Searching (Hidden Truths Book 1) Read online

  They’re a little overprotective if you haven’t caught on yet.

  “I’m counting down the days. The boys at school are old news. I’m ready for some fresh meat,” Lina says, licking her lips.

  “Uh huh. I bet you are,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Come on, let’s go downstairs and get ready for dinner.” She raises an eyebrow at me. “Look, you’ve been handed the wonderful job of being my best friend. You come here knowing how my family is and what they look like, you really need to put your big girl panties on and get over it.” I smile sweetly.

  “I know! Jeez, girl, calm down.” She gets to her feet, licking her lips seductively. “I just need to mentally prepare. Do you know how hard it is for me to keep my mouth shut?” I laugh, linking our elbows and we head downstairs to eat dinner with my amazing, yet crazy family.

  Chapter Two

  Leona

  “We really don’t have to do this, Friday,” I say as we pull into the parking lot. Friday is the reason I stopped with the aunt and uncle thing. Once I’d been here for about a year, we actually sat down and had a more in depth talk about life. You know, the birds and the bees type of deal. She said it really was okay for me to continue calling her aunt and the others uncle, but it made them all feel old. When she explained the dynamic of their situation and laid it out for me, it finally hit me. It made sense and I realized the aunt and uncle thing didn’t. So I dropped it from their names like a hot stone. Sometimes it sneaks in, but we just ignore it.

  She finds a parking spot not too far from the front doors and turns in. “Of course we do! Besides, I really needed a reason to get out of the house. Those kids, man, as much as I love them, they really are a lot to handle, you know?”

  I laugh under my breath and open the door, stepping out of the car once she turns it off. “Oh, I know all right. I live in the same house as you do, remember?”

  “Good point,” she points a finger at me and rounds the car. “But you don’t have one attached to your boob for eighty percent of the day.”

  I throw my head back and laugh. It’s awful but it’s true. Milo is a tough baby. I’ve seen him attached to her boob more than I haven’t. And no, I don’t find that weird.

  We walk into the mall, arms linked together.

  School shopping. It’s something I really love to do. I’m a girl, I enjoy shopping in general, but there is a part of me that feels guilty about them spending their money on me. I know I’m family, but they do so much for me already. They shouldn’t have to do this stuff too.

  They have plenty of money, so I’m not worried about that. It’s something else I can’t exactly pinpoint. All I know is I feel weird they do so much for me.

  Maddox and Lenny own a bar together. Alec owns a mechanic shop. All three of their businesses are doing very well. Callan works at the school. The tuition there is nuts; I can only imagine what his paycheck looks like. He should be doing more than just teaching high school students. He has a doctorate in education (amongst other things) and should be head of an Ivy League school or something, not teaching a bunch of hormonal brats.

  As much as I put up a fight about it, I do love Friday and spending time with her, so saying no was out of the question. She’s like a big sister, best friend, and mother figure wrapped into one sassy lady. I enjoy the days we spend together doing girly things. We always have the best time. For her, it’s more about the girl time. She never gets girl time unless it’s with me. She doesn’t have friends. Not because she is awful or anything, she’s just busy. Between the guys, the kids, and being a Prophet—the one and only in the world—she barely has time to breathe, let alone spend time with people for fun. I love spending the day with Lina, but spending time with Friday like this, it’s different. It’s something I wish I could do more of.

  Friday is the only one who has ever brought me school shopping. It’s become our yearly tradition, that sadly is coming to an end. Most of the schools around here require a uniform, mine does not. There is a dress code, but it isn’t all that strict. When the school first opened, back in 1892 (I thank Callan for every bit of knowledge I have on the school) it did, but then a bunch of parents rallied together to banish them. They felt like their kids were unable to express themselves when they all looked the same, so the rules changed. I could not care less either way. Sometimes I think uniforms would be easier, but like I said, I do enjoy shopping and if that was the case, I wouldn’t have this time with Friday.

