Love is stronger than hate

by Linneagb

Sophia and Sophie, sisters and friends forever. That was how it was supposed to be. But destiny had other plans for us. I now live with a bunch of people, in some sort of home called the dumping ground, and I don't know if I can make it without my sister.

47. Elm Tree goes to Manor Hall

So, two chapters left. Wow this feels weird! The beginning of this chapter is a scene told from Joe's POV. And a scene I was going to put in the last chapter but didn't. And if someone wonders that is the part with Elias, Joe and Zachariah.

The clothes that are described in this chapter are all on polyvore if you want to see them. Link to polyvore- collections are on my profile.

Credit for the names Daisy and Midnight goes to x snow- pony x. Thank you!

Joe POV

"So, how does it feel that you're coming with us to Manor Hall House?" I asked Zachariah when we were back at Elm Tree House and sat on my bed and were just talking. "You know that these… the people who live here I mean. We all live together and as you've already seen some of them are kind of…. Special!" Zachariah laughed, a sound that made my heart beat so hard I almost thought it would beat right out of my chest.

"So I've noticed." Zachariah smiled. "I think I'll survive. If you can do it anyone… whoa!" Zachariah ducked when I tried hitting him with a pillow. "Well… Since they're not allowing me to stay over- night, I guess I should just make my wa…." He stood up to leave the room, the house and go home when there was a knock on the door and Elias came in.

"Hey Eli. What's on your mind?" I pushed myself up and pushed my back towards the wall so I wouldn't half lie down and Elias wrapped his hands around each other while he waked into the room. "Hey, what's the matter? You're never this nervous." Elias shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and took a deep breath in before he spoke.

"Ehrm… how did you know that you… that you liked boys?" He hesitated and then pulled one hand out of his pocket and scratched his neck.

"I…" I hesitated. "I'm not sure I guess I just… I just… I fell in love and then I just knew. What were you thinking about that you… that you like boys?" We were talking quite quietly as Elias's tone from the beginning had been low and silent as if he didn't want anyone else to hear and we would respect that.

"I…" Elias hesitated again. "I don't know but I… Maybe… Maybe both… Maybe I like both girls and boys. But I just, I just don't know." I smiled and tried to do it like Mike always did when he was trying to calm someone down.

Elias was but twelve years old, and I explained to him that there would be loads of times for him to figure it out as he got older. And even if he would come to the conclusion that he was bisexual or even homosexual it was alright. It wasn't anything bad and the world got more and more accepting towards other sexualities than just heterosexuality. And the people who didn't just wasn't worth it.

Elias left the room with a brief smile on his lips. Zachariah too and then me too. I came walking into the living room and found as good as everybody there and even though Zachariah had left and it felt like it was a thousand years until tomorrow morning when I would see him again I couldn't help but smile even bigger when I heard they were in a wild discussion about however I was the girl in my and Zachariah's relationship or if Zachariah was.

"Come on." Carmen stated. "Joe spends longer time in front of the mirror than I do! Not a chance that Zach can be any more girly than that." Carmen looked kind of strict as if she thought that would make no one say anything against it when looking around.

"But Zach is addicted to ice cream and chocolate. And Joe says he gets PMS." Stan stated, he had gone far more lit up and calm over this summer. And wasn't at all as bossy and sneaky for business that wasn't his to play with anymore. He still had moments when he returned to the way he used to be before and rude to everyone including me. But earlier, he had been like that all the time and now it was maybe a few times a week and becoming less and less which made Stan a very much nicer person to live with than before- and that came from someone who have lived with him for all my life.

"He hates being called Zach!" I stated and the other turned to me. "And you know… It doesn't matter if you're gay, straight, bi, trans or whatever else. It doesn't matter if you are one of those… guys who run around in the streets and do whatever crimes and everything. Or if you're one of those girls who spends hours in front of the mirror before they can show themselves to anyone and have ninety eleven pairs of shoes. Yes. Physically both I and Zachariah are boys but… Mentally and everything else we've all got a bit of male, a bit of female and a bit of everything in between."

