December 15, 2008 3:30 AM
Santa Barbra, California: Earth
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▫️Stella

I didn't sleep that well on the stupid bleachers. They were hard, cold and very thin and uncomfortable. I woke up and rubbed my neck, which hurt from the uncomfortable position I slept in. Aron was sitting on the bleacher below mine, he was silent as he stared up at the sky, clouds were circling above us, signaling us that rain was to come soon.

"Maybe first we should go inside the school," Aron suggests. "There might be showers, or at least maybe somewhere more comfortable to sit."

"Then we got to get a better plan," I say. "I don't know where we are or how to get back to Malison. Soren seemed like a good idea at first, but we need a plan B, just in case."

We grabbed our bags and walked into the school, being careful to avoid any staff or authority figures here. We ran down a hallway of lockers, but froze in our steps as we heard someone's footsteps, I grab Aron's arm and quickly pull him to a spot around a corner to hide behind until the person passed us.

"I wonder if we have any lockers?" I ask my brother once the figure was gone.

"I don't know," Aron says. "But chances are we might, since we got classes and all."

"It's almost like we were inserted into everyone's mind before we were sent here," I  thought out loud. "Did you notice if you recognized anyone yet? There has to be others here from Malison. I mean, people are banished here all the time right?"

"Wait." Aron held up his hand, giving me a signal to be silent. I listen, a slow beeping sound came from a locker. Aron got up and walked around, listening to each locker until he found the source of the sound. "It's coming from here."

I follow him over to that locker. "Should we try and open it?" I ask. Aron shrugs and I try pulling on the locker and it opened right up, like it wasn't locked at all. Inside was a Net-pad and a journal. I grab them out and sat down with Aron to look at them. "Aron... this is Malison tech."

"I know," Aron clicks open the Net-pad and got to work putting in his passcode to get inside. "I wonder..." It worked, he got into it. "Stella... maybe we can use this to get back."

I had not seen a Net-pad since we came to this strange place. Only Malison citizens could use them, it was limited to our planet. So every Malison citizen had a passcode they could use to access information on any Net-pad. "We... we could get home." I smile as I think of the possibilities the Net-pad could hold.

"Stella looks at this." Aron shows me a star map on the Net-pad.

"Are those directions?" I ask. "Or a location to something?"

"It's a map of our known universe, with a bunch of dots, like something is being tracked."

"What could it be?" I wonder.

"Whatever it is, it is here on Earth, and rather close. It doesn't track much further then the continent this thing is. It looks like it is near us, the two dots are close together."

I stare at the two blinking dots, one is blue while the other is red, they were so close together, they looked like almost one purple dot. "Could it be tracking like energy readings?" Footsteps echo in the hallways. Aron grabs my hand and ran around the corner back to our hiding spot. We peek to see who was coming this time.

"Ok let me just get my stuff and we can try again, there is no way he could get that far." I couldn't see the figures face, he had dark green jacket with a hood that covered his face and identity. "Larkin, I have a map. Just let me get it. We can try tracking him again. His energy readings are off the chart in this area, we can try to keep chasing him. He was here. So we are close" He was talking on a cellphone, which I learned was an Earth Net-pad, only not as great. He opens the locker we had just broken into and gasps in shock when he sees that it is empty. "Larkin... I think he is onto us. My Net-pad, it's gone."

I hear some chatter from the other end of his phone as he listens, he paces back and forth from one side of the hallway to the other, it is at that moment I catch a glimps of his face. It was Ames, Ames from the basketball team.

"Aron," I whisper to my brother. "We need to get out of here."

"Or maybe he can help us," Aron suggests. "I think... is that Ames? Like Ames Zodiac?"

"I thought that was Ames from the basketball team?" I question.

"Any Malison can put on enough make up to change themselves a bit," Aron whispers. "I think they are looking for someone."

"But who?" I ask.

"Larkin!" Ames says into the phone. "It is gone, yes I am sure," he huffs. "It has to be him, who else knows me? Nobody knows we are here but Luke, and he has all the portals and he made it quiet clear that we are never leaving this planet until we find Seven, dead or alive."

I gasp when I hear that name. Seven? He is here? "Aron let's leave," I beg him. I look at my brother in the eyes, he has the same fear mines do. Last time we saw Seven, we ended up here, barely alive. I was surprise we didn't die, I was in fact counting on it to happen.

"Yes... we do need to get out of here." Aron grabs my hand and pulls me in the opposite direction and we sneak away from Ames. Aron's eyes dart around the hallways as if he is searching for something.

"Aron," I whisper to him. "What's wrong?"

Aron pants. "I don't want to be stuck here, especially if Seven is here! We need to move, we can find another way home later."

"Let's stop running first," I suggest. "It won't help if we just run aimlessly, we will run right into danger."

"Yeah," Aron agrees.

"Let's go to the pool area." I suggest. "No one can find us there and we can come up with another plan."

Aron nods and we head outside to the out door pool area. The cold air from the night made the water turn to mist, creating a thin fog. I felt like we were in a haunted mansion. Anyone could be hiding in the shadows and we would never see them coming.

