by Jaymin Eve
Samantha snorted. “Don’t let him fool you. He enjoys reading textbooks, and he’s usually a year or two ahead of all class assigned reading.” She then picked up her salad bowl. It was the only thing on her tray, which was a dark purple. She could have had her choice from all of that delicious food and had only taken a salad.
I immediately distrusted her.
“Emma, tell us about yourself. Did you just move to Astoria?” Lace leaned across the table toward me as she asked the question. A question which was innocent, but which brought forth so many of the dark memories I was trying to keep contained inside.
Swallowing hard, I attempted to think of something to say that would assuage their curiosity without revealing the last tragic eight months of my life.
“Yes, we just moved here. My guardians travel a lot for their job, but we’re here in Astoria for the rest of my senior year. They promised me we wouldn’t move again before I went to college.”
“Are they in the army?” Cara asked, her tray now pushed to the side as she too was finished.
I let out a bit of a chuckle, giving a noncommittal shrug. “No, they do some consulting, and computer stuff.”
I had learned it was better to give answers and be vague than to refuse to answer at all. If you acted like it was a big deal or a secret, it would rouse their interest. With Michael and Sara’s crazy theories and lifestyle, it was just easier to pretend they were consultants. No one actually knew what a consultant did. It was one of those jobs that wasn’t really a job and explained away lots of business ventures.
Ben changed the subject then; his pale skin lit up as he said, “Are we all going to Trey’s on Friday night? The first party back of the school year is always the most epic.” He turned toward me, reaching across to grab my hand. “You have to come, Emma. The elite parties are insane. They usually have them at these crazy locations, in the middle of nowhere.”
I shifted in my seat, subtly pulling my hand free from his grasp. “I’m not really much of a party person.” Something occurred to me then, so I added, “And how do you get invited to the elite parties anyway?”
Samantha answered, a slight softening on her face. It made her look much more approachable. “Our family is the rung below the elite. We’re rich – well, compared to Ben’s family we are well-off. They are billionaires – so we all get invited to the social gatherings.”
“And we can bring you along!” Ben added, still looking far too excited. He was a partier, that was immediately obvious. I’d put my money down on him being the one still dancing at 5 A.M when everyone else was asleep or passed out.
They were all looking at me, Cara included, so I finally said, “I’ll think about it. I have to ask my guardians.”
I couldn’t imagine Sara or Michael ever saying no to something like that, but it was rude to just assume it would be cool. They’d be home this afternoon. They had to be. I couldn’t consider any other options.
Cara shrieked as she bounced in her seat. “I’m so excited. They don’t allow commoners into Daelight Crescent – outside of the few who score rentals in there – so you’ll have to get ready at my place. I might be able to borrow my mom’s car to drive us too.”
Ben jumped in then. “If you can’t get the car, I’ll pick you up.”
I nodded a few times, keeping my happy face on. That seemed to satisfy everyone. A party didn’t sound like the worst thing in the world, and if I still didn’t want to go when the day arrived, it was easy enough to make up an excuse.
The rest of lunch passed quickly. The conversation was fun and lively between the other five, and I got to listen and learn all the gossip. I did notice how much time Cara spent looking up at the elite section, sneaking glances whenever she thought no one was watching her. It was definitely time to grill her on the way home. She needed to spill everything she knew about them.
Chapter 5
My afternoon classes consisted of art, which I was terrible at, and biology, which I loved. Both had elite in them, but none were the Darken brothers. Two blond elites were in my art class, a male and female who could have been twins they looked so similar. I learned their last name was Royale, but other than that they were quiet and kept to themselves.
By the end of the first day I was exhausted. It was like my brain had been on hyper-overdrive as I tried to keep up with this new world, and by the end I was ready to sleep for a week. I could have kissed the moving sidewalk as I jumped on it, zoning out as it zoomed me toward my locker. I stumbled off the end, still not any better at dismounting, and quickly dropped all my books off. No homework had been assigned today, which seemed peculiar, but was probably a first day bonus.
There was a decidedly laid-back approach to learning here. Most of the teachers had asked us to call them by their first name. Textbooks were used, but it was mostly frank discussion that made up the curriculum, and there seemed to be value placed on the opinion and voice of students.
I could get used to that.
“Emma, wait up!” Cara called from the moving path, leaping gracefully from the end and reaching my side in seconds. “We can catch the bus together,” she finished breathlessly.
I slung my now very light bag over my shoulder and grinned. “I was planning on waiting for you. You still have to fill me in on the elite.”
She quickly glanced left and right, before bringing her gaze back to me. “Yes, we can talk a little about it on the way home.”
All day she had been so weird about the elite, seeming to both fear and admire them in equal measure. She’d warned me away from them and then spent half our lunch break watching them. Girl was definitely confused about how she felt. I could relate. There had been a reason I continued to spy on them across the street every day. The fascination was there, no matter how much I wished it away.
There weren’t a lot of students on the bus we caught.
“Trials start today for the teams,” Cara said as we took our seat in the middle of the bus. “It’s really a formality. The same students are always chosen.”
