*A/N: Please comment! It makes my day :D Rachel Hurd Wood as Yade in the media :)
"Eh, hi?"
"I know you don't know me, but, can I come in?" I raised my eyebrows at her. She sure was direct. And happy. Overly happy. And British.
"Like you said... I don't know you. And I don't like inviting strangers into my house..."
"Who is it?" I turned around a little to look at the closed door that lead to the living room, not sure what to answer to Ashton, before turning back to look at the girl in front of me. She was a little taller than me and also seemed a little older, but probably not a lot.
"I'm Yade."
"Okay..."
"So yeah. Can I come in now?"
"No." I looked at her weirdly, not really trusting her. "You're still quite the stranger, even though I know your name."
"Would it help if I told you why I'm here?"
"That would definitely make a difference." I told her, not really planning on inviting her in even after that.
"Well, the main point is that you were in school while it was closed and I was kind of wondering how you and your friends got in-"
"Who's this?" I turned around to see Ashton walking towards me as thousands of thoughts ran through my mind, most more questions. How did she know we had been in our school? Was she a spy? Or maybe a crazy stalker...
"Eh, Yade? But I don't know her and this is really weird and I still don't know why she's here."
"I just told you." She pointed out, which made me turn back to her. "Well, before I got interrupted, that is."
"I know, but you didn't tell me how you know we were there."
"Well, that's because first of all, you didn't ask and second, I wasn't there yet. So you can't really blame me for not telling you."
"Okay, I get it! Sorry. But, care to share?"
"Can I come in?"
"You're not gonna tell anything before I let you in, am I right?"
"Yup."
"Great." I mumbled, stepping back to let this complete stranger enter my house. I briefly looked at Ashton, to see him look at this "Yade" suspiciously.
"Nice house." She complimented, hanging her jacket on my coat rack and walking into my living room like she came here every day, as I closed the door, before following her.
Once there, she plopped herself down on my couch and Ashton slowly sat down on my armchair, still watching her. I just stood opposite the couch, arms crossed and looking at her as well.
"Let's start with you answering my question first." She started, looking at me, "Why were you in school?"
I bit my lip as I contemplated whether I should answer that truthfully or not. I guess since she already knows we were there, I could tell her the simple truth...
"I was there to help my friends."
"Okay, fair enough, but then how did they get there?"
"I don't know." She looked at me, as if trying to tell if I was telling the truth or not, before nodding. She changed her position on the couch and cleared her throat, before looking at me again. "Then it's story time. You're probably wondering how I know you were in school and actually I'm not really allowed to tell you this, but you seem like a nice person. You too by the way," She said as she was now looking at Ashton, "even though you're creeping me out by looking at me like that.
Ashton looked at me for a moment before looking back at her, this time less intimidating.
"Great... So, about two years ago I got this job offer from the headmaster. He said that since I can shapeshift into animals, I'd be a great patroller for the holidays. I'd only have to check up once a day or when the sensors were going off. That's basically my job. Point is, sensors went off, I went to school and found you."
"Wait. You can shapeshift into animals?"
"Yep."
"So that includes rats and owls?"
"Well, last time I checked rats and owls were animals, so yeah."
"And you were a rat when we were in school, am I right?"
"Exactly. But why do you ask?"
"Just to clarify some things I guess. But, you were the owl in the woods too, right?"
"Eh... Yeah... But that actually wasn't part of my job, I just... I was interested in what you guys were doing."
"Wait, but Michael told me he had been attacked by a cat-beast-thing. Was that you too?" Ashton butted in.
"Eh, no? I don't really use my powers that much. Only... Yeah okay no. Private information. But no, I haven't been a cat since... Wow, not for a long time actually." Ashton and I both nodded, a little relieved we didn't have to worry about her changing into some beast and attack us. Though that didn't mean we trusted her.
"Good to know it wasn't you and a great story, really, but you haven't told us why you are here." Ashton said, causing Yade to look at him.
