Chapter 1

The sound of a school bell ringing filled the halls. Within seconds, the hallways of Mountain Elm High School became packed with students all heading towards the front door. Two students were weaving through the crowd.

“Come on Heather, if you move this slow, you’ll get run over,” yelled Chris, a brown-haired boy with green eyes, pulling on a girl’s arm.

“Careful Chris, I’m going as fast as I can!” exclaimed Heather, a black-haired girl with brown eyes, trying not to trip.

They moved into a compact room to avoid being trampled.

“What was that for?” questioned Heather.

“Hey, I didn’t want us getting run over, because you move too slow. Plus, we don’t want to keep Francis waiting,” replied Chris.

“How is waiting in a closet going to prevent Francis from waiting? We were making good time.” Heather asked.

“I do not know, I wasn’t thinking again,” answered Chris, shrugging his shoulders.

As the crowds dissipated, they left the closet and headed toward the door. The two students escaped the mobs leaving the building and made their way towards a lime green convertible. Francis, a somewhat attractive blonde-haired boy, was leaning on the hood of the car. “What the hell took you so long? I told you to be prompt.”

“I’m sorry we don’t have the luxury of having a free period at the end of the day. We had to make it through the entire building just to get to the door. If someone wasn’t so slow, I wouldn’t have had to take cover in a closet to prevent being run over,” Chris explained, Throwing Heather’s and his bags into the trunk of the car.

“Well, I’m sorry I have problems keeping up,” said Heather.

Francis opened the door and got in the car. He pushed a button and the top of the car opened up.

“Hey! If you two keep bickering, I’m gonna leave you behind,” shouted Francis, “Now, apologize and get in. You’re testing my patience.”

Chris turned to Heather and apologized for being rude in return she did the same.

Chris jumped in the front seat next to Francis, while Heather carefully opened the door and sat in the back. Francis backed out of his parking space and made his way toward the road.

“I’m gonna be honest, I thought you two were making out in some closet or something, but I’m still surprised that’s where you took her,” stated Francis, in what seemed to be an attempt to lessen the tension between Chris and Heather.

“We were not!” responded Chris and Heather in unison. Chris looked back at Heather and noticed that she seemed very embarrassed by that statement. “That just happened to be the first open space we could get into,” Chris said.

“When you answer together like that, it becomes very suspicious,” stated Francis. “So, what were you two really doing?”

“Nothing!” they said together again, both shaking their heads.

“Sure, whatever,” Francis responded.

“Since we’re on the topic of dates, have you found a date for the Prom?” asked Chris, glaring at Francis.

“Um, n-, that’s none of your business!” said Francis, action flustered.

“Heather, are you sure your folks are ok with you spending the weekend at my house with Chris?” asked Francis, trying to change the subject.

“They’re probably too busy drinking or fighting to worry about where I am,” said the black-haired girl, sighing now with her hair blowing in the wind. “And it’s not like I’ve never spent the night with Chris before.”

“Sorry, I forgot you two had that kind of relationship. I’ll try to keep my distance.”

“Will you knock it off already? We are not dating, nor are we in any sort of relationship,” snapped Heather.

“Look, I’m sorry. You two get bent out of shape so easily, which makes it fun to pick on you.”

“I can’t believe you got tickets to go on that tour on Sunday,” interjected Chris.

“It’s nothing, really,” said Francis, acting proud of himself. “I’m just glad we get to go as a group.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” said Heather, smiling.

“Hey, can we stop somewhere and pick up some snacks and drinks?” asked Chris.

“Yeah, we’ll stop somewhere,” replied Francis.

The green car pulled up to a gas station and Chris and Heather stepped out. As they walked towards the door, Francis yelled out to them, “Don’t take too long. And don’t do anything I would do!”

“What exactly do you expect us to do,” replied Heather with her cheeks puffed. The remarks Francis made towards her and Chris were beginning getting on her nerves, but she said nothing about it and continued towards the entrance.

“Use your imagination. Just don’t be stupid or immature. And don’t forget to buy me something. It’s my money anyway,” Francis replied.

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” Chris replied, turning his head to face the door.

“Hey! That’s my money. If you don’t-.”

