I made a mistake, Jordan is twenty-one. Okay? Good. Congratulations, reviewer # 3, Katherine-the-Crowned on you're submission. The name you suggested, Evangeline, will be used.

Chapter II

"Riley, I'm sorry," Jordan started. "I should have told you that Ian was my brother, but I couldn't, I just couldn't…" The sobbing girl trailed off and Abigail's eyes widened as she scurried over to Ben and Riley. "I didn't want you to hate me for what Ian did to you, he just wanted a clue to the treasure."

"So why were you there?" Riley's voice shook in anger towards Jordan Howe. "Why didn't you tell me when we started to talk? I was nice to you!" He shouted and turned to walk towards Ben's car, Ben and Abigail following after throwing disgusted looks at Jordan.

"I was there because I lied to him." She called to him. He stopped and turned to look at the sad girl. "I told him that you weren't responsible for him going to jail, but he knew it wasn't a lie." She whispered as Ben pushed Riley towards the car and pulled out of the lot.

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Riley always took the seventeen buses. It was his routine now that he was free. Riley would go every day at three, hoping to see Jordan after she got off work. He felt bad how he, Ben, and Abigail treated her, but he was also angry because she lied to him about her identity. It had been a week since the incident and Riley sat in the back corner of the bus and observed two girls get on. He recognized the redhead with short, choppy hair as Jordan, but he didn't recognize her friend. He noticed she had on clothes similar to the ones she was wearing when she was held captive be Ian, her brother. They locked eyes for a minute, before Jordan sat down beside her friend in the middle of the bus. Riley looked away, down at his lap, and Jordan started to talk to her friend. Riley realized it was just the three of them on the bus. He remembered her saying something about getting out early on Thursday, something about two. 'She must have had extra work,' Riley decided. He could make out some of their conversation.

"I don't know, I mean, he didn't trust me then." Riley recognized the voice as Jordan's as her friend responded.

"You said Ben spoke for him though, Jordy. Maybe Riley has a different opinion." She suggested slowly. "Go talk to him."

"No, Evangeline. I can't. He doesn't like me because Ian's my brother, and he didn't stop Ben from yelling at me."

"Ian did try to steal the Declaration of Independence, Jordan. He tried to kill them, kidnapped them—"

"I get it, okay!" Jordan cut in, her small voice raised. "Just drop it." She told Evangeline as she turned to look out the window on the side she had switched to. Riley looked puzzled; she didn't want to talk badly about him. Maybe it was because he was there. He hastily pulled the cable that set off the ring. Jordan looked back at Riley, who was busying himself with gathering his computer as the bus slowed. He heard Jordan following behind him as he stepped off, her friend calling after her in confusion. "You didn't have to leave, Riley." She called after him. "It didn't bother me." Jordan lied and Riley's tall figure walked over to her.

"It bothered you're friend. She obviously doesn't like me." He told her and turned back to keep walking away.

"Riley, do you hate me?" Riley heard the tearful voice from behind her and he turned. "Everyone at work hates me because of Ian."

"I don't hate you. I might have been mad, but that's not the same thing."

"You're still mad, Riley!" Accused Jordan. "You hate me for what Ian did. I don't blame you, though. Why did Ian take you? Would Ben have had the knowledge to solve my clue?"

"Are you saying I'm dumb?" Riley asked her rhetorically. He paused. "You're probably right. He thought I was Ben. See, Ben had a conference but couldn't make it because Abigail needed help, so he sent me in his place. Ian took me before he realized I was Riley and not Ben." Riley explained and Jordan looked down at the ground.

"They hate me." She stated. "Ben and Abigail hate me, Mr. Poole." Riley knew she had tears in her eyes as her voice dropped inaudibly. "I should go, Evvy is going to be mad. She'll get off at the next stop and come back for me." She informed him and turned.

"Wait," Riley called. "Where do you live? I'm sure Ben and Abby could house you and you're friend." Riley suggested.

"They hate me, Riley. What part of that don't you understand?" Riley opened his mouth to speak. "Don't answer that." She told him and Riley reached in his pocket for his cell phone and dialled a number quickly. Jordan watched him as he started to speak.

"Ben, remember Jordan?" He paused. "Yeah, Ian's sister, but she's nice—" He broke off as Ben angrily interrupted. "Please, Ben. She's so quiet, he and her friend need a place." He smiled at the response and hung up. "You can stay if you want to. Abigail told Ben to give you a chance."

