G.U.A.R.D. Book #1: Clandestine

-1-

Hey friends! Welcome to the first book of the G.U.A.R.D. series. A quick note before you jump in: if you've already checked out my profile, then you know I refrain from saying swear words. I would very much appreciate it if you did the same in comments on my story. Also, I'm a Christian, and I don't exactly like it when people say phrases with God in it, such as: "Oh my ___" So if you keep yourself from saying that, too, thanks! 

Also, please tell me if you find any grammar mistakes/misspellings. I really appreciate it!

~RobynAster

-----

    Stars twinkled in the evening sky of Dark Stone, North Carolina. They barely shone through the canopy of heavy, snow-laden clouds. The moon beamed among them defiantly, showing the spirit of freedom through the haze. It lit up the entire heavens with a blazing shine. Through the cold of winter, it was a welcome sight, as if it was a sign there was still some warmth and light in the world. Soft, white dots of snowflakes began gliding through the air in a whirlwind way. They fluttered here and there in their simple world: a world of luxury and independence, where their only care was where the wind would blow, and where they would land on the ground.

It was winter again. Wretched... winter.

I sat on top of the red cushioning of the wide windowsill in my best friend's house. My eyes gazed at the snowflakes, flying from one to another and trying to study every detail of their little bodies. With my elbow resting on the window pane, I stared out gloomily. The snow gave me a little heart-life, though. Just looking at them made me itch to retrieve my sketchbook from my backpack. A shiver ran down my back as I thought about drawing them each individually.

Ah, drawing. My respite. My break when the parents were gone. Feeling the pencil in my practiced hand, tracing my fingers over the lines, and looking at the scene unfolding on paper was one of the best feelings I ever had the pleasure of experiencing. But as I fingered the white paint peeling from the window pane, I couldn't bring myself to go grab the book. I felt too dispirited to draw the snowflakes as they danced around happily, as if they had invisible smiles on their wee little faces. 

"Ally?"

My head snapped from the window and my eyes settled on Winter Zola Hunter herself. She had been my best friend since we were kids. Her curly, dark brown hair fell over the tank top she wore. With the basketball shorts that went under, I wondered how she could ever wear clothes so short in such cold weather. I subconsciously squeezed my fuzzy sweater closer.

Winter tore me from my thoughts by walking over and plopping down on the red cushioning. "Y'know... you've been staring at that yard for the last hour. You could just try going outside."

I sighed and glanced back at the window, resting my chin on my hand again. "Yeah... or I could just continue staring at it."

She snorted and grabbed a black hoodie from the ground. As she yanked her head through—as well as her arms—the girl crossed her legs and said, "So... what's wrong?"

I shrugged, doing my best to ignore the intense gaze she drilled into me. "Nothing's wrong. Why does something have to be wrong? Everything's fine..."

I looked to her out of the corner of my eye, knowing I was a terrible liar, then gazed back outside.

"Everything's... perfectly... fine."

"Hm, right, so is this the part where I play the concerned friend and console you, be the irresponsible friend and pretend everything really is fine, or be nosy and ask what's wrong until you tell me?"