"Oh I'm sorry, am I boring you?"
"What? No. I just want to know why we've never seen you before and you're suddenly at her doorstep, knowing who she is and all."
"So wait, you don't live here?"
"Guys! Stick to the point. I'd like to know why exactly you're here too, so if you'd just tell us..." I interrupted their bickering, getting a little annoyed.
"Fine, fine. I'm here to help you with you powers!" She told me, smiling like an idiot.
"Uh, well, I do know I have powers, but I haven't even figured out what my powers are and-"
"That's what I'm here for dummy! I will help you find out, train them and go on!" I blinked rapidly, not sure if I could comprehend what she said. She was here to help me with my powers? How the hell did she know this much about me when I didn't even know her name! Before she told me of course.
"Wait, you know you have powers and didn't tell me?" Ashton asked me, looking at me with a surprised expression.
"I did. Sort of. When I was yelling in the kitchen, earlier."
He looked like he was trying to remember something, before suddenly jumping up and hugging me. "That's great!"
"It would be even better if I'd actually know what my powers are..." I told him once he had released me.
"One step at a time Laylay. You'll find out soon enough, I'm sure."
"And that's what I'm here for! Just asking, are you two related? Or dating?" I looked at Yade and after I had frowned at the thought of being related, I became red because she just asked if I was dating Ashton.
"W-what? No! He's like my brother." Or he is my brother. This is going to make me crazy... If it hasn't already.
"Okay okay. So, shall we begin with your 'training'?" She excitedly asked, not even bothering to stick to one subject at a time.
"Is it okay if I stick around?" Ashton asked, mostly to me, but of course Yade was the one that answered, "As long as you don't get too sticky."
I mentally face palmed. This girl really is something...
~*~
"Just concentrate. You've done it before, you can do it again."
I let out a sigh and opened my eyes as I shook my head. "It's not working."
"I know you can do it Laylay, just concentrate like Yade says." Ashton told me from next to the door where he was leaning against the wall. We had taken one of the few almost empty rooms in my house and emptied it, creating a place to 'train'.
"Remember when I asked for you opinion? Me neither..." Yade sassily told him.
"Why are you so mean to me?"
"Well if you don't like my attitude, then just quit talking to me!" Yade threw her hands into the air and turned back to me.
Ashton huffed before looking at me. "I'm gonna find something to eat." And with that he left the room.
"You do know you don't have to be so mean to him, right?"
She puffed her cheeks as she looked at me. She then let the air escape in a sigh. "I know. I just can't help myself. He stays so nice though."
"That's just him. He can be sassy too, but he's mostly just his nice self." I said with a shrug. "Well, until he's warmed up to you, then you can expect sassy comebacks to your sassy... comebacks... Yeah."
She laughed softly, before stroking her invisible beard she had grown ever since we started training.
"Okay. Let's just go back to when your powers 'activated'. You were doing what? You were thinking what? Try to explain everything."
I bit my lip as I tried to think back to the times my powers had shown, even if I hadn't noticed by then, and nodded, more to myself.
"Eh, I think... The first time was with the school doors. I went with Calum and Michael, uh those two guys?" She nodded but stayed silent. "Yeah, so I went to school with them and apparently they had tried the doors, but I didn't know that, and they were locked. But when I got there I just assumed they were open and I pushed them open, just like that. They then told me they had been locked and it didn't mean anything to me yet."
I swallowed and brushed through my hair with my hand, before continuing, "Then we eh, went to the old cement factory and Calum somehow got locked in this room, but once again I just assumed all the doors were open, so I simply opened the door. Only when he told me the door had been locked, I started to wonder about how I could possibly open doors that were actually closed. Then a little later, we were faced with an impossible situation, though I managed to change it into something possible. Like, there was a room you couldn't get into or out of and there was one glass wall. I just closed my eyes and came to the idea you could lift the glass like a garage door and poof, I could open the glass as if it were a garage door..."