  We go into five different stores and buy way too many things—and not just for me. Friday doesn’t get out much and she splurges when she does. Three hours later we’re carrying the bags to the car, our fingers red and dented from the plastic bags. We then stop at a small hole-in-the-wall diner for lunch. The same place we’ve gone to every year. My family is big on tradition, something I knew nothing about until I came here. When we’re done eating, we go to one last store before we decide it’s time to go home. We split up as I go in search of new shoes and a jacket. When I find everything—a long coat I chose in grey plaid and a new pair of sneakers and boots—that I need, I search out Friday and find her in the lingerie department. I roll my eyes and shake my head but walk up to her anyway.

  She gave me the birds and the bees talk quite a few years ago. I see the way she’s all over the guys at home and as long as they aren’t actively talking about it, I really don’t care. Good for them. It makes me happy they can be open with each other, and they respect me enough to not treat me like a naïve child. Yes, in a way I am still a child, but they know what I went through. They know I didn’t have a normal childhood and they have never treated me like I was stupid. Some people try to make up for a lost childhood by continuing to treat that person like a child. They need to realize no matter what they do, that time will never be given back, no matter how one treats them. Treating someone like a child doesn’t make them a child, not when that time has come and gone.

  “What do you think? The black or the white?” She asks, holding up the black bra and panty set to her body. After a few seconds she switches it out with the white set, popping a hip to give a little pose.

  “Definitely the white. It looks better with your hair.” I pull out my phone and check my texts.

  Lina: Haven’t looked forward to school this bad in a long time!

  Me: *eye roll emoji* I’ll remember you said that when you’re wanting to drop out mid semester.

  Lina: Girl, do not let me do that. As much as I argue, don’t let me!

  Me: I would never. Bestie promise.

  Lina: And this is why I love you!

  “You think?” Friday grabs a chunk of her hair and holds it against the white fabric, giving a slight shrug. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She tosses it into the cart, along with a few other sets that are much brighter.

  Friday has beautiful hair. It’s long and thick. The roots are a dark brown and it fades into an auburn that is lighter at the tips. Friday is gorgeous in the girl next door kind of way. Simple, yet stunning.

  I find myself to be quite average. I have the blonde hair and blue eyes going for me, but my blonde is dull and too light, not the bad girl type that all the guys go crazy for, though I guess it suits me. Because a bad girl is what I am not.

  I peek at some of the bras on the rack while she puts a few other items into the cart. I run my fingers over a few of the lacy pairs, just checking out what they have.

  “You want something from here? Nothing wrong with wanting to feel sexy. I promise I won’t tell the guys.” I do not know what I would do without her. Anything would have been better than being left alone in that house or sent to a foster family, but being lucky enough to have someone like Friday is not what I expected.

  When Lenny came to get me that day, I had no idea what I was going into, no idea where he was taking me. For all I knew, him and the man he came with were together in a relationship and I was going to live with them. I didn’t know, and I didn’t care. Whatever it was, it was better than what I had. But now, after hav
ing Friday, I can’t imagine being without her. Lenny is amazing, but he’s not equipped to handle a little sister. When all the lovely, girly things started happening to me, I had Friday. And for that I will forever be grateful.

  “No thanks. They’d probably kill you for even mentioning it. I wouldn’t doubt if they searched through my drawers every night while I slept to make sure I wasn’t hiding anything like this.” I pick up a pair of crotchless panties and frown.

  She throws her head back and laughs. “Fair point,” she adds before grabbing the cart and heading towards the cashier to check out. Twenty minutes later we’re throwing our new bags into the trunk on top of the others. About halfway home she looks at me out of the corner of her eye and a smirk crosses her lips.

  “What?” I ask suspiciously, narrowing my eyes at her.

  “I just can’t believe how big you’ve gotten. Senior year. How does it feel? Are you excited?”

  I shrug a shoulder, scrolling through my phone.

