"Alex!?" The figure that had been at the top of the stairs only moments ago had his arms around me, hugging me. We didn't know each other that well but when he saved me from bleeding out in the woods a week ago, I made a promise to myself that I needed to somehow and sometime return the favor. Hugging him back, I smiled.
"Hey kid how's the leg?" he asked, ruffling my hair.
"Oh it's good! All healed up now." I patted my leg.
"That's great but I don't think you should really be walking on it quite yet, I mean what has it been one week since you almost lost it?" SHIT. I forgot it had only just happened and here I was with a fully healed leg.
"Nah, i'm strong. And plus after some pain medicine it's like I never even got hurt." Both James and Alex laughed at this. I playfully punched Alex in the arm as if we've been best buds for a while now. That brought comfort and inquietude to me at the same time. It was comforting to know there were two people I could turn to had I needed to, but at the same time it brought me uneasiness because I didn't want to have to make new friends just to have to lose them like when I was younger.
"So what brings you to the pack-" James punched him in the arm quicker than I could even comprehend. "Er I mean what brings you here?" Alex asked, scratching his neck in what seemed to be... embarrassment? But embarrassed about what I did not know.
"Oh um, James told me he wanted me to meet his friends. Something about us having a lot in common." I shrugged, looking at James to answer Alex's question.
"I need to talk to you, and everyone else in private S'il vous plait." James spoke, making me give him a quizzical face.
"What's going on?" I was confused.
"Nothing Taylor. Can you go wait outside for a few minutes please. James has something important and private to tell me and the others who I'm sure you'll meet in a minute." Alex motioned for me to move outside.
"O-okay. I should probably call my dad anyways." I walked outside, Alex closed the door behind me.
RIIIIING. Waiting for my father to pick up his phone, I kicked off the few leaves that fell on the porch here and there. RIIIIIING. RIIIIIING. "Hey son. Glad to hear from you." My father answered his phone.
"Hey, I Just wanted to check in. You at Uncle Johns yet?" I asked trying to pass time while I waited for whatever meeting James, Alex and whoever else was there to finish.
"No not yet, I should be there in about two hours though so i'll text you when i'm there."
"Okay, sounds good ig."
"Everything going alright at home?"
"Yeah, so far so good." I decided to leave out the fact that a cat had broken into our house and broke one of my grandmother's vases.
"Alright cool. Well I gotta go, I'm on the road. I'll text you when I get to Johns."
"Okay talk to you later bye." I hung up the phone and put it away.
"Are you sure? Because you know there is no 'i think he is.' you need one hundred percent proof. If you brought him here under false pretenses then well you know what we have to do right?" A ringing started in my ears as I picked up part of the private conversation which I knew I shouldn't have been listening in on.
"His hand, it burned on the knob." I could hear James. Who's hand burned on the knob? I looked down at my hand where a slight burning sensation could still be felt. The burns were almost completely gone now, barely visible. We're they... were they talking about me?
"Listen James, We can detect when someone is one of us. And both last time I saw him, and just a few moments ago he did not seem like you and I, like any of us. There were no signs." What the hell was Alex talking about!? 'We can detect when someone is one of us?' What did that mean? What did any of this mean?
"Guys quiet down before he can hear us. He's not that far away." A girl spoke up, trying to shush everyone.
"Then we test him. If he doesn't pass, we send him on his way." It was James- I think.
"You know if he doesn't pass you have to stop talking to him. You have to drop him right James?"
"I know Monsieur. But if he is?" This was starting to freak me out. I had no clue how I was able to hear their conversation, but it was starting to scare me.
"James is right. We test him. If he passes, then we take him in."
"How do we know he isn't a traitor from... the other packs?" It was the girl again.
"He's literally clueless. Trust me, I've been too his house."
"And if he's a really good actor?" She asked, angry.
"Well I guess we are just going to have to take that chance madame Olivia."
"Stop calling me madame. It's too fancy for me."
"I am sorry."
"Stop bickering and someone go get him then bring him here." Realizing I was 'him,' I scrambled to the railing, and pulled out my phone like I hadn't just heard their conversation. Slowly the ringing started up again as the sound of footsteps seemed to have faded the closer they got. Click. The door opened.
"Hey, come on back in." It was Alex.
"What?" I said turning around trying to act completely oblivious.
"There's some people who would like to meet you." Alex smiled and stood to the side, allowing me shelter from the heat. As I followed Alex into what looked like to be a living room, I was shaking nervously. What had they meant they when they said they were going to test me? What type of test? I just hoped it wasn't my fathers kind of test. Like the one where he kidnapped me and I had to escape. In the living room stood and sat six people, seven if you counted Alex.
"So you must be Taylor. James has caught us up a minute ago about you. Said you were... quite the specimen." I gulped as what seemed to be the oldest man here spoke to me. "I'm Nicholas, but everyone here calls me Nick." A African American male said. He stood up from where he sat and walked over to me holding out his hand. He was wearing a police outfit, had short, curly, black hair with hints of gray here and there. Shaking his hand I wondered if he was the one who owned this house and how James knew him.
"You have a beautiful house sir." I complimented the old house.
"Oh no no. This is not my house haha. It belongs to someone I love dearly though. Someone I am proud to call my brother." He put his hand to his chest.
"Is he... dead?" I squeaked out hoping not to strike any nerves.