That reminded me of something and I let out a low groan. She raised an eyebrow in my direction. “I need a few more extracurriculars for college,” I told her, barely holding in another groan. “My last guidance counselor told me how competitive scholarships are, and if I want to be in with a decent chance, I need to pad my application.”
Cara dropped her pack between her feet and gave a little nod as she straightened. “I’m the same. Thinking about joining the school paper, and maybe volunteering for one of the committees. Prom or something.” She quickly added, “As long as you don’t want to be a cheerleader, then we have plenty of time to decide. There’s a list near the main office. We can check it out tomorrow.”
Relief washed through me; there was still time to decide. When she had said all the tryouts started today, I’d thought I missed my chance. “I definitely don’t want to be a cheerleader. I don’t have a lot of pep, and my flexibility is about minus fifty.” I had never been one of those kids who could put their leg over their head. I was more likely to be found trying to touch my toes and only reaching my knees.
When about half a dozen students were seated across the bus, the driver – a middle-aged man with kind eyes and a cheery smile – shut the door and slowly pulled out of the main parking lot. As we drove by I noticed the Darkens' cars were still in the lot, which probably meant those elite were on the football team. Figures.
As the school disappeared, Cara and I slumped into our seats, and she shifted to face me. The mascara around her eyes was smudged, the fancy up-do in her blond hair falling out, but she still managed to look confident and put together. My last thirty bucks said I didn’t look nearly as good.
“What I’m about to tell you is ninety percent rumor and ten percent guesswork from me.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“So pretty much zero confirmed fact?” I murmured back.
She nodded. “There is something weird about the elite in this town. Weird li
ke … they’re not normal humans.”
Obviously they weren’t normal humans. They were rich and powerful and connected, like meeting the president, or a movie star.
Cara must have noticed my expression, because she shook her head. “No, it’s not just that they are beyond perfect, or that they have enough money to buy most countries, or that there is not a single door in this world which doesn’t open for them. It’s more … I don’t even know how to explain it. If I had to guess, I would say they were literally not from Earth.”
She shot me a look, probably waiting for me to laugh and accuse her of being crazy. I didn’t though, because I was very used to this sort of theory now. The Finnegans had me well prepared. “You think they’re something supernatural,” I whispered, wanting more information. “Like … vampire or werewolf or something?”
Cara blinked a few times, before she expelled a huge breath of air and sank even lower. “Honestly, I know I sound crazy. I know this. And probably the elite are just mafia or something. But if they were vampires it would make so much sense … explain away their oddness.”
I had definitely picked up on that odd vibe. Even the way they garnered so much privilege and respect in Starslight. I mean, football players were treated pretty well in my hometown, but this was an entirely new level.
“Did you know teachers are swapped in and out all the time, sometimes in the middle of the school year,” Cara continued. “I don’t even remember most of their names.”
I wasn’t sure what to think or believe, but I was starting to understand what had brought Michael and Sara here. These elites were definitely bringing attention to themselves. Odd that it was happening now, considering Michael always monitored that sort of thing and he had seen nothing until recently.
Could his original theory be right? Were we lured here for some reason? Was that why they were not home yet? My heart rate was starting to pick up, heat rushing my body as panic and adrenalin warred within me. If my guardians were not home when I got there, I would give them until tonight. Then I would have to do something. Talk with the security. Follow their path.
Sucking in deeply, I breathed through my worry, knowing there was nothing I could do until I saw if they were home or not. Cara was looking at me strangely, so I quickly changed the subject.
“So, will they start giving out more homework?”
Tilting her head to the side, she observed me for a beat longer, shaking her head, blond strands swishing across her shoulders. “No, we never get homework. The teachers don’t like to mark it.”
Third bonus for the week. “You’re always staring at the elite? Why is that?” The tactless question exited from my mouth before I could stop it.
I expected a glare, but she just let out a deep sigh. “Last year, at one of the Friday night parties, before Mitch and I started seeing each other, I hooked up with an Imperial. You haven’t seen them yet, they never come on the first day – actually, the Imperials only come to school when they feel like it. They fight with the other founding families. Lots of tension.”
I flashed back to my history text to those families: Imperial, Royale, Darken, and Leights.
“I don’t even know which Imperial it was,” she continued, “but before anything could really happen we were separated by Daniel Imperial. He’s the leader of his little family group.”
She looked wistfully out the bus window. “Ever since then … I just can’t break my obsession with them. With all of the elites. I hate them, Emma, I really do. And yet I crave to be closer to them.”
Before we could speak further, the bus came to a halt in the main square of Astoria and I had to change buses. “See you tomorrow,” I yelled to Cara as I dashed down the stairs. She was going right to her job at the local diner, so she had no rush to get off. I was running, making the town bus just in time.
I sat right at the front. On the last leg of my journey home I didn’t see the stunning scenery of the beautiful town, a town I was already half in love with. I was lost in thought of everything that had happened today. School. Cara’s weird vibes about the elite. There was so much mystery surrounding everything here, and I was starting to get a Michael and Sara feeling – Astoria had something extraordinarily strange going on.
