Heroes Of Phoenix Drop, Book 1 The Lost Hero

Chapter One - Aaron Part 1

   Even before he got bitten, Aaron was having a rotten day. He woke in the backseat of a school bus, not sure where he was, holding hands with a girl he didn't know. That wasn't necessarily the rotten part. The girl was cute, but he couldn't figure out who she was or what he was doing here. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to think.

   A few dozen kids sprawled in the seats in front of him, listening to iPods, talking or sleeping. They all looked around his age... fifteen? Sixteen? Okay that was scary he didn't know his own age.

   The bus rumbled along a bumpy road. Out the windows, desert rolled by under a bright blue sky. Aaron was pretty sure he didn't live in the desert. He tried to think back.... the last thing he remembered...

The girl squeezed his hand. "Aaron, are you okay?" She wore faded jeans, hiking boots, and a fleece snowboarding jacket. Her raven black was long and straight  She wore no makeup like she was trying not to draw attention to herself, but it didn't work. She was seriously pretty.Her eyes were a caramel brown, making her have a Hispanic look.

Aaron let go of her hand "Um, I don't" In the front of the bus, a teacher shouted "All right cupcakes, listen up!"

The guy was obviously a coach. His baseball cap was pulled low over his hair, so you could just see his beady eyes. He had a wispy goatee and a sour face, like he'd eaten something moldy. His buff arms and chest pushed against a bright purple polo shirt. His nylon workout pants and Nikes were spotless white. A whistle hung from his neck, and a megaphone was clipped to his belt. He would've looked pretty scary if he hadn't been five feet zero. when he stood up in the aisle, one of the students called, "Stand up, Coach Ro'Meave!"

"I heard that!" The coach scanned the bus for the offender. Then his eyes fixed on Aaron, and his scowled deepened.

A jolt went down Aaron's spine. He was sure the coach knew he didn't belong there. He was going to call Aaron out, demand to know what he was doing on the bus--- and Aaron wouldn't have a clue what to say.

But Coach Ro'Meave looked away and cleared his throat. "We'll arrive in five minutes! Stay with your partner. Don't lose you worksheet. And if any of you precious little cupcakes causes any trouble on this trip, I will personally send you back to campus the hard way."

He picked up a baseball bat and made like he was hitting a homer. Aaron looked at the girl next to him. "Can he talk to us that way?" She shrugged. "Always does. This is the Wilderness School. ' Where kids are the animals'"

She said it like it was a joke they'd shared before. "This is some mistake," Aaron said. "I'm not supposed to be here." 

The boy in front of him turned and laughed. "Yeah, right Aaron. We've all been framed! I didn't run away six times. Aphmau didn't steal a BMW." 

The girl blushed. "I didn't steal that car, Travis!" " Oh, I forgot, Aphmau. What was your story? You 'talked' the dealer into lending it to you?" He raised his eyebrows at Aaron like, Can you believe her? 

Travis looked like a forest creature, with snowy white hair, pointy ears like horns, a cheerful playful face and emerald green eyes and a mischievous smile that told you right away this guy should not be trusted around matches or sharp objects. His long, nimble fingers wouldn't stop moving--- drumming on the seat, sweeping his hair behind his ears, fiddling with the buttons of his emerald green army fatigue hoodie. Either the kid was naturally hyper or he was hopped up on enough sugar and caffeine to give a heart attack to a water buffalo. 

¨Anyway,¨ Travis said, ¨I hope you've got your worksheet, 'cause I used mine for spit wads days ago. Why are you looking at me like that? Someday draw on my face again?"  "I don't know you," Aaron said. Travis gave him a crocodile grin. "Sure. I'm not your best friend. I'm his evil clone."

"Travis Valkrum!" Coach Ro'Meave yelled from the front "Problem back there?"

Travis winked at Aaron. "Watch this."  He turned to the front. "Sorry, Coach! I was having trouble hearing you. Could you use your megaphone, please?" 

Coach Ro'Meave grunted like he was pleased to have an excuse. He unclipped the megaphone from his belt and continued giving directions, but his voice came out like  Darth Vader's. The kids cracked up. The coach tried again, but this time the megaphone blared: ¨"The cow says moo!" 

The kids howled, and the coach slammed down the megaphone "Valkrum!"Aphmau stifled a laugh. "My god, Travis. How did you do that?" Travis slipped a white colored potion bottle from from his sleeve. "I'm a special boy." "Guys, seriously," Aaron pleaded. "What am I doing here? Where are we going?" 

Aphmau knit her eyebrows. "Aaron are you joking? " "No! I have no idea----" "Aw, yeah, he's joking ," Travis said. "He's trying to get me back for that shaving cream on the Jell-O thing, aren't you?" Aaron stared at him blankly.

"No, I think he's serious." Aphmau tried to take his hand again, but he pulled it away. "I'm sorry, he said.  "I don't---- I can't----" "That's it!" Coach Ro'Meave yelled from the front. "The back row has just volunteered to clean up after lunch. The rest of the kids cheered. "There's a shocker," Travis muttered. 

But Aphmau kept her eyes on Aaron, like she couldn't decide whether to be hurt or worried. "Dod you hit your head or something? You really don't know we are?

Aaron shrugged helplessly. "It's worse than that. I don't know who I am."