Elsie+Locke+2011

__Tuesday 14 June__ I pulled my plain black jacket around myself tighter as I lifted up my shoulders to block the strong New York wind from slapping my cheeks. The weather had been terrible lately, I was lucky that today it was only windy with a small amount of rain. My vibrant red hair raced around my head as a huge gust of wind passed me. I sighed heavily before running towards my destination, the old run down hotel. An hour ago I received a message. They’d found us.

As soon as I arrived I knew it was going to be worst than last time. No one was around. No fire fighters,no cops,no nosy people. Hurriedly I climbed the old fragile stairs not worrying about falling. I smiled when the wreckage came into sight. It was bad, but no where near as bad as last time. Only one thing lay un-harmed, our father’s old pocket watch. I tripped over as I moved towards it, landing hard on the ground. Grimacing in pain tears swelling in my eyes. I scrambled towards the watch. As I picked it up I heard a sound. Someone rushing down the stair case. Of course. Silently, I ran towards the stairs. Carefully I rushed down them not wanting to fall.

The sunshine hurt my eyes when I came out of the hotel. Quickly shielding them I glanced around looking for someone. I’d probably heard something silly. Trust me to have sensitive ears. It had probably just been an animal or a gust of wind. But then I saw him. I smiled evilly. After so many years I’d finally seen one of them.

I fell into the fastest sprint I could manage. Soon enough I was only a few feet behind the man. He was young, with dark hair and pale skin. Reaching out I grabbed a handful of his jacket. He fell on his back as soon as I pulled at the jacket. “Gotcha” I grinned looking down at him. “Found us finally?” He smiled getting up slowly. Inside I could feel the panic rising. I knew it was showing in my eyes. He had that look on his face. The one that says Your-just-some-wimpy-scared-kid. I shrugged trying to hide the fear, it wasn’t working. “Your not like the others” He stated moving forwards his expression had changed. Now he had a wondering look on his face with a hint of shock. Again I shrugged. Who where the others? My family? “Let’s go” I screamed as he moved forwards, grabbing me by the scruff of the neck.

Slowly I stirred. It was dark and my head hurt, a lot. I reached up to touch the sorest spot. Something warm fell onto my fingers making me pull them away in disgust. Blood. I moved slowly, in the dark feeling my way to what I thought was the door. I lay still for a moment, this was the end. After eleven years on the run they’d found us all. For once I let the tears fall, I could feel them dribbling down my cheeks. They’d gotten Sky, Conner, Mum and they’d gotten Klaus only a few hours ago. Now they had me and this was the end of us all.

__Monday 13 June__ I pulled my plain black jacket around myself tighter as I lifted up my shoulders to block the strong New York wind from slapping my cheeks. The weather had been terrible lately, I was lucky that today it was only windy with a small amount of rain. My vibrant red hair raced around my head as a huge gust of wind passed me. I sighed heavily before running towards my destination, the old run down hotel. An hour ago I received a message. They’d found us.

As soon as I arrived I knew it was going to be worst then last time they’d found us. No one was around. No fire fighters, cops, nosy people. Hurriedly I climbed the old fragile stairs not worrying about falling. I smiled when the wreckage came into sight. It was bad, but no where near as bad as last time. Only one thing lay un-harmed, our father’s old pocket watch. I tripped over as I moved towards it, landing hard on the ground. I grimaced in pain tears swelling in my eyes. I scrambled towards the watch. As I picked it up I heard a sound. Someone rushing down the stair case. Of course. Silently, I ran towards the stairs. Carefully I rushed down them not wanting to fall.

The sunshine hurt my eyes when I had come out of the hotel. Quickly shielding them I glanced around looking for someone. I’d probably heard something. Trust me to have sensitive ears. It had probably just been an animal or a gust of wind. Then I saw him. I smiled evilly. After so many years I’d finally seen one of them.

I fell into the fastest sprint I could manage. Soon enough I was only a few feet behind the man. He was young, with dark hair and pale skin. Reaching out I grabbed a handful of his jacket. He fell on his back as soon as I pulled at his jacket. “Gotcha” I grinned looking down at him. “Found us finally?” He smiled getting up slowly. Inside I could feel the panic rising. I knew it was showing in my eyes. He had that look on his face. The one that says Your-just-some-wimpy-scared-kid. I shrugged trying to hide the fear. “Your not like the others” He stated moving forwards his expression had changed. Now he had a wondering look on his face with a hint of shock. Again I shrugged. Who where the others? My family? “Let’s go” I screamed as he moved forwards, grabbing me by the scruff of the neck.

Slowly I stirred. It was dark and my head hurt, a lot. I reached up to touch the sorest spot. Something warm fell onto my fingers making me pull them away in disgust. Blood. I moved, slowly, in the dark feeling my way to what I thought was the door. I lay still for a moment, this was the end. After eleven years on the run they’d found us all. For once I let the tears fall, I could feel them dribbling down my cheeks. They’d gotten Sky, Conner, Mum and they’d gotten Klaus only a few hours ago. Now they had me and this was the end of us all.

__Wednesday 8 June__

It’s funny how life can change so fast. Turning from bad to good. Like mine. All of a sudden my Mum had called, how she found us we aren’t sure, saying she was married and wanted us to come live with her. Three years of her not wanting to see us and now she did. What was with that?

* * *

“Max, we’ll be there in another twenty minutes” my younger brother, Tobias, said dumping himself down on the seat opposite me. I nodded, I hadn’t spoken since we had flown out of Finland. I often left Toby to take care of stuff. Ever since our parents had broken up eleven years ago we had shipped around between them. Toby, unlike me, handled it quite well. “Max, your gonna have to talk soon enough” he said raising an eyebrow. I stared at him for a minute and then turned away. I didn’t want to have him trying to make me talk because I wouldn’t.

* * *

Finally the train slowed down and around the corner I could see a small red wooden station. We turned the corner and came to a stop. Steam rose around the train but died down as quickly as it had come. I could hear the doors opening slowly and the voice of the train conductor yelling. I got up and pulled my bag onto my back, Toby was all ready taking care of our suit cases. I left the small compartment into the crowded hall. I pushed through the crowd and jumped onto the platform. I went straight to the small cafe beside the station. Our Mum was always late so we’d have to wait a while. I watched the flourishing crowd as the pushed and shoved either getting off the train or onto it. “Max, you could of waited” Toby said dumping himself down in front of me. He had all ready jammed the suitcases between his chair and the window so no one could take them. I shrugged still refusing to talk. He rolled his eyes and followed my gaze. “Is that her!?”

* * *

It was her. I couldn’t believe it. She was prettier then I remembered, though our Mother had always been pretty. But she seemed prettier then she used to be. When she saw us she waved and came into the small cafe. “Toby, Maxie!” She smiled. I shivered when she talked. Not that her voice was scary. It was beautiful, piano like. But there was something behind the piano like sound, something cold, something empty. I looked at Toby, he didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with her voice. He got up and hugged her quickly before pulling up another chair. They both sat down at the same time and looked at me. Both with different expressions plastered on their tanned faces. Toby was giving me a “What is up with her?” look while Mum just had a big smile on her face. We sat in silence for a while just staring at each other. It was an awkward silence. After three years of not seeing a person there should be so much to be said. But for us three there was nothing.

* * *

It took us over an hour to get from the train station to Coupeville. But when we finally arrived in Coupeville, I knew it wasn’t a normal quiet town. I glanced at Toby, who again didn’t seem to notice anything. “It’s nice isn’t it?” Mum said us. “It’s just a town” Toby said thoughtfully. We drove through a few streets and finally pulled up in a driveway. The house was big. Four stories big. Outside sat three cars, two where black while the Porsche was a bright yellow. The grass was radiant green, the gardens where perfectly trimmed and the glossy marble statues didn’t have a spec of dirt on. I got out of the car slowly adjusting to this perfect looking home. Was this ours? “Isadora!” A man said emerging from the house. His voice, like Mum’s, was a piano like creepy voice. His hair was a dark brown and his skin was a mix between tan and pale. “Kids, this is Kurda. My husband” Mum said kissing him on the cheek. I scowled at them both. Kurda gave me a very fake smile before turning to Toby “You must be Isadora’s baby, Tobias” Kurda earned another scowl. He stared at us both in disbelief. “Excuse them, they aren’t normally this rude” Mum frowned at us before staring Kurda inside. “I don’t like him!” Toby whispered angrily yanking open the boot. I nodded, turning to help him. We pulled our suitcases up the stairs and into the foyer of the house. My shoes clacked on the dark marble floor as we walked down the foyer. “Your room’s are upstairs, fourth floor. You’ll have the whole floor to yourselves. Now don’t go nosing around the house, Don’t go into the basement and don’t wonder around the house!” Mum instructed appearing out of no where. We both nodded unable to speak. Mostly from shock, I think. “Lift’s over there” She pointed us towards the lift. I walked off towards the lift, wanting to get away from Mum and her husband as quickly as possible. * * *

“Morning, I’m Maxine Evers” I said to the teacher sitting behind the desk. I had just walked into the classroom and unlike the rest of the school it looked like part of a normal high school. The corridors of the school had shiny well polished marble floors with a gleaming white painted walls that where covered with squeaky clean lockers. This classroom had un-cleaned Lino floors, ugly green carpet on the walls and gum covered desks. “Maxine Evers, huh? Applegate’s kid” Like Kurda and my mothers voice’s, his was musical and sort of empty. “Step-kid” I said rudely. I wasn’t going to be known as Kurda’s kid. He was a creep. “Don’t like him?” The teacher asked grinning. He was young probably in his early twenty’s. Or he was just one of those people that don’t age much. “Pretty much” I shrugged. I walked to the middle of the class room taking a seat beside the window. Outside I could see a few students running around the track on the very large field. Beside the field sat a dark green forest, most of the land around here was covered by forest.

* * *

As I walked to my second class which was unfortunately P.E. Luckily it wasn’t raining but it was rather windy making the whole town freezing. Thankfully I had worn my track pants today so I, unlike the rest of the girls, didn’t have to change. “Right class. We’ll be going for a run through the forest today. Earlier a marker was put out, it’s bright red, so you won’t miss it. Once you get to it turn round and come back. Now go!” The P.E teacher Ms Clave yelled at us. Everyone groaned but started jogging anyway. “Pick up the pace! Your young. You can run!” She screamed at us from the goal post.

* * *

“How far away did she put the marker!?” I heard a blonde girl whine. She was a few steps a head of me running with a tall dark haired boy. I rolled my eyes and ran forwards, passing them easily. Unfortunately we had come to a steep hill. Everyone who had been in front of me was now walking slowly to tired to run any further. I kept running wanting to get in front of everyone. I’d always hated being crowded. So whenever I had to do sports I would always try and stay at the front when I got there. But sadly at this school everyone seemed to be rather good at running. “New girl! You know you don’t have to run the whole way!” A brunette boy yelled at me as I passed him. I smiled slightly but kept running.

* * *

It was nice walking back into a warm classroom. This classroom was exactly like the last one I had been in before P.E. When I stepped into it I froze. Talking quietly to the teacher was none other then my freak of a step dad, Kurda. He turned around quickly when he saw me and smiled. “Maxine! Cassandra this is my lovely step-daughter, Maxine Evers. Maxine, this is Mrs Tross” I glared at Kurda making him bite his lip. “I better be going! Have a nice lesson!” With that Kurda left the classroom. The few kids in the classroom stared at me in shock. “Please take a seat, Miss Evers” Mrs Mrs Tross said waving her hand in the air motioning me to sit at one of the desks. I went to the middle and took a seat beside the window. Outside I could see more kids running, just this time not to into the forest. They were just running around the big field. At the front I could see my brother running beside a blonde haired boy. “Hey, do you mind if I sit here?” I looked up and recognized the boy as the one who had been running with the blonde hair girl. “Erm, sure” I said moving my bag off the seat. I dumped my bag on the ground next to my left foot as I went back to looking out the window. “Interesting view?” He asked jokingly. “Very” I said. I bit my lip when I noticed the rudeness in my tone. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him smiling “I’m Jace Falls” he said holding out a hand. I took it and shook it quickly before letting go “Max Evers” I said looking at him closely. His eyes where an electric green half covered by his long dark brown fringe. “Applegate’s step-daughter Adele?” He asked putting his hand down on the table. “Unfortunately” I sighed looking down at my notepad. I picked my pencil up so I could twirl it around. I often fidgeted not because I was nervous but because it helped me think. “I know what you mean. My step-dad is Beddor, the history teacher” Jace nodded. “How long have you been here?” I groaned as soon as I blurted the question out. He chuckled slightly. “Ask anything you want. I really don’t mind.” He gave me a sort of crooked smile. “And I’ve been here for three years” He added. I nodded looking back onto the field where still my brothers class was running. “Who is she?” I asked absentmindedly. I sighed after hitting myself on the head. Jace reached out and pulled my hand away from my face. “You might hurt yourself” He said. I looked at him to find him grinning his bright white teeth showing. I shrugged not really bothered. “When you say who is she ... who are you talking about?” He asked raising an eyebrow. “The blonde whiner” I said bitterly. “Ah, you mean Bell. Well, Bell is kinda my girl friend” His expression stayed the same but his eyes changed. Now his eyes where sad with a tad bit of annoyance in them. “Um, kinda?” I said puzzled. “She won’t let me break up with her” He said bitterly. I smiled slightly. Now who was being grumpy! “What’s so funny?” He yelled out. “Mr Falls! I know the bell has not gone yet but there is no need for yelling” Mrs Tross said frowning at us. “Sorry, Miss” He replied quietly, His cheeks flaming red with embarrassment.

* * *

The rest of the lesson went past in an awkward silence. I left the room as quickly as possible not wanting to talk to Jace again. I slowed down as I was swallowed into the crowd of milling students. I followed everyone to the cafeteria. As I entered I stopped. It wasn’t a normal high school cafeteria. The walls where a dark red and the floor was solid black marble. No sun came into it as there where no windows. The light was came from big grand diamond chandeliers. “Max!” A warm hand grabbed my wrist. I looked up and bit my lip as I found myself staring into a pair of electric green eyes that sadly belonged to Jace. “What?!” I snapped. Why I was angry at him, even I wasn’t sure. “You ran off so quickly. I didn’t get to talk to you” He said. “What a bummer” I said harshly. He chuckled and pulled a crooked grin. “Look, I’m hungry. I’m going to get food. Good-Bye” I said pulling my hand back. He didn’t let go just held onto it tighter. “Jace!” I snapped trying to pull his hand off. “Right. Sorry” He looked down at his hand wrapped around my extremely pale wrist. He let go hastily leaving me free to run off. But for some reason I didn’t. “Aren’t you going?” He teased. I glared at him slightly and stalked off. What was up with him?! The tables of the cafeteria where round and black with six silver chairs surrounding each table. I spotted my brother sitting with a honey blonde haired boy chatting away happily. “What would you like, Miss Evers?” The black haired lady said from behind the counter. “What is there?” I asked. She pointed to above her were, like a cafe, there where boards with what they had. “Pizza please, meat lovers. Oh and an iced chocolate” She nodded before stabbing at the screen in front of her. A man came from the door behind her carrying what I had ordered on a tray. Sitting next to the iced chocolate where two chocolate bars. “Welcome to Coupeville High, Miss Evers” he said handing me the tray. I nodded taking the tray ,confused at the way this place worked. I headed straight to where my brother sat with the other boy. “Maxie!” he grinned as I sat down next to him. “Hey” I said smiling. It was nice to be talking to someone normal. “Charlie this is my sister Max. Max this is Charlie Garcia” I smiled at Charlie. It was nice to see Toby had made friends with someone. Charlie smiled back. A tray slid onto the table next to mine and I looked up. I groaned “Really, Jace?” My brother looked at me puzzled while Charlie’s mouth was wide open in shock. “Charlie I advise you shut your mouth. No wonder you don’t have a girl friend” A girl chirped dumping herself down next to Charlie. She glanced at me before looking at Jace. “Hey, Jace” She said. “Hi, Allie” Jace said sitting down. The girl, Allie, pushed her vibrant red hair out of her eyes before taking a bite out of her pizza. “Toby, Max this is my sister Allison. Allie, this is Max and Toby Evers” Charlie said closing his mouth. “Hi” I said to Allie before turning to Jace. “This is my little brother Tobias Evers” “Toby Evers” Toby said grumpily. I flashed him a grin before turning back to Jace. “Don’t you have a girlfriend to sit with?” I asked. He rolled his eyes before taking a piece of my pizza. “Hey!” I said laughing. He grinned at me before taking a big bite of Pizza.

* * *

It was funny. This morning I had been wishing to go back to Finland. But now. Now I was kind of glad I lived here with Mum and her annoying husband. I’d made two friends all ready and an enemy. Halfway through lunch Bell had stalked over to our table and started screaming her head off at Jace and me. “Don’t worry about Bell” Allie said checking my expression as we walked towards our history class. “I’m not” I lied. “Right. Well now we have Jace’s step-dad as our teacher” She laughed. I smiled. I really couldn’t wait to meet Jace’s step-dad, Mr Beddor. “Is he nice?” I asked worriedly. “Mr Beddor?” Allie burst into a fit of laughter and had to grab my shoulder to keep herself upright “Sometimes” She added when she finally had her laughter under control. I stared at her. “Sorry, just your tone was hilarious. You where so worried!” She smiled widely. “Don’t worry, Max” She reassured me as we stepped into the classroom. I sighed as I saw that the classroom was exactly the same as the last two I had been in. “Mr Beddor this is Max Evers” Allie yelled as we went to take a seat. “Welcome, Miss Evers. It’s a pleasure to have you with us. Miss Garcia, please keep your voice down just a little” I turned to see Mr Beddor. He was probably about thirty-nine or older though he looked young. He had neatly cut dirty blonde hair with a pair of Harry Potter like glasses covering his dark nothingness black eyes.

* * *

“Max!” I looked up from my shoes to see sitting a few meters in front of me Charlie Garcia. “Charlie” I said smiling with relief. I’d been panicked that I wouldn’t know anyone in my class. I sat down in the desk next to his not even bothering to introduce myself to the teacher. “I thought you where younger then me” I said pulling out my english book. “I am. But English is mixed between years.” Charlie shrugged. “Oh cool” I said. I glanced around the class to see if anyone else was in here that might have been in any of my other classes. The only person I recognized was the nerdy looking kid with the dark brown hair and electric green eyes. He looked a lot like Jace just a nerdy, un-tanned version. “Colt Falls. Jace’s twin” I turned to look at Charlie who was looking at the nerd. “Jace’s twin?” I asked quietly. I looked back at Colt. I could see the resemblance very clearly. But how could Jace’s twin be a nerd? “Yeah. Twin” Charlie laughed. I turned back to facing Charlie. His dark brown eyes where dancing away happily. “Creepy” I glanced back at Colt who was now looking straight at me. I lowered my gaze embarrassed he’d caught me looking at him.

* * *

I moved out of class quickly eager to get home so I could get something to eat. “Max!” I turned as a new voice called my name. It was Colt. He rushed towards me nearly tripping over as people stuck there feet out. “Leave him alone!” I yelled at them when a short haired girl finally tripped Colt up. I reached down and pulled him up. “Thanks” he said quietly adjusting his school bag on his back. “So what’d you want?” I asked as we started walking down the hall. “Nothing really. I just wanted to warn you to be careful here... since no one else has” He said quietly. “What do you mean?” I asked looking at him. He was only a few centimeters taller then me so I didn’t have to tilt my head much to look at him. He looked around nervously as if something bad was going to happen right there. “Just be careful” He said harshly. I raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t say anything. “Especially with my brother” he added before rushing off. “Colt!” I yelled after him. He didn’t turn around to look, just kept going.

