MORTALS

/09: Friendship, Yay! (Just Kidding, Cut That Part Out)

I shrieked and squirmed, but then heard a laugh. I stopped struggling to see someone hugging me. And let me tell you now, I have no idea who it is.

I quickly backed out of the hug and backed away. There was a girl behind me. She had vibrantly blonde hair and evenly tanned skin. She wore white denim capris and a light pink shirt paired with white sneakers. Her hair was shorter than I last remember, framed around her face in a short cut, but her smile was just the same.

My jaw dropped.

"No." I breathed, a smile playing on my lips. "Oh my gosh, no!"

"Hi." She said with a small wave of her hand.

"OMG, Addy!" I pulled her in for a hug.

Adessa Dawkins.

One of my best friends from middle school.

As I pulled away, I was suddenly overcome with anger. Not, like, that angry, just... mildly pissed off.

"I have one question," I said calmly.

"Shoot."

"Why the hell did you kidnap me?" I asked, thoroughly annoyed.

Addy looked a little worried. "Look, Ev," She started. "You went to orientation, right?"

I nodded, but didn't say anything because I was salty.

"Then you know that this is a government approved initiative. We're basically junior CIA. This is important."

"Why?" I snapped. "What if I want out?"

"You had that chance at orientation. Now, you don't."

"Oh yeah, well that's only because I had nowhere to go home. I mean, what mother would want her delinquent daughter back?" I laughed to hide my sadness.

"My condolences." Addy said softly.

I softened. "I'm... sorry. For lashing out at you. I'm just... trying to wrap my limited amount of brain cells around everything that's going on." I breathed.

"Yeah, it's totally fine." Addy said brightly. She's like that. "Well, everyone's in the living room. Like, all the Stream One Coteries."

"Stream One?" I asked.

"Kinda like years or grades." Addy clarified.

"Sooooooooo, everyone's there? All the others like Viper and Phoenix and whatnot?"

"Yeah."

"What about breakfast?"

She cracked a smile. "It's 3 o'clock in the afternoon."

"Oh."

"Anyway, the guys are waiting in the Gryffin Room. You wanna join them?"

I nodded once. "Yeah, sure." I held up a finger. "One question, though. Where are all my stuff? My clothes? My blankets? My hobbies? Am I supposed to go back to the scene of the crime and rob my own apartment?"

"That's why we go shopping." Addy smiled excitedly.

"But I haven't got any money." I said in my best Harry Potter impression.

"If you expect me to tell you your dead parents left behind a fortune in foreign currency, you're wrong." Addy said. "But the school does give you a little bit to start off. After two months, we're expected to get a job."

"Is there a place nearby that offered work? I mean, where are we? I can't really get anything from the windows."

"We're somewhere in America, I think. We can stop by the front office. So sign out. Just so they know we're going into town."

I nodded. And started looking around. I walked to the drawer and opened it. Inside was an envelope. I opened the flap and pulled out a one hundred, two fifties, four twenties, and five tens.

"Damn."

"I know. The school's loaded because of all the government funds."

I closed the envelope. "Okay, so, now what?"

"The guys are waiting outside. I told them not to come in yet." She said.

"Okay, so let's go meet them." I said, jumping off the bed and eagerly walking for the door. I opened it to find three guys talking at the desk. They turned to me and smiles lit up their faces.

They looked pretty much nothing alike, but they were brothers at heart.

Daniel Allard and Leo Reyes.

Leo got up and gave me a friendly hug.

"Hi!" I greeted them with a small wave. Behind me, Addy followed. She handed me a small black wallet.

"All your money's in there." She said. "Okay," Addy clasped her hands. "We're going shopping because Everly's living here and she's not staying in those clothes the entire time, so we're gonna roll."

"Sweet." Daniel said, standing up with a yawn.

"Uh, no." Addy pushed him back in his seat. "You guys don't have to come."

"Why not?" Leo asked dramatically. "Why must we be shunned? Is this truly the price of being so fabulous?"

I cracked a smile.

Addy spoke up. "I love you guys, but it's hard enough to drag Everly to the mall. If I have to babysit all four of you, we won't be back by curfew."

"Curfew?" I asked.

"We have to be back by ten o'clock sharp, gates open at five in the morning." Daniel said.

"But that gives us hours of time." I said, confused.

Addy put her arm around my shoulder. "Everly, you do not know how much time goes into designing your small part of the room."

"But it's only a couple square meters." I pointed out flatly.

"Exactly, so much room!" Addy said excitedly.

I shot a glance at Leo, who nodded solemnly.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Fiiiiine. Let's go. But you guys know how much I hate shopping."

"Okay, let's stop wasting time, let's go!" Addy said, pulling me out of the room. I followed, giving a quick wave at the guys.

I faintly heard Daniel mutter, "Girls," before the door shut.