An Angel Among Us

Chapter Twenty: Jayden's Perspective

Jayden woke up in the morning, fresh and well-rested, muscles feeling like jelly from the good nights sleep on the Cael's soft mattress. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes as he sat up in bed, his sister lying next to him, softly breathing. Stretching his muscles, he climbs out of bed, avoiding stepping on Bella and Lucas's sleeping bags as he maneuvered his way over to the refrigerator.

Unscrewing a bottle of water, he swished the liquid around in his mouth, attempting to get rid of the morning cotton feeling in his mouth before he swallowed.

Jayden checked his watch and found out it's currently 9:21 in the morning so he should probably wake the others so that they could start getting ready for the short car ride over to Santa Monica.

As he turned back to wake up his sister, something caught his attention. He had been partially groggy when he woke up and hadn't noticed that only one of the sleeping bags is inhabited.

Bella's not in her sleeping bag.

Did she wake up early and go outside for a walk or something? But if she did, wouldn't she be back by now. She wouldn't leave for hours at a time, right?

Panicking he rushed over and shook his sister, waking her up immediately.

Squinting up at me, she mumbled "a few more minutes, Mom". I

Jayden shook her again, urgently.

"Jasmine, wake up. Bella's missing."

That got her attention. She sat up, blonde hair a mess around her head, eyes suddenly alert, all traces of sleepiness gone from her face. Getting she quickly grabbed her sword and strapped it to her waste. It's a good thing none of us changed into pajamas last night so we're already in our day clothes, even though they are slightly wrinkled from sleeping.

He quickly rushed over and shook Lucas awake too. It didn't take long because as soon as he put his hand on him, his eyes shot open instantly.

"Bella's missing," Jayden told him.

His face hardened and he leaped to his feet, sleeping bags getting kicked to the side of the room.

"What do you mean 'she's missing'?'' Lucas inquired.

"I mean, she's not here. We have to go look for her. Bella wouldn't just walk off and leave without telling someone." He responded.

"She's probably just hanging out on the beach," Lucas told him.

The three teenagers spread out to search for Bella. Jayden decided to check to see if she went to one of the places nearby the beach, Jasmine went to ask if anyone saw her at the Jack in The Box we went to the other night and Lucas did a perimeter of the beach to see if she walked somewhere far from the cabin.

When we all reconnected at Cael's cabin, we were all disappointed that we came up empty. Bella isn't anywhere in sight. Jayden was beginning to get worried. What if something bad happened to her when we were all sleeping or what if she's been taken hostage somewhere?

He hasn't known her for a long time as Lucas has but what he did know is that she's his friend now. And he always keeps his friends and family safe.

No matter what.

The tide swept backward from the beach back, leaving wet sand behind in its place. Something catches his eye, a glint reflected by the sun. Walking over to it, he picked up a silver necklace off the sandy floor and wipes off some of the gritty sand. It's a locket with a photograph of Bella when she was young and her adoptive mother inside it.

"Guys," He called over to his sister and Lucas, they walked over and stood by him," I found Bella's locket."

Lucas took it from him, observing it in his hand," Bella would never leave behind if she could help it. She got this for her birthday one year and she's kept it ever since. Something doesn't feel right."