CHAPTER 8
It was a peaceful start to a peaceful day. A gentle wind blew, tree's branches swayed, the sun shone, and puffy white clouds floated amidst endless blue sky. Everything seemed to make you smile. Everything glowed.
Everything did not warn anyone of what was about to happen next.
Five pairs of eyes suddenly sprang up from breaks in a row of fat, blooming rosebushes, scanning the landscape anxiously. Then, as quickly as they had appeared, they were gone, leaving no trace of their suspicious action on the bushes. Light footsteps pattered away, receding in the distance, with only a brief glimpse of different faces as evidence. And then the bushes were as quiet as ever.
Dan led the group silently, tiptoeing to a nearby hedge. Quickly, he ducked behind it, and crouched out of sight. The others glanced around for spies or recording devices, then followed him. They waited a moment in silence, ears pricked for a sound not their own. When they were sure there was none, they huddled together, Natalie emitting a hushed sound of disgust when she spotted grass stains on her black skinny jeans, which she'd favored over a red silk dress for this mission.
"Put a cork on it, Nat," Ted retorted to her horrified face, annoyed. "It's just jeans. Somebody's going to hear you and bust us."
"But it's custom-made by Prada!" Natalie whisper-wailed, upset that they'd missed the urgency of the situation. To her, this was a tragedy.
"Uh, Natalie? He's right," Dan told her. "We're going to get caught if you'll keep going on about grass stains. We have to plan."
"Yeah, so what are we going to do now?" Ned butted in, giving Natalie no chance to reply. "I mean, we hardly had anything up last night."
"That's 'cause Sinead had to leave her sunglasses behind and saunter in," Ted grumbled darkly.
"Well, I did say if we could move to the porch, but all of you said you were too tired," Dan reminded him matter-of-factly.
Ted opened his mouth, but Paige interjected before he could. "Okay, point taken, Dan. Now what?"
"We go for plan A," Dan stated, like it was so obvious. Which it was not. He was met by identical looks of confusion. "What?"
"What's plan A?" Natalie wanted to know, frowning as she tossed back her long dark tresses with a flourish.
"Yeah, you never told us there was a plan A," Ned piped up.
Dan rolled his eyes and exhaled sharply in exasperation. "Simple. All we have to do is separate them. I mean, by pair---Tristan and Amy, and Ian and Sinead. Then they'll get to talking, discover their similarities, and realize they're in love with each other. Easy. We don't even have to break a sweat!"
Ted raised an eyebrow. When he spoke, his tone implied that he thought it was far-fetched---yeah, it kind of made sense, but who's to say they'll even talk to each other? "You actually think that's going to work?"
Dan glared at him, resenting the intrusion, like everyone thought he was still a little kid. "You got an idea?" he demanded stiffly. "'Cause if you do, please share."
Anger passed across Ted's face, and his eyes narrowed to become infinitesimal specks. "Watch it, junior," he snarled. "Just because you started this doesn't mean you can get all high and mighty. Got that?! Or I'll teach you and your impertinent big mouth a lesson."
"Yeah, totally," Ned agreed.
"Ugh, whatever," Natalie said, waving her hand as if she was fanning away some noxious, unwelcome fumes that had pervaded her nostrils. "Are we going to start or not?"
Dan's gaze lingered on Ted for a moment. "Yes. But it would be better if we don't go after our own siblings."
"Cool," Ted enthused, forgetting the little spat he and Dan had had a second ago. "What about Paige with Amy, you for Tristan, Natalie for Sinead, and me for Ian?"
"Sure. Fine." Dan stood, brushing off leaves from his pants. The others followed.
"What about me?" Ned whined like a little child denied sweets.
"You make sure to tie up loosed ends, monitor them, and make sure everything goes according to plan," Ted explained, thinking fast.
"Oh. Okay." Ned smiled, mollified.
They arranged themselves in a single line, Natalie jockeying for the middle position. With a brief, curt nod, they spread out.
Phase 1-Plan A of "Operation: Separation" had begun.
******
Amy was caught up in a book on a bench in one of the gardens' rose walk, suspecting nothing, when she was ambushed. Paige walked to her hesitatingly, unsure.
"Hi, Amy," she squeaked, unable to keep the meekness from her voice. She hated deception, no matter how necessary. And the fact that Amy was a friend, her brother's former girlfriend, only made her feel worse.
Amy looked up from Little Women with a start, sitting up in order to get a good look at the speaker. When she saw Paige, her pulse returned to its rhythmic, normal beat. "G-g-god, Paige. You scared me. What are you doing here?"
Paige took a deep breath to calm her strained nerves. "Um, I was looking for you. I-I wanted to show you something."
Amy contemplated this for a minute. Then with a sigh, she stood. "Guess Little Women can wait," she chirped with good humor. Paige smiled encouragingly and led the way.
"You're gonna love this," she promised. And, not knowing her fate, Amy stepped right into the trap.