"We can hide here till the sun comes out," Aron tells me. "Better yet, nobody can find us here." Aron puts the Net-pad into his backpack to hide it. We slowly walk around the corner, careful to avoid anyone who might be walking this way. My eyes dark through the mist at the pool, I saw a figure in the pool laying on a floatation device. I grab onto Aron's arm and jerk him behind a plant with me.

"What was that for?" He asks.

"Shah!" I shush him.

We peered through the plant into the pool, there was indeed someone there, floating in the middle of the pool on a bed floaty.

"I did ruin everything Vestry," The guy in the pool said, he was on the phone and I was pretty sure it was Soren because I could hear that arrogant attitude dripping off his voice, but I couldn't be 100% sure.

"Before I was-you know-I was just living my life back home, my happy, fun, award living life and in case you didn't notice all of that went straight to-" he stops talking and turns to look in the direction me and Aron were hiding. We duck behind the pot. He might of seen us. But we didn't move a muscle from our hiding position.

"I'll call you back. I think they are here." I heard him say, I peeked through the plant's leaves and saw him throw his phone into a plastic bag, he held it as he dives out of the floating chair and hid behind some rocks at the edge of the pool. Yes this was definitely Soren. Why was he hiding? We were the ones who should be hiding!

"Larkin I know Seven is here on Earth somewhere." I heard the familiar voice of Ames as two figures walked past our plant and continued walking around the pool, heading towards the parking lot. "I could feel his presents all during the basketball game today. Who knows he may be hiding out at Copper Cove."

"I felt it too, when we were there, it was old, but it was strong." Larkin says as she walks beside him, hand in hand. "His presents fades too quickly though, we can never track it."

I peeked through the plant again. Larkin had long black hair with pale skin. Her lips were hot pink, she wore tight buckle and strap style clothing. She had a stick in one hand and the other she had Ames's. She wore giant gloves too, and I understood why when a giant eagle or hawk thing flew into the room after them and landed on her shoulder. She was Ames's girlfriend, I recognize her from my last meeting with Ames... before we were sent off to war with Seven.

The two love birds walked off, back towards the direction of the school. After they were gone, Soren came out from behind the rocks and swam to the side of the pool. I watch him jump out and run straight to us, he was so graceful running, he was also shirtless and man was he hot! For such a short skinny boy I was not expecting him to have a six pack, but he did have a small one. He didn't have an eight pack like Aron did, but boy was Soren attractive. Then I watch him slip and fall straight through our plant and onto me, because my day couldn't get any better.

"Oh," Soren gasps when he saw me. "Um... Hi. What are you guys doing here. Nobody is here at 3 in the morning!"

"Pleasure," I snap at him. I was still a bit angry from him for throwing up onto me and not apologizing.

"Hi, I'm here too." Aron greets with a small wave.

"You know what, I don't care what you two are doing." Soren pushes himself off me. "I need to get out of here."

"Why?" I ask.

"Did you not just see Ames and Larkin are here?" He rolls his eyes. "And if there is one Zodiac here, that means there is probably more on their way."

"Zodiac?" I look at him. "You are Malison!"

"Yeah duh, I am freaking gorgeous," Soren huffs. "And you both are too. So don't act stupid with me please."

"Ok. Fine. No more secrets okay?" Aron interrupts. "So, Soren, why are you running from Zodiacs?"

"I work for seven." Soren quickly says. "I am like his second, or Lieutenant. Whatever you call it, I am way to important to die on a stupid planet like Earth. I have to get out of here. Do you have a car?"

"What!" Aron gasps. "You work for Seven?"

"Well sure, I mean I did before I got blasted here, same as you guys right?"

"No..." I say. "We are Zodiac Rangers."

"Well then..." Soren began. "Looks like we got a little dilemma on our hands. So I suggest, since you guys also appear to be running from the Zodiacs, that we work together."

"How do I know you won't kill us?" I ask Soren.

"Oh darling..." Soren chuckles. "Believe me, I have done my fair share of killing. I am not a fan, I would rather let others kill you then get my hands dirty. But I think you two might be valuable enough to be my way out of this dump. What do you say, wanna join forces and get out of here? Or be stuck here?"

"Fine." Aron speaks up before I can ask any more questions. "I trust you enough... but if you even think about betraying us--"

"I know!" Soren interrupts him. "There are two of you, and I can't take on the both of you all by my little self, now can I?" The way he said it was filled with sarcasm. I couldn't help but feel like he could, and he knew that. "Perfect, we are all in agreement. Now, let's get out of here, do you two have access to a car?"

We shook both our heads.

"Son of motherless sloth." Soren curses under his breath.

"Wait what did you just say?" Aron questions that.

"Let's go," Soren commands. "Luckily I have had my eyes on a certain car." He got up and started to run out the door, he grabs his phone off the floor and a shirt, quickly putting it on "To the parking lot."

