The Way~My GOT Fic

[Trinity]

So... yeah. Another reason to add onto my obsession.

I'll post the 'chapters' P.O.V. by P.O.V. like Marianne Curley does.

This is after the Key, so Key spoilers.

And basically its about how they accidentally step into an alternate reality where their lives turn upside down.

[Trinity]

The Way

People have often asked themselves many questions on their situations. Why here? Why now? Why me? Why is this happening?

And as to answer those questions, most people have simply called it “Fate.”

But what if what you believed what fate, turned out not to be destiny? If your lives were corrupted in a way that your very past, present, and future were scrambled and you could never replace them again?

The person you are today, is it who you are to be tomorrow? Or the next day? Or fifty years down the road?

Your beliefs, would they change in an instant? Your religion, your traditions?

What if you had lived your life going down one road, traveling safely down the highway, to find that without realizing it, you have swerved to another road, one which is dark and unfamiliar?

No maps, no help of any sort. How do you get out? How do you solve what wasn’t supposed to be, yet was done anyway?

Though, around all this suspicion and disharmony, there is all one thing:

Time.

[Trinity]

Isabel

The Final Battle is over.

The Guardians of Time have prevailed, we have won.

But in a sense, we have lost.

Lost a leader, lost an enemy, lost a friend.

Now, three weeks after that sacred timing, things have just begun to get back to normal.

Ethan is still mourning the loss of Rochelle. Why his feelings of grief are so strong, I fear I do not know. None of us know, except for Ethan. He hasn’t told a soul what really happened once he followed Rochelle. His silence just shows that we may never know.

Matt is now with Neriah. Of course, they were already before the Battle, but they seem to be even closer now. After her home was destroyed, her and her mother were taken into our home, where they were told that they could spend time until they felt the world was safe again.

Safe? When will the world ever be safe, I wonder. For although Lathenia is gone, we still have to face the remains of her evil army.

Dillon often watches Matt and Neriah as their relationship progresses. You do not need to be a Truthseer to notice the pain and envy that Dillon shines through his eyes. His mistaken love for Neriah has created a rift between him and my brother. I fear that Dillon will never mature, and that rift will never be repaired.

My mother is doing fine. Except for the fact that she now knows about the Guard, and all her memories of Dartemis are recovered. But now, she can’t help but constantly worry about us, while we go on missions. Now that Dartemis has his rightful position back, he now wanders the mortal realm. To stay, he says. And so we have added another person to our crowded home.

Although, it doesn’t seem so crowded, as Jimmy has been working non-stop for the past three weeks, building onto our small family house. He has had extra help from Matt and Dartemis, who use their skills to make the work come faster. We’ve already gotten a large room finished, for Neriah’s mother (Neriah is staying in Matt’s room), and we’re working on another bathroom, another bedroom, and an extra den.

Mom has confessed to Jimmy many times that she was sorry for maintaining a relationship with him, and now that she has Dartemis, she doesn’t want him anymore. Of course, Jimmy understood his role as Protector, and backed down with a smile. He now sleeps on the couch in the living room, while Mom and Dartemis get the master bedroom. (This is just temporary, until the rest of the house is built.)

That leaves a few of the Named left.

Mr. Carter, the traitor of our cause, is now stuck in his permanent Underworld cell. We figure that he will become soulless soon, as most creatures cannot stay in the Underworld for long. That is how we think of Marcus Carter, he is not a person, but a creature. But then again, he deserved what he got.

Shaun Roberts is still living with his son, at his own home, but he is living a much happier life. His wife, who is also back to herself before the death of Sera, swears that he is a much livelier person. But they can’t say much for Ethan, though.

That leaves Arkarian, the light, the love, the joy of my life. My soul mate. Believe it or not, he lives with us too, sharing my room with me. This is due to the fact that his living chambers were destroyed with the rest of the Citadel, and the Tribunal figured that they wouldn’t need the Atlantian technology anymore, therefore taking it away. That leaves most of the Named under one roof. (Which is great, Dartemis adds, We can all be in a protected place and be with each other when we need it.) Mom figured that all the “couples” could share rooms together. Thank God that my mother isn’t the type of parent that Matt will turn out to be.

