No. 10: Secrets Spilled over Pistachio ice cream

No. 10: Secrets spilled over Pistachio ice cream

Kaleigh had tried to forget what happened in the kitchen that afternoon, but it was almost impossible since she was still shaking from the incident.
The boys did their best to try and get her mind off it, by teasing her, watching movies, or posing for pictures. Though she appreciated the thought, it just wasn't working.
   It was when the phone rang that her mind was torn away momentarily from the disaster that she was convinced happened because of something she did.

"Hello?" Her voice was quiet, as if even just the slightest noise might set the house into electrical mayhem.
"Hey, is this the photographer of the premises?" Asked a deep voice she almost didn't recognize.
"Uh...yeah. Who is this?"
"Really? I guess I didn't make as big of an impression as I had hoped. Seeing as you made a pretty big one on me earlier today."
Both ends were silent for a moment as her head gears spun at top speed.
"Brandon?" She whispered, finally able to pin point the familiarity of the boy's voice.
"Okay so maybe it wasn't a complete waist of time." He complained with fake annoyance.
Once he had confirmed her guess, she let out a sigh of relief and was able to relax now that she knew it wasn't some creep who had gotten her phone number.
"Sorry," She apologized. "things have been a bit...stressful for me, and I'm not in the best of moods so..." She let her sentence trail off, not quiet sure what else to say, or what he wanted.
"Ah well I've got just the cure for bad moods." He exclaimed. Not letting her dark mood damper his cheerful way.
"Oh? And what's that?" Kaleigh indulged him.
"Come out side, and I'll show you."
Her eyes grew wide when she hung up.
"Who was that?" Venn asked, emerging from his room, this time with a shirt on.
"Brandon." She answered as she ran to the window and looked out. Sure enough, there he was leaning up against the house next to the door with his hands in his pockets, whistling a tune.
Kale shook her head as she grabbed a sweater and shoved her feet into her converse.
"I'm going out for a bit, I've got my phone on me if you need me." She called over her shoulder as she left the house.
Cliff shook his head and went back to writing.
"Girls." He muttered under his breath as the door slammed shut after her.

Kaleigh shoved her hands into the big pocket on the front of her sweatshirt, then turned to the boy leaning against the house.
He smiled that goofy smile of his, and readjusted his baseball cap on his head.
"Do you ever wear that the proper way?" She asked curiously.
"What's the proper way?" He shot back, pushing himself away from the wall and leading the way around the house.
"With the bill in the front."
"Pfft! That's the norm. And who wants to be normal?" Brandon asked, turning on his heel and walking backwards so he could see her face. But she hid it with her raven hair as she looked up at the mansion.
Even though she knew she was being rude, she felt really bad about it and quickly turned back to him, only to find that he had turned back around.

Once she saw what they were heading for she stopped dead.
"No. Way." Kale stated in an unbelieving tone.
Brandon turned to her and grinned at her expression.
"You like?" He asked leaning up against a Hulk green racing motorcycle.
"Uh yeah." Her eyes were huge as she walked up to it and looked at it.
"Dang, Venn would be impressed with this thing." She muttered under her breath.
Brandon chuckled and handed her a helmet.
"Wait, you actually want me to get on this thing with you?!" She cried in alarm.
"Well that was the general idea, yeah. It's a bit far to the city to walk, don't you think?" He gave her an expectant look, from the helmet to her, back and forth 'til she snatched it out of his hands just because the constant eye motion was giving her a bigger headache.
He still had that grin on when he pulled on his own helmet and hopped onto the bike, kicking up the kick stand with his foot.
Kaleigh groaned and pulled the helmet on herself.
"My brothers are going to kill me." She whispered in singsong.
Only when the roar of the engine was going, and Brandon was looking at her through the tinted visor did she actually get on the bike.
It being a racer and all, the only place to hold onto was Brandon's waist. She interlocked her fingers around his waist, but tried her best to keep the rest of her from touching him, secretly dreading the moment when she got home and had to answer her brothers questions.

.:+++:.

The ride wasn't as bad as Kale's imagination led her to believe. Of course it was impossible to ask where in the world they were headed, so she contented herself with watching the city zip by.
Her first thought of the ride was utter bliss and a bit of a thrill seeing everything whiz by so fast it was all just a blur. Eventually her muscles relaxed and she wasn't as ridged against Brandon's back, which made him grin.

He popped the clutch and shifted as he slowed down, driving carefully into a parallel parking spot in front of one of the streets that had a bunch of cute shops lining it.
After he cut the engine and had the kick stand down, he waited patiently for Kaleigh to get off first. She did so with a graceful jump onto the sidewalk, her balance slightly off, causing her to swing around in a wide circle on her toe to gain it back. She tugged the black helmet off and ran her fingers through her hair. Brandon was on the sidewalk next to her, taking his own helmet off and replacing it with his baseball cap.
Kaleigh chuckled and placed her helmet back on the bike next to his.
"You really get a kick out of my hat don't you?" Brandon asked as he led the way through the crowd.
"It's just funny, and I don't quite understand it."
"What's to understand? I like wearing my hat backwards, what's wrong with that?"
"Nothing! I mean...it's just...." She failed to come up with the right word.
"Weird?" He suggested.
"Yeah. Weird." Kaleigh agreed.
"Like a good weird? or a bad weird?"
Kaleigh pretended to think hard on that one.
"Hmmm...."
"Oh dear, she's thinking. This could get dangerous." He mumbled.
"Haha. I'd say a good weird. But it's still weird." She stated, thrusting her hands into her pocket and blowing out a puff of breath, watching it form a small cloud in front of her.

Kaleigh almost lost Brandon in the five o'clock traffic several times, so when she finally caught back up with him she grabbed his sleeve and didn't let go, shooting Brandon a nervous smile when he glanced at her.
"Alright, I can tell you're freaking out," he said, slowing down for her. "so I'll tell you where we're going." He finished.
"Thanks. For that." She said with mock appreciation. He rolled his eyes at her and then pointed to one of the shops.
It took a minute for Kaleigh to read the sign since it wasn't the best lit up one, but she finally managed to figure out that it was an ice cream shop.
"Ice cream? In November?" She asked, looking up at Brandon's stormy blue eyes. He shrugged.
"Yup. It's one of my many weird quirks." He stated, opening the door for her.
"Huh," Said Kaleigh as she walked past him and into the little shop.
"Are there any other quirks I should know about? Or anything else really? Tattoos? Piercings? That kind of thing." She glanced around the interior of the ice cream shop. It was decorated with miss matched Christmas decorations, there was tables all around the front, nothing matched there either, but each table had a candle on it that was lit, giving the shop a warm, cozy kind of glow.
"Well I don't know if you should know about the skull tattoo on my shoulder blade but..." He laughed at her expression of horror.
"Just kidding!"
She scowled at him as she slapped his arm. "That was not funny." She mumbled as she moved up to the counter.
"I thought it was. Hey Juan!" His attention turned to the large man behind the counter in the hideous lime green shirt.
"Hey! My man!" Juan cried, he waddled out from behind the counter. He had absolutely no hair on the top of his shiny head, his darkly tanned skin was the only thing that hinted to his heritage. (Well, that and his name.)
The man had a contagious smile as he grabbed Brandon in a bear hug that made his eyes bulge.
When the large man finally let go, Brandon was wheezing. Not that Juan noticed, he was looking a Kaleigh.
"Hey man," He nudged Brandon in the ribcage. "how come you never told me you had a chica before?"
Kaleigh blushed, her Spanish wasn't great, but it was good enough to understand what he had just said. Brandon blushed as well, though it wasn't as noticeable on him.
"I don't know what is with people these days. They refer to girls like they're property." Kale heard him mutter. "That is because," He continued in a higher voice. "she is not my chica. She's just a friend."
Juan glanced between the two, before shrugging.
"Ah, whatever you say man. But this is the first one you've ever brought here." Juan said, just loud enough for it to reach Kaleigh's ears. She tried to meet Brandon's gaze, but he was avoiding her.
"Right!" Juan cried, now back behind the counter. "What can I get you?"
"One pistachio in a cone and..." Brandon looked at Kaleigh. She did a quick sweep of the flavors that hid behind the glass case inside the counter, before turning to Juan.
"Make that two pistachios."
Juan grinned at the boy next to her.
"Alright. Two pistachios coming up."

Kaleigh noticed the restroom sign and informed Brandon she'd be right back.
On her way towards the arch, a hand grabbed her arm above the elbow and quickened her step, shoving her into the dark.
She was about to scream when the someone covered her mouth with a warm, but rough hand.
"Shh!"
Well it was a boy, that much was obvious.
Kaleigh's eyes adjusted to the dark, and she saw dark curls and even darker eyes. Unnaturally dark.
A door opened behind them, the boy moved his hands to the wall on either side of her. He ducked his head down, his hair brushing her bare neck.
While Kale's mind told her he probably wouldn't do anything, her body wasn't that rational. Her palms started sweating, and her heart was racing.
   The boy turned his head slightly as he followed the man walking out of the bathroom. The man grunted when he saw them and told them to get a room.
Once he was gone, the boy moved away slightly, but kept his arms where they where.
"Be careful Kaleigh." He warned. "You're going to learn stuff that's going to change the way you look at yourself, the world around you, and who you consider friends, and foes."
Kaleigh eyed him for a moment, trying to forget her drumming heartbeat and sweaty hands.
"And what category do you fall in?" She asked, gaining her voice back.
He studied her a minute before answering.
"Friend."
"Don't friends give their names?"
He hesitated again, meeting her hard gaze.
"You can call my Stryder." He answered.
Kale let out a sigh.
"Well at least I can put a name to the face. Thanks for the warning, now if you'll excuse me."
"Kaleigh." His tone was stern as he caught her elbow. "I'm not joking. Once you find out who you are, people are going to come after you. Bad people, and you're going to need to believe every word that kid's got to say. You're life depends on it."
Kale studied him like he was some kind of freak, he let go of her and took a step back, not understanding why her gaze hurt him so bad.
She brushed past him quickly with out saying a word.
Her eyes searched for Brandon's baseball cap among the seated crowd. Her mind already forgotten why she had even left in the first place.

.:++:.

