Part III: One with the Shadows

He always enjoyed shopping, a young boy thought as he walked quietly down the lanes of the supermarket. His wool socks padding lightly on the tile floor, in one hand was the list of things he needed to get, in the other the bags for holding the stuff he needed to get. His clothes consisting of a leather jacket, long sleeved shirt and jeans and no-lace shoes. All of it grimy, worn and black like the rest of the attire he owned.

Drink Mix

Cereal

Canned food

Jerky

Sourdough bread

Chips

Hard Candy

Gum

Alchohol

Cigarettes

All in all, their typical shopping list. Up and down the isles he went collecting necessities. Whenever he found the item, he was looking for, he grabbed it and put inside the giant dufflebag clenched in his other hand. He did this without fear of being seen let alone being caught, he wasn't supposed to be here. After all it was just past midnight, and the store was closed and locked up.

Any item he took he would always go for the ones in the back so that at first glance no one would know anything was taken. The bigger stuff was put in the duffle bag while smaller things were put in a backpack. He had just about got everything when he heard a noise and the flickering of several flashlights in the distance.

Nominally he would try to get it out as fast as possible, but he still needed one item left, and he was not leaving without it. Careful to avoid the lights of the ones searching for him, he scampered along the isles until he reached the candy one. Hugging the left side, he scanned the shelves until he found the gum. His eyes darted to and fro until he saw the brand he was looking for. He grabbed the one in the back and stuffed the gum in his backpack. He noticed one light was getting brighter indicating it's closeness. he turned to leave the other way only to see a second light heading his way. He was trapped in the middle of the isle.

Whether it was the store staff or the police, he was not going to get close enough or even stick around long enough to find out. Quickly, the boy slipped on a pair of shoes, closed his eyes and disappeared.

He reappeared in a dark alley a couple hundred feet away where an old pickup was waiting. He put the bags in the back before getting into the passenger seat.

"Where you able to get everything?" The driver of the pickup asked. He was in his late teens with

The boy nodded, "nothing to it Sebastian, the fuzz showed up, they nearly got me this time."

The driver shrugged and patted his back, "not to worry John, you always get away at least you got the important stuff." He shook his head, "honestly I don't know how you do it." The two boys chuckled as the driver casually drove away. They soon mixed themselves with the other cars on the main road and headed home.

"Now that we're ready for the month are you ready for 7th grade?" Sebastian asked.

John shrugged, "as ready as to be expected."

Sebastian turned to him and smacked him on the back hard causing John to exhale sharply. "Cheer up," she said with her usual grin. you manage to pass 6th grade, so this year will be no different."

John shrugged, "I guess you're right, after all it can't really get worse now can it."

Sebastian nodded, "now that Aaron is gone things should be easier."

The mention of the name sent a cold chill down his spine as he began to see a closet door shutting and the click of a lock. Seeing the distress in his eyes, Sebastian immediately began rubbing his back, "hey John, I didn't mean-"

John raised his hand, "he-he's gone now, that's all that matters."

As they reached the house, Sebastian stopped at the gate, John got out and opened it, the hinges letting out a loud screech. Once the truck was in, John closed the gate and swung down the bars that locked it in place, as the truck pulled into the garage. They unloaded and headed inside. After storing what they had gotten away in the pantry they headed upstairs to the bedrooms. They changed and went to sleep; tomorrow was the start of school.

The next day John Browning sat quietly next to his younger sister as the bus made its way to school. He decided to make the most out of this brief moment of peace and quiet or rather as peaceful and quiet as it could be in a bus full of kids. He kept his nose in his notebook writing notes down, everyone thought it was a secret book since it seemed to be written in code. But it wasn't code, it was latin.

"You okay?" Brittany asked seeing the grim expression on his face.

John gave the girl a reassuring smile, "I'll live" he replied softly.

The bus came to a halt and the doors opened the kids poured out with John and Brittany coming out last. The bus driver gave us a look of suspicion and as we were getting off the bus, he stalked over to the back and began checking it. making sure we didn't do anything. As they walked in the kids stepped back and they glared at us. They didn't care and ignored it, after doing this since kindergarten they had grown use to it. Once we were inside, they spit up to their lockers.

