Just a Dream

~Chapter 1~ Sirens. All I remember from that day were the piecing sirens of the speeding ambulance. My world was slowing falling apart before my eyes. The bench where I sat outside of his house was a needed relief for my legs. My heart was beating hard and fast that it felt like it was going to burst out. My breath; gone. As thoughts flooded my mind, warm salty tears flooded my eyes. As my tears slowly, yet surely soaked my jeans I waited for my dad to pick me up. Yet the tears were empty and I was strangely not as crushed as I thought I would be. Who is he? How did he get here? How did he die? How did this get so out of hand? Questions reeled through my mind like a broken movie. It took an amazing amount of focus and a few pinches to figure this wasnât just a dream and there was no waking up from this. What was waiting for me the next morning was something I was not looking forward to. I brought my cold numb hands to my chin in frustration as I dug deep into memories to figure out what exactly was happening to me at the moment. It was like going through millions of files in a cabinet that extended forever. I then realized that I had been living this dangerous life for ten years and that only last year had there actually been any sign of it. 8 months ago⦠My parents got divorced when I was seven and ever since Iâve been staying with my mom in Santa Monica, California. That is, until yesterday when she decided to chase a guy she claimed to love half way around the world. Now Iâm on my way to my dadâs house in Hawthorne, which is pretty much the farthest place away from my home on the continent. The thing is, for the ten years she was married to my dad she claimed to love him and then when I asked at the tender age of seven why we left she replied with tears escaping her eyes that âWe can't live here, it won't work.â It wasnât like he traveled too much and there was someone else because he would leave in the morning and be home for dinner every single day of the week. Hence my life turned into a whirlpool of the unexpected when my young mind got hold of the news. Now, standing in front of the house Iâm supposed to call home for my senior year, with a dad whom I havenât seen or heard from since I was seven. Anger was raging through my veins and my nerves were on their last string. Airports and me don't mix well. As I walked up the cobblestone path with my two boxes lying beside me, it was strangely hard to keep my breathing steady. My heart was pumping at least 200 beats a minute and the excitement rushed through my body as if I had jumped off a plane without a parachute, but a deep current of anger ran through me like wild electricity, anger that had been running through my body since I was seven. I set my boxes down and reached for the doorbell when suddenly a pair of long, solid arms embraced me tightly and swung me into a hug before I could scream. âCharlie! Itâs so good to see you! Iâve missed you so much.â My dadâs unmistakable voice said. âWell, why didnât you visit? It has been 10 years you know?â I snapped back without the slightly the sympathy in my voice, but the curiosity was inevitable. âI wouldâve liked to see you.â Looking into his sad green eyes realizing they were just as sad as mine. âYour mother wouldnât let me interfere with your life.â he mumbled. âYet she was the one who sent me over here to live with you.â I contradicted. âShe has her reasons.â He said as he looked to his feet muttering words under his breath ~1~ that were to quiet for me to hear. âAnyways, Iâll show you your room. The moving truck arrived before you did, so I placed all your stuff ready in your room.â âThanksâ and I followed him up the wooden stairs to my room which like he said had all my belongings set up just the right way. As I threw my bags on my chair and flopped down on the bed, I couldnât help but notice how happy he was to see me and how sad he was that he hadnât been around. Did my mom really cut off any communication with him purposefully? Made me hate my father for never being there for a birthday or a Christmas or even a school concert? Make me feel even more alone? While as my eyes were fixed on a speckle on the ceiling my dad creaked the door open and poked his head through. âKiddo, I just thought I would mention that school starts tomorrow at 8:30, but the bus comes at 8:00, if you miss it itâs about a 20 minute run and a 40 minute walk. Also, your timetable just arrived in the mail along with a school map, which I think would be helpful in your case.â He said with a grin on his face. âThanks again.â âNo problem honey,â was the last thing I heard before I drifted off into a peaceful sleep which for 10 years had been my only place for pure serenity in my life. *** BRINGGGGGBRING! The ring of the alarm was not a welcoming sound at 7o'clock on a Monday morning. I struggled out of bed and floated to the shower where the pounding of the cold finally woke me up from my daze. The slow beating of the water on my back was so relaxing; it probably was the only thing that made all the sick feeling of how bad the day would be wash away. As I stepped out of the glass encasing and grabbed towel, I just kept hoping this school would have a newspaper. The thrill of chasing a good story was enough of a reason to survive this last year. I quickly fixed my wet hair up with a clip though missing multiple strands, slipped on a cute enough outfit and headed down to the lovely smell of breakfast; hoping that my dad maybe wouldâve remembered my love for pancakes. When I reached the main floor I took my first good look at the house I was going to live in for the year. The kitchen and the living room were a joint room only separated by a half wall, the walls surrounding were painted a chocolate brown and the both areas were decorated with matching and modern furniture. I pulled out the chair to settle myself with a bowl of some ever so bland cereal. âMorning, Charlieâ âMorning, Dad.â âYou ready for your first day?â Dad asked âWell, this is my twelfth time going to school for the first time, so I feel alright.â I said with a hint of sarcasm in my voice. âNot sad? Not excited? Not even a bit anxious? âCause ya know, this is your last first day of school before the real world.