"Now take out your exercise books and copy the following passage..." Millie reluctantly reached for the book lying on the ground. Flipping through the pages, she picked up a pencil and glanced up at the board. "The area of a triangle can be found by measur-" The teacher was interrupted by a loud knock on the classroom door. Millie immediately stood up and made her way to the door. It's Tara! she thought, glancing back at the empty desk at the back of the classroom. She felt the cold, metal doorknob and gave it a tug. "Hi Millie!" Tara stood in the doorway, cheeks rosy in the cold weather and a coat pulled tightly around her. Millie smiled. Tara had been gloomy the past couple of days, moping around sullenly. But no trace of her bad mood was visible- Tara's eyes were shining with happiness and she looked as if she could dance. "Sorry I'm late, Miss." she exclaimed, and hastily speed-walked to her seat. Millie slid into the chair in front of her and picked up her pencil, copying down the writing on the board. She gazed up at the clock ticking lazily on the wall, every second prolonged for what seemed a decade. Maths, Science and then recess, when she could finally catch up with Tara, as there was obviously something on her friend's mind.

After scrawling down the paragraph into her book, Millie felt a light tug on her ponytail. Making sure that the teacher wasn't looking, she turned around to face Tara. "What's up?" she whispered. Tara smiled and handed Millie a note, with excitement dancing in her eyes. Millie whisked back around, hoping not to find the teachers steely gaze resting on her. Sighing her relief, Millie unfolded the note. We're going camping on the holidays, back to where we last saw Anika and Kyra! Millie stuffed the paper in the pocket of her coat. She felt sympathetic for her friend. Tara had suffered so much loss, with the disappearance of her older sister and twin. Millie was bewildered that Tara still believed that they where still out there, struggling in the elements. Millie knew that there was no hope that Tara's sisters were still alive, but she tried to share Tara's hope that they were. Shaking away the dark thoughts in her mind, Millie zoned back into her teacher's lecture on triangles.

Finally, the bell rang which was followed by the hasty noise of books being packed away. "Don't forget your homework!" the teacher called before dismissing the class. Millie pushed aside the door and plonked her books inside her brightly decorated locker, and dashed to Tara's side. "Where do you want to go today?" Millie chirped. She could see that Tara was hardly able to contain her excitement. "Let's head towards the canteen- I have big news!" Millie giggled. "I couldn't have guessed. You're going camping. You've told me, remember?" "I know!" Tara squealed. And then more seriously, she turned to Millie. "I know they're out there, I can feel it in my bones. Anika and Kyra are alive." Millie stared into Tara's eyes. They were filled with hope, and a longing to find her long-lost family members. Millie remembered the trouble that had roamed in Tara's eyes a short while ago, the emptiness and silence that had almost drowned Tara. Now that she had resurfaced, Millie knew that she had to encourage Tara, to keep her afloat. Yet it was hard. She didn't want to give Tara hope, only for it to be snatched away from her again. But hope may be the only thing keeping Tara alive.

Worry clouded Tara's expression. "You don't believe me." The words came out in a frail whisper. Millie shook her head to clear her thoughts. "I do. If you believe that they are alive, I do too." She knew the words were fake, but they were all she had.

The sky was grey and miserable as Millie trudged home. Her backpack weighed her down, but not as much as her heavy thoughts. Tara was adamant to believe that Anika and Kyra had survived a year in the wilderness, through wild animals and natural disasters and the icy hands of winter. What would happen when Tara discovered the truth?

She raised her fist the the door and knocked softly. Her sister's face appeared. "How was school today?" She asked. "Hi Sasha. Yeah, it was okay." I tried my hardest to give her a genuine smile, and then chucked off my shoes and went to raid the fridge. Sasha sat down to continue her homework. Millie bit through an apple, and went outside.

The icy wind soon found her, and she wrapped her pink cardigan around her tightly. "Are you still out there?" She whispered into the wind. "Yes!" Millie gasped in shock. Then she turned around to see Sasha in the doorway. "You called?" Sasha prompted. "No, no, don't worry." Millie mumbled, disappointed. Sasha turned to walk back inside. Millie shivered rapidly, teeth chattering. Snow would come tonight, as the sky as a grey-green colour. Eventually, Millie gave in to the cold and turned back inside.

As she trudged back inside, Millie discovered a note on the fridge from Mum. She removed the magnet and took it in her hands.

"Hi girls,
I will not be back until late at night. As it is Friday, watch a movie with Sasha. There are some sweets in the cupboard. If you have any problems, call me on 0987 3524.
~Mum xoxo"

Millie turned around to face her sister scribbling madly at the desk. "Sasha! Movie time!" She could forget about her worries, at least, for now.