In the past three weeks, we have developed a schedule. In the morning, the first ones to get up are of course, the adults, Mom, Jimmy, and Dartemis. (Arkarian is considered a teen, since he’s bunking with me.) Jimmy uses the shower while Mom starts breakfast. Dartemis takes over while Mom showers, because he has the ability to self clean himself.

Next up are me and Arkarian. Arkarian chats with the adults while I get ready for school, then he gets dressed. Matt and Neriah also use their Immortality skills to auto-shower, and are always the last up. Neriah’s mom usually stays in her room all day, only coming out to use the bathroom, and gather food. We wonder what’s been keeping her like this.

Once breakfast is over, Mom does the dishes, while Jimmy drives me, Matt, Neriah, and sometimes even Ethan and Dillon, to school. While we are there, Arkarian and Jimmy do the odds and ends around the house, such as cleaning, yard work, and all that jazz. (Room-building for Jimmy.) Sometimes Arkarian will dye his hair black, and wear blue-colored contacts so that he himself can come pick us up from school, but most of the time its Mom.

After school, the “teens” have to do their homework, which usually causes a slight groan from me, as enforced by Mom. Then, we are free to do anything until dinner. Next, we all have to help out with dishes. Followed by some sort of movie for the whole “family”. Then, bed time, free for the couples to do whatever they please together.

Think that sounds confusing?

Well you thought right. It took me a week and a half to get used to that schedule, once it was set up. Mom said that it is actually a better deal. She gets the house clean in half the time, she jokes.

And me, well I’m not complaining. A whole room to myself with my soul mate. Arkarian once told me that its like we all lead a normal life again. He also adds, with a grin, if this would be what it feels like when we have our own house running full of our kids. God, I cannot wait until I’m eighteen.

One and half more years, One and a half more years...

[Trinity]

Arkarian

This morning, I wake up just a little bit early. I smile down at the blonde beauty in my arms, her own thoughts commenced deeply in sleep. I probe a little into her mind, I see her dreaming of me, and I can’t help but chuckle.

This causes her arousal, and her eyes flutter softly open. “What were you laughing about?” Isabel groggily asks, sleep still deep for her. She tries to get up, but I sense her tiredness, and gently push her back onto the bed.


“Go back to sleep, Isa,” I gently murmur into her ear, making sure that she can feel my breath. Smiling slightly, she nods, and curls up against me. In a second, her breathing is light and even, and I know she is back into slumber. I, myself, am threatened to join her.

Turning only my head, as to not re-awaken my love, I glance at the alarm clock. Its three in the morning, too early for even the birds. I sigh, and realize that my wish to not fall back asleep is at greater wish to not be granted. Forcing myself to keep awake, my thoughts start to drift.

This world that we live in now, with all this peacefulness, will it always be? Lathenia’s followers are still out there, somewhere, probably just waiting for a chance to jump out of their hiding places and attack. Yet the Tribunal believes that they won’t that we’ve got them under control. How can they be so sure?

I do not agree with what they have done to my chambers, closing it off, then making the room inside the mountain disappear. Not destroyed, just not where it once was. Where it was for all my lifetime of 600 years. Now, I have no way to track any progress on the remaining Order members, for the exception of the information clued into me by Matt and Neriah.

And that, is why I fear that soon the remaining Order will soon attack. And it might be fatal.

But no, for although I have been alive lifetimes over than what the new comers have experienced, no one has been listening to the Truthmaster. Once Matt took over as new Tribunal leader, his disgust against me became evident. Which, is true prejudice, just because me and Isabel are soul mates. He purposefully commands the other Tribunal members to ignore my protests.

Isabel sighs gently in her sleep and cuddles closer to my chest. I smile at the only one who will listen to me anymore.

Its for her that I worry most. For now, she has learned of her brother’s true heritage, and now he treats her different as well, although Matt is not aware. While Dartemis assured her that he thought of her as his own daughter as well, this Immortal’s son sometimes leaves Isabel out of the group planning, as if she were not important anymore, just because Matt can heal himself.

