Chapter Two [2]~ Search For Help
~Mackenzie~

“Raul, can I talk to you please,” Mackenzie asked.
“There’s nothing to say. I told you I loved you and I thought that you felt the same way. But you were too busy sneaking around with Billy to feel anything for me.” Raul replied flatly.
“Raul, I did like you, I do like you…”
“My best friend Mac, how could you?” he demanded.
“I can explain if you just let,” she began.
“You know what, I don’t want to hear it. Not one word of it,” Raul said stopping her mid-sentence.
“I didn’t come here to talk about Billy, Raul I really need your…”
“Go and ask Billy for it, I can’t help you, rather I’m not gonna help you,” he angrily said.
“You don’t understand, my moth…”
“You know what Mac, I don’t care. ”
“Please…”
“No, I want you to leave”
Tears rolling down her cheeks “Raul, will you please…”
“Goodbye Mackenzie”
“I…I…I’m sorry. I…I…I didn’t mean to hurt you. If I could go back…”
Raul- “Well you can’t. So it doesn’t make sense to try and go back and try and fix it now”
Mac- [tearfully as she begins to leave] Raul, I’m really sorry that I hurt you. And I hope you will forgive me one day.

She had no other person to turn to. Her mom was in Genoa City and she couldn’t let her take her back. She would not make it if she had to live with Amanda and her stepfather again. She got away from them once and she was never going back. Raul was her last hope. Billy couldn’t help her even if she wanted him to. He and Brittany were back together and she was on her own. She didn’t want to leave Kay or Brock but there was no other alternative. It was either run or risk having to go back with her mom and stepfather. She had some paper in her backpack and she wrote Kay a note telling her not to worry. She wrote Kay and Brock that she loved them both but she had no other choice but to leave. She would get this letter to them somehow and then she could leave Genoa City. She snuck back to the house and looked in through the side doors [the doors where Billy surprised her after the prom] one last time at the only place she could ever call home. The table was set for dinner and she wanted to go inside one last time but she couldn’t risk running into anyone.

Mac- [as she slid the letter under the French doors quietly whispering to herself] I love you grandma, I love you dad, I love you Esther…

And with tears flowing down her face she set out again to find another place to call home.

~Billy~

Billy nervously approached the door, unsure if Raul would talk to him let alone help him. The way he and Mackenzie came together was wrong, but he couldn’t hide or fight his feelings for hr any longer. The prom changed everything. It opened his eyes and heart to what ha had been trying to deny and ignore. It showed him how much he truly cared for Mac. He knocked but was no answered. He had just called Raul’s house and his mother assured him that raul was home. He knocked again, this time a little harder but still no answer. He waited a few minutes more and started to knock again when the door was slowly cracked opened.

Billy- Uhh…Rianna is Raul here?
“Billy, he doesn’t want to talk to you”
“But it’s important, I really need to talk to him”
“I’m sorry, but he told me not to let you in”
“But I need to talk to him, it’s really important” he pleaded. “It’s about Macken…”
Yelling from the other room Raul asks, “Is he gone yet?”
“I’m sorry” she whispers as she slowly closes the door.

Stunned Billy stands outside the door shocked that Raul would not talk to him. He knew he hurt him by seeing Mackenzie behind his back, but he really needed his help. He starts to leave but stops suddenly and begins to pound on the door once again. [In a last ditch effort he yells] “Raul, look man I’m sorry”. When Raul does not respond he continues, “Raul please, I need you help,” to still no response. He pounds harder, Raul had to help him, and there was no one else he could turn to. Jack could only help him so much, he had to go after Mac and he knew Jack wouldn’t approve. He couldn’t lose Mackenzie and going after he was the only way he could be sure of that. But he was losing time and if he waited any longer he could lose track of her completely. “Raul, please!”
“I have nothing to say to you ”
“Raul….” Billy says pleadingly.
“Leave!” Raul shouts in response.
“I gotta explain first, I need you help”
“No Billy, no matter what you say I won’t be helping you so I suggest you leave and don’t come back again”
“But…”
“Goodbye Billy”
“But…I need your hel…”
“No”
“Please Mac…”
“Leave Billy, before I call…”
“I can’t…I gotta help Mackenzie” he cries. With his head still pressed against the door, tears begin to roll down his face. “I gotta help Mac,” he says as he pounds the door one last time. “I gotta help Mac.” He slumps against the door and slowly sits down. Through sobs he says, “Raul, please. I know I…we made a lot of mistakes, and what we did was wrong. But it’s not about that now. Mac is in trouble and I don’t have anyone else to turn to. I…I…I don’t know what else to do.” His voice heavy with grief he says, “If I could take back what we did to you I would but I can’t…but please I need your help.”
Coming to stand next to him Rianna says, “Raul maybe you should talk to him.”
“No, we have nothing to talk about,” Raul says angrily.
“Look I know they hurt you, but this sounds serious,” Raul looks at Rianna unmoved. “Please, no matter what happened I know you would hate for something to happen to Mackenzie. At least see what he is talking about”
“Why would you care if Mac was in trouble, better yet why should I care one way or the other?” Raul asks.
“Because you do. Please Raul, talk with him.” Rianna pleads.
Reluctantly he says, “Ok, ok I’ll talk to him.”

As Raul slowly opens the door he clears his throat to alert Billy of his presence. Billy hurriedly wipes away his tears and stands to face Raul.

“What do you want Billy?”
“I…I need your help,” he whispers as Raul looks at him unmoved by his words. “Mackenzie is trouble.”
“Trouble? Trouble how?” he asks unable to hide the anger that still lingered in his voice.
“Thanks to my mom…” Billy pauses as the anger toward his mom resurfaces. “She’s gone.”
“Gone?”
“She took off last night.”
“Ok, I don’t mean to sound mean, but what does this have to do with me?” questions Raul.
“I’m going to find her and I need you to come with me,” Billy tries to explain.
“Why?”
“Because…”
“Because what?” Raul asks as he interrupts Billy.
“Look Raul, I know you are upset and you have every right to be…”
“Well thank you for letting me know that it’s all right that I’m angry,” Raul replied sarcastically.
“I know you care about Mac and you would care if…”
“Did she or you care about me enough not to hook up behind my back? Did either of you care about me enough to tell me what was going on instead of playing me like a fool? No you didn’t, so if you didn’t care why should I?” interrupting him again as he slams the door.
“I know I have no right asking for you help. And if need be I won’t bother you again, but I need you this time,” he pauses hoping that Raul will respond to him. When no response comes from Raul after a few minutes Billy sadly says, “I understand, I won’t bother you anymore. I…I…I just hoped you would forgive me enough, even if it was only momentarily, to help me bring Mackenzie where it is safe.” As Billy turns to leave he says, “I really want you to know that I’m sorry.”
Suddenly the door opens again and Raul reappears and says, “After we find Mackenzie I want nothing to do with either of you. I’m not doing this for you or Mackenzie; I’m doing this for me. Mackenzie is…was important to me at one time and no matter what I want her to be safe.”
“Thank you…I”
“This isn’t about you, or me, or even Mackenzie. I’m doing what is right, and when this is over that’s it. No more contact, no more anything.”
“Ok…”
“Let’s go, before we lose any trail of her.” Raul says.

He kisses Rianna goodbye and promises to call her with any and all updates and she promises to keep an ear out in case anything about Mackenzie is said. And Billy and he set out to find Mackenzie.