Saying goodbye to my foster mother was so difficult. She had to leave for work early in the morning and I knew my father was going to come in the next few hours to get me. He was more than frantic as he continuously tried calling me over and over again while I was fast asleep in my room.
Wow, Alleah. What a kind daughter you are to not at least send him a text indicating that you weren't snatched away by the devil.
The first thing I had noticed when I picked up my glowing phone was how many missed texts and calls there were.
"17 missed calls and 27 new messages!" my phone had informed me as I examined its screen. I quickly clicked the viewing button to see who was responsible for freaking my phone out and that's when it hit me like a ton of bricks. How could I have been so stupid?
I'd speedily slid out my keyboard and my fingers chugged along the keys as I typed a message back, replying to his 24 messages. Three were from Oliver, but I really just could not have worried about Oliver right at that moment. My father was first priority.
"I'm safe, Dad. Everything is okay. I found safety with my foster mother and that's where I'm currently at. I'm so sorry I didn't text you sooner. I love you and hope to see you soon," the text read. Once I had sent it, everything was a little more relaxed.
Seconds later, a reply came. The buzz in my hand had startled me a little, but his reply was what I really needed.
"Great. We're coming to get you. Be ready. Love you, sweetheart."
The skies were bright blue as I watched a single cloud go over it. It was a beautiful sight, especially for a bored girl like me thinking about her past day. My father wouldn't be here for another couple of hours, so I let my mind wander as it so desired.
Oliver seemed to be the main topic of my thoughts. I really couldn't get my mind off of what had happened last night. It's not every day that your best friend since childhood confesses that he's in love with you. He'd caught me so off guard that it had been silent for a good two to three minutes before one of us had dared to make a noise.
"Oliver, I...," I'd hesitated, not knowing what to say.
"Alleah, I know this is new to you. Please don't freak out, okay? Whatever you decide is going to be okay with me, got it?" he'd promised, his face going red with embarrassment.
"Okay, Ollie. I understand. It's just a lot to take in, ya know?" I'd finally been able to choke out.
"It's fine. We can decide what to do with "us" later, but for now I just wanted you to know that. I hope that was okay," he had sighed, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead. "Will you promise me one thing?"
"Anything," I'd agreed. I couldn't resist my best friend.
"Talk to me more often, okay?" he'd winked and I'd grinned. Of course I would.
Thinking of this now made my hand inch toward my phone and pull it out. He'd had to go pretty quickly after our quick talking conversation, so I wasn't able to ask him questions about what was up. I was being worthless right now, so at least texting him would keep me occupied.
"Hey, Ollie," I sent, sliding my keyboard back behind the phone where it rested. This phone wasn't the best, but it certainly was better than a heap of chunk like the cell phone I'd had in junior high school. Flip phones could be the worst phones ever, at least in my opinion.
"Well hello there, gorgeous," he replied with a winky face, bringing a smile to my face. The good thing about Oliver is he loved to tease people, so winky faces were a constant thing before. Otherwise that text could have been extremely awkward.
"How's everything going?" I replied to his text.
"Ah, it's whatever. What's up with you?"
"Just waiting for my father to pick me up from Mama Johnston's place."
"Your father?" his texting tone sounded a bit shocked as the question mark was followed by a bunch of gasping emoticons.
"Yes?"
"But...but doesn't that mean you're going away again?" Two frowny faces followed this text. I was beginning to feel even worse about leaving people here again.
"I'm so sorry, Ollie. I have to, but I'll be back as soon as I can rescue my brother."
Guilt pulsed through my body, knowing how disappointed he was. Time seemed to slow greatly as I waited for him to reply to my text. I felt like I was hurting some of the people in my life that I loved the most and I felt so awful inside for it.
"I'm going to miss you to pieces, pretty girl. If you don't keep texting me, I might just cry."
"We wouldn't want that, now would we, Oliver?" I typed back, grinning like an idiot at my phone. He always knew how to boost my spirits no matter how terrible I was feeling.
"Of course not. You don't want your Ollie Molly to cry would you?"
"Definitely not!" I replied. "That would make me cry too!"
