《Guardians of Light》 Summerside Chapter 1 I smiled as I grabbed the last suitcase from the back of our car and closed the hatch. The sun had been beating down on us the whole trip and I was glad when we arrived at the new house. The breeze from the ocean had started to cool me down a bit at least. It wouldn''t have been so bad had the air conditioner kept working in the car, but a few hours after we left the motel that morning it had conked out and even with all the windows down, it had never actually gotten cool enough for us to not be sweaty. Thankfully the ocean breeze drew away any humidity but my curly brown hair had already been drenched with sweat and I didn¡¯t even want to know what I looked like. I stopped and took in the surroundings of our new home. The beach was directly across the road from our house and I could smell the tangy saltiness in the air. Large rocks dotted the coast line and the sand looked cool and inviting. I couldn''t wait to feel the cool ocean water and look for sea life. The one good thing about moving halfway across the country was we were practically steps away from the ocean. I pulled my eyes away from the water and looked at our new house instead. It was nothing like our old place in Minnesota. This house was a wooden chalet style with floor to ceiling windows in every room. It was built up on rocks that were sticking out of the mountain behind it. The tall trees surrounding the house gave it a cozy feel, like living in a tree house, with exposed beams and logs. The garage at the front was big enough for two cars and all our extras that I was sure would fill it. The moving truck had been the day before and the boxes were distributed around the house. I was glad I didn¡¯t have to pack all the boxes up the front steps as I counted nine of them. I had heard my mother talk of the beautiful sights in British Columbia but I never in my life thought it was as gorgeous as it was. The tree¡¯s were so high it was hard to see the tops and the lush green mountains surrounded us on three sides. We had visited a few times when I was younger but I guess I wasn¡¯t old enough to appreciate the beauty then. Of course my mom had talked about it since I was old enough to listen. She loved Minnesota and moved there with my father after they were married. But when a chance to move back to Canada, to her home, came up she had convinced us easily. A seagull squawked overhead and I almost jumped. It would definitely take a little bit to get used to living near the ocean. ¡°So Anna, how''s the unpacking going?¡± my dad asked as I came into the kitchen. He ruffled my hair and I cringed. He didn''t get that I was almost eighteen and took pains to get my long curly hair to stay in some sort of style. Although right now it was more sweat than anything. He and my mom were going through boxes of dishes and stocking the cupboards. They were so cute together. He was short and stocky, with thinning hair and round glasses. My mom was tall and lean with curly brown hair like mine although she always kept hers short at the nape and I let mine grow. I wish I would have gotten some of her height as well as the hair, but no such luck. I was stuck at just over 5 feet tall. ¡°I don''t think I will ever be done,¡± I said and mocked wiping sweat from my forehead. ¡°Couldn''t we have paid the movers to unload the stuff in the boxes too?¡± ¡°But that''s the fun of it!¡± My mom said and I laughed as I rolled my eyes. ¡°Why don''t you take a break and go for a walk along the beach before the relatives start pounding on our door. There is going to be a lot of cheek pinching and ''My have you gotten so big'' from all your aunts and uncles,¡± my mom explained and I groaned. I had met my mom''s family when we came to visit before. They had all made the trek down to Minnesota a few times over the years as well. But I knew she was right since I hadn''t seen them for a while and honestly I was actually looking forward to having some family nearby. I couldn''t wait to get to know my cousins better. We had met a few times while they vacationed with us but now that I would be living here I couldn''t wait to see them again. Especially my cousin Miranda who was exactly one week younger than I was. We were both seventeen and in our last year of high school and would be attending the same school together. We got along great when I had seen her last but that had been two years ago and only for two weeks. I hoped she was still the funny girl she was when they visited.I ran up to my room and took a quick shower before I headed out to the beach. I was carrying my shoes and splashing through the water when a large black lab came over and shook in front of me. Water sprayed up my legs and I let out a yelp and then laughed as he barked and rolled in the rocks and sand in front of me. ¡°Sorry about that!