Homeschoolers On Their Own

Hi, I'm Kate. And I happen to be homeschooled. Yes that means no prom, no hot boyfriends, not a whole lot of friends, and a ton of family time. Does it mean no fun....quite possibly.

This morning was just like any other morning. I texted my best friend Marie, did some school, not much excitement, etc. Marie and I had met a couple times and the main reason we are best friends is because our moms introduced us at age two. Pathetic, right? Well I was finally going to meet her family of seven kids. Yes they are homeschoolers too. Marie invited me to a family dinner out to celebrate her 16th birthday. This was to be my only highlight of the day.

At six, I shut down the Honors Biology course I was working on and ran to get dressed. After stealing a cool top from my sister's closet and slipping on a pair of skinny jeans, I raced down the stairs and out the door. My house is only a half hour's walk into town, but today it felt like forever. I arrived at the restaurant before Marie's family and picked a bench to wait.

After nearly fifteeen minutes, a grey van pulled up. Finally, I thought. The little kids piled out first and ran to introduce themselves to me. There was no way on earth I was actually going to remember all of their names. Marie waded into the crowd of 10 and unders and grabbed my hand. She introduced me to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kolwalski. Great, a name I can hardly pronounce.

My attention was suddenly claimed by a tall boy with bleach blond hair climbing out of their homeschooler van. "This is my brother, Darian". Marie muttered, glaring at him even as he glared at her. Ok so not the most perfect family in the world. Darian seemed to be the outcast of the family. He was dressed all in black and had earphones in his ears. He didn't look or say anything to anyone else. "Ignore him" Marie said as his piercing blue eyes fell on me. I felt a blush creeping into my skin and did as Marie suggested, turning to talk to one of the little ones. "Well, lets get some food, shall we?" Marie's mom with the unpronounceable name said. She led the way into the restaurant.

The dinner was very nice. I spent my time talking and laughing with Marie, while her parents tried to control her rowdy younger siblings and Darian stared strait ahead, not even bothering to take out his earphones. During a lull in the yelling and screaming, I heard the loud music coming from his iPod. "You like Breaking Benjamin?" I asked. "Sure" He said, looking surprised that I would look at him, let alone talk to him. "I didn't think many homeschoolers listened to my kind of music" I said. He just laughed.

After dinner, Marie came up with the idea to go to a movie. 'Please, Mom?" She begged. "Its all right with me, Marie, on one condition." "What?" She said. "Take Darian with you." Marie groaned. "But why?" Marie's mother smiled. "The more people with you, the better off you are. You know what we heard about on the news. Your father and I don't want you going off alone at night without at least three people." Marie sighed and turned to where I'd been akwardly standing. "Still worth going?" She asked. I glanced at Darian. "Sure, why not?"

END CHAPTER ONE.

Hey everyone, please stick with me. I'm really busy, but I'm still working on the rest of this story. The action is coming soon, I promise!

CHAPTER 2

We walked in silence to the movie theater. Darian still had his headphones in, but his presence was enough to prevent Marie and I from talking. The line was long. I wondered idly if Darian would stop listening to his earphones in order to watch the movie. I doubted it. "Next" the girl selling tickets called out. Marie and I stepped up, Darian behind us. "Three for the Hobbit, please" Marie said. I handed her my money. "Enjoy the show" She said, smiling way to brightly at Darian. He never looked at her.

The movie was wonderful. Apart from the fact I had to sit next to him. Surprisingly he did manage to separate himself from his music...halfway through the movie. I ignored him completely, but something about him bothered me. He was under my skin, irritating me.

We started the long walk home. Marie's house was close to mine. I was grateful for their company, as it was already dark. A black sedan cruised past us on the street. I ignored it. The creepy car turned and I forgot about it as Marie chattered away about some dance she got invited to. Marie always got invited to school dances. The same black sedan drove past us again. "Wasn't that the same car we saw two minutes ago?" I asked. Marie waved her hand dismissively. "I dunno". We turned into the alley, our shortcut. The same car stopped at the entrance to the alley. Four men all dressed in black trench coats got out. My heart stopped as they started towards us. "Run!" Darian growled. We willingly obeyed.

The end of the alley was approaching...escape was visible.  Until another car screeched to a halt, effectively cutting off our only hope of escape.  Darian turned and drew a long, pirate looking, sword.  I gasped, where on earth did he get that? I thought.  Then suddenly a knife was flying at me through the air.  I reacted instinctively and caught it, missing slicing my hand narrowly.  "You know how to use that thing?" Darian asked.  "Um yeah sure, the scary end goes into the bad guys" I said seriously.  He rolled his eyes and turned to face the men pouring into the alley's entrance.  

Marie, on the other hand, was passed out at my feet.  Good for her, I thought darkly.  I studied the men.  They all looked the same in black trench coats.  Then I saw their guns.  "Darian, you can't fight guns with a freaking sword!" I whispered.  We stood side by side protecting Marie.  "Ha, just watch me!" He replied.  

A shot rang out and I couldn't help the girly shriek that escaped my lips.  Darian swung his sword so fast it was almost invisible.  He deflected the shot, and the next.  I stood there, staring like an idoit.  Suddenly I wasn't sure the Darian that I knew as Marie's moody brother was the person I was staring at.  

I didn't see much of the rest of the fight.  Fire tore through my arm and I went down crying out in pain.  Darian cursed and that was the last thing I heard as I passed out.  

-DARIAN POV-

I couldn't deflect the shot in time.  How low of them to attack her to get to me, I barely knew her.  But yet as I heard her cry out, something broke inside of me.  She fell to the pavement and I felt rage spiral through my veins.  A feral snarl tore through my lips and I threw my sword at his head.  Somewhere in my head I knew he would not be caught by such a simple manuever.  I knew he wouldn't get his head cleaved open like I wanted so badly.  And I also knew that throwing my only weapon away in his prescence probably wasn't such a good idea.  That part of me was darn right.

"I only want two.  Bring him, and the girl".  He said.  I growled and cursed, but they tied me up and there was no escape.  "Leave them alone, you have me.  You don't need them"  I said to him.  "On the contrary, boy, they seem to be a very effective way of getting you to do what I want."  He smiled his evil smile and I cursed the day he was born, his mother, his butt ugly face, and a number of other things.  In the middle of cursing his sister and the ground he walked on, I heard "Hey boss, which one?"  Darn.  

He walked over to where the girls lay and studied them.  "The brown haired one's okay, but she was passed out before we even got close.  I don't want a fainter.  I like this one's fire, and her hair matches" He laughed, winding a strand of Kate's hair around his finger.  Oh man am I gonna kill him, I thought.

 Sorry about the two chapters in one...I hadn't figured out wattpad quite right.  

PICTURE OF DARIAN