* * *

“Mum are you home?!” I yelled as I closed the door softly behind me. The house was quiet so where ever she was she would of heard me. If she was home. Mum had told me early this morning that the servants would be out until five. She hadn’t told me she would be out but I wouldn’t be shocked if she was. Mum was a wanderer, she just tottered around doing this and that never really getting bored. I dumped my bag on the ground, looking around the foyer closely as I did. On the walls there where rich looking paintings. Mum had never really been into art, unless it was chucking paint at a canvas, so I assumed they where Kurda’s. Throughout the house there where no flowers because Mum said flowers in a house reminded her of funerals. I moved swiftly towards the biggest painting. It was a very old looking painting with three men in it. The tallest of the three stood in the middle holding something gold in his two pale hands. Behind the men was a big forest covering most of the canvas but at the edge of the painting sat a big tall victorian building. It reminded me slightly of the school. But it couldn’t be. Could it? I reached out slowly my fingers millimeters away from the painting “Maxine!” I whipped around. “Kurda?!” “Yes. I am Kurda. Why where you touching my painting?!” He snapped angrily coming closer. I backed up against the wall. His normally nothingness eyes where flaring with anger as if a fire was rushing through. “I ... I ... I don’t know. I just wanted to see how it felt, I guess” I lied. Something had been pushing me to reach out, to touch it, as if it would make things clare to me. As if everything would be explained. But what was to be explained? He glared at me “Don’t try and touch it again!” With that he turned on his heel and walked off to the stair case. I breathed out in relief. I looked back at the painting before rushing for the door. I yanked it open and ran.

* * *

“Max?” I looked up from the ground to see my blonde haired mother standing a few meters away. “Mum” I cried jumping off the bus stop seat. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” she said wiping a stray tear off my cheek. After I’d run from the house I had headed to town. It had been three hours since I’d left the house. The street lights where on and only a few people where walking the streets heading home. “I’m not sure” I wiped my eyes as she led me towards her car. “Who upset you?” She asked. “Your husband!” I answered. “Oh” She paused slightly not knowing what to say. “Maxie, why don’t we go get dinner” She began steering me in a new direction. “Take outs?” I asked confused. Mum had never been a person for take aways. “No. We’ll go to a nice restaurant” She said softly.

* * *

“How was school?” Mum asked as we looked over our menu’s. “It was good” I shrugged. “Make any friends?” “I guess you could call them friends” I thought back to Charlie, Allie and the two Falls twins. “Who?” She asked putting her menu down and looking at me with her dark stormy grey eyes. I was glad to have gotten my mother’s eyes. They where mysterious and beautiful with a wandering look in them. “Allie and Charlie Garcia. Jace and Colt Falls” I said. Her eyes widened “Falls?” She said. I nodded putting my menu down softly. I glanced around the restaurant my eyes falling on a tall-ish dark haired boy. It was Colt. “Jace and Colt, huh?” She smiled warmly at me. Her eyes where also smiling widely. “Aha” I rolled my eyes. I knew exactly what she was thinking. Did I like one. “Soooo?” She grinned. “Mum! Your worse then Laurie!” I smiled. Laurie Conners was my best friend and had been ever since I was seven. “Laurie Conners?” She asked. I nodded. “I’m so glad your still friends! Anyway, Max, tell me the details” She literally was worse then Laurie. “Mum” I complained glancing over at Colt who was now making his way over to us. “Hello, how can I help you tonight, Mrs Applegate?” He said looking at my mother. “Meat Lovers Pizza, please” She said handing him the menu. Colt took it, turning to me. “Er, same as her” I said nervously. “Sure, Max” he said taking my menu. He headed off quickly to give in the order. I watched him go before turning to face Mum. “No Mum. And anyway Jace has a girlfriend” She raised an eyebrow but let the subject drop.

* * *

“Kurda, just leave Max alone” My Mum pleaded softly. “Isadora, she shouldn’t touch those paintings!” He grumbled. “And run away!” he added. “I didn’t run away!” I screamed at him. “Max” Mum gave me a warning glance. “Shut up!” he yelled at me. “You ...” “Maxine! Room! NOW!” Mum yelled at me. I glared at her and ran off up the stairs. “Max? What’s going on?” My brother emerged from his room as I ran past. From downstairs I could hear Mum and Kurda yelling at each other. At least she was sticking up for me for once.

* * *

“Max?! Maxie?!” I rolled over groggily. I opened my eyes slowly. Above me stood my Mum fully dressed and ready to leave. “Hop up” She said turning to leave. I scrambled out of bed rushing for the bathroom. Quickly I showered and pulled on my favourite skirt and t-shirt. I grabbed my tights and white cardigan, as well as my thick black jacket. Outside it was pouring down with rain. “Max!?” Toby yelled from downstairs. “Yeah, Yeah!” I called rushing for the stairs.

* * *

“Why did you wear a skirt?” My brother laughed as we walked down the hall towards our class. Funnily enough we had ended up having the same spain-ish class. I shrugged. I wasn’t the only one a few other girls where wearing them with thick tights under neath. “This is the day you should of worn your trackies” I rolled my eyes slightly but stopped as soon as I saw Jace and a few of his friends. “Was Kurda up this morning?” I asked quietly as we passed them. Toby shook his head in reply.

* * *

“Hi” I turned to be facing a mousy brown haired girl. “Hi” I replied. “I’m Haven” She smiled. “Max Evers” I said. Haven was pretty with slightly tanned skin and bright baby blue eyes. “Kurda’s step-daughter?” It wasn’t really a question. Everyone here knew who I was. I nodded. Quickly I glanced over at Toby who was in deep conversation with a ginger headed boy. “Clarix is my step-dad” Haven said nodding with sympathy. “Clarix” I looked down at my schedule. “I have him on Thursday” I muttered. “I don’t have him ever luckily” Haven said looking out the window. “You don’t like him?” I asked. “Hate him” She muttered. I nodded “That’s like me with Applegate”

* * *

“Right, class! I want to get to know you! So answer all the questions on this sheet. TRUTHFULLY!” Mrs Burns yelled at us. Quickly she started handing out sheets of paper. As soon as I received mine I looked at it closely. The questions where pretty lame and questions normal teachers wouldn’t care about. Full Name: //Maxine Redd Evers// Siblings: //Tobias Evers// Favourite Bands: //Panic! At The Disco, LMFAO, Paramore// Sports: //Track, Volleyball, Tennis, Hockey, Gymnastics, Swimming// Favourite Food: //Pizza//

I stopped writing and looked up. Everyone else had also looked up. What was up with the next few questions? What sort of teacher wanted to know if you minded having blood drawn from you? Er, quite a few people would may I say. At the door stood a tall man with greying hair or at least what was left of it was greying. “Mrs Burns, may I have Haven Meret please?” He said. “She’s not finished!” Mrs Burns snapped giving him a warning glance. “I have Miss” Haven said getting up from her chair. I looked at her. “Haven, don’t!” A blonde haired girl whispered. “Lani it’s fine” Haven replied rolling her blue eyes. “Here, Miss” she said handing the teacher her sheet. The man smiled at her as he ushered her out. “Good bye, Haven” I found myself whispering. Something inside of me was screaming to run and tell her not to go. That it wasn’t safe. But why would Mrs Burns let her go into danger? But then why did they want to know this about us? Why had she given that man a warning glance? It was as if they needed to know everything about us so that they could get on with something. But what?

* * *

“Hey Colt!” I yelled as I exited the classroom. He was a couple of meters away walking slowly. He turned and smiled slightly at me. “Yeah?” He asked as I caught up with him. “Did you have to answer some weird question sheet?” I asked him. “Yes. It was creepy. You know I actually would mind if someone was drawing blood out of me. I’d mind quite a lot!” He frowned. “I know. I actually wrote that. Just to let them know about me a bit more” I grinned. “They’ll be annoyed about that” he bit his lip “You shouldn’t annoy them” he added quietly. I frowned. Had Haven annoyed them? “They go missing don’t they” I asked weakly. Colt gave me a searching look nodding. “How’d you know?” he murmured. I shrugged. How did I know? “Max! How did you know?” He asked stopping. I froze. They where killing him. They where killing the black haired boy. The one with cuts on his face, and dark angry hurt eyes. “Max? Max?” I un-froze as Colt shook me hard. “They’re killing him” I whispered, tears striking in my eyes. “Who!?” Colt stopped panic hitting him. I shook my head. “Right. Your new” Relief flew through his face but only a small bit. He thought it was Jace. “Black hair... dark eyes....” I pulled my bag around searching for a piece of paper. I found one and began to sketch. I ran to a nearby locker using it as something to lean on. Everyone would be having lunch now. Or last lesson had gone for two hours instead of an hour. “Scars.... all over his face... his arms... blood was all over him” I was breathing hard now. Scared. “Zen” I looked at Colt. His eyes, too, had tears formed in them. I looked at him with a confused expression. The boy, Zen, wouldn’t of had the scars before they got him. Plus my explaining wasn’t very good. He gestured at my drawing. I looked at it. It had quite a bit of detail but it would of been hard to recognize the boy. “Zen...” I tilted my head. “A good friend of mine.” Colt replied. “Oh” I pursed my lips. Silently we headed for the lunch room. What else could we do? We didn’t know anything.

* * *

“Max!” Both Charlie and Jace jumped up from their seats and looked at me closely. “What’s wrong, Maxie?” Toby asked getting up slowly. Toby was used to me being upset and had been for a long time so he knew just to let me take my time. “Toby!” I burst into tears as I fell into his open arms. “Shhhh” He soothed hugging me tightly. “Colten what the hell did you do to upset her!?” Jace yelled. The cafeteria had gone silent. I could feel them watching us wondering what the hell was up. “Nothing!” Colt shouted. “He did nothing” I said pulling away from Toby hurriedly. “Max,” Jace said softly looking at me intently. “Are you sure?” I raised an eyebrow at him “Do you think I’d lie to save your brother’s butt?” He shrugged “Maybe” “Max, you probably would” Toby whispered in my ear. I shot him a filthy look. “What happened?” Charlie asked moving towards me. “It’s Zen” Colt bit his lip. Jace’s eyes widened. “Why Zen?” He wondered. Colt shrugged “Ask her”

* * *

“Max, someone’s here!” My mother called up the stairs. “Who?!” I yelled back. “Max, just come down!” Mum shouted. I heard a someone chuckle deeply. Jace? I sprinted downstairs and smiled when I saw it was Jace. “Hey. What are you doing here?” I gave Mum a quick go-away-this-is-important-to-me look making her smirk but leave anyway. “I just wanted to talk” He shrugged. I shot him a yeah-right look “You wanna know about today don’t you?” His cheeks flamed red with embarrassment. I grinned widely “Knew it! Come on.” I pushed him out the door letting it slam shut behind us. I lead him down the street to where a small park was. “So ask away” I said slowly. “Tell me everything, please. Colten won’t tell me anything!” Jace said angrily. I sighed as I sat down. “Don’t call him Colten!” “Why not?” He pretty much yelled as he paced up and down in front of me. “Just don’t” I pleaded. “The stupid nerd needs to learn that you tell people bad things!” He exploded. “Nerd!?” I yelled jumping up “You call your own twin brother a nerd!? You know. You should be the one sticking up for him when other people call him a nerd. Just because he’s smart doesn’t make him a nerd, Jace. Just because his name is Colten doesn’t make him a nerd! Look at me. I’m called Maxine no one calls me a nerd! Look at my brother. He’s a flipping genius but no one calls him a nerd!” I added. He stopped to look at me with his laughing green eyes. “Maxine? Really?” He asked. I glared at him “Did you think I was called Max ... as a girl?” “It can be a girl’s name” he shrugged. “Please! My parents always wanted some smart girly girl daughter! But they got stuck with me. The one who can’t stand pink and hates the name Maxine.” I huffed. “No pink, huh?” He said looking down at the wet orchid green grass. “Yeah. No pink” I said also looking down at the grass. “My sister hated pink, too” he murmured. “Hated?” Had his sister died? Or had she suddenly begun to like pink? Wait, he had a sister!? “They took her! They took my only sister. I always promised her I’d never let them get her. I always took charge for the family. But then one day they got her. I don’t know how... we don’t know how. We were in all her classes. We tailed her everywhere. We both knew they wanted her...” That’s as far as he got before I cut in. “Jace! What are you talking about?!” He slumped into the chair looking sad. He patted the spot next to him. Hesitantly I sat down next to him. “My sister Catherine was younger then Colt and I. By a year. Catherine was always one the teachers loved. The teachers here loved her a lot, they knew they’d need her. There was something about Catherine. Well there’s something about all us kids they want... most of us anyway. Anyway they got her and she’s been gone for nearly six months” He let his head fall into his hands. We sat there in an awkward silence. Me, not knowing what to say. Him, thinking about how he let his sister down. “Jace, your sister wouldn’t be angry at you..” I began but stopped. What was I on about? I needed to ask him why the teachers where doing this. He looked at me slowly his green eyes brimming with tears making me want to reach out to wipe away the few rolling down his tanned soft looking cheeks. I let out a long sigh. This was going to be hard. Very hard. I wasn’t good at being the one to tell someone it’d be alright, my brother was. “Your not good at this” he told me. I stared at him hard “Do you want me to try and help or not?” “Sorry. Look what’d you see earlier? How’d you know Zen had been taken?” He said shaking his head ever so slightly. I shrugged “It just came to me. Like I was there. In that room he was in seeing him get tortured. It was as if ... I was the person hurting him. Well I only had his vision. I couldn’t control his arms or anything just his eyes” “It was a him?” He asked jumping up suddenly. He began searching his jacket pockets hurriedly. “Yeah” I nodded. “He looked like?” “I’m not sure. I told you. I could only see through his eyes” I got up to see what was on the piece of paper he was holding. The paper was a yellowed colour, probably faded from age, at the edges it was torn and the whole paper was crumpled. “Right. Well I thought it may have something to do with this. Back in the 1800’s there was a man called Lucius Everson, he could do what you could do. But he was able to control the body of the person. Well sort of. He practiced for a long time but then they found him and killed him. Since he was ruining their plans..” Jace trailed off seeing the expression on my face. “They’ll kill me?!” I panicked. He shook his head quickly “No! It’s just Lucius Everson was getting in their way. You don’t necessarily get in their way.” I let out a long sigh of relief. I seriously did not want to die. At least not yet.

* * *

“Where have you been?” Kurda snapped as I gently shut the door behind me. The house was dark since it was late. After Jace and I had left the park we went out for dinner. “With Jace” I said raising an eyebrow. Kurda had flicked on the light as soon as I had come in so I could see his expression clearly. There was a mix of anger and worry on his face though his eyes stayed empty. “Jonathan Falls?” He asked suspiciously. What did Kurda have against Jace? “Jace Falls” “His names Jonathan” Kurda said grumpily. Jace was called Jonathan? Well I couldn’t exactly say much. I mean I was called Maxine. “Right” I nodded moving towards the lounge. “I don’t want you to see him again!” Kurda yelled at me from the foyer. I turned around slowly, anger rising in my eyes. “You can’t tell me to do anything!” I said quietly between gritted teeth. “I’m your father. I can tell you what to do and what not to do” He replied. “You are not my father! Right now my father is in Finland probably getting ready to go to Italy” I whispered. His eyes exploded into shots of fire angrily spitting. They reminded me of when our house went up in flames just three years ago. I shrank back against the wall scared. He snickered “Not so mighty now are we just” “Leave me alone!” I panicked. I closed my eyes. This was it wasn’t it.

* * *

“She should be all right, Ma’am” I heard a man say. “I hope so” I heard the soft voice of my mother say. I kept my eyes shut wanting to see if they’d say anything that would give me a hint to where I was and why I was there. I kept my breathing slow so it would go unnoticed that I was awake. “Max, they’re gone” A boy said a hint of laughter in his voice. My eyes snapped open and I found them looking up at Colten Falls. “What do you want?” I asked trying to sit up. I couldn’t. I felt weak, sore, tired. “Here” He moved, pushed a button which slowly rised the part of the bed that my top half was on. “Thanks” He smiled before taking a seat beside me in a green plastic chair. I looked around. I was in a hospital. I shuddered. I hated hospitals ever since I was little I’d had a fear of hospitals. A huge one. Why? Who knows. They just freaked me out. “According to Kurda you fell over, hit your head, blacked out. Apparently there was a lot of blood and stuff. But who trusts that creep” Colt grinned I gave him a glassy look. He smiled not noticing I was annoyed. Or maybe he did notice. Just was ignoring it or found it funny. “I don’t get why people call you nerdy” I sighed. “Your the first to say that” He looked at me for a while and then dropped his gaze. “I don’t get why Jace is always the popular one” He finally said. I watched him, waiting for him to go on

__Tuesday 7th June__

It’s funny how life can change so fast. Turning from bad to good. Like mine. All of a sudden my Mum had called, how she found us we aren’t sure, saying she was married and wanted us to come live with her. Three years of her not wanting to see us and now she did. What was with that?

* * *

“Max, we’ll be there in another twenty minutes” my younger brother, Tobias, said dumping himself down on the seat opposite me. I nodded, I hadn’t spoken since we had flown out of Finland. I often left Toby to take care of stuff. Ever since our parents had broken up eleven years ago we had shipped around between them. Toby, unlike me, handled it quite well. “Max, your gonna have to talk soon enough” he said raising an eyebrow. I stared at him for a minute and then turned away. I didn’t want to have him trying to make me talk because I wouldn’t.

* * *

Finally the train slowed down and around the corner I could see a small red wooden station. We turned the corner and came to a stop. Steam rose around the train but died down as quickly as it had come. I could hear the doors opening slowly and the voice of the train conductor yelling. I got up and pulled my bag onto my back, Toby was all ready taking care of our suit cases. I left the small compartment into the crowded hall. I pushed through the crowd and jumped onto the platform. I went straight to the small cafe beside the station. Our Mum was always late so we’d have to wait a while. I watched the flourishing crowd as the pushed and shoved either getting off the train or onto it. “Max, you could of waited” Toby said dumping himself down in front of me. He had all ready jammed the suitcases between his chair and the window so no one could take them. I shrugged still refusing to talk. He rolled his eyes and followed my gaze. “Is that her!?”

* * *

It was her. I couldn’t believe it. She was prettier then I remembered, though our Mother had always been pretty. But she seemed prettier then she used to be. When she saw us she waved and came into the small cafe. “Toby, Maxie!” She smiled. I shivered when she talked. Not that her voice was scary. It was beautiful, piano like. But there was something behind the piano like sound, something cold, something empty. I looked at Toby, he didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with her voice. He got up and hugged her quickly before pulling up another chair. They both sat down at the same time and looked at me. Both with different expressions plastered on their tanned faces. Toby was giving me a “What is up with her?” look while Mum just had a big smile on her face. We sat in silence for a while just staring at each other. It was an awkward silence. After three years of not seeing a person there should be so much to be said. But for us three there was nothing.

* * *

It took us over an hour to get from the train station to Coupeville. But when we finally arrived in Coupeville, I knew it wasn’t a normal quiet town. I glanced at Toby, who again didn’t seem to notice anything. “It’s nice isn’t it?” Mum said us. “It’s just a town” Toby said thoughtfully. We drove through a few streets and finally pulled up in a driveway. The house was big. Four stories big. Outside sat three cars, two where black while the Porsche was a bright yellow. The grass was radiant green, the gardens where perfectly trimmed and the glossy marble statues didn’t have a spec of dirt on. I got out of the car slowly adjusting to this perfect looking home. Was this ours? “Isadora!” A man said emerging from the house. His voice, like Mum’s, was a piano like creepy voice. His hair was a dark brown and his skin was a mix between tan and pale. “Kids, this is Kurda. My husband” Mum said kissing him on the cheek. I scowled at them both. Kurda gave me a very fake smile before turning to Toby “You must be Isadora’s baby, Tobias” Kurda earned another scowl. He stared at us both in disbelief. “Excuse them, they aren’t normally this rude” Mum frowned at us before staring Kurda inside. “I don’t like him!” Toby whispered angrily yanking open the boot. I nodded, turning to help him. We pulled our suitcases up the stairs and into the foyer of the house. My shoes clacked on the dark marble floor as we walked down the foyer. “Your room’s are upstairs, fourth floor. You’ll have the whole floor to yourselves. Now don’t go nosing around the house, Don’t go into the basement and don’t wonder around the house!” Mum instructed appearing out of no where. We both nodded unable to speak. Mostly from shock, I think. “Lift’s over there” She pointed us towards the lift. I walked off towards the lift, wanting to get away from Mum and her husband as quickly as possible. * * *

“Morning, I’m Maxine Evers” I said to the teacher sitting behind the desk. I had just walked into the classroom and unlike the rest of the school it looked like part of a normal high school. The corridors of the school had shiny well polished marble floors with a gleaming white painted walls that where covered with squeaky clean lockers. This classroom had un-cleaned Lino floors, ugly green carpet on the walls and gum covered desks. “Maxine Evers, huh? Applegate’s kid” Like Kurda and my mothers voice’s, his was musical and sort of empty. “Step-kid” I said rudely. I wasn’t going to be known as Kurda’s kid. He was a creep. “Don’t like him?” The teacher asked grinning. He was young probably in his early twenty’s. Or he was just one of those people that don’t age much. “Pretty much” I shrugged. I walked to the middle of the class room taking a seat beside the window. Outside I could see a few students running around the track on the very large field. Beside the field sat a dark green forest, most of the land around here was covered by forest.

