The Outcasts

Chapter Two - Eve

Wednesday, May 27, 2020 - 10:00 pm

Eve folded her cloak and laid it on top of the pile of clothes in her already overflowing suitcase. She sighed and jammed the clothes further into the suitcase with her knees before yanking the zipper around. She slumped over. She wasn't really sure why, but she was already homesick. Eve had to leave her aunt's house and travel for school. According to the school she normally went to, she was too high above her level or something. So she was now being shipped off to Washington state to go to a more advanced school called Grottingsedge. It's not like she had that many friends to miss anyways. She never talked to anyone if she could avoid it.

There was a quiet knock on the bedroom door. "Yes?" Eve called.

Her Aunt Phoebe opened the door and looked at the empty room. Her eyes seemed a little wet but she hid her emotions well. "I have something for you"

"Other than the cloak?" Eve asked.

"Yes. May I come in?"

Eve nodded. Aunt Phoebe stepped in and sat on the empty bed. She was fiddling with something in her hand.

"So our neighbor had this in her attic and I decided to add a little something to it." She opened her hand and there was a little, jeweled bee sitting in her palm

Eve gasped. Her aunt knew that she liked to collect little pins and brooches like this one. She put it in her hand. "So if you ever need company, just say 'twinkle twinkle little bee'."

Eve gave her a look. "What is that supposed to do? And also, twinkle twinkle little bee? Why's that the rhyme you came up with?"

"Just do it when you're alone. There's something special about you and this little bee. Want to give her a name?"

Eve paused, thinking. "I'll name her on the way to Washington."

Aunt Phoebe smiled. "Make sure you tell me her name."

She pinned the bee to Eve's shirt and gave her a hug.

"Come on. I cooked some lasagna before your big day tomorrow," her aunt said.

Thursday, May 28, 2020 - 4:00 am

The next day, Eve woke up bright and early. Well it wasn't very bright at 4 am but it was certainly early. Aunt Phoebe had made breakfast and drove her to the airport. Eve was tapping her feet restlessly. Normally, she liked to plan things out but it's kind of difficult to plan everything that would happen when moving to a new state. She was a little more relaxed knowing that her aunt would be coming with her for the first day or so of her trip before she has to fly back to Pittsburg.

"Okay. Now make sure you follow their instructions. Phone and jacket go into that basket. Your suitcase goes through there. Remember your-"

"Auntie. We're traveling together. I can just follow you"

"Okay. Just remember. Don't worry too much. If anyone asks you questions, give them straight forward answers. If you don't understand, just nod along-"

"Until they leave" Eve finished.

Finally, they went through TSA and got on the plane.

When they landed, they spent a full ten minutes figuring out how to work Phoebe's ancient phone. It dragged the Uber app onscreen and stuttered through the instructions. Aunt Phoebe was squinting hard at the screen, pressing the buttons with too much force.

"Auntie, let me try. I can figure-"

"No! It's not safe," she snapped.

Eve went silent. Her aunt usually never snapped at her unless she was extremely upset. Eve couldn't see what was dangerous about a cell phone but she didn't argue. She looked over her aunt's shoulder instead, trying to give her advice.