𝔸𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕞𝕓𝕤? - 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕀𝕟𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝔾𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕤

Chapter 5

I woke the next day after a goodnight of sleep I was feeling better. I heard a small knocking noise in my room again so I went to open the cupboard but no one was there. 

"Come in!"

It was Alisa at the door. She opened it up.

"Good you are up, your sister is coming to the estate today so get dressed. A stylist will be coming tomorrow and you will start school next week."

"Are there any dance groups there?"

"I can make some inquiries." 

Alisa left the room as I slipped on a cropped shirt with some shorts. I put on my makeup and left the room. I ran to the front door but as I made it to the last set of stairs I slipped I thought that I was going to fall but a strong hand caught me by the arm. I steadied onto the step I tripped on and looked up, it was Grayson.

"Thanks," I said with a smile

"You're welcome" 

"I'll be careful next.."

"Hopefully there will be no next time."

He dusted his suit and walked elegantly down the stairs I followed after him and opened the front door. Avery's car just pulled up to the front of the house so I ran up to meet her. She stepped out of the car.

"Avery you arrived!"

"Hope nothing troubled you?"

"Where is Libby?"

"She is on a plane to pick up our stuff from Connecticut."

"Why couldn't I go with her?"

"Because you don't need to"

"I couldn't say goodbye to my friends."

I looked back at the estate my back on Avery and I realized the door was closed. We walked up to the doorway and I tried at the handle but it wouldn't open. Alisa came up behind us.

"Do you have the keys?" my sister asked Alisa

"No, but you should have them in the file that was given to you."

My sister opened it up and out fell a keychain full of keys.

"Which one are we meant to use?" I asked

"I don't know."

"I can make a call if you would like."

"No, it is ok"

I decided to look for another way in and I found a small handle in the ground. Avery had already gotten into the house but I wanted to know what was there. I pulled it open, but it was dark and tight. I was scared of small spaces but I went down and the door closed I tried to open it but I couldn't so I continued. I jumped down onto the solid ground and I looked around me. I saw a light coming closer to me from a distance I froze. Who could be down in these tunnels? A girl my age or a little older appeared.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the Laughlin's grandaughter Rebecca.." she said in a quiet voice "I didn't know anyone was down here, I can leave" She headed towards where she came from, and I grabbed her wrist the same way Jameson grabbed mine.

"It is ok you can stay, just show me a way out of here?"

She nodded and lead me to a ladder. 

"This one leads to the coat closets near the entrance."

"Thank you"

I climbed up the ladder and lifted a tile. I popped my head out then my arms then the rest of my body. I heard some muffled sounds coming from outside the closet. I put the tile back in place and opened the closet door just so slightly so I could hear what the commotion was.

"Where did she go this time?"

"Well, she was right there when I was solving the keys."

"But she disappeared didn't she"

"Oren where were you"

"I was dealing with an issue at the gates."

"What issue?"

"Paparazzi"

"We have to go and look for her"

I opened the closet door and said.

"She is right here."

Avery shrieked "Where did you come from? Where did you go?"

"I was looking for another way onto the estate, while you were standing here yelling, and are you aware you just quoted 'Cotton Eye Joe'?"

"Well don't run off without telling me again."

"I didn't run off, I was right here."

Jameson smirked as I said that and I smiled back, I turned to leave when...

"Wait, there is another way into this place??"

"Yup"

"Where is it? Someone might break in from there."

"I'm not going to tell you where."

Jameson looked like he was going to say something but I just gave him a long, piercing stare. Probably something Grayson would do.

"I don't need to be here because I don't have to tell you were."

I ran off and Avery chased after me but I lost her after I climbed behind the painting with the crawlspace that led to my room. I crawled through it and then started walking once it was high enough. But while I was in there a firm hand rested on my shoulder, and I jumped. 

"What are you doing here"

I recognized the voice immediately... Grayson.

"Because I can"

"Just stay away from my brother"

"Of course! I will stay away from Xander"

"I mean Jameson"

"I'm trying as hard as I can"

I tried to walk off but I tripped on one of the rocks that paved the floor of the passageway. I fell hard on my chest, but I didn't need Grayson to know that so I turned around to sit on the floor and Grayson offered his hand. I took it and he pulled me up.

"Thanks"

"You trip a lot," he said as he walked off

I stuck my tongue out as he walked away and continued to my room but before I got there I heard Avery. I decided to wait until she was positioned in just the right spot before I opened and silently closed the cupboard behind me to jump onto her. She was looking under the bed... NOW.

I leaped out of the cupboard and closed it and jumped onto Avery. She screamed.

"Got you!"

"And you could have given me a heart attack"

"Stop being soooo sarcastic"

I helped her up and she noticed that my knee was grazed and a spot on my collarbone was bleeding and that was when I noticed it as well.

"What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you fall or something?"

"Maybe."

She sighed and left the room with a small wave. I went to the bathroom and showered.