Brandon was beginning to wonder where Kaleigh had disappeared to when she sat down in the iron chair next to him.
"Sorry." She said with an apologetic smile.
He shrugged his shoulders and held out her ice cream cone.
"I kind of had to....get rid of the drops other wise it would have been a real big mess." He explained when she glanced at the ice cream.
"O-kay...that's comforting."
"Yeah sorry." He didn't look too apologetic, but she let it roll off her shoulders and ate the ice cream anyways.
"So, you never answered my question." She reminded him. He glanced up at her, to find her laughing quietly. She made a wiping gesture over her top lip and handed him a napkin.
"Okay quirks. Um...I listen to Coldplay on my record player..."
"You have a record player?"
He nodded as he tongued more ice cream into his mouth.
"Yup. I play guitar, I know parkour and..."
"Whoa, what the heck is parkour?"
"Uh...ever seen Assassin's Creed? Or The Prince of Persia?"
"Yeah, Venn and Cliff play it all the time."
"Well the whole jumping from roof to roof, scaling walls, that's all called parkour."
"Are you serious?!" She looked at him dumbly.
He chuckled and nodded.
"Yeah. I'll show you sometime."
"Huh, and you play guitar. Wow you're a busy guy."
Brandon shrugged modestly.
"And what about you? Got any quirks I should know about? Tattoos? Or piercings? Stuff like that."
She threw her head back in a full hearted laugh.
"Yeah sure I've got a belly piercing and a tattoo of a butterfly on my ankle." She teased.
Brandon grinned.
"No there's really nothing interesting about me, except I like to take pictures, I love orange converse, and cinnamon in my hot chocolate."
"Those are quirks. And they make you up. And I want to see some of your pictures."
"Hahaha, only if I can see yours." She countered.
He glared at her before shrugging again.
"I'll have to think about that one."
"You do that."

They finished up their ice cream in between playful banters and small talk. Kaleigh had forgotten all about what had happened earlier, and her bad mood, that was until they walked outside.
"So..." She said as they walked down the streets. "Some how I get the feeling you didn't take me to your favorite ice cream place just to make fun of me."
"I am not making fun of you. And yes. I did take you out to tell you something else." He admitted, shaking his head when they passed his bike and she gave him a questioning look.
"Okay...then spit it out. I hate suspense." She mumbled.
Brandon inhaled deeply, and let it out slowly, as if to brace himself for what he was going to say.
"I heard about the accident earlier." He said slowly.
Kale scoffed and shook her head in disbelief.
"So the whole ice cream thing was the 'smother her with gifts, and then dump the bad news' ruse?"
Brandon shook his head.
"No, it's more like 'smother her with gifts, and then tell her the world isn't as it seems' ruse."
"Sorry but that ship's already sailed." She muttered.
He gently nudged her when he wanted her to turn down a street towards the park. But his touch sent a jerk through both of them, causing her to shy away, and his heart to jump.
"Do...you mind telling me what happened?" He asked, pretending the shock didn't happen.
She followed Brandon around the corner, stepping into a beautiful park.
"Whoa!" Kaleigh cried. "Oh my goodness..."
She stood rooted at the edge of an Eden growing in middle of a concrete jungle.
"What?" Brandon asked, even though he knew the answer.
Kale looked around the beautifully maintained park and scowled at herself for getting a little teary-eyed.
"Nothing....it's just....I wish I had my camera." She moaned.
"Don't you have a smart phone?"
She looked at him in shock.
"Do you know how much those things cost?! No I don't have a smart phone."
He sighed and fished out his own iPhone.
"Here. You can borrow mine, and I'll email all the pictures to you, so long as you talk to me."
Kaleigh glanced down at the phone suspiciously.
"Oh, so this is another one of your ruses?"
He shrugged and glanced around.
"I know how it feels to be with out a way to capture the world around you. And I just want you to know you can talk to me."
"Talking to you is as easy as breathing."
Only once the words were out, did she realize how incredibly stupid they were.
"Oh, gosh that's got to be the cheesiest line ever. I didn't mean it like it sounded..."
"Yeah I know." He offered her the phone again.
She sighed and took the phone from him.
"Okay, you can multitask right?"
"Wow you are really pushy today." She remarked.
He was about to say something when she ran off to a low wall.
"Kaleigh what are you...?" He ran over to her, only to be used as a stepping stool 'til she stood on the wall.
"Okay you know you could have just asked?"
"Yeah, but what's the fun in that? We already know each other so well." She teased.
Brandon rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall.
   There was silence for a while as Kale took her pictures, she finally got enough and sighed as she sat down on the wall.
"What do you want to know?" She asked quietly.
"What were you feeling when it happened? Emotionally."
Kaleigh let out a sigh and looked around at the wondrous park.
"A song came on the radio...it was one from my...past life..." She ignored his odd look. "I got angry, and emotions of the past week that had been brewing under the surface boiled over. All the stress of trying to ignore the glances I get at school, teachers giving me mounds of homework to catch up, it was all way too much and it...came out."
Kaleigh watched Brandon nod silently for a minute, not quiet sure what kind of reaction to expect from him.
"How'd it 'come out'? Physically?" He saw her stunned look and tried to explain. "It would be some kind of sign, could be as simple as your hair started to frizz or something."
"My hair doesn't frizz." She replied immediately.
He put his hands up in a signal that he didn't want to fight. Her lips pursed into a tight line as she thought for a moment.
She shook her head. "Nah, you'd think I'm some kind of nutcase."
Brandon shot her a look.
"I'm the last person you should be worried about."
She bit down on her bottom lip and shook her head. But when he kept looking at her, she caved.
"It was like...there was this...alien feeling, it started at my core, and then worked it's way outward. And that's really the only way I can explain it."
Brandon nodded and turned to her, offering both of his hands. She took the gesture as a sign he wanted her off the wall.
Kaleigh hated it when people treated her like a glass doll, and it seemed she was always having to prove that she could fend for herself and she didn't need protecting twenty-four seven.
She pushed away from the wall with her feet and landed in front of Brandon with a pleased, but slightly defiant grin.
He shrugged and started walking down one of the paths that ran through the park.
"This is going to sound insane to you. And it'll seem the very seem of the fabric that makes of your reality are going to get shredded to bits."
"Don't worry about that, it's already happened." When he looked at her, confused, she shrugged. "I'll tell you about it latter. Continue."
"Well anyways,....you know about the elements right?"
Kale looked up at him like he was insane but nodded just the same.
"Yeah, water, earth, fire, and air. But what on earth do they have to do with anything?"
"Okay, there's this special race..." His attention was caught at something she couldn't see across the park.
"Of...? cars? bikes? humans?"
"Humans. Duh." He stated, the lines in his forehead deepening.
"Well you weren't really finishing your sentence."
"Okay anyways, yeah so a special human race who can..." He turned his attention back to her, and saw her eyebrows rise, telling him to go on.
"Who can control those elements." He finished.
Kaleigh stopped dead and raised a single eyebrow.
"Now you're just pulling my leg."
"And why would I do that?" He challenged.
"Uh because..." She scrambled her brain for a good reason as to why he would pull her leg, but came up blank. "Okay I don't actually know, but seriously? People controlling elements? Are you on something?"
His hard gaze made her feel guilty she had said anything.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it. I just...I mean that's a bit far fetched don't you think?"
Brandon groaned, taking off his hat and ran a hand through his hair before replacing it.
"Should have known this wouldn't be easy."
"I've been through a lot of things Brandon, but I'm not insane." She said. "Everyone knows there's no such things as vampires, mummies, yetis and there's no such thing as people who can control the elements."
Kaleigh groaned and rubbed her head.
"I just seem to attract nutters! Just when I thought he'd be different." She whispered.
"Kaleigh I'm not lying, and I'm not a nutter either. I'll prove it too you, that silver in your eyes? That means something special. Just like mine, I know you noticed when we first met, most Ordinaries don't see it, but it just goes to prove you're one of us."
Her head was spinning, trying to understand what he was telling her, but it was like she was under water, everything was disoriented and confusing.
"Ordinaries? What is that?" She asked.
"Ordinary people." He gestured to the couple passing by them laughing, the jogging mom with her baby in a stroller. "The people that can't see us."
"Can't see us?!"
"Well not like that, I mean they don't see us for who we really are, they see what they want to see, not what is really in front of them. Which is how you've been raised all your life, so I can understand why this is difficult."
She shoved her hands back into her pocket, not paying attention to the fact she was still holding his phone in her hand.
"You said 'us' there's more then just you and me?"
Brandon nodded.
"A lot more. There's a good chance that the people passing us by are them. But only a few of them have silver in their eyes."
Kaleigh's eyes grew wide as he spoke. A flash back to when she and the boys first woke up came to mind.
"Like my brothers."
Brandon nodded.
"I couldn't believe Professor Wallace when he said he had found three of you guys. It was just so mind blowing that I had to see for myself. That's why I was in the cafeteria that day."
"Wait so the Professor knows about this too?!" She cried in disbelief.
Brandon knew at once he had made a mistake.
"No, Kaleigh it's not like that. The Professor was trying to keep you safe, he said you guys were in a delicate situation and he didn't want to break you by dropping all this on your shoulders. But after the time with Josh? When electricity just flowed out of you in powerful sparks that he had spasms for the next day? And then today with the toaster? He knew we needed to tell you or you could be a danger to yourself and to everyone else around you."
"I'm...I'm a danger?" Her voice was as quiet as a whisper, her eyes were moist with tears that threatened to spill.
"Kaleigh I'm not going to tell you a lie," Brandon admitted honestly, taking a step closer to her. "But if you don't accept this, and don't try to get it under control, your power will just keep lashing out."
"You are definitely on something. That's not real! We're just a couple of freaks that'll have to keep our heads down for the rest of our lives okay? I've had enough crap about my life and I don't need more of it."
She didn't giver her mind enough time to feel bad about her harsh remarks, she ran at top speed through the trees and off the path.
"Kaleigh!"
Tears spilt over as she forced herself to ignore Brandon's cries and keep running.
Running from everything. Brandon, her stupid knack for bad luck, his falsehoods, and her own fears, that maybe, he was actually right.

No. 9: Accidents Happen

No. 9: Accidents happen

Kaleigh starred at a blank page and felt it eating away at her. Well...it wasn’t actually blank. It had splashes of color, a floral print made up the page it’s self, but it was still blank. Blank of any personal touches, anything that made it hers, or showed any signs that anyone even owned it. She looked over at the stack of photos next to her, and fingered through them, smiling at a few and laughing at others.
She grabbed the glue stick and smeared the white goop on the back of a picture and stuck it on the page.
A grin crossed her face as she began to piece together her own work of art. “Maybe some things haven’t changed.” She wondered out loud.

.:+++:.

