by TJ Hines
Gemini placed her head in her hands and could feel the beginnings of tears start to form in the corners of her eyes. How was she supposed to do this? The first people that she allowed herself to trust and count on was Jesse’s family and she did trust them. She loved all of them, but they were wanting her to go against her instincts which was hard for her to do, especially when they were screaming so loudly at her.
“Hey, sweetheart. It’s gonna be okay. I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you and Taura. You have my word on that. Let’s just take it a day at a time. If something changes and things look like they are about to go south, we will hit the road,” Jesse said lifting Gem’s face until he could look into her eyes. “I promise.”
With that promise, Gem sagged into Jesse’s arms and let his comfort wrap around her until she started to feel better about staying at Magnolia Crest.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Sunday morning, Gemini woke up wrapped in Jesse's arms. She still couldn't believe how much she loved him. All she knew was that he had become as important to her as her sister was. She would gladly give up her life for either of them. And while dying scared some people, it never had Gem.
Gem slowly detangled herself from Jesse's arms and went about getting ready. They had a lot to do today to get ready for the upcoming week and Gem still wasn't convinced staying here was in their best interest. She walked to the kitchen after getting ready and looked around the space. There was a starter pack of coffee but that was it for breakfast except for the fruit from the welcome basket. Someone had left dinner at their door last night and Gem was kind of hoping that would be the case this morning. She started for the door to check but was caught off guard by Taura's voice.
"I already checked. There's nothing out there. Guess we'll have to go to the cafeteria this morning," she said walking into the room with her freshly washed hair in a towel.
"Did you take a shower without being told to do so? Are you feeling okay?" Gem asked walking toward her little sister to check for a temperature.
"I feel fine. I just felt like taking one. I want to make a good impression around here."
"I can understand that but don't get too comfortable. I am still not 100 percent on staying here." Gem could see the argument start to form in Taura's eyes, so she finished tacking on, "At least not yet."
Taura backed down and went back to her room to finish getting ready Gem gathered. Just when she heard the last gurgle on the coffee pot, Jesse walked out of the bedroom, hair in disarray, and jeans hanging low on his hips.
"How long you been up, sweetheart?"
"Not long. Want some coffee?" she asked looking in all the cabinets until she found the mugs. "I'm afraid we'll have to drink it black this morning until we go to their store and stock up on some essentials."
“Yeah. That would be great.”
They drank their coffee in a comfortable silence until Taura came back complaining of being hungry. Gem really didn’t want to go out because she was afraid she would start liking the place the more she interacted with it and the people. But she couldn’t very well hold her sister hostage and starve them to death, so she put her big girl panties on and decided to take the plunge and go to breakfast.
They made their way to the elevator, only to find the doors starting to close.
“Hold the elevator,” Jesse said to Gem’s disappointment. She would have much rather waited for the next elevator so she would have another minute before she had to meet new people. But unfortunately, someone in the car heard Jesse and put their arm through the doors to stop them from closing.
All three of them got on the elevator, Gem kept her eyes downcast so she wouldn’t have to speak but, of course, that only works if everyone with you is on the same page and does the same thing.
“Hey, I’m Jesse and this is Taura and Gemini. We just moved in yesterday.” Leave it to Jesse to never meet a stranger.
“My name is Peyton, and this is my wife Grier,” the guy with converse sneakers on said. Gem had no idea what they looked like because she refused to meet their gaze.
Jesse and Taura talked to them all the way down and even some in the lobby. Gem couldn’t believe that Taura was being so outgoing. From what Gemini understood both Peyton and Grier grew up at Magnolia Crest. Peyton was rescued from an orphanage when he was ten after accidentally using his ability. Grier’s family went on the run with her until Magnolia Crest trackers found them when she was twelve.
They walked with them to the cafeteria and to Gem’s complete shock they asked if they wanted to join them for breakfast. Gem didn’t understand any of this. These people were being so nice to them. After she got her some food, a plate full of bacon, eggs, and pancakes, she settled back down at the table. The only other person there was Grier.
“It’s a little overwhelming isn’t it?” Grier asked.
Gemini was torn. She didn’t want to be rude but at the same time, she really didn’t want to make new friends, especially with people she just met. But she didn’t know Dani, Micah, and Jesse either and they became her family. Against her initial hesitation, she decided to talk to Grier.
“A lot overwhelming,” she replied.
“I get it. I was overwhelmed when we first arrived too. Thankfully, I had my mom and dad to help me adjust. Just know that we are here if you have any questions about how things work here,” Grier said digging into her fruit bowl. She was exceptionally beautiful just like everyone she had met so far. She had platinum blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail and she had the figure of a ballet dancer. She had the poise of one too, Gem thought, and her eyes were blue just like Jesse and Taura’s.
