weird but cool hair color (or just plain weird) please feel free to leave it in a review and it will probably become Lilly's next hair color!

Also Lilly's middle name is Diana.

Hope you don't mind these little character tidbits. XD Next time you'll learn what the trio favorite shapes are and what this says about their personalities.

Bye!