But Isabel will not refrain from expressing her emotionality any longer, she has told me. I love her for her stubbornness, a trait that most despise. Once more she shifts in her sleep, and her hand comes up under the covers and slips itself inside mine. I trace my finger along her ring finger of her left hand.

I am fully aware of what I am going to do with that finger once she turns eighteen. My father had written out a will, knowing he was to die soon, and when he did, I was left with all the profits that he had made being the Immortal Tribunal leader, but he never got to spend. Among the possessions left to me were a large house, enough money to last me and Isabel a couple hundred years, and a collection of jewelry. In this collection, there is a single ring that I think would be a perfect engagement ring. And on Isabel’s birthday, the day that she is physically mine forever, I intend to make her emotionally mine as well.

I smile in my thoughts, which were carefully screened so that Matt, Neriah, or Dartemis could not hear them, if they were by any chance awake. Matt would kill me before the night was over, if he knew of my plans. Oh well.

Tagging a kiss on Isabel’s finger, I lay her hand back beneath mine, and doze quickly off into sleep.

[Trinity]

Matt

I am fully aware as to when Arkarian falls back asleep. One of the things I have been taught is sensory, knowing when someone is awake, asleep, alive, or even dead. I can’t think of a reason as to why he is awake at this hour. Perhaps the same reason as me?

Mentally, I laugh. Its not uncommon for someone to wake up during the night to pee, but I was the only one out in the hallway to the bathroom, so of course Arkarian had some other reason. No doubt, to watch Isabel sleep. I can feel him doing that a lot.

As I walk from the bathroom into the hallway, I can’t help but absorb a straight train of thought. Arkarian and Isabel think that I’ve purposefully been mad at them, but the truth is, they always come and see me when I am majorly stressed or ticked off.

Now, I will admit, that when I am frustrated, I let it show. As they have noticed, I don’t need Isabel’s healing skills anymore. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t think her still an important member of the Guard. Her psychic skills are still crucial, and lately she has been trying to even more improve that ability.

For now that she and Arkarian are together, he is her trainer. I must admit that I still have my uncertainties about this six hundred year old teenager, and what he does with my sister. However, with Neriah around, I only think about that whenever she’s gone, or busy like she is now.

And times like these, when I actually have a moment to spare to think, I always seem to drift back into the Final Battle, and what happened to Rochelle. I had known all along what her and Ethan shared before she died, but was too afraid to admit it to anyone, in case they wanted to drill me. I know that Ethan would appreciate my silence.

As the saying goes, “It’s better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all.” I just wished that Ethan had more time with his love.

I return back to my own room, to find my own love fast asleep on the bed. Neriah has sprawled out on top of the comforter, which is half off of her. She almost takes up the entire space. Raising my eyebrow, I recover her up with the blanket, and she yawns.

I take a seat in the hard, wooden chair beside her. The moonlight streaming through the window gives everything a pale, white tinge to it, including her face. For a moment, I see a fierceness expression which she has shown seldom times. But it is replaced with a face of kindness. I smile.

I position myself on the chair, and try to start the process which is sleeping sitting up. First, I have to clear my mind of any thoughts. It’s the first step in any Immortal doings. But tonight, as much as I try, I find it exceptionally hard.

I sigh. As much as I want to go to sleep, I can’t do it without a clear mind. I guess a night less of sleep would be my punishment for not mastering the ability to clear my inner thoughts and emotions.

I sit on the floor and pull out my Advanced Chemistry book. Reading by the light of the moon, I begin to study for my end of the year exam.

[Trinity]

Neriah

The instant the sun hits through the windows, my eyes are caught open. I guess Matt forgot to close the curtains last night. Remind me to thank him. Turning over, I expect myself to feel his own body still in sleep, but to my surprise I feel nothing but the empty sheet. Looking around the room, I see him fast asleep on the floor.

Climbing out of bed, I can’t help but giggle. Matt’s hair is stuck out at odd angles, and his school books are sprawled across his lap. I wonder why he didn’t climb into bed beside me last night. I lean down beside him and gently push his homework off his lap.

The gentle motion doesn’t stir him, but instead Matt just yawns. Once more I find humor, and gently kiss his cheek. This, as it always does, awakens him, and he opens his eyes with a grin. “Good morning, gorgeous.”

