Set In Stone - {Gargoyles}

Chapter One.

The two-tone bell rang at 2:45 p.m. at Edward A. Reynolds High School, signaling the end of the week for its students. The rowdy teenagers swamped the school's halls and raced each other towards the doors. Among them was Sadie Kempf, who was one of the first to escape the confines of her eighth-period chemistry class. Sadie darted down the stairs to her locker, stuffing her books into her black backpack and grabbing her skateboard before heading towards the exit. The bright September sun hit her face, and she shielded her eyes before making her way to her sister's blue Chevy Sonic.

"Hey, how was school?" Nancy questioned. Sadie plopped herself down into her seat, throwing her bag into the backseat of the car.

"Same as always. Boring as hell and too long," she answered, pulling her phone out of her back pocket and looking at her Instagram notifications.

"This car doesn't move until you put your seatbelt on, you know that," Nancy said hurriedly. Sadie groaned, annoyed, and complied with her sister's demands. The car started and the two girls made their way to East Side Middle, where their two younger sisters were waiting for them.

"Can you call Dad and tell him we're on our way to pick up the kids?" Nancy asked. Sadie nodded and dialed her father, who answered after the first ring as always.

"Make it quick, kiddo. I'm in the middle of a case right now," Johnathon Kempf told his middle child. Sadie looked at Nancy and the two girls rolled their eyes at each other. Their father was a homicide detective, one of the best New York had to offer, so he was busy often.

"Hey," Nancy replied. "I just picked up Sadie and we're headed towards the middle school. Can you tell Harlow and Eden we'll be there in fifteen minutes?" There was a pause, and both girls knew exactly what that meant.

"Your mother called me earlier and said she wanted them to come straight home after school so they could pack for this weekend. I'm sorry, Nance," their father informed. Sadie watched as Nancy's knuckles turned white and she clenched her jaw.

"Can't you do it? I'm not going over there again," Nancy said pointedly. Sadie sighed and looked out her window at the city passing her by. This was the third week in a row that they had to go to their mother's, and while Sadie enjoyed spending time with her mom, she also knew how difficult it was for Nancy to have to go back.

"I won't get off until 7 tonight, and I already told her you guys would be there. You don't even have to get out of the car and talk to her, just grab the kids and come home. I'll make it up to you, I promise," Johnathon said. Before Nancy could protest any further, he hung up on them, leaving the car silent.

"I can't believe her!" Nancy yelled, slamming her palm against the steering wheel. Sadie jumped in her seat and swallowed the lump in her throat. It always put her on edge seeing Nancy, who was always so calm and collected, this angry.

"I'm gonna call Elisa, she'll know what to do," Sadie said quietly. Elisa was their father's friend and occasionally acted as their maternal figure. The Kempf girls loved her and thought she was the coolest person in the world.

Nancy sighed and shook her head, saying, "Don't, she'll just tell us we need to suck it up and do it anyway." Sadie yawned and put her mother's address into her phone, pulling up the directions.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Nancy questioned. Sadie shrugged and yawned once more, resting her head against the window. There was a moment of silence before Nancy played a Lumineers song from her car's radio. Sadie smiled and closed her eyes, letting the car lull her to sleep.

She woke up twenty minutes later to the sound of Nancy swearing loudly. Sadie perked her head up and saw that they were parked in front of their mother's apartment building.