Finally! I'm back!
I know. It took forever. I apologize for being so annoying. An update is definitely long overdue.
So, I feel like I should clue you guys in. Some of these characters were largely based off of people in the actual world. They aren't exactly the same, but were initially inspired by people I know. It got a little weird because obviously things change in real life, and perceptions change. But I think I've deviated from the real people enough that they're now strictly characters, which makes writing it a lot easier for me.
Now, if you're still with me... I'll get to the story!
Dedicated to Susan, whomever you may be, for leaving me that awesome review and reminding me to get off my butt and continue with this story:)
Cara snorted. "Daughter of Hera. Sureee."
Catherine smirked. "You think I haven't gotten that before? I'm the child no one thought would ever exist and everybody wants to kill."
I laughed. I liked this girl.
"Where are we? And what are you doing here?" Brooke asked, ignoring any sort of friendly small talk. One might think that she simply was eager to find her dear friend Charlotte, but don't be fooled. She'd run out of mascara yesterday and thrown a huge tantrum about it. I knew she was just rushing to get us out of there so she could hit the nearest Walgreens for her beauty products.
Since we were traveling with Keith, I guess it was slightly understandable. Not that I'd be coating my face in CoverGirl any time soon. Keith had seen me at my worst. If he didn't know what I looked like by now, there was something wrong. Makeup wasn't going to change how he saw me.
And even if it would, no way in hell was I wearing makeup. Especially not to impress a guy.
"You're in Bar Harbor, Maine," she told us.
I groaned. "Facepalm," I declared.
"What is it?" Cara asked.
"I came here on vacation with my family a couple years ago." No wonder I had recognized the hotel room.
Catherine perked up. "Cool! Maine is pretty great. We're famous for our lobster industry. You know, one time-"
Keith cut her off. "Look, not to be rude, but we really need to go. My sister is missing."
Catherine's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
He rolled his eyes. "No, I just like to tell people that for fun."
I elbowed him in the side, but Catherine didn't even seem fazed. "I do that too. My favorite thing to do is run up to strangers and say 'My mom was murdered!' That gets quite a reaction out of them."
Keith's eyes widened slightly. He looked like someone had hit him. I did my best to conceal a smirk. It was about time he met someone who could put him and his large ego in their proper place.
Brooke, intelligent human being that she is, frowned slightly. "Um, okay..." she said with a forced laugh.
Cara grinned at me, her eyes sparkling. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she mouthed.
I nodded my affirmation and turned back to Catherine. "Wanna join our quest?" I offered.
She nodded. "I have no idea what the cause of the quest is, but yes, I'd love to risk my lives for some strangers who just appeared in my parents' hotel!"
Brooke grabbed my arm and yanked me out of earshot. "We need a meeting! All ORIGINAL members of the quest please step over here," she called out.
Catherine raised an eyebrow.
"This'll just be a sec," Cara reassured her as she and Keith joined us.
"Um, I don't want this girl to join our quest," Brooke said.
"Who cares?" Cara asked. "The rest of us are fine with it. And no one asked your opinion. You shouldn't even be here. You're ruining our best friend bonding adventures with your insolence and overuse of the word like."
"Well, I'm here now. And I don't want her coming with us. She's...weird. Besides, it's bad enough putting up with you and Cora and Charlotte."
Keith frowned, the first real expression I'd seen cross his face since I'd told him Charlotte was gone. "What exactly are you insinuating?"
She smiled coyly. Trying to resist the urge to hit her, I brought the discussion back to the original issue. "GUYS. Let's just vote. All in favor?"
Cara and I raised our hands. I glared at Keith.
"What?" he asked me. "She's kinda rude."
Cara snorted. "Someone can't take a joke."
"My sister was kidnapped, Cara," he said severely, wiping the lighthearted expression off her face instantly. She was speechless. I decided to step in.
"Keith, do you think you're the only one feeling this? She's practically our sister too. We care about her just as much as you. We may not be blood related to her, but that doesn't mean this hasn't shattered our worlds, too."
There was a moment of silence as we stared each other down. The initial expression on his face was anger, but soon it shifted, and his eyes softened.
"You're right," he said. "My behavior has been inexcusable. I'm sorry. Let's just focus on getting her back, okay? We can't just sit here and wait."
Cara and I nodded our agreement. "And another set of hands would be helpful," he added, looking pointedly at Brooke. "I say she comes with us."
Brooke threw her manicured hands up in the air in exasperation. "Fine. Fine! But she isn't exactly normal. I don't like her. So don't, like, expect me to be nice or something."
"Never," I said, patting her arm.
A few feet away, Catherine had somehow found a six-hundred page book about the Civil War, and was reading it avidly. We all drifted back over to her, waiting expectantly.
"One sec," she said, holding her finger up as her eyes darted across the page. After a minute or so, she closed the book with a satisfied sigh.
"So?" she asked me, "did you convince them to put up with me?"
Brooke mumbled, "Unfortunately," and I dug my elbow into her side.
Catherine wasn't fooled. "What? I'm afraid I didn't catch that," she said with a sweet smile.
Brooke smiled back venomously. "Oh, nothing, sweetheart."
Keith shook his head and we exchanged a loaded glance.
I knew we were both thinking the same thing: This was going to be a looooong day.
There you go, kids! Sorry it's short and crappy... I wrote it awhile ago and forgot to post it. Should be uploading one if not two more chapters later tonight. Love you all! 3