“Thanks,” Gem said just as everyone else showed up at the table. Peyton looked like a football player. He had muscles for days. He was a little taller than Jesse with jet black hair but military short. His eyes, Gem noticed, were brown. Gem deduced that he must be a member of the regular class of Nephilim, but you couldn’t have figured that out by the way the guy carried himself.
They carried on in polite conversation throughout breakfast, which was nice, but it made Gemini miss Dani, Micah, and Mr. Johnson. Sundays were always special back at the Johnson farm. Dani and Gem would cook a big breakfast and then they would all get ready for church. After church, they would return home and they would all help Dani cook a big afternoon lunch. It was always so nice, and she missed it terribly.
“Do you guys have a church?” Taura blurted out almost like she had been reading Gem’s thoughts.
“We sure do. It is directly behind this building. You can’t miss it. A matter of fact, we are about to head that way for the morning service if you guys would like to join us,” Peyton said.
“We sure would,” Taura answered for all of them. It was getting harder and harder to not like the place with people being super nice to her, Gem thought.
So, they went from just going to grab some breakfast to making new friends and going to church to meet more new people. Gem’s plans of leaving were getting further and further out of reach.
The next morning, Gemini was abruptly shaken awake before the sun had even risen in the sky. At first, she thought it was Jesse waking her up but realized a moment later it was coming from the other side of the bed.
"What's wrong, munchkin?" she asked Taura.
"What outfit should I wear today?" Startled by the question because Taura was not the type of girl to care what she wore, Gem sat straight up in bed.
Grier and Peyton introduced them to a lot of church members yesterday and showed them the donations closet in the church. Closet was not the word Gem would have used to describe the room, which was as big as the cafeteria. Everything was free. The church just asked that you only take what you need and donate back anything you don't.
Gem, Taura, and Jesse stayed in there for at least a couple of hours trying on clothes and looking for stuff for their apartment. After that, they swung by the grocery store and picked up some food so they could cook at home some too. It was nice having a
little normalcy back in their life even if it wasn't the actual real world.
"Which outfit should I wear today, Gemi? The dress with pink stripes or blue jeans with a purple sweater?" Taura asked again.
"That's up to you but I'm more of a jeans girl," Gem responded getting out of the bed, careful not to disturb Jesse. Jesse had been the perfect gentleman through all of this. Never asking for anything more than what Gemini was willing to give. Gem would have thought it was because Jesse knew about her history of abuse but deep down, she knew it was just the kind of guy he was. Patient and understanding. Perfect, she thought.
But now, with all this privacy, it was getting harder to keep their hormones in check. One day, and probably soon at the rate they were going, their resistance would crumble. Gem was partially scared about that but the bigger part of her was excited to take their relationship to a new level.
"Blue jeans it is then," Taura said as she walked out of the room.
Gemini followed her so that their conversation didn't wake Jesse. She wanted to ask why her sister was up so early, but she knew the answer to that. Taura was excited and a little nervous about her first day at school. Gem was nervous too because she wasn’t completely sure about this whole school thing. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Taura to have an education because she did. It was more about what she was going to learn in a place like this.
“You hungry?” she asked Taura, knowing the answer was yes before Taura responded. Taura was always hungry. Jesse was too now that Gem thought about it. Must have been a Nephilim thing. Gem stopped dead in her tracks to the refrigerator. She could not believe that she just said that. Now she was starting to think like all these people. She actually used the word Nephilim when talking about her little sister and Jesse. She shook her head again. She had to keep her head on straight and not believe this nonsense. One of them had to stay sane and watch out for their well beings.
Gem started to make breakfast when Jesse came out of the bedroom. His hair was rumpled, and his sleep pants were riding low once again showing the indentations on his sides. It was hard for Gemini to take her eyes off him. She knew she was ogling but she couldn’t stop. Thankfully, Jesse was yawning so he didn’t notice, or if he did, he didn’t mention it. He came up behind her and moved her hair to the side of her neck. She immediately got goosebumps from his gentle caress. He kissed the back of her neck and said, “Good morning, sweetheart.” And that was all it took to make Gemini melt like butter in a frying pan. She nearly collapsed right there in the kitchen.
They met the headmistress, who was extremely tall for a woman, in the meeting room located in the main building. The Sisters were there, as well, which made Gemini feel a little better about the situation. She liked Aspen, Audrey, and Ava. There was just something about them that brought peace to Gem. The headmistress, on the other hand, reminded her of the principal from that movie about the little girl that could do magic. She was all stern-looking like she hadn’t smiled in a hundred years which quite possibly could be how old she was gaging from her appearance and demeanor. Gem knew she actually wasn’t that old because the Elders were the oldest in the community, according to them and they couldn’t have been more than thirty.