“Good morning, hot stuff,” I tease him, and he smiles even brighter. “How come you didn’t climb into bed with me last night?”

Matt shrugs. “Well, I was going to, but you had already dominated the mattress. I figured I’d just stay up and do my homework.” He glances down toward the pile of books beside me. “But I guess I didn’t even get that far, huh?”

I shrug back. “I guess not.”

He yawns eagerly, and tries to stand up, but I am sitting on his lap, pinning him down. “Do you mind, Neri? I can’t get up.” Matt gently teases with sarcasm.

“No.” I say fake stubbornly. “I do happen to like this situation. I find it rather nice, you know?” I wink in his direction, making him chuckle.

Matt replies, “Okay.” And with that, he reaches his arms around my waist, and brings both of us up off the floor. “We’ll keep ourselves this way.” He stands unsteadily for someone carrying a girl half his size.

“We should get down to breakfast,” I say, gently pulling on his arms that are around my waist. “I bet everyone else is already up.” Trying to tug myself free of his grip, he just tightens his hold.

Then he snorts. “The sun just came up.” His reply was indeed true. “I bet hardly anyone else is down there.” But he takes me down there anyway, and we meet up with the rest of the Becket household.

[Trinity]

Isabel

I notice as Matt and Neriah enter the extremely crowded kitchen, Matt carrying Neriah as if she were a child. I can’t help but laugh. Arkarian almost did the exact same thing to me this morning, but I made him put me down. As of now, I am sitting at the kitchen table, to the left of Arkarian. He is busy piling food onto my plate. I know it may seem like I would find this annoying, with my “independent” attitude, but this morning Arkarian has been really sweet to me for some reason.

Mom comes out of the kitchen with a bowl of scrambled eggs, as Matt and Neriah take their seats at the table. She informed us that Jimmy ate early, to get a head start on the housework, and that Neriah’s mother had taken her portion to her room. Dartemis, she also said, had been called away on some Tribunal meeting, and wouldn’t be back until later.

“Well, how come he didn’t inform me of this meeting?” Matt asked, slightly annoyed, I can tell. “I am, after all, one of the Head Tribunal members.” He starts to fidget with his crispy bacon, trying to think of a reason why he wasn’t told to come.”

“He came into your room and saw you sprawled out on the floor,” Mom said, giving him one of those oh-please-when-will-you-ever-use-your-brain looks that she’s famous for. “Dartemis thought that if you were so tired that you had to sleep on the floor, then you obviously needed the sleep.”

I laugh slightly at Matt’s stupidity, especially when he shoots me a ‘shut up’ look. But, honestly, I can’t help it. Anything that my overprotective big brother does wrong is obviously funny to the younger sibling that he used to hopelessly nag on for messing up.

Arkarian gives me a small nudge with his elbow, as if to shut me up. He then tries to make small talk. “So, what have you guys got planned after school today?” He is addressing to the teenagers, not Mom, apparently. “Because I was thinking that maybe we could go back to where the Chambers used to be.” He gives me a small wink. “For old times sake.”

We nearly murmur our response, too infatuated with breakfast to say much. For some reason, my eggs taste suspicious, but I decide not to comment on Mom’s cooking. I should’ve gotten up to help her with breakfast this morning, but had decided not to. (I cook way better than she does, and she even admitted it.)

Although it is only six thirty, once breakfast is over, I wait until eight o’clock to get ready for school. Thank the Lord that it is Friday. No offense to any school nerds out there, but having education five days a week is really a big pain in the rear. I mean, really. For the rest of my extra-long life, I am going to be with Arkarian, hopefully married. Raising kids and protecting time will be my job. So why are the teachers constantly bugging me and the rest of the class about getting good enough grades and getting a good job?

Since what happened after Arkarian was kidnapped to the Underworld, the school has kept the “no dress code” function. That means that we don’t have to wear our uniforms anymore. I wonder why they haven’t changed it back. Maybe they think that the rebel kids won’t go back to the regular school clothes.