* * *

As I walked to my second class which was unfortunately P.E. Luckily it wasn’t raining but it was rather windy making the whole town freezing. Thankfully I had worn my track pants today so I, unlike the rest of the girls, didn’t have to change. “Right class. We’ll be going for a run through the forest today. Earlier a marker was put out, it’s bright red, so you won’t miss it. Once you get to it turn round and come back. Now go!” The P.E teacher Ms Clave yelled at us. Everyone groaned but started jogging anyway. “Pick up the pace! Your young. You can run!” She screamed at us from the goal post.

* * *

“How far away did she put the marker!?” I heard a blonde girl whine. She was a few steps a head of me running with a tall dark haired boy. I rolled my eyes and ran forwards, passing them easily. Unfortunately we had come to a steep hill. Everyone who had been in front of me was now walking slowly to tired to run any further. I kept running wanting to get in front of everyone. I’d always hated being crowded. So whenever I had to do sports I would always try and stay at the front when I got there. But sadly at this school everyone seemed to be rather good at running. “New girl! You know you don’t have to run the whole way!” A brunette boy yelled at me as I passed him. I smiled slightly but kept running.

* * *

It was nice walking back into a warm classroom. This classroom was exactly like the last one I had been in before P.E. When I stepped into it I froze. Talking quietly to the teacher was none other then my freak of a step dad, Kurda. He turned around quickly when he saw me and smiled. “Maxine! Cassandra this is my lovely step-daughter, Maxine Evers. Maxine, this is Mrs Tross” I glared at Kurda making him bite his lip. “I better be going! Have a nice lesson!” With that Kurda left the classroom. The few kids in the classroom stared at me in shock. “Please take a seat, Miss Evers” Mrs Mrs Tross said waving her hand in the air motioning me to sit at one of the desks. I went to the middle and took a seat beside the window. Outside I could see more kids running, just this time not to into the forest. They were just running around the big field. At the front I could see my brother running beside a blonde haired boy. “Hey, do you mind if I sit here?” I looked up and recognized the boy as the one who had been running with the blonde hair girl. “Erm, sure” I said moving my bag off the seat. I dumped my bag on the ground next to my left foot as I went back to looking out the window. “Interesting view?” He asked jokingly. “Very” I said. I bit my lip when I noticed the rudeness in my tone. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him smiling “I’m Jace Falls” he said holding out a hand. I took it and shook it quickly before letting go “Max Evers” I said looking at him closely. His eyes where an electric green half covered by his long dark brown fringe. “Applegate’s step-daughter Adele?” He asked putting his hand down on the table. “Unfortunately” I sighed looking down at my notepad. I picked my pencil up so I could twirl it around. I often fidgeted not because I was nervous but because it helped me think. “I know what you mean. My step-dad is Beddor, the history teacher” Jace nodded. “How long have you been here?” I groaned as soon as I blurted the question out. He chuckled slightly. “Ask anything you want. I really don’t mind.” He gave me a sort of crooked smile. “And I’ve been here for three years” He added. I nodded looking back onto the field where still my brothers class was running. “Who is she?” I asked absentmindedly. I sighed after hitting myself on the head. Jace reached out and pulled my hand away from my face. “You might hurt yourself” He said. I looked at him to find him grinning his bright white teeth showing. I shrugged not really bothered. “When you say who is she ... who are you talking about?” He asked raising an eyebrow. “The blonde whiner” I said bitterly. “Ah, you mean Bell. Well, Bell is kinda my girl friend” His expression stayed the same but his eyes changed. Now his eyes where sad with a tad bit of annoyance in them. “Um, kinda?” I said puzzled. “She won’t let me break up with her” He said bitterly. I smiled slightly. Now who was being grumpy! “What’s so funny?” He yelled out. “Mr Falls! I know the bell has not gone yet but there is no need for yelling” Mrs Tross said frowning at us. “Sorry, Miss” He replied quietly, His cheeks flaming red with embarrassment.

* * *

The rest of the lesson went past in an awkward silence. I left the room as quickly as possible not wanting to talk to Jace again. I slowed down as I was swallowed into the crowd of milling students. I followed everyone to the cafeteria. As I entered I stopped. It wasn’t a normal high school cafeteria. The walls where a dark red and the floor was solid black marble. No sun came into it as there where no windows. The light was came from big grand diamond chandeliers. “Max!” A warm hand grabbed my wrist. I looked up and bit my lip as I found myself staring into a pair of electric green eyes that sadly belonged to Jace. “What?!” I snapped. Why I was angry at him, even I wasn’t sure. “You ran off so quickly. I didn’t get to talk to you” He said. “What a bummer” I said harshly. He chuckled and pulled a crooked grin. “Look, I’m hungry. I’m going to get food. Good-Bye” I said pulling my hand back. He didn’t let go just held onto it tighter. “Jace!” I snapped trying to pull his hand off. “Right. Sorry” He looked down at his hand wrapped around my extremely pale wrist. He let go hastily leaving me free to run off. But for some reason I didn’t. “Aren’t you going?” He teased. I glared at him slightly and stalked off. What was up with him?! The tables of the cafeteria where round and black with six silver chairs surrounding each table. I spotted my brother sitting with a honey blonde haired boy chatting away happily. “What would you like, Miss Evers?” The black haired lady said from behind the counter. “What is there?” I asked. She pointed to above her were, like a cafe, there where boards with what they had. “Pizza please, meat lovers. Oh and an iced chocolate” She nodded before stabbing at the screen in front of her. A man came from the door behind her carrying what I had ordered on a tray. Sitting next to the iced chocolate where two chocolate bars. “Welcome to Coupeville High, Miss Evers” he said handing me the tray. I nodded taking the tray ,confused at the way this place worked. I headed straight to where my brother sat with the other boy. “Maxie!” he grinned as I sat down next to him. “Hey” I said smiling. It was nice to be talking to someone normal. “Charlie this is my sister Max. Max this is Charlie Garcia” I smiled at Charlie. It was nice to see Toby had made friends with someone. Charlie smiled back. A tray slid onto the table next to mine and I looked up. I groaned “Really, Jace?” My brother looked at me puzzled while Charlie’s mouth was wide open in shock. “Charlie I advise you shut your mouth. No wonder you don’t have a girl friend” A girl chirped dumping herself down next to Charlie. She glanced at me before looking at Jace. “Hey, Jace” She said. “Hi, Allie” Jace said sitting down. The girl, Allie, pushed her vibrant red hair out of her eyes before taking a bite out of her pizza. “Toby, Max this is my sister Allison. Allie, this is Max and Toby Evers” Charlie said closing his mouth. “Hi” I said to Allie before turning to Jace. “This is my little brother Tobias Evers” “Toby Evers” Toby said grumpily. I flashed him a grin before turning back to Jace. “Don’t you have a girlfriend to sit with?” I asked. He rolled his eyes before taking a piece of my pizza. “Hey!” I said laughing. He grinned at me before taking a big bite of Pizza.

* * *

It was funny. This morning I had been wishing to go back to Finland. But now. Now I was kind of glad I lived here with Mum and her annoying husband. I’d made two friends all ready and an enemy. Halfway through lunch Bell had stalked over to our table and started screaming her head off at Jace and me. “Don’t worry about Bell” Allie said checking my expression as we walked towards our history class. “I’m not” I lied. “Right. Well now we have Jace’s step-dad as our teacher” She laughed. I smiled. I really couldn’t wait to meet Jace’s step-dad, Mr Beddor. “Is he nice?” I asked worriedly. “Mr Beddor?” Allie burst into a fit of laughter and had to grab my shoulder to keep herself upright “Sometimes” She added when she finally had her laughter under control. I stared at her. “Sorry, just your tone was hilarious. You where so worried!” She smiled widely. “Don’t worry, Max” She reassured me as we stepped into the classroom. I sighed as I saw that the classroom was exactly the same as the last two I had been in. “Mr Beddor this is Max Evers” Allie yelled as we went to take a seat. “Welcome, Miss Evers. It’s a pleasure to have you with us. Miss Garcia, please keep your voice down just a little” I turned to see Mr Beddor. He was probably about thirty-nine or older though he looked young. He had neatly cut dirty blonde hair with a pair of Harry Potter like glasses covering his dark nothingness black eyes.

* * *

“Max!” I looked up from my shoes to see sitting a few meters in front of me Charlie Garcia. “Charlie” I said smiling with relief. I’d been panicked that I wouldn’t know anyone in my class. I sat down in the desk next to his not even bothering to introduce myself to the teacher. “I thought you where younger then me” I said pulling out my english book. “I am. But English is mixed between years.” Charlie shrugged. “Oh cool” I said. I glanced around the class to see if anyone else was in here that might have been in any of my other classes. The only person I recognized was the nerdy looking kid with the dark brown hair and electric green eyes. He looked a lot like Jace just a nerdy, un-tanned version. “Colt Falls. Jace’s twin” I turned to look at Charlie who was looking at the nerd. “Jace’s twin?” I asked quietly. I looked back at Colt. I could see the resemblance very clearly. But how could Jace’s twin be a nerd? “Yeah. Twin” Charlie laughed. I turned back to facing Charlie. His dark brown eyes where dancing away happily. “Creepy” I glanced back at Colt who was now looking straight at me. I lowered my gaze embarrassed he’d caught me looking at him.

* * *

I moved out of class quickly eager to get home so I could get something to eat. “Max!” I turned as a new voice called my name. It was Colt. He rushed towards me nearly tripping over as people stuck there feet out. “Leave him alone!” I yelled at them when a short haired girl finally tripped Colt up. I reached down and pulled him up. “Thanks” he said quietly adjusting his school bag on his back. “So what’d you want?” I asked as we started walking down the hall. “Nothing really. I just wanted to warn you to be careful here... since no one else has” He said quietly. “What do you mean?” I asked looking at him. He was only a few centimeters taller then me so I didn’t have to tilt my head much to look at him. He looked around nervously as if something bad was going to happen right there. “Just be careful” He said harshly. I raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t say anything. “Especially with my brother” he added before rushing off. “Colt!” I yelled after him. He didn’t turn around to look, just kept going.

* * *

“Mum are you home?!” I yelled as I closed the door softly behind me. The house was quiet so where ever she was she would of heard me. If she was home. Mum had told me early this morning that the servants would be out until five. She hadn’t told me she would be out but I wouldn’t be shocked if she was. Mum was a wanderer, she just tottered around doing this and that never really getting bored. I dumped my bag on the ground, looking around the foyer closely as I did. On the walls there where rich looking paintings. Mum had never really been into art, unless it was chucking paint at a canvas, so I assumed they where Kurda’s. Throughout the house there where no flowers because Mum said flowers in a house reminded her of funerals. I moved swiftly towards the biggest painting. It was a very old looking painting with three men in it. The tallest of the three stood in the middle holding something gold in his two pale hands. Behind the men was a big forest covering most of the canvas but at the edge of the painting sat a big tall victorian building. It reminded me slightly of the school. But it couldn’t be. Could it? I reached out slowly my fingers millimeters away from the painting “Maxine!” I whipped around. “Kurda?!” “Yes. I am Kurda. Why where you touching my painting?!” He snapped angrily coming closer. I backed up against the wall. His normally nothingness eyes where flaring with anger as if a fire was rushing through. “I ... I ... I don’t know. I just wanted to see how it felt, I guess” I lied. Something had been pushing me to reach out, to touch it, as if it would make things clare to me. As if everything would be explained. But what was to be explained? He glared at me “Don’t try and touch it again!” With that he turned on his heel and walked off to the stair case. I breathed out in relief. I looked back at the painting before rushing for the door. I yanked it open and ran.

* * *

“Max?” I looked up from the ground to see my blonde haired mother standing a few meters away. “Mum” I cried jumping off the bus stop seat. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” she said wiping a stray tear off my cheek. After I’d run from the house I had headed to town. It had been three hours since I’d left the house. The street lights where on and only a few people where walking the streets heading home. “I’m not sure” I wiped my eyes as she led me towards her car. “Who upset you?” She asked. “Your husband!” I answered. “Oh” She paused slightly not knowing what to say. “Maxie, why don’t we go get dinner” She began steering me in a new direction. “Take outs?” I asked confused. Mum had never been a person for take aways. “No. We’ll go to a nice restaurant” She said softly.

* * *

“How was school?” Mum asked as we looked over our menu’s. “It was good” I shrugged. “Make any friends?” “I guess you could call them friends” I thought back to Charlie, Allie and the two Falls twins. “Who?” She asked putting her menu down and looking at me with her dark stormy grey eyes. I was glad to have gotten my mother’s eyes. They where mysterious and beautiful with a wandering look in them. “Allie and Charlie Garcia. Jace and Colt Falls” I said. Her eyes widened “Falls?” She said. I nodded putting my menu down softly. I glanced around the restaurant my eyes falling on a tall-ish dark haired boy. It was Colt. “Jace and Colt, huh?” She smiled warmly at me. Her eyes where also smiling widely. “Aha” I rolled my eyes. I knew exactly what she was thinking. Did I like one. “Soooo?” She grinned. “Mum! Your worse then Laurie!” I smiled. Laurie Conners was my best friend and had been ever since I was seven. “Laurie Conners?” She asked. I nodded. “I’m so glad your still friends! Anyway, Max, tell me the details” She literally was worse then Laurie. “Mum” I complained glancing over at Colt who was now making his way over to us. “Hello, how can I help you tonight, Mrs Applegate?” He said looking at my mother. “Meat Lovers Pizza, please” She said handing him the menu. Colt took it, turning to me. “Er, same as her” I said nervously. “Sure, Max” he said taking my menu. He headed off quickly to give in the order. I watched him go before turning to face Mum. “No Mum. And anyway Jace has a girlfriend” She raised an eyebrow but let the subject drop.

* * *

“Kurda, just leave Max alone” My Mum pleaded softly. “Isadora, she shouldn’t touch those paintings!” He grumbled. “And run away!” he added. “I didn’t run away!” I screamed at him. “Max” Mum gave me a warning glance. “Shut up!” he yelled at me. “You ...” “Maxine! Room! NOW!” Mum yelled at me. I glared at her and ran off up the stairs. “Max? What’s going on?” My brother emerged from his room as I ran past. From downstairs I could hear Mum and Kurda yelling at each other. At least she was sticking up for me for once.

* * *

“Max?! Maxie?!” I rolled over groggily. I opened my eyes slowly. Above me stood my Mum fully dressed and ready to leave. “Hop up” She said turning to leave. I scrambled out of bed rushing for the bathroom. Quickly I showered and pulled on my favourite skirt and t-shirt. I grabbed my tights and white cardigan, as well as my thick black jacket. Outside it was pouring down with rain. “Max!?” Toby yelled from downstairs. “Yeah, Yeah!” I called rushing for the stairs.

* * *

“Why did you wear a skirt?” My brother laughed as we walked down the hall towards our class. Funnily enough we had ended up having the same spain-ish class. I shrugged. I wasn’t the only one a few other girls where wearing them with thick tights under neath. “This is the day you should of worn your trackies” I rolled my eyes slightly but stopped as soon as I saw Jace and a few of his friends. “Was Kurda up this morning?” I asked quietly as we passed them. Toby shook his head in reply.

* * *

“Hi” I turned to be facing a mousy brown haired girl. “Hi” I replied. “I’m Haven” She smiled. “Max Evers” I said. Haven was pretty with slightly tanned skin and bright baby blue eyes. “Kurda’s step-daughter?” It wasn’t really a question. Everyone here knew who I was. I nodded. Quickly I glanced over at Toby who was in deep conversation with a ginger headed boy. “Clarix is my step-dad” Haven said nodding with sympathy. “Clarix” I looked down at my schedule. “I have him on Thursday” I muttered. “I don’t have him ever luckily” Haven said looking out the window. “You don’t like him?” I asked. “Hate him” She muttered. I nodded “That’s like me with Applegate”

* * *

“Right, class! I want to get to know you! So answer all the questions on this sheet. TRUTHFULLY!” Mrs Burns yelled at us. Quickly she started handing out sheets of paper. As soon as I received mine I looked at it closely. The questions where pretty lame and questions normal teachers wouldn’t care about. Full Name: //Maxine Redd Evers// Siblings: //Tobias Evers// Favourite Bands: //Panic! At The Disco, LMFAO, Paramore// Sports: //Track, Volleyball, Tennis, Hockey, Gymnastics, Swimming// Favourite Food: //Pizza//

I stopped writing and looked up. Everyone else had also looked up. What was up with the next few questions? What sort of teacher wanted to know if you minded having blood drawn from you? Er, quite a few people would may I say. At the door stood a tall man with greying hair or at least what was left of it was greying. “Mrs Burns, may I have Haven Meret please?” He said. “She’s not finished!” Mrs Burns snapped giving him a warning glance. “I have Miss” Haven said getting up from her chair. I looked at her. “Haven, don’t!” A blonde haired girl whispered. “Lani it’s fine” Haven replied rolling her blue eyes. “Here, Miss” she said handing the teacher her sheet. The man smiled at her as he ushered her out. “Good bye, Haven” I found myself whispering. Something inside of me was screaming to run and tell her not to go. That it wasn’t safe. But why would Mrs Burns let her go into danger? But then why did they want to know this about us? Why had she given that man a warning glance? It was as if they needed to know everything about us so that they could get on with something. But what?

* * *

“Hey Colt!” I yelled as I exited the classroom. He was a couple of meters away walking slowly. He turned and smiled slightly at me. “Yeah?” He asked as I caught up with him. “Did you have to answer some weird question sheet?” I asked him. “Yes. It was creepy. You know I actually would mind if someone was drawing blood out of me. I’d mind quite a lot!” He frowned. “I know. I actually wrote that. Just to let them know about me a bit more” I grinned. “They’ll be annoyed about that” he bit his lip “You shouldn’t annoy them” he added quietly. I frowned. Had Haven annoyed them? “They go missing don’t they” I asked weakly. Colt gave me a searching look nodding. “How’d you know?” he murmured. I shrugged. How did I know? “Max! How did you know?” He asked stopping. I froze. They where killing him. They where killing the black haired boy. The one with cuts on his face, and dark angry hurt eyes. “Max? Max?” I un-froze as Colt shook me hard. “They’re killing him” I whispered, tears striking in my eyes. “Who!?” Colt stopped panic hitting him. I shook my head. “Right. Your new” Relief flew through his face but only a small bit. He thought it was Jace. “Black hair... dark eyes....” I pulled my bag around searching for a piece of paper. I found one and began to sketch. I ran to a nearby locker using it as something to lean on. Everyone would be having lunch now. Or last lesson had gone for two hours instead of an hour. “Scars.... all over his face... his arms... blood was all over him” I was breathing hard now. Scared. “Zen” I looked at Colt. His eyes, too, had tears formed in them. I looked at him with a confused expression. The boy, Zen, wouldn’t of had the scars before they got him. Plus my explaining wasn’t very good. He gestured at my drawing. I looked at it. It had quite a bit of detail but it would of been hard to recognize the boy. “Zen...” I tilted my head. “A good friend of mine.” Colt replied. “Oh” I pursed my lips. Silently we headed for the lunch room. What else could we do? We didn’t know anything.