"No wait!" Aron says as the two of us ran after him. "What did you just say about a sloth and it's mother?"

"Nothing." Soren replies, rolling his eyes. He jogged on, trying to tie his shoes as he ran out the building. We went out to the parking lot, Soren frantically searched for the car. "Sacajawea." He whispers in frustration as he couldn't find it in the front.

"Does anything you say make sense?" Aron huffs as we both follow him around.

Soren's eyes lit up. "I found our car." My eyes caught it as well. A black Ferrari. Wait, why was there a Ferrari in a high school parking lot? But, Soren was in love with the model. A perfect car for him in my own opinion. It was showy, much like a peacock.

"No," I snap. "We are not stealing a Ferrari Soren!"

"Oh yes," Soren smiles. "We are getting away in style."

"You are insane!" Aron yells at him. "Who's car is this anyways?"

"Chicka-chicka," Soren clicks his tongue.

He opened the car door, why the door to a Ferrari was unlocked in the parking lot of a high school? I don't know. He got under the steering wheel and started to hot wire the beautiful thing.

"Owe!" Soren yells as he sparked himself. "Good flying monkey butts!"

"Don't picture that!" I say immediately to Aron.

"Too late." Aron whispers.

The Ferrari started, and it sounded amazing! The engine purred and puffed, it sounded like heaven on wheels. Soren pulls himself out from under the dashboard and sat in the driver's seat. I hop into the shotgun seat and Aron sat in the back. Soren put the car in reverse and looked over his shoulder to back out. Then he switched it to drive.

"Hold on tight." He pressed down on the gas with all his might. My body flew back into the seat as he speed out of the parking lot and onto the highway. "Best day ever!" Soren screames at the top of his lungs. I notice his speed was increasing very fast, it was now at 97. Luckily there was nobody on the road at the moment. The windows were down as the wind made my hair cover my face like a mask. I grab it all and hold it out of my face as I turn to Soren.

"Soren the speed limit is 65!" I yell at him.

"Where are we going and why are there flying monkey butts?" Aron tries to yell, but Soren couldn't hear him over the sound of the beautiful car, which wasn't as beautiful as Soren himself. His blond hair had completely dried and was now waving a bit in his face as he speed down the highway. His face was in full grin mode.

"Oh yeah!" Soren screams. He made a swift turn off the exit and into a mall parking lot. He came to a a screeching halt in a parking spot.

"Whew!" Soren sighed. "That was fun."

"Good flying monkey butts." Aron curses once he found his breath again.

"Now I know what it feels like to almost die," I state

Soren got out of the car and ran around to get my door. Man was that boy a gentleman all of a sudden. I gave him a weird look, but got out. He took us into the mall, which was surprisingly still open, and into a teen club bursting with pop music.

"Soren!" A guy who was mending the soda bar smiles as we walk in.

"Vestry," Soren smiles and greets him with a hug. "These are my friends. They are from Malison too, we are all running from Ames and Larkin, they seemed to have found me."

"Wait," Aron held up a hand. "You are Vestry?! As in Vestry Zodiac? The fifth son? The one with crazy healing powers! I thought you died!"

"Yep," Vestry sighs. "Thats me. I don't have any powers anymore. I gave mine to Seven a long time ago."

"Why would you give powers to that monster?" I ask.

Vestry's eyes widened when I said that and he looked at Soren who says: "Seven is not a monster. I am afraid Mike and Luke have brainwashed you, they are the real monsters. Vestry gave Seven his power so he wouldn't die in war, there is a huge difference between that and what DNA studies Mike and Luke performed on you two stupidheads."

"Soren be nice," Vestry snapped. "I love my little brother. I didn't want him to die. So he has my power now, along with many others I hear. He is creating a better world for us all. I suggest you two do some research before deciding what side to join. But since you are friends of Soren, you are friends of me. I will offer you a room here if you like."

"A room?" Aron gasps. "As in a bedroom? With beds and not bleachers?"

"Yes," Vestry says. "One of each of you."

"Wow," I smile. "Thank you Vestry. That is so nice of you."

"So why don't you go show them these rooms." Vestry hands Soren two keys. "Then get to sleep, you all have school tomorrow."

"Of course," Soren laughs. He shows us up the stairs, I gaze above me at the many levels that existed in this little spiral stairway. We walked up to the second floor, the last two rooms in the hallway were ours apparently. Soren unlocked them and gave us each a key. "Settle in then I'll wake you guys up in the morning." Soren smiles and headed to the room next to Aron's.

I went into my room, it was simple. The room contained a bed and a dresser wardrobe thing. In the wardrobe were costumes and normal clothes. I changed from my T-shirt and basketball shorts into a floral shirt and pajama bottoms. I pulled out some sneakers to wear if I happen to go somewhere, they were white and silver.

I was over joyed to have a room to myself, even if it was small and bare. Better then the bleachers. I lay on the bed, it was soft and not made of cold metal. This was already a winner for me. I fell deep into sleep on that nice soft bed without another thought and slept peacefully that entire night.