"Ahah..." She seemed to be thinking, as she had her arms crossed in front of her chest and was absentmindedly chewing on her lower lip. "You can tell your brother to come in by the way, he doesn't have to eavesdrop." She said loudly, before continuing in a more normal voice, "No wait, you guys weren't related. And not dating, right?"
"No we're not and how do you..." I turned to the door, where Ashton just came through, grinning sheepishly at me.
"Sorry, you were just talking and, well, I dunno, I felt like intruding."
"It's okay. Do the guys know you're here actually? I don't want to worry them again."
"Yeah, they'll be fine. And probably busy with Luke anyway."
"I think you should be too. I mean, you've known him way longer than me, yet you're here with me instead of with him."
"What's up with this Luke guy? Did he break his body or something?" I turned to Yade with a frown, before letting out a sigh. "No, he eh... He's got some memory-problems."
"Like the game memory or his memory?"
"His own memory... Seriously... Anyway, Ash, I still think you should go and help him." I had turned to Ashton halfway and was now looking at him, as he seemed to be considering it.
"But... I really want to be here for you."
"I know. And I really appreciate that, but you should be there for your friend too. Maybe Cal or Mikey wants to come over. Maybe you guys can take turns or something? I dunno."
"I like that idea. Because you never know when we can help, right?" I nodded and smiled slightly, feeling the slight guilt of taking him away from Luke disappear. It just didn't seem fair to me, since he had known Luke way longer. And no matter how close we might be, he should be there for his best friend too.
"I'll go then, but I'll make sure to send either Calum or Michael, whoever I'll find. Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"Yes Ash, now go." He smiled at me, before giving me a quick hug and disappearing out of the room.
"I swear you guys are related."
"There's a possibility." I mumbled, as I watched the now closed door.
"What?"
"What?" I turned back to Yade, pretending I didn't say that and she didn't hear it.
"You just said-"
"No I didn't. I didn't say anything."
"But..." She looked at me suspiciously for a moment, before shrugging and motioning for me to get back to what we were doing. "Okay. I think that you need to think."
I stared at her blankly, waiting for her to explain the joke or at least smile, but she stayed serious. When she noticed I didn't get it, she sighed. "Point is, I think you sort of activate your powers by assuming things. Shocker! Anyway, you need to be convinced something is real, even if it isn't, and then it will become real, simply because you think so. It sounds quite complicated like that..."
"Uhuh..."
"Just, let's sit down." She sat down on my floor, legs crossed and hands resting on her knees. I followed her lead and let out a deep breath once I sat. "Okay. Now, close your eyes."
I did as told, having a hard time not opening them. "And now?"
"Sst. You concentrate on nothing but the opened window." I frowned, not sure if it had been opened already, but if she said so, why wouldn't it be right? Now I was thinking about it, I could feel the slightly cold wind coming through it and go by my arm.
"Great!" I opened my eyes, confused as to what she had meant. "You opened the window!"
I looked to my right, where the window was, but it didn't seem any different. "I think it was open already..."
"No, you just opened it. I saw it happening. Would I have a reason to lie to you?"
"I don't know, but I still don't know you so I don't necessarily have a reason to trust you."
"Touché." She smiled, then shifted a little and clapped her hands. "Now, let's try something else!"
I closed my eyes again, as that would probably be what she would want me to do, and waited for her to say what I should do.
"Hmm... Could you maybe make some food appear? I'm hungry." I mentally rolled my eyes, which is weird, I know, but tried to think of some nice food. How about some taco's? Oh, or spaghetti! Maybe just some candy? Great, now I'm hungry too...
I opened my eyes, but was met with an expectant looking Yade and an empty room next to that. I let out a sigh.
"It's no problem! You at least tried! We should keep it easy for now, maybe just go downstairs ourselves to get some food... But we'll keep it easy, okay?"
I nodded, getting up at the same time she did and taking the lead to the kitchen. I looked at the small clock that hung on the wall and saw it was already dinner time.
