The Meeting With Jake
I followed Cassie towards Jake's house. Cassie knocked. We both heard stomping of feet as someone raced towards the door.
A boy, much older than Jake, answered the door.
"Hello, Tom," Cassie said. I detected an edge in her voice.
Something about Tom had sent a shiver down my back.
"Oh hello, Cassie, you here to see Jake?" Tom asked.
Cassie nodded grimly.
Tom stared at me for a moment before he said, "You must be Eliza, correct? What's that short for, Elizabeth?"
I twitched. How the heck did he know my full name!
Tom stepped aside and let us pass by him, shivers were shooting down my spine as I felt his cold gaze on me.
When we were at the foot of the staircase, Cassie turned around and looked at me in total surprise, "Your actual name is Elizabeth, not Eliza?"
"Uh-huh," I said simply.
"Okay, I suppose that is good to know," Cassie shrugged.
We trudged up the stairs, not bothering to make our footsteps sound hollow.
Cassie stopped in front of a door and knocked softly, "Jake, are you in there? Are you presentable?"
"Yup, come right on in," I heard Jake's voice from the other side of the door, with a bit of laughter in his voice.
She turned the doorknob and gentle pressed against the door.
Jake was sprawled out on his bed, flipping through a book.
"Jake," I said softly.
Jake looked up, alarmed.
"Oh my god… Eliza?" Jake toppled over the edge of his bed.
I laughed as he struggled to get to his feet. When he did get up onto his feet, he gaped at me. He looked at me, then at Cassie, then back again.
"She moved back, I suppose," Cassie said softly, breaking the silence.
"Why?" Jake asked. Cassie looked at me, motioning for me to answer Jake's question.
"My Dad figured that we should move back," I shrugged.
"Well, you missed a whole lot! Cassie did you even bother to tell her what happened when she moved away?" Jake demanded of Cassie, acting all leader-like.
"Uh, no, Jake, I'm sorry," Cassie spoke softly.
Jake sighed, shaking his head.
"Um, do you mind if I ask…" I began, and both of their brown eyes turned towards me, "is something wrong with, uh, Tom?"
Their gazes turned slightly cold, Jake finally replied, "Tom… he's a Controller."
"You mean… he's being controlled by… one of them?" I asked, eyeing the door suspiciously.
"Yes," Jake replied, nodding.
"Well, Jake, we should be going now, we still to meet up with Marco, Tobias, and Rachel," Cassie said, "and -"
I cut her off, "I've already visited Ax."
"You have? Uh, OK…" Cassie's voice trailed off.
"Well you better be going now," Jake said, picking up his book again. He began to flip through the pages in search of the spot he left off at.
Cassie and I quickly retreated out of Jake's room, and out of his house, but not before getting a cold stare from Tom.