¡± a voice called and I looked up to see a guy around my age come jogging down towards me. His short wavy hair was almost white blond. It was so light it looked surreal. He smiled widely as he stopped in front of me. ¡°Are you ok? He didn¡¯t get you wet did he?¡± he asked and I shook my head. I had to lift my head up, way up in order to look at his face. His eyes were a deep green like emeralds as they sparkled in the fading light of the afternoon. As the light hit them they lit up and I could almost see the different shades of green dancing in them. He was wearing beige cargo shorts and a white t-shirt over his lean chest. He looked like the epitome of a surfer boy. ¡°Is that your dog?¡± I asked as the mutt stood up and ran down the beach a little ways, splashing around in the water and then digging in the sand. ¡°He is the neighbor¡¯s dog, and he gets out a lot. Jake is his name. I''m Desmond Hill,¡± he said and stuck out his hand. ¡°I''m Anna Leach and pleased to meet you,¡± I said and we shook hands. ¡°Do you live around here?¡± ¡°Yeah, just across the road.¡± He pointed to a house that looked a lot like my own although it was a bit bigger. It had the same large windows and exposed beams as mine, which seemed to be the norm in the neighbourhood. ¡°We just moved in across the road too,¡± I said and pointed towards my house, which was right beside theres. ¡°Oh right, I saw you arriving this morning. We''ve lived here for fourteen years. Well, in Summerside, not this house. We just moved into this one a couple of years ago. This is a great area to live in.¡± ¡°Yeah it seems really beautiful. Are you still in school?¡± ¡°Yep, Summerside Academy.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°That¡¯s great I¡¯m going there too. You might know my cousin Miranda Chattel?¡± He blinked his eyes and frowned. ¡°Miranda is your cousin?¡± I got a weird feeling there was something about her. ¡°Yeah why? Is there something I should know about her?¡± He ran his hand over the back of his neck and smiled. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t know she had cousins around here.¡± ¡°We¡¯re new to Canada. We moved from the states, I have never lived by the ocean before.¡± ¡°No? Well you will love it. Do you swim or surf?¡± he asked, changing the subject from Miranda quickly. His green eyes caught the diminishing sun¡¯s rays again and I found myself staring. ¡°I can swim but I''ve never surfed,¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯m more of a land lover. I like hiking and I jog most days.¡± ¡°Jogging? You should talk to my brother. He knows a bunch of trails around this area.¡± ¡°That would be fantastic. But I would kind of like to learn to surf too.¡± ¡°Ahh, I''ll get you surfing in no time! It''s something we can do a lot of here since the bay has the perfect amount of wind,¡± he said excitedly. ¡°I love the water. I''m always down here when school¡®s out. I think I spend more time here than in the house.¡± I couldn''t help but smile, he seemed so friendly. It was infectious. The top of his white blond hair ruffled in the slight breeze and I wondered what it would be like to run my fingers through it. I almost laughed at the thoughts running through my head but instead my cheeks heated and I imagined they were bright red. ¡°Come on Dez!¡± A loud voice boomed and we both looked across the road as someone jogged towards us. ¡°Hey Thayer, this is Anna. She just moved in beside us,¡± Desmond said, introducing me to the guy as he came to stand a few feet away. His hair was shaggy and jet black and his eyes were as blue as the ocean in front of me. They also shone in the sunlight like Desmonds but they seemed deeper, more troubled. He had his hands in his pockets as he stood there, looking me up and down. His face was almost expressionless, except for his eyes. For some reason both of them had the brightest eyes I had ever seen. ¡°Desmond tells me you know of some trails around here that are good for jogging?¡± The corner of his lip raised and he snorted. ¡°Dez can show you, he knows them as well as I do.¡± I was taken back by the gruffness in his voice. ¡°Oh,¡± I said and looked at Desmond, shrugging. ¡°I guess you can show me the trails after you teach me to surf.¡± Desmond looked to his brother and then back at me. ¡°Yeah for sure. I¡¯ll definitely do that.¡± I looked back at Thayer, who was staring at me. We locked eyes for a moment until I looked away. He let out a frustrated sigh and hooked a thumb at Desmond. ¡°Dad''s waiting, we have to go.¡± ¡°Well, it was nice meeting you guys.