"Saying that…." Stan began and made a pause. "…Was so freaking gay!"

I laughed, and then I couldn't help it. There had been so awfully little to laugh about this whole summer with everything going on finally just letting go and laughing my heart out felt so relieving. Someone else was caught by it and when Mike and Gina heard and came into the room to see what was going on everyone had more or less lied down because they were all laughing so hard they couldn't keep upright.

It seemed like no one could really feel the energy or even the want to move, and even though it wasn't anything we'd have to get up early for, I think it was that we all were looking so much forward to tomorrow that made us all want to fall asleep quite early. And somewhere in sitting in all of that chattering and laughing Ivy fell asleep, she was followed by Harry, who was followed by Shawn and one after one curled up or just lied down on whatever soft or hard they could find.

The last memory I had of my sixteenth birthday was that I lied curled up on the hard floor and Mike and Gina coming into the room and placed pillows under all of ours heads, and blankets over our shoulders. Before they left- well… the oldest one of us were sixteen, I guess Mike and Gina being around three times that age they couldn't sleep on a floor or on a couch even if they wanted to.

Sophia POV

The next morning when I woke up I was lying on a number of some soft and some not so soft pillows. I had had a blanket printed with My Little Pony spread over me. But as usual I had twisted and turned so much in my sleep it laid twisted around my legs and it would for certain take me like ten minutes to kick it off.

Around me people were also starting to wake up, even though it was barely five in the morning. I guessed we had all fallen asleep so early the night before, and as well everyone were looking forward to what was happening today it was hard not to wake up early.

Some of the people were moving slow and stiff from sleeping on the floor or curled up into a ball. Others were fine after spending the night on a couch or on a big pillow that was bigger than themselves. And one after one they all moved up on their feet and out of the room while I laid and tried to get the blanket off and then just lied there and listened.

At last, when I heard the room was empty I sat up and got onto my feet. It wasn't that I felt a need to be alone. It was just… well I didn't know what it was. And I couldn't really find out why either all the while during the time I picked up pillows and blankets from the floor and laid them all where they should be.

And I left the room with it looking… well actually tidier than what I had ever seen it before.

I had found a paper with pictures and things from Manor Hall House under a pillow, and walked up the stairs. Then changed into my new floral print jogging pants, a black hoodie and black sneakers before I grabbed the flyer again and walked down the stairs with the bag I had put the last of the things I was bringing in and put it in the growing pile of bags in the hallway and then walked into the kitchen where everyone were eating breakfast and chattering.

"So wait. Have I got this right?" Joe asked and looked down at Shawn who sat next to him. "Your mum never gave you a name? So when you came here you did not have a name from the start?" Shawn shook his head. "But that's terrible. I mean- who would be so terrible they wouldn't even give their child a name?"

"My mum wasn't a terrible person." Mike had come out of bed and was now looking with kind of sad eyes towards Shawn. It was clear that he didn't think what Shawn thought that his mum hadn't been a terrible person. "She was ill, her brain didn't really work like it should and she was always sad. And then she… she used a rope and… you know that I did by accident in the toy cupboard? She did that, but it wasn't an accident. I was there and I tried to do something, but I couldn't. And she stopped moving and then I ran to get help. The doctor that came said she was ill… And that she wouldn't come back. He knew Mike, and I got to move here, and I'm not sad because I like it here. And Mike let me choose my own name. I liked Shawn, and I liked Jason, and I liked Teddy. But I could not have three names so I used the one I liked the most- which was Shawn, and then I changed the Y in Teddy to I-E and had a last name. And I really like my name."

"Even though you like your name it seems like your life has been miserable. Boo- hoo!" Elias stated rudely. Shawn shrugged- he didn't think his life was miserable he said. He felt better now that he had ever done before and he knew that wherever his mum was she was happier than what she had been here. Elias blushed, apparently he wasn't too used to getting good answers.

Mike looked kind of given up when he looked at me. But I couldn't help to feel kind of happy and relieved that at least Shawn was in all of this without being old enough to actually understand everything. Mike went to have a talk with Elias about what he had just said and the chattering continued.