  “Aw, come on! Talk to me. I need some girl talk. I’m stuck in a house with four guys!” She’s whining and I can’t help but laugh. “Tell me something juicy!” She pouts.

  “Juicy? I’m not one of those girls. Do you even know me?” I ask playfully, pretending to be offended.

  She growls. Actually growls, and I can’t help but laugh again.

  I put my phone down and look over at her. “I am excited. And honestly, I am a little nervous about the new students. The kids I’ve been going to school with, they’re old news. This is the most exciting thing to happen in a long time.”

  Chapter Three

  Leona

  I wake up earlier than normal. I’ve always been a morning person even though I enjoy staying up late into the night. I don’t require a lot of sleep to feel refreshed. I choose to stay up late even though I’m always up with the sun and it’s never a problem. But today is the first day of school, and I am too excited to sleep until my alarm. I turn it off so it doesn’t sound while I’m in the shower. I walk into the small bathroom attached to my room, turn the taps and hop in once it’s hot. I wash up quickly and then get out, eager to get ready.

  I blow dry my hair and straighten it, put on a little makeup, and then get dressed. It’s late August; the mornings are cool, but the afternoons are hot. I choose a pair of black skinny jeans with rips up the legs, a white tank, and my white chucks. I walk to my end table and put on my necklace. I wear it all the time and only take it off when I shower.

  Maddox found it the day they picked me up but didn’t say anything until a few weeks later. He thought it may have meant something to me, like maybe it belonged to my mom but turns out it’s just a boring, silver necklace. There is something I love about it though. Something I can’t explain. I feel drawn to it. I don’t think it was my mothers. I never saw her wear it and it isn’t her style. It’s a simple crescent moon on a thin chain. It’s tarnished in most spots and the moon is full of scratches. If mom wore any kind of jewelry, it would need to be something embellished with jewels and shine brighter than the North Star. This thing looks like it may crumble into dust at any moment, but I keep it with me anyway. It’s my talisman, the small trinket that keeps me grounded. It gives me strength when I feel I have none. I involuntarily gave this necklace power over me when I made it something I needed, but I don’t mind. It’s helped me through more than one tough situation.

  It’s six thirty a.m. when I head downstairs. I know Callan is up already because he’s always up this early. He offered to give me a ride to school, but I politely declined since Lina said she would pick me up. I have my license, but I choose not to drive. It makes me nervous. I don’t think I’m ready for that kind of responsibility yet, which makes my family happy. It’s one less thing they need to worry about when it comes to me, but if they knew how reckless Lina was behind the wheel, they’d never let her drive me anywhere again.

  There is a large stack of pancakes waiting for me when I get into the kitchen. I grab a plate and pile some on before taking a seat at the dining room table. Pancakes are my favorite and he knows it. I wouldn’t expect anything different from him on the first day of school.

  “Coffee?” Callan asks as he picks up a mug that I’ve claimed as my own. It has a little panda that’s doing a headstand on it. There are others that go with this set, but this one is mine.

  “Sure,” I respond, smothering my pancakes in syrup.

  Cal brings me a cup of coffee made just the way I like. He puts it down in front of me with a smile, then goes back to cooking food for everyone else. I eat quickly and send Lina a text, letting her know I’m ready. I head back upstairs to grab my backpack.

  Barking sounds as I head downstairs. Grim is staring out the front window, eyes set on Lina, his tail wagging back and forth. Every couple of wags it hits the end table, causing a loud thump. It doesn’t seem to bother him even though it sounds like it hurts.

  “Knock it off, knucklehead. You know who she is.” I pat him on the head, but he ignores me and barks again. I try to shush him so he doesn’t wake anyone, but I know the only way I’ll get him to be quiet is if we leave. He used to be well trained; somehow, over the years he’s become spoiled. Now he acts just like the kids—loud and needy.

  “See you later!” I shout, earning myself a “Have a good day” back from Callan. I know I’ll see him at some point during the school day—I always do.