He gave up after Chris and Heather entered the store. The two teens walked into the store and went their separate ways. Francis tasked them with buying snacks and sodas for their weekend together. Chris went to the back where they kept the sodas and grabbed as many as he could hold in his hands. Heather went to the snack aisle and stood there staring. She had not been friends with the two boys as long, and Chris and Francis knew each other. She just stood there. 

“Come on, it’s not that hard. Just pretend you’re robbing the place, grab some stuff so we can go pay,” demanded Chris, tapping his foot.

“Sorry, I was spacing out, wasn’t I?” asked Heather with a dazed look. “I didn’t know what to buy. I didn’t want to buy anything you guys didn’t like.”

This answer shocked Chris. “Come on, you’ve known Francis for a year now. You should know by now that he will eat literally anything.”

She grabbed as much as she could carry. Both the teens walked to the counter. The cashier rang up their order and Chris gave the cashier Francis’s credit card. They walked out with smiles from eye to eye and two bags in each of their hands.

“Jeez, how much did you buy,” asked Francis in shock.

“Enough to have an enjoyable time,” responded Chris.

“Good answer. Come on, let’s get going.”

The two kids jumped into the car without even opening the door. Francis started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. He turned on to the on-ramp and entered the highway and drove towards home. 

Francis lived in a gigantic brick house about 30 minutes from the school. He was the son of a wealthy business executive and a model. His parents were never home, so he became independent.

The car pulled into the large driveway. The walls of the house were made of a decorative stone brick, and the trimming around the windows was made of a white plastic-like material.

“Well, we’re here. No one else is home. We have the house to ourselves.”

Heather looked at the house in awe. “Is this house really yours? I never thought of you of the rich type.”

“Yep, I try not to flaunt my family’s money around. Hey, I think if your mouth was hanging open anymore, I could use that as a garage instead.”

Heather self-consciously closed her mouth and opened the trunk and got both her and Chris’ suitcases. The three friends walked up to the door. Francis stopped suddenly with a shocked look on his face.

“Shit! I just remembered something. While my parents were gone, they had people coming to paint and redecorate all the rooms. The only rooms open are that guest room and my room.”

“You mean that one room with the queen and the Murphy bed,” asked Chris.

“Yeah, that one. The one you stay in ever since you broke the window in my room.”

Heather realized what this meant. She turned to Francis with an angry face. “You want me to sleep with that kid.”

“Hey! I’m right here, you know,” replied Chris.

“Unfortunately, yes. I would let you sleep in my room with me, but if word got out that I was sleeping with an under-classman my life would be over,” answered Francis with an apologetic look on his face.

“And you can’t sleep with Chris?”

“Nope. They banned him from sleeping in the same room as me after he ended up throwing me out the window while we were roughhousing.”

“How the hell did that happen?”

“Can’t remember.”

“You do remember,” Chris said. “It’s just that we agreed to never speak of it again.”

“Didn’t you tell them you were having friends over?” Heather asked.

“I did, but the best they could do was save those two rooms,” Francis replied with a sigh.

“Fine.” Heather huffed. She turned to Chris. “If you try to do anything shady, I will beat the hell out of you.”

“Look, if I make you too uncomfortable, I’ll look for somewhere else to sleep,” Chris told Heather.

“No, it’s fine,” said Heather. “I don’t want you sleeping anywhere uncomfortable because of me. I guess it will kind of be like before.”

“Not really, but whatever,” Chris said. Chris turned to Francis and whispered in his ear. “This better not be one of your evil schemes. If it is, I will make sure you stay in that bunker on Sunday.”

“I would like to see you try,” Francis said, laughing. “You can’t drive a car to save your life.”

“Francis, I thought you said we had the house to ourselves, but you just said there will be people painting the house?” Heather asked.

“I asked them to take the weekend off,” Francis replied.

Francis turned to the door, pulled a key out of his pocket, and let them into the house.

The large door swung open, revealing the large foyer. The room had white drywall walls and a hardwood floor. Besides the occasional area rugs and picture frames, most of the house was designed like this. Francis led the two down a series of hallways to their room. He told them to get changed, looking at his watch, told them that dinner would be in the next hour, and to make themselves comfortable.

Chris and Heather entered the room and went to their beds. They had already decided that Chris would take the smaller Murphy bed mainly out of respect based on their current situation.