â He said in his own kind of humor, which was something I dearly missed when we left. âI remember my senior year like it was yesterday, it was my best year. Anyways, Do you like your cereal?â He asked. "I didn't know if you would've liked the really sugary kind or the bland kind, so I mixed them." "You mixed the cereal?" "Yeah." I chuckled, then broke into a quiet laugh. ~2~ âOh sorry I completely forgot you loved those pancakes.â He laughed. I smiled at him to relieve any tension. âOh well, things wouldâve been going too well if he remembered everythingâ I thought as he shrugged it off and started to eat. As I took a spoonful of cereal I glanced at my watch and realized I only had about 15 minutes to get to school. I shoved whatever was left in my spoon down my throat and bolted for the door with a quick bye to my dad somewhere in the middle of my sprint. I busted through the doors of the school only to find out I had no idea of where I was going. Shit! My map's on the kitchen table and I have absolutely no idea where to go. Well I guess I just fallen into the biggest clichés of first days at school that could ever exist; Iâm kidding myself if I think Iâm actually going to get to class on time. So, resolving that I would inevitably not get to class for the bell I slowed my pace down and studied the halls of my new school. A colorful poster with the words âWriters Needed for Newspaperâ caught my eye caused me stopped. Maybe there was still a glimmer of hope for this town. I felt as if I was walking on clouds now that I had discovered there still was a way for me to become that hard-hitting reporter I had worked hard to be back in California. Back there I was a somebody; I was that go-to person for any kind of story no matter how big. Memories of California started to reappear in my mind as though they were ghosts; in some sense they were. While I was still daydreaming about this glorious opportunity I felt a dull, but distinctive pain on my back. Twirling around landed me to discover that a girl who was behind me, not expecting me to stop had completely face planted into my back and then bounced off onto the recently waxed floors. âWatch it! Iâve got to get to class.â She snapped. âShit, Iâm really sorry; I didnât know someone was behind me.â I said, trying to apologize. âNeed some help?â âYou wouldnât have to help me if you didnât become an instant statue and just went to class like everyone else is.â Clearly this girl was not having a good day, but neither was I, so my sympathy was running low. She got up; obviously mad and started to swear rapidly under her breath thinking I couldn't hear a thing. She was really getting on my nerves. âHey! I said sorry, Iâll help with your books, but thereâs not much I can do for you now, so suck it up.â She either realized that I too was having a bad day or this girl had two different personalities because what she said next was totally unexpected. âIâm sorry too; I wasnât looking where I was going. You see, Iâm late for class and Iâve already been late 3 times this week. I suppose that canât be helped anymore since Iâm already late.â She said kindly as the bell rang signaling that first class had started. So I took advantage of this time to ask questions since both werenât going anywhere fast. âIâm Charlie and Iâm new and as you have probably realized late, but the problem is I donât where to go.â âAhh that explains it.â âWhat explains what?â I asked completely confused. âWell, Iâm Nikki and-â She was cut off by a smooth yet strict voice approaching from behind her. âMiss Jacobs, I do not suppose youâre a new student here too?â said the figure as it closed in. She wore a suit but tailored just right to pinch and fall in all the right places. Her dark hair fell far beyond her shoulders and looked like the kind of hair you would see on an herbal essence commercial. The female teachers must take a brutal hit to their self-esteem when she walks in the staff room. âIf I recall right youâre in my English class and youâve been a writer on my paper since grade 9.â Newspaper! Theyâre part of the paper! Thank God, this day might have a light at the end ~3~ of the tunnel. Nikki who seemed to be on good terms with this teacher replied, âWow maâam, I must say you have the memory of an elephant, but you certainly donât look like one, expression you see. I was justâ¦umm...showing Miss-â She flashed me a desperate look. âDavies. Iâm Charlie Davies. Iâm new and I saw your sign about needing more writers and I was interested.â The teacherâs face automatically lit up at my reference to the paper. âAhh you liked our poster? We were wondering if it caught any attention. Well, Iâm Ms. Brooks and I run the newspaper and teach grade 12 English youâre probably in my class. If you want a story, stop in whenever you can and ask for Julian. Heâs the editor and he will be more than happy to give to small story, and from there you can move up.â She faced Nikki and grinned. âAlright, now Iâm not sure whether to take your elephant comment of yours as an insult or not? So, as repayment you shall guide Miss. Davies to her class and then you shall get to yours.â âNo prob, Brooksyâ Nikki said as Ms. Brooks strode off down the hall in the opposite direction. âSo letâs see your scheduleâ Nikki said as she grabbed my timetable out of my hand. âHah, youâve got the same class as me right now; Physics with Harper, Room 230. Follow me.â The class was at the end of the hall. Many of the classes had already started as I saw teachers waving and pointing franticly through the door windows. Like most classes, Physics had already started and there was no way to avoid the teacher as we crept in the room. Nikki walked in front of me without a hint of fear in her eyes as she walked across the classroom and to her seat beside a brown haired boy and immediately started to chat up a storm. I however I had to hand in the papers saying I was a new student this year and I needed a seat. Well, either now or never. Surprisingly Mr. Harper didnât seem mad about us being late. He said while grinning âWe all hit speed bumps sometimes; some sooner and more often than others,â and flashed a warm smile, he was stunningly attractive for a teacher. I doubt many girls get there work done. He looked through my papers and directed me to the seat beside a boy who had fiery red hair spiked up in random directions. I placed my books on the desk and opened one of them to