  Most high school kids would be annoyed by that. Feeling like someone was watching them or spying on them at school. I’ve never felt like that. I have never felt like Callan was invading my privacy. Instead, I feel like I always have someone at my back. Someone I can go to if needed. Someone that is silently watching out for me, and it feels good, even at almost eighteen years old.

  I hurry to Lina’s car and get into the front seat. She has the top down and the music loud. Her parents are both doctors, meaning Lina doesn’t have to work for the fancy things she has. Her parents may give their kids everything, but they’ve instilled morals in them at the same time. They don’t act like the spoiled brats you’d expect them to. Lina was gifted this car on her sixteenth birthday. This Mercedes is a nice car, especially in cherry red, but it is not something I would want for myself.

  “Got your text but I was already on my way, babe,” she says, dropping her sunglasses back over her eyes.

  It doesn’t take us long to get to school. There are already a few spots in the lot taken and we’re sure to snag a good one, claiming it as hers for the rest of the year. That’s how it works around here. It’s funny because Callan has worked here for years, yet he knows nothing of how the school is run. Not on our level, anyway. He’s completely oblivious, just like the rest of the adults around here.

  Not that it’s anything bad, just kids making up rules to survive high school, but I still think it’s funny how oblivious adults can be.

  “What’s your first class?” Lina asks as she turns the car off.

  “Bio.”

  “Lame. I have History.”

  “I know.” She gives me a look. “What? We talked about this already. It’s not my fault that you don’t remember!”

  “Whatever. Freak.” Lina mumbles the last part under her breath but laughs quietly as she gets out of the car.

  She always calls me a freak because I have a great memory. I don’t take offense to it. It’s turned out to be quite endearing, actually.

  “Are you excited?” she asks, looking around the lot for unfamiliar faces. If there were a new student around us, she would be the first one to notice.

  “I guess. I’m happy to get this year started so it can be over.”

  We head inside even though we’re early. We search out a set of lockers that are next to one another because even though our first class isn’t together, the history hall is near the science hall. We find lockers that are somewhere in the middle of our classes and put our locks on them. The teachers will pass out locker papers later and we will fill them out, writing down which one we chos
e. That way they can keep the information on file in case of any complaints.

  “I’m gonna head to class,” I say.

  “Text me later!”

  “Uh huh, see you in third.” I turn around and head towards my class. Bio, room 301. In my opinion, it would have been smart to have the science area on the first floor. It’s easier to evacuate everyone in case of an emergency, but I digress.

  Our school is old. One of the oldest buildings in our town but it’s in immaculate condition. Go figure. The school that had a water pipe burst is newer than this one by many years, yet it’s already destroyed. Says a lot about architecture from history versus now-a-days. This building reminds me of a church. Long, tall hallways with high, stained glass windows. It’s spacious and beautiful. The moldings are all hand carved and most of the rooms still have the original paint. It’s been updated to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but most of the building is original. From the outside you may mistake it for a castle. It has many tall peaks, all of which are off limits to students. They aren’t used for anything, just locked up due to safety concerns. The stairs leading up to the peaks are original and made of wood. They aren’t in the best shape and kids going up and down them is a disaster waiting to happen.

  Our town barely has any buildings that are more than two stories high. This is also the largest building in town. People who come through end up stopping here just to get a glimpse of it. At times we will be in class and see people out the windows staring up in wonder. Most pull out their cameras for photos. The staff eventually stopped shooing them away.

  The hallway starts to fill in as more students arrive. I recognize a few who wave, and I wave back. I’m not the most popular kid in school, but people know who I am. I try to be friendly to most and not get involved with too many. That just leaves doors wide open for drama. There are plenty of people who don’t like me, I’m sure. They think I get away with things and get good grades because I have a family member who works here, but little do they know it has nothing to do with Callan. I work hard for my grades, always have, and I stay out of trouble. Alas, this is why I choose to have only Lina as a friend.