I change into my black, tight jeans and decide on an ‘AC/DC: Back in Black” tee shirt. Well, actually its Arkarian’s, but he said I could keep it, as I liked it so much. You can see why I love my boyfriend. My blue Etnies are on the floor, but I have to scramble around the room looking for my socks.

A smirk from the doorway shows that Arkarian had been watching me the whole time. I look up from the dirty clothes on the floor that I had been sorting through, to see that he had, in his hands, the very socks I was looking for. I roll my eyes at him, and lunge for the socks in his hands.

He shoves his hand upwards, and me, being the short monkey that I am, cannot reach them anymore. I give him a small scowl, and reach for them again. He taps his lips with a finger, indicating that he wants a kiss before I get the socks back.

Normally, I would be happy to oblige, but this morning I decide to mess with his mind. I step toward him, and lean my face about his, so that our lips are only an inch apart. I make to place my lips upon his, and while I do, Arkarian subconsciously lowers the hand containing the socks, ready to wrap his arms around my waist. As he does, I step back, and snatch the socks out of his grip, giving him a small grin.

Arkarian sighs dramatically, before coming completely inside the room. He sits on the bed and takes my binder from where it had been laying upon it. Its my World History binder. Arkarian flips through the pages, stopping here and there to nod. I look up every few seconds to watch him, through the process of getting my socks on.

“What are you doing?” I can’t help but ask.

He just chuckles. “Looking through your work.” He nods appreciatively, and gives me a small smile. “You really did become great at history, Ethan was rightful to say.” But then he leans forward and gives me a small wink. “But you missed number four on last night’s homework.”

[Trinity]

Arkarian

With the “kids” at school, and the “adults” doing things elsewhere, I am soon left alone by myself in Isabel’s room. Well, technically its my room, too. However, I’ve left all my personal belongings in a corner in their original suitcases. Isabel tried to persuade me to mix my stuff in with hers, but I think it unwise in this position. Isabel’s room is messy enough as it is.

Speaking of messes, I do believe I just thought of an idea of what to keep me busy while everyone else is gone. If Isabel won’t clean her room, then I’ll make it a surprise and do it for her. As I’ve noted, I’ve nothing to do anyway. I glance wonderingly around the small, cramped room, wondering exactly where to start.

Well, the clothes seemed to be her most annoyance this morning, so where else a better place? I bend down to pick up her clothes from off the floor. Instantly Isabel’s scent of the fresh outdoors hits me like a blow to the head. I know it sounds cheesy, but it takes me a moment to regain my thoughts.

I place her messy apparel into the nearest laundry basket, in hopes that it would get washed soon, in case that she needed anything anytime soon. I walk briskly back to the pile, but something there stops me. For laying in the midst of the chaos, was a small, round ball.

Now, why would I ever be stopped mid-walk because of a ball? It sounds silly, I know. But this one seemed...irregular. It was a ball, but wasn’t always a circular sphere. It changed forms for an elliptical to a spherical silhouette. A small, blue light was climbing in the center of the shape. It seemed like a small cloud.

Normally, I would be calm and persistent in matters like this, knowing exactly what to do. But only in those occasions, I had been given brief advance warnings by the Tribunal. If I had been warned about this, then maybe I would’ve known exactly what this was, if it was dangerous, and even if I was supposed to have it.

As it were, I didn’t. I had no clue about this mysterious object that had just pounced its way into this room. I’m not even sure if Isabel knew about it, even though it was in her laundry. So know what? Leave it where it was and hope that no one finds it? Pick it up and take it to Dartemis? These I contemplate.

I can’t just leave it there. I mean, what if it is dangerous and Isabel finds it? Or Matt? Or worse, their mother. It could be a transportation device to the next century, for all I know. That of course, rules out option number one.

But number two isn’t all that great either. If I pick it up myself, who is to say that it wouldn’t burn straight through my hand? And even if I conjure up a way to carry it, Dartemis is in a Tribunal meeting. Not only would I disturb some of the most powerful beings of all time, what if it is nothing but a futuristic toy? Then I would’ve faced a long embarrassment, and they might even lose a tiny amount of faith in me.

Judging my options, I decide to pick it up, but keep it in a container until the hike tonight. Then, I can bring the subject up to Matt. He would know what to do. Now, the problem is: how exactly am I going to do that?

