by S.A. Waters
Dylan and I walked about a block or so before coming across a bench, and I sat down.
“So,” Dylan said, jumping up next to me. “Now what?”
“Now,” I replied, leaning over a bit. “We have to make you a dog.”
“What are you talking about? I am a dog! Can’t you see? I have four legs, fur, and a tail! Anymore dog and I’ll be licking my own butt and playing fetch!”
“First of all, that’s gross. Second, I can see you’re a dog. I’m not blind. But look at you! You are talking! You are still human! So we have to get you a collar, a leash-”
“Whoa Whoa Whoa. I can deal with a collar. That’s understandable. However, a leash? No way! I am not a poodle that you can just show off! And I am certainly, not a pet.”
“Dylan, will you just please let me finish? The leash will only be for some of the time. Only when leashes are absolutely required. You get to pick it out. And pretty much, you are my pet. Got it?”
“Fine.” Dylan laid down and slumped on the bench.
“And you can’t talk unless we are certain we are alone.”
“Got it.” I heard a thought in my brain. It wasn’t mine though. It was Dylan’s.
“Can you communicate to me through thought?” I asked him. He nodded. “Can I talk to you through thought? Why didn’t you think to me before?” He nodded again. “Alright, I thought to him. Let’s go find a pet store.” We both got up and walked some more down the street.
An hour of walking later, Dylan and I found the pet store entitled, “PET PALOOZA!” One look at the sign and we both kind of snickered. What an odd name.
Before we could enter the store, we read the sign on the door. “Please put your pet on a leash before entering, ‘PET PALOOZA!’” I looked down at Dylan. Crap. “Alright,” I sighed. “Dylan, you sit here and stay. I’ll tap on the window and show you an item. Then you tell me if you like it.” My dog nodded and I went inside.
My first stop inside the store was isle seven: Collars and leashes. There were three collars that caught my attention.
The first one was a black collar with red stitching and silver stubs. I picked up the medium sized one.
The second collar was plain blue. I don’t know why but I really liked it. So I picked up that one too.
The last collar was red with small, white doggie bones on it. I picked it up and headed over to the window.
I tapped in the window and as promised, Dylan perked up and looked at me. I showed him the first one. I like that one. He thought to me. I showed him the second one. Plain, but I still like it. I held up the third collar. No way! I laughed. I put it down next to me. This time I showed him the first and second collar. He was silent for a bit. Thinking. The blue one. He finally responded. I nodded and put the other two back. Then I went further down the isle to where the leashes were. I decided on a blue leash to match the collar. I picked it up and headed for the checkout line.
“Your total is twelve dollars and ninety-three cents,” Said the lady at the register. I pulled out the money Katy gave me from my pocket and gave here a twenty. She gave me my change and I walked out. “Here you go, boy.” I joked. He rolled his eyes as I bent down to put on his collar and leash. Then I brought him back into the store. The lady at the register gave me a weird look. “Wasn’t that kid just in here?” I heard her think. I nodded and took Dylan to the “Make your own FREE dog tag!” stand near the back exit.
The stand looked much like a movie rental box. It was red and had a flat touch screen. I read it. “Press here to start.” It said. I pressed the screen. It led me to about ten different styles of tags. I looked at Dylan. “The dog bone,” he thought. So I chose the gold plated, dog boned shape tag. Then I clicked the “next” button on the screen. The new screen asked me to type in my address, phone number, and my pet’s name. I didn’t have a house. So I couldn’t put in my address. I didn’t have a phone, so I couldn’t put in my number. Nevertheless, my dog had a name, so in big, fat letters I typed in, DYLAN. I looked down at him in approval. He nodded. I turned back to the screen and pressed the “finished” button. The machine made a noise like a printer, and then you could hear the slow etching of metal to metal. About two minutes later, a small, metal dog bone came out of the machine. I immediately grabbed it and put it on Dylan, then we left swiftly. Next stop, school enrollment.