¡± Thayer gave me a quick once over, saying nothing, before turning and jogging back across the road, dismissing me like I was just another rock on the beach. I would have dismissed him right back had he not left so fast and if he wasn¡¯t so freakishly hot. He was wearing black jeans and a tight black t-shirt and I couldn''t help but notice the muscles in his back as they pressed against the shirt. My friend Hannah back home would call him a rock star wannabe. I sighed as I turned back to Desmod. ¡°He¡¯s a ray of sunshine huh?¡± I teased. ¡°You picked up on that huh?¡± Desmond said and shrugged. ¡°Brothers are a pain, especially twin brothers.Do you have any? Siblings that is.¡± I smiled and shook my head, ¡°Nope, no siblings for me. I''m an only child.¡± ¡°Desmond! Now!¡± Thayer yelled as he stormed back across the road towards us. I watched him walk over and wondered who died and made him king. He seemed cantankerous and bossy. ¡°Is he always like this?¡± I asked quietly. Desmond nodded and laughed as he backed away. ¡°Unfortunately. Consider yourself lucky to be an only child. I have to put up with captain grouch here 24-7.¡± We both shared a laugh and he waved goodbye. ¡°I''ll see you around I guess,¡± I said loudly as I watched him jog backwards across the road, Jake the dog following him. ¡°You can count on it Anna!¡± he yelled and disappeared up his driveway, saying something to his brother as he passed by. Thayer stood there for a few moments staring at me. My heart flipped in my chest and I looked down at my feet. When I looked up again he was heading up his driveway. By the time I made my way back to my house my family had started to arrive. We ate, we laughed and I had fun meeting everyone again. I was exhausted and soon after they left I went up to my room and got into my pajama shorts and a tank top. I moved the half empty boxes off my bed and collapsed on it. Just as I was falling asleep I heard some kind of commotion outside. I got up and looked out my window at the house next door. Thayer was standing at the back of an SUV, something in his arms that looked heavy. He put it in the back and closed the hatch. That¡¯s when I saw the other person. He was tall and lean and looked like he could be the guy''s father. He had the same black hair as Thayer although it was clipped short. I was just going to go back to bed, satisfied that the noise was only the neighbors when the man reached out and slapped Thayer across the face. I gasped and then covered my mouth as the man grabbed Thayer by the shirt and pulled him back from the car and pushed him up against the garage doors. I could hear his voice rising but I couldn¡¯t make out what he was saying. I backed away from the window and quickly made my way to the second floor where my parents'' room was but the door was closed and the light was off. I stood there for a second before I took off down the stairs and headed out onto the front porch. ¡°When I say jump, you say how high! Get it?¡± the man said, his voice tight. ¡°I give you boys a lot of leeway but I will not take insubordination! Especially from you Thayer. You will do as I say, when I say it!¡± He ended his sentence with a shove and Thayer went down, falling to the concrete driveway. He got up on his hands and knees and his eyes met mine. I sucked in a breath and stepped closer to the railing but he shook his head slightly telling me to stay where I was. ¡°Get up and clean yourself up. You will come with me tonight.¡± His father turned and stomped away. Seconds later I heard their front door slam shut and I took off down the stairs, my bare feet slapping on each step. By the time I reached Thayer, he had stood up and was wiping at his face. ¡°Your nose is bleeding,¡± I said as I reached out to him but he stepped away. ¡°Don¡¯t. Just go away.¡± He sounded defeated. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. Your father just slapped you and threw you on the ground!¡± My voice was raised and Thayer grabbed me by the arm and pulled me around to the front of the SUV. ¡°Keep your voice down!¡± he whisper yelled at me. He dropped my arm and lifted the bottom of his shirt up and wiped at his face. I saw he had a cut on his cheek and his hands were roughed up and bleeding. ¡°Ok fine, but you need to do something about him. He can¡¯t touch you like that. You can call the police.¡± He shook his head and dropped his arms to his side. ¡°You have no idea what¡¯s going on Anna. Go back to your house and forget what you saw. Please.¡± He started to walk away but I grabbed his arm. He stopped but didn¡¯t turn back towards me. ¡°Thayer,¡± I said and he let out a long breath, turning so quickly that my hand flew off his arm. ¡°Go. Back. Home.¡± he said angrily, his face inches from mine. ¡°I don¡¯t need you sticking your nose into my business. Get it?¡± I swallowed and nodded. His eyes that were so shiny and bright earlier were dark and stormy now. My heart started to race inside my chest as I took a breath. ¡°But¡­¡± I started to speak but he stopped me. ¡°But nothing. I will never need your help. So don¡¯t talk to me or look at me and keep your nose out of my business. I¡¯m not going to be your friend, ever. Just leave me alone.