Chapter 2: Merry's Choice

Several Days Later

Keira Goode's POV:

It was ten minutes to seven a.m. when I woke up. I rolled across the bed for a few minutes before I became content on staring straight up at the ceiling. I thought about the nightmares that I had being having for about a month now. I had hoped that they would stop once Zach had come back home, that the only reason I was having them was because I simply missed my brother. And that being around him would make everything be as normal as possible again.

Only the problem was I hadn't spent any time with him. In fact the last time I talked to him was when he came home ever since we've been kept busying. Only able to catch glimpses of each other when we're in the house.

I guess I should be happy that they're not going to hurt Zach for what he's done although it certainly concerns me. It just doesn't seem like something they would do letting him off like this and then added with the subtly of keeping us apart. Something was wrong. They had to have some catch up their sleeves and I already didn't like the looks of it.

After trying, very unsuccessfully, to deal with my own inner turmoil I stood up. I thought about throwing something quick on, but decided to just stick with my pajamas for breakfast. It wasn't as if I was out to impress anybody.

Stepping out of my room I walked down the hall and stopped short in front of Zach's room. His door was shut just like mine had been. I wondered if he was still in bed, was long gone, or if he even went to bed last night. Last summer he was always in bed until noon, at least for the beginning of the summer anyway. He stopped sleeping in late when I came up with my own amusements of how to wake him up. Of course, he came up with his own paybacks later in the night. For the moment it was the times that I missed the most.

Shaking my head I kept walking all the way downstairs and into the kitchen. Nobody was there standing, eating, waiting for me that was normal for any summer.

I had already started to pour myself a bowl of cereal when the doorbell rang. Automatically I walked over to the door since it already seemed that I was the only one currently in the house.

When I opened the door Merry stood there with letters in her hand. I stood aside and let her walk in. She quickly took a seat at the kitchen counter.

Merry, as in Katherine Montez, was a childhood friend another one in our 'little so called group'. She was sixteen going on to seventeen, only a few months younger than Zach. She was also the nicest in the group, the one who fit in the least.

"You will never believe what I found yesterday when I was shifting through my mom's old belongings," Merry stated as I went back over to my untouched cereal.

I shrugged my shoulders, only slightly interested on what she found. After all I had my own problems to worry about. I also didn't want to go back into the long-dragged out story about what Merry's mom was like or why she had died in the fire that took nine other lives.

"I found a letter in a hidden compartment in the old trunk." This I looked up at as Merry placed one of the letters down on the compartment.

We had thoroughly searched the said 'trunk' several different times, making it highly unlikely that there would be a hidden compartment.

"Are you sure you found it in the trunk Merry? We've already done a thorough check on it several times before," I said, disbelieving.

"I know but we didn't check the right spots, always on the inside, but never on the outside. Even then it was so small, so thin that it was easy to look over," Merry replied, almost giddy. She pushed the letter further towards me. "You have to read it."

I still had my doubts but picked up the letter anyway. Not thinking I would find anything that special.

May 05, 1991

I don't know if anyone will ever receive this letter, but I'm going to write it regardless and hope that someone someday will come across this. My name is Cecilia Montez formerly Ms. Cecilia Davis and I have gotten myself in way over my head. I should have listened to Abigail, to my parents, but I thought I knew what I was getting into. I thought I knew him. But I was wrong, so very naïve at the time. However, I know better now and as much as it pains me I have to leave. I have to get out somehow. Even though it kills me to leave him behind I can't live like this and I know Sarah can't either, not for much longer. She's already started to become dependent on alcohol even with a child to think about, but I refuse to live like that, to end up that way. I have to go and take my newborn daughter with me before they turn her into something horrendous, inhuman. Because that it was they are best at, creating those to what they want them to be or allowing them to fall into the clutches of death…I can already hear them coming, their thoughts coming swiftly as they make their next moves to determine all our fates.

Ms. Cecilia Davis,

I shall always love him regardless

"Do you have any idea what this means!" Merry shouted when I finished the note. I didn't respond. "My mother didn't die in a fire. She couldn't have considering the fire that supposedly killed her occurred on June 28, 1991. It's not like a ghost could have written this."

"It might not be her letter Merry," I immediately responded without thinking as I looked through the letter again. Trying to see if anything popped out.

"Who else would've written it and why plant it in the trunk. I'm telling you Keira this is her letter, her personal letter. She states your mother, Sarah, and Zach. Although, I'm not sure who Abigail is? But Keira she was trying to run away with me and you know that there was always that rumor that somebody escaped from the Circle of Cavan and was never found. It could be her Keira, she could still be alive."

I sighed I didn't want Merry to go crazy over this one letter that could somehow be a fake, a lie, a cover. Her life could hang in the balance because of this.

"Merry maybe it is true that she survived, that she never died. That the rumor is also true, but it's all maybes. You don't know for sure about any of this." She pushed in front of me several papers.

"That letter was not the only letter I've found. They are basically all about the same thing her wanting to leave, her preparing to leave, her not understanding what she got herself into. Along with a paper I found in a desk that was signed by your father to search for a runaway, but with no second signature it was never accomplished." I stared down at all the facts she had given to me and started to shuffle through them. "She's alive Keira, I know it. And I'm going to join her soon."