the page written on the board. While I got my notebook my pen fell off my desk in between me and the boy. He looked over and I went to go and pick up my pen before I created more of interruption than I had already had, but on my way up our heads collided as it seemed he also went to get my pen for me. I muttered a small âOwwwâ under my breath hoping no one heard and gave a forgiving glance to the boy who was obviously curious to see if I had been hurt while rubbing his own head. As I thanked the lord that the bell rang right before I fell asleep on my books, since physics and math had always came easily to me along with writing; it was just history and social sciences that I hated with a passion. âHey Iâm really sorry about bumping you last class. I hope it didnât hurt,â said a really sincere voice coming from behind me. I looked up to see a broad muscular chest in my face then raised my glanced a bit higher to see his face. Heâs taller than I remember âOh no, I shouldâve looked where I was raising my head.â I replied but it was obvious at the time it was all the boyâs fault. âOk, well, Iâm Avery and Iâll see you aroundâ¦ummâ¦whatâs your name?â Avery asked. âCharlie, Iâm Charlieâ âSee you later Charlie. It was nice meeting you!â He said while waving and catching up to some of his friends. Hoping to find Nikki on my way to lunch since I didnât really want to join a new group of people and go through more awkward introductions than I had to. While I wandered ~4~ down the halls I noticed how small this school was. Not over crowded like my school back at home. There were small clumps of people crowded round the lockers as I traveled up and down the halls; I saw Avery along with a group of girls. One girl stood out from the others. It was a beautiful blonde girl who looked like she was eating up every word Avery was saying. Typical. In midst of my staring Nikki found me with the brown haired boy she was sitting with in class. âHey Charlie, yoo-hoo, it seems our Charlie here has met Avery eh Julian?â Nikki laughed to the boy. This completely took me by surprise. âDid you say Julian? Isnât he the editor of the paper?â I questioned. âYeah, I am.â Julian said stepping in. He clearly did not appreciate having people talking about him with him standing right beside them. Nikki then realized how awkward the situation was and intervened âAh, introductions, silly me, Charlie Davies meet Julian Delano the paperâs editor-in-chief and Julian meet Charlie sheâs interested in writing for our paper.â âNice to meet you,â I said âWhen can I drop off some of my old work?â âHmm, previous work, you say? Youâve written before?â âActually yeah, have you heard of the Santa Monica High Star? I wrote for them.â I proudly said. âYouâre far from Santa Monica, so what makes you think I wouldâve heard of it?â Was he trying to make a fool of me? That little - âYet fortunately for you, yeah I have heard of them. Thatâs a big title to assume, you sure you know what youâre talking about?â He asked perfectly raising his brown eyebrow into a surprised reaction. Man, this guy is a bit of a-âIâve never been so sure about anythingâ I replied staring daggers back at him. âHave you heard of Brent Davies? He should be on the 6 oâclock news? Iâm his daughter, itâs in my blood, I just moved here from California.â âHmm, nice name dropping,â He thought for a moment and gave Nikki a curious glance. âAlright then, it should beâ¦refreshing to see some stuff written by a newbie. You can stop off tonight or tomorrow with some stuff and Iâll give you a story.â âTonight? I have no idea where you live.â âWell if I do remember correctly where I live, Iâm Brent Daviesâ neighbor.â âOh.â Neighborsâ¦your kidding me. His smooth, calm voice continued. âDid you know a Travis Birch when you were in Santa Monica?â Travis was the editor of the Star and he gave me my first break as a High School writer. âYeah, I know him. Why?â âJust wondering.â âOk well, Iâm not sure if your stomachs are shaped differently or something out west, but Iâm hungry and if you guys donât hurry up Iâm going to get lunch without you.â Nikki complained. Lunch came and left and the afternoon went the same way as the morning did minus me being late. As I started to walk home, fiddling with my new textbooks, I bumped into something that seemed like someoneâs back; my books falling to the ground. âIâm sorry; I wasnât looking where I was going.â I said as I bent down to get my books. Rolling my eyes at myself, Could I bump into anymore people today? Scratch that, I probably will. âItâs not a problem let me help you.â And thatâs when for the second time in one day my head collided with Averyâs. âOwwwâ I yelped, this time I didnât care who heard me âOh man Iâm sorry!â Averyâs warm, but apologetic voice said. âWeâve got to stop doing that.â âUh yeah; If we donât I think I have permanent bump on my forehead.â I complained, not in the mood to be stalled any longer, the walk home was long enough. âAre you walking home? âCause if you are I could drive you.â Avery asked tilting his head to the perfect angle and his emerald eyes looking irresistibly hopeful. Read my mind much? âI donât really think my dad would like to get into a strangerâs car.â I said reluctantly. A ~5~ drive really did sound perfect. âYou sure? I hardly think Iâm a stranger after today.â âIâm sure.â âPositive?â âumm ok may-â A perfectly calm yet hostile voice behind me replied before I could. âShe canât, her dad asked me before I left today to drive her back since he noticed she ran out if the house today, obviously late.â Julianâs cerulean eyes staring daggers into Averyâs green ones until Avery gave in. âYeah, no problem man; See you around Charlie. Julian.â I decided not to argue with Julian and got into his navy blue car. The first few minutes we both sat in silence, until my curiosity finally got the better of me. âDid my dad actually ask you to drive me home?â âNoâ âHmm. Then why are you driving me?â âI canât be nice when I want too?â he said sarcastically. âSeriously?â âAvery isnâtâ¦he isnât what everyone thinks he is.â âHow so?â âHe just isnât.â His eyes grew in intensity the longer we stayed on the subject of Avery. âItâd be better probably if you didnât get to close with him.â Who did this guy this he was? I had a full two minute conversation with him and now heâs telling me who and who not to hang out with! Outrageous. âI think itâs my decision who I do and donât hangout with.