"So this is where you've been going lately." he said, peering into Jakob's house. "I take it this is the 'friend' you've been visiting?"
"Daniel, what-?"
"You snuck out again, genius." he sighed, cutting me off.
"I went to visit my friend, Dan, calm down."
I was getting irritated. Yes, I understood that he cared for me. Yes, I love him. But.. did he really have to suddenly care about my personal life?
"Who is this 'friend,' anyways?" asked Daniel suspiciously.
"I'm her math tutor, I help her with her math, and we are friends." said Jakob, coming up behind me.
I started, then put a hand on my racing heart. "Jakob! Don't scare me like that!" I sighed, turning to face him.
He grinned at me. "Yeah, sorry."
Daniel gaped at us. "So.. All this time, Brooke was failing her math, and didn't want us knowing that she didn't have the ability to do math?!"
I blinked at him. "Uh-"
"I'll just tell Dad what is going on, and he'll lay off of you Brooke, don't worry." said Daniel, as if he were reassuring me. "Keep trying Brooke, you'll get to the family's level in no time."
"Daniel, wait!" I called.
It was no use. He was already down the road. He was fast, even without using his power. I groaned. "That is going to merit a lecture."
Jakob winced in sympathy. "Have fun, Raindrop. If you have questions about your math work, just text me."
"I will. See you, Jakob!" I skipped away.
As I walked home, I slipped my earbuds in and started to play some music, blocking out the noise of the busy street.
It was sunny out, nice and warm. I hummed along to the song, attracting weird looks from a few people. (My humming sounds like a dying cat, according to my family and my few friends.)
SCREECH
I turned just in time to see a car skidding towards me. With a shout I dove out of the way, rolling to brace against any impact I might have taken. "Miss, are you alright?" cried the driver, getting out of the car, which had come to a stop nearby. "I'm so sorry, I lost control of my car!"
I stood up and brushed myself off. "I'm fine, thank you." I sighed, putting my earbuds back in. "Maybe get your car checked out, though."
I ignored the driver's continuous apologies and walked on.
I finally made it home. When I went to the kitchen to grab an apple (For a snack, but I was going to use the seeds to grow a small apple tree that I would get apple off of,), Emil snatched it out of my hands. "Grab it if you can, Brooke!" he said in a sing-song voice before turning into a monkey and swinging away, chittering all the while.
I groaned. "Give me my apple, Emil!" I called, irritation evident in my voice.
Monkey-Emil ran back into the kitchen, stuck its tongue out at me, then ran away again. I sighed and grabbed a banana instead.
As I headed downstairs, I heard Oliver and Emil fighting over my stolen apple. "BOTH OF YOU, SHUT UP!" yelled Daniel. "I'M TRYING TO GET MY WORK DONE!"
"Kids, quiet down please!" called Mom from her office.
She was working on her accountant-stuff. I don't understand most of it, as I didn't inherit her thing for numbers.
"MOOOM! OLIVER HIT ME!" cried Emil.
"NOOO! HE HIT ME!" yelled Oliver.
With a sigh I entered my room. I yelped when I saw Vine creeping all around my morning glories, choking them out. "Vine!" I cried. "What are you doing?!"
Vine held a vial up and shook it. It was full of a white powder that it was collecting from the morning glories. A few tendrils spelled out two, terrifying words: S-T-R-Y-C-H-N-I-N-E P-O-I-S-O-N.