Unpolished

Can This Be Real, Please?

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Can This Be Real, Please?

(Playlist – Glowing In The Dark by The Girl and the Dream)

This chapter is being dedicated to EverlyTaylor. Why? Because she rocks... I was her person of the day.

Jade's POV:

Marco and I had slept in his room last night. It was nice. Nothing was expected out of each other. Instead we had each showered and curled up together. I woke up to kisses being peppered across my nose and eyes. "Is this what being a normal teenager is supposed to feel like?"

"I dunno?" He laid back with his hands behind his head. "When I become a normal teenager, I'll let you know." I rolled over, straddling his stomach, and began tickling him. "No! No! Please, stop! I have to pee. You are not playing fair." Marco put his hands around my middle and picked me up, moving me away as he jumped up and ran to the restroom.

"Big baby!" I shouted after him. I had to get up myself and take care of my own needs. I left the room to head down the hallway. My muscles were a little sore from all the exercise last night, but I had learned a lot. Isaac had made minor corrections that made a huge difference. Thinking about it now, it was a shame I wasn't going to be able to use my cheerleading skills for anything.

I finished my business and morning ritual in my own bathroom suite. Once my face was clean and I felt refreshed, I felt I needed to talk to the boys. I needed to find a purpose, and it obviously wasn't going to be at the high school. Walking back down to Marco's room, he had changed into a pair of jeans and a fitted yellow tee. "I need to speak to all of you."

"Something serious?"

"I think so." I left his doorway and continued down the hallway to the other two rooms. They were empty. I could only assume they were downstairs somewhere.

I found them talking to each other in the kitchen. They got quiet as soon as I entered.

I looked at both of my boys seriously, and told them, "Marco is on his way down. We all need to talk."

Isaac and Vance gave each other a worried look. Opening the refrigerator, I grabbed the milk. Then I got a bowl and my granola clusters. It wasn't long till I was digging in. "Oh my god, everything tastes new and bright. Have you tried this?" I shoved the bowl over to Vance and Isaac.

"I think we're good." They held their hands up, denying the bowl I offered.

"Your loss." I marveled at the taste of a simple bowl of cereal. Savoring each bite. It was amazing. I was just finishing my bowl when Marco entered. I set my stuff in the sink, and motioned for the guys to follow me. I headed for the solarium with the guys in tow. I am sure they had scoured the whole house. I doubt they had found the entrance. The door was hidden and required my fingerprint to enter. It was small and intimate. I had rarely accessed it in the past couple years.

"Where are we going?" Isaac asked as I walked to a bookshelf on the first floor of the library and removed three books.

"Hold these please." The confused look was good. For once, I wasn't left in the dark. I pushed the latch that swung the bookshelf open. This was just the panic room. "Close the shelf behind you and replace the books please." The lights automatically came on. We walked down into the room about twenty feet until I reached the security panel and scanned my finger. My secret hiding place was finally open. I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the flowers from the self-sustaining plants. They were quite a bit overgrown, but nothing a little pruning couldn't fix. I picked up the shears and began to gently cut away the overgrowth. It wasn't a traditional solarium. More of a cross-breed really, but it was mine.