I don't think that the people from Elm Tree House had all spent time in one room like this without starting to kill each other before. People left the room to go pack and then came back, everyone seemed to just be chattering and laughing talking about one yet the other thing. Even though everybody also kept on glancing at the clock hoping that it would have gotten closer to nine which was the time that our guests would be starting to drop in.

"Oh hey guys." At about nine a woman, and another younger woman that I had never met before came into the kitchen. "Sorry we're so early. Oh… I can see some new faces here so… to anyone that don't know or have forgotten. My name is Cam and this is Tracy. Are you all looking forward to going to Manor Hall House?"

Everyone seemed to agree with each other that we all were, but everyone had started talking to Tracy all at once. I returned to the flyer about Manor Hall House and waited for the others to come. George arrived, he seemed excited and threw his ragged leather duffel bag in the pile of bags in the hallway. Zachariah came and complained about how his baby sister had been screaming worse than ever through the whole night. The Preston's came- and Molli still refused to talk to me. Right after Gina's husband Greg came over with Gina's things and also her youngest- a girl with Down's syndrome, a big smile and glittering eyes when she looked around the room.

And so at last, half past nine Faiz, Alvaro and Magdolna arrived. And I turned to Faiz to tell him what I had decided about what he asked if I wanted to move in with him. But before I had the time Alvaro had ran over to Carmen and held out his hand with something that I couldn't see what it was in his palm. Faiz joke- pushed me a bit and nodded to them two to show me to watch them and see what happened.

"Hey Carmen." Alvaro was wearing a too big hat and it fell down over his eyes while he was talking so he pushed it up again while smiling sheepishly. "I got you this. It's a key ring with a starfish. I really like starfish. And I bought it for you with my own money because I really like you. Even more than what I like starfish."

"Oh, thank you Alvaro." Carmen hesitated and looked kind of panicking around the room. "And… the thing is..." She hesitated and slowly handed the key ring back to Alvaro. "…That I don't like you that way. We can still be friends though. And I think, that if you should give that key ring to someone you really like. You should give it to someone who really likes you back."

"Okay." Alvaro hung his head and turned around before he walked away and sat down still hanging his head on the floor behind the counter and I heard him snivel- aw, poor Alvaro having his first heartbreak on a day like this! Faiz smiled sadly to me and then walked around the counter and I heard him talking quietly in Gote with Alvaro.

I wanted to talk to Faiz and Mike about what I had decided to do with this whole thing with that Faiz wanted to foster me. But I didn't want to interrupt what Faiz and Alvaro were doing and just as the father and son stood up and came around the counter Mike came into the kitchen again holding a paper and wanted all of ours attention.

"We have decided who will share rooms with who. As usual, the rules are that males and females can't be in the same rooms. And there is one adult in every room. We have tried to make it so as many as possible will share rooms with someone they don't know very well to give as many as possible the chance to get to know someone new so here we go. Room number one- Sophia, Molli and Cam. Room number two…" Mike continued, and I glanced towards Molli to try and see what she thought about sharing room with me after everything that had been going on.

"And at last…" Mike read through room number two to six without any bigger events. "Room number seven, Tyler, Stan, Zachariah and George." Stan didn't seem too happy when it was mentioned that he'd share with Zachariah and he and Joe glanced each other. "Don't think about it you two! I can see the difference between you two perfectly well so don't even try and put on each other's' clothes and think that you can switch beds. Joe- you know you are with Junior, Michael and Johnny. So… Since our van was too little to take us all with the guests I was trying to come up with how we can go in one vehicle to Manor Hall House. Then… Michael told me he's a bus driver. And he could borrow a bus from work and… there is the solution. So everybody get into the bus that's standing on the road, take your bags and throw them into the baggage as well."

"I love my new shoes. I love my new shoes. I love my new shoes. I love my new shoes." When we were in the hallway, all trying to get shoes on and bags with us Shawn had gotten his shoes on and was singing and dancing around in his new sneakers. "I love my new shoes. I love my new shoes. I love my new shoes. " He continued but was cut off by Elias.

