**wow! it's been such a long timee! [yah im really crappy with updating] and do you know what the saddest thing is? i actually finished this chappy, but then i had to get off my comp. i told myself i would do it later, but i always forgot! i just added a tiny part at the bottom, but other than that, i could've uploaded this a long time ago... *sigh* well, nothing can change that, but i leave you with this! also!: THANKS TO THOSE WHO REVIEWED AND FAVORITED! i forgot to mention those who put L.F. on their fave last time, because i found the messages that people favorited instead of reviewing! IM SO SORRY! so for all those who reviewed and put this on their fave, i give you a plate of steaming choice. chip cookies with caramel! *YUM*

ashalayy aka freddi d

[btb-by the by-i will fix my name, but i'm pretty much removing a letter lolz]

ENJOYY!

*Chappy 7*

There was a really awkward silence that seemed to cover the entire cafeteria. Even though the other people in the caf weren't trying to listen to our conversation, I guess it came out kinda loud. Everyone was staring at me, and honestly, it was nerving.

I put the song "Cleveland is the Reason" by Kid Cudi (another song with excellent base), gathered my things, and out of the caf, heading towards the roof. The roof has always been one of my favorite places in the school—that and the unused music room in the basement.

Since it wasn't raining, the roof was a better option. There was a gently breeze, stirring my hair, blowing away my worry and pain. According to the time on my cell phone, I had about ten minutes before I had to get to class.

I closed my eyes, and my mind began to wander off. I was drifting through time, faces of friends that were long lost, popping out at me from nowhere.

I found myself in a dark place. My footsteps echoed as if I was in a cave. I roamed around a little, but a wave of claustrophobia hit me. I couldn't see a thing, and my footsteps were the only thing to be heard. Heart thumping loudly in my chest, I called out, "Hello?" No one answered.

After a while of walking, I managed to get to a wall. With the wall as my guide, I headed straight, wherever that was. Blood started to drip down my hands; the wall's jagged edge cutting and digging into my skin. Without daring to remove my hand from the wall, I lifted it slightly off the wall, occasionally calling out "Hello," obviously with no reply.

I walked on until my feet were covered in blisters, my legs were burning and aching, and I was on the verge of crying. I was scared, lonely, I felt like I was blind because I couldn't see a thing, and this everlasting darkness was staring to creep the shit out of me. I sat down, my back against the wall, and put my head in between my legs, breathing in deeply.

In, out. In, out. In, out. Heavy breathing didn't help me like it normally would've. Instead, my chest felt constricted like I couldn't breathe. When I tried to breathe, it came out raspy. Floating stars flooded my eyes, my mouth filling up with the salty tears pouring out of my eyes. This was a sad way to die—lost and alone, afraid and in darkness… At least some light would make me feel a little better. It would give some hope.

Since it was soon before I die, I closed my eyes (I couldn't tell if they were closed or not) and I wished for a light. Then I cleared away all of my thoughts, and pictured the cave, or whatever it was, and a little globe of light. I opened my eyes, and there was nothing. (Honestly, I don't know how I was still alive with me being choked by some unknown force.)

Suddenly, there was something, but it seemed far away. I thought that it was my eyes playing tricks on my, but I still tried to looking. It seemed to get brighter and closer. When it was right in front of me, my guess was right. It was a little orb of bright lights—blue, orange, gray, and green—all swirling around, making invisible intricate patterns. Cupping my hands around it, I imagined growing bigger. It grew, until my eyes felt blinded by brightness.

After the effect of the brightness went down, I gasped and fell down to the floor. The invisible force was gone, and I was taking the new air in gulps by the mouthful. I shook my head, trying to shake the hallucination that was before my eyes. This cant be real, it couldn't. I blinked hard multiple times, yet it wouldn't go away.

The "cave" wasn't really a cave, but an extravagant dome structure being held by grand pillars. The pillars had elaborate carvings and designs so finely done, that it must've taken years for it to be completed. Regal paintings that were larger than life scales covered ad decorated the walls. The ceiling to the dome was extremely high. I could barely see the top, even when I was squinting my eyes, and I was gifted with incredulous eye sight. The floor was lined with beautiful marble intertwined with thread of gold. It was so shiny, I could see my reflection. The chandeliers were made with exquisite crystals; the light was radiating around the alluring room. I still didn't get how my fingers were being cut and bruised.

The thing that made my heart stop was the people in the room. There were only eight people in the room; I haven't seen them in what seemed like ages. They always made me laugh, made me feel happy, make me feel like I was much more important than I felt. They were some of the closest people that I had to me, and then they all disappeared. No goodbyes, no warning, not even a note or phone call. Just vanished into thin air.

I wasn't sure on whether I should run to them screaming in joy, cry, or just be angry. Instead, I chose being neutral. My bangs took their rightful place I hiding my eyes; there wasn't a sound to be heard. They didn't say anything, just stared at me like I was a specimen being examined.

