One Last Time

13. Lost

"Holy mother of-"

Taya winced at the screeching noise that issued from Casey. Casey squealed, "We get a free trip to England, all expenses paid." Taya laughed, "And that's why many people go bankrupt. It's all a scam. Do you not read the bloody footnotes? See here." 

She pointed at the bottom of the screen of Casey's phone, "It states all the terms and conditions, which no one reads and when you lose all your money, you can't even blame them since it was mentioned but you were too stupid to read it." 

Casey scowled at the phone and called out all the unprintable names known to mankind.
Someone tickled Taya from behind. She shouted and swore, startling the person. Theo chuckled, "For such an innocent face you sure seem to know a lot of obscenities." She grinned, "All thanks to Casey here. She is one who taught me all the curses I know and she still knows more." Theo looked amused. 

Taya saw Stella in the distance and waved. Stella skipped towards them and hugged the girls. They were all here except Matt. They stood on the bridge, it was afternoon and Taya was hungry. When would Matt come? 

The breeze had dried Stella's hair into soft curls. "Ugh, this hair. It keeps going into my mouth. I'll start spitting out hair balls like cats from now on." She complained.
"Hello, sister of mine." Stella just waved at him, too busy with her hair. "Are we all here? Good." Matt looked around as if he were the one who had been waiting for them. 

"You're late." Taya snapped, still pissed at him for not telling her about his mother. "I am fashionably late." He countered, examining his nails. She rolled her eyes and swatted Casey on her shoulder who was playing a game on her phone. 

His brown eyes glittering, Theo whistled to get everyone's attention. Even the people far away had turned to look at them. 

Looking bemused, Matt raised an eyebrow, "Yes?" Theo cleared his throat, "I thought we were here to discuss about the 'Amazons'." It had been an unspoken decision within themselves to call the warriors, 'the Amazons'. 

"Theo's right. How long do we need to be there? Do we need to inform them or something?" Stella asked, her hand resting on Theo's shoulder. "I thought that was obvious. We stay there however long we need to. And no, we don't even know how to find them, how do you suggest we inform them?" Matt quipped. 

Taya scoffed, "Fat lot of help you are." He turned towards her, exasperation clear on the lines of his face, "If you know so much, pray tell us, where do we find them?" The sun was shining straight in her eyes, all she could see of him, was his silhouette. "They are most probably in the same place where the original Amazons were. We can find their location using Google." She drawled. "You must have heard about Google, right?" 

Matt squinted at her, "Don't act all high and mighty on me. You are not a Queen."
"But you are a brat." Casey shot. Taya gave her an appreciative smile.
"Guys stop. Let's all just act smart," Stella peeked at Matt, "but for you that must be hard." His angled cheekbones flushed, it was like everyone seemed to be attacking him. 

"There is nothing much to talk about," Theo interrupted, sensing the rising tension in the atmosphere. "We go to Brazil. We use the GPS to find about the actual Amazon area and we will figure out the rest on the way. Meeting's over now. Ta-ta." He rushed. 

Stella giggled silently and Casey looked at him, amused. As they all turned to go back, "Taya, can I talk to you?" Matt breathed into her ear. She shivered slightly, "Whatever for?"
"I need to tell you something. Wait for the others to leave." 

She nodded and bent over the railing looking at the clear water below her.
The rocks had been worn smooth by the pressure of the stream. The blue water reflected her face, distorted and unreal. She didn't recognize the image. The girl in front of her was a magical being with powers never known to her. This girl had the abilities to make changes to the natural forces of Earth. This girl had found out about a whole new world. She had fought in an invasion and seen immortal people. This girl was different.