The Forgotten

Welcome Back Raven

Shain catches me up on what's been going on at school on our drive. This is fortunate for me, because I have a chance to ask seemingly innocent questions. Who is Janessa dating now? What's Brice been up to? How's reelection coming? What are the current topics in class?

Shain answers all of them. She gives me these long detailed stories about people whose names I don't recognize. Nancy Fleming? Marcus James? Flannery O'Megan (who apparently prefers Megan)? I try to keep track of everything Shain is saying. It's hard though. Funny, I can remember every way in and out of the Forgotten Compound but I can't recall a bunch of stupid names.

"So, what do you remember?" she asks. I frown.

"What do you mean?"

"Before you left," she explains. "I want to make sure we've covered everything."

"Um...the last thing I remember was shopping for the college party," I lie. "The meds...you know?" She brightens.

"Oh, yeah, I totally get it. The party was a bore anyway. Lissie Braker, Rubin's best friend's girlfriend, fell in the pool. That's pretty much it." Good. I think I might be able to pull this off. It's only high school after all. What's the worst that could happen?

We arrive at the school in time for the assembly. We are separated by the crowd of students swarming into the smelly gymnasium. This could be bad. My confidence in coming here was mostly due to the thought that Shain could guide me.

While trying to find a seat, I run into a girl with long black hair and tan skin. She freezes at the sight of me.

"You're back," she states, staring at me. I straighten my posture and cross my arms.

"Yeah, I'm back," I retort. "Do you have a problem?" She doesn't reply. She makes a face at me. Then she turns around and hurries off, disappearing in the crowd of students. I roll my eyes. I always knew teenagers were weirdoes. Boom, here's my proof.

I end up sitting next to a tall boy with light brown hair and gray eyes. He notices me.

"You must be the infamous Raven Bristill," he says warmly. He extends a hand.

"Have we met?" I ask, trying to play it off like I can't place a face to a name.

Shaking his head, he replies, "Can't have. I just enrolled last week." I shake his hand quickly before dropping my hand to my lap.

"So...you went to the public school before?" I ask. He nods. "What was it like?"

He looks interested.

"You're nothing like Janessa said," he tells me. I make a face.

"Janessa?" I say her name like I'm talking about toad spawn. He grins.

"Or maybe not." He leans forward in his seat. "I'm Will."

"Well, you already know all about me," I snap, "thanks to Janessa." I don't like people who gossip, especially behind other people's backs. It sounds like I might just continue Raven's feud with this girl. I mean, how'd she feel if she knew Raven was dead? Perhaps she was the one who killed her.

Shaking my head mentally, I remind myself that my mission is not to solve a possible murder. I'm getting excited about this. I need to focus on my objective rather than be distracted by conspiracy theories.

Before Will can answer, Shain plops down in the seat beside me.

She hisses into my ear, "Don't talk to people like him." I glance at Will without being able to help myself.

"Why?" I inquire. Shain gives him a dirty look.

"Because...he's not like us." I open my mouth to tell her that's a load of malarkey. I don't get to though, because someone I suppose is the headmaster starts talking.

The headmaster is tall and, to my surprise, without a beard or any signs of real age. Most books I've read depict headmasters as being old. This headmaster can't be more than forty--forty-five. He wears a nice suit. It's not as nice as Mr. Bristill's or the one Shain's father wore in the picture, but still nice.

"Hello students of Washington Prep," he says in a loud, booming voice.

Everyone, except me, replies, "Hello Headmaster Rice." Okay, now I know his name. That's good.

"I would like to welcome back Miss Raven Bristill," he announces. Shain stands and yanks me to my feet. She then sits down and leaves me standing. Everyone claps. I roll my eyes. According to Raven's diary, quite a few of these people are just pretending to be glad to see her. Well, actually they're pretending to be glad to see me.

I look around at the many high schoolers sitting on the bleachers. One of them could be Raven's murder. If she was murdered, that is. And if she was, that doesn't mean a classmate did it. It could've easily been someone a bit closer. Shain? Mr. Bristill? Maybe even Mrs. Bristill.

I see the girl I spoke to earlier sitting in the front row of the set of bleachers across from the Headmaster. She's the only one not clapping. She is, however, watching me. When she catches me looking, she turns her attention elsewhere.

What is up with her?

The clapping subsides and I take my seat again. I throw Shain a dirty look. She doesn't see it though. I follow her gaze and see a tall, red haired guy with freckles. Shain must like him. Maybe he's her boyfriend. Man, I need to find out.

"I am also pleased to announce," Headmaster Rice continues, "that the Washington Prep Tigers won the championship." Everyone roared. Literally, they roared. I guess that's their school spirit war cry or something. Then a bunch of tall guys in tank tops with numbers on them run onstage. The one who was the tallest and most muscular shakes hands with the headmaster. He must be the captain. He raises a large golden trophy above his head. He and his teammates yell louder than the entire student body combined.

Barbarians.

I wonder if there's any way to sneak out. I need to get away from all of this noise. I look around for an easy exit. My seat is close to a door. It'll look weird if I leave by myself though.

As if reading my mind, Shain grips my arm. She whispers, "Let's blow this hooligan-hole." I grin and the two of us get up. We crouch/walk to the exit. Before we can leave, someone grabs my arm. I turn around. It's the tall, muscular guy. He must've gotten off the stage without Shain and me noticing.

He whispers in my ear, "Glad you're back." Then he lets go of me. Shain ushers me away from him. I look back and watch him return to the stage. That was a bit intimate for a stranger.

Unless he wasn't a stranger. Maybe he was the killer. Man! I have way too many suspects.

"Raven," Shain hisses. "Are you coming?" I nod and follow her out of the gymnasium.

A/N: Dedicated to Mary Elizabeth Summer, the incredibly talented author of Trust Me, I'm Lying, and...my awesome, wise Jedi Master/writing guru.

I also want to say that now done guys have been introduced, are they any ships?