¡± With that he turned and stormed away as I leaned against the truck and wondered what the hell just happened. Its only bruised, youll live - Chapter 2 I didn¡¯t get much sleep at all. My eyes were droopy as I peered at myself in the bathroom mirror. I had dreamed about Thayer and his father hitting him and got myself so worked up that once the sun broke through the horizon I got out of bed, knowing sleep wouldn¡¯t be on the agenda. I showered and dressed in my usual running attire of black shorts and a green tank. I always felt much more clear headed after I came back from a nice long run. I brushed my wet hair and threw it into a thick braid that fell down my back before setting off to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat. Lots of leftovers greeted me when I opened the fridge. It looked like every relative had brought a different dish but there was nothing I wanted to eat for breakfast. I moved containers around until I found a yogourt, which I devoured hungrily. Thankfully my mom had the forethought to order grocery delivery after we had gotten there the day before. I grabbed my running shoes and went out to the front porch and sat on the rail while I put them on. Although the sun was trying to shine through the clouds, it wasn¡¯t cold and I could hear the ocean waves gently hitting the beach. I looked out and watched more clouds rolling in and knew the sun wouldn''t have a chance of making me overheat as I ran. I checked my cell and was surprised that it was only seven in the morning. It was the summer and I usually made it my goal to sleep in as much as I could. The gulls cawed and screeched above me and I watched them for a moment. Maybe they were going to be my early morning wake up alarm until I got used to them. I left the porch and stood in the driveway stretching and breathed in the crisp ocean air. It tasted a bit salty and I wondered if I would ever get used to it. I started my jog slowly and paced myself, jogging down the side of the quiet road. There was a path closer to the beach and I veered off the road and down to it. It was hard packed so I wasn¡¯t afraid of tripping on loose rocks and gravel, which was a habit of mine. It snaked around the beach and since the tide was in I could feel the water spraying every once in a while as the trail got closer to the shore. I wasn''t sure where the road led to yet and I didn''t want to find myself out of breath and miles away, so I stuck to the trail going right as the road turned left. About twenty minutes later I decided to turn around. I was getting pretty far away from civilization and not knowing where the trail ended up was kind of freaking me out. My cousins had told stories of bears and cougars that lived in the forests around Summerside and meeting one while I was out jogging wasn¡¯t high up on my to-do list. Once the road came back into view I decided I would take it back instead of the trail. There were no houses built up this far yet and the trees were still pretty thick. I watched birds fly over and I saw a rabbit quickly hop back into the bush as I jogged by. I decided I would have to take a drive around the neighbourhood and see where the road went and if there were any trails off of it. I was rounding a corner, my mind on the stories that my cousins told the night before when a flash of silver appeared and I tripped over my feet and fell forward on the hard asphalt. My hands flew out first and thankfully took the brunt of the road rash instead of my face. A car screeched to a stop and the driver jumped out. I looked up and noticed it was Thayer Hill stomping towards me. Oh great, Mr. Happy himself. ¡°What the hell were you doing?¡± he exclaimed as he came over to where I was peeling myself off the road. His eyes flashed and his mouth was turned up angrily. He grabbed under my shoulders and hoisted me up. ¡°I could have killed you!¡± I pulled away from him and bent to dust my knees off and noticed the blood on my palms. ¡°Ouch!¡± I said and winced. Rocks and stones were embedded in my hands and I watched as the blood pooled around ripped skin. ¡°Jesus! Here wrap up your hands,¡± he said as he pulled his shirt over his head and put it around my hands. I stopped wincing and looked at him from under my lashes. He was pretty hot in a shirt but there wasn''t any way to describe him shirtless other than using words I didn''t want running through my mind. He definitely worked out. A lot. ¡°What were you thinking? You were running down the middle of the bloody road! I could have killed you!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t running down the middle of the road.¡± He made a face. ¡°Yeah you were. I hardly had time to stop!