"Wow, time flew by." I mumbled, as I gathered some stuff to prepare dinner. I had decided on spaghetti, since that was one of my favourite things.
"Do you actually mind I steal your food?" Yade asked me, as she had sat down on one of the stools by the island.
"Yes, because I don't like sharing food, but you're trying to help me and even though I still don't know you, I kind of trust you I guess." She smiled brightly at me, so I smiled back. I then started to cook dinner and we talked while I did so.
"Hmm, what do I smell?" I turned around to see Calum walking into the kitchen.
"Spaghetti." I told him, as I continued to cook, almost done with dinner.
"Ah, I already had the idea you were about to make dinner, so I though I'll just eat here and during dinner you can tell me how everything's going."
"Uhuh." I smiled slightly as I shook my head. It was probably because he didn't want pizza for once and just loved my cooking. Not that I could cook a lot, but everything that I loved to eat tasted good, so yeah. Next to that, I always used a book to help me with cooking.
"And you must be Yade, right?"
"Yep, that's me."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Calum." I assume they shook hands or something, I'm not sure, but I do know I took some plates from my cupboards and started to put spaghetti on them.
"Food is ready!" I told them, as I placed two of the plates on the small table I had in the kitchen. It had two cute and quite old benches on either side of it, with the most comfortable cushions ever. I also grabbed some cutlery and filled three glasses with water and placed it on the table, before getting my own plate and glass and sitting down next to Calum, who sat opposite Yade.
"So, how've you been doing? Made progress?" Calum asked, before stuffing a forkful of spaghetti in his mouth.
"I can now not only open doors but also windows." I told him with sarcasm, eating a bit of spaghetti myself.
"We're still working on it. At least we know how to activate her powers, we just need to make them stronger so they really work well." Yade informed Calum and he nodded.
"And eh... How's Luke doing?" I asked, trying to ignore the feeling that was starting to appear in my stomach, like every time I thought of the 'situation'.
"Well, he's fine, but his memory still isn't." I nodded. Just continuing to eat my spaghetti.
"I just don't get why all he seemed to have forgotten is you." At that I froze. So he really only forget about me. I already guessed, but now it seemed so sure. He didn't remember me and only me.
"Well that's weird. What caused his memory-loss then?" Yade asked interested, looking at Calum, who shrugged. "We have no idea."
"Oh, well, there must be a reason, right?" She said, before sipping her water.
"Yeah I guess, but we just have no clue what happened. He has been away for five days without a sign and comes back not remembering what happened or who she is."
"I'd say whoever caused him to disappear for so long must have something to do with his memory-loss." I rose my eyebrows at that, as it sounded extremely logical.
"How could we be so stupid! Of course! Whoever took us must have taken his memory too!"
"But, why?" I asked, speaking my thoughts, wondering who the hell would want him to forget only me. And what happened, but that seemed more logical than him not remembering me.
"That's the biggest question I think. If the only thing he doesn't remember is you, there must be something that leads to you. Or something he knew about you or... I don't know..."
"Well... Never mind." I considered for a moment telling them about my crush on Luke, but that didn't really seem like something that would have something to do with this.
"What?" Calum asked me, eyeing me suspiciously. I bit my lip as I reconsidered telling them. Yade didn't even know Luke, but maybe it could help? Not that I saw how it could, but maybe.
"Fine. I... God this is awkward." I started, as Calum and Yade looked at me expectantly. "I have had a crush on him for over half a year now." I blurted, quickly stuffing some spaghetti in my mouth so I didn't have to talk.
"Really?" Calum seemed surprised, as Yade just seemed to be thinking. "You... Really?" Calum asked again, looking at me a little weird.
"Yes! Now stop looking weird at me and asking 'really', before I throw your spaghetti... No I can't do that... Before I'll hit you." He rolled his eyes, before thinking as well.