Cliff watched his sister from the comfy recliner in the living room. He had a blank spiral bound notebook open on his lap and was tapping a pencil against his mouth.
“Dude...”
Cliff looked over and saw Venn standing next to him with a wet towel in his hand, and basketball shorts on.
“It was cute when you had a crush on her before and all, but get over it. She’s your sister.”
Cliff made a disgusted face.
“Oh that’s just gross Venn. C’mon! That’s just nasty.”
Venn rolled his eyes and tossed the towel back into their room. He moved and sat down on the couch.
“What’s with the notebook?” He asked.
Cliff sighed and looked down at the blank sheet of paper daring to eat him alive.
“I’m trying to write something.” He explained.
“Like a paper?” Venn suggested, not sure what to make of his brother’s explanation.
“Uh...no...more like a...”
“A what?”
“A book.”
“A book?”
“Are you on repeat or something?” Cliff asked, his tone getting slightly annoyed.
Venn shook his head. “Since when have you been into writing?”
“Um...since forever.”
Venn shot him a look that said ‘I don’t believe you.’ Cliff sighed and gestured to their sister who was sitting on her bed nodding her head to the beat of the music playing in her room, while putting pictures in a new photo album.
“Ask Kale. She’ll tell you.”
“Huh...” Venn rose from his perch at the edge of the couch and walked into her room. When he tapped her on her shoulder to get her attention, she jumped out of her skin, screaming at the top of her lungs.
When she saw who it was she relaxed a little.
“Geez Venn! Don’t do that again.” Her eyes darted up and down his torso for a minute. “And get a shirt on.” She ordered, turning back to her work.
Cliff chuckled quietly, before Venn shot him the death look and he shut up.
“Kaleigh did you know Cliff was a writer?” He asked.
“Yeah. He gave me a book to read back...there.” She answered, careful not to look at him.
Venn’s eyebrows rose into his dark hair and he shook his head.
“So everyone knew but me?” He asked, walking back out of her room and into the living room.
“Well if by ‘everyone’ you mean Kale. Yup.” Cliff suddenly got an idea for a character and he immediately went to writing down the rough sketch.
Venn groaned and gave up. Shaking his head, he walked into the bed room and decided to leave them alone.

A song came on and Kaleigh froze.
Cliff saw the lack of motion in her room and glanced up.
Her back was stiff and her jaw clenched with hard snap. In a flurry of motion she jumped off her bed and turned the music off angrily.
She exhaled and rolled her neck, then walked into the kitchen.
"You okay?" Cliff asked, following her with his eyes.
She shrugged her stiff shoulders and tossed a piece of bread into the toaster.
"Not really, now that you ask. Thanks for the concern though." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm, and Cliff had a feeling she was in a really, really bad mood.
"What's up?" He tossed his notebook to the side and walked over to the island that stood between he and his sister.
She sighed and held her head in her hands.
"Lots of things. School's a killer, I keep getting massive migraines and I just ran out of painkillers. It rained all day which did nothing for my good mood! And it's just the wrong time of the month right now so everything's irritating me!" Her anger came out strong in her voice, and her body reacted to the stress.
The alien feeling started once again at her core and moved outwards with every heartbeat. Scaring her, as it hummed through her veins and out her fingertips.
Her hand had been going to pick up the piece of bread that had just popped out of the toaster when it happened and the toaster suddenly went buzzerk, sparking like crazy 'til it collapsed on the counter in one smoking heap. But it didn't end there. The power surge ran through the plug and into the electrical wires, causing the lights to flicker like crazy.
"What's going on?!" Venn shouted from his room as the lights threatened to go out.
Kaleigh looked around with fear written on her face.
"Did I...?" She asked Cliff once the lights settled.
Cliff shook his head and walked over to her.
"No, no it wasn't you." He said comfortingly, letting his sister cry into his shoulder as the day just got to be too much for her.

.:+++:.

Music blasted through the room, drowning out all the city noise that came with the territory.
Brandon stood in front of a blank canvas, not quiet sure what to do. Obviously it had to be filled with something, but the hardest part was always trying to figure out what that something should be. Scenery? Abstract? People?
He finally decided on a pair of eyes that hadn't left him alone for days.

First came the eyes, bright blue like the sky on a clear day with absolutely no clouds in sight. Something more that made them unique was that rim of silver around the edges.
Skillet blasted through the speakers so loud he didn't hear the door open up behind him.
A finger tapped on his shoulder, making him jump out of his skin. He turned around and saw the familiar curls of his little sister.
"Oh it's you." He muttered, putting down the paintbrush and turning to his sister.
Her angelic smile beamed up at him as she spoke with her hands.
"Who's that?" She asked.
He glanced between her and the face that was just beginning to appear on his canvas.
"Oh, she's....someone I haven't been able to get out of my head since I met her." He signed back.
Her eyebrows rose as she grinned.
Brandon saw the look in her eyes and sighed.
"No, not like that, I mean, she's a very interesting person! That's all!" He cried with both his hands and his mouth.
"Oh that's all?" She asked. He groaned and rolled his eyes.
"What do you want Maddy?" He asked. Slightly put off now.
Maddy smiled that smile that almost always made him forget the reason he was mad at her to begin with.
"Someone's on the phone for you." She signed.
"You could have said that to begin with!" He dodged around her and ran into the house, welcome for the warmth of the heater his mom kept running.
His sneakers slipped and slid when he hit the hardwood floor that ran through out the house.
"Mom!" He cried as he hit the floor with a loud thud.
A small women with long brown hair that fell over her shoulders, came running in when she heard the cry.
"Oh baby, I'm sorry I forgot to tell you I waxed the floors today while you were at school!"
He groaned from his position on the floor, then just gave up completely of trying to regain his feet.
"Here's the phone." His mother handed him the landline, probably the only one left in the west side of DC.
"Hello?" He asked, his voice strained slightly.
Maddy came in and smiled when she saw him lying on the floor talking into the phone. She always knew he was different, but she didn't know he was weird on top of it.
Her mother played with her hair as she watched her son's face turn from curiosity, to determination, which was shown by the lines on his forehead that deepened.
He said a few more words on the phone before hitting the 'end call' button and laid his head back on the floor with another low thud.
"Who was that dear?" His mum asked.
He took his time answering. "A teacher. Giving me notice on a project I have due soon... Sorry but I've got to jet. I'll catch you latter mum."
Brandon cautiously rose from the floor, testing the ground under him and walking painstakingly slow so he didn't risk falling again.
"Bye Maddy. I'll see you later." He kissed his little sister's forehead before kissing his mother's.
"Bye mum. Don't wait up, I might be late." Said Brandon as he threw on his jacket and headed out the door.
Maddy's mom sighed and squeezed her close.
"Teenagers. They'll be the death of me." She muttered to herself.

No. 8: Adjusting

No. 8: Adjusting

Kaleigh's week had gone normal enough. She hadn't seen Brandon since that one time in the cafeteria. Truth be told, she was a bit disappointed, and slightly sad. Finally, she decided to ask Terra about him.
"Hey Terra, where's Brandon?"
"Oh! He's at school."
"He doesn't go to school here?" Kaleigh asked, sitting down next to her friend.
"Nah."
"Why not?"
She saw Terra hesitate a moment before answering.
"He says everyone here are a bunch of stuck up snobs." She answered with a roll of her eyes and a shrug of her small shoulders.
"Oh..." Kale said quietly. Not saying anything more on the subject.


Something had been bugging her for a long time now. The one major thing that she had been questioning since she had woken up from the a coma. And she finally decided to gather the courage and ask the Professor about it.
Kaleigh knocked on the Professor's door quietly.
"Come in." A voice called from behind it.
She pushed the heavy door open with her shoulder and stepped into the room.
"Oh hello Kaleigh." The Professor was sitting behind a pile of files that he had been signing. But he stopped when she walked in.
"How are you?" He asked.
Kaleigh nodded, moving farther into the room.
"I'm...adjusting. It's all still a little...strange to me."
Wallace nodded and interlaced his fingers.
"Yes I can only imagine the kind of culture shock you and your brothers are going through."
Kale nodded in agreement.
"But I imagine that's not why you are here." He went on, hinting for her to ask what she had come here to ask.
"No sir....do...do you think we could go on a walk? It's such a nice day outside right now, not to chilly or anything..." Really she was just stalling, but was glad he agreed.
"Of course." He rose from his chair and retrieved his cane. He walked up to her and motioned for her to lead the way out.

She couldn't stand the silence. It was driving her insane. The Professor led her back to the flower garden, they were walking very slow, and she was getting nervous.
"Did I do something wrong?" She spoke up finally. "Am I in trouble?"
The Professor just smiled.
"No. You looked like you needed to talk though."
"Oh..." Relief washed through her as she let out a small sigh.
They paused at a small white bench, which Wallace sat down on.
"So, what is on your mind?"
Kaleigh sighed and sat down next to him.
"Sir, is....is God real? I know, I thought he was back...there. But if he wasn't then why would you make him up? It doesn't make sense."
The Professor smiled sadly.
"Yes he is real Kaleigh. He is very much real. And that should have proven it's self to you. Why indeed would I make him up if he wasn't real? It would have pain to make up an entire religion."
The relief this time was so overwhelming that tears slid down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, I should have anticipated that question. I didn't mean to let you live on in fear that he wasn't real."
"It's alright, I should have come to you sooner."
"In the future, if there is ever something that you need to ask, or talk about do not hesitate to come to me. Alright?"
Kale nodded and smiled at him.
"Thanks Professor."
He nodded, satisfied with her answer.
"Come, I have something I want to give you."
He rose once again from the bench and headed back inside.
They found his office empty, and she assumed the boys had left to go play ball in the front field.
"Here."
Wallace handed her a package wrapped in brown paper, tied with twine.
"Open it when you get home."
"Thank you." She with a meaningful smile. His green eyes danced back at her from under his spectacles.
"You are quiet welcome. I don't mean to run you out, but I have matters to attend to."
Kaleigh nodded and backed up to the door.
"Thanks again!" She cried over her shoulder as she ran out the door.
Professor Wallace chuckled lightly as she left a blur of color behind her.
Yes, they were going to be just fine.

.:+++:.