"They're girls' shoes!" Shawn looked down on his new sneakers that were patterned in rainbow's all colors. And sparkly and glittery. "They are Girls' shoes." Shawn looked up at Elias for a moment and looked thoughtful, before he shrugged and then continued to sing and dance around. Obviously not giving Elias's words a second thought.

"So everybody." Mike said in the microphone from the front when Michael started the motor. "Passengers, we will now be leaving Elm Tree House for Manor Hall House. The travel is planned to take about forty five minutes but will take longer if there is loads of traffic. Barf bags that you hopefully won't be needing you've got on the back of every seat right in front of you. But if you don't need them for barfing you can always solve the math numbers and things on the outside. I hope you all have a good trip, I will be your host. If you've got any questions you can walk forward in the bus, sit by me and fasten yourself here, then go back, and be careful. Now fasten your seatbelts and OFF WE GO." Mike shouted the last few words at the same time as Michael- we had gotten along about referring to all the Michael's as Michael, Mike and Junior. Started the motor and steered out onto the road.

I had a block with papers on my lap the whole way, there was a lot of empty seats on the bus and one of them was by me. Across the hallway sat Shawn with a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone on his lap and in front of me sat Tee, leaning out in the hallway so she could see the road not to get motion sick.

Not until I realized I was drawing a picture that I had seen in the flyer about Manor Hall House and I quickly thought back to remember that I had last held it before I put it on the kitchen counter. I could have just left it be only there had been one thing I wanted to ask Elizabeth about that was in the flyer so I quickly ran forward through the hallway.

"Mike." I sat down on the seat by Mike and took the seatbelt he reached me. "You know these flyers we had. I had one but I forgot it back at home. Are there any more of those at Manor Hall House?" Mike smiled and reached down into his bag and held up one of those flyers and held it to me. "Oh thanks. Great." I opened the button that held the belt again and ran back into the bus and sat down on the same seat as earlier.

I must have been riffling through that flyer at least a thousand times already, but did it once again before I picked up my drawing again, even though just as I had picked it up I list concentration because Mike and Michael started singing in the microphones.

Mike had a terrible voice and couldn't reach one right tone, Michael had a terrible voice and couldn't reach a single right tone. The only way they could sound any worse than what they did one and one was to sing together. And even though I tried concentrating on my sketching it wasn't actually possible when the sound that did echoed through the bus.

"…And here we are." Mike said at last. And I breathed out when Michael pulled over in front of a house I recognized from the flyers. Finally we wouldn't have to listen to that terrible sound anymore! "Now don't run off in each direction. The first thing we have to do is to get inside, get our things inside and make the beds. SHAWN WAKE UP." Shawn was lying with his book as pillow, and the Spongebob blanket he had brought over two seats barely safe by the seatbelt and with tousled hair and half- opened eyes he sat up and stretched out arms and legs. "Ladies and gentlemen we have reached our destination. We hope that you've liked travelling with us, please throw your trash in the trash can. Have a nice vacation. Goodbye."

Just as Mike finished talking, Michael turned the motor off and it was a big rush when everyone wanted to get out of the bus first. I chose- along with Shawn and Tee to just stand still by the seat until the rush was over and was the last one to leave the bus and the one that had to crawl the furthest into the baggage to find my bag.

Coming out of the baggage with the biggest backpack I had been able to find at Elm Tree House that I pulled on I looked around. Being here I could see that it was a lot bigger than what I had thought from the pictures, through some windows I could see a swimming pool and a bit away I could see a big garden and three horses. One light red- brown small. Probably a Shetland Pony, one that I guessed was an Iceland pony of a very beautiful, yet unusal color with dark grey, almost black fur and silver- colored almost white mane and tail… and then one last, a big one, I could see he was a shire. Pitch black but with some white markings in his face, and one white sock and… he looked exactly like…

"Milo." I whispered, too quietly for anyone to hear. Because if I hadn't known that Milo had been shot and killed that day, then I would have run over to him and started scratching in that special spot under the fringe that Milo had always loved. Even the white markings and the long, white fur on his white sock was exactly right.

