Arise

Chapter 23

Bryony's POV

We head straight to the lounge to see absolute chaos, Chelsea's singing in the corner, Ella's dancing about around a sleeping Jace. Jesse's watching Chelsea awestruck while Jay and Penny are shouting at the game they're playing. "What the heck?" I shout. Everyone shuts up and turns to me. "What has gotten into you?"

Everyone speaks up at once, I try to figure out who's saying what but it was just too confusing. "One at a time guys."

Jay spoke up. "Well, I explained about the grandiose. Then we got bored waiting for you so me and Penny decided to play on the Xbox, Ella and Chelsea decided to practice, Jesse wanted to see Chelsea sing. Oh and Jace got tired so he fell asleep."

"Where's Abbie and Brandon?"

"They went out a while ago." Jay said hesitantly.

"You let them out of the wards? How are they supposed to protect themselves?" Rage and worry begin to cloud my vision, Matthew puts a calming hand on my neck and I slowly chill out.

"Brandon said he took self defence classes." Ella said, whilst taking a seat next to Jace. I growl deep in my throat and walk out into the kitchen, I make some snacks for everyone and place them on the coffee table. They watch me warily as if expecting me to say that they're not allowed any.

"Dig in." As soon as the words leave my mouth everyone pounces on the food, and crams it into their face. "Haven't you ever heard the saying 'don't bite off more than you can chew'? I think you could take this in the literal sense." They continue to wolf down the food, seeing them as a lost cause I head into my wardrobe.

I place my hand on the scanner and a new door opens, I step through it into the large room filled with weapons and computers. I study the screens for a few minutes before Jay comes in, with everyone else in tow. "Anything?" He asks.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, not yet anyway. Abbie and Brandon back yet?"

"No."

Brandon's POV

I walk next to Abbie to 'one of the best places on Earth' her words not mine. We step up into the diner, Joe's Burger Joint, and pick up the menu. Do I want a burger, burger, or burger? Not much choice here. Abbie smiles up at me from behind her menu, I return her smile before looking back at the menu. I decide on a cheese burger and give the menu back to the waitress.

"So why do you like this place so much?" I ask her.

"Because it's the most popular hang out."

"And that's important?"

"I-It used to be. But when Bryony saved me she showed me another way."

"What do you mean?"

"I used to be horrible to her, to all of them. Yet she still saved me." I consider it for a moment, then decide on an answer.

"She saw the good in you, just like I do."

"You do?" I nod and open my mouth to reply but the waitress comes over with our meals. We eat in silence, after another hour I check the clock to see it saying 5:25.

"We gotta get going, don't wanna be late." she nods and we start to walk towards the school. We walk through the main street where we get loads of weird looks from people who must be her friends. 

We pass through an arch into an empty street, Abbie grabs my hand reflexively. I feel a jolt through my system, my blood turns to fire, Abbie stands awestruck watching as the colours float around us. When everything stops Abbie turns to me, a smile on her face.