Forbidden

Chapter 14

The flight went by quite quickly, and before I knew it, I was pulling up to my hotel in a cab. I payed the driver and thanked him, and made my way to the reception. The women was nice, and had said my 'parents' aka the DAA had called earlier saying I would be checking in. I had a room on the third floor. It was quite big, not as big as my room at the Nolton's, but still much bigger than my room back home in Wessington Springs. There was a double bed in the middle of the room with white sheets on it. At the foot of the bed was a towel and gown. A TV sat on the wall opposite the bed. All the walls were a cream colour. There was a desk in the corner, with DAA reports on some of the things the Activist's here are doing. The wardrobe was stocked with winter clothing, because as I hadn't expected it was the middle of winter here. The bathroom was stocked with multiple soaps. There was a single couch in the room, and my bag of weapons was on it. I set my personal bag down next to it, and looked in the closet for some pyjamas.

It was almost 10pm when I stepped out of the shower and made my way to bed. I didn't sleep on the plane, so I slept well.

Thankfully when I woke I wasn't jet lag too much. I pulled on some jeans, my white shirt, a scarf and a black leather jacket, with long boots. I slid a dagger into my right boot, another dagger into my bag along with a gun and made my way down to the lobby, where they were serving free breakfast. Score! Pancakes and cream, here I come!

I had been walking along the same street for almost 2 hours now, and had spotted no pop-up Activist groups yet. Feeling at loss, I walked into the Starbucks café I'd been eyeing all morning, and ordered a caramel latte. As I was walking out I ran straight into the last person I wanted to see.

"Sorry," I mumbled, and was about to walk around him, when he grabbed my shoulders.

"April?" Jed asked. I looked up into his eyes, and almost couldn't believe, of all people to run into. I ran into him. I ran into Jed Octavis.

"April?" He repeated. I quickly put my brain back on track, and tuned into reality.

"Jed?" I said. Wait, I'm mean't to be in New-York. Does he think I lied to him and the gang?

"What are you doing here? Aren't you mean't to be in New York City?" He asked. Crap. Think, April. Think.

"Visiting some family," I smiled. "Anyways, what are you doing here?" I continued, trying to get the topic off me.

"Mum and dad have a job here, and I'm just following them," he laughed.

"How... How is everyone?" I asked.

"They're... Well, things haven't been the same without you. I know I hadn't been there long before you left. But, everyones sad. They don't talk as much. More just mumbling to say 'hi' and 'bye,' and thats about it. We all miss you." He answered. A single tear escaped my eye, that I wiped away immediately. No way was I showing Jed my 'weak' side.

"Anyway, how have you been?" I asked trying to make conversation.

"Yeh, good. My parents and their business is driving me crazy. They want me to follow in their footsteps, because, you know, the whole family business thing. And thats the last thing I want to do. I wish my parents would let me go somewhere I wanted like you did," he responded. If only he knew.

"What is your family business?" I asked. He paused for a second, as if unsure, but I didn't look too far into it, before someone called Jed's name.

"Jed!" A man called. I looked over my shoulder at the man calling him, he looked similar to Jed, definitely related somehow, they had the same eyes. Maybe his dad or uncle?

"Sorry April, this is my father Robert," he said. Father. I greeted Robert as best I could. But something seemed off about him, but I just couldn't quite put my finger on it.