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Five of my friends turned traitor… I'm going to have fun with this chapter…

A/N: I had a little help from my seven-year-old cousin with this, so don't flame me or whatever for mentioning Lion King.

I own nothing.

I pace around the room. Thoughts flood into my mind. Joy. Mum. Dad. Amber. A group called Simetra. Ashley being Artemis once. Damian being Apollo once. I make an attempt at figuring out everything, but the thoughts only overwhelm me more. Good thing Hannah is downstairs, I think. I need to be alone right now. I sit on the edge of my bed and lean against its headboard with a sigh.

A knock breaks the silence. James pokes his head in. "Are you okay?" he asks, concern evident in his expression.

"Not really," I answer. "I know something is wrong, and I can't figure out what." I pull my knees to my chest and block my face with them. I do not want him to see the few tears that well up at the memory of my mother.

There was always a vague memory of her and Dad protecting me from someone, but the other figure was blurry every time I tried to remember. And Mum had left us barely a month later.

"Nina was a brave woman," he whispers, sitting down beside me. I look at him curiously. "I don't understand how I know, but there's something I can't put my finger on. I almost always forget memories. Around you, it seems as if I can finally think clearly and remember everything."

"How? I'm not the chosen one; my mother was. And I can't be the new one since she didn't die the exact moment I was born."

"There are so many things beyond this world that we cannot understand," he reminds me. "We are all part of something greater, something we do not have control over."

"Why does that remind me of something in a movie?" I question.

"It depends on what movie," James responds uncertainly.

"Somehow I'm thinking Lion King II: Simba's Pride. But I haven't watched it since Mum was alive." I recall one song. "I know why. We Are One used that message to all the little kids who watched."

He stiffens. "You were protected from your mother, weren't you?"

"Yeah…"

"Ashley protected me once, and I can just recall three other people getting into trouble with him." He closes his eyes to think. "It looked like Nina, Fabian, and you." When his eyes meet mine again, our expressions are mirrored.

"So that means the murderer came after us, too. I'd call Dad again, but this is something we have to figure out on our own."

"We can't rely on Fabian for everything. That would cause him a lot of pressure, anyway."

A tiny smile plays at my lips from hearing his words. "Seems like you care a lot about this," I observe. He simply shrugs. "How come you're the only one who is caring about me right now? Hannah definitely isn't."

"Hannah's also focused on becoming Rich's girlfriend, if you haven't noticed."

I know he is purposely avoiding answering my query. "Now you decide to be secretive?" I challenge lightly.

Before he replies, a knock sounds on the front door. We head to the staircase to see who it is. We duck behind the white railing. I tense when I see who it is.

Joy.

"Mum!" Hope exclaims in greeting.

"Hello, darling," she responds, giving her daughter air-kisses. "I'd like to talk to you privately. Can we go to your room?"

Hope nods. I look around quickly for a different hiding place and slip into June's office with James. Once I hear her door close, I discreetly crouch on the outside to eavesdrop. James follows me stealthily.

"How have your plans to woo this boy been going?" Joy questions.

"Not well," Hope replies. "There's this new girl, Allie. James seems to really like her."

There is silence. Joy finally speaks up. "I began to make Nina think I was good again, no longer on Rufus Zeno's side. She trusted me, the little American fool. I almost had Fabian until Allie came along." She lets out a laugh. "The Americans are all the same. If you can trick one, chances are you can trick just about every one of them."

"Do you think that could work?"

"Of course. You are much classier than an American, even if she is Fabes' child. More than likely she has her mother's brains instead of her father's. Meanwhile, you are of royal blood. With an adoptive family like Ashley, James will probably go for money over their idiotic ways."

I can see his eyes narrow out of the corner of my own. I feel the same. No one talks about my family like that, and especially not his after what I've learned.

"Don't you have the meeting today?" Hope queries, sparking my interest even more.

"Yes, you're right. I must be going." The doorknob turns. I slip into my room next door, leaving the door open just enough to peer out. James peeks out, too. "Good luck," Joy says in farewell.

"Goodbye, Mother."

I shut the door. "That bitch!" I exclaim. "Talking about my mother like that. 'Even if she is Fabian's child.' I thought she was in love with him, so why would she be doing this to his daughter? And what's wrong with Hope?"

"She wants me to herself, despite what she says about Emma," James tells me.

"Yeah, yeah, I know that. But they're not getting away with this, mark my words. Nobody messes with a Rutter!"

James blinks at my harsh words. "You would never behave like this in front of anyone else. Why me?"

"It's called acting, James. Around people I trust, I never act." I glance at the door rebelliously. "If Hope wants to be a better actress and girlfriend, she has no clue what she's getting into."

What will Allie do now that she knows of Hope's plan? Will Hope be able to win James after this? And where's Emma during all this? You'll find out in later chapters. Review and get an update. Or have the opposite. But I'm warning you, the next chapter will be good.