â I snapped anger starting to surface in my voice. âIt is your decision, I just gave a suggestion.â He gave an impish grin. âWell, clearly you said it for a reason, so what exactly is so wrong with Avery? He seemed nice enough to me.â I sat up and looked straight into his eyes, trembling from the amount of anger that arose from a simple sentence. âMaybe later.â He sighed breaking the stare and looking back to the road. From then on his concentration on the road was so intense someone could mistake him for having X-ray vision. Once we arrived to the driveway he stopped the car and hopped out with such grace walking to the door. Before he went inside he waved good bye and left me to walk across the lawn to my house which as he mentioned before, right beside his. That night I got all my old articles together and got ready to deliver them to Julian. Before I left I slipped into a new pair of jeans and a comfy sweater not expecting to make it a long visit. I rang the doorbell and waited for a few moments. I swore I could hear my dadâs voice in there house already, which shocked me. The door opened and Nikki was behind it, which led my jaw to drop. âHey Charlie! I suppose your dropping your stuff off for Jules.â âYeah, I am.â A bewildered look must have been plastered on my face because Nikki started to laugh âYou must be wondering why Iâm answering the door and not Jules. We were just putting the paper together for tomorrowâs printing.â âOhâ I whispered barely audible. âYup, you can help if you want!â She said with her regular upbeat voice that almost sounded like music to my ears. ââKay, though I thought I heard my dadâs voice in here though.â âYou probably did.â âWhat?! Heâs here? Over-protective much?â âUh no, Iâd say the opposite, heâs on the news.â Uh oh! My god Charlie, youâre having a bad day âOh yeahâ ~6~ As my cheeks burning from embarrassment, we walked down into Julianâs basement and into a room that was so thickly covered in newspaper clipping, old newspapers and possible cover pages for future issues; it was almost impossible to see the carpet underneath. He had decorated it almost identical to his office at school. Julian- concentrating so hard that he jumped about a foot in the air when I said âHiâ- was editing the last round of articles on his computer and perfecting them before the release of this weekâs paper in the morning. I whispered into Nikkiâs ear, though even if I screamed it he probably wouldnât have looked up, âIs he always like this before the release?â âActually, this is one of his better weeks, last week he went through about 10 cups of coffee in a day to finish the darn thing.â âOh my.â âI know, but youâll get used to it.â I switched the folders like he told me to, and looked into my first assignment âiPod Safety: How to protect you portable music machine from those sneaky bandits.â iPod Safety?!?! The coffee must be going to his head. âHAH! iPod Safety? Are you serious?â I asked sure that this was a big joke. âToo big?â âNo! This must be a joke!â âI kid you not Charlie. I just wanted to start small to give me time to look through your file and then weâll move on to bigger things.â âIâve done full coverage reports on things like drug busts to championship football games and now you want me to do a paragraph on how to keep your iPod safe? Itâs in the freaking instruction manual, bud!â My temper once again rising and the heat of my anger traveling to each every inch of my body; tingling from my fingers to my toes, but once he looked up for the first time since I arrived and I locked eyes with him my body was flushed of anger. His eyes were just so calm and crisp that they penetrated all my defenses. Though I was still extremely frustrated by the task he had given me, it gave me an excuse to see those beautiful eyes again. âFine,â I agreed âbut I am not doing these kinds of stories again.â âActually next week I was thinking you could cover the Annual Pretty Kitty Fashion Show.â He said with the same serious tone. I suppose Nikki saw the fire reignite in my eyes and stepped in to our little war. âJulian was just kidding.â She said guiding me to the other side of the room in a very diplomatic way. âWerenât you, J?â gritting her teeth. âYeah, I was actually.â He laughed, âI was just getting a kick on how serious you are about this.â And he flashed a million dollar smile that could melt young girlâs hearts. âHumph.â I grunted and he swung he chair around to face me and stood up. âI see your going to be a handful if I let you on the team.â He grinned. âWell, I heard your no princess when it comes to the release date.â I retorted. âAh, Ok, well, Iâll call a truce.â He leaned closer and stared straight into my eyes, âIf I promise you that I will give you bigger stories and let you have your own section of my column if and only if, you get good reviews from the readerâs which is quite important and, this condition is especially important so listen.â He snapped his fingers to make sure he still had my undivided attention. âYou stop complaining on every story I suggest. Hawthorne isnât full of drug busts and we already had our football season. So, lots of our best writers have to cover thing like Kitty fashion shows and Pancake eating contests, just âcause thereâs not much happening at the time. âKay?â âAlrightâ I reluctantly said. âIâm glad weâve reached an agreement.