Ever After (East Raven Academy Book 1)(27)

A minute later, I am at their house in the middle of the woods and I am running inside. As soon as I get in there, I nearly collapse on the floor.

“Is it Dad? Or Nora?” I ask. “The baby?”

“Your family is safe,” Jake answers.

With his statement, I relax. But only a little. “What about me? Am I safe?”

“You’re never fully safe,” Uncle Matty says. “But for now, you’re as safe as you can be.”

With his admission, I allow myself to collapse onto the couch.

“Thank God.”

“Something happened,” Jake says.

His words cause me to stiffen.

Something happened.

“What?” I ask.

“First of all, you should know that it’s not your fault,” Jake says, taking a seat beside me. Uncle Matty takes a seat by Jake.

I don’t like that he’s saying these words.

Shortly after I was kidnapped, awhile before coming to East Raven Academy, a girl I went to school with was murdered by the same group who kidnapped me. The girl wasn’t my friend, but she was the closest thing I had in Malibu. She was shy and nerdy, so anytime we had to partner up in class, I would work with her. I guess they assumed that she was my friend because she had come to my house to work on an assignment. They murdered her. I felt like it was my fault. That happened at the end of the school year last year, and that was why they decided it was in my best interest to go into hiding.

“Who?” I ask.

“Nobody you know,” Uncle Matty answers.

“What happened?”

“When we brought you to East Raven Academy, we left a few false trails. One of the trails led to a high school in East Texas,” Jake says. “Earlier today, those terrorists broke into the office of that school. They shot three people. The principal and two students. They ransacked the office, but they found nothing. They got away. The police are looking for them... but...”

They’re professionals. Highly trained. If trained CIA agents can’t find them, obviously a bunch of local cops can’t.

“Are they all dead?” I ask, swallowing the lump in my throat.

“No. The principal and one student is,” Jake answers. “But the other student is alive.”

“Is the alive one going to be okay?” I ask, hope bubbling up. I hate that the other two are dead, but maybe, just maybe, the third victim will survive.

“She’s in critical condition, so we don’t know yet,” Uncle Matty says.

I sit back against the couch, trying not to cry. I look at Uncle Matty and Jake through blurry, tear filled eyes.

“Tell me about them,” I say. “The principal, was he married? Does he have kids? How old were the students?”

Because I need to know. I want to hear that the principal was old. That he lived alone and left nobody behind. Not that it makes his death any less, but I would like to know that he doesn’t have a family left behind to mourn him.

“The principal was thirty seven. He was married with two kids, and a third on the way,” Jake tells me. “The student who died was fifteen. He was a straight A student and an only child. And the student fighting for her life is sixteen. She was dating the other boy, and they were in the principal’s office because they were caught kissing in the hallway. She has one older brother and two younger sisters.”

I notice he doesn’t tell me their names, and for that I am grateful. Somehow, hearing their names makes it feel more real. I feel guilty enough already. If it wasn’t for me, they would all be okay. The day would’ve been normal. The two kids might have gotten after-school detention, but they’d be healthy and alive, and I want that for them.

“What am I supposed to tell my friends?” I wipe at my face. “I just told them I had a family emergency and ran out of there as fast as I could.”

“Why’d you do that?” Uncle Matty asks, obviously annoyed.

“Because I was worried that something bad had happened to my family,” I say. “It was the only thing I could come up with on short notice.”

“Fine. Okay,” he says, letting out a breath.

“Tell them your favorite cousin, Jake, was in a car accident,” Jake says. “I’m fine, of course. Just a few cuts and bruises.”

“Okay,” I say, nodding. “I can do that.”

“Take some time and get yourself back together,” Jake says. “You can skip the rest of the day if you need to.”

I nod. “I know. But I want to get back and see if I made the soccer team.” I cringe. “Those people died because of me and I’m worried about making the stupid soccer team. What’s wrong with me?”

“It’s not your fault,” Jake says. “And you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to do. You’re sixteen and your life was turned upside down. You’re starting over and doing the best you can. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

Easier said...





5pm.





My little secret.





I do skip my classes for the rest of the day, but show up for soccer. I find out that I made the A soccer team, which is awesome. I’m super excited to be doing something that will help me get my mind off... everything.