"So wait. Let's get everything straight. This dude, Luke, comes back without memories of the past few days and you. You guys have been kidnapped, I understand?" She asked Calum, who nodded, before she continued. "Okay, so you guys have been kidnapped, he comes back without certain memories and you've had a crush on him... Who knows about this crush?"
"Eh, I only told Maya... Oh, and Ashton a few days ago..."
"Wait, you told Ashton, but didn't tell me or Michael?" I turned to Calum again. "No. I don't really trust you guys with things like that. You'd make it awkward. And obvious."
"Yeah but Ashton wouldn't?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Does it matter? I thought we were here to find out why he only forgot certain things." Yade interrupted, rolling her eyes at us. We both took a deep breath and kept our mouth closed, looking expectantly at Yade.
"Okay, so you told Ashton, but he had been kidnapped too, right?" I nodded. "And he isn't an option?"
"What? No way! Ash would never do such a thing." Calum immediately defended and I nodded in agreement, before adding, "Besides, I have no idea how he would have done such a thing. He can't erase people's memories."
"Okay okay. He isn't an option. Clear. Then, what was it, Maya?" I nodded again. "Okay, how about her?"
"Well, she could've told someone she's close with, but she's the closest with me I think, so I don't think that's it and she definitely isn't someone who would do that. I've known her for a very long time."
"Sometimes the people you expect it the least of..."
I shook my head. "It's just really not her. She's as innocent as possible. And also, she doesn't have the powers to do such a thing."
"But, you did say she could've told someone?" I bit my lip, thinking that over. She could have, but would she? Actually, yes, she would, but still. It was a fifty-fifty chance she told someone. But if she did, who would it be?
"There is a chance, but I have no idea who."
"Is she friends with anyone close to you?" Calum asked, participating in the conversation that had left him out a little.
"Eh, she sometimes talks to Victoria and you guys, but next to that... Well, I've seen her hanging out with Harry once..."
"Nah, Harry isn't a guy to do something like that." Calum said, shaking his head.
"Again, sometimes the people you expect it the least of-"
"No. Seriously not. Harry is a nice guy, he wouldn't. And he doesn't have the powers to do so, just like Ashton and Maya. They all just don't fit in the picture." Calum said as if he was ending the discussion right then and there.
"Then there's nothing more to say I think. There's no one that is a suspect and I don't really see a point in trying to find someone if there isn't. And I'm a person who doesn't give up easily, but this time I'd say, let's just go back upstairs and try to give these powers of you another chance." Yade said, then drinking the last bit of water she had left and getting up to put her dishes in the sink. I sighed and followed her actions, putting my dishes in the dishwasher and then her and Calums dishes as well.
"I'll let the guys know what we discussed here." Calum told me, as we walked into the living room.
"You know your way, right?"
"Yeah, I'll be up soon." I nodded and went back upstairs, followed by Yade.
"So, what are we gonna do now?" I asked her. She shrugged and looked around the room.
"We really need someone who's an expert with powers..."
"Well, I only know our PE teacher."
"I know someone. But..."
"But what?" I asked her, raising one eyebrow. It stayed quiet for a little, before she sighed and answered, "It's... Hard to explain and not really important, but we could definitely ask him for help."
I looked at her for a moment, before deciding to let it go. I nodded and then crossed my arms.
"So, how do we reach this person?" I asked, just as Calum got in and smiled slightly at us.
"Who of you and your friends is the closest to Harry?" I sighed as Calum simply answered; "Luke."
*A/N: Soooo, hi :) I was thinking of posting another story, which is basically a (small) project for me in which I was challenged to write a story about something I'd never or rather not write about (in details or the whole story about that thing). So yeah.
So far I named it 'When It Happened' and I don't know anything better for it, maybe later. It's a 5SOS story (or well, it wasn't at first but I just changed the characters or added them).
Anyways, I'd be more than happy if you would give it a chance, maybe correct some things, I don't know :) so I'll post the first chapter (since there's no prologue) later today :)
And of course I hope you enjoyed this chapter :D