â Clapping his hands together and flashing that award winning smile. He plopped back into his chair and started to work once again. The weeks passed like days and as Julian promised, I was getting bigger stories to ~7~ cover. Nikki and I became great friends and though she hadnât said it, I think she had a thing for Julian -not completely sure why. He was a jerk, though for a jerk he was a stunningly attractive jerk- meaning I could only gaze at him from afar. Though that wasnât needed all the time because I found that Avery had become a very puppy-dog like person and though he was never mean, my god could he pop up in the most unexpected places Like the occasional waiting outside the girlâs washroom! Creepy to say the least. Though the warning Julian had told me on my first day was always at the back of my mind, I didnât let it get to me. Through these weeks I met the team of writers that I had become very close with. Though there were many freelance writers who provided the fillers in the papers there was a group that made up the columns that readers expected every issue. I had already known a couple people on the team already like Nikki; she wrote the headlining news in the Arts and Culture section, and there was Julian who not only edited, but he wrote the first page news concerning Student Council Politics. Dylan Lawrence a district snowboarding champion wrote the front page sports; he was also Julianâs best guy friend; Daniela Clifford a daughter of a city counselor wrote all the bulletins and upcoming events and has also previous relations with Avery from what I heard. And certainly not least our funny man Jeremy Prefect who organized the comics pages with donations and his own. I had received the second and third page of school politics section, though I wasnât in the big leagues yet like these five, whose names were Dylan-the blondie, Jeremy-a redhead, Daniela-a shy African American, then there was Tony the towel-the mascot nominated by Jeremy, and Henrietta the printer. Plus Nikki and me. As I walked through the glass paneled door into the office prepared to place the finishing touches on my column before I gave it in to print, I heard a voice from the desk in front of me. âHey Charlieâ Nikki called âHeyâ Dylan followed âHowâs it hanging?â âCharlie! Where is your towel?! How many times have I told you? You MUST keep it with you at all times!â Jeremy frantically popped out of his seat and searched my bag for any signs of a towel. Good god. I groaned. Jeremy worshipped Douglas Adams and The Hitchhikerâs Guide to the Galaxy was his Bible. Though it was comforting to know if your planet ever blew up I would have Jer by my side. Dylan and Nikki were laughing their heads off at Joelâs display of Sci-Fi obsession. But once they had caught their breath Dylan piped in, âGeez Charlie! Shame on you for not considering your intergalactic hitchhiking safety, tsk tsk. As you can see we all have our towels.â Nikki then pretty snorted the loudest laugh I had ever heard and dug into her bag. Shockingly enough Nikki, Dylan and even Julian sitting in the back working held up their towels. I had to control myself from bursting of laughter, at least for Jeremyâs sake. âYour lucky this time Charlie, I happen to have a extra towel for these type of emergencies.â Jeremy seriously instructed. From what I heard ever since Jeremy had read the Guide and realized that him and the fictional character Ford had the same last name, he had felt himself obligated to uphold the reputation for the Prefect name as a âford who really knows where his towel isâ. âHow are you supposed to become a âhoopy fordâ Charlie when you keep forgetting your towel? Havenât you read the book? Goshâ Dylan teased; emphasizing the âsh sound. âActually yes Dylan I have, but I have an incredible ship in my basement that has enough fuel to get me anywhere needed once the earth is blown up by Vegans. So, I doubt I need to carry a towel.â I replied sarcastically âNo way!â Jeremyâs jaw had dropped to the floor. âIâm kidding Jer.â âOhâ ~8~ Daniela then stood up from behind us and walked towards the door, but turned around at the last minute before leaving. âDonât forget that thereâs going to be a Gala at Town Hall this weekend, feel free to come my dadâs hosting. You probably want to bring your cameras too, it should be eventful.â âFree food, D?â Dylan asked routinely. âYupâ "Free Parking?" "Yep" "Free Drinks?" "Dylan you aren't even legal age! And the Gala is not the place to experiment." Daniela cautioned in a very wary tone. âIâm inâ Dylan then looked to Jeremy with a grin. âHey Jeremy howâs Raleigh? Does she still remember me?â âKnock it off! Thereâs in no way in hell I will let you take my sister!â Jeremy said and threw an eraser at Dylanâs head. âCâmon man! I bet she had a good time last time!â Dylan flashed his own set of pearly whites. âDYLAN!! I DONâT EVEN WANT TO THINK ABOUT LAST TIME!!â Jeremy roared. âWhy? I thought you had a good time too?â Dylan smirked, and Jeremy shot him a glance that could cut steel. âBye guys.â Daniela squeaked âSee ya Dannyâ we chorused. Daniela was extremely shy, it was almost painful, but she was extremely bright and probably had the grade point average of all of us combined, but once she entered the office she completely opened up. Though we havenât actually spoken to each other yet, I think weâre making progress. âOh yeah! I completely forgot! Avery stopped by looking for you Charlie.â Nikki reminded. I groaned for the second time. âThanks Nikki.â âNo Problem.â âBrilliant, just brilliant,â and with that the chair spun around and Julian threw down an article I had written on the corrupted student council at my old school. Nikki, Dylan and Joel were in the corner playing video games and couldnât hear anything of what Julian was saying. âYou did a lot of research for this article! It was very in depth. Who knew council could set up an underground gambling circuit with the fundraiser money right under the principalâs nose, though I think itâs a matter of how oblivious your old principal is rather than a greedy council." I swelled in pride âYeah, it was a month of prying and poking at everything the council touched, though I do remember it wasnât the most...enjoyable thing to do. And Julian, if I wrote an article on how dense the principal was Iâm would probably be expelled. â I sighed and laughed at the same time at the memory. âBut, it was definitely worth it, one of the best articles I ever wrote, if I do say so.â âNo, it was good.â âThanksâ Blush rose up in my cheeks. Julian then spun around back to his desk opened his drawer and pulled out a folder that had countless red âFailedâ stamps on it. It was labeled âA. Jonesâ. He spun back and faced me; though this time he threw down this folder. âCharlie, are you interested in an extra assignment?â âDo I have choice?â âNot really, but it would make me feel a bit better if you wanted to do it.â He said with a ridiculous grin on his face. âSure, Iâll do itâ I gave in. âOkay, I havenât told many people about this assignment, only the team and a couple trusted freelance guys, so you have to promise that this assignment is strictly between you and me.