¡± ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t drive so fast then! Clearly you weren¡¯t going the speed limit!¡± I sucked in a breath as I unwrapped my hands and thrust his now bloodied shirt at him. It hit him in the chest and fell to the ground between us. He ignored the shirt as he stared at me, his nostrils flaring. ¡°Oh so this is all my fault?¡± ¡°Well it certainly isn¡¯t all mine!¡± I growled and turned away, taking a couple steps before the pain in my ankle registered in my brain. ¡°Ow!¡± I yelped as I tried to steady myself. Before I knew it my ankle gave out and I was on my way to the ground. An arm snaked around my waist and I was lifted up into Thayer¡¯s arms before it had registered. ¡°Put me down, now,¡± I demanded and he shook his head. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not going to happen. Just stop squirming while I get you to the car.¡± I shook my head and tried to get out of his embrace but he had a vice-like grip on me. And he was naked from the waist up! ¡°I¡¯m not getting in your car.¡± He snorted. ¡°Oh. Ok, I¡¯ll just put you down and you can walk home.¡± He started to let go of me and I grabbed around his neck as I fought falling to the ground. I knew I wouldn¡¯t get very far on my twisted ankle but I wasn¡¯t relishing him taking me home. ¡°I thought so.¡± He stalked to his car with me in his arms, carrying me like a baby and I wanted to die of embarrassment. He manoeuvred me around so he could use his one hand to open the door and then sat me sideways on the seat. He crouched down in front of me and felt along my ankle. I sucked in a breath as his fingers probed a sore spot. ¡°Thankfully it¡¯s only bruised. Unfortunately you¡¯ll live.¡± I frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t sound so happy about that.¡± He made a face and sat back on his haunches. ¡°Listen, about last night¡­¡± he trailed off and ran his hand through his hair. ¡°I was pretty harsh. I shouldn¡¯t have gotten mad at you for trying to help. It¡¯s just that..." He stopped talking and closed his eyes before pinching the bridge of his nose. "It''s just that...my dad¡¯s a pretty intense guy. He has a lot of pressure put on him¡­¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse him hitting you. Nothing excuses that.¡± He looked down at his shoes and then took a deep breath. ¡°I know Anna, I know. And I¡¯m not making excuses. It¡¯s just the way it has to be for now. You just need to stay out of it, ok?¡± I raised a brow as he shook his head slightly and sighed. ¡°Can you just say ok? Please?¡± I chewed on my bottom lip for a moment. ¡°It doesn''t make sense. What does your mom say? Does she know?¡± He groaned and ran his hands over his face. ¡°You know what? Just forget it. Turn around and I¡¯ll give you a ride home.¡± He stood up and waited for me to turn in the seat, bringing my legs in, before he closed the door and jogged around to the driver''s side of the car. The car smelled of him, clean soap and warm spice. I liked the smell of the boy, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I liked the boy...yet. ¡°What about your shirt?¡± I asked. His hands gripped the steering wheel as he stared straight ahead. He finally opened the door with a groan and got out. After picking up the shirt he went to the trunk and opened it. I couldn''t turn around to see what he was doing so I put my seat belt on and stared ahead. He was back in the car quickly, dressed in a clean blue shirt instead. ¡°Better?¡± he asked sarcastically and I nodded. ¡°Great.¡± He took off, spraying rocks from his tires as we sped down the road. ¡°Aren''t you going a little too fast?¡± I managed to squeak out after we took a corner so fast I was surprised the car stayed on the road. ¡°Yep. Don''t you like going fast?¡± A sly smile played on his lips. I shook my head and he quickly geared down making the car slow down quite a bit. I ignored him and just stared ahead, even though I could see him keep looking over to me. ¡°And just to make it clear, I didn''t try to run you over. I just didn''t think anyone would be up this early and in the middle of the road.¡± ¡°I know you didn¡¯t purposely try to run me over. But you couldn¡¯t see me because you drive way too fast. It''s not a raceway.¡± ¡°This is a roadway though, some cars drive fast on it,¡± he said, mocking me. ¡°I know that Einstein but if you drove the speed limit, you would have seen me on the road before you were seconds away from smearing me like paste into the asphalt.¡± He groaned. ¡°Ok, that¡¯s going a bit overboard. I wasn¡¯t even that close to you.¡± ¡°I think you were.¡± ¡°I know I wasn¡¯t.