I didn't go to dance in the morning so I decided to study in the library. My security guard was always there so I decided to lose him by going into the girl's washroom. I stayed in there for a few minutes and I decided to wet my hair to make it brown and remove my cardigan to hopefully fool my guard. I stepped out my hair dripping wet and he didn't follow me. Did it work? Was he fooled? Or was he doing that to make me think that he was fooled?
I continued down the hallway as I dried my hair with my cardigan and then stuffed it in my bag. I looked into one of the classrooms and I saw my sister and Xander in there. Did they share a class? Xander looked at the door and spotted me he left the classroom.
"Hi" I said
"Aren't you meant to be in dance? Where is your guard?"
"I lost my guard purposely and I didn't want to dance today."
"Ok."
"Do you share a class with my sister?"
"No, I just went to talk to her."
"Do you have any idea of why my letter is that way?"
"No, but I was thinking what if this is a new game, not the one that your sister and my brothers are playing right now but another game? Revealing the mystery about you. Why you and your sister were chosen."
"It makes sense. But should we wait for the help of your brothers and my sister? To make it fair and start everyone on the same page? The same start?"
"I guess but... it wouldn't hurt to study the letter."
We walked to the library to study the letter and figure out what it was hiding.
"What if we are overcomplicating things? What if it isn't written in code? What if we don't need to treat it with something to make a message appear?" I started ranting
"Where are you going with this?"
"What if the message is in plain sight and he just needs us to look at it from a different angle? In a different way?"
"So you're saying that it is simple?"
"Exactly. In plain sight. What if we rearrange the sentences vertically we might be able to see a message!"
"The old man gave us a message like that once but only Nash understood it because Jameson and Grayson thought that it had a bigger meaning. So you might be right"
We started rearranging the sentences and there it was.
Dearest Amber,
You are a bigger mystery than your sister.
Old I get with regrets.
Undercover.
Remember your past.
For everything now I'm sorry.
Always know your roots.
They will help you.
Hawthorne or not we are strong.
Everything will make sense.
Regardless of the situation think about the future.
T.H.
"Your father" Xander said it before I did.
"My father has nothing to do with any of this. If he did he would be here right now."
"Who is your father?"
"My deadbeat father is Ricky Grambs. But he isn't part of my life. At lest not anymore."
"So what does he mean by Your Father?"
"I don't know but he doesn't mean Ricky Grambs."
"Birth certificate?"
"I don't know where we can find it."
"I'm sure Alisa can find it."
"I mean I was lost. I was lost to the government I was lost to the school system so my mum always put out a fake one but. I dont know. We will never find the original."
"We can still ask Alisa or your father"
"I don't want to talk to him."
"But you might have to"
"Let's let Alisa dig up whatever she can find first before talking to my father"
The bell rang but we didn't leave until I called Alisa.
"Alisa?"
"Is something wrong?"
"Can you pull up my birth certificate?"
"Of course. When?"
"As soon as possible"
"Anything else?"
"No that is all. Actually." I turned away from Xander and whispered. "Can you get me a meeting with my father? Ricky Grambs?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Don't tell anyone. Do it secretly only I am allowed to know."
She cut the call and Xander was gone. I walked to class and sat next to Jameson in the back and stared at the letter.
"Find anything?" Jameson asken in a whisper
"No"
"Then why are you looking at it?"
"No reason"
"You're doing something with Xander aren't you."
"I might be. Why are you jealous?"
"No. I was just wondering."
"If I fall behind on my Science studies you are to blame."
I listened to the teacher and I looked at my phone. Was Alisa looking for the certificate? Was she looking for my father? What did the letter mean? I snapped back to what was going on around me when Jameson took my hands in his.
"What are you doing?"
"Holding your hands"
"I have a..."
"Boyfriend I know"
"So why?"
"You've gone pale"
"I can be pale"
"Is this because you haven't been eating enough?"
"I have"
"Are you on a diet or something?"
"No"
"Then you should eat."
"I can't"
"Why can't you?"
"I just can't ok?"
"If you are going to disrupt the class with your chatter you can do so in the principal's office. Of course unless you can come up with a reasonable excuse?" The teacher knew we were talking.
"Amber doesn't feel good."
"Then take her to the nurse, just stop with the chatter. You have been warned."
Jameson led me out of the classroom and we headed for the nurses office.
"Why are you taking me there. I am not sick"
"You might be"
"But I am not"
He took me there and set me down on a chair as the nurse examined me.
"Whatever is the problem?"
"She doesn't feel good."
"I never said that."
"Do you have any idea why you might be feeling sick?"
"Nope I have no clue. I don't even know why I am here" I got up to leave but Jameson blocked my way.
"Admit it"
"Fine I haven't been eating much but I am not hungry."
"Do you even know how dangerous not eating enough is?"
"No. I don't care."
"You should not eating enough makes you weak and gets you sick faster."
"Well I don't want to eat."
"I can't help you if you won't eat." I stuck my tongue out at Jameson but he was just grinning.
"Will it be in my defense if I say that I have my period right now?"
"It could be but malnutrition and periods have different symptoms" I saw Avery walking outside and I mouthed help and she noticed me in there. She burst through the door.
"Amber are you ok?"
"No she isn't. She isn't eating enough"
"I don't want to eat." I thought about Michael and realized my feelings for him. I didn't love him. He was just a friend. Jameson and Grayson were just friends but they cared for me and would do anything for me. My boyfriend would never do that. I had to break up with him.
"I told you that it is important to eat Amber!" Avery was screaming now.
"Well nothing is wrong with me. I can walk, talk and learn just like you guys can."
"But you aren't ok" Jameson said. I was surprised to hear him talk.
"WELL I am done here!" I got out of my chair trembling and weak at my knees and carefully walked away. I walked to my math class and found Rebecca there. I collapsed onto my seat. I was feeling weaker. She was right I needed food for energy but I didn't want to eat. I knew I was getting weaker.
"Is everything ok?" Rebecca asked me.
"Yeah, fine. Just tired"
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah" Why was I starting to feel weaked and weaker? I was perfectly fine before I went to the nurse. I thought about everything that had happened. I didn't remember anything after that.