Blank

Nine

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N I N E
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Running my fingers along book spines, I smiled as I had finally found some sort of color in this lifeless house. A familiar title stuck out to me and I slowly pulled the book from it's perfect place.

"The Corn Conspiracy?" Olivers voice startled me, causing me to drop the book and stumble backwards. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," He walked over to me, grabbing my wrist to help me balance. His eyes scanned over my bruise and I quickly pulled my arm away. "Does it hurt?"

When I didn't respond, he leaned over, picking the book up off the floor and looking down at the cover. "This was a horrible book."

"Of course it was, but it's a golden classic," A small smile graced my lip's. "I've read it so many times, it's unbelievable."

"I could barely get through it the first time," He chuckled lightly before his eyes lifted off of me and to the room around us. "I had a feeling you would end up in here."

"I would love to have a designated room for book's. I don't think i'd ever leave."

He watched me carefully as if he was going to say something but before any words could form, he shook them off with a smile. "I think we need to discuss what happened last night," He turned and began to walk away from me, probably hoping I'd follow but honestly, I didn't want to talk about last night or leave this room.

"I don't know if I can," My honestly spilled out before I had the chance to catch it.

"Blake," He looked over his shoulder at me, "I understand it may be difficult, but unless you want it to happen to you again, or possibly even to your sister, I would suggest we speak of it as soon as possible." He continued out the door and I hastily followed at the mention of my sister.

"My sister? They know about my sister?"

"They probably know everything they want to know about you at this point. They work fast," He motioned towards a seat and I took it, Oliver taking the one in front of me. "Was there anything that they said when they had you?"

"Um," Trying to remember last night made panic set in the pit of my stomach. "Something about me possibly being The One? Whatever that means."

"The One?" Oliver stood, pacing back and fourth he repeated the words to himself until he stopped. "Did they maybe say anything else that would indicate what that means?"

"No, I don't think so, if they did I wasn't paying enough attention for it to stand out to me." My response probably didn't help with the situation, but it was all I had. Oliver came back over and sat down again. "Who exactly are they? What do they want?"

Oliver looked over at me and took a deep breath. "The Ryder's are a group of people, I am not exactly sure how big the group is. I don't fully understand their motive, all I know is that they go after Different's, like you." He paused, letting out a sigh, running his fingers down his jaw, lowering his gaze to the marble floor. "My brother would know more than I do about them. He followed and studied them for a few years. He told me what he needed to, but never enough."

"Would your brother be able to help me? Where is he?"

"I don't know, he moves around a lot and with the way he refuses to carry a phone around, it's near impossible to contact him. The best way is over walkie talkie, but with him being over 200 miles away?" He growled in frustration. "I would assume he would be able to help, he may even understand what they meant by you being The One, but you would need to speak with him." His eyes widened as an idea fell over him. "I have an idea, but I am not too sure it will work. If it doesn't we will have to go to The Corp lab's tomorrow morning, it's the best time to go and the sooner the better." He stood up once again and started towards the stairs.

"Wait! I can't stay here another night! Especially not knowing if my sister is safe or not."

"You're not safe at home," He simply stated.

"But, wouldn't that be the best place to be? Acting normal, blending in?" My question didn't seem to faze him as he distributed his weight from one leg to the other and folded his arms. "I just want to go home."

"Fine," He rolled his eyes and dropped his arms, his hands sliding into his pants pockets. "But we don't know if they know where you live or not, they could be waiting for you there for all we know."

"Why do you care so much anyways?" The question had been burning inside of me since last night, but with how fast everything was happening I had no time to process any of it and it finally seemed like a good time to ask.

"We are more alike than you may think, Blakely. I have been in your shoes and they are not comfortable. I can take you home, I do understand, just please let me help you and don't run from me. I need to grab my coat, I will meet you at the front door, okay?" He raced up the staircase, leaving me alone in the great room.

°•°•

"Emerson," Tear's clouded my vision as I ran over to my little sister. She was busy working on something and when she saw me she smiled brightly and raced into my arms. "I missed you," my words were barely a whisper.

"Where have you been?" Her question made memories flood back of being held against the ground.

"I just spend the night with a friend from school, that's all," My smile seemed to convince her.

"Oh," She shrugged, climbing back into her seat.

"Did you finish your homework?" Mom walked into the hall and glared apon seeing me. "Blakey." She gave me a stern look before pointing at a chair with her eyes, signaling me to sit down and listen to the lecture she was about to give.

"I finished my math so long ago," Emerson complained.

"But you didn't finish your English paper," Mom scolded, looking down at my sister's half written page.

She looked back over to me. "What in the world has gotten into you?!" She slammed her hand into the table. "Going home with a boy, first of all is bad enough! To not even tell me you were leaving, second of all, is unacceptable! You better not be pregnant-"

"I'm not pregnant!" Feeling nauseous by the thought, I placed my hand over my mouth. "Definitely not."

"You've been skipping school, throwing up, you've acted very suspicious and I don't know what to believe!"

"Believe whatever you want to believe, but I am not and will not be pregnant anytime soon," I tried speaking calmly, as to not set my mom off more.

"Just clean up for supper, will you?" She looked from me to Emerson who was staring at the both of us. "Do your work!" She snapped before turning to leave the room again.

"Oh my gosh," Running my fingers over my face, I let out a small sigh.

"Did you really leave with Chad? Mom was talking about it with Dad last night." Emerson was still writing on her paper when she asked.

"What do you think?" Lowering my hands to the table, I eyed her suspiciously.

"I think you didn't, you don't like him," She kicked her feet back and forth into the legs of the table and her chair, a small smile forming in-between her lips.

"You're too smart," I couldn't help but to let out a laugh. "I really hate Chad."

"I knew it," She looked over at me with victory in her eyes. "I hate him too, and his sister Kaitlyn."

"He has a sister?"

"She came over this morning for breakfast with her mom," Emerson made a fake gagging noise. "She's awful, even dad thinks so," She giggled.

"That's not surprising one bit, knowing who her family is." My words made Emerson break into a laugh, she nodded in agreement.

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