Just as I was about to close my phone, I heard a faint knock at the door. Curiously, I peeked out the side to see who it was and gasped when I realized who was there.
"Dad!" I squealed as I ran and threw the door open to my foster mother's house. My father instantly crushed me against his chest, hugging me so tightly I could barely breath.
"Alleah Smith, I am the happiest father alive to see that you are okay," he whispered into my ear as we had a moment of hugging together. I could tell Barry, Phil, or both were with him as a loud honk was sounded from the horn while my father and I had a bonding moment.
"Dad," I breathed in his scent, bringing my nerves to a peaceful state. "I'm so happy to see you too. I'm so sorry about what happened. I-"
He quickly put his finger up to my lips, shushing me. "What matters is that you're not in his captivity. That's all that matters," he said, giving me a kiss on my forehead. "But now we need to hurry and go before he can track us down. We think we might know how to reverse everything."
"Enlighten me," I replied, following him as he started walking toward the car.
"I will in just a second, sweetheart," he promised. "Let's get going first."
"Alright."
"Well if it isn't the damsel in distress," Barry grinned evilly as I slid into the front seat of the car. I glanced at him and just rolled my eyes.
"Damsel? Oh please," I muttered sarcastically. "If I was a damsel and I was in distress, you two would be the last knights in shining armor I'd call out for."
"Shining armor? Why does everything have to be shiny?" Barry gave me a confused look as we pulled away from my childhood home.
"Duh, because I'm a girl," I said, sending him a blank stare.
"I know, but why shiny?" he asked again.
"What, you think it should be a knight in muddy armor?"
"Or a knight in rusty armor," Phil snorted. "That would surely attract the ladies."
"No, I was thinking more like a knight in dented armor," Barry told us.
"Why dented?" Phil raised his eyebrow at Barry, waiting for a good explanation.
"Because that means he fought his way to get to the damsel. If its shiny, it's new, and that means he's not really a hero because it wasn't much of a trip."
"Ohhhh," Phil nodded in understanding.
"I'll give you that one, Barry," I chuckled. "You have a very good point"
"Don't I always?"
"Uh....nope."
"You're such a jerk to me, Alleah," he said, pretending to get teary eyed.
"You guys talk about the weirdest things, I swear," my father shook his head, letting out a few short chuckles. "Who even talks about that kind of stuff?"
"Barry does," Phil and I said at exactly the same moment. It was followed by us exchanging a high five and Barry putting his baseball cap over his face, letting out a groan.
"Why me," he murmured to himself.
"He's having a rough day," Phil chuckled, patting Barry's knee supportively. "It's okay, bud."
"Bud? Really?" Barry took the cap off of his face and narrowed his eyes at Phil. "And of course I am. You won't shut up about that hot chick you met at the hotel."
"Are you and Ivy still talking?" I perked right up.
"Of course we are, silly. Why would I not talk to such a sexy woman like that?"
"I'd expect her to find someone cuter soon," I teased, winking so he knew I was joking.
"Whaaaa?!" Phil gasped. Barry just let out a hoot of laughter.
"Burn!!"
"By the sides," I continued, grinning like a villain, "dancers like her don't go for nerds like you."
"Yeah, man. Stick to the status quo," Barry punched Phil in the arm, who was still looking at me with his mouth hanging open. That is, until he processed what Barry had said.
"Did you really just use a High School Musical phrase?" he grimaced at Barry.
"Possibly?"
"Wow."
"What's the big deal, Phil?"
"High School Musical is for little girls, not grown men."
"My niece used to watch it," he defended himself. "All. The. Time."
"So?"
"So that's why I know it!"
As Phil and Barry kept bickering, I pulled out my phone to see if I'd missed any messages from Oliver, my foster mother or Jess. There were two from Oliver which I pulled up to read.
"Aww you don't have to cry with me," the first one read. I scrolled to the next one and opened it up as well. "Everything okay?"
"Yes," I quickly started typing back. "Sorry about the delay, I'm with my father now."
I slid the keyboard shut and slipped my phone back in my pocket, trying to jump back in to Barry and Phil's bickering. Then I realized it was silent and all three boys were looking at me.
