The Children of the Forgotten

Chapter 2

                  Pondering on when her brother would appear, Tessa flicked her charcoal pencil against her notebook, Carter, across the table, who felt as if he were too superior to sit beside the likes of a woman, sighed impatiently before getting up from the table.

"You said, they would be here by now...."  Carter huffed before making direct eye contact with Tessa. 

"Well, I thought they would be..." She said with disdain. 

Carter looked over at the massive door and saw that the hinges were about to break off from all the rust and weathering it took on over the years. He walked over to it and opened it one final time before the door fell over onto the cracked stone steps outside the great building. 

Tessa couldn't help but laugh at Carter's silent pain, for she truly hated him. 

"Hush you infernal wench..." Carter growled. 

"Finally, they have arrived..." Carter said before looking down the steps now that the door was gone, to see Noah, Desiree, and Ben coming up to the meeting area. 

Tessa started imagining what it would be like to give him a good shove out the doorway and laughed again. 

"You're late..." Carter huffed. 

"Our sincere apologies, sir..." Ben said as Desiree entered without acknowledging anyone in the room. 

"Well you should be sorry," Carter said' "I recall that I told you to be here an hour ago, where is Noah, he is the one responsible for you all, he should be the one apologizing to me." 

"Give it a rest..." Tessa said, "Ben said HE was sorry, no need to go turning this on my brother just because everyone didn't attend your tea party on time..." 

Carter at this point ignored Tessa and kept on talking, "Noah..." He said. "Explain yourself," 

Ben walked back over and sat in his place, by Tessa in the very back. 

"Hows your family?" Tessa asked. 

"Can't say they are doing well, yet again, can't say they are doing badly, I haven't truly been home enough to see." "How is yours?" Ben continued. 

Tessa sighed, "You mean how is my brother?" She corrected. "I suppose, to answer, he is as overly technical as always." Tessa laughed. 

Ben smiled then turned to the 'brochure' Carter had given to them all. 

"What kind of crap is this..." Ben silently said to himself as Carter sat down.  

"Well, now that we are all here, as you can see I have provided you all with a plan." He said with pride, referencing to the small piece of parchment on the table, with the lines in which he called 'a plan'

Tessa rolled her eyes and started drawling with her charcoal pencil, seeing that there wasn't much use for her talents at this point in the meeting. 

Desiree, who had no say in the decisions, looked back over at Noah, wondering if he was going to say anything regarding Carter's 'plan' 

Carter revealed a canteen, and pulled from it a paper in which held  an assignment for Ben, 

"I would like you, sir, to go find some water in this miserable wasteland," He said before tossing the canteen to Ben as well.

Ben then got up from the table,  "I am not here to run your errand's!" Ben exclaimed, "I am a valued member of this team and deserve a real assignment, like the ones you give Noah!" 

"Aww I'm sorry," Carter said. "Do you have medical training?" He said in a mocking voice as Ben grumbled and sat down. 

Tessa saw her brother and waved to him, she hoped he would have some interest in her presence as Noah had been away for more days than she expected. 

Carter turned to Noah, "So boy, what do you think of the plan?" 

"How old do you think you are?" Ben said silently to himself. 

"Shush!" Carter said. 

Tessa whispered. "It's like he has a second set of ears..."