This one shot right after Sydney returns to Amberwood from the museum and finds that Zoe is waiting for her in her room.
***
That night I couldn't sleep.
I kept thinking about Adrian and how being together now is going to be impossible, and the chances that Zoe would find out about us together. If anything wrong happens, I am going to end up in reeducation, but that wouldn't be the worst part of it. No, the worst part would be leaving Adrian behind.
I tossed and turned all night long, my head spinning with thoughts. I finally drifted into blissful sleep as the sun rose with thoughts that measured all the possibilities of the situation I'd put myself if. None of which ended happily.
It felt like only minutes later when my phone rang, but judging from how bright the room was, I knew that wasn't the case.
"Hello?" I greeted, not bothering to check the caller ID.
"Sydney," it was Jill. There was slight panic in her voice that made me shoot right up in bed. "Were you asleep?"
"Yes, I had a long night. What's wrong?"
"Well, we were suppose to leave an hour ago but when you didn't show up I came up to check on you but a girl stopped me and said to leave you alone. An alchemist girl."
Only when she said those words did I look at the other side of the bedroom. Sure enough, Zoe's bed was empty. This is not good.
I pulled my phone away from my ear to look at the time; 10 am, "I am so sorry, I don't know what got into me. I'll be down in ten minutes, I'll meet you at the door." I hung up without waiting for another word that demands who Zoe was and why was she here.
I quickly went to the bathroom grabbing a change of clothes as I went, to clean up and change. I was glad I didn't have to worry about packing up seeing as I already have done so when I thought I was going to run away with Marcus.
Maybe you should've Sydney, better for the Alchemist to think you are gone than in love with a vampire. But even if I had done so, Zoe would be here and inform them of my disappearance and they'd be after me in no time.
When I walked out I was surprised to find my sister waiting for me. She had a smile on her face that I haven't seen since our fall out when our dad let me take this assignment.
I tried to return the smile and pretend that the golden lily on her cheeks didn't bother me, "where were you? I was worried."
"I wanted to take a look around the campus, I didn't get a chance last night. I'm glad I did too, the vampire girl wanted to wake you up. I told her that she can't do that and to wait until we are ready," she explained.
I tried to ignore how she referred to Jill as the vampire girl instead of just using her name. "Well you should've woken me up, we have to leave school this morning until the end of the holiday. We are already behind on schedule," I tried to sound firm, but I was dreading what was coming our way.
"I'm sorry, I won't do it again." She didn't sound like my sister, she sounded like a robot.
This is going to be the longest Christmas holiday of my life.
*****
Adrian, we've got a problem.
I didn't expect him to reply right away: A serious problem? Or a problem I can solve by kidnapping you, and then kissing you as much as I want to?