¡± I gave my head a quick shake and crossed my arms over my chest. Why was he so obstinate? We both fell silent for the rest of the drive. I wondered if there would ever be a time we¡¯d get along. He seemed so broody and angry, I wasn¡¯t really sure how to deal with him. When we pulled up to my house a few minutes later, he parked in the driveway and went to get out but I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I don¡¯t need your help Thayer. Thanks for the ride.¡± I opened the door and swallowed a little cry as I put some weight down on my ankle. I could feel his eyes watching me as I hobbled out of the car. I managed to get the car door closed and tried awkwardly to hop over to the back of my parents car to steady myself. I didn''t even want to think of having to hobble up my front stairs but I also didn''t want Thayer to think I needed his help. His car door slammed and he was there in seconds, scooping me up into his arms again. ¡°Why are you so stubborn all the time?¡± he asked grumpily as he carried me up the steps. ¡°Why are you so angry all the time?¡± I countered but he ignored me as he bent me towards the keypad on the door. I put the code in and he brought me into the house. ¡°Where¡¯s your room?¡± he asked as he stood in the living room and I felt my eyes widen. There was no way I was going to have him carry me up to my bedroom. That just wasn¡¯t going to happen, ever. I pointed to the kitchen that was at the back of the house. ¡°Just set me down at the table, please.¡± He nodded and brought me to the kitchen table. He kicked a chair out with his foot and then sat me down gently in it. I had to admit, he was really nice to look at and he smelled dreamy, but he was angry and hostile more so than not. Was it because his dad was horrible to him? Or was there more? Did his dad treat both of them as his personal punching bags? There was so many questions I wanted to ask him. ¡°Your house is laid out opposite to mine,¡± he said as he sat down beside me, his eyes darting around the room. I chewed on my bottom lip and he looked at me with an exasperated sigh. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What do you mean what?¡± I asked. He reached out and slid his finger over my lip before dropping his hand to the table. ¡°The chewing on your lip thing. You do that a lot.¡± ¡°I do?¡± I frowned. ¡°How do you know? You¡¯ve been around me all of three minutes.¡± He chuckled dryly. ¡°It certainly feels like way more.¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re so funny,¡± I said sarcastically. We sat quietly for a moment before I opened my mouth to ask him about his dad but he stood up quickly, almost knocking the chair over in his haste. ¡°I have to go. You should get awesome ice on that ankle. Maybe have your parents take you to the hospital and have it looked at.¡± I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine, my parents are doctors, they¡¯ll make sure I¡¯m ok. Thanks again for the ride home.¡± He nodded and looked at me for a moment but said nothing. Before I could say anything he quickly stormed out of the house. Cousins, Aliens and a boy in a wet suit. - Chapter 3 By the time my parents had gotten out of bed I had just finished making omelettes for them. It had started out as being sunny side up eggs, but I wasn''t the best cook and the yolks had broken when I cracked them into the pan so I added some chopped ham and cheese. They actually turned out not too badly as omelettes. The coffee had just finished perking as they both came downstairs rubbing their eyes and yawning. ¡°About time you two got out of bed,¡± I said and directed them to the table. I hopped over with the coffee carafe and my dad grabbed my arms as I walked by him. My mom took the carafe out of my hands and looked on, concerned. ¡°What happened Anna?¡± he asked as he stared at my swollen and bruised ankle. ¡°It''s fine, I just had a fall when I was out jogging this morning. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± I tried to play it off but my dad, being who he was, was already on his way to the freezer for an ice pack. My mom bent down and looked at my ankle before making a ¡°tsk¡± noise. ¡°It¡¯s really bruised. You need to get on the couch and get off that ankle,¡± she said and put her arm through mine, directing me to the living room. She sat me down and set my leg up on a stack of pillows. My dad came in with an ice bag and some pain tablets. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake us up? How did you get home? You didn¡¯t walk on that did you?¡± he asked and I leaned back against the end of the couch with a sigh. ¡°I didn''t wake you up because it wasn¡¯t broken. I¡¯ve had sprains before, remember. And Thayer from next door gave me a ride home so no I didn¡¯t walk on it.¡± ¡°Thayer?¡± my mom said her brows raising. I fought with myself to tell my cheeks to not go red at the way she said his name. My mom was a hopeless romantic and just me mentioning a guy''s name had her with hearts in her eyes. ¡°Yes Thayer and Desmond, they live next door with their dad. They¡¯re twins, the same age as me and they go to Summerside Prep as well.