I thought back on what Katy had said. Oliver High School. That’s what we had to find. Dylan and I walked around a bit until we came across the school. A few other kids were there with us. “Excuse me,” I said to one girl, but without touching her. She turned around. “Yes,” she replied. Seeming somewhat alarmed.
“Sorry,” I apologized. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m new here, do you have any idea where the school enrollment sheet is.”
“It’s straight down and to your right. I’m actually heading there myself. Do you want to walk together?”
“Sure. I’m Carter, by the way.”
“Rebekah.” Rebekah had light brown hair and greenish grayish eyes. She was pretty short. Around five foot six. No way she could be my age. Rebekah had a brown, short sleeve T shirt on and some blue jeans. I don’t know how she could’ve worn jeans in this weather. It was ten million degrees outside!
There was an awkward silence for a bit. The seconds feeling like years. Luckily, Rebekah struck up a conversation.
“Who’s your friend?” She asked. I looked down at Dylan.
“Oh, this is Dylan.” She bent down to pet him. Dylan moaned in response.
“He’s really cute. Husky?”
“Siberian husky. Yep.”
“So what brings you to Rockfrett?”
“Family wanted a change. So we moved. I used to live in New York City. They were sick of the noise. So one day I literally woke up with my stuff packed, and the next thing I know, my parents tell me to go get signed up for school. So here I am.” I lied. But it was better than the one I told Katy, and much more believable. I'm finding myself to be a pretty good liar.
“I see. Do you like it here?”
“To be honest, it’s too soon to tell. I got here this morning.”
“Oh. What grade are you going into?”
“Twelfth. Senior year.”
“I hear it’s tough on new seniors. Good luck.”
“Thanks. I appreciate the honesty.”
“Hey, I’m just stating the facts!”
“So what about you?”
“What about me?”
“What grade are you going into? You obviously aren’t my age.”
“Well how do you know that? But you’re right. I’m going to be a freshman. Yay.”
“Freshman year wasn’t so bad. Different, but I liked it.”
“Well, you aren’t from around here. The people from my middle school aren’t exactly the nicest, or the smartest.”
“Oh. Well I wish you the best of luck.” Rebakah, Dylan, and I walked a little bit longer until we found the registration tables in the school gym. There were four of the tables. One for each grade level. Rebakah looked at me and said, “Well, it was nice meeting you. Maybe I’ll see you around.”
“You too, Rebekah.” I replied. Then we parted ways. She walked over to the Freshman table, and I made my way over to the Senior table, where I was greeted by two volunteer parents. One if them looked up at me. “Name?” She asked.
“Carter.”
“Full name?”
“Carter-Adrian Nicholas Breese.”
“Okay. That’s quite a mouthful, Mr. Breese. Age?”
“Seventeen.”
“Date of birth?” Shoot. I haven’t thought about that yet. I looked down at Dylan in distress. Just use your old one. He thought. I turned back to the lady.
“June 11, 1997.”
“Name of parents or legal guardians?”
“Grant and Stacey Breese.” Saying the first thing that came to mind.
“Your phone number?”
>
“Ummm, 214-497-7014.” Another lie. Now I need to get a phone.
“Address?’
“I don’t know. I just moved here.”
“Are your parents here?”
“No.”
“Will you have them fill out and sign this form and then bring it back tomorrow? Oh, and one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“May I please see your drivers license?”
“I don’t have one.”
“Then how did you get here?”
“I walked.”
“I see. When you arrive with your form tomorrow, I must see all the information filled out on this sheet.”
“Got it. Thanks.”
“Have a nice day. Next!” I left the table with the form. I took a look at it. Some of it was already filled out with the information I had told the lady.
I was walking out of the school, when I was abruptly and rudely shoved up against a wall. I looked at the kid who ran into me, and he did the same. But his reaction was a lot different then mine. The kid turned around and came back over to me. He grabbed my shirt, touching me. He was my height, but I was still scared.
“What are you looking at, kid?” He scolded me, his long, thick, dark brown hair came close enough to touch my face, and his brown eyes pierced my soul.
