G.U.A.R.D. Book #1: Clandestine

-11-

    A few days after the parents left, I knelt down next to my suitcase in the Hunters' house. My fingers dug under my clothes, searching intently for my sketchpad. I absentmindedly kept drumming through the lines of The Key. It was strange how phrases could get stuck in your head just as easily as the lyrics of a song.

It was after five minutes that I finally sighed and stood up. I mentally went over all the places the sketchpad could be. I already checked every inch of the living room, Winter's desk, her nightstand, her dresser, her wardrobe, and now my suitcase. It obviously wasn't in Max's bedroom. I already asked Conner if he had taken it. Come to think of it, I don't think I had even drawn anything since coming to the Hunter home...

Winter walked in the bedroom, dropping her homework on her desk. "Whatcha' doing?"

"Looking for my sketchpad," I answered with a frown." You haven't seen it, have you?"

"Nope."

"Great," I muttered, getting down on my knees again to look around my suitcase.

She sucked on the Capri Sun in her hand and leaned against the desk. "Did you leave it back at your house?"

I stopped my searching and glanced to her. "But I never leave it there."

She shrugged. "There's always a first for everything."

I sighed and got to my feet again. "Can you come back to the house with me and look for it then?"

"You really think that's a good idea? Your parents hate you going inside there when they're on their business trips."

"Come on, Winter. It's not like it's haunted. And you're the one that just suggested it."

"Fine." She rolled her eyes.

"I'll get the key from Dustin."

Traveling to the guys' bedroom, I knocked on the door, and my brother opened it up. Max lay on his bed, playing on his phone.

"Do you have the key to the house?" I asked.

"Why?" He leaned against the doorpost.

"I might've left my sketchpad there," I replied sheepishly.

Dustin sighed in an annoyed way, walking to his suitcase, and grabbing his jeans next to it. He picked the key out of one of the pockets and walked over, giving them to me.

"By the way, Cindy called my phone," he said. Then my brother cleared his throat. "She, uh, wants to talk to you."

"Oh," I said, a bit surprised. "When did she call?"

"Just got off the phone with her," he responded, walking to Max's desk and grasping his phone off the top. "She wants you to answer soon."

"Okay. Thanks." I took the phone and went to contacts.

"What could Cindy want?" Winter asked, waiting in the hall.

I shrugged as the phone dialed next to my ear. It took a few seconds, but my friend answered with a, "Is this Ally?"

"Yeah."

"Great. Get comfortable. This might be a long talk."

"Uh." I looked to Winter, who stared at me expectantly. "Is there a reason?"
"Yeah. And get Winter."

"Okay. Just a second." I gripped Winter's hand and pulled her into the bedroom. The door closed behind us. Then, I put Cindy's voice on speaker as I sat down on the windowsill, Winnie joining me. "You're on speaker."