¡± She smiled and looked at my dad who was busy checking out my ankle, ignoring the talk of boys next door. ¡°And how did this Thayer know you were in need of a ride home?¡± ¡°He was driving by. We met yesterday, so when he saw me he asked if I needed a ride home.¡± I, of course, left out the part that I wouldn¡¯t have twisted my ankle if Thayer hadn¡¯t been speeding like a maniac at 7 in the morning. ¡°Ok well, next time call us. You may have met the boy before but he is a stranger to us,¡± my dad said, finally tuning into the conversation. I smiled as I nodded. I was going to be 18 in three weeks and I knew they were going to have a hard time letting me be an adult. At least I already didn''t have many rules so I figured not too much would change with my birthday. And well, they¡¯d just have to get used to it. I¡¯d go easy on them though. They fussed over me for a good hour, bringing me my breakfast and making sure I took the pain pills. My mom brought out a medical kit and cleaned my hands and knees of any residual rocks and dirt, then added a bandage to the palm of my left hand. She was an emergency trauma doctor and she could probably dress a wound like mine blindfolded. My dad was a surgeon and he could always put me back together if I ever needed it. I knew I was in good hands, even though they usually went a little overboard when I got hurt. My dad handed me the remote and made me promise to stay on the couch while they went into town to check out the hospital they would both be working at. I watched them go and then leaned back on the couch as I flicked absently through the channels. Nothing interested me and I was just starting to doze off when I heard voices from outside. The doorbell rang and before I could get up my cousin Miranda barged in, with Desmond behind her. ¡°Heard you got knocked off the road by this idiot¡¯s brother,¡± she said as she hooked her thumb at Desmond. He smiled at me as he stood beside Miranda. She sat down on the chair across from me and smiled. ¡°How close was he to making you road jelly?¡± ¡°He was so close, like this much,¡± I teased and laughed as I held my pointer finger and thumb almost together. ¡°He drives like a maniac.¡± ¡°Come on Miranda, you never complain when we''re driving you to and from school. Let¡¯s see who¡¯s going to be walking come fall.¡± Desmond teased as he flicked her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Dez, my cousin drives, don¡¯t you Anna?¡± I nodded and she stuck her tongue out at Desmond who came over and looked at my ankle. He pulled his arm out from behind his back and handed me a small bouquet of wildflowers. ¡°These are from me. Sorry my brother tried to kill you this morning,¡± he joked. ¡°It¡¯s ok, it was purely an accident. And thanks so much for the flowers Desmond. They¡¯re so pretty.¡± He smiled and his cheeks reddened as he sat down on the arm of Miranda¡¯s chair. ¡°So, Anna and I are going to watch a sappy movie and you were just leaving,¡± Miranda said to Desmond as his brows shot up. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°I thought I was watching a movie with you all?¡± Dez asked and Miranda shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s ok, I never heard anything about watching a movie.¡± I looked at Miranda who just smiled. ¡°Yeah, your parents stopped by my place and asked me to come stay with you while they were at the hospital. I am to make sure you do not put any weight on your ankle.¡± I rolled my eyes but she pursed her lips. ¡°So I figured we¡¯d have cousin time.¡± She nodded her head towards the door and got up, shoo-ing Desmond out. ¡°No boys allowed.¡± Desmond pouted as he walked to the door, telling me he¡¯d drop by later to see if I needed anything. As I watched him go Miranda laughed and sat back down in the chair. ¡°Ok, now that he¡¯s gone, did Thayer really almost run you over?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, not on purpose. I was coming back from my run and had seen a bunny hop into the bush so I was distracted. And he was driving too fast coming around a corner. It was an error on both parts.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± I frowned. ¡°What do you mean, good to know?¡± She got up and looked out the front window before going to the door and locking it. I made a face at her theatrics as she hurried over to sit on the floor in front of me. I wanted to laugh at her overboard behaviour but she looked kind of spooked. ¡°Ok, I¡¯ve been dying to tell you this. There¡¯s been some weird things that have happened in Summerside in the last couple of years.