â His stare so intense it reminded me of the time when he stared down Avery. ~9~ âPromiseâ âOk, well first I thought Iâd ask you because youâre the only one on the team who hasnât tried and failed, also you are the only person on the team the person in question is closest to.â He exhaled deeply âI need you to get an interview with Avery Jones.â He said this in a voice that at the vibe of a âdun Dun DUNNNâ moment âAnd this is a big deal why?â âFirst off, readers-though mainly girls-have been dying for an interview with our star soccer player for ages. Though I donât blame them, he is pretty good. Secondly, I think he is hiding something behind that overly gelled red hair, but that could be just my suspicions.â He said this with a certain distain in his voice that I couldnât put my finger on. âWhat gives you these suspicions?â I pried, thinking it would be good to know what the point of the interview was for. He became quickly uncomfortable. âDo you really need proof?â he pleaded âWell, it would help, since you know, I am asking the questions and I doubt I can get a psychic on such short notice.â âFine, well, not many people know, but thereâs this group- no, more like a mob, clan, party; anyways itâs very selective - in Hawthorne that is quite popular. They call themselves The Brotherhood, though Iâm not sure if theyâre all blood related or not. And Averyâs father it quite high up in this group; if I recall second in command. Theyâre like the unofficial police, but donât always stand up in the name of justice, but if they wanted to they would have the power. If they say jump; you jump if you catch my drift, "He stopped for a second to catch his breath. âThough Avery doesnât actually live with his father, he lives with his aunt and uncle. Supposedly they arenât in The Brotherhood.â âYeah I got it, anything else?â I replied trying to remain calm, but the excitement was evident in my voice. âAnd last but certainly not least, for some obscure reason he has refused ever single attempt at an interview since he was in grade 8. Weâve even hired undercover freelance writers, which is getting suspicious because why would you dislike an interview so much unless you had something to hide.â He sighed âAre you still interested?â âObviously, but if I may Julian, it sounds like you have a little chip on your shoulder with Avery. First the car ride home and now this. What happened?â He looked into my eyes for what seemed like an eternity and then turned around and started to walk towards the door. âItâs late and I need to close up, so do you mind?â He pointed to the door, every muscle of his body tensed. ââKay, youâll tell me later though?â âHmm, I really need to go.â And once again he gestured to the door. âFine. See you in the morning.â âYeahâ¦â He said and locked the door once we were both out. âNeed a drive?â he asked. âYeahâ And for the first time since I met Julian we had a perfectly silent car ride home. Chapter 1 Sirens. All I remember from that day were the piecing sirens of the speeding ambulance. My world was slowing falling apart before my eyes. The bench where I sat outside of his house was a needed relief for my legs. My heart was beating hard and fast that it felt like it was going to burst out. My breath; gone. As thoughts flooded my mind, warm salty tears flooded my eyes. As my tears slowly, yet surely soaked my jeans I waited for my dad to pick me up. Yet the tears were empty and I was strangely not as crushed as I thought I would be. Who is he? How did he get here? How did he die? How did this get so out of hand? Questions reeled through my mind like a broken movie. It took an amazing amount of focus and a few pinches to figure this wasnÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt just a dream and there was no waking up from this. What was waiting for me the next morning was something I was not looking forward to. I brought my cold numb hands to my chin in frustration as I dug deep into memories to figure out what exactly was happening to me at the moment. It was like going through millions of files in a cabinet that extended forever. I then realized that I had been living this dangerous life for ten years and that only last year had there actually been any sign of it. 8 months agoÃÂÃÂ... My parents got divorced when I was seven and ever since I'ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂve been staying with my mom in Santa Monica, California. That is, until yesterday when she decided to chase a guy she claimed to love half way around the world. Now IÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂm on my way to my dadÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs house in Hawthorne, which is pretty much the farthest place away from my home on the continent. The thing is, for the ten years she was married to my dad she claimed to love him and then when I asked at the tender age of seven why we left she replied with tears escaping her eyes that "We can't live here, it won't work".ÃÂÃÂÃÂàIt wasn'ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt like he traveled too much and there was someone else because he would leave in the morning and be home for dinner every single day of the week. Hence my life turned into a whirlpool of the unexpected when my young mind got hold of the news. Now, standing in front of the house IÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂm supposed to call home for my senior year, with a dad whom I havenÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt seen or heard from since I was seven. Anger was raging through my veins and my nerves were on their last string. Airports and me don't mix well. As I walked up the cobblestone path with my two boxes lying beside me, it was strangely hard to keep my breathing steady. My heart was pumping at least 200 beats a minute and the excitement rushed through my body as if I had jumped off a plane without a parachute, but a deep current of anger ran through me like wild electricity, anger that had been running through my body since I was seven. I set my boxes down and reached for the doorbell when suddenly a pair of long, solid arms embraced me tightly and swung me into a hug before I could scream. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂCharlie! ItÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs so good to see you! IÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂve missed you so much.