"You're awful quiet today. Are you okay?"
Cliff jumped as a hand touched his bare arm. He looked up at brown eyes glazed over with silver.
"Sorry Terra. I'm...thinking."
Terra sighed and grabbed her lunch tray, and walked over to the trashcan. Her orange dress swayed out slightly as she walked. Cliff had to laugh when he saw that she was barefoot, a gold anklet glinted in the sunlight as she walked, creating rainbows on the floor.
"Is there something you want to talk about?"
She asked, walking back over to him.
He groaned and didn't feel like talking about it.
Terra listened to his groan and grinned.
"Come walk with me." She offered her hand, there was silence for a minute, until she felt something warm in her hand. Her fingers clamped down gently on his and his responded.
"Where are we going?"
"Oh just around. I need some grass between my toes."
She could hear his deep laugh from beside her and grinned. It was always nice to make someone laugh.
"Usually people say, 'I need some fresh air' not 'I need grass between my toes'."
"Yes well I'm not a usual person. And I like it that way. Come on."
Cliff gently led her towards the doors of the cafeteria.
Outside the two walked lazily around the school grounds, Terra moved her arm to link it through Cliff's. He shoved his hands into his jean pockets and smiled at her.
"So what were you thinking about?" Terra asked.
He sighed and she could tell he didn't want to talk.
"Oh come on! I don't bite! And usually it takes a lot to get secrets out of me."
He sighed, knowing she'd broken through.
"I was thinking about a story I had written a long time ago."
"A story? Oh what's it about?"
"Love, betrayal, magic,...faith."
The way he sounded when he said faith clued her in.
"Ah, faith. Is there something else you need to talk about?"
"Uh..." He let out a sigh and his steps slowed 'til they stopped. They were out in the front field, the wind blowing her skirt around her legs.
Pulling her arm out of his, she plopped down on the ground and patted the ground next to her.
"Let it out. I'm really good at listening."
Cliff let out another sigh before joining her on the ground.
"It's complicated."
"Huh. That's what everyone says."
Cliff chuckled and looked up at the bright blue sky with it's white fluffy clouds. It might be autumn but today was one of those rare days that the sky actually showed it's colors.
"I'm just not sure who I am at the moment. I use to write all the time."
"Well what changed? Why don't you anymore? I think it would be a good hobby...if possible, you know, for me." She laughed.
Cliff nodded silently.
"A lot changed actually. I found out I wasn't really...who I thought I was."
"So...you don't want to write anymore because you think it's that other person's hobby, not yours?" She asked, reading in between the lines.
He was shocked at how well she had guessed. He wasn't even sure how to word what he felt, but how she did it, explained it perfectly.
"Yeah...that's exactly it."
"Hmm...well why don't you try writing again? To see if that really is the gift God gave you, and then decide whether you should throw it away or not?"
"And this is why people depend on God to send the right people into your life." Cliff muttered.
"Thanks Terra. You're awesome!" He gave her a side huge and rose from his spot next to her.
"Oh...I had a question...?" He said, turning back to her.
"Yeah?"
"How do you....how do you get around as if you can see?"
Terra grinned.
"I spent my whole first two weeks walking around every nook and cranny of the school, using my fingers to memorize all the walls and stuff."
"Whoa...and you remember it all?"
"Yep. Except for when they rearrange."
They both shared a laugh before he said bye a second time.
"Let me know when you start writing, so you can read it out loud to me."
Cliff laughed.
"Yeah I'll do that!"

Venn watched the two of them through the window. He couldn't believe this, and he also couldn't believe the feeling he got when he saw them together.
He shook his head and groaned.
"Get a grip Vencint." He growled at himself, hiking his backpack into a more comfortable spot on his back, he walked away. Sure he had been having piano lessons with her every Tuesday, but that didn't make her his. Cliff had just as much of a right than he did.
"Whoa! Dude!"
Venn looked up, shocked to find someone else standing in front of him.
"Sorry."
A girl with a small stature stood in front of him. She had long blond hair that swept over her small shoulder. She wore a uniform skirt, with a white button up t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up past her elbows.
"Don't worry about it." She said with a smile. His green eyes sparkled as she shifted her purse on her shoulder.
"I'm the new girl, Crystal." She held out her hand with it's perfect manicure, and a single gold bracelet.
"I'm Venn. Nice to meet you. So when did you get here?"
"Oh, uh just today actually. I'm kind of lost, do you think you could show me where Mr. Alexander's class room is? I'm kind of lost. Well that's a lie, I'm hopelessly lost."
Venn laughed.
"Yeah, come on, I'll show you around."
"Awesome! Thanks so much, you're a life saver!"

.:+++:.

Kaleigh smiled as she watched her two brothers walk around the school with two really pretty girls.
"Well that was fast. We haven't even been here a week." She mumbled. At lunch, The triplets sat with Terra like usual, and Crystal joined them, she had latched onto Venn pretty tight and obviously had no intention of letting off the hook.

Finally, when Kaleigh decided to go get some fresh air, and had had enough of Crystal's high pitched giggles, she dumped her backpack at the guest house and made for the city, bundled up in a trench coat with her new favorite pink scarf.

Washington DC was the perfect place to be the subject of her creativity.
She kept her camera in her hands and hardly ever looked out of the viewfinder. Everything sparked inspiration in her. The antique looking lamp posts, the old fashion style of downtown, the old blue mailboxes, and of course the people. So many different people, going so many different places. They hardly noticed her standing in middle of the sidewalk just watching them walk by like she was hypnotized by the buzz around her.
Her viewfinder finally stopped on a couple walking by. She took a picture from a low angle, focusing on their intertwined hands.
Kaleigh jumped up and continued walking on before they saw her. Not really wanting to answer questions, or get on the couple's bad side.
But in the process of trying to get away, she rammed into someone head on.
"Oh! Oh my goodness I am so sorry! I didn't see you...." She had moved away from the person and met a pair of dark, dark eyes. Eyes she recognized but still couldn't figure out where from.
"You...again." She said with a slight smile. "We keep meeting like this. It's kind of embarrassing." She admitted.
The boy laughed and nodded.
"Yeah it is. So I wont go making a habit out of it."
"Right. So I never caught your name."
"I never gave it."
Kaleigh cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms.
"Oh, so you can get a girls name maybe a phone number, but she's not allowed to get yours huh? Is that how it works here?"
He shrugged his shoulders and shoved his hands deeper into his jean pockets.
"Well not all the time, but usually that's how it works, here. No idea how things work where you're from but..." He muttered under his breath. Kale was confused, and it showed. Was this guy assuming she was from out of state or something? Or did he actually know...?
You're paranoid Kaleigh. Get over yourself. She grumbled to herself.
“Right, so...what does a girl have to do to get your name?” Kale asked, rocking back and forth slightly out of nerves.
He sighed and looked up at the sky thoughtfully.
“I don’t know, no girl has ever asked me that question, because usually no girl ever wants to get to know me. But then, you’re not like other girls are you?”
He had leaned in into her ear to whisper to her. When his warm breath crossed her neck a shiver ran down her spine.
He knew.
He knew, and there was no doubt about it. Her breath caught in her throat as her heart pumped faster in her chest. Fear shot through her core. What did this guy want? Why was he here again? And how did he know? The triplets hadn’t told anyone! No one knew except for those scientists down stairs that kept checking on them constantly, and the Professor.
Him being so close also wasn’t helping her. His body seemed cold, his eyes seemed cold, everything about him seemed cold. Yet somehow through some weird and abstract way, he was intriguing. Something about him caught her interest. She had no clue what, but it wouldn‘t let her go. Making her want to know more about him. Yet the other side of her said ’no way! he’s a bad idea! steer clear!’