"Don't go causing trouble without me," Brittany warned him.

John simply nodded while Brittany lifted one hand with her fingers crossed and said, "don't forget John there's no team in I."

Once John found his locker, he opened it up and put one of the two bags he had inside and closed it before putting a lock on it. He closed his locker and turned only to bump into someone who's locker was near his own. John fell backward unto his rear while the other person had her things scattered all over the floor. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered in a small, soft voice as he knelt down to gather the things she had dropped. He got to his feet to give them to her and as he did, he adjusted his glasses and looked up to see a young girl standing over him looking quite surprised. Her long raven black hair was held back with a tiara, and her eyes were a bright baby blue.

John gulped and looked down, it wasn't polite to stare, pretty girls especially this one made such a task near impossible. 'No," he thought, pretty was a disservice to her. Other girls in school were pretty, but this one was-

"No, it's my fault I wasn't looking," she said kindly bending over to help him. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine thank you," he said as he turned and hurried off. He stacked her notebooks and books neatly before handing them to her, "there you go. I'm so sorry." He kept his head down and started rushing down the hall eager to get to class. 'Way to go Casanova,' he thought, 'way to make a fool of yourself. Thankfully, Brittany and Dallas weren't here to see.' If his sibling heard of this, he would never live it down. Yet as he got a distance away, he couldn't help but look back. 'She must be new,' he thought, 'I've never seen her before, and I definitely would have remembered her.' He shook his head, 'get a hold of yourself John, that girl is out of your league. Still his mind couldn't help but think back to her smiling face, 'gods, she's so lovely.'

He got to English class and sat down in desk farthest away from the teacher's desk. The Teacher looked at him like he had a third eye, which confused John for a moment before he realized something. He had gotten to class not just on time but EARLY, in all these years he was never on time, let alone early. Then again this was the first time he had actually rushed to class. He took out a pencil and paper and started doodling. He continued to do so even as the rest of the students started filing in. He looked up and saw they were as surprised at the teacher.

The other kids took their seats, and the bell rang for class to begin. The teacher stood before the class to address them. "Before we get started, I'd like to introduce you to a new student." A girl walked up to the front of the class and stood next to the teacher. Curious John looked up and he froze again.

'It was that girl from earlier,' he thought. Then again, the 'new student', should have given him a clue.

"This is Silena Beauregard." The teacher announced.

"Hi," she said cheerfully, giving a slight wave of her hand.

Looking around John saw that a number of students were glancing at her, with the girls either envious or wanting to recruit her while the boys were collecting dust on their tongues. Silena took a seat at the desk right next to him. "Hello again," she said with a smile.

John glanced at her before looking down, "hi."

She giggled, "am I that scary that I make you nervous?"

John shook his head; he was usually got rather shy when being near pretty girls more suspicious of them. Like Sebastian had told him, "never trust a beautiful woman especially one that's interested in you." It was words he had lived by, so what made this girl so different? As lovely as she was John knew better, 'a girl like that would have no interest in being MY friend.' Still, something about her seemed, different. At first John figured that he was simply fascinated by her beauty, but that inner instinct was telling him otherwise. The last time he got this feeling was almost 6 years ago, with-. A tingle ran along his arms as his hands rubbed his wrists.

The lecture was dull as any other, and John tried, he truly tried to pay attention. The teacher's words came easily enough but trying to put those words to paper was near impossible. His textbook was out but he had his own papers inserted between the pages. The simple fact was that whenever he tried to read something, the letters jumbled in his head. Eventually he started to doze off. and slowly his head slumped onto his desk. He didn't know how long he was asleep for when a voice cut into his ear.

"John! Would you kindly pay attention in my class or at the very least try to stay awake."