I quickly glance around the room for a suitable holding device for this object. All I can see that would do would be Isabel’s small, black jewelry box. I carefully empty it out. Taking up one of my own shirts off one of the inflatable chairs, (how it got there, you shall never know), I wrap it around my hand, and use it as a sort of glove to carefully nudge the ball into the box. Securely fastening the clutches of the box, I insert it into the duffel bag.

[Trinity]

Matt

Who knew that home-room could be so boring? Today, like usual, we have 15 minutes of morning announcements, and then 15 minutes of “organized reading.” As of now, its still on the morning announcements. “I’m Lily.” “And I’m Chelsea. Welcome to the only news you can use! Today, for lunch, we are serving...” Those are the words breaking through the television set this early in the morning.

I scan the faces around me, trying to find one to talk to for the remaining of the class. It’s no use, though. Home-rooms are organized by the grade and by alphabetical order. So, naturally, Ethan, Isabel, Neriah, and Dillon are all in their own bored fantasies, about as non-thrilling as mine is.

“Thinking about me again, eh?”

Neriah’s thoughts break into my own, as I realize I hadn’t been screening my thoughts. I know I really should, for as my father tells me, there might be members of the Order still at the school, or even children of the deceased members wanting their revenge. I quickly think my reply to Neriah, making sure she is the only one who could hear it.

“When do I never not, angel?”

Calling her angel has been a new hobby of mine, and it drives her crazy. Out of all the sweet, but disgusting pet names I’ve had for her, she’s says it’s the worst. It takes a second, but I already can tell what her reaction would be.

“Don’t call me angel.”

“But it suits you so well, don’t you think?”

“Just as much as Lucifer fits you.”

“You know, speaking of Lucifer, you wanna go see a movie this weekend?”

“How the clucking hell did you get ‘movie’ out of ‘Lucifer’?”

“Tsk, tsk. Language missy. And I was thinking about how ‘The Davinci Code’ comes out this weekend.”

“How could you have been thinking about that? I would’ve heard you.”

Mr. Robin comes up from his position at his desk. The morning announcements are over, and now its time for the teachers to get up and read from the book they have chosen. For our home-room, its “Lemony Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning.” To which, I wonder why they would pick Grade 3 book for a Grade 12 class? (A/N: I am American, so I’m not sure how the education system works in Australia, so if I made a mistake let me know. I’m not going to pull the characters out of their original homeland.)

As he passes my desk, Mr. Robin gives me an interesting look. I scan my desk and notice that everything is in order. So why is he looking at me like that? For an instant panic fills my head. He’s a truthseer! Or he’s from the Order! What am I to do? I’m the only one in this class who knows about the two sides.

But then I realize, as I am doing it again, that when I was think-talking with Neriah, I had not done what my father had taught me to do while communicating: keeping a straight face. My expressions showed my emotions clear as day, and that was what Mr. Robin was reading, not my thoughts. Inwardly, I let out a sigh of relief.

“Mr. Robin isn’t an Order member or Truthseer. And you’re right, Lemony Snicket is for little kids.”

“You know, dear, I love you to death but sometimes you are annoying as hell.”

“I’ll keep that in mind when you want to go see that movie.”

“Cheeky.”

“I know. Just for you. See you in second period?”

“Yeah. ‘Love you.”

“‘Love you too.”

I tune into the brisk words of Mr. Robin as he describes in the thirteenth chapter of the book, how Violet and Olaf get into the argument over the whole ‘brides-left-hand-or-right’ dilemma. He is just about to finish the last page of the book when I suddenly sense a sort of panic coming from the house.

The only one I know to be home is Arkarian. But why would he be in a worry? Unless, I think smugly, he left the oven on for too long and burnt the cake he was making Isabel. Not that I am aware of him baking anything for her, or anything. Its just my opinion of the guy sometimes.

“Be nice.”

“Yes dear.”

I distinctively hear the thoughts of my father as they drift into my head, knowing that he had been listening all along. “You two sound like an old married couple.”

“Gee, thanks dad.”

I sense humor on him as I tune away. Not long after the first period bell rings, and I shift my binder off the desk into my arms. Hello, Advanced Chorus class.

