Something's up with Dareen

Arik paced the hotel's lobby floor, running his fingers through his thick, dark, brown hair. Dareen watched his boyfriend with pitiful eyes, and Jess tapped their foot in deep thought. After a few minutes of all of this Arik finally let out a loud and frustrated "Ugh!" He plopped down on the floor and put his head down, "I just don't understand it you guys. We've looked for every clue, watched every piece of camera footage, and asked every witnessed. Each suspect taking us back to square one." Dareen got up and sat beside Arik, who was now crying and trying to conceal it. He wiped Arik's tears away and said, "We'll find her, Arik. There still has to be some corner we haven't checked or some witness we haven't questioned. We just have to keep trying." Jess remained silent but nodded and tried smiling encouragingly at Arik a few times. Arik, still upset, pushed Dareen away and snapped, "No I'm done trying. We've wasted almost our summer break in this stupid hotel trying to find her and her kidnapper and have continuously came up fruitless! I want her home more than anything, but I can't spend anymore time thinking about where she might be or what they could be doing to her! I just-," Arik stops trying to hide his crying and screams, "I just want to go home!" 

The three friends never knew before this moment that silence could be so loud.

A few moments of this sad silence pass in the hotel, then Dareen scoots over to Arik and tells him in a soft whisper, "If you want to stop this and head home, then that's exactly where we'll all go." Arik looked up and sheepishly nodded his head. However just a few feet away Jess sat there stunned, but their stunned look quickly turned to anger. "Are you two insane?! We aren't going to just sit here and let this happen. Arik, the cops haven't done anything! We have to keep fighting for her! You were the one that came up with #Justice4ValorieCorre! You-you aren't the-the only one who's lost something special t-to you! Valorie is the love of my- my life and my best friend of t-twelve years, and-d I'm not about to lose h-her! And as f-for you Dareen Phelps. You have no say in what we do about Valorie. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO DISGUSTED BY MY OWN FRIENDS!" By now Jess had walked over and was towering above the two boys. Their tears falling onto Arik's jeans. Arik just stared at Jess in shock, and Dareen did the same. Jess rarely cried in front if anyone and never out of anger. Once again the room was silent.

"Ahem?" 

The trio, who thought they were alone, turned to see a young baggage handler standing behind them. "Mr. Corres? Mr.Phelps?Jess King? If you still haven't completely given up I have something that might help you find your dearest Valorie. All you have to do is follow me and keep quiet about my existence, for both my own and your own safety. A confused and desperate Arik blinked to make sure this woman was real and then looked at Dareen and Jess. "Are you guys okay with this?" Jess took a breath and said, "I'm ready to do just about anything to find my Valorie." Arik nodded and then looked at Dareen. "Are you willing to go with her?" Dareen had a concerned look on his face. He didn't know how he could trust this woman who appeared out of thin air, simply knew all of their last names, and promised to help. Bad things happen when you trust the wrong people in this place, take Valorie for example she was left alone for five seconds in this hotel and now she's gone. Besides, Dareen just didn't have a good feeling about it all. His gut was normally right, and his gut was saying, "Don't trust this lady."

Arik gently tapped Dareen on the shoulder, "Babe? Are you okay?" Dareen jumped back in surprise, "Oh sorry hun, I spaced out. Can I talk to you and Jess," He turned around and stared straight at the mystery woman, "In private." The woman nodded, walked over to a chair in the farthest corner of the room, and started reading an old magazine laying on the table. Darren lowered his voice and leaned forward, "I don't trust her you guys. She's giving me weird vibes." Jess sighed and shook their head, "Dareen I can't even, ugh. I don't like the idea of trusting a complete stranger either, but what other choices do we have?" Dareen looked down and thought for a second. "Hey," Arik said after only a few seconds of silence, he wasn't keen on letting the loud quiet come back anytime soon, "We'll be okay. We just have to stick together." Dareen sighed and said, "Okay, okay. If this is what you two want then that's what we should do. Jess is right, despite the fact that Valorie means alot to mean as a friend, it hurts you guys a lot more right now." Jess and Arik looked at each other for a moment, trying to decide who should speak first. Arik took the lead, "Thank you Dareen." Jess looked at Dareen for a moment and then smiled, "I'm sorry Dareen, I know you were just trying to comfort Arik. I've just got to find her." "I know, I'd be the same way if Arik was lost and alone," Arik stood up and said,"Well now that you two are friends again, and we all know what we've got to do, lets go talk to mystery lady. Maybe she actually has something that can help." Dareen and Jess pushed themselves off the ground and nodded, but Dareen had one last thing to say, "Arik you're still pretty new to this place. Please remember no one here is trustworthy. Don't let your guard down for even a second, I don't want to lose you okay?" Arik had a confused look but tried to spin it into a grin. "Yeah, we know Dareen and that's really sweet you don't want me getting hurt but, there are two people in this hotel that I can trust, right?" He laughed. Jess chuckled, "Of course there is." Dareen stayed silent and became visibly uncomfortable. Unfortunately for Dareen, Arik noticed. "Dareen, are you alright?" Dareen looked at both of them for a long moment.

"Can you two keep a secret?"