Everything went to a halt. I stared at her as she just stared down at the letters. "What do mean join her Merry?"

She took in a deep breath, "I'm leaving the Circle of Cavan."

"Leaving! You can't just leave Merry it's not that simple. Don't tell me you forgot about what happened to Marcus."

She shook her head and stared me straight in the eye. "I'm not going to runaway like Marcus did. I'm not going to betray the group. I'm simply going to ask to be let out. I'm going to leave through the inside." Her eyes were clear and her jaw was set, she was serious.

I was tempted, very tempted, to smack her across the head to knock some sense into her. This wasn't some volunteer group you could just politely ask to step out of. This was some serious business and what she was stating was deadly, quite literally. After all we were living in the spy version of the mafia.

It was then that Zach made his appearance proving I wasn't the only one home today. I looked over at him as soon as I heard him walk in and immediately rolled my eyes.

He was shirtless, again. Some things will never change.

Merry squinted at him since she rarely ever came here and even when she did she never came during the mornings. "Zach any reason you're not wearing a shirt?" she asked.

"I don't wear one to bed when I'm at home. Plus, as a bonus it annoys Keira." He smiled acting like everything was normal. Like everything could be normal. If only it could.

"It just makes you look more conceited than you already are. Besides I am trying to eat," I replied back. He just ruffled my hair in response.

"Are you two making plans for the day?" he asked trying to assess why Merry was here.

"No, Merry has just decided she wants to leave group by asking out."

Zach shifted his look over to Merry as if to confirm this statement. After no response he replied with eyebrows furrowed, "Do you want to die?"

"Thank you," I responded immediately.

Merry, on the other hand, just stood up. "I'm doing this with or without your support. I need to do this; I don't want to end up something I never wanted to be. And if that means having to ask out and facing the repercussions so be it."

She left before either of us had a chance to stop her.

"Zach," I whispered. My eyes stuck on the door.

"I know," he replied. He gently put his hand on my shoulder for comfort, but this was not something he could comfort me on so easily.

* * *

Zachary Goode's POV:

We had to talk her out of this. Merry was a sweet girl she didn't deserve to go the way she was planning on. She needed to be patient she needed to wait it out.

That is how we all ended up in the same room together, once again. The youngest generation, the next generation of the Circle of Cavan whether we wanted to be or not.

There we all sat Kendall, Craig, Merry, Keira, Harper, and then myself.

"You're planning on making a plea!" Craig exclaimed as if it were a joke. Merry pretended not to act phased by Craig's attitude.

Kendall, only a little kinder than Craig, asked, "Did you forget about what happened to Marcus? The Circle certainly didn't have any mercy when it came to him. Do you think they'll be kind to you, because you're a girl?"

"No, not because I'm a girl, but because I'm going straight to them and asking instead of just running off and turning my back on them."

Harper who had been reasonably silent through the whole conservation spoke up, "You think there's a difference."

Everyone turned to look over at her while she continued to stare out the window. It was raining hard outside and looked like the start of a possible storm. Only it seemed to hold a deeper meaning to Harper by the way she was starring.

"Yes, he betrayed them I am simply going to ask them."

"So you think just because you're going in front of them instead of behind their back it's not betrayal. That they think it's anything but." Harper turned her gaze on the group as Merry looked confused and conflicted. "Leaving the group, despite the how, is a betrayal to them. The number one betrayal and if you think any less Merry I have truly lost any respect I've ever had for you."

Harper, as usual, was right. No matter how it was done, it would still be done. It would still be betrayal to them.

"Well, I don't care. Not anymore. I don't want to live this kind of life anymore. I want out," she shouted, what quite a few of us were thinking. Well except for Craig who was smirking and Kendall who had raised eyebrows at her proclamation. Harper she just showed an emotionless mask not allowing any of us to really see what she wanted, truly wanted.

"And that's fine with me after all it is your life. I just care about you confessing, realizing what you are doing. Knowing from the beginning what could very well happen," Harper responded.

Merry nodded. "I do," she added softly. She turned and looked over at Harper. "Sorry about West."

Harper shrugged and left while Keira stood up.

"Merry you can't do this. You can't go through with this." Keira turned and looked over at me for help. "Tell her, Zach."

"Guys, I know you care about me, but I have to do this. I'm not like the two of you or Harper I can't just hang in. I have to leave or…well I just have to leave. I'm sorry." She stood up and picked up her jacket before she left as well. Keira gave me a look that shouted go after her.

But I had to agree with Harper on this one. It was Merry's choice and she appeared to understand on what she was planning to do and what could happen because of it. She wanted to do this, apparently needed to and I wasn't going to try and get in the way of it.

Even though this might have the farthest thing from a happy ending.

A/N: Well there is Chapter 2 which should have been a fairly long chapter. It certainly wasn't short. For those of you who may be wondering how Zach feels about Cammie in this story (you can't really tell yet) the song Desperately by Michelle Branch explains his feelings for the moment. Anyway review, what/who you like what/who you hate. Just let me know what you think of the story, if I should continue or not and I'll send you a small sneak peak of Chapter 3. Also if you think of any other names that this story could be call please let me know. I haven't come up with anything I like yet.