I was practically bouncing in my seat as I waited for the bus to reach Daelight Crescent. The Finnegans were at the forefront of my mind. I needed to know they were safe. When the bus finally approached my stop, I yanked on the cord and was already waiting at the front when it pulled up.
“Thank you,” I shouted over my shoulder as I hurried down the stairs.
I dashed across the road. By the time I was approaching the gates the sky had darkened and fat drops were landing on my cheek.
“Looks like you’ll make it just in time, Miss Emma.” Ace’s grinning face brought a similar grin to my own. “How was your first day of school?”
I quickly swiped my card, waiting for the gates to open. “It was good. Starslight is amazing and a little intimidating, but I’m enjoying it so far.”
Ace’s grin turned into a chuckle. “Yeah, they treat you right there. Alright now, hurry inside. It’s about to get bad again.”
Sure enough, as he spoke, a crack of lightning rocked the sky above us and the rain got heavier.
“See you tomorrow,” I yelled as I ran.
“Bye, Emma. Stay on your side of the street, you hear.”
The last part he added sounded playful, but it still sent a small flicker of unease through my chest. Reminded me that not all was right in this world. That the elite, who most likely all lived on this street, had far too many secrets for my liking.
My keys were in my hands as I dashed along the rundown side of the street. As my shack came into view I bit back a curse, my heart sinking low. No car in the driveway; the Finnegans weren’t back yet. The worry could not be pushed aside any longer; my hands were shaking as I unlocked the front door. Stepping inside, I still checked every room, just in case Michael had dropped Sara off. Nope. The house had not been touched since I left this morning.
I’d promised myself that I’d give it until nightfall, so I’d have to wait a few more hours before making a decision about what to do. The Finnegans did not like or trust the police, they made that perfectly clear. But I couldn’t think of what else to do. I didn’t have money for a private investigator, and I was terrible at computers. No way could I hack in Michael’s to try to see if there was any record of their plans here in Astoria.
Please just come home.
I was starting to shiver in my damp clothes, so I hurried to my room and switched out my uniform for the same clothes I’d worn to school this morning. I also unpacked my spare uniform, hanging both in the tiny closet. After this, I dragged the blanket off my bed and snuggled it around me on the couch. Dropping my head back to the barely comfortable cushion, I stared out the front window into the rain-drenched street. The quiet settled around me and I thought briefly of switching the TV on. It was ancient and had five channels, but it would be distracting.
I didn’t move. I kept vigilant watch through those windows, hoping the familiar clunker of a car would pull into the driveway. We should have had this discussion as a family, what to do if they didn’t show up from one of their trips away. In my old life I would have just gone to the police, filed a missing person’s report, and let the professionals do their job. But Michael would never forgive me if I did that. He told me all the time we couldn’t trust anyone in council or government, law enforcement as well. They were in the pockets of these supernaturals.
Please just come home.
My eyes got heavy and I decided a little nap might kill some of the afternoon. Stretching out across the couch and wrapping the blanket around me, I drifted off to the pitter-patter of rain. It was one of my favorite sounds, although something told me I could soon become very sick of it living here, and crave the occasional day of sunshine. Quite the opposite from when we lived in Roswell.
A roar of an engine wo
ke me sometime later. I was disoriented for a few moments, finally remembering I was still on the couch waiting for the Finnegans to return. I bolted upright and jumped to my feet, stumbling a few times as the blood rushed around my body. Shaking off the disorientation, I threw a quick glance at the oven to see it was 5:48 P.M. No wonder it was almost dark. The outside was only lit by the pretty streetlights that lined Daelight Crescent.
I scanned our driveway. There was no car, but I was sure an engine had woken me. Grabbing my shoes and coat from the stand near the door, I quickly pulled them all on, lifting my umbrella and opening the front door. Stepping out onto our tiny porch, the icy breezes cut through me. What the hell, Astoria? It felt like it was the middle of winter. I quickly opened the old black umbrella, hoping it would manage to keep me somewhat dry. Then I hurried down the steps and out onto the street. I made sure to stay on the shack side, but it was getting very muddy on the grass, so I walked on the edge of the road.
As I got closer to the front gate, I realized I’d forgotten my ID card, which gave me a moment of worry. What if someone new was on the gate and they kicked me out? I’d be stuck out in the rain. Just when I was trying to decide if I should turn around, Ace’s smiling face popped into view. He was on this side of the fence, looking like he was about to clock off work. He had a jacket and umbrella too.
“Ace!” I shouted into the wind, dashing toward him.
He turned, eyebrows raised as though I had startled him. “Hey there. Is everything okay?”
I huffed a few times as I stopped in front of him, my breath wheezing in and out. Ace chuckled this time. “I’m going to guess you’re not a runner.”
I shook my head, still breathing deeply, managing to huff out, “God no, I prefer leisure activities that include reading, shopping, knitting, lying on the beach, and exploring museums. I’m an indoor activity sort of girl.”
“Good to know.” His dark eyes glittered in the dying light. “With that in mind, I’m guessing you have an important reason for running in this storm, then?”