I put all my attention to scrutinizing my wounded fingers. Flexing them and compressing them didn't hurt that much, but it I applied any pressure at all—even just a smidge—my fingers would be howling in pain. Finally sick of the whole…fiasco, I guess you could call it, I pushed myself up—ignoring the brutal pain—and walked over to them.

Behind them, a voice thundered, echoing all over the room.

"Cammy, you have been chosen to handle a difficult task. We have tested many, but only you have passed." I bit my lip to prevent myself from smiling. It all sounded so cliché. Next thing you know, he would say, "You must use this power to save the world. And remember, with great power comes great responsibilities." Ha! Wouldn't that be something?

"And that was exactly what I was going to say. I wonder, are you a mind reader?"

I just stared blankly at them. Is this a dream? It really can't be. That time of darkness? It really couldn't be real. This is probably a hallucination… right?

"No, darling, this is not a hallucination. If it were, then Mariah Carey would be my queen…" he said in a dreamy voice.

…Awkward. "Fine, if I'm not dreaming, then why am I here?"

"You are to fulfill a somewhat prophesy. You have been gifted my darling, more than you shall see. A blessing and a curse—use it wisely, for it will show if your gift is good or bad. Now, get some rest, and be prepared. Keep your eyes opened, you senses alert, and don't ever let your guard down." The way he said it sent shivers down my spine. "Be careful with whom you trust, be careful with whom you show your weak side to. Choose wisely, Camryn. You wouldn't want to make a dire mistake that is irreversible."

From behind a door, a short, round man came hobbling out. When he finally reached me, he gave me a kind smile, making crinkles around his deep blue eyes. He had a faint mustache, balding hair, and a flowing white robe.

"We wish you the best," he said, his voice booming out. He shook my hand, and as he let go, a necklace fell into my hand. It was a circle, and looking close at it, there was a miniature staff with elaborate symbols and designs. I put the necklace on, and the colorful, bright orb went into my necklace.

"Go, "he whispered. I felt myself staggering back, and falling. Next thing I know, my face is hitting something that feels like carpet.

"Wait, whaaaa?" I mumbled, completely lost. I sat up, with much pain, and observed the room I was in. it was certain that I wasn't on the school roof, the place I was before I passed out. There was a giant plasma screen TV, very hi-tech home entertainment system. Ornate painting hung on the deep red wall; flowers and vases with beautiful flowers rested on pedestals. The room had a very modern, expensive look.

I stood up, my footsteps padding quietly on the shiny hardwood floor. I heard some voices, so I walked to it. I nearly fell to the floor at the sight in front of my eyes. I quickly turned around, and bumped into someone.

"Sorry," I whispered. I stepped over to the side, and he (the chest was hard and buff, so it was a guy) moved in the same direction as me. I looked up, and silently cursed myself. Standing in front of me, blocking my path was none other than—yes, you guessed it—Eljean, smirking down at me. It took me a lot of effort to not slap that fucking smirk off his face.

"Where are you going, kitten? You just woke up, so now it's time to have fun with the big dog." He crossed his arms over his chest, showing that he was not going to move on his own will.

Just when I was about to force him to move, I felt someone behind me wrapping their arms around me.

"Sunshine! You woke up!" I turned around to find Riley smiling down at me. "We thought that you were never going to wake up because you were sleeping all of yesterday and the majority of the day." He gave me a big smile. "Well now that you are awake, I can—"

"What happened to me?"

"Well, sweetie, you fainted at school." Riley's hands were removed from my waist, and replaced by Demarco's. He turned me around so that I was facing his deep brown eyes. "After you left, no one saw you afterwards. We got a tip from someone, who said that you might still be on the roof because you fell asleep. So we found you, and thought that you were asleep, but you never woke up. We said that we would drop you home, but your house was locked and we couldn't find your keys. We took you into your house; my mom left your mom a message telling her that you were at our house and everything. She never called back or came to pick you up, so we were just waiting for her and for you to wake up." By now, he had leaned in so that our foreheads were touching.

"What are you doing?" I asked bluntly. I removed his hands from my waist, and searched around for my bag. I couldn't find it, so I had to ask one of the guys.

"Does any of you know where my bag is?" I asked. Eljean was ignoring me, and Demarco was looking at me in a way that made me knew that asking him was a terrible idea. I looked at Riley and he was smiling at me in that cute adorable way of his.

To be completely honest, I didn't think of Riley to be that happy bubbling type. It was like he was two complete different people. When was at school, he seemed to be quiet, and brooding—exactly how I thought of him when I first met him. When everyone else was talking to each other, he stayed to himself, looking out the window. In fact, that's what I was like. I really didn't talk unless someone spoke to me first. Most people thought of me as shy, until they got to know me better. Then they thought I was straight out crazy, but really outgoing. I guess most people assume far too much, without knowing any facts or details.