* * *

“Max!” Both Charlie and Jace jumped up from their seats and looked at me closely. “What’s wrong, Maxie?” Toby asked getting up slowly. Toby was used to me being upset and had been for a long time so he knew just to let me take my time. “Toby!” I burst into tears as I fell into his open arms. “Shhhh” He soothed hugging me tightly. “Colten what the hell did you do to upset her!?” Jace yelled. The cafeteria had gone silent. I could feel them watching us wondering what the hell was up. “Nothing!” Colt shouted. “He did nothing” I said pulling away from Toby hurriedly. “Max,” Jace said softly looking at me intently. “Are you sure?” I raised an eyebrow at him “Do you think I’d lie to save your brother’s butt?” He shrugged “Maybe” “Max, you probably would” Toby whispered in my ear. I shot him a filthy look. “What happened?” Charlie asked moving towards me. “It’s Zen” Colt bit his lip. Jace’s eyes widened. “Why Zen?” He wondered. Colt shrugged “Ask her”

* * *

“Max, someone’s here!” My mother called up the stairs. “Who?!” I yelled back. “Max, just come down!” Mum shouted. I heard a someone chuckle deeply. Jace? I sprinted downstairs and smiled when I saw it was Jace. “Hey. What are you doing here?” I gave Mum a quick go-away-this-is-important-to-me look making her smirk but leave anyway. “I just wanted to talk” He shrugged. I shot him a yeah-right look “You wanna know about today don’t you?” His cheeks flamed red with embarrassment. I grinned widely “Knew it! Come on.” I pushed him out the door letting it slam shut behind us. I lead him down the street to where a small park was. “So ask away” I said slowly. “Tell me everything, please. Colten won’t tell me anything!” Jace said angrily. I sighed as I sat down. “Don’t call him Colten!” “Why not?” He pretty much yelled as he paced up and down in front of me. “Just don’t” I pleaded. “The stupid nerd needs to learn that you tell people bad things!” He exploded. “Nerd!?” I yelled jumping up “You call your own twin brother a nerd!? You know. You should be the one sticking up for him when other people call him a nerd. Just because he’s smart doesn’t make him a nerd, Jace. Just because his name is Colten doesn’t make him a nerd! Look at me. I’m called Maxine no one calls me a nerd! Look at my brother. He’s a flipping genius but no one calls him a nerd!” I added. He stopped to look at me with his laughing green eyes. “Maxine? Really?” He asked. I glared at him “Did you think I was called Max ... as a girl?” “It can be a girl’s name” he shrugged. “Please! My parents always wanted some smart girly girl daughter! But they got stuck with me. The one who can’t stand pink and hates the name Maxine.” I huffed. “No pink, huh?” He said looking down at the wet orchid green grass. “Yeah. No pink” I said also looking down at the grass. “My sister hated pink, too” he murmured. “Hated?” Had his sister died? Or had she suddenly begun to like pink? Wait, he had a sister!? “They took her! They took my only sister. I always promised her I’d never let them get her. I always took charge for the family. But then one day they got her. I don’t know how... we don’t know how. We were in all her classes. We tailed her everywhere. We both knew they wanted her...” That’s as far as he got before I cut in. “Jace! What are you talking about?!” He slumped into the chair looking sad. He patted the spot next to him. Hesitantly I sat down next to him. “My sister Catherine was younger then Colt and I. By a year. Catherine was always one the teachers loved. The teachers here loved her a lot, they knew they’d need her. There was something about Catherine. Well there’s something about all us kids they want... most of us anyway. Anyway they got her and she’s been gone for nearly six months” He let his head fall into his hands. We sat there in an awkward silence. Me, not knowing what to say. Him, thinking about how he let his sister down. “Jace, your sister wouldn’t be angry at you..” I began but stopped. What was I on about? I needed to ask him why the teachers where doing this. He looked at me slowly his green eyes brimming with tears making me want to reach out to wipe away the few rolling down his tanned soft looking cheeks. I let out a long sigh. This was going to be hard. Very hard. I wasn’t good at being the one to tell someone it’d be alright, my brother was. “Your not good at this” he told me. I stared at him hard “Do you want me to try and help or not?” “Sorry. Look what’d you see earlier? How’d you know Zen had been taken?” He said shaking his head ever so slightly. I shrugged “It just came to me. Like I was there. In that room he was in seeing him get tortured. It was as if ... I was the person hurting him. Well I only had his vision. I couldn’t control his arms or anything just his eyes” “It was a him?” He asked jumping up suddenly. He began searching his jacket pockets hurriedly. “Yeah” I nodded. “He looked like?” “I’m not sure. I told you. I could only see through his eyes” I got up to see what was on the piece of paper he was holding. The paper was a yellowed colour, probably faded from age, at the edges it was torn and the whole paper was crumpled. “Right. Well I thought it may have something to do with this. Back in the 1800’s there was a man called Lucius Everson, he could do what you could do. But he was able to control the body of the person. Well sort of. He practiced for a long time but then they found him and killed him. Since he was ruining their plans..” Jace trailed off seeing the expression on my face. “They’ll kill me?!” I panicked. He shook his head quickly “No! It’s just Lucius Everson was getting in their way. You don’t necessarily get in their way.” I let out a long sigh of relief. I seriously did not want to die. At least not yet.

* * *

“Where have you been?” Kurda snapped as I gently shut the door behind me. The house was dark since it was late. After Jace and I had left the park we went out for dinner. “With Jace” I said raising an eyebrow. Kurda had flicked on the light as soon as I had come in so I could see his expression clearly. There was a mix of anger and worry on his face though his eyes stayed empty. “Jonathan Falls?” He asked suspiciously. What did Kurda have against Jace? “Jace Falls” “His names Jonathan” Kurda said grumpily. Jace was called Jonathan? Well I couldn’t exactly say much. I mean I was called Maxine. “Right” I nodded moving towards the lounge. “I don’t want you to see him again!” Kurda yelled at me from the foyer. I turned around slowly, anger rising in my eyes. “You can’t tell me to do anything!” I said quietly between gritted teeth. “I’m your father. I can tell you what to do and what not to do” He replied. “You are not my father! Right now my father is in Finland probably getting ready to go to Italy” I whispered.

__Thursday 2 June 2011__

It’s funny how life can change so fast. Turning from bad to good. Like mine. All of a sudden my Mum had called, how she found us we aren’t sure, saying she was married and wanted us to come live with her. Three years of her not wanting to see us and now she did. What was with that?

* * *

“Max, we’ll be there in another twenty minutes” my younger brother, Tobias, said dumping himself down on the seat opposite me. I nodded, I hadn’t spoken since we had flown out of Finland. I often left Toby to take care of stuff. Ever since our parents had broken up eleven years ago we had shipped around between them. Toby, unlike me, handled it quite well. “Max, your gonna have to talk soon enough” he said raising an eyebrow. I stared at him for a minute and then turned away. I didn’t want to have him trying to make me talk because I wouldn’t.

* * *

Finally the train slowed down and around the corner I could see a small red wooden station. We turned the corner and came to a stop. Steam rose around the train but died down as quickly as it had come. I could hear the doors opening slowly and the voice of the train conductor yelling. I got up and pulled my bag onto my back, Toby was all ready taking care of our suit cases. I left the small compartment into the crowded hall. I pushed through the crowd and jumped onto the platform. I went straight to the small cafe beside the station. Our Mum was always late so we’d have to wait a while. I watched the flourishing crowd as the pushed and shoved either getting off the train or onto it. “Max, you could of waited” Toby said dumping himself down in front of me. He had all ready jammed the suitcases between his chair and the window so no one could take them. I shrugged still refusing to talk. He rolled his eyes and followed my gaze. “Is that her!?”

* * *

It was her. I couldn’t believe it. She was prettier then I remembered, though our Mother had always been pretty. But she seemed prettier then she used to be. When she saw us she waved and came into the small cafe. “Toby, Maxie!” She smiled. I shivered when she talked. Not that her voice was scary. It was beautiful, piano like. But there was something behind the piano like sound, something cold, something empty. I looked at Toby, he didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with her voice. He got up and hugged her quickly before pulling up another chair. They both sat down at the same time and looked at me. Both with different expressions plastered on their tanned faces. Toby was giving me a “What is up with her?” look while Mum just had a big smile on her face. We sat in silence for a while just staring at each other. It was an awkward silence. After three years of not seeing a person there should be so much to be said. But for us three there was nothing.

* * *

It took us over an hour to get from the train station to Coupeville. But when we finally arrived in Coupeville, I knew it wasn’t a normal quiet town. I glanced at Toby, who again didn’t seem to notice anything. “It’s nice isn’t it?” Mum said us. “It’s just a town” Toby said thoughtfully. We drove through a few streets and finally pulled up in a driveway. The house was big. Four stories big. Outside sat three cars, two where black while the Porsche was a bright yellow. The grass was radiant green, the gardens where perfectly trimmed and the glossy marble statues didn’t have a spec of dirt on. I got out of the car slowly adjusting to this perfect looking home. Was this ours? “Isadora!” A man said emerging from the house. His voice, like Mum’s, was a piano like creepy voice. His hair was a dark brown and his skin was a mix between tan and pale. “Kids, this is Kurda. My husband” Mum said kissing him on the cheek. I scowled at them both. Kurda gave me a very fake smile before turning to Toby “You must be Isadora’s baby, Tobias” Kurda earned another scowl. He stared at us both in disbelief. “Excuse them, they aren’t normally this rude” Mum frowned at us before staring Kurda inside. “I don’t like him!” Toby whispered angrily yanking open the boot. I nodded, turning to help him. We pulled our suitcases up the stairs and into the foyer of the house. My shoes clacked on the dark marble floor as we walked down the foyer. “Your room’s are upstairs, fourth floor. You’ll have the whole floor to yourselves. Now don’t go nosing around the house, Don’t go into the basement and don’t wonder around the house!” Mum instructed appearing out of no where. We both nodded unable to speak. Mostly from shock, I think. “Lift’s over there” She pointed us towards the lift. I walked off towards the lift, wanting to get away from Mum and her husband as quickly as possible. * * *

“Morning, I’m Maxine Evers” I said to the teacher sitting behind the desk. I had just walked into the classroom and unlike the rest of the school it looked like part of a normal high school. The corridors of the school had shiny well polished marble floors with a gleaming white painted walls that where covered with squeaky clean lockers. This classroom had un-cleaned Lino floors, ugly green carpet on the walls and gum covered desks. “Maxine Evers, huh? Applegate’s kid” Like Kurda and my mothers voice’s, his was musical and sort of empty. “Step-kid” I said rudely. I wasn’t going to be known as Kurda’s kid. He was a creep. “Don’t like him?” The teacher asked grinning. He was young probably in his early twenty’s. Or he was just one of those people that don’t age much. “Pretty much” I shrugged. I walked to the middle of the class room taking a seat beside the window. Outside I could see a few students running around the track on the very large field. Beside the field sat a dark green forest, most of the land around here was covered by forest.

* * *

As I walked to my second class which was unfortunately P.E. Luckily it wasn’t raining but it was rather windy making the whole town freezing. Thankfully I had worn my track pants today so I, unlike the rest of the girls, didn’t have to change. “Right class. We’ll be going for a run through the forest today. Earlier a marker was put out, it’s bright red, so you won’t miss it. Once you get to it turn round and come back. Now go!” The P.E teacher Ms Clave yelled at us. Everyone groaned but started jogging anyway. “Pick up the pace! Your young. You can run!” She screamed at us from the goal post.

* * *

“How far away did she put the marker!?” I heard a blonde girl whine. She was a few steps a head of me running with a tall dark haired boy. I rolled my eyes and ran forwards, passing them easily. Unfortunately we had come to a steep hill. Everyone who had been in front of me was now walking slowly to tired to run any further. I kept running wanting to get in front of everyone. I’d always hated being crowded. So whenever I had to do sports I would always try and stay at the front when I got there. But sadly at this school everyone seemed to be rather good at running. “New girl! You know you don’t have to run the whole way!” A brunette boy yelled at me as I passed him. I smiled slightly but kept running.

* * *

It was nice walking back into a warm classroom. This classroom was exactly like the last one I had been in before P.E. When I stepped into it I froze. Talking quietly to the teacher was none other then my freak of a step dad, Kurda. He turned around quickly when he saw me and smiled. “Maxine! Cassandra this is my lovely step-daughter, Maxine Evers. Maxine, this is Mrs Tross” I glared at Kurda making him bite his lip. “I better be going! Have a nice lesson!” With that Kurda left the classroom. The few kids in the classroom stared at me in shock. “Please take a seat, Miss Evers” Mrs Mrs Tross said waving her hand in the air motioning me to sit at one of the desks. I went to the middle and took a seat beside the window. Outside I could see more kids running, just this time not to into the forest. They were just running around the big field. At the front I could see my brother running beside a blonde haired boy. “Hey, do you mind if I sit here?” I looked up and recognized the boy as the one who had been running with the blonde hair girl. “Erm, sure” I said moving my bag off the seat. I dumped my bag on the ground next to my left foot as I went back to looking out the window. “Interesting view?” He asked jokingly. “Very” I said. I bit my lip when I noticed the rudeness in my tone. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him smiling “I’m Jace Falls” he said holding out a hand. I took it and shook it quickly before letting go “Max Evers” I said looking at him closely. His eyes where an electric green half covered by his long dark brown fringe. “Applegate’s step-daughter Adele?” He asked putting his hand down on the table. “Unfortunately” I sighed looking down at my notepad. I picked my pencil up so I could twirl it around. I often fidgeted not because I was nervous but because it helped me think. “I know what you mean. My step-dad is Beddor, the history teacher” Jace nodded. “How long have you been here?” I groaned as soon as I blurted the question out. He chuckled slightly. “Ask anything you want. I really don’t mind.” He gave me a sort of crooked smile. “And I’ve been here for three years” He added. I nodded looking back onto the field where still my brothers class was running. “Who is she?” I asked absentmindedly. I sighed after hitting myself on the head. Jace reached out and pulled my hand away from my face. “You might hurt yourself” He said. I looked at him to find him grinning his bright white teeth showing. I shrugged not really bothered. “When you say who is she ... who are you talking about?” He asked raising an eyebrow. “The blonde whiner” I said bitterly. “Ah, you mean Bell. Well, Bell is kinda my girl friend” His expression stayed the same but his eyes changed. Now his eyes where sad with a tad bit of annoyance in them. “Um, kinda?” I said puzzled. “She won’t let me break up with her” He said bitterly. I smiled slightly. Now who was being grumpy! “What’s so funny?” He yelled out. “Mr Falls! I know the bell has not gone yet but there is no need for yelling” Mrs Tross said frowning at us. “Sorry, Miss” He replied quietly, His cheeks flaming red with embarrassment.

* * *

The rest of the lesson went past in an awkward silence. I left the room as quickly as possible not wanting to talk to Jace again. I slowed down as I was swallowed into the crowd of milling students. I followed everyone to the cafeteria. As I entered I stopped. It wasn’t a normal high school cafeteria. The walls where a dark red and the floor was solid black marble. No sun came into it as there where no windows. The light was came from big grand diamond chandeliers. “Max!” A warm hand grabbed my wrist. I looked up and bit my lip as I found myself staring into a pair of electric green eyes that sadly belonged to Jace. “What?!” I snapped. Why I was angry at him, even I wasn’t sure. “You ran off so quickly. I didn’t get to talk to you” He said. “What a bummer” I said harshly. He chuckled and pulled a crooked grin. “Look, I’m hungry. I’m going to get food. Good-Bye” I said pulling my hand back. He didn’t let go just held onto it tighter. “Jace!” I snapped trying to pull his hand off. “Right. Sorry” He looked down at his hand wrapped around my extremely pale wrist. He let go hastily leaving me free to run off. But for some reason I didn’t. “Aren’t you going?” He teased. I glared at him slightly and stalked off. What was up with him?! The tables of the cafeteria where round and black with six silver chairs surrounding each table. I spotted my brother sitting with a honey blonde haired boy chatting away happily. “What would you like, Miss Evers?” The black haired lady said from behind the counter. “What is there?” I asked. She pointed to above her were, like a cafe, there where boards with what they had. “Pizza please, meat lovers. Oh and an iced chocolate” She nodded before stabbing at the screen in front of her. A man came from the door behind her carrying what I had ordered on a tray. Sitting next to the iced chocolate where two chocolate bars. “Welcome to Coupeville High, Miss Evers” he said handing me the tray. I nodded taking the tray ,confused at the way this place worked. I headed straight to where my brother sat with the other boy. “Maxie!” he grinned as I sat down next to him. “Hey” I said smiling. It was nice to be talking to someone normal. “Charlie this is my sister Max. Max this is Charlie Garcia” I smiled at Charlie. It was nice to see Toby had made friends with someone. Charlie smiled back. A tray slid onto the table next to mine and I looked up. I groaned “Really, Jace?” My brother looked at me puzzled while Charlie’s mouth was wide open in shock. “Charlie I advise you shut your mouth. No wonder you don’t have a girl friend” A girl chirped dumping herself down next to Charlie. She glanced at me before looking at Jace. “Hey, Jace” She said. “Hi, Allie” Jace said sitting down. The girl, Allie, pushed her vibrant red hair out of her eyes before taking a bite out of her pizza. “Toby, Max this is my sister Allison. Allie, this is Max and Toby Evers” Charlie said closing his mouth. “Hi” I said to Allie before turning to Jace. “This is my little brother Tobias Evers” “Toby Evers” Toby said grumpily. I flashed him a grin before turning back to Jace. “Don’t you have a girlfriend to sit with?” I asked. He rolled his eyes before taking a piece of my pizza. “Hey!” I said laughing. He grinned at me before taking a big bite of Pizza.

* * *

It was funny. This morning I had been wishing to go back to Finland. But now. Now I was kind of glad I lived here with Mum and her annoying husband. I’d made two friends all ready and an enemy. Halfway through lunch Bell had stalked over to our table and started screaming her head off at Jace and me. “Don’t worry about Bell” Allie said checking my expression as we walked towards our history class. “I’m not” I lied. “Right. Well now we have Jace’s step-dad as our teacher” She laughed. I smiled. I really couldn’t wait to meet Jace’s step-dad, Mr Beddor. “Is he nice?” I asked worriedly. “Mr Beddor?” Allie burst into a fit of laughter and had to grab my shoulder to keep herself upright “Sometimes” She added when she finally had her laughter under control. I stared at her. “Sorry, just your tone was hilarious. You where so worried!” She smiled widely. “Don’t worry, Max” She reassured me as we stepped into the classroom. I sighed as I saw that the classroom was exactly the same as the last two I had been in. “Mr Beddor this is Max Evers” Allie yelled as we went to take a seat. “Welcome, Miss Evers. It’s a pleasure to have you with us. Miss Garcia, please keep your voice down just a little” I turned to see Mr Beddor. He was probably about thirty-nine or older though he looked young. He had neatly cut dirty blonde hair with a pair of Harry Potter like glasses covering his dark nothingness black eyes.

* * *

“Max!” I looked up from my shoes to see sitting a few meters in front of me Charlie Garcia. “Charlie” I said smiling with relief. I’d been panicked that I wouldn’t know anyone in my class. I sat down in the desk next to his not even bothering to introduce myself to the teacher. “I thought you where younger then me” I said pulling out my english book. “I am. But English is mixed between years.” Charlie shrugged. “Oh cool” I said. I glanced around the class to see if anyone else was in here that might have been in any of my other classes. The only person I recognized was the nerdy looking kid with the dark brown hair and electric green eyes. He looked a lot like Jace just a nerdy, un-tanned version. “Colt Falls. Jace’s twin” I turned to look at Charlie who was looking at the nerd. “Jace’s twin?” I asked quietly. I looked back at Colt. I could see the resemblance very clearly. But how could Jace’s twin be a nerd? “Yeah. Twin” Charlie laughed. I turned back to facing Charlie. His dark brown eyes where dancing away happily. “Creepy” I glanced back at Colt who was now looking straight at me. I lowered my gaze embarrassed he’d caught me looking at him.

* * *

I moved out of class quickly eager to get home so I could get something to eat. “Max!” I turned as a new voice called my name. It was Colt. He rushed towards me nearly tripping over as people stuck there feet out. “Leave him alone!” I yelled at them when a short haired girl finally tripped Colt up. I reached down and pulled him up. “Thanks” he said quietly adjusting his school bag on his back. “So what’d you want?” I asked as we started walking down the hall. “Nothing really. I just wanted to warn you to be careful here... since no one else has” He said quietly. “What do you mean?” I asked looking at him. He was only a few centimeters taller then me so I didn’t have to tilt my head much to look at him. He looked around nervously as if something bad was going to happen right there. “Just be careful” He said harshly. I raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t say anything. “Especially with my brother” he added before rushing off. “Colt!” I yelled after him. He didn’t turn around to look, just kept going.