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàMy dadÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs unmistakable voice said. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂWell, why didnÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt you visit? It has been 10 years you know?ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàI snapped back without the slightly the sympathy in my voice, but the curiosity was inevitable. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂI wouldÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂve liked to see you.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàLooking into his sad green eyes realizing they were just as sad as mine. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂYour mother wouldnÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt let me interfere with your life.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàhe mumbled. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂYet she was the one who sent me over here to live with you.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàI contradicted. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂShe has her reasons.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàHe said as he looked to his feet muttering words under his breath ~1~ that were to quiet for me to hear. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂAnyways, IÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂll show you your room. The moving truck arrived before you did, so I placed all your stuff ready in your room.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂThanksÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàand I followed him up the wooden stairs to my room which like he said had all my belongings set up just the right way. As I threw my bags on my chair and flopped down on the bed, I couldnÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt help but notice how happy he was to see me and how sad he was that he hadnÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt been around. Did my mom really cut off any communication with him purposefully? Made me hate my father for never being there for a birthday or a Christmas or even a school concert? Make me feel even more alone? While as my eyes were fixed on a speckle on the ceiling my dad creaked the door open and poked his head through. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂKiddo, I just thought I would mention that school starts tomorrow at 8:30, but the bus comes at 8:00, if you miss it itÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs about a 20 minute run and a 40 minute walk. Also, your timetable just arrived in the mail along with a school map, which I think would be helpful in your case.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàHe said with a grin on his face. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂThanks again.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂNo problem honey,ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàwas the last thing I heard before I drifted off into a peaceful sleep which for 10 years had been my only place for pure serenity in my life. *** BRINGGGGGBRING! The ring of the alarm was not a welcoming sound at 7o'clock on a Monday morning. I struggled out of bed and floated to the shower where the pounding of the cold finally woke me up from my daze. The slow beating of the water on my back was so relaxing; it probably was the only thing that made all the sick feeling of how bad the day would be wash away. As I stepped out of the glass encasing and grabbed towel, I just kept hoping this school would have a newspaper. The thrill of chasing a good story was enough of a reason to survive this last year. I quickly fixed my wet hair up with a clip though missing multiple strands, slipped on a cute enough outfit and headed down to the lovely smell of breakfast; hoping that my dad maybe wouldÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂve remembered my love for pancakes. When I reached the main floor I took my first good look at the house I was going to live in for the year. The kitchen and the living room were a joint room only separated by a half wall, the walls surrounding were painted a chocolate brown and the both areas were decorated with matching and modern furniture. I pulled out the chair to settle myself with a bowl of some ever so bland cereal. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂMorning, CharlieÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂMorning, Dad.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂYou ready for your first day?ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàDad asked ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂWell, this is my twelfth time going to school for the first time, so I feel alright.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàI said with a hint of sarcasm in my voice. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂNot sad? Not excited? Not even a bit anxious? ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂCause ya know, this is your last first day of school before the real world.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàHe said in his own kind of humor, which was something I dearly missed when we left. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂI remember my senior year like it was yesterday, it was my best year. Anyways, Do you like your cereal?ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàHe asked. "I didn't know if you would've liked the really sugary kind or the bland kind, so I mixed them." "You mixed the cereal?" "Yeah." I chuckled, then broke into a quiet laugh. ~2~ ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂOh sorry I completely forgot you loved those pancakes.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàHe laughed. I smiled at him to relieve any tension. