Everything Starts

CH: 7, ERASED

We finally made our way back to the library to meet up with our friends. They were waiting outside of the humongous building. The library was one of my favorite buildings on campus due to its amazing features. The outside looked like a seventeenth-century castle and the inside looked like a bookworm's secret hideout.

"Hey, you're back!" Zena exclaimed.

"Yes. Are you guys ready?" I asked.

"Yes," Willa replied.

We walked into the library and I had zoned out thinking about my conversation with Wesley that I hadn't realized there was a young woman stocking shelves next to me. As I was walking she stepped down off her stool and we accidentally knocked into each other causing me to drop the books in my hand.

"Oh I'm so sorry," she said.

"No, I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was walking."

She bent down to help me pick up my stuff and my snowdrop necklace fell out of my shirt.

"A snowdrop. Where did you get that?" she asked, pointing to my necklace.

By this point, my friends had stopped to make sure we were okay.

"Oh, my mom said my dad gave it to me. He left before I was born."

Way to go Alora. You can't just trauma dump on a random stranger, I thought.

"Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing. I'm Lucy,"

She reached her hand out to shake mine, and I shook back.

"Alora Undergrove."

"What? I mean what did you say your last name was?"

"Biologically it's Undergrove but legally it's St. Clair."

"As in Emaline and Percy Undergrove?"

"Well my mother's name is Emaline and her last name was Undergrove until she married my step-father. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone named Percy."

Lucy looked like she had seen a ghost, said, "Excuse me," and walked away.

"What was that about?" George asked.

"I don't know," I replied.

"I don't either, but I do know that something is going on. Between the teachers whispering and now this..." Ethan explained.

"I agree," I replied, reaching up to feel my necklace.

Why had Lucy been so interested in it?

We looked all around the library for information on Project Snowdrop but there was no luck.

"Are you guys finding anything?" Zena asked.

"No," the group replied.

We gathered at one of the tables.

"This is so weird. You would think that somewhere there would be information on it," I questioned.

"Exactly because from the sound of the teachers, whatever it is is important," Willa said.

"It's almost like it's been erased," Ethan guessed.

"I don't know about that but it is weird," I agreed.

Then an announcement came over the loudspeaker saying the library would be closing soon.

"What should we do?" I asked.

"Maybe we could try the town library? They are open for another two hours," suggested Zena.

"Good idea,"

We quickly put the books we were using back and gathered our stuff. As we were leaving the hairs on my arms stood up so I looked around. There in the corner, behind one of the bookshelves, was Lucy. She was looking at me and when she realized I was looking back at her she quickly looked away and left.

I thought that was weird, but brushed it off. We agreed to take my car as it was the biggest and would fit us all. We decided to grab some coffee on our way to the library. Once we arrived at the library we found a table to put our belongings on and got started.

We looked on the internet for books that may include things about Project Snowdrop and even did a manual search of the library for sources too. We managed to find a few books that may include what we need so we put them on the table and got back to work.

"I don't understand how there isn't more information on this," I explained.

"Exactly. Which is suspicious," Ethan said.

We took a few minutes to run through the books we had gathered.

"Is anyone else noticing that the books that should have information in them have a key-shaped stamp on the bottom of the inside cover?" I asked.

"I didn't realize that, but that is weird," Zena agreed.

Attention all library guests the time is now nine forty-five. The library will be closing in ten minutes.

"Wow we have been at this for a while," George realized.

"Yeah, maybe we should check out a few of the books that seem the most promising and head back to the dorms," suggested Willa.

"Good idea," I agreed.

We chose the five best books and left the library.

While we were in the car Fay asked, "So whose dorm are we heading to?"

"We can use mine," I offered. "It's a private dorm so we will have more room; plus it's on the side next to the entrance so we shouldn't wake anyone up."

"I like that idea," the group agreed.

When we got to campus we made our way to my dorm and laid our stuff down. We spent the majority of the night re-reading the books we checked out and doing more research online. Before long I fell asleep.

According to Zena, they made their way out of my dorm. Wesley was the last to leave because he wanted to leave a note on my nightstand. Then he walked over to me, brushed my hair out of my face, and kissed me on the forehead. Then, left.