Whenever when he was with his brothers or me in fact, he was always happy, and joking, always with a smile on his face. He had the happiness of a little kid, so carefree without worries. Just seeing him always put a smile on my face.

I went over to him and asked if he knew where it was.

"Well, before I tell you, you have to do something for me." He was rocking back on his heels, hands clasped behind his back, and a mischievous gleam in his gray eyes.

"Umm… okay? Sure, I guess."

"Well since you never gave me a hug when you first woke up," he gave me a look of mock hurt, "you owe me a hug and three kisses." He stuck three fingers out, and really looked like a little kid, except he was already six feet and had already hit puberty.

"Oh, fine." I smiled and gave him a hug. Since I was only 5'4 (yeah, I know I'm really short for a junior), his hug was like a bear hug. I felt so warm and safe in his arms, not wanting to leave, but eventually he let go, even though he was hesitant to let go. He looked down at me expectantly with a smirk on his lips. I leaned up and he leaned down.

"It's in Cam's room," he whispered. I gave him a kiss on his cheek, one on his nose, and it took extra effort to land one on his forehead.

"Thanks!" I turned around and headed for the stairs, but then turned around and gave Riley another hug.

"Second to last room on the right," he said as he was hugging me. He kissed the top of my head. "Now, go." With a little shove from Riley, I headed up the stairs to Cam's room.

Without thinking, I entered the room without knocking. He had a fairly decent-sized room. His bed was to the corner of the room, and it made me smile. I had to put my bed in the corner of my room because I kept on falling off of it when I was sleeping. It was big, neatly made with a bunch of pillows. The walls were painted deep blue, matching with most of the things in it. His blankets and rugs were blue, as well as the chair at his desk. He had a laptop that was also blue, rimmed with white. There were shelves on one of the walls, filled with CDs, DVDs, books, magazines, and an entertainment system. The other walls were plastered with posters of different paraphernelia; his dresser and mirror had small pictures—some blurry, faded; others, the more recent ones, were clear as day. His new family, accepting him so quickly, not judging, but treating him as he was their legitimate blood brothers. Just thinking about it made me feel all fuzzy inside.

I decided to wait for hi, to come back from wherever he was. I took his iPod that was on his dresser, and grabbed a random book from his shelf. Sitting on his bed, I inspected the book carefully. There was no cover, so just by looking on the outside, I couldn't tell the name. I opened it, and there was some faded writing.

To our beloved, our everything. May you let your mind carry you places, take you farther than Earth. Much love, Mom and Dad.

My heart lurched a bit at the words. This was from his biological parents, and probably the few things he had left from them. Maybe they left him, or died in a horrible tragedy. I never asked him what happened to his parents. He seemed fine at the fact that he was adopted, but never trust emotions that people let others see. They are simply a mask, hiding our true natures, who we really are.

Maybe they killed themselves just like your sister did, a voice in my head said. I shook my head, my hair erupting all over. I wasn't going to think of those things right now. No matter how much I wanted that, things like that just come with no warnings.

Trying to keep the tear that was forming in the eye, I put the book carefully in the shelf, exactly like it was. I passed by the mirror, making sure that I looked decent. After raking my fingers through my hair, removing some random smudges off my face, and wiping off the dried drool that hung near my lip (I was pissed that Riley, Eljean, and Demarco didn't tell me that I had some), I mentally declared myself presentable.

At the most random time, Cam comes into the room, from a door that I overlooked. There was steam meaning… just came from… the… shower… I couldn't see him at all, but then he came clear into view.

I nearly dropped on the floor. My mouth was hanging open, and my brain wouldn't tell it to close. I knew I must have looked terrible; like a fish with my gaping eyes, and open mouth. He looked amazing. He had the type of body that would have any female have an orgasm, just by looking at him. I was trying hard to keep the fantasies that were forming in my mind at bay.

He smirked at my expression; then sauntered towards me in an extremely sexy way. I was subconsciously backing until I hit the wall. His breath was falling softly on my neck; so warm, caressing my neck lovingly. His lips met the crook of my neck, his tongue trailing oh-so softly, tracing invisible patterns. I was trying hard to keep my breath and heart at a normal pace. I failed miserably. He lifted his head, and I found myself getting lost in his eyes. His lips pressed hard on mine, his hips slamming into mine.

And what a perfect way to ruin this wonderful moment than have "Peanut Butter Jelly Time" erupt from my phone…

He smirked, go figure, and backed up. He picked up some clothes and headed back to the bathroom (probably for my modesty) while I answered my phone. I barely paid attention because I just realized something. I lifted my hand and I felt the cold metal lying on my neck.

It was a circle, and looking close at it, there was a miniature staff with elaborate symbols and designs.