Okay, here's a rundown of the plot: Countries need protection from humans. I don't think that has any spoilers, but if there are, please tell me.

Amelia may have been my half-sister, but she was also my best friend. Our mothers didn't seem to mind anymore that dad hadn't been faithful. We were almost like real sisters. Except, if we were, Amelia wouldn't be a guardian.

"I can't wait!" Amelia squealed through the receiver.

I winced, but didn't comment. "Doesn't it make you even a little sad?"

"Maybe, but I get to live with you and dad!"

I felt guilty that dad had chosen to marry my mom instead of Amelia's. I didn't see any real difference between them, so my theory is he flipped a coin. Amelia thinks it's because I was born first.

"Hey, are you still there?"

I blinked in surprise. "Sorry. Yeah, I'm listening."

"Geez, Mad, you have to talk when on the phone. Mute gestures don't work. Oh, I almost forgot! Someone's coming with me. Don't worry, dad knows. It's gonna be so much fun!"

Amelia had to hang up to finish packing, but we'd see each other tomorrow.

When I opened the door, I saw a boy I didn't recognise. That didn't really mean anything, though. I didn't recognise most of the people in town. What shocked me was how much he looked like Amelia.

He wore a jacket that looked almost identical to the one she bought last time I was visiting. One key difference was that he had glasses, but they had the same grin.

"Mattie!" He cried when he saw me. "Dude, you never told me Amelia's sister was your guardian!"

"What?" Mattie? I'd been called Maddie before, but never Mattie.

"Alfred!" Amelia ran up the walkway from the road. "You have to help unpack the car!" She saw me standing in the doorway and smiled. "Acadia! We got here a little earlier than expected. Is that okay?"

"Huh?" Alfred looked between me and my sister, confused. "Who's Acadia? I thought we were moving in with Madeline? Isn't she your guardian, Mattie?"

"I'm not Mattie." I said calmly. "My name is Madeline Acadia Williams. Amelia is my half-sister. Who are you?"

"This is Alfred Jones. I told you about him last night." Amelia walked past me carrying a suitcase.

Alfred ran back to the car and grabbed a few bags, then walked in like it was his house.

"You said someone was coming with you. You never said it was a boy." I ran after Amelia. "And what's a guardian?"

Amelia sighed and turned to face me. "Okay, I'll explain. But after I put these in my room. Why don't you talk to Alfred meanwhile?" She walked into the guest room beside mine that she would be using until her mom returned from her trip to Japan.

"Hey, where do you keep the burgers?"

I clenched my hand into a fist, then released it. "We don't have any. But we do have ground beef. You can make your own burgers." I turned to look at him. "Just don't burn down the house."

Alfred was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, leaning on the frame. He looked so much like Amelia, it took me a second to remember he wasn't.

"You look a lot like him." He mumbled.

"Who?"

"My brother." He stepped closer to me. "You even have the same last name."

In the next second, three things happened at once. First, Amelia came running down the hall to the front door. Second, my cell phone rang, which it hardly ever does. And third, someone rang the doorbell three times in quick procession.

"This can't be happening." Amelia said to herself as she pulled the door open.

Standing on the porch was a boy who looked just like me if I cut my hair and wore glasses instead of contacts. He even wore the same red hoodie as me. He was holding a cell phone up to his ear.

"Matthew!" Amelia cried. She pulled him inside and glanced down the street before closing the door. "What happened to you?"

That was when I noticed the blood. There where streaks in his hair and splotches covering his jeans. He held his free hand up to his side, where there was a dark puddle forming. "They saw me." He said weakly before collapsing into Amelia's arms.

I put the bandages back in the first aid kit and looked back at the boy lying on my couch. Matthew, who turned out to be Alfred's brother, had been stabbed on his way hear. When I'd asked why he was coming here, Amelia said she'd explain once he was stable.

"Is he alright?" Alfred asked behind me.

I nodded, not sure why I felt like I'd been the one who'd been stabbed. "What did he mean by 'they saw me'?"

"Oh, it's been a problem ever since we were… kids." He stumbled over the last word. "He's always been quiet, so people never really noticed him. He'd gotten used to being invisible."

Amelia came into the room and sat beside me. "You okay?" she asked, putting arm around me.

I looked at her, puzzled. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

She shared a look with Alfred, then took a deep breath. "Matthew didn't come here because his brother was here. He came because it's your house. He knew you'd be here." She put a hand on my shoulder. "You have a connection to him, Mad. Like me, you're a Country Guardian."

I knew it must have been something important, since she didn't call me Acadia, but I had no idea what she was talking about. "Really?" I faked enthusiasm. "Wow! I had no idea. That sounds really important. But, what does that mean?"

Alfred laughed and Amelia shot him a glare. "A Guardian is a female counterpart for a country representative. Alfred represents America, so, out of all the girls in the states, I was chosen to be his protector. Matthew represents Canada, by the way."

"If you're a country, why do you need protecting?" I directed my questions at Alfred. "And who attached Matthew?"

Alfred wouldn't meet my eye. "Recently, an organization has appeared and has been threatening us. At first, no one believed them. But lately, countries have been disappearing."

"What?!" I jumped to my feet. "And this hasn't been on the news?!"

"Representatives!" Amelia clarified. "The actual land hasn't moved, but the personifications have. I should have explained it that way. Alfred is America."

"Right." Alfred finally came to sit beside the couch. "That's why we needed to find our guardians. The organization wouldn't attack us if we were with civilians. But I was the only one who found a guardian in time. Last month, all the other countries had vanished." He smiled sadly at me. "That's why I was so happy when I saw you. I thought my brother was safe with a guardian."

I tried to smile. "Well, he is now. And I'll help find your friends."

And that's the first chapter. More guardians to come. Stay tuned. And maybe comment?