All of her emotions collided and formed fear, something so strong that electricity sparked through her body, from her core out into her toes and the tips of her fingers.
“Ouch!” The boy yelped, jumping away from her, cradling his left arm against his chest. He looked at her in shock, in away that made her feel like some kind of freak show.
“Hey!”
Kaleigh turned towards the shout and let out a deep sigh of relief to see a familiar face.
Brandon shifted his backpack slightly, and looked her in the eye. His stormy blue eyes captivating her in a way the stranger’s could never even hope to do.
He wasn’t looking at the stranger, he was looking at her.
“Is this guy bothering you?” He asked, worry plain in his tone, but also it was accompanied with a fierce protective instinct. And she knew that if she said yes, he would make the stranger go away.
Thank you Lord. Thank you! She prayed, closing her eyes for a brief moment.
“Actually he was just leaving.” Kale stated, looking the stranger in the eye. For some reason she couldn’t help but compare Brandon’s eyes to his. Brandon’s eyes were warm, welcoming, and safe. The strangers were dark, unpredictable, and dangerous.
Annoyance flashed in his eyes for a moment before his head bowed.
“Yeah. I’ll see you around Kaleigh.”
Kale didn’t move as he walked by her, glared at Brandon, then left in the crowd.
There was a moment of silence as they made sure he was gone.
“So who was that?” Brandon asked, walking up to her. She shrugged.
“No clue, actually. And thanks, by the way. I’m glad you came when you did.”
“Yeah...I guess it’s nice to be someone’s knight in shinning armor.” He muttered. Kaleigh chuckled and shook her head.
“Well you look starving. I take it you haven’t eaten dinner.” He suddenly blurted out.
She looked up at him, wide eyed.
“Uh...no I haven’t. Is it that late already?” She asked.
He nodded.
“Yup. Now I hope you like McDonalds, because that’s all my paycheck can afford at the moment.” He stated, taking off down the street. Leaving Kaleigh no choice but to follow.
“Wait, so where do you work?” She asked, for lack of a conversation topic.
“Uh...a local art store down the street from my school.” He answered, slowing down a bit so she wasn’t panting.
“Oh, that’s neat. Speaking of which, why don’t you go to Terra’s school?” She wondered.
“Uh, because Terra happens to be the heiress to a long and well financed line of hotels. And I work double shifts down at the art shop.” He stated as he crossed the street.
“Oh...” She suddenly realized how stupid she sounded. Her school was a prep school. “right...it’s full of snobby rich kids.” Kaleigh muttered. Her heart suddenly broken. Oddly.
Brandon glanced back at her, the angle caused his hair to catch in the wind and blow around his face. He hadn’t gelled his hair that morning, making Kaleigh realize how long it actually was. But she didn’t mind it.
“Well...you, your brothers and Terra excluded.” He added. Not wanting to hurt her feelings. She caught on and smiled.
“It’s fine. I know what you mean. And I actually probably wouldn’t be able to afford that kind of school under normal circumstances.”
Brandon’s brow furled in confusion.
Kaleigh shook her head and waved away his worry.
“Forget I said that.” She said with a smile.
“Okay...” He held the door open for Kaleigh when they came to the McDonalds.
She glanced down at his hand holding open the door and smiled.
“So, what kind of ’art’ does your art shop sell?” She asked as she waltzed up to the line.
“All kinds. Seeing as the word ’art’ varies a lot. Why?” He looked at her with a cocky half grin. “You an artist?”
“Well, like you said, ’art’ varies. I’m a photographer.” She confessed, smiling at him while patting her bag.
“Oh really? Like the new digital stuff, where you can Photoshop what you don’t like or...?”
“No, I mean like, film, dark room. Got one try, that kind of photography.” She corrected. His eyebrows rose and he nodded slowly.
“That’s awesome. Not too many people do that anymore.”
“Yeah well, I like the challenge.”
The family in front of them walked away with their food and they stepped up to the counter.
“What can I get you?” The thirty year old lady asked with a cheerful smile.
Kaleigh looked to Brandon, just expecting fries or something. But he gestured for her to order what ever with his eyes.
“Uh...I’ll take...” She glanced at the menu for the first time ever in her life, even though she knew what was on it already. “a double cheeseburger and medium fries.” The lady nodded and punched in the buttons.
“And what would you like to drink?”
“Uh....” Kaleigh highly doubted they put cinnamon on their hot chocolate but she thought she might as well ask. The woman thought she was insane when she did, but she nodded.
“Um...Let me see what I can do about that.”
Kaleigh smiled her thanks and moved to the side so she could take someone elses order.
“Hot chocolate and cinnamon?” Brandon asked with a cocked eyebrow.
“Yeah, it’s one of my weird quirks. I have this sort of obsession with cinnamon.” She explained with a slightly nervous smile.
“Weird.”
“Yeah that’s what everyone says.”
Brandon laughed and picked up the tray when it was slid over to him across the counter.
Kaleigh let him lead the way to a high table at the window.
He sorted out the food and took her hand before bowing his head and saying grace.
Kaleigh flinched when another shock ran up her arm, but she did her best to ignore it.
“...Amen.”
“Amen.” She echoed quietly before pulling her hand away from his and popping a fry in her mouth.
“So, can I see some of your ‘art’?”
She looked up at him when he spoke, though couldn’t help but chuckle when she saw that he had just taken a bite from his burger and had ketchup in the corner of his mouth. Kale handed him a napkin and gestured to his mouth.
“Only if I can see some of yours.” She compromised.
Brandon gagged on his last bite and she still couldn’t help but laugh as she handed him his Coke.
“What do you mean?” He choked.
Kaleigh rolled her eyes and pointed to his fingers.
“Your fingers are stained. Probably from oil paints, and then there’s the dark mark on your thumb and pointing finger tell me you do a lot with pencils.”
His eyes were slits now, as he starred at her.
“Maybe I did an art project today.” He tossed at her. She chuckled and shook her head.
“No, the paint’s been dry for days.” Kaleigh stated, matter-of-factly.
His eyebrows rose to join his hairline.
“Okay how did you do that?” He asked after a moment of stunned silence while she blushed fiercely.
“That’s part of my job, as being a photographer I mean. I need to notice the small details, or take an ordinary thing and try to see it from a different angle, it’s just...what I do...” She muttered.
“That’s awesome.”
Whatever response she was expecting, it wasn’t that.
Kaleigh looked up at the boy across from her as he pigged out on his meal in shock.
“Really? You don’t think it’s creepy?”
He scoffed and sipped on his Coke.
“Nah, it’s just part of your talent that God gave you. Nothing creepy about that.”
Kale smiled at him before going back to her food.
He was fun to hang out with. She decided.

No. 7: Suspicion

No. 7: Suspicion

"So, you saw the sparks?"
"Yeah. It was more obvious to me because...well...you know."
"Hmm...I didn't expect this to happen so soon."
Brandon shifted nervously as the Professor starred out the window.
"What do we do? Just....wait? or tell her?"
"No, lets wait. She still has a lot of adjusting to do. We don't need to add to that. She is strong. But even the strongest crack."
Brandon nodded in understanding.
"Where...where is she now?" He asked hesitantly.
Wallace smiled gently.
"She and her brothers are out shopping at the mall."

.:+++:.

He watched from a safe distance. The two brothers had walked into a men's clothing store, while the sister walked lazily past the windows. She stopped short when she came to an old camera store.
He moved closer, weaving into the crowd, trying not to draw attention to himself.
She bent down a little lower to look at a vintage camera sitting on a stack of books.
She looked down at her new purse she had just bought, before walking into the store.
He walked up to the window and pretended to be interested in the vintage cinema camera.
The shopkeeper came up and took the smaller camera out of the window and handed it to her. She smiled and paid for several rolls of film as well. She asked a question, and from his position at the window, he was able to read her lips.
"Do you have a dark room?"
The shopkeeper nodded.
"Feel free to drop in any time and we'll develop the film for you."
She nodded and said 'thank you' before leaving with her new treasure clutched in her hands.
He tried to back off, but he accidentally rammed into someone.
The shop bell rang and she came out, stopping short when he had to stagger forward and almost hit her.
Her arm brushed his when she turned slightly. He could smell the faint sent of strawberries in her hair as some of it got swept into his face.
"Oh." She said quietly. He moved back and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Sorry, I didn't see you there." She said with an embarrassed chuckle. "You okay?"
He nodded. He wasn't suppose to engage with them! His job was just to watch them.
"Yeah I'm fine. I've got to go, bye."
"Uh, bye."
He brushed past her and melted into the crowd once more.

"Well that was weird." Kaleigh muttered to herself. She had noticed the boy through the window in the shop, but she assumed he was just window shopping.
There was something about him though. She couldn't put her finger on it, but his face was familiar, the dark curls, but she had no idea where from.

She found her brothers trying on a bunch of jeans and shirts. But she almost screamed when she saw that Venn had on.
"No! No! No!" She muttered shaking her head as she crossed her arms.
"Camouflage and plaid do not go together!" She stated sternly. Venn looked down at his outfit.
"Why not?"
She frowned.
"They just don't. It looks like you have no style. Just like no plaids and stripes. Unless you are a complete dork. Now, it's prints, and solids So you can have the camo pants with a plain t-shirt, or keep the plaid over shirt and get a pait of plain shorts."
Venn looked confused, but he went with it.
Kaleigh gazed off as she stepped back and let the boys look for their own clothes.
She found her thoughts went back to the strange boy she had bumped into a few minutes ago.
Why did he look so familiar? Where on earth could she have seen him before?
Who was he anyway? She was slightly frustrated that she couldn't fure out any answers.
"...Kaleigh?"
She looked up. Startled that both boys were looking at her with confusion plain on their faces.
"Huh?"
"What's up? You're somewhere far, far away." Cliff asked as he picked up a dark green t-shirt.
"Blue looks better on you by the way." She interjected. Her mind still mulling over things, and now she sounded like a saleswoman. Awesome.
"Uh-oh." Venn muttered.
"What?" Cliff turned to him as he set the shirt back on teh rack.
"She has 'the look'."
"What look?!" She asked, alarmed.
"Christie used to get that look on her face." Venn explained. "It means two things. One, she just saw a 'hot' guy. Or two, she's thinking of one. Now of course when she was looking at me but that's besides the point."
Kaleigh scoffed and shook her head.
"No...I'm not thinking of a guy. DC is the most bizarre place anyways. There's - there's not decent guys to be seen...or at least that would spark my interest." She had no clue why she was lying.
"You are a horrible liar Kaleigh. So who is it?"
She bit down on her bottom lip and sighed.
"I don't really know who he is. I just ran into him on my way out of the camera shop." She explained. "literally. He bumped into me."
"Did you get a name? Phone number? Address?" Cliff asked. She shook her head.
"No. But I couldn't help....but feel that I had seen him from some where before."
She replayed the scene in her head.
He had been wearing a black beanie on his head, but his dark curly hair peaked out from underneath it. He wore a dark t-shirt with  grey writing on it, but she hadn't been able to make out what it said, and baggy jeans with black runners.
She sighed and shook her head.
"Never mind. Have you guys gotten all the stuff you need, want?"
"Yeah, we're good."

.:+++:.

After they had let Kaleigh have her turn at shopping. She didn't want to drag the boys through much so she only grabbed a few of the necessities. Then they decided to stop at Starbucks.

"Hello, what can I get you?" The waitress at the counter asked. Kaleigh smiled at her and ordered her usual. The woman looked at her peculiarly, but she paid no mind.
The boys ordered and they found a seat at the window.
Kale looked around noticing the couple in the corner cuddling, the family just walking in with a little child, and the boy in the dark corner watching her.
Her eyes moved away not wanting to tell him she noticed his gaze. But she was screaming in her head.
What was he doing here?! She yelled.
"Hey I'll be right back." She said, giving Venn and Cliff a reassuring smile.
"Uh okay." They gave her a weird look, but didn't say anything.
She walked over to the counter and smiled at the lady.
"Hey, um do you know who that boy is? sitting over there in the corner?"
"Oh that's Stryder. He's...uh a very interesting character. I would stay away from him if I were you. He's kind of creepy. Like, stalker creepy."
Kaleigh nodded and returned to her seat.
"So...what was that all about?" Venn asked, as he swirled his mocha around.
Kale shrugged innocently and pulled out her new camera.
"Nothin'. I just asked if they were hiring."
"And...?"
"Oh, they weren't."
Venn nodded and looked at her funny but let it go.

.:+++:.

Kaleigh's stomach told her something was wrong, and the hairs standing up strait on the back of her neck told her someone was watching her.
She turned around and scanned the street of everyone passing by, huddling deeper in their coats.
Her mind was absent mindedly looking for a black beanie, and it freaked her out when she spotted it several paces behind her.
"Hey guys!" She cried, turning to her brothers. "Pose for a picture for me?" She asked, pulling out her new camera.
"Uh..."
"Sure." Cliff dragged Venn in a head lock and grinned up at her. Kaleigh chuckled as she caught it with a familiar click of the camera shutter.
She took several others but of focusing on crowd behind the boys. When she decided she had enough she put the camera back in her purse.
"Thanks guys." She smiled at them and linked her arms between the two of them.
"Anything to make our baby sister happy." Venn stated.
Kaleigh rolled her eyes.
"We're all the same age! No one's younger, or older."
"Well technically -"
"Oh shut up."
For the first time, they all wondered if, maybe things would actually turn out okay.

