The Lost Ones

Chapter I

          I looked around my room as Seth set my luggage in the middle of the floor. "I hope you like your room. Kate designed it herself. She's excited to finally have another girl in the house. Especially two." He was referring to my partner, Celeste. Or as Seth knows her, Jennifer.
          I sat down on the bed and sighed as I fell back on it. It was a pretty big bed. Not like the ones I had to put up with in the boarding school in London. "I love it, thank your sister for me. She really has an eye for detail." I sat up again and smiled. "Speaking of your sister, where is everyone?" We were picked up at the airport by three brothers, one who was seventeen but eighteen next month and two twins who just turned sixteen. We were told we were staying with a big family of eight but so far I've only met those three.
          "Jace and Joseph are out herding the cows and Kate's out with my mother in the orchards. My father's up in his office. You'll meet them all at dinner in..." Seth glanced at his clearly expensive watch. "...about an hour or so. So, I'll let you unpack and I'll see you later." I nodded but the minute he left I fell back on the bed again.
          I loved going to different places but sadly I didn't enjoy the actual traveling that much. I was dead tired after being up since five in the morning. Which for me meant I haven't slept at all. I kicked off my flats and just relaxed.
          Just as I was about to doze off, someone knocked on my door. Well, the doorway anyway. I sighed when I sat up and raised a brow at Gavin who welcomed himself onto my bed. Well, everyone here will know him as Gabriel. I didn't like using fake names. I often got confused.
          I poked my brother's side and he only opened one eye to look at me. "What do you want?" I could have asked more nicely but I was too tired for manners.
          Gavin propped himself into his elbow. "What do you think of this place? You like it?" I plopped back down and propped myself on my elbow. I was used to him by now. He had the habit of believing my bed was his. Yet I was rarely allowed into his room.
           "Not bad. Secluded like we need and comfy like we want. I don't have to share a room with two other people at least." I chose my words carefully. Honestly this place wasn't my style. I could never live on a ranch, even a big expensive one like this one. I was more of a city girl. Cities are easy to blend into. Celeste thought it was a ironic considering I liked having a lot of space to myself.
           Gavin sat up suddenly. "Anyway, finish unpacking, okay? After dinner I'll need to talk to you and Celeste." He made his way out of my room as he spoke.
           "It's Jennifer, Gavin." I called after him even with his back to me I knew he was rolling his eyes. He was always saying how I needed to stop being a smartass, but I always returned that with the fact that I wouldn't have to be one if he wasn't such a dumbass.
          Still, I listened and started unpacking my bags. I really did have to stop using so much clothing. I only finished packing half of it when it was time for dinner. Since the Parsons were such a big family, everything about their house was big. Especially their dining area. They were chatty as well, introducing themselves. I was getting a headache trying to remember all the names.
          The oldest was Seth, then at seventeen was Jace, then the twins Michael and Jordan, then at fifteen was Joseph, and finally at fourteen and the only girl was Kate plus her parents. Luckily Gavin and Celeste did most of the talking, letting me just listen and pick at my food. Our kind didn't require much food. Just a couple of bites per meal.
          They seemed like a really nice family and seemed to be just like what I thought a real family was like. When everyone finished eating I got to return to my room and finished unpacking my stuff. It didn't take me too long to finish and when I did I turned off the light, pulled back the curtain to let the moonlight in and fell back on my bed as I stared at the ceiling. I wouldn't be here for too long. I just had to get needed to be done, done and then I would leave this place. Back in the institute, back to waiting to be needed.
          Deciding I wouldn't be able to nap before Gavin had to talk to us, I grabbed my towel and made my way down the hall to one of the bathrooms. We were told that the three of us could share this one bathroom. It was just ours. I turned on the shower head and adjusted the water temperature so it wasn't too hot or too cold. Then I removed my clothing, my fingerless black gloves, and my bobby pins before stepping in.
           I took my time, double washing my hair and washing up. When I felt like I had been in there for too long, I got out, brushed my teeth and changed into some shorts and a t-shirt when I got back to my room.
          Without knocking this time, Gavin entered my room with Celeste as I was brushing my hair. "You could have knocked, you know." Although I could care less. Again, used to it. Celeste made herself comfortable on the floor while Gavin took my bed. I let him keep the bed and sat on the floor with Celeste as I continued to brush my hair.
          "You took too long in the shower and we have things to discuss. Here." He tossed a folder at each of us. "Caliber should be in the area and this is all we know so far. The guy there is the guardian. He poses as a normal teenager but he's one of the Risen. Be careful around him and try to collect useful information from him. We aren't to interfere with him or his kind. Those are the instructions of the Order. Understood?"
          I opened the folder and skimmed over the files. "So is it really necessary to attend school? And how do we know we have the right place this time?" I was not about to go chase another fake sword.
          "Check the files. The Order has double checked all its information. School is so we can keep our cover." Gavin hands us each another folder. "That is our second objective. We will need that to get the sword and to use it afterwards." Celeste and I opened the folder and skimmed the information. "We don't have much information on the necklace so Clemira, I need you to do your thing and do some research on it. Can you handle it?" I raised a brow at him.