"What?"
"Who are you texting?" Barry asked, waggling his eyebrows awkwardly. I blushed a little and just shook my head.
"Aw, just my friend."
"Friend? More like boy friend!"
"No, Barry, he's just a friend," I giggled a little, embarrassed. "He's my childhood best friend."
"So what you're saying is that he will be your boyfriend."
"Why do you say that?"
"It just happens that way, Leelee," Barry shrugged. "7 out of 10 childhood relationships that make it through high school end up getting married later in life."
"Oh..."
"So it must be true, you two must be getting closer, eh?"
"I guess," I shrugged. "We've always been close."
"Would you like to here what we discovered about the legend, Alleah?" my father asked, interrupting our conversation. I was honestly grateful. I didn't know what I truly felt about Oliver and I yet.
"Yes, please," I said.
"We're heading to Central America," Barry blurted out before my father could continue.
"Why?" I wondered. My father shot him a devious look before turning back to me.
"The legend originates in Guatemala and so we are going to head down there and see if we can figure things out," he explained. "But breaking this whole thing is not going to be easy. Not one bit."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"In the mountains, I can't remember which ones, but there's a cave. Inside this cave we will be looking for a strange crystal shaped in the perfect heart. They say that this crystal has been searched for by many people for many years but I figure your powers will help us find it."
"What's so important about a crystal?" I asked sourly. What was I going to do, buy my brother back?
"The legend says its the heart of the couple in love. You know how they say when you're married that your spouse is your "other half"?
"Yes?"
"Two halves make a whole. Which is why there's just one heart. This is a love legend, do remember."
"Oh, okay. But what are we going to do with it once we get it?"
"You and Andrew need to insert your blood in it. We...now hold up, Alleah, just let me explain," he quickly recapped.
He must have seen my expression.
"Dad, why? That's going to be impossible!"
"Because it will bring your mother back and get rid of Zemlicka because it will be as if the "curse" never existed."
"How does that work?"
"Well it will put us into our living situation that we'd be in if you and Andrew didn't have powers and your mother would be back."
"But what about my other life?" I cried. This was reminding me of a fairy tale. All we were missing was Tinker Bell.
"Alleah, I don't know. Why does it matter?"
"Dad, I miss my old life. I want it back," I pursed my lips, thinking of a life without Oliver, Jessica, Mama Johnston or volleyball. My stomach twisted uncomfortably.
"Well, do you want our family together again or not?"
"I do, but...I don't know, I just was hoping I could have the best of both worlds, you know?"
"I understand, honey. The good thing is that we don't have to decide for a little while so it will be okay," he sent me a supportive smile, but I just continued to not feel so well. How much was I willing to sacrifice?
The trip to Central America took a very long time to say the least. It was a four day trip, even though that included the millions of times we stopped to feed three grown, hungry men.
"Do you guys ever stop eating?" I whined when we stopped at a fast food place for the third time that day. It was only three in the afternoon. "You guys are such piggies."
"Please," Barry said with a mouthful of chicken, "it takes lots of calories to maintain this sexiness."
"You're too modest," I snorted, rolling my eyes dramatically. "I don't eat that much and I'm way sexier than you."
"Whatever you say, Alleah," he raised his eyebrows at me and took another bite. I smirked and turned back around in my chair, ready to go again.
We arrived in Guatemala at ten in the evening four days later and my dad looked like he was going to pass out. We booked the nearest hotel and quickly got him to bed before he collapsed. It had been a long trip and I felt bad for him.
Barry, Phil and I got to bed as quickly as we could also, trying to get rest. The next day we'd be cave digging and it was definitely going to be quite the trip. I just hoped we would find it, as much as I couldn't bear the thought of giving up my old life.
Sometimes sacrifice was giving up something already good for something better, exactly what I'd be doing. Because family came first.
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Hey Guys!!!! :D
I'm not one that likes to do author's notes because I feel like they are kind of distracting from the story, but I felt like I really needed to say something.
Thank you so much for reading and voting for my story! It means the world to me :). It makes it even more worth it to write :). I hope you're enjoying it just as much as I am enjoying writing it!
Enjoy! <3