“You,” I said back, my voice a little shaky.
“Well you better start clearing a path for me.”
“I don’t even know you.”
“That doesn’t matter-”
“TOMMY!”A voice shouted across the hall. The kid who was holding me, Tommy, dropped me instantly. I fell to the ground.
“What do you want, Samson?”
“Leave the kid alone.” The other voice replied. I turned around and realized it was another boy about my age. Tommy looked at me in disgust.
“Just stay out of my way. Got it?” I looked at him fearfully. Tommy then walked away. The other boy jogged towards me. “You all right?” He asked me, helping me off the ground, touching my hand. Dylan bit my ankle. I shot him a dirty but apologetic look. I looked at his neck, he wasn’t a Lybrian. I was safe. The boy had blue eyes and light, short brown hair. He was big, but in muscle, and wore a white shirt and baggy jeans.
“Yeah,” I said back to the boy. “Thanks.”
“No problem. Don’t mind Tommy. He’s just a jerk. I’m Nate Samson by the way.”
“Hey. I’m Carter Breese. Thank you again for stopping him.”
“It’s my job, he’s my step brother. He’ll listen to me; otherwise I’ll tell his mom. That’s why I can stand up to him.” He looked down a Dylan. “Is that your dog?”
“Yep. Dylan is his name. I’ve been getting that question a lot lately.”
“Oh, cool. Did you transfer here from another school?”
“What?”
“I mean, I’ve never seen you at this high school, and I know you’re a senior. Did you go to another high school before here?”
“Yeah. I just moved here from New York. Like literally, today. And how did you know I was a senior?”
“I saw you in line. I’m a senior too.”
“Oh.”
“Yep. Well, I better get going. My dad’s waiting for me outside. Do you need a ride?”
“No thanks. I’ll walk. See you at school then.”
“Suit yourself. Later, dude.” And he walked off. Dylan bit my ankle again. When we were alone in the hallway, he said to me out loud. “What is wrong with you! After all this training! You could’ve easily taken that Tommy kid!”
“I was just stunned and trying to check if he was a Lybrian or not.”
“Carter, you’ll know if you’ve been touched by a Lybrian. You will be able to feel it. And you can easily point out the Lybrians. Their marks will glow a bright blue when you’re within sight distance. It wont shine, but you can see it vividly. Don’t you understand? He could’ve killed you right then and there. Defend yourself with anything, but don’t let him touch you! This cannot happen again!”
“Alright. Sorry. But if I can see Lyrians, then why can’t I be touched?”
“Because they may be Pacts, who have also gone into hiding, or there are people who just haven’t gotten touched, and could touch you. So stay away. Now let’s go find a place to sleep.”
“But it’s only two o’clock.”
“Not to stay there, but just so we know where we are going to be settled in for a while. Come on.” I sighed and followed Dylan down the street away from Oliver High School.
Along a busy street was a playground, and it seemed like a good place to spend the next few nights. The playground was full of small children on the carousel, monkey bars, slides, and rock wall. The carousel was metal and rusty, as well as the monkey bars and swing set. However, the rock wall was plastic with inserts and handles. The other equipment was also plastic. Including the two slides, the tunnel, and the little playhouse. The kids seemed to enjoy it. Dylan and I agreed to sleep in the tunnel.
“Excuse me?” A voice asked behind me. I turned around. I couldn’t believe my eyes. “Do you know where the nearest bathroom is?” He asked again. Then I realized I wasn’t dreaming. The one talking to me was Kody, and he was surrounded by Drew, James, and Dakota. And their necks glowed a bright blue.
Chapter 10
“Do you?” Kody asked again. Too stunned to speak, I shook my head no. Then they walked by me. Feeling them leave was like a knife to the heart. I stood where I was for a second, paralyzed in shock. What had just happened? Dylan then snapped me out of my trance and led me to a bench to sit down.