          How dare he insult me? "Gavin, please. I can do better research than most college graduates. Finding bits of informations on a necklace should be a piece of cake." Satisfied, Gavin and Celeste left my room. I was the youngest of the three of us and I was often underestimated. Which I found offensive.
          I set the folders inside the nightstand. It could wait until until tomorrow. I turned off the lights and got under my covers. For the first time in a while, I went to sleep before midnight.
          Until I woke up at 2:37 am. I felt drowsy but I couldn't go back to sleep. Around 4:07 am I gave up and decided to get ready for the day. I decided to straighten my hair. Since I had a lot hair that was thick and long and really curly it took me a while. I was finished within an hour and a half. Curly, my hair reached mid butt but straight it went below my butt. When I finished I put on my gloves.
          I went to my closet and pulled out the school uniform. I put on the white short sleeved blouse tucked under the blue plaid pleated skirt that reached above my knee, and a plaid matching tie. On top I put on the short sleeved dark blue vest with the school's crest on it. I put on my favorite black wedges and checked myself in the mirror. Since the uniform was rather boring I decided on some accessories. I put on my headband with a blue flower on it, my silver hoops, and my favorite purple watch. Finished, I put on som lotion.
          By the time it was six, everyone was up and getting ready. Except for Gavin who I knew for a fact was still in bed. He's a serious heavy sleeper and as a good sister I decided to use my extra time to wake him up.
          I went to his bedroom where sure enough he was sleeping soundly. I tried to nudge him but he wouldn't move. So I did the one thing that always worked. I carefully grabbed his iPod and paused the song that was playing. I adjusted his headphones so they covered his ears well and turned up the volume all the way up. I counted to three, pressed play, and made a run for it. I laughed as I heard him scream.
          "Gabriel seemed like a pretty tough dude. What did you do to freak him like that?" I yelped and jumped a little. It took me a second to realize it was only one of the guys. I believe it was Jace.
          I giggled nervously. "It's just um, that show I normally wake him up."I then grinned. "The fact that it's highly amusing to me is just a bonus." That's when I realized Jace had nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. The Parson boys had several things in common. Golden brown hair, honey colored eyes. And nice bodies. Not that I was staring.
          "So, miss quiet has an evil side?" He teased. I laughed and flipped my hair.
          "First of all, I'm not that quiet. I was just really tired. Second, doesn't everyone have an evil side? Besides, that wasn't evil. I'm just making sure my dear brother doesn't oversleep. Surely that doesn't make me an evil sister." That made him laugh and I grinned.
          He smiled at me. "Oh, before I forget. Meet at the truck after school." I nodded and he walked away. I returned to my room and grabbed my iPad. I connected my headphones and listened to some music. After ten songs Celeste came into my room, struggling with her tie. I might be the youngest but Celeste was the child. I held out my hand and she handed me her tie. I tied it on myself and then loosened it so I could put it on her. I tightened it until she started to fake choke.
          She then grinned at me. "You know, these uniforms aren't too bad, they're blue." She tugged her skirt and I knew it was the one thing that bothered her. She didn't like skirts. Her shirt was untucked, and she was wearing a knit thin sweater that was dark blue with the school's crest on it. She left her tie untucked as well, black tights, and plain dress shoes with a slight heel. Surprisingly her hair was down in soft brown waves.  Normally she just kept it in a ponytail.
          Seth announced that we had to go and I was already dreading my day before I even got in the truck. Since the town was pretty small despite the amount of stores, we got to ride in the truck bed which I've never done before. I loved the city but the country had its perks. During the ride to school the breeze felt really nice and I almost didn't mind that it was whipping hair against my face every once in a while.
          When we got to school I was surprised. I knew Castle Garden was a town of rich kids but I wasn't expecting the school to look so...modern. I was expecting a castle or something closely related. The building was clearly new and pretty big in size. It was pretty in a way but at the same time it looked almost prison like. I guess that explained the uniforms.
          Seth drove to the student parking lot and got us a pretty good parking space under the shade of a tree. The twins were gentlemen and helped us down from the trucks.  Seth took Gavin to the counsellors office that was 'special' for seniors so he could go get his I.D while the twins took us to the main office for our own I.Ds. The secretary there looked like a grizzly bear despite her expensive looking pantsuit. We told her our names and she had Celeste go first.
           Celeste sat on the chair in front of the camera and the second she looked up the camera flashed, catching her off guard. Then it was my turn. I fixed my hair quickly and set my smile before sitting down. I was prepared at the flash and as a result my I.D picture looked a lot better than Celeste's. She didn't seem to care though and she laughed at herself instead.
          "Keep your I.D clipped to your tie. Being seen without it is an automatic detention and buying a new one is ten dollars. Understood?" Trying not to laugh at her weird voice we nodded and hurried off. The twins were kind enough to take us each to our class which thankfully were near each other. I hesitated before going into my classroo and after a minute I finally stepped in.