* * *

“Mum are you home?!” I yelled as I closed the door softly behind me. The house was quiet so where ever she was she would of heard me. If she was home. Mum had told me early this morning that the servants would be out until five. She hadn’t told me she would be out but I wouldn’t be shocked if she was. Mum was a wanderer, she just tottered around doing this and that never really getting bored. I dumped my bag on the ground, looking around the foyer closely as I did. On the walls there where rich looking paintings. Mum had never really been into art, unless it was chucking paint at a canvas, so I assumed they where Kurda’s. Throughout the house there where no flowers because Mum said flowers in a house reminded her of funerals. I moved swiftly towards the biggest painting. It was a very old looking painting with three men in it. The tallest of the three stood in the middle holding something gold in his two pale hands. Behind the men was a big forest covering most of the canvas but at the edge of the painting sat a big tall victorian building. It reminded me slightly of the school. But it couldn’t be. Could it? I reached out slowly my fingers millimeters away from the painting “Maxine!” I whipped around. “Kurda?!” “Yes. I am Kurda. Why where you touching my painting?!” He snapped angrily coming closer. I backed up against the wall. His normally nothingness eyes where flaring with anger as if a fire was rushing through. “I ... I ... I don’t know. I just wanted to see how it felt, I guess” I lied. Something had been pushing me to reach out, to touch it, as if it would make things clare to me. As if everything would be explained. But what was to be explained? He glared at me “Don’t try and touch it again!” With that he turned on his heel and walked off to the stair case. I breathed out in relief. I looked back at the painting before rushing for the door. I yanked it open and ran.

* * *

“Max?” I looked up from the ground to see my blonde haired mother standing a few meters away. “Mum” I cried jumping off the bus stop seat. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” she said wiping a stray tear off my cheek. After I’d run from the house I had headed to town. It had been three hours since I’d left the house. The street lights where on and only a few people where walking the streets heading home. “I’m not sure” I wiped my eyes as she led me towards her car. “Who upset you?” She asked. “Your husband!” I answered. “Oh” She paused slightly not knowing what to say. “Maxie, why don’t we go get dinner” She began steering me in a new direction. “Take outs?” I asked confused. Mum had never been a person for take aways. “No. We’ll go to a nice restaurant” She said softly.

* * *

“How was school?” Mum asked as we looked over our menu’s. “It was good” I shrugged. “Make any friends?” “I guess you could call them friends” I thought back to Charlie, Allie and the two Falls twins. “Who?” She asked putting her menu down and looking at me with her dark stormy grey eyes. I was glad to have gotten my mother’s eyes. They where mysterious and beautiful with a wandering look in them. “Allie and Charlie Garcia. Jace and Colt Falls” I said. Her eyes widened “Falls?” She said. I nodded putting my menu down softly. I glanced around the restaurant my eyes falling on a tall-ish dark haired boy. It was Colt. “Jace and Colt, huh?” She smiled warmly at me. Her eyes where also smiling widely. “Aha” I rolled my eyes. I knew exactly what she was thinking. Did I like one. “Soooo?” She grinned. “Mum! Your worse then Laurie!” I smiled. Laurie Conners was my best friend and had been ever since I was seven. “Laurie Conners?” She asked. I nodded. “I’m so glad your still friends! Anyway, Max, tell me the details” She literally was worse then Laurie. “Mum” I complained glancing over at Colt who was now making his way over to us. “Hello, how can I help you tonight, Mrs Applegate?” He said looking at my mother. “Meat Lovers Pizza, please” She said handing him the menu. Colt took it, turning to me. “Er, same as her” I said nervously. “Sure, Max” he said taking my menu. He headed off quickly to give in the order. I watched him go before turning to face Mum. “No Mum. And anyway Jace has a girlfriend” She raised an eyebrow but let the subject drop.

* * *

“Kurda, just leave Max alone” My Mum pleaded softly. “Isadora, she shouldn’t touch those paintings!” He grumbled. “And run away!” he added. “I didn’t run away!” I screamed at him. “Max” Mum gave me a warning glance. “Shut up!” he yelled at me. “You ...” “Maxine! Room! NOW!” Mum yelled at me. I glared at her and ran off up the stairs. “Max? What’s going on?” My brother emerged from his room as I ran past. From downstairs I could hear Mum and Kurda yelling at each other. At least she was sticking up for me for once.

* * *

“Max?! Maxie?!” I rolled over groggily. I opened my eyes slowly. Above me stood my Mum fully dressed and ready to leave. “Hop up” She said turning to leave. I scrambled out of bed rushing for the bathroom. Quickly I showered and pulled on my favourite skirt and t-shirt. I grabbed my tights and white cardigan, as well as my thick black jacket. Outside it was pouring down with rain. “Max!?” Toby yelled from downstairs. “Yeah, Yeah!” I called rushing for the stairs.

* * *

“Why did you wear a skirt?” My brother laughed as we walked down the hall towards our class. Funnily enough we had ended up having the same spain-ish class. I shrugged. I wasn’t the only one a few other girls where wearing them with thick tights under neath. “This is the day you should of worn your trackies” I rolled my eyes slightly but stopped as soon as I saw Jace and a few of his friends. “Was Kurda up this morning?” I asked quietly as we passed them. Toby shook his head in reply.

* * *

“Hi” I turned to be facing a mousy brown haired girl. “Hi” I replied. “I’m Haven” She smiled. “Max Evers” I said. Haven was pretty with slightly tanned skin and bright baby blue eyes. “Kurda’s step-daughter?” It wasn’t really a question. Everyone here knew who I was. I nodded. Quickly I glanced over at Toby who was in deep conversation with a ginger headed boy. “Clarix is my step-dad” Haven said nodding with sympathy. “Clarix” I looked down at my schedule. “I have him on Thursday” I muttered. “I don’t have him ever luckily” Haven said looking out the window. “You don’t like him?” I asked. “Hate him” She muttered. I nodded “That’s like me with Applegate”

* * *

“Right, class! I want to get to know you! So answer all the questions on this sheet. TRUTHFULLY!” Mrs Burns yelled at us. Quickly she started handing out sheets of paper. As soon as I received mine I looked at it closely. The questions where pretty lame and questions normal teachers wouldn’t care about. Full Name: //Maxine Redd Evers// Siblings: //Tobias Evers// Favourite Bands: //Panic! At The Disco, LMFAO, Paramore// Sports: //Track, Volleyball, Tennis, Hockey, Gymnastics, Swimming// Favourite Food: //Pizza//

I stopped writing and looked up. Everyone else had also looked up. What was up with the next few questions? What sort of teacher wanted to know if you minded having blood drawn from you? Er, quite a few people would may I say. At the door stood a tall man with greying hair or at least what was left of it was greying. “Mrs Burns, may I have Haven Meret please?” He said. “She’s not finished!” Mrs Burns snapped giving him a warning glance. “I have Miss” Haven said getting up from her chair. I looked at her. “Haven, don’t!” A blonde haired girl whispered. “Lani it’s fine” Haven replied rolling her blue eyes. “Here, Miss” she said handing the teacher her sheet. The man smiled at her as he ushered her out. “Good bye, Haven” I found myself whispering. Something inside of me was screaming to run and tell her not to go. That it wasn’t safe. But why would Mrs Burns let her go into danger? But then why did they want to know this about us? Why had she given that man a warning glance? It was as if they needed to know everything about us so that they could get on with something. But what?

* * *

“Hey Colt!” I yelled as I exited the classroom. He was a couple of meters away walking slowly. He turned and smiled slightly at me. “Yeah?” He asked as I caught up with him. “Did you have to answer some weird question sheet?” I asked him. “Yes. It was creepy. You know I actually would mind if someone was drawing blood out of me. I’d mind quite a lot!” He frowned. “I know. I actually wrote that. Just to let them know about me a bit more” I grinned. “They’ll be annoyed about that” he bit his lip “You shouldn’t annoy them” he added quietly. I frowned. Had Haven annoyed them? “They go missing don’t they” I asked weakly. Colt gave me a searching look nodding. “How’d you know?” he murmured. I shrugged. How did I know? “Max! How did you know?” He asked stopping. I froze. They where killing him. They where killing the black haired boy. The one with cuts on his face, and dark angry hurt eyes. “Max? Max?” I un-froze as Colt shook me hard. “They’re killing him” I whispered, tears striking in my eyes. “Who!?” Colt stopped panic hitting him. I shook my head. “Right. Your new” Relief flew through his face but only a small bit. He thought it was Jace. “Black hair... dark eyes....” I pulled my bag around searching for a piece of paper. I found one and began to sketch. I ran to a nearby locker using it as something to lean on. Everyone would be having lunch now. Or last lesson had gone for two hours instead of an hour. “Scars.... all over his face... his arms... blood was all over him” I was breathing hard now. Scared. “Zen” I looked at Colt. His eyes, too, had tears formed in them. I looked at him with a confused expression. The boy, Zen, wouldn’t of had the scars before they got him. Plus my explaining wasn’t very good. He gestured at my drawing. I looked at it. It had quite a bit of detail but it would of been hard to recognize the boy. “Zen...” I tilted my head. “A good friend of mine.” Colt replied. “Oh” I pursed my lips. Silently we headed for the lunch room. What else could we do? We didn’t know anything.

* * *

“Max!” Both Charlie and Jace jumped up from their seats and looked at me closely. “What’s wrong, Maxie?” Toby asked getting up slowly. Toby was used to me being upset and had been for a long time so he knew just to let me take my time. “Toby!” I burst into tears as I fell into his open arms. “Shhhh” He soothed hugging me tightly. “Colten what the hell did you do to upset her!?” Jace yelled. The cafeteria had gone silent. I could feel them watching us wondering what the hell was up. “Nothing!” Colt shouted. “He did nothing” I said pulling away from Toby hurriedly. “Max,” Jace said softly looking at me intently. “Are you sure?” I raised an eyebrow at him “Do you think I’d lie to save your brother’s butt?” He shrugged “Maybe” “Max, you probably would” Toby whispered in my ear. I shot him a filthy look. “What happened?” Charlie asked moving towards me. “It’s Zen” Colt bit his lip. Jace’s eyes widened. “Why Zen?” He wondered. Colt shrugged “Ask her”

* * *

“Max, someone’s here!” My mother called up the stairs. “Who?!” I yelled back. “Max, just come down!” Mum shouted. I heard a someone chuckle deeply. Jace? I sprinted downstairs and smiled when I saw it was Jace. “Hey. What are you doing here?” I gave Mum a quick go-away-this-is-important-to-me look making her smirk but leave anyway. “I just wanted to talk” He shrugged. I shot him a yeah-right look “You wanna know about today don’t you?” His cheeks flamed red with embarrassment. I grinned widely “Knew it! Come on.” I pushed him out the door letting it slam shut behind us. I lead him down the street to where a small park was. “So ask away” I said slowly. “Tell me everything, please. Colten won’t tell me anything!” Jace said angrily. I sighed as I sat down. “Don’t call him Colten!” “Why not?” He pretty much yelled as he paced up and down in front of me. “Just don’t” I pleaded. “The stupid nerd needs to learn that you tell people bad things!” He exploded. “Nerd!?” I yelled jumping up “You call your own twin brother a nerd!? You know. You should be the one sticking up for him when other people call him a nerd. Just because he’s smart doesn’t make him a nerd, Jace. Just because his name is Colten doesn’t make him a nerd! Look at me. I’m called Maxine no one calls me a nerd! Look at my brother. He’s a flipping genius but no one calls him a nerd!” I added. He stopped to look at me with his laughing green eyes. “Maxine? Really?” He asked. I glared at him “Did you think I was called Max ... as a girl?” “It can be a girl’s name” he shrugged. “Please! My parents always wanted some smart girly girl daughter! But they got stuck with me. The one who can’t stand pink and hates the name Maxine.” I huffed. “No pink, huh?” He said looking down at the wet orchid green grass. “Yeah. No pink” I said also looking down at the grass. “My sister hated pink, too” he murmured. “Hated?” Had his sister died? Or had she suddenly begun to like pink? Wait, he had a sister!? “They took her! They took my only sister. I always promised her I’d never let them get her. I always took charge for the family. But then one day they got her. I don’t know how... we don’t know how. We were in all her classes. We tailed her everywhere. We both knew they wanted her...” That’s as far as he got before I cut in. “Jace! What are you talking about?!” He slumped into the chair looking sad. He patted the spot next to him. Hesitantly I sat down next to him. “My sister Catherine was younger then Colt and I. By a year. Catherine was always one the teachers loved. The teachers here loved her a lot, they knew they’d need her. There was something about Catherine. Well there’s something about all us kids they want... most of us anyway. Anyway they got her and she’s been gone for nearly six months” He let his head fall into his hands. We sat there in an awkward silence. Me, not knowing what to say. Him, thinking about how he let his sister down. “Jace, your sister wouldn’t be angry at you..” I began but stopped. What was I on about? I needed to ask him why the teachers where doing this. He looked at me slowly his green eyes brimming with tears making me want to reach out to wipe away the few rolling down his tanned soft looking cheeks. I let out a long sigh. This was going to be hard. Very hard. I wasn’t good at being the one to tell someone it’d be alright, my brother was. “Your not good at this” he told me. I stared at him hard “Do you want me to try and help or not?” “Sorry. Look what’d you see earlier? How’d you know Zen had been taken?” He said shaking his head ever so slightly. I shrugged “It just came to me. Like I was there. In that room he was in seeing him get tortured. It was as if ... I was the person hurting him. Well I only had his vision. I couldn’t control his arms or anything just his eyes” “It was a him?” He asked jumping up suddenly. He began searching his jacket pockets hurriedly. “Yeah” I nodded. “He looked like?” “I’m not sure. I told you. I could only see through his eyes” I got up to see what was on the piece of paper he was holding. The paper was a yellowed colour, probably faded from age, at the edges it was torn and the whole paper was crumpled. “Right. Well I thought it may have something to do with this. Back in the 1800’s there was a man called Lucius Everson, he could se

__Monday 30 May 2011__

It’s funny how life can change so fast. Turning from bad to good. Like mine. All of a sudden my Mum had called, how she found us we aren’t sure, saying she was married and wanted us to come live with her. Three years of her not wanting to see us and now she did. What was with that?

* * *

“Max, we’ll be there in another twenty minutes” my younger brother, Tobias, said dumping himself down on the seat opposite me. I nodded, I hadn’t spoken since we had flown out of Finland. I often left Toby to take care of stuff. Ever since our parents had broken up eleven years ago we had shipped around between them. Toby, unlike me, handled it quite well. “Max, your gonna have to talk soon enough” he said raising an eyebrow. I stared at him for a minute and then turned away. I didn’t want to have him trying to make me talk because I wouldn’t.

* * *

Finally the train slowed down and around the corner I could see a small red wooden station. We turned the corner and came to a stop. Steam rose around the train but died down as quickly as it had come. I could hear the doors opening slowly and the voice of the train conductor yelling. I got up and pulled my bag onto my back, Toby was all ready taking care of our suit cases. I left the small compartment into the crowded hall. I pushed through the crowd and jumped onto the platform. I went straight to the small cafe beside the station. Our Mum was always late so we’d have to wait a while. I watched the flourishing crowd as the pushed and shoved either getting off the train or onto it. “Max, you could of waited” Toby said dumping himself down in front of me. He had all ready jammed the suitcases between his chair and the window so no one could take them. I shrugged still refusing to talk. He rolled his eyes and followed my gaze. “Is that her!?”

* * *

It was her. I couldn’t believe it. She was prettier then I remembered, though our Mother had always been pretty. But she seemed prettier then she used to be. When she saw us she waved and came into the small cafe. “Toby, Maxie!” She smiled. I shivered when she talked. Not that her voice was scary. It was beautiful, piano like. But there was something behind the piano like sound, something cold, something empty. I looked at Toby, he didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with her voice. He got up and hugged her quickly before pulling up another chair. They both sat down at the same time and looked at me. Both with different expressions plastered on their tanned faces. Toby was giving me a “What is up with her?” look while Mum just had a big smile on her face. We sat in silence for a while just staring at each other. It was an awkward silence. After three years of not seeing a person there should be so much to be said. But for us three there was nothing.

* * *

It took us over an hour to get from the train station to Coupeville. But when we finally arrived in Coupeville, I knew it wasn’t a normal quiet town. I glanced at Toby, who again didn’t seem to notice anything. “It’s nice isn’t it?” Mum said us. “It’s just a town” Toby said thoughtfully. We drove through a few streets and finally pulled up in a driveway. The house was big. Four stories big. Outside sat three cars, two where black while the Porsche was a bright yellow. The grass was radiant green, the gardens where perfectly trimmed and the glossy marble statues didn’t have a spec of dirt on. I got out of the car slowly adjusting to this perfect looking home. Was this ours? “Isadora!” A man said emerging from the house. His voice, like Mum’s, was a piano like creepy voice. His hair was a dark brown and his skin was a mix between tan and pale. “Kids, this is Kurda. My husband” Mum said kissing him on the cheek. I scowled at them both. Kurda gave me a very fake smile before turning to Toby “You must be Isadora’s baby, Tobias” Kurda earned another scowl. He stared at us both in disbelief. “Excuse them, they aren’t normally this rude” Mum frowned at us before staring Kurda inside. “I don’t like him!” Toby whispered angrily yanking open the boot. I nodded, turning to help him. We pulled our suitcases up the stairs and into the foyer of the house. My shoes clacked on the dark marble floor as we walked down the foyer. “Your room’s are upstairs, fourth floor. You’ll have the whole floor to yourselves. Now don’t go nosing around the house, Don’t go into the basement and don’t wonder around the house!” Mum instructed appearing out of no where. We both nodded unable to speak. Mostly from shock, I think. “Lift’s over there” She pointed us towards the lift. I walked off towards the lift, wanting to get away from Mum and her husband as quickly as possible. * * *

“Morning, I’m Maxine Evers” I said to the teacher sitting behind the desk. I had just walked into the classroom and unlike the rest of the school it looked like part of a normal high school. The corridors of the school had shiny well polished marble floors with a gleaming white painted walls that where covered with squeaky clean lockers. This classroom had un-cleaned Lino floors, ugly green carpet on the walls and gum covered desks. “Maxine Evers, huh? Applegate’s kid” Like Kurda and my mothers voice’s, his was musical and sort of empty. “Step-kid” I said rudely. I wasn’t going to be known as Kurda’s kid. He was a creep. “Don’t like him?” The teacher asked grinning. He was young probably in his early twenty’s. Or he was just one of those people that don’t age much. “Pretty much” I shrugged. I walked to the middle of the class room taking a seat beside the window. Outside I could see a few students running around the track on the very large field. Beside the field sat a dark green forest, most of the land around here was covered by forest.

* * *

As I walked to my second class which was unfortunately P.E. Luckily it wasn’t raining but it was rather windy making the whole town freezing. Thankfully I had worn my track pants today so I, unlike the rest of the girls, didn’t have to change. “Right class. We’ll be going for a run through the forest today. Earlier a marker was put out, it’s bright red, so you won’t miss it. Once you get to it turn round and come back. Now go!” The P.E teacher Ms Clave yelled at us. Everyone groaned but started jogging anyway. “Pick up the pace! Your young. You can run!” She screamed at us from the goal post.

* * *

“How far away did she put the marker!?” I heard a blonde girl whine. She was a few steps a head of me running with a tall dark haired boy. I rolled my eyes and ran forwards, passing them easily. Unfortunately we had come to a steep hill. Everyone who had been in front of me was now walking slowly to tired to run any further. I kept running wanting to get in front of everyone. I’d always hated being crowded. So whenever I had to do sports I would always try and stay at the front when I got there. But sadly at this school everyone seemed to be rather good at running. “New girl! You know you don’t have to run the whole way!” A brunette boy yelled at me as I passed him. I smiled slightly but kept running.

