Guns and Tiaras - 1. Chapter 1

[Barbara]

My ear is deafened by the most annoying ring and the left side of my head is pounding like a speaker at a rock concert. There's a foul taste in my mouth and as I come to, I realise that I've been gagged. I'm tied up to a chair in a dimly lit room and the sounds of loud music and feeble conversation float down from above. I'm either dreaming or having de javu to a really cliché kidnapping film, either way I won't be watching Taken any time soon.

"La transportaremos una vez que la fiesta se apague ... Sí, señor, sí entiendo, señor ... No, señor, eso no será posible (we'll transport her once the party dies down.... Yes sir, yes I understand sir... No sir that won't be possible),"

Comes a masculine voice from somewhere behind me. I try turning my head, both to the left and right, but all I can see in my peripheral vision is the brief outline of a closed door. The conversation must be happening on the other side. If their speaking Spanish in an attempt to throw me off then I feel sorry for the poor bastards. What kind of idiot kidnaps a de la Rosa with Spanish speaking henchmen? It's practically my mother tongue.

"Ella estaba hablando por teléfono con alguien antes de llegar a ella, nos identificaron. Disculpas señor (she was on the phone with some one before we got to her, we were made. Apologies sir)."

My phone, I think and try to move my hand towards my jacket pocket but it's no use, the rope's on too tight.

It's probably not there anyway or else these are the worst henchmen in history, I think with an eye roll. For someone who's being kidnapped I'm surprisingly calm, but then again what else can I do? Scream in hopes that someone with superhuman hearing will come to my aid before the baddies on the other side knock me out again and drag me to a different location?

They probably just want a handsome ransom and by this time tomorrow I'll probably be back in my own bed with Tiana showering me with spoils. I smile briefly at the thought of her and I whisper a silent apology for making her worry. She's probably losing her mind right about now. She's such a mama bear. I chuckle just as the door creeks open behind me.

"Glad to see that you find your situation amusing," the stranger says, his accent unmistakable.

"No me estoy riendo de la situación. Me estoy riendo de tu estupidez (I'm not laughing at the situation I'm laughing at your stupidity)," I smirk.

"Sí, es cierto, yo también hablo español, imbécil (yes that's right, I speak Spanish too you imbecile)," I add, half wishing that I could see his face and half expecting it to be coated in panic.

Instead the stranger laughs, a deep throaty guffaw and then replies, "El maestro había dicho que tienes sentido del humor (the master had said you have a sense of humor)."

"So you knew that I would understand your conversation?" I switch back to English, slowly losing my nerve but never showing it.

"Yes, I did. The master told me all I need to know about you and I didn't refrain from using English out of concern for you hearing your fate, it is just the tongue with which I am most comfortable," he flaunts.

"Well good for you then. You can sound like a tight assed jerk in two different languages, what an accomplishment. Bravo." I roll my eyes, engaging in aggressive sarcasm in order to hide my worry.

"Gracias (Thank you)"

"It wasn't a compliment you id... Oh never mind. So what now? Where are you taking me?"

"To the master of course," he answers, and I hear his footsteps coming closer.

"And where the hell is this 'master' of yours?" I sass, trying to keep myself calm.

"You'll find out soon enough, sweet dreams Barbie," he says, his tone menacing.

"Sweet dreams? Wait how do you know my-" A cloth that reeks of chloroform is placed over my mouth and nose and after two breaths I'm out.

[Tiana]

One month later...

My alarm goes off and I slowly open my eyes to take in the darkness that surrounds me. The weather outside seems to mirror my lack of enthusiasm for the day. Wild winds rattle the trees, almost blowing them away, roots and all and the sky is covered in storm clouds concealing what little sun would have kept me warm on this horrid winters day. As my mind reboots and my senses awaken a painful memory hits me full force. Today marks the one month anniversary of Barbie’s disappearance. I fight back tears that I didn’t even know were there. How much do I have to cry before I finally die of dehydration? The past month has been a nightmare of interrogations, news crews and therapy. To everyone else this is the story of the year, I mean it’s not every day that the heir to one of the world’s leading and most famous fashion brands goes missing. To me this is….. I don’t even know what this is. You see Barbie may seem like an evil bitch to those on the outside but to us she is more than just sparkly shoes and designer clothing. She’s apart of us. A sister. Someone to go to in times of need. I feel like our family has been broken but I have hope that it will be fixed. Despite what the police tell us, I don’t believe she’s dead. I can’t explain it. Call it instinct or false hope but I know she’s out there and the thought of what might be happening to her, how lost and alone she must feel. I just… UGH!!! I just want to know that she’s alright. I want my best friend back!

I sit up in bed and dial her number, it goes straight to voice mail like it has been for the past month. The answer is yes by the way, this is my morning ritual. Every morning, for the past month at least, I get up and the first thing I do is listen to her voice mail message. It keeps my hopes up because I know that one day, all the messages I’ve been leaving for her, I’ll get to tell her face to face. I just know it. Unfortunately that day is not today. So instead today I will celebrate my friend by putting on a dress, some heels and I’ll even do my make-up. I’ll be the best version of her I can be. I’ll smile and tell everyone that everything is o… my phone starts to vibrate in my hands. I look down and see Rapunzel on the screen. The contact photo I have of her is one she sent me last Halloween when she used a Snapchat filter to make herself look like a vampire. The memory makes me smile, genuinely.

