Mark learns quickly, after just spending a weekend with the family, several things. First of all, the couch in the living room is not nearly as comfortable as it looks once you've had to spend the night on it. Second, Maddy and Josh can go from being incredibly nice to each other to arguing like it's life or death. And third, Elisabeth can't cook nearly as well as her daughter.
Mark and his coworkers are invited over every night and morning for dinner and breakfast. Elisabeth made dinner the first night, which was good, but the three guards all silently agreed through covert glances that it wasn't anything compared to Maddy's breakfast the next morning. She makes the chemically induced, crappy, unnatural food taste good.
But Maddy is very shy. After getting a good look at her, Mark honestly thinks that she is beautiful. Her skin is tan like her mother's, her dark hair cascades down her back and over her shoulders, she has perfectly curved cheek bones, and large, brown eyes. However, neither Mark, nor the others, have barely spoken a word to her. Even when they tried to compliment her on the food, the only response was a slight blush as she stared down at her plate.
Mark knows he is assigned to protect her specifically, and he can't tell if her shyness is a good thing or not. He finds out soon enough on Monday.
Sunday passed pretty uneventfully. The only disturbance being that Josh bolted for his girlfriend's, which threw off the rotation and sent Foster in panic when he lost him for a solid fifteen minutes. That night Reilly spent quality time with couch, and Mark actually got some sleep in the loft next door.
Monday morning the three guards are up bright and early, waiting to escort the respective Shannon to his or her job. Reilly has orders to follow Elisabeth, since she works with the general public and doesn't have an entire police force backing her. Breakfast is quick, though Maddy seems extra jittery about something.
As everyone is getting ready to leave, there is a knock on the door. Foster upholsters his gun before answering, but Jim walks past him quickly. "That won't be necessary," he says brusquely before opening the door. A small, older lady enters and quickly discards her rebreather. She eyes the three guards suspiciously.
"So the rumors are true?" she addresses Elisabeth.
"Yes," she answers shortly. "We leave in three weeks." Elisabeth then turns toward the guards. "Reynolds, Foster, Reilly, this is Mrs. Young. She house-sits for us during the day." The old lady narrows her eyes at them before turning toward the kitchen, and everyone else exits.
"You have a house sitter?" Mark asks suspiciously, despite warning glances from Reilly.
"She's a really sweet lady," Elisabeth answers quickly. "Going through a hard time, though. Lost her husband and grown son all within a year. She didn't have a job herself and since she's a family friend we agreed to pay her a little to keep up the house while we are gone. She doesn't have a place of her own. We are just trying to help someone in need."
Everyone secures their rebreathers before heading outside.
Foster and Reynolds walk slightly behind Mark and Maddy on their way to school. The two are dressed in civilian clothes so as not to draw attention to themselves, and Josh asked that he and his sister get some space. Yet despite the rebreathers and few feet, Mark and Kent still hear snippets of their conversation without meaning to. "Just breathe, Maddy. And no pun intended. No one will notice and it will be fine. And if they do notice, do you think they'll really try anything with those guys following us around."
"Everyone will find out," Maddy contradicted breathlessly. "And it will get worse. You don't have a right to talk, Josh. Stuff happens behind your back as it is! They mean nothing, so just leave me alone."
Reynolds and Foster exchange a curious glance, not sure exactly what the siblings were referring to. Terra Nova? Sure. But what will get worse?
Mark hasn't been to school in years and sighs distastefully at the crowded high school hallways complete with kids yelling over one another. He could probably pass as one of them, and he seems to be blending in fine, but he doesn't like it. Why are all high school kids so rambunctious? Well, not all.
There's Maddy, who maneuvers expertly thorough the crows, getting lost easily. Mark watches curiously as she keeps her bag help tightly to her side, her head ducked down, her eyes only glancing up so that she doesn't run into anyone. No one stops her and she doesn't stop for anyone. There isn't a loud group of girls calling her name, and she seems literally invisible to the boys, which Mark doesn't understand at all. He determines that she is genuinely shy, though, and it isn't just because of him or the others.
The morning goes by smoothly enough, Mark following Maddy to her classes, then ducking down in the back. No one seems to notice him, not even the teachers. Most of the classes are noisy even after the teacher attempts to quiet everyone down. But it's like every teacher has stopped caring at this point. Maddy is always one of the only ones, if not the only one, who spends the entire class bent studiously over her Plex.
The afternoon doesn't go as well, though. The bell rings for lunch and the hallways flood with children. Mark tries to keep an eye on Maddy, while giving her space, but she's scary good at disappearing.
Mark loses sight of Maddy momentarily, but doesn't worry. She's in a school building. Who's going to make a move here that tries to prevent her from going to Terra Nova? Mark just slows his pace as the hallways clear, waiting to find her again.
Seconds turn into minutes and a sinking feeling makes its way into Mark's stomach. Where did she go? Mark walks up and down several different hallways but there is no sign of her. His heart beat quickens as he looks left and right.
This isn't good.
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed! Review!