[Trinity]

Neriah

I can’t help but laugh as Matt stops his conversation with his father. Walking on my way to first period gym, I collapse in more giggles when he does his ‘Advanced Chorus’ thought. I always wondered why he’d kept his first class a secret from me. Wow, of all the blackmail I could generate from this...

Outside of the entrance to the gym, I see Ethan step up beside me. “Hey Neriah,” he says, and he smiles. This has me stopped dead in my tracks. He hasn’t smiled since Rochelle’s death, and now the sight amazes me. He gives a short laugh, probably realizing what I had referred to by stopping, and I smile back. “Hey Ethan.”

We both walk into the double doors, him opening them up for me. Striding quickly toward the locker rooms in the back of the gym, I can’t help but notice how much he is back to his old self. Here he is, laughing and joking beside me. I think he figures that Rochelle would’ve wanted him to be happy after her death.

“I can’t believe we have to do physical testing today,” he exclaims to me, running his hand through his dark brown hair. “What’s the point of testing in physical education? Its not like we’ll get a well paying job just because we can run a mile in eight minutes.”

“If that’s the case,” I counter, smirking slightly. “There’s no wonder why all the homeless bums are fat.” This has him snickering and he’s looking amusingly at Brooke Sanker, the enormous blonde who has to use three chairs just to seat herself. I slap him on the arm. “That’s not nice.”

He just grins innocently, and jogs off into the boys’ locker room. I follow suit, and enter the girls’. Instantly a wave of deep hair spray and perfume hits my nose, and I can barely breathe. How many cosmetic applications do these girls need for one day? Geesh.

I scurry to the back of the room, dodging girls changing and covering my eyes when necessary. I am strong believer that a girl’s body belongs to her husband, so naturally, I am against changing in front of another girl. Reaching my locker, I tap my combination into the lock. 17. 5. 21. My locker swings open with a rusty squeal.

I grab my gym uniform, and rush into the nearest stall, which they have for the shyer students. Thanks to heaven that they actually put some thought into building this school. Once I am changed, I see that I am probably only one of the few girls left in the locker room, and rush back out into the main gym.

Having co-ed gym rocks! I see Ethan, and join him immediately. He nods at me, then glances to the farthest corner of the room. I groan. A student is on one of the treadmills, while a professional fitness trainer tracks how they are doing. Ethan has told me that they do this every year; hire a pro to come in to assist and assess the students.

The actual teacher is walking around the groups of students who are waiting, either patiently or nervously, for their turn to begin. She has a bright yellow clipboard in her hands, and is making marks every now and then. To my surprise, she comes up to me. “Neriah, you’re next.”

Ethan throws me a look as I walk away, toward the small corner. He gives me a thumbs up and I smile. The first girl is not done on the treadmill yet, and so I wait patiently at a distance. The man assessing her is middle-aged with short blond hair. He too is carrying a clipboard, and is scribbling on it furiously with his head bowed, so I cannot see his face. Soon though, it raises as he smiles at the girl. “All done. Good job!”

She offers a smile back, and then its my turn. “Neriah, right?” the man asks. I nod, and glance back at Ethan, who is watching me intently. I cautiously step up onto the exercising equipment. He starts to address me with instructions. “Alright, place your feet in the exact placements marked, and when I start the machine, start moving. Don’t worry about how fast you go, I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

I gulp nervously and place my feet on the markings indicated. He starts the machine on low. I barely have to walk to keep up with it. He nods, then makes a check on his clipboard. And so he turns it up higher. I start to jog.

By the time my examination is over, he has had it up to full power, and I am out of breath. Sweat is pouring down me, and I hope that I do not stink. The man reaches down beside his backpack, and his name tag tumbles out of the jacket he had zipped up. He grabs a bottle of water and hands it to me with a smile.

But I do not smile back, and for a moment, I am completely shocked. It was not the treadmill running, or the gracious bottle of water that would quench my thirst that did this to me. No, it was the name tag. For as it escaped the prison of that jacket, I barely caught the name. But I saw it, nonetheless. Would anyone even guess it?

Shayn Becket.