In the Beginning

Chapter 6

Remy shifted to the side, the cold panes of the hardwood floor jabbing into his back. Even though he had laid down, like, three blankets, there was no escaping how uncomfortable the night was going to be. He didn't mind, though. Not in the slightest. So long as the girl on the sofa above him was safe, and away from whoever did those God-awful things to her, that was all that mattered. Maybe in the morning, she would tell him what happened - if she wanted. He wasn't one to pry.

A clock ticked softly, rhythmic. Remy didn't want to be creepy and watch Addie, but it was cute, the way she slept; with both hands curled up next to her cheek, lips slightly parted and expression peaceful. He liked her. Really. He liked the books she read, the small smiles she would give when he joked in class, twirling her pencil around her fingers. He wanted to get her to talk, to have long conversations about nothing in particular, open up to him. No one seemed to notice her, but she was so...radiant. Every time he got her to laugh it was like winning a battle.

But, according to his driver's license and all official papers, he was 23. Not 17.

So it was illegal. Very. Teacher-student relationships were so cliché anyways, the kind of thing he hated to read about in books.

He could just make out the dark bruises, the fading cuts on Addie's face. He wished he could have taken better care of her, but it wasn't like he'd lived in this apartment long. He'd run away, what? This summer? It had only been four or five months. He was just lucky he'd had that first aid kit in the kitchen.

There was a dull thud from his bedroom. He sat up, tense, worn blankets falling to puddle around his waist. The room was dimly lit up by a Pokémon night light in the corner - thank God Addie hadn't noticed that - and his glasses lay abandoned on the kitchen counter. Muttering to himself, Remy got up, vision blurry, and stumbled to grab them.

The time on the L.E.D. clock above the stove read 1:34 A.M. in neon green color. With his glasses on, Remy could see down the hallway, into the dark doorway of his room. Someone cursed, and dark shapes stumbled out, frantically shushing each other.

"Oh, why should we even bother being quiet, we're just going to have to wake them up anyways," drawled a British voice.

"Shut up."

Remy scrabbled for a weapon, something, anything, as the shapes drew nearer.

A familiar guy with messy blonde hair flicked on the kitchen light, only to find Remy holding a blender over his head with wide, frozen eyes.

"I - I don't want to hurt you, but - "

"Mr. Irvin?" exclaimed Emma, bouncing on the tips of her toes. "Oh my God! How are you a Legend? Aren't you, like, old?"

"I - uh - what?" stammered Remy, not quite lowering the blender. "What are you all doing here? Legends? Like...Legends of Zelda? And who - who's the British guy?"

Addie flew into the kitchen on bare feet, hair ruffled and eyes wide. She shrank back at all the people in the kitchen. Ro gave her a little wave.

"Who are - what - ?" Addie stepped back.

"Who am I, you ask?" asked Jax, sauntering up to Addie with a flirtacious grin. He ran a hand through his hair, tousling it even more. "Well, most call me...Jax."

"Because that's your name, idiot," Ro guffawed.

"We have more pressing matters," said Emma, pushing past Kellan and Ro. "I'm gonna be blunt with you two. We've just escaped captivity from three physcopaths, one of which is dead now, and they're going to find out your location soon enough. They've been searching for all of us because we're special, we can do things. And if we don't move soon, they'll find us and - "