Searching

[Stella]

Having left a note behind in her room for the girls saying that she was going off in search of Brandon, Stella's mind was at ease in that department as she made her way through the forest. It was a hot afternoon, but she reveled in it; the sun was her friend and the more of it there was, the stronger she would get. And it was a good thing that that was so, she thought to herself with a frown, because at the moment, it looked as though she had a long afternoon ahead of her. The truth was, she didn't know what she was doing - had absolutely no clue where she was going or what she was looking for. All she knew was that she had to do something. She simply wasn't the sit around and wait type of girl.

Grimacing as she batted away an insect, Stella continued down the path, vaguely remembering that sometimes Brandon liked to go for runs in the forest. As she flicked her bangs out of her eyes, Stella sighed. It would be wonderful if suddenly Brandon appeared from around the bend of trees; and after he had caught his breath from running, they would laugh about her foolishness at having worried so much about him and then he would pull her into his arms and she would pretend to be disgusted by his sweat but he'd know better and so he would kiss her and everything would be wonderful . . .

Abruptly cutting off her train of thought, Stella clenched her teeth as she pushed her way through the thicket, every so often bending down to scratch at her legs, which had grown irritated by being jabbed at by grass and fallen branches. As much as she wanted everything to be okay, it clearly wasn't and she didn't have a moment to waste in fantasies. Brandon was in trouble - she just knew it - and with every moment that she was delayed in finding him, her cupcake was being forced to endure something that he shouldn't have to be enduring.

OOC: Tags whoever wants to come out to play with Stella

[Stella]

After what felt like hours, Stella finally came to a halt, her sides aching and her feet begging for a rest. Spotting an innocent looking fallen log, Stella walked over to it and sat down, her shoulders immediately sagging as her spirits sank. What had she been thinking? She must have been insane to actually have believed that she could just go out and find Brandon. She didn't have the slightest clue where he could be - had no leads. All she had was her stupid feeling that she had to find him.

Kicking the dirt in frustration, Stella hunched over and rested her face in the palms of her hands. Now what? Give up on the search for the time being? Go back to Alfea and round up her friends to put together a plan? But she couldn't do that; she just couldn't. She couldn't spare the time it would take to go back - although, she thought with a pained expression, she was probably wasting more time debating as to what to do than she would be if she just got everyone together to create a plan. Still . . . she wasn't willing to give up just yet. Sure, she was tired and sweaty and at her wit's end, but somewhere out there Brandon needed her and she couldn't let him down. She just had to stay focused; if she could do that, she would be able to find him. Somehow, someway, she would find him.

Giving a decisive nod of her head, Stella leapt to her feet, pushing aside her feelings of exhaustion, and began to make her way through the forest once more.