"No! No no, sorry." He chuckled while apologizing for giving me mixed messages. "He's very much alive, but I haven't seen him a long time." His smile turned into a sad one.
"I'm Jeffery!" Someone chirped up from somewhere in the room trying to break the awkward silence that seemed to have taken over the room. Leaning against the stone fireplace was a young male, with short black hair, cut and styled into a spiky quiff. "I'm Nicholas's son, and twenty four years young it's nice to meet you Taylor." He waved from a distance. As I looked closer, I could see the slight resemblance between Nick and his son Jeffrey. Jeffrey had lighter skin than his father, almost pearly white teeth, a sharp jaw, and a pretty good build. As for his eyes, I was too far away to see.
"You too." I smiled and nodded.
Next to speak up was the only girl in the room. "Olivia, and I just want to let you know you can't worm your way in here and think it'll be alright." The tall blonde who I got little chance to study hissed before walking out of the room.
"Sorry about her, she can have a real attitude around people she doesn't know." Nicholas patted my back apologetically. About to tell him it was fine I got cut off.
"I can still hear you ya know!" Olivia growled as she stomped up the stairs to who knows where.
"Anywho! I'm Daniel! But you can call me Danny. And since Jeffy here gave his age then so shall I! I am twenty-four years of young age as well." Jeffery growled at the nick name Daniel gave him. Daniel sat on the arm of one of the couches on the otherside of the room. Daniel was a hispanic male with gold skull earings in both ears, his hair had been bleached with the tips dyed black that went well with his skin tone and styled like a wave. From where he sat he seemed to have been a pretty average height, his smile widened allowing you to see his dimples and white teeth. Damn did everyone here have almost perfectly white teeth? I might need some tips later.
"Since you already met James and Alex, it's the best for last!" A very attractive, fit and tall man with black crew cut hair, forrest green eyes, dimples, and a scar above his right eye stood up from the couch that Daniel had been perching on. "Names Logan. Logan Forrester, I am also twenty four years old." He held out his hand for me to shake. Without taking my eyes off of him, I took his hand and shook it, an electric spark zapped through me like it had earlier with James. As if feeling the same thing he took his hand away quickly and smiled. "Nice to meet you. James here wouldn't shut up about you since he first met you in the Library." I blushed at this. He talked about me?
"Nice to meet you all. I guess I'm the youngest one here huh?" I chuckled at this. When James said he wanted me to meet his friends I thought he meant you know, kids his age?
Everyone laughed at this. "Well where are my manners? Would you like something to drink? Water? We have soda, lemonade, water either bottled or tap." Nicholas smiled, being a good host.
"I'll take a water. Tap please." Bottled water was horrible for you, after time the plastic slowly dissingrated into the water.
"Water it is, James go fetch Taylor a glass of water." Nicholas barked an order to James.
"Of course Monsieur." James ran off to what I assumed was the kitchen to get me some water. While we waited, Nicholas offered me to sit down somewhere and relax and as reluctant as I was, I didn't want to seem rude so I sat down with thoughts about the 'test' running through my head; What was this test? WHEN was this test? Were they already testing me right now? Why were they testing me? What did they want to find out? Everyone started speaking, talking to eachother, talking to me about themselves, asking about me like where I came from, what grade was I in, stuff like that.
"Here you go Mon Ami, sorry for the wait we didn't have much clean cups to use." He smiled and handed me a glass of Ice water.
"Thank you." I smiled and took the water. Holding it up to my lips, I took it away coughing and sneezing into my elbow. Out of nowhere it had felt like I just choked on dust and spice ran through my nose. "Phew." I said shaking my head. "Excuse me, sorry." I cleared my throat. Taking a sip of the water, I noticed everyones intense staring at me. A burning feeling, disgusting taste entered my mouth. It was as if I had just drank battery acid.
"AHHH!!" I yelled, as I coughed up blood, the burning pain slowly got worse. Had they poisoned me? Was this the 'Test?' Falling to the ground, I droped the glass, the liquid spilled and soaked into the carpet, the glass thankfully not breaking. But that was the least of my worries as I started scratching at my throat like something was trying to escape. The burning sensation suddenly and thankfully dissapeared within seconds, but something still felt like it was trying to get out.
"Make it stop." I cried out, but no one moved. Looking up at everyone, they sat and stood where they were looking between eachother and at me in confusion as if something had not gone to their plans. "What did you do to me!?" The feeling that something wanted to get out stopped. Taking in deep breaths, I tried to calm and regulate my breathing. "What the hell was that!?" I asked trying to stand up but failing, wanting to leave.
"I-I don't understand. It affected him... but it didn't turn him." Jeffery spoke first.
"It didn't even cause him half the pain it should have. I have never heard of this!" Nicholas said, helping me up.
"What are you talking about!? What did you do to me? I demand answers now!" I croaked and ripped away from Nicholas's grasp. My throat seemed to have been dried out begging for something cold and wet to sooth its pain. But I didn't trust anyone here to get me something to drink without poisoning me more to finish the job.
"Taylor Mon Ami, please sit down." James reached out to help me but I wouldn't let him.
"No! Tell me what this test is? Huh? Yeah that's right I heard you're plans to test me. You guys weren't very silent about it. I deserve answers." I spat at them with anger.
"Fine, fine. We'll tell you. But it's going to sound crazy, unimaginable, and fake. You are right, you deserve answers, but you may not want to believe them." Nicholas spoke. "Now please sit down and let us explain what just happened and why."