“Hey, I’m going to order pizza for dinner if that’s ok. In the meantime, why don’t you get changed out of your uniforms and into something comfortable,” said Francis, dialing a number in his phone. “Oh, and Heather, there’s a bathroom down the hall if you want to get changed in there.”

“Thank you for letting me know,” Heather replied with a smile.

Francis closed the door and left the room. Heather shortly followed with some balled up clothes in her arms. Chris stood in the middle of the room trying to comprehend his current situation.

“How did I wind up getting the same room as a girl? I can’t figure out which is bothering me more. The fact that she is staying in the same room as me or the fact that she chose to sleep in the same room as me. I know this is like that time before, but this feels different,” Chris thought.

Chris started to get changed. There was a knock on the door. Chris jumped and began to get dressed as fast as he could.

“Chris, are you done yet? Can I come in?” Heather asked.

“Hold on! Give me one minute,” Chris said, tripping over a pant leg.

“You’re not going through my stuff, are you?”

“No, I was just thinking to myself!” Chris replied.

Heather flung the door open. Chris had just finished putting his shirt on.

“What was taking you so long?” Heather asked.

“I told you I was thinking to myself. What would you have done if I wasn’t dressed yet?” Chris asked, still trying to catch his breath.

“Ok, I believe you. You passed the test.”

“What test?” Chris asked with a confused look on his face.

“A test to see if I could trust you sleeping in the same room as me,” Heather replied.

Francis walked up behind Heather and put a hand on his shoulder. As a result, Heather jumped and spun around.

“Hey, just wanted to let you know the pizza will be here in about thirty minutes ok,” said Francis.

Both Chris and Heather nodded to confirm. Francis closed the door and left for his room. Chris had figured that Francis had left to go get changed.

“Since we have time, why don’t I show you around,” said Chris.

“Sounds good. Shall we get going then?” Heather replied.

Chris and Heather left the bedroom together. Chris picked up his phone and texted Francis, telling him they were exploring the house. Heather decided they would explore the west wing of the house first.

Once they got to the west wing, Chris explained what was in most of the rooms from what he could remember. He was only there a handful of times and never got the chance to roam around freely. Chris approached one room and stopped. Instead of explaining what was inside, he pushed the door open and went inside.

Chris flipped the light switch just inside the door. Inside was a long mat that stretched the length of the room. On the walls hung metal sheaths varying in color and length.

“What was the point of bringing me into this room in particular?” Heather asked, looking around.

“I don’t know. I guess there was no particular,” Chris replied.

“Weird question, but does this place have a pool?” Heather asked with a hopeful look on her face.

“Yeah, but we wouldn’t be able to go swimming. I doubt you would have thought to pack a swimsuit.”

“You would be correct. I did not pack a swimsuit, but who said I needed one?” replied Heather.

“What exactly do you mean by that?” Chris asked.

“I could always go swimming in my underwear. It’s just like my swimsuit anyway,” Heather said proudly.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I would be comfortable with you doing that,” Chris said shyly.

“Well, you’re no fun.”

“I’m sorry. I just don’t think it’s good for me to see you like that.”

Just then, Chris’ phone rang. He fumbled it in his hands a little before answering. “Yeah, what’s up?” Chris asked.

“Can you two lovebirds quit making out and head to the dining room? Foods here,” said Francis.

“What did you say about us!” Chris yelled in response.

Before Chris could finish his sentence, Francis hung up the phone.

“Food’s here,” Chris sighed. “We should get going.”

“What did he say that got you bent out of shape?”

“Nothing worth repeating,” Chris answered.

Chris and Heather walked to the dining room, which then became a race to get there first. Chris arrived at the door and promptly stopped instantly. Heather continued running and slid past the doorway, falling onto her back.

Chris sat down at the head of the table. Francis walked out of the kitchen and threw a pizza box like a frisbee at Chris. Chris jumped out of his seat and caught it.

“Watch it, you almost hit me!” Chris exclaimed.

“That was the idea,” chuckled Francis.

“You two better not be fighting in here,” said Heather, walking into the room.

“Don’t worry. It’s just a very heated discussion about throwing things at other people,” Chris answered.

The three finished eating. They got up and made their way to the in-home movie theater. They watched a movie about a man who was stranded on an island for seven weeks. When the movie had finished, Chris abruptly stood up and addressed Francis and Heather.