No. 6: Strange Friends, but an even Stranger Encounter

No. 6: Strange Friends, but an even Stranger Encounter

Venn skirted around the edges of the room and left through the door, avoiding looks from the other kids still lingering in the classroom.
It had been two days already, but it still felt like the first time stepping into the room.
The teachers were polite, but they always had a look on their face when ever they looked at one of the triplets.

Venn threw his bag onto his back viciously and shoved his way through the crowd. People usually let him pass pretty easily, but there was always those few who just stopped and starred.
He just sighed and pushed harder.
Finally, he came to a part of the mansion that was mostly always deserted.
Pausing at the entry way, he exhaled deeply and slowed his steps. He liked it here best, away from prying eye.
His ADHD kicked in as he walked slowly down the hall. He groaned at his twitching hands. He hadn't worked on anything for too long. When they had first met Kaleigh in what they had nicked named the VW, for virtual world, most of his time had been taken up with making a friend out of her, and then also worrying over Christie when she caught the flu.

Thinking of Christie made him stop cold in his tracks. His twitching hands grew into fists, and with out thinking he looking for something to punch.
It was then that something changed.
It was quiet at first, but steadily got louder.
He stopped what he was doing and listened for a moment, his sharp ears trying to figure out what it was. His feet started to move towards the sound with out his conscious consent, but he didn't stop them either.

The noise got louder, until he was finally able to figure out what it was. It was music. Getting closer still he found that it was piano music. And whoever was playing, was really good.
Intrigued, he continued to follow the sound, until he came to a door way.
Inside, a girl was playing on a shiny black, grand piano.

The room use to be the music room, apparently a while back. Other tables or instruments were covered by large white sheets. Even most of the piano was covered, save for the front of it.
The girl started to sing the words that accompanied the tune, and Venn found himself hypnotized.
Her voice was soft and gentle, like a slow creak. She, evidently, had had lots of practice with her voice. It flowed up and down the scale flawlessly, and with seemingly effortless grace.
"We are the light of the world,
We are the city on the hill.
We are the light of the world,
And we got to let the light shine."
She stopped singing, but the music continued on.
"So...are you going to stand there and gawk all day, or are you going to come here so you can introduce yourself properly."
Venn jumped when she addressed him.
"Well get over here then. Hasn't your mom ever taught you manners?" The girl called.
Venn sighed and moved into the room.
She didn't move, she didn't turn. He starred at her strait back that held perfect posture. She had long black hair, like Kaleigh, only hers was longer.
When Venn stopped behind her, she dropped her hands gracefully onto her lap.
"I'm Venn. I'm sorry I intruded. I was just passing by and heard you...play....ing..."
There was something terribly wrong.
She had turned around fully, and tucked her hair behind her ear. Showing the silver haze that covered her eyes. Not white like a usual blind person, no they were silver.
But that only took him by surprise for a moment.
"If you're unable to see, how on earth can you play the piano so well?" He blurted out.
The strange girl laughed.
"I see you're one to get to the point. You introduced yourself, so I do believe it is my turn."
She held out her hand. He was surprised by how close she was to actually being able to guess where he was standing.
"I'm Terra. Nice to meet you Venn."
He shook her hand, his almost twice the size, and hers tiny and dainty.
"Nice to meet you as well."
"As for you question," she turned back to the piano and ran a hand along the white and black keys.
"Playing the piano is all about memory. It's easy to learn, and if you're gifted with it, some people can become amazing."
"Yeah but only girls play piano." That was a grave mistake.
Terra placed her hand on her hip and laughed at him.
"Oh is that so?" She challenged. "Beethoven played piano." She countered.
"Yes but Beethoven also wore tights."
Her eyebrows rose into her wispy bangs.
"Okay, well then if you want recent, most people who play an instrument learn with piano. It's the basic, even Justin Bieber plays piano. Greyson Chance does too. Not to mention numerous Christian artists like Casting Crowns, and -"
"Alright, alright! You made your point. But I do not have the fingers to play piano."
Terra gave him a small smile.
"Let me see your hand." She requested, holding out her own again.
Venn really had no idea why he was still arguing about the stupid piano. But he gave her his hand anyway.
Terra held it carefully in her own hands, gently as if she didn't want to hurt him. Slowly she ran her fingers across his palm, her touch as light as a breeze. Her lips moved as she talked silently to herself.
"Your fingers actually are the perfect length to play. And...I can tell you're most likely going to be a banger."
She decided after a moment of her carrying on like she was. She let go of his hand, but was still smiling.
"What do you mean? A banger?" He asked, taking his hand back and scowling at his fingers. Of course they just had to be the perfect length! He thought grumpily.
"Your fingers are strong. Which means you will probably bang on the keys..." She was silent for a minute, somehow sensed his confusion and beckoned to him as she turned back around.
"Here like this." She said. Terra's fingers grazed the top of the keys and finally came to land on a key in middle of the keys.
"I play lightly, I don't press to hard," She began to play a soft tune. "See?" He slid into the bench next to her, careful to keep a safe distance away. But when he watched her, he was again hypnotized.
"But if you played you would probably do this," Her soft tune suddenly turned into a loud forte with lots of banging.
"That's...not exactly lovely." Venn said after she was done.
"Well that depends on what you are playing. My little sister plays like that and it's rather annoying."
"Huh...well this has been very educational but I don't see how this is going to help me get to class."
"No it probably wont. Come back here tomorrow at three o'clock sharp." She fingered around for her books.
"Here," Venn stacked her books up neatly and gently guided her wrist to the stack.
"Thank you. Three o'clock. Sharp." Terra stated, pointing a finger at him. "You had better be here."
"But I -"
She just smiled at him and then left.
"What the heck was that all about?" Venn muttered to himself, starring blindly at the piano keys. Before they were something that could create any sound imaginable. But now, they looked just like black and white lines on a newspaper.

.:+++:.

Lunch was when things got a bit more interesting.
Venn, Cliff, and Kaleigh found their way to the back of the lunch line. Kaleigh had had a very hard day of math and had a pile of homework that needed to be done. She had started mumbling to herself absented mindedly.
"Hey." Someone tapped her shoulder from behind. A shock of electricity zapped through her body, making her jump and spin around in surprise.
There was a spitting noise
"Geez, don't choke me." A deep voice said. Kale grabbed her hair in her hand and pulled it around her shoulder, pulling what ever hair was in the boys mouth, out.
"Thank you."
She turned around fully and got a decent look at the guy behind her. His short dark hair was spiked up in the front, a baseball cap (a real one) was perched on his head facing backwards, covering up the rest of his hair. He had on a blue long sleeve with a sweatshirt over top, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His skinny jeans were dirty, and had grass stains so she made a fair guess that he was an athlete. But she couldn't help but smile when she spotted the tan, high top converse.
His eyes caught hers immediately.
Kaleigh's breath caught when she saw that his stormy blue eyes were lined with silver.
The boy's eyebrows furled in surprise as he cocked his head.
He must have noticed the silver in her own eyes too.
After a moment, he shrugged and shook his head.
"Did you want something specifically?" Kaleigh asked.
He grew a wicked grin that made her shift slightly.
"Watch this."

Her eyes grew wide as she watch the strange boy move out of the line and up towards the front.
She quickly scanned the front of the line and tried to stifle a gasp. He was headed right towards the gang of football jocks.
"Oh dear." She whispered.
"Kale? You okay?"
She nodded absent mindedly to her brother. But her gaze was still on the strange boy.
She saw him slip something out of his sweater pocket and palm it.
"What is he...?" She muttered.
The boy tripped on his feet and rammed into the quarterback. He had been a pain to Cliff all week, and once she saw what the boy was doing, she couldn't help but smile. He had it coming.
The boy made his apologizes, but Kaleigh was watching his hand that hovered over the quarterback's tray of food for only a minute.
"Watch where you're going Flyte!" The quarterback snapped at the boy. He put his hands back into his pockets and gave him a smile.
"My bad, sorry. It wont happen again."
"You bet it wont." The quarterback muttered as he left the line and headed over to the cheerleader posse.
The boy came back, struggling to hide a grin. Kaleigh ducked her head and put several jell-os onto her tray and a big bowl of macaroni and cheese.
"You know, you look extremely guilty with that big grin on your face." She informed the boy when he came back into the line next to her. "You're making it too easy."
The boy scoffed. and picked up a jell-o.
"Like you could do better?"
Kaleigh gave him a look, then turned and followed her brothers, desperately trying to hide the smile that spread across her face.
"Boys, everything is a challenge with them."
Kale was jolted out of her thoughts when a girl spoke to her from next to her.
Cliff and Venn had chosen a seat with a girl, she was blind, but Kaleigh didn't let that bother her.
"Yeah they always have to prove that they're better." Kale agreed, sitting down next to the girl.
"Hi, I'm Terra. You must be Kaleigh, Venn's sister right?"
Kaleigh smiled and shook Terra's hand.
"That's me. And I'm not sure if you've met my other brother, but this is Cliff."
Cliff shook Terra's hand as well before sitting down next to his brother.
"Nice to meet you all. And this is Brandon." She reached up and pulled the boy down onto the bench on her other side.
He met Kaleigh's gaze first, the two of them exchanged smug smiles before she went back to her mac and cheese.
"You can ignore him though, he's completely immature." Terra continued to say.
"Hey! That's not fair!"
Kaleigh laughed with Terra.
"I'll agree with you on that one Terra." She said.
"Oh so you've met him already."
"Yeah, and he's going to be in such huge trouble in the next couple of seconds." I was watching the quarterback as he spooned up his mac and cheese.
Terra turned to the boy next to her. She might not have her sight, but she had a killer glare.
"What did you do?!" She demanded.
"Nothing!" Brandon countered. "I didn't -"
His words were cut off by the sounds of a low pitched howl of pain.
"Told you." Kaleigh muttered.
Venn and Cliff chuckled, and looked at Brandon with approval. Kale smashed her foot into Cliff's.
"Ow! What the heck was that for?"
"Don't encourage him. Goodness gracious you three are like a bunch of three year olds."
"Hey, what did I do?" Venn, protested. Kaleigh silenced him with a single look.
The quarterback was now guzzling down his bottled water as if there was no tomorrow. Once that was through, he ran over to the water fountain.
"Dude, what did you put in his food?" Venn asked.
Brandon grinned and pulled out a small vile of red powder, which was now half empty.
"Jalapeño powder."
The boys laughed and exchanged high fives. Terra and Kaleigh groaned.
"Well it looks like they'll be getting along just fine." Terra muttered.
"Which means that we have to stick together from now on because handling my brothers is one thing, handling them plus a prankster is a whole other entirely." Kaleigh decreed.
"It's a deal." Terra grinned.
The boys were still giving congratulations when the quarterback had gotten enough water.
"You're not out of the worst yet." Kaleigh warned. The boys grew quiet as they saw the big jock barrel his way towards them.
"Aw shoot." Brandon muttered. "Catch." He told.
Kaleigh's eyes grew wide as he tossed her the small vile. She knew her reflexes had been fast in the virtual world, but she was very happy to know that they were still that way when she caught the small little vile with one hand and quickly shoved it in her pocket.
"Flyte!!"
Brandon shot the three of them a look that said 'watch this'.
Kaleigh groaned and rolled her eyes.
"Here we go." Terra whispered under her breath.