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s been like a dozen people that have disappeared, only to be found a few days later completely out of it. They¡¯re like in this coma or something. My mom said they are pale and their eyes are glassy and are really dehydrated.¡± I frowned and shook my head. ¡°What do they think is causing it?¡± She looked around again and then scooted closer. ¡°Not what, but who. There¡¯s rumours that it¡¯s like a cult and they are using these people for experiments.¡± I blinked a couple of times and then burst out laughing. ¡°Seriously? I think people have been watching too many conspiracy nuts on YouTube. There has to be a logical explanation.¡± Miranda shrugged as she opened a bag of candy and offered me some. ¡°Laugh all you want Anna, I¡¯m just going by what I¡¯ve heard.¡± I chewed on the candy I had popped into my mouth and thought about what she was saying. I¡¯ve always found rumours to be the worst. One person says something and everyone adds their own stuff to it until it¡¯s as far from the truth as it can be. But a cult, in small town Canada? I don¡¯t think so. ¡°Ok, so what happens to the people in the comas? Are they still in the hospital?¡± ¡°No, they eventually get better, but they have no memory of what happened or where they were.¡± ¡°So what do you think is happening?¡± Miranda laughs and shakes her head. ¡°Well, it has to be aliens. I mean you see where the government says there are UFO¡¯s now. So it¡¯s the only logical explanation.¡± ¡°Little green men are sucking people¡¯s brains dry in Summerside?¡± I asked, stifling a giggle. ¡°You don¡¯t honestly believe that do you?¡± ¡°Kind of, I mean what else could it be?¡± she said as she grabbed the remote and began looking for a movie from one of the streaming channels. ¡°It all points to aliens is all I¡¯m saying.¡± I shrugged and chewed on my bottom lip. ¡°Yeah I guess that could be it. Who knows if there are aliens or not.¡± It all sounded crazy to me and probably nothing more than rumors. I didn¡¯t say that though. I didn¡¯t want Miranda to think I didn¡¯t believe her, which I sort of didn¡¯t. But I was intrigued enough to want to know more about it and I tried to ask her a few more questions but she was already tired of the subject and onto a new one. I was on the couch for the next two days. Miranda hung out a few times and Desmond came to check on me every afternoon. He was such a nice guy and we had a great time chatting. On the third day of laying around I was restless and thankfully my father finally deemed my ankle healed enough to get off the couch. I sent Desmond a text and asked if he wanted to teach me how to surf and he agreed. He said since there wasn¡¯t much wind that it would be a great time to learn the basics. We made plans to meet after lunch. I dug out my two piece and then thought better of it and put on my one piece bathing suit instead. If I was going to be falling into the water a lot, I didn¡¯t think a bikini was the right thing to wear. When I made my way to the beach I saw Desmond in a wet suit standing beside two surfboards. The way the sun was glinting off his hair made him look like some ancient god. He was simply gorgeous. He was lean and tall and looked like a surf board was meant for him. He waved me over with a huge smile on his face. ¡°You made it! I was worried you¡¯d chicken out.¡± I shook my head when I reached him. ¡°No way! I¡¯m kinda excited to learn.¡± ¡°Kinda?¡± he asked with a grin. ¡°Ok, I¡¯m excited but a little nervous. I can swim pretty good but it¡¯s kind of scary. This is the Ocean we¡¯re talking about.¡± He shook his head. ¡°No worrying allowed, we¡¯ll go slow. You won¡¯t be catching any big waves today.¡± I smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a shot!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to hear!¡± Dez showed me how to paddle out and we spent some time just floating back in so I could get my balance. Which was probably for the best since I didn¡¯t tell him that I was usually a klutz and could trip over air. ¡°Thanks for taking me out today, I really appreciate it,¡± I told him as we towelled off. ¡°You¡¯re welcome and we¡¯ll make sure there¡¯s a bit more waves next time.¡± I made a face and he laughed. ¡°Want to grab a burger or something?¡± he asked once we stopped laughing. ¡°Can I take a rain check? Miranda was telling me about an arcade that¡¯s right on the boardwalk and we already made plans to check it out tonight.¡± He nodded. ¡°Ted¡¯s place, yeah it¡¯s fun. Thay and I used to hang there a lot when we were younger. I haven¡¯t been in a long time though.¡± ¡°Well, maybe you should come with us.¡± ¡°Are you sure I won¡¯t be trading on cousin time?¡± ¡°Nah, there¡¯s only so much cousin time we need. And I hear they have burgers there so maybe we could grab one?¡± ¡°Two birds killed with one stone, I like your style Anna,¡± he said and winked. I felt my cheeks heat as my heart skipped a beat.