* * *

It was nice walking back into a warm classroom. This classroom was exactly like the last one I had been in before P.E. When I stepped into it I froze. Talking quietly to the teacher was none other then my freak of a step dad, Kurda. He turned around quickly when he saw me and smiled. “Maxine! Cassandra this is my lovely step-daughter, Maxine Evers. Maxine, this is Mrs Tross” I glared at Kurda making him bite his lip. “I better be going! Have a nice lesson!” With that Kurda left the classroom. The few kids in the classroom stared at me in shock. “Please take a seat, Miss Evers” Mrs Mrs Tross said waving her hand in the air motioning me to sit at one of the desks. I went to the middle and took a seat beside the window. Outside I could see more kids running, just this time not to into the forest. They were just running around the big field. At the front I could see my brother running beside a blonde haired boy. “Hey, do you mind if I sit here?” I looked up and recognized the boy as the one who had been running with the blonde hair girl. “Erm, sure” I said moving my bag off the seat. I dumped my bag on the ground next to my left foot as I went back to looking out the window. “Interesting view?” He asked jokingly. “Very” I said. I bit my lip when I noticed the rudeness in my tone. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him smiling “I’m Jace Falls” he said holding out a hand. I took it and shook it quickly before letting go “Max Evers” I said looking at him closely. His eyes where an electric green half covered by his long dark brown fringe. “Applegate’s step-daughter Adele?” He asked putting his hand down on the table. “Unfortunately” I sighed looking down at my notepad. I picked my pencil up so I could twirl it around. I often fidgeted not because I was nervous but because it helped me think. “I know what you mean. My step-dad is Beddor, the history teacher” Jace nodded. “How long have you been here?” I groaned as soon as I blurted the question out. He chuckled slightly. “Ask anything you want. I really don’t mind.” He gave me a sort of crooked smile. “And I’ve been here for three years” He added. I nodded looking back onto the field where still my brothers class was running. “Who is she?” I asked absentmindedly. I sighed after hitting myself on the head. Jace reached out and pulled my hand away from my face. “You might hurt yourself” He said. I looked at him to find him grinning his bright white teeth showing. I shrugged not really bothered. “When you say who is she ... who are you talking about?” He asked raising an eyebrow. “The blonde whiner” I said bitterly. “Ah, you mean Bell. Well, Bell is kinda my girl friend” His expression stayed the same but his eyes changed. Now his eyes where sad with a tad bit of annoyance in them. “Um, kinda?” I said puzzled. “She won’t let me break up with her” He said bitterly. I smiled slightly. Now who was being grumpy! “What’s so funny?” He yelled out. “Mr Falls! I know the bell has not gone yet but there is no need for yelling” Mrs Tross said frowning at us. “Sorry, Miss” He replied quietly, His cheeks flaming red with embarrassment.

* * *

The rest of the lesson went past in an awkward silence. I left the room as quickly as possible not wanting to talk to Jace again. I slowed down as I was swallowed into the crowd of milling students. I followed everyone to the cafeteria. As I entered I stopped. It wasn’t a normal high school cafeteria. The walls where a dark red and the floor was solid black marble. No sun came into it as there where no windows. The light was came from big grand diamond chandeliers. “Max!” A warm hand grabbed my wrist. I looked up and bit my lip as I found myself staring into a pair of electric green eyes that sadly belonged to Jace. “What?!” I snapped. Why I was angry at him, even I wasn’t sure. “You ran off so quickly. I didn’t get to talk to you” He said. “What a bummer” I said harshly. He chuckled and pulled a crooked grin. “Look, I’m hungry. I’m going to get food. Good-Bye” I said pulling my hand back. He didn’t let go just held onto it tighter. “Jace!” I snapped trying to pull his hand off. “Right. Sorry” He looked down at his hand wrapped around my extremely pale wrist. He let go hastily leaving me free to run off. But for some reason I didn’t. “Aren’t you going?” He teased. I glared at him slightly and stalked off. What was up with him?! The tables of the cafeteria where round and black with six silver chairs surrounding each table. I spotted my brother sitting with a honey blonde haired boy chatting away happily. “What would you like, Miss Evers?” The black haired lady said from behind the counter. “What is there?” I asked. She pointed to above her were, like a cafe, there where boards with what they had. “Pizza please, meat lovers. Oh and an iced chocolate” She nodded before stabbing at the screen in front of her. A man came from the door behind her carrying what I had ordered on a tray. Sitting next to the iced chocolate where two chocolate bars. “Welcome to Coupeville High, Miss Evers” he said handing me the tray. I nodded taking the tray ,confused at the way this place worked. I headed straight to where my brother sat with the other boy. “Maxie!” he grinned as I sat down next to him. “Hey” I said smiling. It was nice to be talking to someone normal. “Charlie this is my sister Max. Max this is Charlie Garcia” I smiled at Charlie. It was nice to see Toby had made friends with someone. Charlie smiled back. A tray slid onto the table next to mine and I looked up. I groaned “Really, Jace?” My brother looked at me puzzled while Charlie’s mouth was wide open in shock. “Charlie I advise you shut your mouth. No wonder you don’t have a girl friend” A girl chirped dumping herself down next to Charlie. She glanced at me before looking at Jace. “Hey, Jace” She said. “Hi, Allie” Jace said sitting down. The girl, Allie, pushed her vibrant red hair out of her eyes before taking a bite out of her pizza. “Toby, Max this is my sister Allison. Allie, this is Max and Toby Evers” Charlie said closing his mouth. “Hi” I said to Allie before turning to Jace. “This is my little brother Tobias Evers” “Toby Evers” Toby said grumpily. I flashed him a grin before turning back to Jace. “Don’t you have a girlfriend to sit with?” I asked. He rolled his eyes before taking a piece of my pizza. “Hey!” I said laughing. He grinned at me before taking a big bite of Pizza.

* * *

It was funny. This morning I had been wishing to go back to Finland. But now. Now I was kind of glad I lived here with Mum and her annoying husband. I’d made two friends all ready and an enemy. Halfway through lunch Bell had stalked over to our table and started screaming her head off at Jace and me. “Don’t worry about Bell” Allie said checking my expression as we walked towards our history class. “I’m not” I lied. “Right. Well now we have Jace’s step-dad as our teacher” She laughed. I smiled. I really couldn’t wait to meet Jace’s step-dad, Mr Beddor. “Is he nice?” I asked worriedly. “Mr Beddor?” Allie burst into a fit of laughter and had to grab my shoulder to keep herself upright “Sometimes” She added when she finally had her laughter under control. I stared at her. “Sorry, just your tone was hilarious. You where so worried!” She smiled widely. “Don’t worry, Max” She reassured me as we stepped into the classroom. I sighed as I saw that the classroom was exactly the same as the last two I had been in. “Mr Beddor this is Max Evers” Allie yelled as we went to take a seat. “Welcome, Miss Evers. It’s a pleasure to have you with us. Miss Garcia, please keep your voice down just a little” I turned to see Mr Beddor. He was probably about thirty-nine or older though he looked young. He had neatly cut dirty blonde hair with a pair of Harry Potter like glasses covering his dark nothingness black eyes.

* * *

“Max!” I looked up from my shoes to see sitting a few meters in front of me Charlie Garcia. “Charlie” I said smiling with relief. I’d been panicked that I wouldn’t know anyone in my class. I sat down in the desk next to his not even bothering to introduce myself to the teacher. “I thought you where younger then me” I said pulling out my english book. “I am. But English is mixed between years.” Charlie shrugged. “Oh cool” I said. I glanced around the class to see if anyone else was in here that might have been in any of my other classes. The only person I recognized was the nerdy looking kid with the dark brown hair and electric green eyes. He looked a lot like Jace just a nerdy, un-tanned version. “Colt Falls. Jace’s twin” I turned to look at Charlie who was looking at the nerd. “Jace’s twin?” I asked quietly. I looked back at Colt. I could see the resemblance very clearly. But how could Jace’s twin be a nerd? “Yeah. Twin” Charlie laughed. I turned back to facing Charlie. His dark brown eyes where dancing away happily. “Creepy” I glanced back at Colt who was now looking straight at me. I lowered my gaze embarrassed he’d caught me looking at him.

* * *

I moved out of class quickly eager to get home so I could get something to eat. “Max!” I turned as a new voice called my name. It was Colt. He rushed towards me nearly tripping over as people stuck there feet out. “Leave him alone!” I yelled at them when a short haired girl finally tripped Colt up. I reached down and pulled him up. “Thanks” he said quietly adjusting his school bag on his back. “So what’d you want?” I asked as we started walking down the hall. “Nothing really. I just wanted to warn you to be careful here... since no one else has” He said quietly. “What do you mean?” I asked looking at him. He was only a few centimeters taller then me so I didn’t have to tilt my head much to look at him. He looked around nervously as if something bad was going to happen right there. “Just be careful” He said harshly. I raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t say anything. “Especially with my brother” he added before rushing off. “Colt!” I yelled after him. He didn’t turn around to look, just kept going.

* * *

“Mum are you home?!” I yelled as I closed the door softly behind me. The house was quiet so where ever she was she would of heard me. If she was home. Mum had told me early this morning that the servants would be out until five. She hadn’t told me she would be out but I wouldn’t be shocked if she was. Mum was a wanderer, she just tottered around doing this and that never really getting bored. I dumped my bag on the ground, looking around the foyer closely as I did. On the walls there where rich looking paintings. Mum had never really been into art, unless it was chucking paint at a canvas, so I assumed they where Kurda’s. Throughout the house there where no flowers because Mum said flowers in a house reminded her of funerals. I moved swiftly towards the biggest painting. It was a very old looking painting with three men in it. The tallest of the three stood in the middle holding something gold in his two pale hands. Behind the men was a big forest covering most of the canvas but at the edge of the painting sat a big tall victorian building. It reminded me slightly of the school. But it couldn’t be. Could it? I reached out slowly my fingers millimeters away from the painting “Maxine!” I whipped around. “Kurda?!” “Yes. I am Kurda. Why where you touching my painting?!” He snapped angrily coming closer. I backed up against the wall. His normally nothingness eyes where flaring with anger as if a fire was rushing through. “I ... I ... I don’t know. I just wanted to see how it felt, I guess” I lied. Something had been pushing me to reach out, to touch it, as if it would make things clare to me. As if everything would be explained. But what was to be explained? He glared at me “Don’t try and touch it again!” With that he turned on his heel and walked off to the stair case. I breathed out in relief. I looked back at the painting before rushing for the door. I yanked it open and ran.

* * *

“Max?” I looked up from the ground to see my blonde haired mother standing a few meters away. “Mum” I cried jumping off the bus stop seat. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” she said wiping a stray tear off my cheek. After I’d run from the house I had headed to town. It had been three hours since I’d left the house. The street lights where on and only a few people where walking the streets heading home. “I’m not sure” I wiped my eyes as she led me towards her car. “Who upset you?” She asked. “Your husband!” I answered. “Oh” She paused slightly not knowing what to say. “Maxie, why don’t we go get dinner” She began steering me in a new direction. “Take outs?” I asked confused. Mum had never been a person for take aways. “No. We’ll go to a nice restaurant” She said softly.

* * *

“How was school?” Mum asked as we looked over our menu’s. “It was good” I shrugged. “Make any friends?” “I guess you could call them friends” I thought back to Charlie, Allie and the two Falls twins. “Who?” She asked putting her menu down and looking at me with her dark stormy grey eyes. I was glad to have gotten my mother’s eyes. They where mysterious and beautiful with a wandering look in them. “Allie and Charlie Garcia. Jace and Colt Falls” I said. Her eyes widened “Falls?” She said. I nodded putting my menu down softly. I glanced around the restaurant my eyes falling on a tall-ish dark haired boy. It was Colt. “Jace and Colt, huh?” She smiled warmly at me. Her eyes where also smiling widely. “Aha” I rolled my eyes. I knew exactly what she was thinking. Did I like one. “Soooo?” She grinned. “Mum! Your worse then Laurie!” I smiled. Laurie Conners was my best friend and had been ever since I was seven. “Laurie Conners?” She asked. I nodded. “I’m so glad your still friends! Anyway, Max, tell me the details” She literally was worse then Laurie. “Mum” I complained glancing over at Colt who was now making his way over to us. “Hello, how can I help you tonight, Mrs Applegate?” He said looking at my mother. “Meat Lovers Pizza, please” She said handing him the menu. Colt took it, turning to me. “Er, same as her” I said nervously. “Sure, Max” he said taking my menu. He headed off quickly to give in the order. I watched him go before turning to face Mum. “No Mum. And anyway Jace has a girlfriend” She raised an eyebrow but let the subject drop.

* * *

“Kurda, just leave Max alone” My Mum pleaded softly. “Isadora, she shouldn’t touch those paintings!” He grumbled. “And run away!” he added. “I didn’t run away!” I screamed at him. “Max” Mum gave me a warning glance. “Shut up!” he yelled at me. “You ...” “Maxine! Room! NOW!” Mum yelled at me. I glared at her and ran off up the stairs. “Max? What’s going on?” My brother emerged from his room as I ran past. From downstairs I could hear Mum and Kurda yelling at each other. At least she was sticking up for me for once.

* * *

“Max?! Maxie?!” I rolled over groggily. I opened my eyes slowly. Above me stood my Mum fully dressed and ready to leave. “Hop up” She said turning to leave. I scrambled out of bed rushing for the bathroom. Quickly I showered and pulled on my favourite skirt and t-shirt. I grabbed my tights and white cardigan, as well as my thick black jacket. Outside it was pouring down with rain. “Max!?” Toby yelled from downstairs. “Yeah, Yeah!” I called rushing for the stairs.

* * *

“Why did you wear a skirt?” My brother laughed as we walked down the hall towards our class. Funnily enough we had ended up having the same spain-ish class. I shrugged. I wasn’t the only one a few other girls where wearing them with thick tights under neath. “This is the day you should of worn your trackies” I rolled my eyes slightly but stopped as soon as I saw Jace and a few of his friends. “Was Kurda up this morning?” I asked quietly as we passed them. Toby shook his head in reply.

* * *

“Hi” I turned to be facing a mousy brown haired girl. “Hi” I replied. “I’m Haven” She smiled. “Max Evers” I said. Haven was pretty with slightly tanned skin and bright baby blue eyes. “Kurda’s step-daughter?” It wasn’t really a question. Everyone here knew who I was. I nodded. Quickly I glanced over at Toby who was in deep conversation with a ginger headed boy. “Clarix is my step-dad” Haven said nodding with sympathy. “Clarix” I looked down at my schedule. “I have him on Thursday” I muttered. “I don’t have him ever luckily” Haven said looking out the window. “You don’t like him?” I asked. “Hate him” She muttered. I nodded “That’s like me with Applegate”

* * *

“Right, class! I want to get to know you! So answer all the questions on this sheet. TRUTHFULLY!” Mrs Burns yelled at us. Quickly she started handing out sheets of paper. As soon as I received mine I looked at it closely. The questions where pretty lame and questions normal teachers wouldn’t care about. Full Name: //Maxine Redd Evers// Siblings: //Tobias Evers// Favourite Bands: //Panic! At The Disco, LMFAO, Paramore// Sports: //Track, Volleyball, Tennis, Hockey, Gymnastics, Swimming// Favourite Food: //Pizza//

I stopped writing and looked up. Everyone else had also looked up. What was up with the next few questions? What sort of teacher wanted to know if you minded having blood drawn from you? Er, quite a few people would may I say. At the door stood a tall man with greying hair or at least what was left of it was greying. “Mrs Burns, may I have Haven Meret please?” He said. “She’s not finished!” Mrs Burns snapped giving him a warning glance. “I have Miss” Haven said getting up from her chair. I looked at her. “Haven, don’t!” A blonde haired girl whispered. “Lani it’s fine” Haven replied rolling her blue eyes. “Here, Miss” she said handing the teacher her sheet. The man smiled at her as he ushered her out. “Good bye, Haven” I found myself whispering. Something inside of me was screaming to run and tell her not to go. That it wasn’t safe. But why would Mrs Burns let her go into danger? But then why did they want to know this about us? Why had she given that man a warning glance? It was as if they needed to know everything about us so that they could get on with something. But what?

* * *

“Hey Colt!” I yelled as I exited the classroom. He was a couple of meters away walking slowly. He turned and smiled slightly at me. “Yeah?” He asked as I caught up with him. “Did you have to answer some weird question sheet?” I asked him. “Yes. It was creepy. You know I actually would mind if someone was drawing blood out of me. I’d mind quite a lot!” He frowned. “I know. I actually wrote that. Just to let them know about me a bit more” I grinned. “They’ll be annoyed about that” he bit his lip “You shouldn’t annoy them” he added quietly. I frowned. Had Haven annoyed them? “They go missing don’t they” I asked weakly. Colt gave me a searching look nodding. “How’d you know?” he murmured. I shrugged. How did I know? “Max! How did you know?” He asked stopping. I froze. They where killing him. They where killing the black haired boy. The one with cuts on his face, and dark angry hurt eyes. “Max? Max?” I un-froze as Colt shook me hard. “They’re killing him” I whispered, tears striking in my eyes. “Who!?” Colt stopped panic hitting him. I shook my head. “Right. Your new” Relief flew through his face but only a small bit. He thought it was Jace. “Black hair... dark eyes....” I pulled my bag around searching for a piece of paper. I found one and began to sketch. I ran to a nearby locker using it as something to lean on. Everyone would be having lunch now. Or last lesson had gone for two hours instead of an hour. “Scars.... all over his face... his arms... blood was all over him” I was breathing hard now. Scared. “Zen” I looked at Colt. His eyes, too, had tears formed in them. I looked at him with a confused expression. The boy, Zen, wouldn’t of had the scars before they got him. Plus my explaining wasn’t very good. He gestured at my drawing. I looked at it. It had quite a bit of detail but it would of been hard to recognize the boy. “Zen...” I tilted my head. “A good friend of mine.” Colt replied. “Oh” I pursed my lips. Silently we headed for the lunch room. What else could we do? We didn’t know anything.

* * *

“Max!” Both Charlie and Jace jumped up from their seats and looked at me closely. “What’s wrong, Maxie?” Toby asked getting up slowly. Toby was used to me being upset and had been for a long time so he knew just to let me take my time. “Toby!” I burst into tears as I fell into his open arms. “Shhhh” He soothed hugging me tightly. “Colten what the hell did you do to upset her!?” Jace yelled. The cafeteria had gone silent. I could feel them watching us wondering what the hell was up. “Nothing!” Colt shouted. “He did nothing” I said pulling away from Toby hurriedly. “Max,” Jace said softly looking at me intently. “Are you sure?” I raised an eyebrow at him “Do you think I’d lie to save your brother’s butt?” He shrugged “Maybe” “Max, you probably would” Toby whispered in my ear. I shot him a filthy look. “What happened?” Charlie asked moving towards me. “It’s Zen” Colt bit his lip. Jace’s eyes widened. “Why Zen?” He wondered. Colt shrugged “Ask her”

* * *

“Max, someone’s here!” My mother called up the stairs. “Who?!” I yelled back. “Max, just come down!” Mum shouted. I heard a someone chuckle deeply. Jace? I sprinted downstairs and smiled when I saw it was Jace. “Hey. What are you doing here?” I gave Mum a quick go-away-this-is-important-to-me look making her smirk but leave anyway. “I just wanted to talk” He shrugged. I shot him a yeah-right look “You wanna know about today don’t you?” His cheeks flamed red with embarrassment. I grinned widely “Knew it! Come on.” I pushed him out the door letting it slam shut behind us. I lead him down the street to where a small park was. “So ask away” I said slowly. “Tell me everything, please. Colten won’t tell me anything!” Jace said angrily. I sighed as I sat down. “Don’t call him Colten!” “Why not?” He pretty much yelled as he paced up and down in front of me. “Just don’t” I pleaded. “The stupid nerd needs to learn that you tell people bad things!” He exploded. “Nerd!?” I yelled jumping up “You call your own twin brother a nerd!? You know. You should be the one sticking up for him when other people call him a nerd. Just because he’s smart doesn’t make him a nerd, Jace. Just because his name is Colten doesn’t make him a nerd! Look at me. I’m called Maxine no one calls me a nerd! Look at my brother. He’s a flipping genius but no one calls him a nerd!” I added. He stopped to look at me with his laughing green eyes. “Maxine? Really?” He asked. I glared at him “Did you think I was called Max ... as a girl?” “It can be a girl’s name” he shrugged. “Please! My parents always wanted some smart girly girl daughter! But they got stuck with me. The one who can’t stand pink and hates the name Maxine.” I huffed. “No pink, huh?” He said looking down at the wet orchid green grass. “Yeah. No pink” I said also looking down at the grass. “My sister hated pink, too” he murmured. “Hated?” Had his sister died? Or had she suddenly begun to like pink? Wait, he had a sister!? “They took her! They took my only sister. I always promised her I’d never let them get her. I always took charge for the family. But then one day they got her. I don’t know how... we don’t know how. We were in all her classes. We tailed her everywhere. We both knew they wanted her...” That’s as far as he got before I cut in. “Jace! What are you talking about?!” He slumped into the chair looking sad. He patted the spot next to him. Hesitantly I sat down next to him. “My sister Catherine

__Friday 27 May 2011__

It’s funny how life can change so fast. Turning from bad to good. Like mine. All of a sudden my Mum had called, how she found us we aren’t sure, saying she was married and wanted us to come live with her. Three years of her not wanting to see us and now she did. What was with that?