“Yes,” He said. “Those were your friends passing by. They are Lybrians as well. Remember the alliance we told you about? Code of Law?” I nodded my head, looking straight forward. “Well,” Dylan stated again. “All of them except Dakota are a part of that. Surprise.”
“And you never told me?” I said slowly but angrily. “ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? HOW COME YOU NEVER TOLD ME! AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN DAKOTA’S NOT ON MY SIDE?”
“Back off and let me explain.” Dylan snapped back.
“Well go on then!”
“I can’t.”
“Then why the hell did you tell me to let you explain?”
“Because, I’m not exactly the best one to tell you.”
“Then who is?”
“Star and Eli. We can visit them tonight. So relax.”
***
James, Drew, Kody, and Dakota walked up a hill near an alley. “So Dakota,” James asked Dakota, putting his arm around her. “I knew Drew and Kody were part of the Code of Law, but you were a great surprise!”
“Um, what are you talking about,” Dakota questioned, pushing James’s arm off of her.
“You know! How Kyle is the Light, and we’re here to protect him and stuff. Didn’t your guardians tell you?”
“No they didn’t. I’m so confused. What are you talking about? Kyle’s the Light? I told you never to talk about him!” Dakota looked curiously and with anger at James (He had known about the rule Dakota established: There is no talking about Kyle or the plane wreck or the past life). James turned away and looked pleadingly for back up to Drew and Kody. Was he not supposed to tell her?
***
Dakota was the last to fall asleep in the alley that night. She sat next to Kody and stroked his hair. He was Kyle’s best friend. She looked over at Drew and thought about when they were at the airport. How they had laughed and how he had brought Kyle to tell the truth about the tickets. She turned her head to James, who was snoring. She remembered his most recent birthday party as she pulled out a picture from her pocket. It was the five of them at the party. James and Drew were on James’s couch, him leaning on Drew. Kody stood on Kyle’s left. Kyle had his arm around Dakota. She took a good look at the picture and a tear rolled down her cheek. How was Kyle? Was he doing okay? Had he known that he was a Mystian? Had he met his guardians? Dakota laid down
thinking about him and entered a deep sleep.
Dakota awoke in Mystic with her guardians above her. Dakota sat upright and looked at one guardian. “Am I dead?” She asked.
“No,” The guardian replied. “We just have to explain some things to you.”
“About what?”
“Your boyfriend from your last life.”
“KYLE?!” Dakota immediately stood up and her hazel eyes widened.
“Yes,” Her other guardian began to talk. “We were observing what James had said earlier with Kyle being the Light. We had no idea. We knew the Light had been in this generation, but we didn’t know it was Kyle Eilam Walton. Now knowing James, his words have proved to be hogwash in the past, but this not a matter Lybrians usually joke about. And this Code of Law. It’s very peculiar. We had gotten in contact with James’s, Kody’s, and Drew’s guardians about the subject.”
“And what did they say?”
“I had spoken to one of each of their guardians. Kody’s guardians had claimed he had no idea what I was talking about and then quickly hung up the line. James’s said I was crazy and the likelihood of you guys ever meeting the Light was so slim it’s almost impossible. However, Drew’s guardians also accused me of being crazy. But then she told me Servan Court at 7:15 pm and Kyle the Light was the password. As you know, Severn Court is a place for very important meetings. The three of us will attend the meeting and investigate, unless the guardian was lying. But Jasper has always been in your favor, so I highly doubt that.”
“You said 7:15, my watch says it’s 1:37 am.”
“Lybria time is different. Our time is slower; I thought you knew that. It is currently 6:48 pm here. We should be heading off now, and we should be sending you back. Goodbye, Dakota.”
***
“What were you thinking?” He snapped at James. “There is a reason we didn’t want Dakota in Code of Law! How do you you think her guardians reacted when they heard that Kyle was the Light? Come on, James!”
“Sorry,” James mumbled. He felt so ashamed. He couldn’t even make eye contact; he just stared at the ground.
“Now we are headed to a Code of Law meeting with the other guardians, and let’s all just pray that Dakota’s aren’t there!”
