(Only the first two chapter takes place a few weeks after the clue hunt. The rest takes place two year later, when Cahills vs vespers takes place)
Eleven year-old Samantha "Sam" Collins put on her best puppy face. She stared up at her mother, who was looking at her with amusement.
"Please Mom! I just want a cinnamon roll. You promised me I could have one," Sam begged. Her mom just laughed.
"When did I say that?" Sam rocked back and forth on her feet. "Last week."
"Oh, I see. You remember that, but when I ask you to clean your room it just happens to slip your mind."
"I just need two dollars. Please." Sam held her hand, palm up. She smiled as her mom pulled out her wallet.
"Alright, alright. Don't say I never gave you anything." Sam grabbed the bills and ran to the bakery's doors. "Thanks Mom!" She grabbed the door handle and flung the door open. She heard the bell ring quietly as it opened and then closed. The smell of fresh bread hit her, making her pause just to sniff. She grinned and walked up to the empty counter. A woman walked in front of her and smiled.
"What can I get you, sweetheart?"
The door's bell rung quietly again as two more people walked in. Sam put the money on the counter and said, "One cinnamon roll, please." The woman turned around and grabbed the last cinnamon roll and put it on a paper plate. She then handed it to Sam. "Here you go."
As she walked away, she walked past the two people who just entered. One was a girl who looked around 14 years old. She had reddish-brown hair pulled back into a pony-tail. Her Jade green eyes scanned the room, like she was searching for danger.
The other person was a boy, probably Sam's age. He had dark blond hair, but his Jade green eyes made Sam positive the two were siblings. They walked up to the counter and spoke to the woman. Sam was right in front of the door when she heard the boy say, "Seriously, there's no more cinnamon rolls? How can you just run out of cinnamon rolls?"
The woman's smiles became more forced and she spoke to him. "I'm sorry, but someone just bought the last one. We aren't making any more until tomorrow. Come back then."
The girl tugged on her brother's arm. "Come on Dan, it's not a big deal." She practically dragged him towards the door. Sam was still standing there, listening to the exchange. The pair walked past her and the boy, Dan, stopped right to the side of her.
"So, it was you who took the last cinnamon roll." Sam just glared at him. "So what if I did?" She crossed her arms with the plate in one hand. Dan's sister sighed.
"Come on, dweeb." Dan just stood there.
"Fine than," Sam finally said. "Your creeping me out, so I'll just do this." She grabbed the cinnamon roll and split it in half. (Of course, making Her piece bigger)
Dan looked surprised, like he wasn't expecting anything to come from his internal temper tantrum. "Seriously?"
"Seriously," Sam replied, handing him his piece. Dan took it. "Thanks."
"Don't thank me. It's nothing." Sam opened the door and walked out. Her mom was waiting for her.
"Hey, took you long enough. Happy now?" She smiled. Sam nodded and followed her mother to the car.
A man walked out from the shadows. He smirked and pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Hey, it's me. You'll never guess who just met the Cahills."
(The next day)
Sam slid into her seat in her 8th hour class. She blew a piece of hair out of her eyes and yawned. The day was almost over, and it was Friday, so there was not much left to do. Social studies was always most boring class. Sam already knew 90% of the information the teacher taught. When you read as much as she does, you tend to know stuff. So she just stared out the window.
Near the end of class, the teacher handed out a paper, which jarred Sam out of her daydream. She read the paper, realizing the teacher had been explaining a group project they would be working on for the next weeks. It would include writing a paper on one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and building a model of it.
Sam sighed and leaned back in her chair. She worked better alone and was not looking forward to having to work with a stranger. Most kids at school found her strange.
The teacher started assigning students to partners.
"Alright... how about...Janna and Steven." A boy and a girl looked at each other, and the girl rolled her eyes.
"Karen and Nicole." Sam heard the two girls squeal and she snickered.
It was several minutes until the teacher got to her.
"Samantha..." Her eyes scanned the list. "I believe you will be on your own. There's an odd number of students here. Is that alright."
Sam was just about to reply when a voice rang out.
"Hey. Forget about me?"
Sam turned around and saw the boy that was at the bakery the day before. He was standing up, looking fake insulted. The teacher sighed.
"I'm sorry, Daniel. I'm still getting used to you being here."
"A," Dan replied. "I've been here for a week. You should be used to me by now. B. It's Dan, not Daniel. And C...i don't know what but people usually have a C.
Sam stifled a laugh. Dan focused on her and grinned. "Hey, cinnamon roll girl. I didn't know you went here."
"Ditto," Sam replied as the teach regained her composure.
"Alright. Dan, you can work with Sam."
Dan nodded and sat back down in his seat just as the bell rang. He jumped back up and started walking out of the classroom. Other students were talking to their partner, exchanging phone numbers and coming up with days they could work over the weekend. Sam ran after Dan and stood by his locker.
"Just so you know," She said. "If I end up doing all the work I will punch you in the face.
Dan just kind of looked at her and a smile spread across his face. Slowly it grew until he burst out laughing. Sam put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
"What? Why is that so funny."
"Nothing," Dan replied. "But you don't seem like the 'punch you in the face' type. Giving cinnamon rolls to strangers and all."
"It was only part of a cinnamon roll." Sam wasn't sure why she was defending herself like that. She simply rolled her eyes and handed him a piece of paper.
"Meet me in the library tomorrow, at about noon. We need to start now."4
Dan raised his hand to his head in mock salute. "Yes, Ma'am."
"Oh shut up." Sam walked away, but couldn't help smiling, feeling like she was finally making a friend.