"Jordan!" The blonde she had been with on the bus came running up. "Why'd you get off?" She asked, her voice irritated. "Is it him?" She asked, glancing at the twenty-seven year old. Jordan blushed and nodded slightly.

"He hates me. I don't do well being hated, Evangeline." The attractive twenty-three year old responded. "He wants us to live with him and his married friends."

"Engaged." Riley cut in.

"Whatever," The girls chorused and Riley rolled his blue eyes. "Look," Evangeline cut in before Jordan could say anything. "We'd happily accept you're invitation, but we have to find a way to get clothes there, and other things."

"Ben and I can go to you're apartment later."

"But Evvy and I, we have…um…stuff there that I don't think you guys would like and we need right away. At least, I do." Jordan informed him and Riley rolled his eyes as a bus pulled up.

"Then let's go get it, Jordan. Hurry." The girls flashed their bus passes and took a seat as Riley paid and sat at a distance. He heard the girls talking and listened.

"Evvy, they hate me." He heard Jordan whine. "Do we have to?"

"Yes, Jordan. Would you rather live in that…thing that the relater called an apartment paying high rent when we both just got fired?" Riley heard Jordan sigh and fall into silence for the rest of the ride.

They reached the apartment, Jordan unlocked the door, and they stepped in. The paint on the walls was peeling off and a few spiders crawled along the floor. As Evvy let out a scream at an unwelcome mouse Jordan sidestepped into a room, grabbing a bag, and stuffing it full of items that Riley didn't want to know about. Evvy did the same and grabbed some clothes for the two as they left and went back to Ben's place on the bus.

The Estate was white and gorgeous, lots of flowers that Abigail planted in full bloom. Riley opened the front door and the two girls entered, looking around them. "Abigail, Ben!" Riley called and the couple appeared from upstairs.

"What, is this the cousin of Ian?" Ben spat and Abigail hit him in the stomach.

"Ben, be nice!" She scolded and turned to the girls. "Welcome. Riley can show you to you're room where you can put you're bags and then he will take you to the sitting room where we can talk." She said graciously as Riley led them up the grand staircase and down a hall with white paint. He entered a room with rich, yellow walls and two single beds where the girls put their things. They left and Riley led them back downstairs into a room painted a light blue. "Welcome, again girls. I am Abigail, and this is my fiancé, Benjamin Gates. This is Riley. What are you're names?"

"I'm Evangeline and this is Jordan." Evvy replied quickly and Abigail invited the two standing girls to take a seat. "I have no relation to Jordan's brother, or Jordan, for that matter, Ben." She spoke to him coldly and he glared at the two.

"Um, Jordan. Why did Ian kidnap you, I mean, you're his sister, no offence." Riley said quickly. Jordan let out a sad sigh.

"Well," She answered. "My brother wanted my inheritance. Him and Daddy made a deal when I was seven or eight that if he found the treasure before Ben Gates did, then his little sister, me, would take him to the inheritance. If he didn't, it was mine. Daddy gave me the key, and told me where the inheritance was. Ian looked for the treasure, non-stop. Then you came, Ben. Ian was so excited, so he helped you, but then you didn't steal the Declaration with him, you stole it yourself. Ian lost the treasure because you turned him in, Ben. He broke out of prison and found me. I gave the key to the treasure to Evvy before he could drag me away. He beat me every day and shouted at me for the key. Daddy had referred to it as a 'clue', so he thought he would need Ben's help, but he kidnapped Mr. Poole by mistake." Explained Jordan and Evvy turned to her.

"By the way, here. I'm returning it." She said and took a chain from around her neck and passed it to Jordan, who hung it around her neck. On it was a silver key with an intricate deign engraved into it.

"How much is the inheritance?" Asked Abigail.

"A couple million dollars." Replied Jordan. "Unfortunately, you need an answer too, an answer only a historian could provide, or the treasure finder. 'Where was the treasure?' Ian of course knew the answer and I have the key, the key with the answer engraved in symbol." She told them and Abigail stood up.

"Come on, girls. I'll give you the grand tour of the house."

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Okay, guys. What'd you think, and please, criticize me.

-Pure Tranquillity-