AHHHHHHHH ONE MORE WEEK TILL I POST THE LONGEST CHAPTER OF THEM ALL SO FAR: CHAPTER TEN

...And then I go off on my two-three week break for the sake of Christmas, a writing break and procrastinatio-oh wait I meant work on the future chapters!

I only own Cora, Emily, and the storyline! Everything else belongs to their respective creators!

Also, I'm on my hands and knees for criticism. Please. I need more than four measly reviews.

"Anything new, Em?"

"For once, nope. I'm stumped."

"Like Patrick-stumped?"

"How dare you try to get away with a Fall Out Boy pun like that."

"You're right, especially since their music has been practically going around for Centuries."

"Oh my god, Cora."

I giggle, the green walls of my bedroom providing relief for my weary eyes as Em continues researching while she shakes her head at my puns. Today though, we're taking a break from the screens and just writing down theories and whatever notes that come up from our brains. The crew however are the ones messing around with the internet, police databases and even top secret digital copies from dad's hard drives…all from our iPhones and my laptop.

"I've always wondered how your crew can do that…" Em remarks.

"Do what?"

"Dive into the internet. Also, how long has it been since we arrived?"

"Nearly three weeks."

"How time flies. We gotta have a break from research on our one-month anniversary of staying here. A barbecue sounds cool as well if the weather's right."

"I agree. And I was also thinking the same for the internet thing. It also gives us more proof that they might not be actual ghosts." I reply, "I mean, y'know how ghosts and spirits would mess with technology and it all goes haywire, right? These houses have forever internet, TV and phone reception. Heck, when the crew goes through the net, it doesn't crash. Instead they're all like freaking pro hackers without leaving any creepy ghost-like traces."

"But the twins mentioned that the TV was static and that they couldn't get it working in the letter they left for you." Em points out, putting down her pen.

"That was when they left the house, a full week before I came afterwards. If my crew can hack through the internet and whatever databases to find the information we need on Eagle's Cross, then one of them must've fixed the TV so it wasn't static anymore."

"I bet it's a generational thing alongside cola." Em says after a short pause.

"What is?"

"Hacking and computer technics. You've got all four of your ancestors doing it, your dad stole files from the police before and Laurie's been getting hacking lessons from Ed and Ell ever since those two went into robotics and computing in Uni. And then there's you, Miss Gamer." She teases, but embarrassingly, she has a point.

"Oh shut up!" I retort, my cheeks going warm within an instant, "You haven't made me blush ever since that year 12 prom!"

"Really though Cor. You looked amazing at that dance! You were the only one who was gutsy enough to pull that adorable suit-and-ribbon combo!"

"Excuse you, you clearly stole the entire show with that dancing and 1950's swing outfit!"

"Cor, you were my date for that thing. I know you looked awesome in that suit!"

"And you were mine, I know for a fact that you were the star of the show and that Johnny Stone regretted turning you down when he saw you on that dance floor."

"Oh, him? Pfft, whatever. He's probably living off his scholarship savings somewhere in Antarctica being a d-list celebrity for a March of the Penguins parody."

"Ouch, Johnny's surely a pile of ashes now with a burn like THAT. Even the second time around still hurts and I'm not the target. Tasha lost it for weeks over that and kept asking you how you did it."

"Oh, yeah!" She laughs, "She's well on her way to assassinating people with the power of words. But it's probably true though."

"Mm. Underneath all that rock-hard exterior, he's just another stoned-out bag of butts."

"Cora, please." Em facepalms as I grin at my recent pun, "But the best thing that came after it was conning the whole school into thinking we were actually dating. Good cola sales came out of that with the bribe of keeping it secret. Plus, it kept the sleazy guys off our backs."

"Don't I know it! But those 'kisselfies' though. I still get embarrassed over them. I'm glad it was just Photoshop. I wonder how many stupid nicknames we came up with back then-"

"Are you two going to list a few of those for all of us to listen or are you gonna work?" Tord butts in the conversation, his head and shoulders peeking out from my phone screen like a hologram.

"…How long have you been listening to this?" Em asks uneasily.

"Starting from that Year 12 Prom to now." He shrugs as I let go of a small sigh in my chest, "By the way Cora, do your older siblings go to Oxford or Cambridge?"

"Uh…yeah, why?"

"Laurie's got news of riot threats and protests happening there, as well as on the streets. Also, you should've seen your tumblr, the posts on your feed are blowing up all over the police force and laws in the UK."

"Get off my dash, would you? We'll head back to work."

"I might be searching files, but I'm watching you too."

Em and I roll our eyes as we pick up our pens and revise our research as Tord slips back into the screen, diving into digital files once more.