“This movie is so unrealistic. Like hell he would survive making stupid decisions like he did,” he said.

“Alright then, what would you do in that situation?” Francis asked.

“It’s quite simple, actually. When the ship was sinking, John passed three solar powered radios in a watertight box along with a survival kit. Second, he made the stupid mistake of throwing his knife that his father gave him into the water, and he didn’t bother to retrieve it until after it was rusted. Last, he let himself get consumed by sadness and hatred which almost led him to his death,”

“You had some valid points in your argument,” said Francis.

“But you can’t necessarily control emotion,” Heather rebutted. “They are an automatic response to the current situation, and without anyone else he lost control.”

“I guess you have a point. I hate it when you prove me wrong,” replied Chris.

“Well then, don’t be wrong friend,” joked Francis.

“Well, regardless of how plausible the movie was. It was still fun watching it with you guys,” said Heather, smiling. “And for your information, I would have tried to save one other person before jumping off the boat. He had plenty of time.”

“I think that’s something we can all agree on,” Francis responded. “Hey Heather, I got that racing game for the console you were talking about.”

“A racing game, really?” questioned Chris.

“It’s not like a motor sports game, it’s more like a party game,” said Heather.

“I guess I’ll give it a try. Although, I’m a little tired for some reason, so I think I’ll head to bed early,” Chris said, yawning.

Chris stayed and played a few races. He was beginning to feel his eyes grow heavy. He excused himself and went to his room. As he was walking back to his room, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Chris picked it up and saw that his father was trying to call him.

“Hello,” Chris answered.

“Chris, I want you to come home tomorrow. Something doesn’t feel right, and I don’t think you’re safe there. If you need to bring Heather with you, it’s ok,” Chris’ father said.

“Ok, hold on. What do you mean something doesn’t feel right?” Chris asked.

“When I got home from work today, there was a note on the door from some government organization saying they scanned your room for something.”

“Did they say if they took anything?” Chris asked.

“No, they didn’t,” Chris’ father replied.

“Unfortunately, I think I’m going to stay here. If I’m in danger, I believe that here is the safest place for me.”

“If that’s what you believe, then there’s no changing your mind. Just keep a lookout for anything suspicious.”

“Affirmative!” Chris said sharply.

“Good boy and remember to call me if anything bad happens and you need to talk, I’m here.”

“I know Dad. I’m trying to go to bed. Goodnight.”

“Good night. Remember to have fun.”

Chris ended the call and laid down on his bed. He began to close his eyes, but before he could, the door opened. Heather walked in and sat on the corner of Chris’ bed.

“Is something bothering you? I heard parts of your conversation. You seemed upset,” Heather said, patting Chris’ left calf.

This gesture startled Chris. He rolled himself off the bed and fell onto the floor.

“No, I’m fine. I should be asking that about you. What in God’s green earth prompted you to touch me like that?” questioned Chris, sitting up and putting his head on top of the bed.

“Nothing is wrong with me. I was just trying to comfort you,” Heather replied.

“Well then, don’t do that. If your boyfriend found out, he wouldn’t be happy.”

Heather abruptly slapped Chris across the face. “You know I don’t have a boyfriend, and if I did, do you think he would let me be over here?”

“I’m sorry,” Chris apologized, rubbing his face where he was struck. “You’ve been talking to that boy a lot, so I figured you two were going out.”

“You mean Jacob,” Heather said. “We are partners for a physics project. That’s why we’ve been talking so much.”

“You don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to.” Chris started. “How comes a beautiful person like you doesn’t have a boyfriend yet. I’ve seen people ask you out.”

“I’m waiting for the right person, I guess. Getting into any relationship was always something that scared me. I’ve never had a proper example to follow and I don’t want to end up like my parents.”

“I guess I somewhat understand what you’re talking about.” Chris responded, sitting back on the bed next to Heather. “Apparently there were some government officials who broke into my house and scanned my room while my parents were away. My father wants me home, but I told him I was fine here. I’m still a little worried about the whole situation.”

Heather put one arm around Chris and squeezed him a little. “Everything will be ok. Besides, you have me and Francis to keep you safe.”

“And what exactly will you do if something does happen?”

“Don’t know, but we’ll figure something out.”