Brandon turned around and looked up at the quarterback with a cocky grin.
"Hey Josh, I didn't think you'd ever let your little posse see you here with me. Nice to know you care so much."
Josh's face grew hot red. Kaleigh groaned and let her head fall into the crock of her arm on the table.
"I'm going to kill you Flyte. Do you hear me? Kill you!"
"Why is it that you never make good on those threats?"
"Brandon." Terra said in a low warning tone. Brandon brushed her arm in a reassuring way, but his gaze was still on the jock looming over him.
The jock's eyes grew wide and his nostrils flared.
"You are dead." The jock yanked on the front of Brandon's shirt, hauling him up off the seat 'til he was on his feet.
At the same moment Cliff and Venn rose to their feet. Kaleigh watched as their muscles tensed and their gaze fall hard on Josh.
Josh noticed them, but also noticed that his posse had come to back him out.
"Wow, got new momma's to make sure you don't get hurt Flyte?" Josh taunted.
He gave a head nod to the guys behind him. They fanned out 'til their entire table was surrounded.
"Guys, honestly." Terra cried. "At least take it outside."
Josh looked down at her and looked like he was about to say something rude, but I gave him a glare and placed a protective hand on Terra's shoulder.
"Yeah come on, if you want to kill me the least you can do is get original about it." Brandon said, quickly claiming Josh's attention again.
"I mean the cafeteria? Really?"
Josh didn't say anything but just gave another head shake.
Several of the other jocks grabbed Kaleigh's brothers by their shirts as well, then followed Josh out the door into the back field that surrounded the school.
Kaleigh groaned.
"Come on Terra, we can't let them kill each other." She said. Terra nodded, and didn't shake off Kaleigh's grip when she took her hand and ran towards the door, dodging gaping students who had just watched the showdown in silence.
Great. This is just great. Haven't even been here a week, and already we're on the hit list. She thought gloomily.



Outside, the three boys were facing down a group of jocks that out numbered them two to one.
"It's not looking good is it?" Terra asked. Kale had almost forgotten the poor girl was blind.
"No it's not. Three against ten. Not good at all."
"Should we even the odds?"
"What can we do? No offense, but we'd probably end up just in the way."
Terra sighed.
"Sometimes I really hate being delicate and feminine."
Kaleigh couldn't help but laugh at her remark.
"I know exactly what you mean Terra. Exactly."
"We can't just sit by and let them beat each other up though." She protested.
Kaleigh shook her head.
"No we can't but..." She didn't want to be thought of as a snitch if she went and got a teacher. That wouldn't do her any good, but then again she knew this could end up ugly.

It happened to soon, the boys on either side of the invisible line suddenly attacked each other. There was too many of the jocks, the three boys got beaten down almost as soon as the sides clashed. But somehow they kept getting back up. But what caught Kaleigh by surprise was the fact that Brandon was faster then her eyes going catch. He would dodge blows by dancing to the side in a tight circle. Once he actually used someone else's back to jump off of to kick another, taller, jock in the nose.
"Holly cow!" She cried as she tried to pick him out.
"Yeah...he's got light feet." Terra said, crossing her arms over her chest.
The fight went on like this, Cliff and Venn had boxing and mixed martial arts before, but it took a strain on their bodies, which weren't use to using the muscles required for certain moves. So they were slower, and got more hits that way.
Kaleigh found herself taking steps closer and closer to the fight slowly, wanting to help but not sure how. It was chaos!
Finally, Josh had caught Brandon by his hair.
"Now you really are going to die Flyte." He growled.
Kaleigh knew rationally he wouldn't, but her mind wasn't being rational at the moment.
She took a daring move and ran strait through the fight.
Josh and Brandon were on the far side, while his goons held Venn and Cliff at bay. But none of them expected a girl to jump in the middle of the fight, so this took them by surprise, long enough she could run past.
She watched as Josh pulled his arm back into his pocket and pull out a glint of steel.
Her eyes grew wide, and she almost stopped dead. One of the other jocks tried to grab her, touching her waist. The shock of the touch reeled her back into motion, she clasped her hands together in a fist and rammed her left elbow back, catching the guy's gut hard.
He let out a cry of surprise and doubled over, she took the opportunity and jumped over him and to Josh who was about to drive the knife into Brandon's side. Brandon wasn't paying attention, he didn't see the foul play, but it was a good thing Kaleigh had good eye sight.

Kale finally came up to Josh and before he could see her, she pivoted on her left foot and swung out with her right, her foot catching his vulnerable side. He gasped and Brandon's eyes snapped to her. But she wasn't finished.
She moved into Josh 'til her side was pressed up against hers. Something stirred in side her, she didn't know what. A feeling from deep inside her, it felt like something dangerous. It crackled up her veins, 'til she was sure she would explode from it, but she didn't let it stop her. Kaleigh slammed her forearm into his throat, then kneed him hard. Not letting him breath, she yanked the knife out of his hand and kicked his other that still had a grip on his hair. Where ever she touched Josh sparks flew, but not the kind she thought would happen when someone kissed someone, they were sparks of pure energy, pure anger, and pure instinct to protect.
The feeling was foreign to her, but she went with it.

Josh fell back in a heap on the grass, stunned and in horror that a girl had just beaten him.
Brandon picked up his baseball cap from the ground and put it back onto his head.
"Man when did you learn to do that?" He asked.
Kaleigh dropped her hands and shook her head.
"I have no idea." She admitted.
He looked at her for a minute, his eyes glancing over her, 'til they rested on her eyes. His eyebrows pinched together, but it was soon gone as he shook his head.
"Well your brothers have nothing to worry about when it comes to whether you can defend yourself or not." He stated.
Kaleigh smiled and nodded.
"I guess."
"What is the meaning of this?!"
Everyone on the lawn froze.
"Oh we're in for it now..." Brandon groaned quietly.

Author's Note

I am so, so, so, SO sorry I have to do this now! But due to complications, I have had to change Isabelle/Izzy's name. I really am sorry, :(
She is now known as Kaleigh/Kale I might go back in and change it, but not right now, thought I'd let you guys know!

Sorry!

^_^

No. 5: Who Are We?

No. 5: Who Are We?

The Professor's office was decorated with items from the times he spent in South Africa on safari. A zebra skin was used as a rug in front of the fire place and high back leather chairs. A lion head was the focus of the room, hanging over the mantel. There was also a water buffalo, a hyena, even an eagle, but the lion was obviously his pride and glory.

The Professor was a man in his sixties, his thinning hair was styled perfectly. His half-moon glasses perched at the end of his nose. His green eyes twinkled happily, as he anticipated meeting their subjects, after waiting so long.
When the three teenagers knocked softly.
"Come in." He said, folding up the newspaper and laying it down on the mahogany desk that he had imported from Kenya.
He smiled as they walked in, lines crinkling in the corners of his eyes.
The young lady gave him a hesitant smile and waited for the boys to fall in step with her as they approached his desk.
"Oh I must say I am glad to see you three up and about. We were beginning to wonder if you ever would." He said with a smile, interlacing his fingers and resting his elbows on the desk.
"Well it seems we shock everyone, Professor....?" The older boy of the three, Vencint, asked.
"Ah yes, I am Professor Wallace." The man held out his hand,
The boy shook it with a firm grip and nodded.
"I assume there's no need to introduce ourselves." He said, his tone cool and suspicious.
The Professor folded his hands once again and nodded.
"Yes, I can see why you would be resentful towards me. But please, do not judge me until you hear all the facts. Alright?"
"Okay that's one thing," The youngest said, Cliff. "but the question is, when will that be?"
"You are a smart one. Come." Wallace rose from his chair and pulled out a cane from a collection in a basket next to the desk.
"Lets take a walk."

Outside, all the kids were gone, in classes, except for a few stragglers.
The day was a crisp autumn day, the warm sunlight made up for the cool breeze. Izzy was glad she had chosen a flannel shirt, but couldn't help wondering why the boys weren't shivering.
"I have a feeling you have lots of questions." Wallace said, breaking the silence as he pointed to a path with his cane, gesturing for Venn to go ahead.
"And I'd imagine the first would be 'do we actually have parents?' And the answer to that is yes."
A weight lifted off the three of them. One they didn't even realize was even there.
"Where are they?" Izzy asked. "How come they aren't here now?"
"And just exactly where is here?" Cliff cut in.
The Professor smiled as he looked around the garden they had walked into.
"We are on the outskirts of Washington DC." He pointed to the west with his cane again, and the three turned around to see a skyline filled with tall buildings.
"And I am afraid I don't know where your parents are. They weren't allowed to have contact with you."
"What?! Why not?!" Venn asked in shock.
Wallace shrugged. "That was the rule. It was either that or you three died."
"Died?" Izzy whispered.
"Yes. Died. Though unfortunately that is all I'm allowed to tell you on that subject.
"So why not just move us, and give us new names?" Venn asked.
"It wasn't normal people your parents were running from. They have a way of figuring things out, it wouldn't have worked. So the only hope we had, was to put you under. And I am quiet pleased that it worked."
The triplets were quiet for a moment, trying to figure out what it was that this man was saying.
"So...what now?" Izzy asked.
"Now? Now you try to keep your nose out of trouble, and to ensure that, you'll be staying here. There's a guest house that's got two bedrooms and it's own kitchen. I'm sure that'll be more then sufficient for you three. Classes start at eight o'clock sharp. I do believe your first class is math."
The Professor stood up and leaned on his cane as he reached into his pocket.
"Oh yes, why don't you three go shopping. You'll need some more clothes then the ones you've got right now."
He handed Venn a large wad of cash.
"Please don't be afraid to come visit any time you need to talk. My door is always open."
The three nodded, not having any words to say.