"Sophia?" Molli's voice woke me up from my thoughts and I spotted Molli standing with Cam, the others must have already gone inside because the only ones standing there were Cam and Molli who was glaring at me. "Are you coming?" I swallowed the lump in my throat, nodded for them not to hear my voice being thick and slowly walked after them inside and in searching for our room.

"Oh hi." Just inside I found Mike standing with a woman that I guessed was Elizabeth. "Mike, there is something I've been wanting to ask you. But I haven't really taken the time.. I have seen on the flyers and now saw here as well that there are horses so I was wondering…"

"If you'll get to do horse riding?" Mike finished the sentence for me. "Yes, if you want to." I nodded. Then turned to Elizabeth and wondered what the name of the big, black horse was. Then felt something squeeze my heart when Elizabeth started with an M I almost expected it to continue with a "Ilo" but of course it didn't.

"Midnight." Elizabeth answered. "The middle sized horse name is Samhugur- as most Iceland ponies he has got an Icelandic word as name and it means 'one who feels with emotions, whether it's sorrow or happiness' but Samhugur is a bit hard to say so we just call him Barry. The small brown one, her name is Daisy."

"Thanks." I turned and walked towards the door with a number one on it without another word. It had been so long since I had seen a horse at as much as at a postcard. And actually, I wasn't a hundred percent I wanted to do it either. Actually… I had one thing that I knew I wanted if I was going to do horse riding- one condition that would make it seem like it had been back at home. And I wasn't so sure Mike would agree to it.

The thought of that Mike might not agree to it was what kept me from going to the paddock the next few days. I barely as much as looked to the horses and mostly laid by the pool and drank sweet smoothies, ate fruit and candy and chattered with the other girls. And even though life was pretty good for Sophia Atkins right then- I couldn't help that there was something bothering me. As usual I was worried about Luce, but… there was something else and I couldn't quite place my finger on what it was… I just had the weirdest feeling!

"What is it Soph?" Mike asked me at last. "You seemed like you wanted to do horse riding so badly. And now you just switch the subject as soon as someone mentions it. Is there something wrong?" It was two days after we had arrived and August the thirtieth, and since the twenty eight when we had arrived it must have happened a thousand times someone had mentioned if I wanted to go horse riding but I just acted like I was doing something else.

I sighed and scratched my neck. Well, the thing was… "I want to I just…" I started and Mike patted my shoulder. "Mike… There is this thing I was thinking about but you might not like it… only I… I have done loads of horse riding while I was in Gota and we had horses and everything but… the thing is we never had saddles… and I kind of … thought that if I Was going to horse ride here… riding with a saddle just wouldn't feel right so maybe…"

"Without?" I nodded. "I'll ask Elizabeth about it and see what she says. Why were you so afraid of asking? You know that you can come to me with anything don't you?" Mike chuckled kindly while he walked away through the hallway to find Elizabeth while I sat down on the bed I used here and started sketching again.

I had started a new sketch, of something that I had seen back in Gota, someone hugging his children and trying to protect them from the Emerino. A picture that showed better than any other that love was always going to win. This man- Peter and his daughter Sarai had walked home from the square that day without a scratch… and then Sarai had been sent to wherever safer place. Alive because Peter had literally given the Emerino permission to shoot him just as long as they didn't touch Sarai- it seemed like it wasn't as fun anymore when they realize they could do it so they had just walked away.

Mike and Elizabeth came into the room and Elizabeth told me that bareback was fine. But I should probably be riding on Midnight then since he was a calm and kind old man while the smaller ones were younger and wilder and not as safe. I couldn't help but smile and followed them both outside where they had also asked Ivy and Elias if they wanted to come.

"I WANT to ride on the big horse." Ivy shouted at Elias. "The small one looks stupid."

