28Me: I edited it! yay!
Erin: -from closet- Me color pretty picture with sharpies!
Blake: Hurry up! What if Mr. B sees you?
Me: I'm updating this in class :)
Blake: Hurry! Me: fine. no major changes. I switched povs every now and then. thats about it
Erin: Me draw key! Me unlock closet!
Me: uh-oh...
Me: The reason I havent updated is because I have been rewriting ViV. This is the new first chapter. I haven't edited it yet, so it may be kinda choppy. So, if you notice anything tell me about it :)
Blake: Shouldn't you be working on algebra?
Me: Maybe...
Blake: And you have to practice French Horn
Me: And you turned into my mom when?
Erin: -from closet- Flying Giraffe!
Me: You know, that part of me frightens me sometimes.
Blake: It frightens me too. Especially when it decides to cut off my hair!
Me: It grew back
Blake:-pouting-
Erin: Me have scissors!
Chapter 1
June 17, 2007. I remember it like it was yesterday. The fact that it was my 13th birthday carved it into my memory even more. It was early afternoon and I was sitting in my room, looking over some files my dad had given me. I was looking at the files for Hanna and Jacy Cogswell. The only reason I was even giving them a second glance was because my dad was convinced they would be good recruits for the Lambs. I, however, couldn't figure out why he had picked dumb blonde clones for his new favorites.
I was looking over their scores on some IQ tests when my phone rang. I smiled when I saw it was Johnny, thinking we could talk about how insane it was that my dad had picked these two idiots to join the Lambs.
I'd barely said hello when he told me why he had called. I don't remember much after that, only bits and pieces. I remember yelling for my mom to tell her, making phone calls, crying. It was a blur of chaos and grief.
I stood at the very back of the church for most of the service, just watching the people sitting in the pews in front of me. Everyone had shown up, including all the some of the more prominent members of the group that killed my father. The Lambs on the right, and God's Chosen People on the left. Everyone sitting there, like being near their mortal enemies was an everyday occurrence. It was nauseating.
Towards the end, I couldn't take it anymore, and walked out the doors and sat down on the steps. For once it really didn't bother me that the wind was destroying my hair. I found it comforting really. It made me realize that the world was still moving around me.
"I'm sorry we killed him," said a girl's voice from behind me. "That wasn't what they we were trying to do, they just wanted to hurt him."
"Why are you talking to me Renee?" I asked, picking at a crack in the steps.
"I don't know," Renee said, flipping her long dark hair behind her back. "I felt kinda bad so I decided to talk to you, okay?"
"I seriously doubt anything you say will make me feel any better," I said harshly, glaring at the ground.
Renee sighed and said, "I didn't chose to be on the other side you know."
"I know," I muttered. I looked up at Renee and said, "Are you going to keep standing there or do you want to sit down?"
Renee frowned at the ground and said, "I don't want to get my skirt dirty."
"Seriously Ren?" I said, rolling her eyes. "Just sit down."
"Fine," Renee muttered, forcing herself to sit down next to me on the steps. Her face softened as she said, "I really am sorry about your dad."
"It's not your fault, Ren," I said gently. "It's Emily's fault for starting this whole thing."
"Siamo persi a meno che noi," Renee said.
I thought over Emily's words in my head, playing around with them a bit. We are all lost unless we. If only she had finished that damn letter.
"I'm going to go walk around," I said, standing up. "Could you tell Johnny I'll be at the chapel?"
"You're going to walk three miles in heels?" Renee asked, looking at me like I had grown to heads.
"I'm not wearing heels," I said, smiling as I saw Renee look down to see that I was definitely not wearing heels. I was wearing tennis shoes.
"Your crazy," Renee said, shaking her head.
"Your crazy, too, Ren," I said smiling. I then jumped down the steps and started walking. I heard Renee sit back down on the steps, but I didn't look back. I didn't want her to see me crying.
Two Years Later
My alarm went off at seven and I quickly shut it off by throwing it against the wall. I sat up and put my hair in a ponytail before walking over to my desk, turning on my laptop, and logging into my gmail account. I glanced over the my inbox then clicked on one of the e-mails and started glancing over it.
Hey Cassie!
I think we should tell the twins already. We've been living with them for two years. I think they're trustworthy enough. Plus this whole talking about The Saviors through e-mails when we live in the same house is stupid.
Johnny
I glared at the last part of the e-mail. What bugged me the most about it was that he was right. I didn't think the twins were ready though. For once I agreed with Cameron, they were too young.
I clicked on the next e-mail, and immediately regretted it. Collin was difficult to tolerate this early in the morning.
It's been two years Cassie. Are you ever going to figure out a way to avenge your father's death? We're all waiting. If you don't pick up the speed we're going to be lost forever.
Collin H. Barlow
"Jerk," I muttered as I typed out a reply. I hated Collin with a passion. He'd been mean to me ever since I had said no to going on a date with him last year. "We are not going to be lost forever just because we haven't gotten revenge on GCP yet."
I closed my laptop and walked over to the full length mirror hanging on the wall. I'd never really liked how I'd looked. I had my dad's blue eyes and his auburn hair. I hated it.
I picked up my to-do list and glanced over it, before scribbling a few more things on it. I said them to myself as I wrote them down, "Go grocery shopping…figure out a way to get back at GCP without hurting anyone…talk Cameron into coming with us to Venice for Ren's masquerade ball, party, thing-a-ma-bob…tell Jacy and Hannah about the Lambs and get them to join…look for new recruit/recruits…find a way to murder Collin without it being linked back to me."
I glanced over the list again, and decided to erase the last one. Collin Barlow wasn't worth my time.
I got ready quickly and was downstairs cooking breakfast by eight. At least, I was doing the only cooking I could do without burning down the house, fixing cereal and milk. I had just finished setting out the remnants of cereal I'd found in the back of the pantry when Cameron walked down the stairs
"Cereal again?" Cameron said, shaking his still wet hair out of his eyes.
"We need to go grocery shopping," I explained. "Could you get the bowls out of the cabinet?"
"Sure," he said, walking over to the cabinet and pulling out the mismatched set of bowls we'd collected over the years.
"So are you sure you don't want to go to Venice with us?" I asked, trying to sound casual. I'd tried to give him space and let him come to the decision on his own but it was taking too long, especially since I was considered to be impatient.
"I'm positive," Cameron said, getting spoons out of a drawer. "It's a trap."
"Which is why I want to go," I said gently, putting the milk next to the boxes of cereal. "Ren wouldn't have invited us if she wasn't planning some elaborate scheme. And if we ruin her elaborate scheme, we've gotten revenge and no one gets hurt."
"But what if her scheme works?" Cameron questioned, setting the bowls and spoons down. "This is a stupid idea. It won't work."
"I don't see why you're so against it," I said. "Everyone else thinks it's a good idea."
"It's a stupid idea that won't work and will only result in one of us getting hurt," Cameron said. "I've seen it happen before."
"Really?" I asked, starting to get angry at his stubbornness. "When? I haven't heard anything about any kind of situation like that and I'm the one who runs this organization."
I sighed as I watched the all too familiar mask come over his face, the one I'd tried so hard to get rid of. "Seriously? You're doing the whole emotionless brick wall thing again?"
"What I do is none of your concern," Cameron said darkly, walking upstairs before I could stop him. I looked at the cereal and milk sat out on the counter and frowned. At the moment, I seriously hated my life.
Me: Again, I haven't edited it so tell me if something's wrong.
Erin: Me have sharpies!
Blake: Where did she get sharpies?
Me: Who knows