The guest house was nice enough.
What Izzy hadn't noticed before, was the fact that the whole school campus was decorated after the Spanish style. It was rustic, and quiet beautiful. Red tiles lined the roofs complementing the sun faded walls. There were many arches, and lots of greenery. When she took a closer look at the fountain she saw that it was decorated with a tiled mosaic on the bottom of the small pool.
The guest house was also styled the same way.
They walked through a large arch way to come to a patio  with a wood lattice over it. It was decorated with small lights that would look nice at night, wrapped around the edge of the roof. There was a wood frame love seat with rustic-colored cushions. A small matching chair was sitting across from it, a distressed table in between the two.

Inside was just as well appointed as the exterior.
There was arches that led into each of the rooms. There was a small kitchen that was stocked with food of all kinds. The two bedrooms were at opposite sides of the house, separated by the living room and dinning room.
"I'm taking this room." Izzy announced as she looked into the room that had the turret in the front of the room gave it a nice touch. She especially liked the window seat under the tall windows.
"Aw! I wanted the room with the pink walls." Cliff complained.
She turned around a punched him in the arm.
"You are so bad!" She said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, we all know that." Venn shouted over his shoulder as he walked across the house to the other bedroom.
Cliff rolled his eyes and followed his brother.
She smiled and went straight over to the window seat.
Looking out and seeing a tababuia tree. It looked dead, hinting that the autumn chill had gotten to it.
She sighed and looked around. Despite the Spanish decor outside, her room was styled in the Victorian era.
She had a white, canopy, queen sized bed with white silk sheets and a pale pink quilt on top. The walls were indeed, painted a light pink. Above the desk was a white trimmed, oval mirror that was almost big enough for her to walk through, there was also a white wardrobe leaning against an empty wall.
There was another small table near the window with a glass mosaic table top in the form of butterflies perched on roses. There was a small  white wrought-iron chair near the desk. All in all she liked her new room, but the thought was shadowed by alienation. She felt out of place, off kilter, alien. She felt like she didn't belong even though in her head she knew she had every right to belong here, and to feel welcomed and loved. But her feelings weren't in sync with her mind.

Izzy wanted something to tell her that this was all some kind of huge, complex dream and she was still sleeping. Running over to the big oval mirror, she pulled her feathered side bangs away from her forehead, and ran her fingertips lightly across the pale skin.
There was no evidence of the three stitches she had just yesterday. No scar, no imperfection that would have let anyone guess she had ever fallen on concrete and split her head open.

When she couldn't find the scare, she felt defeated. The reality of what had really happened her whole life settled down on her shoulders like one of those cartoon anvils. Nearly crushing her spirit.
She curled up on her bed in a small ball, fresh hot tears pouring down her cheeks.
"Sis?"
Iz didn't respond to Cliff's voice, he wasn't sure if it was because he had called her sis, or just because she was too wrapped up in her own thoughts.
Once he had gotten over the initial shock, he found it easy to see how they were all related, they had had a strong bond in their old lives, and he hoped it would last.
"Izzy, what's wrong?" He whispered as he climbed up onto the bed with her but was careful to keep a distance between them.
Venn was standing in the doorway now, watching the small girl cry her eyes out on to the sheets.
They were all feeling similar emotions, they might not be the same, but they had a good idea of what the others were going through. Venn knew that if they were going to get through this they'd need two things, each other, and God. It was the only way they could come out with out scars.
"Come here." Venn spoke up moving to the other side of the bed and pulling the girl into his arms.
Cliff just sat there slightly awkwardly. Venn had more experience with girls and knew when they needed a shoulder to cry on, so he didn't do anything other then just being there.

The three sat there for a long while, taking quiet comfort in each other's presence. Crying at times, or just being silent, either way they knew they needed each other.
They never left each other for longer then to go to the restroom. When night fell, they camped out in the living room. Pulling the sheets off their beds along with any pillows they could find and snuggled up with each other on the floor.
Isabelle was glad for the reassuring warmth of the boys on either side of her.
It had never been said aloud, but they knew in their hearts that they really were siblings, and they had already been treating each other like it.
Their dreams were fitful, the only thing stopping them from screaming in middle of the night was the constant reminder of the others lying next to them. Izzy visited the one dream that had always stayed with her over the ten years and realized with a pleasant shock that the two boys running around on the beach with the dad. Her dad. Was Venn and Cliff. She couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before, but it only made her want her parents. She had never known them, other than this one memory, but she still wanted them. A part of her forced her to remember at least she had found her brothers, and at least she wasn't alone anymore.

.:+++:.

Cliff rolled onto his back and starred up at the ceiling.
Izzy had curled up against his side, her head rested on his chest, her breath was warm. She still had that innocent look on her face, making her seem younger then sixteen.
Venn's back was lined up with hers on the other side. Cliff let out his breath slowly, not wanting to disturb his sister.
He glanced at the clock that was ticking steadily
"Seven thirty?! You've got to be kidding me." he groaned. the sound of his voice woke Izzy up with a start. She froze when she saw what, or who, she was lying on, before quickly scrambling off.
"What's all the yelling about?" Venn's voice was groggy from sleep that still hung over all of them.
"Didn't Professor Wallace say classes started at eight?" Cliff asked. Everyone groaned loudly. Venn threw himself back onto his side of the cot. Where as Izzy threw the blankets off and crawled out from in between the two boys.
"I know we don't really feel up to it, but it would be a good way to get our surroundings. We don't have to be social or anything but at least we can see what's going on."
"You make it sound as if we're spies and have no clue what's going on." Cliff grumbled, but followed her lead and got out of the jumbled mess of blankets.
"Wasn't it you that wanted to the last school we went to be turned into a spy training center?" Venn asked, his voice muffled by the pillow he had his head buried in.
"But that's just it," Izzy continued. "we don't have a clue."

.:+++:.

Isabelle didn't want to rush through her shower, in fact the boys argued she didn't even need one since she had just taken one yesterday, but she felt the salt on her cheeks from her tears yesterday, and all night. She felt crabby and didn't want to be in a bad mood around other people.

Finally, they were ready to face the world once again. Though they were rather reluctant.
They didn't have any books, and no directions so they did the best with what they had.

Izzy almost died on the walk up to the main building where they assumed the office would be. People shot the three glances that held things all the way from fear, to absolute loathing.
"Well I guess it's going to take a lot to fit in." Venn muttered.
"Why are all the girls shooting me death glares? Do I look that bad?" Izzy muttered.
Cliff chuckled and slung an arm around her shoulders.
"Because you're a natural born pretty and you don't need make up to prove it." He said with a confidant smile.
Izzy looked up at him with wild eyes in shock.
"What?! I look horrid, how on earth could that be the reason?!"
Venn joined in on Cliff's laughter and came up on Izzy's other side, creating a human sandwich.
"Just stick close to us and we'll keep you safe. That's what brother's do right? protect their younger sisters from all the guys lining up at the door?"
Iz groaned and shook her head.
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that, at least not any time soon. I mean seriously, I've been floating around in blue gel for ten years. I swear my skin is always going to have this permanent shade of blue! Oh look! there's the front office." She pointed to a sign that pointed to the office on a small post that had several signs holding onto it's iron arms.
It pointed to the main building so they hadn't actually found much, other then the fact that they knew for sure now that the office was in the main building.

Venn and Cliff shook their heads and let her go as she quickened her step with her head down and shoulders hunched forward.
Cliff groaned quietly.
"Why is it that girls never see it?" He asked half-heartedly, not really expecting an answer.
"Uh because our society makes them believe they're ugly unless they can fit into a size zero and know how to apply eyeliner just right." Venn stated. Even though Christie had never existed he still had the memories.
"Yeah okay but why is it that it's always the ugly girls know they're pretty and use it to their advantage, but then all the beautiful girls are completely clueless and think themselves ugly?"
Venn just starred at him for a minute, shocked that Cliff had even noticed that. Of course he noticed. He growled at himself. Just because he's never had a girlfriend doesn't mean he hasn't noticed girls before. Venn just shrugged with a grin on his face.
"I hear you, I hear you. But lets go catch her before she throws herself down the pit of despair.
Cliff chuckled and followed his brother into the main house.

He had never really paid attention to how the house looked earlier, his mind was other wise occupied. But now he got a good look. Every thing was trimmed in dark wood, giving it a rich feeling. It really just looked like a big mansion on top of a hill. Everything showed how much money this guy had, a lot of money. Cliff's stomach turned at the sight of all this. He couldn't help but think this use to be him.

Him with all the money, fame. Now he was a nobody left with nothing.

Tons of kids streamed past them, running to their next class, or break. Some of them glanced our way, then went back for a second glance.
He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets as he followed his brother into the office door.
"...Oh I found it!"
Cliff jumped as a high pitched voice screamed in his ear. There was a crash from somewhere to his left, followed by a thud that could only mean human flesh came in contact with something hard.
"Are you okay?" Izzy had her torso leaning over the counter top, standing on her tip toes most of her weight was on the counter.
Venn had a his head cocked to the side as he saw his sister trying to get over the barrier that was in her way. But then his attention was pulled to the muffled answer she received.
"Yep! All's good. So - oh...wow."
The two boys met the eyes of a small petite girl, who couldn't be older than seventeen. She had soft hazel eyes but her eyebrows where hidden by thick, dark bangs. Her hair was long and as strait as a pin. She wore the usual teenage girl attire. Short skirt, high heels, (which probably caused her fall to begin with) a slightly baggy t-shirt that had the Union Jack on it, with a denim jacket over it to complete the look.
"Yeah it said you had brothers..." She whispered to herself, glancing down at the file she had tucked between her arm and her chest. She quickly fingered through it and nodded to herself while muttering again.
"It just didn't tell me they'd look like that..."
Izzy let out a snort but tried to hide it. Venn and Cliff glanced down at themselves to see what on earth was wrong with them.
"Well never mind that!" She said quickly, her eyes lingering on Venn just a second too long for Isabelle's comfort.
"Yes?" She said to keep the girl moving. Her eyes tore away from Venn and she put on a hasty smile.
"Here's your schedule, along with a map and directions. I hope you enjoy your time here. Bye!"
By the way everything was rushed, the triplets got a feeling she wanted them to leave.
They scurried out of the office just as the door slammed shut behind them.
"Well...she's...an interesting character..." Venn said slowly.
Izzy and Cliff broke out in fits of laughter, causing more glances from the kids walking past them.
"That's to put it mildly Venn." Iz declared, her eyes sparkling from the tears of laughter from spilling over. They all captured the moment and hid it in their hearts. Praying that they had lots more like it.