* * *

“Adele, we’ll be there in another twenty minutes” my younger brother, Tobias, said dumping himself down on the seat opposite me. I nodded, I hadn’t spoken since we had flown out of Finland. I often left Toby to take care of stuff. Ever since our parents had broken up eleven years ago we had shipped around between them. Toby, unlike me, handled it quite well. “Del, your gonna have to talk soon enough” he said raising an eyebrow. I stared at him for a minute and then turned away. I didn’t want to have him trying to make me talk because I wouldn’t.

* * *

Finally the train slowed down and around the corner I could see a small red wooden station. We turned the corner and came to a stop. Steam rose around the train but died down as quickly as it had come. I could hear the doors opening slowly and the voice of the train conductor yelling. I got up and pulled my bag onto my back, Toby was all ready taking care of our suit cases. I left the small compartment into the crowded hall. I pushed through the crowd and jumped onto the platform. I went straight to the small cafe beside the station. Our Mum was always late so we’d have to wait a while. I watched the flourishing crowd as the pushed and shoved either getting off the train or onto it. “Adele, you could of waited” Toby said dumping himself down in front of me. He had all ready jammed the suitcases between his chair and the window so no one could take them. I shrugged still refusing to talk. He rolled his eyes and followed my gaze. “Is that her!?”

* * *

It was her. I couldn’t believe it. She was prettier then I remembered, though our Mother had always been pretty. But she seemed prettier then she used to be. When she saw us she waved and came into the small cafe. “Toby, Adi!” She smiled. I shivered when she talked. Not that her voice was scary. It was beautiful, piano like. But there was something behind the piano like sound, something cold, something empty. I looked at Toby, he didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with her voice. He got up and hugged her quickly before pulling up another chair. They both sat down at the same time and looked at me. Both with different expressions plastered on their tanned faces. Toby was giving me a “What is up with her?” look while Mum just had a big smile on her face. We sat in silence for a while just staring at each other. It was an awkward silence. After three years of not seeing a person there should be so much to be said. But for us three there was nothing.

* * *

It took us over an hour to get from the train station to Coupeville. But when we finally arrived in Coupeville, I knew it wasn’t a normal quiet town. I glanced at Toby, who again didn’t seem to notice anything. “It’s nice isn’t it?” Mum said us. “It’s just a town” Toby said thoughtfully. We drove through a few streets and finally pulled up in a driveway. The house was big. Four stories big. Outside sat three cars, two where black while the Porsche was a bright yellow. The grass was radiant green, the gardens where perfectly trimmed and the glossy marble statues didn’t have a spec of dirt on. I got out of the car slowly adjusting to this perfect looking home. Was this ours? “Isadora!” A man said emerging from the house. His voice, like Mum’s, was a piano like creepy voice. His hair was a dark brown and his skin was a mix between tan and pale. “Kids, this is Kurda. My husband” Mum said kissing him on the cheek. I scowled at them both. Kurda gave me a very fake smile before turning to Toby “You must be Isadora’s baby, Tobias” Kurda earned another scowl. He stared at us both in disbelief. “Excuse them, they aren’t normally this rude” Mum frowned at us before staring Kurda inside. “I don’t like him!” Toby whispered angrily yanking open the boot. I nodded, turning to help him. We pulled our suitcases up the stairs and into the foyer of the house. My shoes clacked on the dark marble floor as we walked down the foyer. “Your room’s are upstairs, fourth floor. You’ll have the whole floor to yourselves. Now don’t go nosing around the house, Don’t go into the basement and don’t wonder around the house!” Mum instructed appearing out of no where. We both nodded unable to speak. Mostly from shock, I think. “Lift’s over there” She pointed us towards the lift. I walked off towards the lift, wanting to get away from Mum and her husband as quickly as possible. * * *

“Morning, I’m Adele Evers” I said to the teacher sitting behind the desk. I had just walked into the classroom and unlike the rest of the school it looked like part of a normal high school. The corridors of the school had shiny well polished marble floors with a gleaming white painted walls that where covered with squeaky clean lockers. This classroom had un-cleaned Lino floors, ugly green carpet on the walls and gum covered desks. “Adele Evers, huh? Applegate’s kid” Like Kurda and my mothers voice’s, his was musical and sort of empty. “Step-kid” I said rudely. I wasn’t going to be known as Kurda’s kid. He was a creep. “Don’t like him?” The teacher asked grinning. He was young probably in his early twenty’s. Or he was just one of those people that don’t age much. “Pretty much” I shrugged. I walked to the middle of the class room taking a seat beside the window. Outside I could see a few students running around the track on the very large field. Beside the field sat a dark green forest, most of the land around here was covered by forest.

* * *

As I walked to my second class which was unfortunately P.E. Luckily it wasn’t raining but it was rather windy making the whole town freezing. Thankfully I had worn my track pants today so I, unlike the rest of the girls, didn’t have to change. “Right class. We’ll be going for a run through the forest today. Earlier a marker was put out, it’s bright red, so you won’t miss it. Once you get to it turn round and come back. Now go!” The P.E teacher Ms Clave yelled at us. Everyone groaned but started jogging anyway. “Pick up the pace! Your young. You can run!” She screamed at us from the goal post.

* * *

“How far away did she put the marker!?” I heard a blonde girl whine. She was a few steps a head of me running with a tall dark haired boy. I rolled my eyes and ran forwards, passing them easily. Unfortunately we had come to a steep hill. Everyone who had been in front of me was now walking slowly to tired to run any further. I kept running wanting to get in front of everyone. I’d always hated being crowded. So whenever I had to do sports I would always try and stay at the front when I got there. But sadly at this school everyone seemed to be rather good at running. “New girl! You know you don’t have to run the whole way!” A brunette boy yelled at me as I passed him. I smiled slightly but kept running.

* * *

It was nice walking back into a warm classroom. This classroom was exactly like the last one I had been in before P.E. When I stepped into it I froze. Talking quietly to the teacher was none other then my freak of a step dad, Kurda. He turned around quickly when he saw me and smiled. “Adele! Cassandra this is my lovely step-daughter, Adele Evers. Adele, this is Mrs Tross” I glared at Kurda making him bite his lip. “I better be going! Have a nice lesson!” With that Kurda left the classroom. The few kids in the classroom stared at me in shock. “Please take a seat, Miss Evers” Mrs Mrs Tross said waving her hand in the air motioning me to sit at one of the desks. I went to the middle and took a seat beside the window. Outside I could see more kids running, just this time not to into the forest. They were just running around the big field. At the front I could see my brother running beside a blonde haired boy. “Hey, do you mind if I sit here?” I looked up and recognized the boy as the one who had been running with the blonde hair girl. “Erm, sure” I said moving my bag off the seat. I dumped my bag on the ground next to my left foot as I went back to looking out the window. “Interesting view?” He asked jokingly. “Very” I said. I bit my lip when I noticed the rudeness in my tone. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him smiling “I’m Jace Falls” he said holding out a hand. I took it and shook it quickly before letting go “Adele Evers” I said looking at him closely. His eyes where an electric green half covered by his long dark brown fringe. “Applegate’s step-daughter Adele?” He asked putting his hand down on the table. “Unfortunately” I sighed looking down at my notepad. I picked my pencil up so I could twirl it around. I often fidgeted not because I was nervous but because it helped me think. “I know what you mean. My step-dad is Beddor, the history teacher” Jace nodded. “How long have you been here?” I groaned as soon as I blurted the question out. He chuckled slightly. “Ask anything you want. I really don’t mind.” He gave me a sort of crooked smile. “And I’ve been here for three years” He added. I nodded looking back onto the field where still my brothers class was running. “Who is she?” I asked absentmindedly. I sighed after hitting myself on the head. Jace reached out and pulled my hand away from my face. “You might hurt yourself” He said. I looked at him to find him grinning his bright white teeth showing. I shrugged not really bothered. “When you say who is she ... who are you talking about?” He asked raising an eyebrow. “The blonde whiner” I said bitterly. “Ah, you mean Bell. Well, Bell is kinda my girl friend” His expression stayed the same but his eyes changed. Now his eyes where sad with a tad bit of annoyance in them. “Um, kinda?” I said puzzled. “She won’t let me break up with her” He said bitterly. I smiled slightly. Now who was being grumpy! “What’s so funny?” He yelled out. “Mr Falls! I know the bell has not gone yet but there is no need for yelling” Mrs Tross said frowning at us. “Sorry, Miss” He replied quietly. His cheeks flaming red with embarrassment.

* * *

The rest of the lesson went past in an awkward silence. I left the room as quickly as possible not wanting to talk to Jace again. I slowed down as I was swallowed into the crowd of milling students. I followed everyone to the cafeteria. As I entered I stopped. It wasn’t a normal high school cafeteria. The walls where a dark red and the floor was solid black marble. No sun came into it as there where no windows. The light was came from big grand diamond chandeliers. “Adele!” A warm hand grabbed my wrist. I looked up and bit my lip as I found myself staring into a pair of electric green eyes that sadly belonged to Jace. “What?!” I snapped. Why I was angry at him, even I wasn’t sure. “You ran off so quickly. I didn’t get to talk to you” He said. “What a bummer” I said harshly. He chuckled and pulled a crooked grin. “Look, I’m hungry. I’m going to get food. Good-Bye” I said pulling my hand back. He didn’t let go just held onto it tighter. “Jace!” I snapped trying to pull his hand off. “Right. Sorry” He looked down at his hand wrapped around my extremely pale wrist. He let go hastily leaving me free to run off. But for some reason I didn’t. “Aren’t you going?” He teased. I glared at him slightly and stalked off. What was up with him?! The tables of the cafeteria where round and black with six silver chairs surrounding each table. I spotted my brother sitting with a honey blonde haired boy chatting away happily. “What would you like, Miss Evers?” The black haired lady said from behind the counter. “What is there?” I asked. She pointed to above her were, like a cafe, there where boards with what they had. “Pizza please, meat lovers. Oh and an iced chocolate” She nodded before stabbing at the screen in front of her. A man came from the door behind her carrying what I had ordered on a tray. Sitting next to the iced chocolate where two chocolate bars. “Welcome to Coupeville High, Miss Evers” he said handing me the tray. I nodded taking the tray ,confused at the way this place worked. I headed straight to where my brother sat with the other boy. “Adii!” he grinned as I sat down next to him. “Hey” I said smiling. It was nice to be talking to someone normal. “Charlie this is my sister Adele. Adele this is Charlie Garcia” I smiled at Charlie. It was nice to see Toby had made friends with someone. Charlie smiled back. A tray slid onto the table next to mine and I looked up. I groaned “Really, Jace?” My brother looked at me puzzled while Charlie’s mouth was wide open in shock. “Charlie I advise you shut your mouth. No wonder you don’t have a girl friend” A girl chirped dumping herself down next to Charlie. She glanced at me before looking at Jace. “Hey, Jace” She said. “Hi, Allie” Jace said sitting down. The girl, Allie, pushed her vibrant red hair out of her eyes before taking a bite out of her pizza. “Toby, Adele this is my sister Allison. Allie, this is Adele and Toby Evers” Charlie said closing his mouth. “Hi” I said to Allie before turning to Jace. “This is my little brother Tobias Evers” “Toby Evers” Toby said grumpily. I flashed him a grin before turning back to Jace. “Don’t you have a girlfriend to sit with?” I asked. He rolled his eyes before taking a piece of my pizza. “Hey!” I said laughing. He grinned at me before taking a big bite of Pizza.

* * *

It was funny. This morning I had been wishing to go back to Finland. But now. Now I was kind of glad I lived here with Mum and her annoying husband. I’d made two friends all ready and an enemy. Halfway through lunch Bell had stalked over to our table and started screaming her head off at Jace and me. “Don’t worry about Bell” Allie said checking my expression as we walked towards our history class. “I’m not” I lied. “Right. Well now we have Jace’s step-dad as our teacher” She laughed. I smiled. I really couldn’t wait to meet Jace’s step-dad, Mr Beddor. “Is he nice?” I asked worriedly. “Mr Beddor?” Allie burst into a fit of laughter and had to grab my shoulder to keep herself upright “Sometimes” She added when she finally had her laughter under control. I stared at her. “Sorry, just your tone was hilarious. You where so worried!” She smiled widely. “Don’t worry, Adele” She reassured me as we stepped into the classroom. I sighed as I saw that the classroom was exactly the same as the last two I had been in. “Mr Beddor this is Adele Evers” Allie yelled as we went to take a seat. “Welcome, Miss Evers. It’s a pleasure to have you with us. Miss Garcia, please keep your voice down just a little” I turned to see Mr Beddor. He was probably about thirty-nine or older though he looked young. He had neatly cut dirty blonde hair with a pair of Harry Potter like glasses covering his dark nothingness black eyes.

* * *

“Adele!” I looked up from my shoes to see sitting a few meters in front of me Charlie Garcia. “Charlie” I said smiling with relief. I’d been panicked that I wouldn’t know anyone in my class. I sat down in the desk next to his not even bothering to introduce myself to the teacher. “I thought you where younger then me” I said pulling out my english book. “I am. But English is mixed between years.” Charlie shrugged. “Oh cool” I said. I glanced around the class to see if anyone else was in here that might have been in any of my other classes. The only person I recognized was the nerdy looking kid with the dark brown hair and electric green eyes. He looked a lot like Jace just a nerdy, un-tanned version. “Colt Falls. Jace’s twin” I turned to look at Charlie who was looking at the nerd. “Jace’s twin?” I asked quietly. I looked back at

__Thursday 26 May 2011__

It’s funny how life can change so fast. Turning from bad to good. Like mine. All of a sudden my Mum had called, how she found us we aren’t sure, saying she was married and wanted us to come live with her. Three years of her not wanting to see us and now she did. What was with that?

* * *

“Adele, we’ll be there in another twenty minutes” my younger brother, Tobias, said dumping himself down on the seat opposite me. I nodded, I hadn’t spoken since we had flown out of Finland. I often left Toby to take care of stuff. Ever since our parents had broken up elven years ago we had shipped around between them. Toby, unlike me, handled it quite well. “Del, your gonna have to talk soon enough” he said raising an eyebrow. I stared at him for a minute and then turned away. I didn’t want to have him trying to make me talk because I wouldn’t.

* * *

Finally the train slowed down and around the corner I could see a small red wooden station. We turned the corner and came to a stop. Steam rose around the train but died down as quickly as it had come. I could hear the doors opening slowly and the voice of the train conductor yelling. I got up and pulled my bag onto my back, Toby was all ready taking care of our suit cases. I left the small compartment into the crowded hall. I pushed through the crowd and jumped onto the platform. I went straight to the small cafe beside the station. Our Mum was always late so we’d have to wait a while. I watched the flourishing crowd as the pushed and shoved either getting off the train or onto it. “Adele, you could of waited” Toby said dumping himself down in front of me. He had all ready jammed the suitcases between his chair and the window so no one could take them. I shrugged still refusing to talk. He rolled his eyes and followed my gaze. “Is that her!?”

* * *

It was her. I couldn’t believe it. She was prettier then I remembered, though our Mother had always been pretty. But she seemed prettier then she used to be. When she saw us she waved and came into the small cafe. “Toby, Adi!” She smiled. I shivered when she talked. Not that her voice was scary. It was beautiful, piano like. But there was something behind the piano like sound, something cold, something empty. I looked at Toby, he didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with her voice. He got up and hugged her quickly before pulling up another chair. They both sat down at the same time and looked at me. Both with different expressions plastered on their tanned faces. Toby was giving me a “What is up with her?” look while Mum just had a big smile on her face. We sat in silence for a while just staring at each other. It was an awkward silence. After three years of not seeing a person there should be so much to be said. But for us three there was nothing.

* * *

It took us over an hour to get from the train station to Coupeville. But when we finally arrived in Coupeville, I knew it wasn’t a normal quiet town. I glanced at Toby, who again didn’t seem to notice anything. “It’s nice isn’t it?” Mum said us. “It’s just a town” Toby said thoughtfully. We drove through a few streets and finally pulled up in a driveway. The house was big. Four stories big. Outside sat three cars, two where black while the Porsche was a bright yellow. The grass was radiant green, the gardens where perfectly trimmed and the glossy marble statues didn’t have a spec of dirt on. I got out of the car slowly adjusting to this perfect looking home. Was this ours? “Isadora!” A man said emerging from the house. His voice, like Mum’s, was a piano like creepy voice. His hair was a dark brown and his skin was a mix between tan and pale. “Kids, this is Kurda. My husband” Mum said kissing him on the cheek. I scowled at them both. Kurda gave me a very fake smile before turning to Toby “You must be Isadora’s baby, Tobias” Kurda earned another scowl. He stared at us both in disbelief. “Excuse them, they aren’t normally this rude” Mum frowned at us before staring Kurda inside. “I don’t like him!” Toby whispered angrily yanking open the boot. I nodded, turning to help him. We pulled our suitcases up the stairs and into the foyer of the house. My shoes clacked on the dark marble floor as we walked down the foyer. “Your room’s are upstairs, fourth floor. You’ll have the whole floor to yourselves. Now don’t go nosing around the house, Don’t go into the basement and don’t wonder around the house!” Mum instructed appearing out of no where. We both nodded unable to speak. Mostly from shock, I think. “Lift’s over there” She pointed us towards the lift. I walked off towards the lift, wanting to get away from Mum and her husband as quickly as possible. * * *

“Morning, I’m Adele Evers” I said to the teacher sitting behind the desk. I had just walked into the classroom and unlike the rest of the school it looked like part of a normal high school. The corridors of the school had shiny well polished marble floors with a gleaming white painted walls that where covered with squeaky clean lockers. This classroom had un-cleaned Lino floors, ugly green carpet on the walls and gum covered desks. “Adele Evers, huh? Applegate’s kid” Like Kurda and my mothers voice’s, his was musical and sort of empty. “Step-kid” I said rudely. I wasn’t going to be known as Kurda’s kid. He was a creep. “Don’t like him?” The teacher asked grinning. He was young probably in his early twenty’s. Or he was just one of those people that don’t age much. “Pretty much” I shrugged. I walked to the middle of the class room taking a seat beside the window. Outside I could see a few students running around the track on the very large field. Beside the field sat a dark green forest, most of the land around here was covered by forest.

* * *

As I walked to my second class which was unfortunately P.E. Luckily it wasn’t raining but it was rather windy making the whole town freezing. Thankfully I had worn my track pants today so I, unlike the rest of the girls, didn’t have to change. “Right class. We’ll be going for a run through the forest today. Earlier a marker was put out, it’s bright red, so you won’t miss it. Once you get to it turn round and come back. Now go!” The P.E teacher Ms Clave yelled at us. Everyone groaned but started jogging anyway. “Pick up the pace! Your young. You can run!” She screamed at us from the goal post.

* * *

“How far away did she put the marker!?” I heard a blonde girl whine. She was a few steps a head of me running with a tall dark haired boy. I rolled my eyes and ran forwards, passing them easily. Unfortunately we had come to a steep hill. Everyone who had been in front of me was now walking slowly to tired to run any further. I kept running wanting to get in front of everyone. I’d always hated being crowded. So whenever I had to do sports I would always try and stay at the front when I got there. But sadly at this school everyone seemed to be rather good at running. “New girl! You know you don’t have to run the whole way!” A brunette boy yelled at me as I passed him. I smiled slightly but kept running.