The boy in question lifted his head groggily and rubbed his eyes. "Sorry Mrs. Cappuelle," He mumbled with a yawn. Around him other kids shook their head and turned back to the lesson. John rolled his eyes, like he cared for their opinion. He looked to Silena and cocked his eyebrow. Instead of paying attention, she was doodling, leaning back he saw that it was a picture of a winged horse. That surprised John, she didn't seem like the type that would slack off in class, though he has done it and has seen others do it too. though in the latter case not for the same reason that the girl beside him was.

After class, John headed out. the day was usual until lunchtime. As he was eating, he saw the new girl. As expected, she was sitting at the table where the most popular boys and girls were sitting. 'That didn't take long,' he thought. After eating he headed for the library not to read but to get some quiet time. As he turned, the corner he found himself slammed into a set of lockers by four boys. John looked up and scoffed, he knew these guys, knew them all too well after all he did cause their leader to leave school.

"I don't know how you did it, but I haven't forgotten how your siblings made Aaron leave you little twerp." The new leader Cassidy snarled. They were all tall, muscular 8th graders and would likely try out for football.

John glared defiantly, "let me guess they chose you because they couldn't decide between the ugliest or the dumbest."

That got him a blow to the face knocking him to the ground followed by a kick to the stomach. Cassidy grabbed him by the head and lifted him up, "don't worry," he said, "Aaron may be gone but we will be more than happy to continue what he started." He raised his fist and John closed his eyes stealing himself for what was to come when a voice rang out.

"Leave him alone!"

John's eyes popped open, and he turned to see Silena Beauregard walking towards them. 'What are you doing?' he thought frantically, 'go away, you mustn't get involved.'

Cassidy relaxed his grip and leered at her, "what this?" He asked, "did you get yourself a girlfriend?"

"Can't be," one of his friends jeered, "she's too pretty."

"Run along now little girl," Cassidy said with a wave of his hand, "this is none of your business."

But Silena kept coming forward and glared at him. "You will leave him alone," she said in a calm throaty voice, "and you won't bother him again, understood?"

Cassidy was meeting her gaze and replied slowly, "I understand," he said in a deadpanned voice. He turned to his friends, "come on let's go, we've wasted enough time with this thing." he gestured towards John.

His friends looked confused, "but Cass."

"I said let's go," Cassidy said more forcefully, "before a teacher sees." That did the trick, and his friends were now convinced as they followed Cassidy away. "Wow," John mused she doesn't even have to try to get boys to do what she wants.

Silena then turned to John "Are you alright?" She asked kneeling down to help him up.

John shrugged and nodded picking up his stuff and rising to his feet, "it's nothing I'm not used to," he replied. "I'll be fine, but you really shouldn't have done that."

"I couldn't just stand there and let him do that."

John shook his head, "it's not who you stood up to, it's who you stood up for."

She looked confused, "I don't understand."

He smiled sadly, "me and my siblings have garnered a reputation, associating with any of us is a surefire ticket to social suicide. Thanks for the help but, do yourself a favour and keep away."

With that he walked off, leaving Silena standing there with a look of sadness and confusion.

John had a sense that he probably hurt her feelings, but he convinced himself that he did the right thing. 'It's for the best,' he told himself, 'After all, he was a Browning, at least for now.'

Honestly English was the only subject he struggled in. Math was a breeze, though he was struggling with this concept called algebra. He whizzed through science, and did okay in History, and managed not to make a fool of himself in P.E. After school, he waited along with Brittany for their older siblings to pick them up, looking around he saw that Silena was there on a bench waiting patiently. When she saw him, she gave him a wave of her hand. Despite himself John found himself waving back. Brittany saw this stunned, "did you actually make a friend, John?"

John gave a slight shake of his head, "she's not a friend he insisted, just someone in my class." 'She can't be my friend,' John resolved, 'he hadn't had a real friend since-.' His fingers began to idly stroke both his forearms feeling a familiar tingle course through them. Their siblings finally arrived in the family van, after getting in, they now drove to pick up the last two remaining members from elementary. The siblings were chatting away, and they became very interested in the supposed 'friend' John had made. John deflected their questions and insisted that it was nothing. They finally gave up and changed the topic to the afternoon scheme. Yet, try as he might John's mind kept going back to a raven-haired girl with bright blue eyes.