Gemini resisted the urge to place Taura behind her when the Headmistress, who liked to be called that apparently because she never gave them a name, spoke to Taura for the first time. The Headmistress explained that Taura would be receiving a rigorous education, consisting of regular Academic classes combined with classes about Nephilim, Angels, their history, and the war coming. She would also be receiving classes on how to use and control her abilities, as well as classes that would teach her about combat and hand to hand fighting. Gemini wasn’t sure there was enough time in a week to teach all of that, much less a day. She was particularly concerned about the combat classes until the Sisters explained all Nephilim begin training at an early age and that there was nothing to worry about.
Once again Gemini wanted to grab her baby sister and take off running because she would never be okay with her sister fighting a war. She was just a kid after all. But where would they go? Sudha would catch up to them if they left Magnolia Crest, she was sure of that. She couldn’t let her sister just be experimented on or worse killed. At least here, there was a chance the war might never come.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Jesse and Gemini stayed behind to talk to the Sisters once Taura and the Headmistress left. Gemini said a little prayer that Taura would have a good day and make some new friends. Taura always tried to distance herself from people back in Chicago. She didn't have more than a handful of friends back there. And in Hope, the only kids she got to interact with were at church and that was only for an hour a week. Her closest friends, while living there, were the dogs, Bryant, Bear, and Allie. Gem sure did miss those big teddy bears and she knew Taura did too.
"Jesse, we need to talk to you about your training schedule," Aspen said.
"Training schedule? What's that?" Jesse asked.
"All Nephilim are trained in how to use and control their abilities, as well as combat and hand to hand fighting techniques. We need everyone to be their best when the war comes, which means they need to train," Aspen explained taking a seat on the couch, her sisters coming to sit next to her.
"Awesome. When do I start?" Jesse asked clearly excited about the training idea. Gemini controlled her emotions so Jesse wouldn't know how upset she was by this. It was like Taura and Jesse were leaving her behind. They had these new lives and she had nothing. She didn't even have to watch after her sister as much anymore because she was becoming so independent.
"Audrey and I will take you to Serenity so you can meet your instructors," Aspen said. "And Ava is going to take Gemini on a job tour so that she can find a job that best fits her."
Gemini hadn't considered the thought that she and Jesse would be split up. She had figured that they would both get the same job and would be together. She could feel her anxiety start to climb. How was she going to do this without Jesse or Taura? She didn't like meeting new people. She placed her hand over her chest where it was getting tight. She had to calm down before it became a full-blown panic attack. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. It didn't help. So, she tried again. And again. Nothing. Finally, she felt a hand come to rest upon her back and she immediately felt warm and the anxiety just disappeared. She had a clear mind again and her chest didn't feel heavy.
She opened her eyes to see that Ava had a hand placed upon her back. She must have used her healing ability, Gem thought.
"Thank you," Gemini said.
"It was my pleasure," Ava said going to sit next to her sisters again.
"We know everything is quite overwhelming for you right now, but we promise it will get better. You will get in a routine and before long you will feel your stress start to diminish. Why don't you take today for yourself and we will do the tour tomorrow?" Ava said.
Gemini thought about it but decided that she could do this. She was strong and perfectly capable of doing this on her own. And she would have Ava with her, and the Sisters did bring a sense of calming to her.
“If it’s all right with you, I would rather do it today,” she said gathering her courage up for the day she had ahead of her.
That evening, after they had made dinner, Jesse, Taura, and Gemini gathered around their dining room table to discuss their day. Gemini had been so busy that she didn’t even have a chance to stop and think about how Jesse and Taura had these exciting lives now. Ava showed her every job that they had available at the moment and took her to lunch when it was all over to discuss what she might want to do here at Magnolia Crest. She ended up choosing to work in the cafeteria. Foodservice was the only job she had ever had and even though she kind of wanted to find something a little more exciting she stayed in her comfort zone.
After Gemini told them about her job and what she did with Ava, Taura told them about her classes. She said that they had regular academic classes like History, M
ath, Science, and English on Mondays and Wednesdays and then they had their other classes like Religious Studies, History of Angels and Nephilim, and a class on the upcoming war on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Fridays, they would spend the entire day training and learning how to use and control their abilities. Taura was so excited that it shocked Gemini a little because it was so unlike her. Taura didn’t like attending school back in Chicago. It was like pulling teeth to get her ready every morning. If Gem was honest with herself, it was the same way for her. It was hard going to school when you had nothing. You were picked on relentlessly because of the clothes you wore, for the supplies you didn’t have, or in some cases because the other kids knew that your mom was on drugs. So, when Taura told Jesse and Gem that she made friends today with a couple of kids, Gemini nearly fell out of her chair.
“You made friends today?” she asked her little sister.
“Don’t act so surprised Gemi. I do know how to make friends.”
“Yeah I know but you usually don’t. At least not the ones that only have two legs,” Gemini said referring to Taura’s friendships with Jesse’s dogs and their old cat, Mr. Bojo.