"Here we go again." Magdi just walked by and said so to me. Even though she didn't live at the dumping ground like most of us others. But she had been spending enough of time there the last few weeks to know that Ivy wanted what she wanted. But Elias was stone hard with his opinions- and not less very, very protective to his sister.

"NO. If you fall down from that beast you're going to hurt yourself. I am not letting you do that."

"Actually…" Elizabeth tried to step in and say something. But backed away when Elias glared at her- if glares could kill! "Okay, okay, okay…" Elizabeth walked back to me and Magdi and waited to see what happened.

"But…"

"No buts!" Elias said with his strictest voice. "And now I won't let you do that freaking horse riding at all. And another word from you and I will call daddy and tell him you're being naughty." Ivy suddenly looked very afraid. "I mean it!" Mike cut Elias off- he was talking it very far- and way too far. But too late, the harm was made and Ivy ran down the hallway crying and we heard her footsteps up the stairs.

"Come on you two." Elizabeth turned to Magdi and me. "We'll go see the horses."

"Wow. That's a nice bridle." I stated to the others while getting Midnight's bridle. "I mean… bridles we actually had. Remember them Magds? They were like so ragged and everything they were almost falling to pieces if you pulled them a bit too hard." Magdi nodded and I carefully put the metal piece in Midnight's mouth. "Oh that's not nice, is it boy?"

"Ready?" Magdi asked, when she already sat up on Barry's back. I nodded and climbed up on the wooden fence and continued with throwing one leg over Midnight's back and grabbed his mane tightly to pull myself onto his back.

When Midnight started walking, there was a feeling hitting me that I couldn't remember feeling for a long time. I felt so weirdly free in a way, happy and just wanted to ride faster, faster, faster. Turn into the sunset and never look back. And that feeling only grew as we started trotting and then Magdi, who hadn't done as much horse riding as I had back on Gota. Stepped down from Barry's back onto the ground and just held his bridle while I just had Midnight walking for a few minutes before I could finally give him command of galloping.

With the flowing and fast gallop the feeling grew even more, I never wanted to leave this, never wanted to look back… But the feeling and losing my concentration had a punishment. And too late I realized I was barely hanging on Midnight's back with my legs and I was sliding more and more to the side. I didn't get the time to pull myself up again and by the next two steps I was thrown off and right into the soft grass on the ground, and then just laid there.

"Sophia, Sophia." Magdi, Mike and Elizabeth came running. "Are you okay? Come here, sit up." I just went with what Mike told me as he had kneeled and was holding a hand behind my back all the time while I still couldn't answer. "Did you lose your breath? Breathe just breathe."

"Mike, I'm fine." My voice returned at last. "I did not lose my breath or anything I just lost my concentration and I might have some trouble sitting down tomorrow." I took Mike's hand as he pulled me up. "What is it they say? You've got to fall a hundred times before you're a good horse rider and also…" I grabbed Midnight's bridle again. "…You've got to get right back onto that horse."

Mike smiled and leaned down to cup his hands together so I could step in it and swing my other leg back over Midnight's back and had him walking again. Not a chance I would fall down without standing up again!

Despite everything that had been going on that day and that I should have been really, really tire, that night I couldn't sleep. I laid awake in my bed and stared right into the darkness for hours and couldn't sleep. I knew there was something I had left to do, and that must have been why I couldn't sleep. My body knew there was something undone so at last I—as silently as I could stood up, pulled on my warmest hoodie that was so big it reached down to my knees. And then walked out of the room, out of the house, and down towards the paddock.

It was barely light outside, the sun was going up but still you could see many stars. The horses were standing sleeping in the pasture, but when I walked over the pasture and bent under the fence and walked over to Midnight he lifted his head, snorted and blew hot hair onto my neck while I just scratched his neck.

I felt that I needed to cry, but still couldn't. For a long while I just stood there and did not say one word for long. Then I looked up to the skies, just in time to see a falling star right before I couldn't see any stars anymore.