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂOh well, things wouldÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂve been going too well if he remembered everythingÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàI thought as he shrugged it off and started to eat. As I took a spoonful of cereal I glanced at my watch and realized I only had about 15 minutes to get to school. I shoved whatever was left in my spoon down my throat and bolted for the door with a quick bye to my dad somewhere in the middle of my sprint. I busted through the doors of the school only to find out I had no idea of where I was going. Shit! My map's on the kitchen table and I have absolutely no idea where to go. Well I guess I just fallen into the biggest clichÃÂÃÂÃÂés of first days at school that could ever exist; IÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂm kidding myself if I think IÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂm actually going to get to class on time. So, resolving that I would inevitably not get to class for the bell I slowed my pace down and studied the halls of my new school. A colorful poster with the words ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂWriters Needed for NewspaperÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàcaught my eye caused me stopped. Maybe there was still a glimmer of hope for this town. I felt as if I was walking on clouds now that I had discovered there still was a way for me to become that hard-hitting reporter I had worked hard to be back in California. Back there I was a somebody; I was that go-to person for any kind of story no matter how big. Memories of California started to reappear in my mind as though they were ghosts; in some sense they were. While I was still daydreaming about this glorious opportunity I felt a dull, but distinctive pain on my back. Twirling around landed me to discover that a girl who was behind me, not expecting me to stop had completely face planted into my back and then bounced off onto the recently waxed floors. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂWatch it! IÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂve got to get to class.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàShe snapped. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂShit, IÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂm really sorry; I didnÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt know someone was behind me.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàI said, trying to apologize. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂNeed some help?ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂYou wouldnÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt have to help me if you didnÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt become an instant statue and just went to class like everyone else is.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàClearly this girl was not having a good day, but neither was I, so my sympathy was running low. She got up; obviously mad and started to swear rapidly under her breath thinking I couldn't hear a thing. She was really getting on my nerves. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂHey! I said sorry, IÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂll help with your books, but thereÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs not much I can do for you now, so suck it up.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàShe either realized that I too was having a bad day or this girl had two different personalities because what she said next was totally unexpected. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂIÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂm sorry too; I wasnÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt looking where I was going. You see, IÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂm late for class and IÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂve already been late 3 times this week. I suppose that canÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt be helped anymore since IÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂm already late.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàShe said kindly as the bell rang signaling that first class had started. So I took advantage of this time to ask questions since both werenÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt going anywhere fast. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂIÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂm Charlie and IÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂm new and as you have probably realized late, but the problem is I donÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt where to go.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂAhh that explains it.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂWhat explains what?ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàI asked completely confused. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂWell, IÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂm Nikki and-ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàShe was cut off by a smooth yet strict voice approaching from behind her. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂMiss Jacobs, I do not suppose youÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂre a new student here too?ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàsaid the figure as it closed in. She wore a suit but tailored just right to pinch and fall in all the right places. Her dark hair fell far beyond her shoulders and looked like the kind of hair you would see on an herbal essence commercial. The female teachers must take a brutal hit to their self-esteem when she walks in the staff room. ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂIf I recall right youÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂre in my English class and youÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂve been a writer on my paper since grade 9.ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂàNewspaper! TheyÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂre part of the paper! Thank God, this day might have a light at the end ~3~ of the tunnel. Nikki who seemed to be on good terms with this teacher replied, ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂWow maÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂam, I must say you have the memory of an elephant, but you certainly donÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt look like one, expression you see. I was justÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂæumm...showing Miss-ÃÂ