* * *

It was nice walking back into a nice warm classroom. This classroom was exactly like the last one I had been in before P.E. When I stepped into it I froze. Talking quietly to the teacher was none other then my freak of a step dad, Kurda. He turned around quickly when he saw me and smiled. “Adele! Cassandra this is my lovely step-daughter, Adele Evers. Adele, this is Mrs Evens” I glared at Kurda making him bite his lip. “I better be going! Have a nice lesson!” With that Kurda left the classroom. The few kids in the classroom stared at me in shock. “Please take a seat, Miss Evers” Mrs Evens said waving her hand in the air motioning me to sit at one of the desks. I went to the middle and took a seat beside the window. Outside I could see more kids running, just this time not to into the forest. They were just running around the big field. At the front I could see my brother running beside a blonde haired boy. “Hey, do you mind if I sit here?” I looked up and recognized the boy as the one who had been running with the blonde hair girl. “Erm, sure” I said moving my bag off the seat. I dumped my bag on the ground next to my left foot as I went back to looking out the window. “Interesting view?” He asked jokingly. “Very” I said. I bit my lip when I noticed the rudeness in my tone. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him smiling “I’m Jace Falls” he said holding out a hand. I took it and shook it quickly before letting go “Adele Evers” I said looking at him closely. His eyes where an electric green half covered by his long blonde fringe. “Applegate’s step-daughter Adele?” He asked putting his hand down on the table. “Unfortunately” I sighed looking down at my notepad. I picked my pencil up so I could twirl it around. I often fidgeted not because I was nervous but because it helped me think. “I know what you mean. My step-dad is Beddor, the

__Monday 23 May__

It’s funny how life can change so fast. Turning from bad to good. Like mine. All of a sudden my Mum had called, how she found us we aren’t sure, saying she was married and wanted us to come live with her. Three years of her not wanting to see us and now she did. What was with that?

* * *

“Adele, we’ll be there in another twenty minutes” my younger brother, Tobias, said dumping himself down on the seat opposite me. I nodded, I hadn’t spoken since we had flown out of Finland. I often left Toby to take care of stuff. Ever since our parents had broken up elven years ago we had shipped around between them. Toby, unlike me, handled it quite well. “Del, your gonna have to talk soon enough” he said raising an eyebrow. I stared at him for a minute and then turned away. I didn’t want to have him trying to make me talk because I wouldn’t.

* * *

Finally the train slowed down and around the corner I could see a small red wooden station. We turned the corner and came to a stop. Steam rose around the train but died down as quickly as it had come. I could hear the doors opening slowly and the voice of the train conductor yelling. I got up and pulled my bag onto my back, Toby was all ready taking care of our suit cases. I left the small compartment into the crowded hall. I pushed through the crowd and jumped onto the platform. I went straight to the small cafe beside the station. Our Mum was always late so we’d have to wait a while. I watched the flourishing crowd as the pushed and shoved either getting off the train or onto it. “Adele, you could of waited” Toby said dumping himself down in front of me. He had all ready jammed the suitcases between his chair and the window so no one could take them. I shrugged still refusing to talk. He rolled his eyes and followed my gaze. “Is that her!?”

* * *

It was her. I couldn’t believe it. She was prettier then I remembered, though our Mother had always been pretty. But she seemed prettier then she used to be. When she saw us she waved and came into the small cafe. “Toby, Adi!” She smiled. I shivered when she talked. Not that her voice was scary. It was beautiful, piano like. But there was something behind the piano like sound, something cold, something empty. I looked at Toby, he didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with her voice. He got up and hugged her quickly before pulling up another chair. They both sat down at the same time and looked at me. Both with different expressions plastered on their tanned faces. Toby was giving me a “What is up with her?” look while Mum just had a big smile on her face. We sat in silence for a while just staring at each other. It was an awkward silence. After three years of not seeing a person there should be so much to be said. But for us three there was nothing.

* * *

It took us over an hour to get from the train station to Coupeville. But when we finally arrived in Coupeville, I knew it wasn’t a normal quiet town. I glanced at Toby, who again didn’t seem to notice anything. “It’s nice isn’t it?” Mum said us. “It’s just a town” Toby said thoughtfully. We drove through a few streets and finally pulled up in a driveway. The house was big. Four stories big. Outside sat three cars, two where black while the Porsche was a bright yellow. The grass was radiant green, the gardens where perfectly trimmed and the glossy marble statues didn’t have a spec of dirt on. I got out of the car slowly adjusting to this perfect looking home. Was this ours? “Isadora!” A man said emerging from the house. His voice, like Mum’s, was a piano like creepy voice. His hair was a dark brown and his skin was a mix between tan and pale. “Kids, this is Kurda. My husband” Mum said kissing him on the cheek. I scowled at them both. Kurda gave me a very fake smile before turning to Toby “You must be Isadora’s baby, Tobias” Kurda earned another scowl. He stared at us both in disbelief. “Excuse them, they aren’t normally this rude” Mum frowned at us before staring Kurda inside. “I don’t like him!” Toby whispered angrily yanking open the boot. I nodded, turning to help him. We pulled our suitcases up the stairs and into the foyer of the house. My shoes clacked on the dark marble floor as we walked down the foyer. “Your room’s are upstairs, fourth floor. You’ll have the whole floor to yourselves. Now don’t go nosing around the house, Don’t go into the basement and don’t wonder around the house!” Mum instructed appearing out of no where. We both nodded unable to speak. Mostly from shock, I think. “Lift’s over there” She pointed us towards the lift. I walked off towards the lift, wanting to get away from Mum and her husband as quickly as possible.

* * *

“Morning, I’m Adele Evers” I said to the teacher sitting behind the desk. I had just walked into the classroom and unlike the rest of the school it looked like part of a normal high school. The corridors of the school had shiny well polished marble floors with a gleaming white painted walls that where covered with squeaky clean lockers. This classroom had un-cleaned Lino floors, ugly green carpet on the walls and gum covered desks. “Adele Evers, huh? Applegate’s kid” Like Kurda and my mothers voice’s, his was musical and sort of empty. “Step-kid” I said rudely. I wasn’t going to be known as Kurda’s kid. He was a creep. “Don’t like him?” The teacher asked grinning. He was young probably in his early twenty’s. Or he was just one of those people that don’t age much. “Pretty much” I shrugged. I walked to the middle of the class room taking a seat beside the window. Outside I could see a few students running around the track on the very large field. Beside the field sat a dark green forest, most of the land around here was covered by forest.

* * *

As I walked to my second class which was unfortunately P.E. Luckily it wasn’t raining but it was rather windy making the whole town freezing. Thankfully I had worn my track pants today so I, unlike the rest of the girls, didn’t have to change. “Right class. We’ll be going for a run through the forest today. Earlier a marker was put out, it’s bright red, so you won’t miss it. Once you get to it turn round and come back. Now go!” The P.E teacher Ms Clave yelled at us. Everyone groaned but started jogging anyway. “Pick up the pace! Your young. You can run!” She screamed at us from the goal post.

* * *

“How far away did she put the marker!?” I heard a blonde girl whine. She was a few steps a head of me running with a tall dark haired boy. I rolled my eyes and ran forwards, passing them easily. Unfortunately we had come to a steep hill. Everyone who had been in front of me was now walking slowly to tired to run any further. I kept running wanting to get in front of everyone. I’d always hated being crowded. So whenever I had to do sports I would always try and stay at the front when I got there. But sadly at this school everyone seemed to be rather good at running. “New girl! You know you don’t have to run the whole way!” A brunette boy yelled at me as I passed him. I smiled slightly but kept running.

* * *

It was nice walking back into a nice warm classroom. This classroom was exactly like the last one I had been in before P.E. When I stepped into it I froze. Talking quietly to the teacher was none other then my freak of a step dad, Kurda. He turned around quickly when he saw me and smiled. “Adele! Cassandra this is my lovely step-daughter, Adele Evers. Adele, this is Mrs Evens” I glared at Kurda making him bite his lip. “I better be going! Have a nice lesson!” With that Kurda left the classroom. The few kids in the classroom stared at me in shock. “Please take a seat, Miss Evers” Mrs Evens said waving her hand in the air

__Friday 20 May__

It’s funny how life can change so fast. Turning from bad to good. Like mine. All of a sudden my Mum had called, how she found us we aren’t sure, saying she was married and wanted us to come live with her. Three years of her not wanting to see us and now she did. What was with that?

 * * *

“Adele, we’ll be there in another twenty minutes” my younger brother, Tobias, said dumping himself down on the seat opposite me. I nodded, I hadn’t spoken since we had flown out of Finland. I often left Toby to take care of stuff. Ever since our parents had broken up elven years ago we had shipped around between them. Toby, unlike me, handled it quite well. “Del, your gonna have to talk soon enough” he said raising an eyebrow. I stared at him for a minute and then turned away. I didn’t want to have him trying to make me talk because I wouldn’t.

 * * *

Finally the train slowed down and around the corner I could see a small red wooden station. We turned the corner and came to a stop. Steam rose around the train but died down as quickly as it had come. I could hear the doors opening slowly and the voice of the train conductor yelling. I got up and pulled my bag onto my back, Toby was all ready taking care of our suit cases. I left the small compartment into the crowded hall. I pushed through the crowd and jumped onto the platform. I went straight to the small cafe beside the station. Our Mum was always late so we’d have to wait a while. I watched the flourishing crowd as the pushed and shoved either getting off the train or onto it. “Adele, you could of waited” Toby said dumping himself down in front of me. He had all ready jammed the suitcases between his chair and the window so no one could take them. I shrugged still refusing to talk. He rolled his eyes and followed my gaze. “Is that her!?”

 * * *

It was her. I couldn’t believe it. She was prettier then I remembered, though our Mother had always been pretty. But she seemed prettier then she used to be. When she saw us she waved and came into the small cafe. “Toby, Adi!” She smiled. I shivered when she talked. Not that her voice was scary. It was beautiful, piano like. But there was something behind the piano like sound, something cold, something empty. I looked at Toby, he didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with her voice. He got up and hugged her quickly before pulling up another chair. They both sat down at the same time and looked at me. Both with different expressions plastered on their tanned faces. Toby was giving me a “What is up with her?” look while Mum just had a big smile on her face. We sat in silence for a while just staring at each other. It was an awkward silence. After three years of not seeing a person there should be so much to be said. But for us three there was nothing.

 * * *

It took us over an hour to get from the train station to Coupeville. But when we finally arrived in Coupeville, I knew it wasn’t a normal quiet town. I glanced at Toby, who again didn’t seem to notice anything. “It’s nice isn’t it?” Mum said us. “It’s just a town” Toby said thoughtfully. We drove through a few streets and finally pulled up in a driveway. The house was big. Four stories big. Outside sat three cars, two where black while the Porsche was a bright yellow. The grass was radiant green, the gardens where perfectly trimmed and the glossy marble statues didn’t have a spec of dirt on. I got out of the car slowly adjusting to this perfect looking home. Was this ours? “Isadora!” A man said emerging from the house. His voice, like Mum’s, was a piano like creepy voice. His hair was a dark brown and his skin was a mix between tan and pale. “Kids, this is Kurda. My husband” Mum said kissing him on the cheek. I scowled at them both. Kurda gave me a very fake smile before turning to Toby “You must be Isadora’s baby, Tobias” Kurda earned another scowl. He stared at us both in disbelief. “Excuse them, they aren’t normally this rude” Mum frowned at us before staring Kurda inside. “I don’t like him!” Toby whispered angrily yanking open the boot. I nodded, turning to help him. We pulled our suitcases up the stairs and into the foyer of the house. My shoes clacked on the dark marble floor as we walked down the foyer. “Your room’s are upstairs, fourth floor. You’ll have the whole floor to yourselves. Now don’t go nosing around the house, Don’t go into the basement and don’t wonder around the house!” Mum instructed appearing out of no where. We both nodded unable to speak. Mostly from shock, I think. “Lift’s over there” She pointed us towards the lift. I walked off towards the lift, wanting to get away from Mum and her husband as quickly as possible.  * * *

“Morning, I’m Adele Evers” I said to the teacher sitting behind the desk. I had just walked into the classroom and unlike the rest of the school it looked like part of a normal high school. The corridors of the school had shiny well polished marble floors with a gleaming white painted walls that where covered with squeaky clean lockers. This classroom had un-cleaned Lino floors, ugly green carpet on the walls and gum covered desks. “Adele Evers, huh? Applegate’s kid” Like Kurda and my mothers voice’s, his was musical and sort of empty. “Step-kid” I said rudely. I wasn’t going to be known as Kurda’s kid. He was a creep. “Don’t like him?” The teacher asked grinning. He was young probably in his early twenty’s. Or he was just one of those people that don’t age much.

__Wednesday 18 May__

It’s funny how life can change so fast. Turning from bad to good. Like mine. All of a sudden my Mum had called, how she found us we aren’t sure, saying she was married and wanted us to come live with her. Three years of her not wanting to see us and now she did. What was with that?

 * * *

“Adele, we’ll be there in another twenty minutes” my younger brother, Tobias, said dumping himself down on the seat opposite me. I nodded, I hadn’t spoken since we had flown out of Finland. I often left Toby to take care of stuff. Ever since our parents had broken up elven years ago we had shipped around between them. Toby, unlike me, handled it quite well. “Del, your gonna have to talk soon enough” he said raising an eyebrow. I stared at him for a minute and then turned away. I didn’t want to have him trying to make me talk because I wouldn’t.

 * * *

<span style="font-size: 110%; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">Finally the train slowed down and around the corner I could see a small red wooden station. We turned the corner and came to a stop. Steam rose around the train but died down as quickly as it had come. I could hear the doors opening slowly and the voice of the train conductor yelling. I got up and pulled my bag onto my back, Toby was all ready taking care of our suit cases. I left the small compartment into the crowded hall. I pushed through the crowd and jumped onto the platform. I went straight to the small cafe beside the station. Our Mum was always late so we’d have to wait a while. I watched the flourishing crowd as the pushed and shoved either getting off the train or onto it.

<span style="color: #800080; font-size: 110%; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">I really like the story even though it isn't finished and the weird names. (Morgan)

<span style="font-size: 110%; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">Monday 16th May

<span style="font-size: 110%; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">“Good-Morning. I’m Adele Falls” I said to the middle aged looking teacher sitting behind a desk while I was looking around the class room. It was a boring, normal room. Desks, chairs, boring squeaky clean Lino, with green carpet on the walls. “Ah, Adele Falls. I have heard lots about you from Mr. Applegate. He’s your step-dad right? Just married your Mum. You and your Mum moved here from Finland. Big move. It’ll be hard for you to fit in here. This place is different from any other. Weird if it’s your first time here” He said not even looking up. “That explains about Mr. Applegate” I muttered. Not bothering to tell him my brother and I had moved here from Finland while our Mum had just moved here from London. I went and took a seat three lines from the back and two lines from the front. A few kids were all ready in the class including the girl from down the street. She had black hair that was as long as mine but was down covering her face. She didn’t wear make up and looked as if she barely ever talked. “So your the new kid. Applegate’s step daughter. Your lucky. My Mother married Mr. Jennings. He’s a weirdo.” A girl said turning around. She had dark green eyes and short curly red hair. “I’m Hala. Hala Marcia.” She added. “Adele Falls. So you know Mr. Applegate?” I said shaking her hand. “Yes, he’s my algebra teacher. So you don’t call him by his real name?” Hala asked. “No. I don’t like him. He’s freaky. I know theres something weird about him. Something weird about all of them. Did you grow up here?” I asked. “No. I moved here two years ago. I never made any friends. It’s hard to. There all so weird... Different.” She shrugged. “I know. Who’s she? The one with black long hair.” I looked over at the girl from down the street. “Who Sheila? Oh, well that’s Sheila Thompson. She moved her about 8 months ago. She’s really artistic. I’ve never talked to her. You should see some of her drawings. They’re amazing.” I nodded and smiled slightly. Maybe this place wouldn’t be so bad. “Where’d your Mum meet Mr. Applegate?” “I’m not actually sure. But she likes him. And that’s all that matters, I guess. It would just be nicer if he wasn’t so creepy. He always trys to be my friend. Like were good mates.” I say looking up at the teacher he’s flirting with a girl with long blonde hair. She was in a cheerleader outfit that was bright red. “That’s Bell Furrowed. Also not from here. Most of us have moved from somewhere. That’s what makes the place weirder. It’s hard to find someone who hasn’t moved here because there parents married someone. Bell’s one of the top cheerleaders. Mr. Joshing always flirts with pretty girls. Never to the new ones though. So just be careful.” Hala said noticing me staring. Bell was sitting on the desk and Mr. Joshing looked as if he cared about her. But there seemed to be something in his dark empty eyes, something that made him look like an hungry animal ready to attack and sort of pitiful at the same time. “And he’s a friend of my step-dad’s?” I said taking my eyes off them “Yeah, I know... He looks like... Like a hungry animal. Hey, We can skip this class you know. He doesn’t care. He doesn’t even take the register.” She said grinning. “Good.” I said standing up. We both picked up our bags, slinging them over our shoulders. “You going Hala?” A boy yelled from the back. “Of course I am Jason. I’m not gonna watch Joshing look as if he’s about to ear her” Hala said nodding her head towards Bell and Mr. Joshing. “True. Come on guys. Hala’s got a point” All the boys in the back row stood up and followed us out of the classroom. “So your from Finland? Big move. I lived in Brazil. My Dad lives in Brazil, still. I haven’t seen him in ages. Lucia!” Hala yelled waving at a girl with short brown hair and murky brown eyes. “Oh, Hi Hala. Who’s this? Wait your Adele Falls, Mr. Applegate’s step-daughter, right? Nice to meet you. I’m Lucia Elio.” She said shaking my hand once she arrived at our side. “Nice to meet you too” I smiled. “So Mr. Joshing about to eat Bell?” Lucia joked. “You bet. Why aren’t you in class? I mean Miss. Olin ain’t that bad” Hala said. “Um, until she starts flirting with Erik Lone. Why are you two... Oh,Right. Sorry, forgot.” Lucia laughed. “Ew. Wait, Adele, Come this way. Were going to the Cafeteria. So many of us just sit there all day. The teachers don’t teach us anything at this school. Parents have been pulling there kids out so much lately. Sending them off to Crave-hood High school. My mum doesn’t care. But then she can’t pull me out cause Jennings works here. I don’t mind not learning though. I just study at home.” Hala said leading us to the cafeteria. The cafeteria had white walls and white Lino with green tables. The seats were green like the tables and it was tidy unlike my old schools cafeteria. The cafeteria was half full and it was quite. Everyone was just murmuring. One table was empty apart from only one boy, he was tall and skinny. He had glasses on and looked as if he was the nerd of the school. Excluded, picked last, and had never had a girlfriend. “Come” Hala muttered leading us to a table by the window. “Why is it quiet?” I whispered. “I don’t actually know. It just is. Weird, huh?” Hala whispered back. “Want anything?” Lucia asked rising from her seat quickly. I shook my head like Hala and watched Lucia walk off to get some food. “Watch out for yourself at this school. Some people at this school are freaks.” Hala said warningly as if she was about to leave me. I nodded slightly and again looked around the cafeteria. “Why?” My eyes kept falling back onto the nerdy kid. He looked as if he was our age. “Just cause” She shrugged. I raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything else. I watched Lucia talk to another kid before beginning to walk back to us. “It’s happening” She whispered frantically. “But it wasn’t dark!” Hala said shocked. “I know. Look, we have to get out. What if it’s us?!” Lucia whispered tears appearing in her eyes. “Run” Hala murmured sprinting for the door. Everyone else was running around frantically too. What about? I wasn’t sure. I followed Hala trying to catch up with her but everyone was pushing and screaming. Yelling with fright. I stopped as people rushed around me. Searching for the nerdy boy. It would be him that disappeared. Why hadn’t I asked for his name? A boy grabbed my arm and started pulling me along behind him. “Let go!” I snapped trying to make him let go. He didn’t reply, just kept pulling me along behind him. I kept scanning the crowd for the nerdy boy but couldn’t find him. Suddenly I burst into tears, what the heck was happening. This time the boy stopped. “Look, don’t worry you won’t be hurt” “Yeah, I won’t be. But