It was hard to tell where they were going. In the first place, the Kabra estate was enormous---you could easily get lost. And Paige was hoping to get a little lost. She prayed that Ned was keeping a close eye on her direction, because she would need him to get back, and Dan would need him to lead them to where Amy was---Dan safely kept out of sight, of course.
They went through a lawn with nothing but grass and wildflowers, through woods of entirely oak and dogwoods, stopping at what looked like crystal-clear lake that had been part of the place since time out of mind. It was ringed by---what was the name again---chrysanthemums, with a pebbled walkway, a bench with slatted wood pieces and an ornately done gold carving for a backrest, and a few swings hanging from trees with rattan ropes, a rugged addition at home with the setting but quite contrary to the extravagant family's tastes. As Amy looked around curiously, she saw steps carved right into the trunk of an old oak tree, leading to the open doorway of a treehouse, blocked by a jade silk screen. Windows were chiseled right into the bark. There were no 'keep out!' warnings. Just an intricate exterior, and certainly a magnificent interior.
"Is this what you wanted to show me?" Amy breathed in wonder, reveling in the simple beauty and loveliness of this mystical place which seemed to hold magic in store for her.
"Uh, yes," Paige lied, the words overlapping each other as she hurriedly said it, so that Amy could not detect the falsehood underneath. "Hey, can I leave you here? I, um, need something, and I'm sure you want to appreciate this alone." Or not, she thought. But Amy did not need to know that.
"Okay," Amy replied absently, walking over carefully to the edge of the lake, squatted and rocked back and forth on her heels, twirling her finger dreamily on the water. Paige left, taking out her cell phone to contact Ned and tell him to send over Tristan and Dan.
Time passed, a little bit sluggishly, but it passed nonetheless. Soon, Amy awakened from her trance, realizing, as she looked around her, that she was completely alone. And she didn't know the way out, or even where she was exactly. Add to that the fact that Dan had borrowed her cell phone a while ago, and she had given it to him.
Panic overrode her senses. Where should she go now? What should she do? She could hardly leave this place. She'd just get even more lost! Standing up, trying to figure out what to do, she hoped that someone---anyone---would come here and find her, or that Paige would go back for her. Why hadn't she paid more attention to her surroundings in the first place? Why had she been so careless?
Wringing her hands with terror, she turned in a circle, looking for some plausible way out. As she faced the lake again, she heard a rustle, then the light sound of practiced, steady footsteps. Who was it? A friend she could turn to for help? Or a foe?
"Amy?" the voice asked, surprised, and though she had heard it so few times in her life, it felt familiar, forever haunting her. She froze in place.
More footsteps, heading toward her. A warm, strong hand clasped her shoulder and turned her petrified body around. "Why are you here?"
Amy stared at the emerald-green cashmere sweater that faced her, the only safe thing she could meet eye-to-eye. But it did not stop her from stuttering her answer. She was badly shaken---first the realization that she couldn't find her way, and then this. She wanted so badly to evaporate. "I-I was---I mean, P-paige brought m-me here b-b-becauseā¦I don't kn-know," she explained lamely, her words indistinct and a little slurred.
"Slow down," the velvet voice teased lightly. It was a shock. Forgetting that she was supposed to ignore him, Amy looked up at his face.
Ian Kabra was looking back at her, a small half-smile playing on his lips, every feature as perfect and as handsome as she remembered it. His amber eyes seemed to be laughing, but there were hints of worry in there. He brushed away a lock of hair that had blown across her eyes, and she stiffened. Feeling this, Ian stepped back, thrusting his hands into his pockets. "Are you lost?" he inquired, voice flat, like it was a spiel he repeated ten times a day. But his eyes were full of emotion.
"N-n-no," Amy denied, not wanting to appear weak. He was grinning now, white teeth flashing in the sunlight.
"I'll leave you then, if you can find your way," he started to walk away. Mortified, Amy stepped forward.
"No!" she shouted. He stopped and turned back to her.
"Is there a problem?" He was leading her on, taunting her, trying to get her to submit. But she needed him if she was going to get out of here.
"No, I mean, y-yes. I-I'm l-lost," she confessed. Ian cocked his head. Then, without a word, the corners of his lips twitching, he surprised Amy by reaching for her hand. Seeing the conflicted look in her eyes and the way she shied away, he said, voice tight, "You might get lost. Again." Amy blushed, placing her shaking hand on his. Ian closed his long fingers around it, then began to walk, Amy trailing after him. "We'll get out of here soon enough," he assured her gently.
Hidden amidst the trees, Ted and Paige were berating Ned, who had come here to see it all in action. "You failed us!" Ted scolded in hushed tones. Natalie and Dan were just about to find out that Ned had mixed up the destinations.
"Sorry," Ned apologized. But nothing could take it all back now.
Phase 1-Plan A had failed.
******
More to come! And this time, I want y'all to submit with your reviews the next crazy ideas and the next crazy situations these sibs will find themselves in!
Merci et au revoir!