“Hi Ze.” I answer trying to sound as normal as possible.

“OK the sooner you realize that you can’t hide the fact that you’ve been crying from me, the better.” She says. I swear I can’t hide anything from her.

“Fine. But can you blame me?” I ask

“Unfortunately no, these damn hormones, they get me too sometimes. Can you believe I watched a Nicholas Sparks movie the other day?” she answers. That actually gets me laughing.

“Oh Really? Which part?” I ask.

“The end credits and it made me cry tears of joy cause it was over.” She answers. I chuckle and say,

“You should really give him a chance, maybe it will melt that rock heart of yours a little.” Now it’s her turn to laugh.

“The day I watch a Nicholas Sparks movie, will be the day I die and go to heaven, and we both know that this rock heart is on a highway to hell.” She says and I can practically hear her grin.

“Not the puns Ze. Anything but the puns.” I beg. “OK fine. On a serious note though how are you feeling?” she asks.

“Well I don’t really know what to tell you. I’m feeling empty. Like a part of me is missing. It’s like my heart is a puzzle and you guys are the pieces, and now that she’s missing, my heart is incomplete.” I start to cry again. Heavy sobs that shake my whole body. Why her? Why fun, outgoing loving Barbie?

“It’s OK Bunny. We all know what you feel, but you can’t let this ruin your life. I mean Barbie would want you to be going out and partying and making out with cute, random strangers then blaming it on vodka when he says its love.” She says.

“Did you just call Barbie a hoe?” I ask

“Umm…. Psht… no…” she says.

“I cannot believe you just did that!” I say trying not to laugh and sob at the same time.

“You see this is what I mean. Barbie didn’t take offense to our jokes because she didn’t care about outsiders opinions and she knew that we knew the real her and loved her unconditionally. Your trying to hide your laughter out of respect for a person you know a) wouldn’t care and b) isn’t dead,” she says and by the tone of her voice I can tell that she is getting frustrated.

“I can’t help it!” I yell releasing my own frustration.

“I can’t eat, I can’t sleep hell I can’t even read without wondering if she’s alright. You guys say that I’m such a mom and you know what, it’s true and right now my maternal instinct is telling me that she’s alive but she’s not OK. I need to find her!” Rapunzel pauses. I know she’s trying to figure out the right words to say. I also know that those words don’t exist.

“Then let’s go find her,” she says. I’m taken by surprise with her words. From the tone of her voice I can tell that she's not joking but I laugh none the less.

“So you want us to put on our trench coats and follow invisible clues till we find her?” I tease.

"Exactly!" she exclaims excited and I begin to grow worried.

"Uh Rapunzel? I was just kidding," I clarify, sounding instantly alarmed.

"Well I'm not!" She yells.

"I'm gonna get the girls together. Meet us at Patti's in half an hour," she says.

"Rapunzel. Please be reasonable. Let's think about this." I try but my plea is in vain.

"I have." she answers confidently.

"We're a kick ass group of girls and with you as our leader there's..."

"Whoa, pump the breaks a second here. Me as your leader?" I question, my heartbeat ringing in my ears.

"Of course. Every team needs someone to be in charge and..."

"And what makes you think that's me?" I ask and my pitch rises a few octaves.

"Tiana you're basically the mama bear of this group. You care too much and because of that everyone listens to you. Not to mention the ease with which you take control of things. You're a natural born leader, you just need to believe in yourself."

"Ok first of all we are talking about a rescue mission not the student representative council. Second, why don't you do it? It is your idea and plus I wouldn't know the first thing about tracking down a person. We'd be lost before we even began." I protest.

"Tia. Have you met me? I'm the anti social one. You are a part of a very minute group of people that I actually, WILLINGLY communicate with. I'm the world's next serial killer not a presidential candidate. And if you'd meet us all up at Patti's we could all brainstorm. Between the bunch of us there's bound to be some sort of ingenious plan that pops up," she says.

The more she talks about it, the more I find myself wanting to do it. Part of me is confident and driven by the need to find Barbara and bring her home, but the rest of me... The rest of me is a hot mess of fear and insecurity. This would be going way beyond my comfort zone and with all that's been going on I'm not quite sure I'm ready to put myself through that just yet. Not to mention, leading the group of people that I most care about on a possible suicide mission.

“But the police…” I try to argue but she cuts me off.

“The police gave up. You more than anyone should know that. They gave up but we won't. Now get ready and meet me and the girls at Patti's in 30 minutes. I know it sounds crazy but I can't stand back and watch you drown your emotions in hot chocolate and 80's musicals any more. You think Barbara's alive, then get up and help us find her." she says and hangs up before I can protest any further.

I sit in bed for a second marinating in her words. The police did give up but that's because they don't care about Barbie enough to cross any limits necessary to find her. Heck I don't even think they're allowed to cross those limits. But we might be. We might be able to take a few risks, we might be willing to cross a few lines and maybe, just maybe we might succeed in bringing her home. Suddenly the wind doesn't seem so menacing, in fact it seems to be bringing about a change. I leap out of bed and get myself ready, my mind a buzz and my heart alive once more. Through the whirlwind of thoughts one notion stands out. Our family will be whole again, and we're the ones who are going to fix it.