"Dear star." I whispered. "I know that for my brother to be alive would be too much to ask for but… please… I just want to know where he is. So please…. God, if you're there…" I closed my eyes and mumbled a poem often taught to children in Gote. And then, before anyone would be able to see me I turned, kneeled under the fence again and walked up to the house.

"You really want to know where your brother is do you?" I jumped and just about had heart attack when someone spoke behind me. And when I turned I could see Molli there. "I woke up when you left and followed you. I'll tell Mike you were out here at night." I just glared at her. "And stars can't make wishes come true and there is no God!" I hesitated, Molli really wasn't being nice- I believed in God- that was up to me- the wish to the star however, well, I was desperate.

"Molli please." I begged, but she seemed hard as stone. "Don't do this. I know you hate me for what I said about Michael but what Johnny said to you was not what I meant. And I'm sorry… And that star- thing is something you do when there is nothing else to do and I do believe in God." Molli still glared to me." Because I have always had to believe that there's a meaning with all of this. And whatever happens I just need to know what happened to my brother because nothing is worse than knowing nothing at all."

"I'll still tell Mike. And I hated what you said about my brother" Molli said and walked back to the house. I sighed, and stayed for a moment, and when I came back into the room Molli was already asleep while I pulled my hoodie off and crawled down in between the sheets again.

Molli did in fact tell Mike what I had done, she had told him before I came out of bed. Mike was angry, we were under no circumstances allowed to go outside and into the pasture alone at night- there would be no one there if we were hurt. I wasn't allowed to go into the stables or to the horses anymore during the whole time we would be here, but today- after not being able to sleep I was too tired anyway.

The whole day I just sat by the pool and more or less half slept. I could tell it worried the adults, but I just kept on telling them that I was tired and hadn't slept much- and that was the truth. And by the afternoon I was still sitting there when Elias and Ivy came in and Elias was once again shouting something at Ivy. This time taking it way too far.

Elias POV

"I TOLD YOU, YOU WEREN'T ALLOWED TO DO THAT HORSE RIDING. YOU WOULD GET HURT. I TOLD YOU, YOU WEREN'T ALLOWED TO DO THAT SWIMMING. YOU CAN'T SWIM. I TOLD YOU- I TOLD YOU, I TOLD YOU, I TOLD YOU. NOW I WILL CALL UP DAD AND TELL HIM WHAT YOU DID. NO WONDER THEY DIDN*T WANT US WHEN YOU ARE SO FREAKING SPOILT AND YOU NEVER LISTENED!"

I had taken it way too far. But I pushed the thoughts about hat away and scrolled down on my pone to find my dad's number. And hoped that he would actually pick it up this time. But before I had the time Mike had grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me out of the room and into a cupboard under some stairs.

"Now I want you to listen to me Elias and I want you to do it very carefully because I won't say this twice. What you just said to Ivy was not just wrong, but cruel and hurtful. And you've been telling anyone who as much as comes close to Ivy at least as terrible things ever since you came here. Here's the deal- if you keep this up. You and Ivy will be split up. Is that what you want?"

"Is that a threat?" I asked and snorted.

"It's a promise. So take a while and actually think about what will happen if you keep on treating people like you do." Mike left the cupboard, almost shaking with anger and I left just after him, I didn't need to stay in this damn cupboard and think about anything!

I looked out the windows, the rain was pouring down and perfectly matching my mood and I slumped back into a chair and started playing games on my phone. A number of the girls sat right by me and were chattering and giggling like girls were always doing. The only one who wasn't doing that I saw was Sophia who seemed to be sleeping.

Although, with the shout that echoed through the house just moments later, no one would have been able to stay sleeping or concentrate on what they were doing. It was also loud enough to reach over the girls' chattering and giggling and Tyler and Jody playing in the pool.

"LUCE"

So… cliffhanger. And right now I can count it to five possibilities

Someone is tricking Sophia Luce's there

Someone sees someone and thinks it's Luce

Sophia's got a bad dream and is dreaming about him again

Luce is actually there

Sophia just found out Luce's dead and is breaking down

Only one chapter left. And there it will show which one of the possibilities is right. Which one do you think it is?