43. Teaming with the enemy

Joel

All this situation is confusing me to the maximum level of confusion. There are too many questions forming on my head, what death is Christian Meyer talking about, if Christian wanted to kill me why he hasn't done that yet, what is the reason behind our family hatred and so many more.

My father was very furious last night. He was yelling at me for taking the game with Olivia too far and that I should stay away from her. All I could do was stay silent and listen to his scolding for a half an hour. Then he took my phone, I don't know the reason why he did that, and I don't know when he's returning it.

When Olivia told me about the conversation between her father and mine, I was left speechless. For the first, I couldn't believe that Olivia could actually be worried for me, I was so lightheaded seeing her cry. And for the second, the fact that someone threated my father with my life leaves me a feeling of unease and fear. Having death so close it's weird, I don't wish that to anyone.

And the thought of my father protecting me makes something to my chest. He drove us to school today, with his own car. This shit never happens, it's weirder than a flying pig.

Did he do that because he was worried Christian Meyer could actually kill me?

''We have to protect Joel now.'' Avril speaks, ''Your crazy father might actually kill him.''

Olivia shifts closer to me and clutches my arm after listening to Avril. I bite the insides of my cheeks to stop myself from smiling.

''My dad is not crazy, and he couldn't kill a human.'' she frowns.

''You have too much faith on him.'' Avril rolls her eyes.

''No this is serious.'' Lucy says, ''We're sure that our father just said that to scare your father, nothing more.''

''Yeah.'' Olivia says and leans her head on my arm. My heart bursts out from my rib cage.

I don't move or do anything, afraid that if I do, she'll shift away from me.

''You may want to step away from him.'' Avril looks at Olivia, ''Not that I don't want you to be with him, but if your father doesn't kill him ours definitely would.''

''Right.'' she shifts away from me, and I glare at Avril.

''What?" she whispers at me, and I glare at her more.

With a last glance at Avril, I turn at Olivia and clutch her by the waist, bringing her closer to me.

''But-'' she starts.

''We're at school, he doesn't see us here.'' I say.

''Are you sure about that?" Avril speaks and I glare at her again. This idiot.

''Olivia?" a voice calls and I snap my head at its direction frowning.

My nightmare is here.

''Elli?" Olivia gets up from me and I close my eyes, taking in a deep breath. I can't believe this.

''What in the fucking fuck is he fucking doing here?" I whisper to myself.

''Did you just say 'fuck' three times on a sentence?" Luke speaks and I side eye him and Avril who is trying to hold her laugh.

''Oh my God what are you doing here?" she says and hugs him. My blood boils from the scene and I force myself to stay seated.

''I'm transferring in this school now.'' he says.

''Really?" she squeals, and I frown at her.

''Yeah.'' he smiles, ''Hey guys! Remember me?"

''Oh, Elliot.'' I say sarcastic, ''What's up man? I missed you a lot, it's amazing that you're here, seriously you were the only one missing.''

''Joel.'' he says between his teeth.

''Yeah.'' I give him a hard look.

''Come sit.'' Olivia says smiling sweetly at him.

''Oh, no, you're not sitting here.'' I argue.

''Come on don't be mean.'' she looks at me, ''He's just joking.''

Olivia sits beside me, and he sits next to her. I repeat, he sits next to her!

Hell no.

I get up from my seat and sit on the middle, separating them.

''What's wrong with you?'' Olivia looks at me and I narrow my eyes at her.

Lucy and Avril start laughing...Luke too.

In this world full of enemies, my siblings participate too.

''So, Elliot.'' Luke clears his throat, ''What brings you here?"

''We moved out from our house and bought a new one and my old school was too far away. Royal Academy school is closer to my new house, so I transferred here.'' he says.

''How amazing.'' I fake smile.

As if I don't have enough problems, I needed an Elliot Harper too.

Will I ever be at peace?

''When did you come here?" Olivia asks him.

''In the morning, but I didn't see you around.'' he says.

"Uh, yeah, we had a little issue.'' she says looking at me.

''In what class are you?" Lucy asks him.

''11B.'' he answers, and I let out a breath in relief.

Thank God he's not on our class.

''So, dear Olivia-'' he starts.

''Olivia, not dear.'' I glare at him.

''Olivia.'' he says looking at me, ''Can you show me around the school?"

''No.'' I say.

''I asked her not you.'' he says.

''Her answer is no.'' I say.

''I can speak for myself, thank you Joel.'' Olivia intervenes, ''And sure, Elli, I can show you around.'' I glare at her, and she flashes me a sweet smile.

''Where is Andy?'' Luke asks.

''He's in France.'' Avril answers and all of us look at her.

''How the hell do you know that?'' I ask her and she looks around nervous.

''Uh...I heard him talk to Olivia yesterday.'' she says, and I nod not believing her.

''Okay, shall we meet tomorrow?'' Luke asks Lucy and Olivia, and they look at each other, ''We need to discuss this more and you should search your house for information.''

''Okay, sure.'' Lucy says, ''Where should we meet?''

''There's a cafe down the street, named Mona's sweets, do you know it?" Luke asks.

''Yes.'' Lucy nods.

''Alright then, meet you there.'' Luke says as the bell rings, signaling us the end of lunch.

This feels unreal. We're actually teaming up with the enemy.

I grab Olivia's hand and after giving Elliot a death glare, I walk out of the cafeteria with her beside me. And the weirdest shit is, she doesn't argue or let's go of my hand.

☯☯☯☯

The ''Mona's sweets'' cafe is a small place with brownish decoration. It has brown leather sofas with white tables. The walls are in a nude brown with lots of paintings of landscapes and war images. There are LED fairy lights hanging on the walls making the place look very cozy and welcoming. And there are plants and flowers everywhere.

This is definitely a place where Luke could go, no wonder he's the one who recommended it.

We are sitting on a place away from the window waiting for the Meyer girls to come, they are weirdly late.

''Popsicle.'' I whisper and touch my cat's nose through the carry bag.  I brought her with me because Saturdays are the days when she goes out and I wanted Olivia to see her.

She meows and tries to catch my finger through the bag.

''They're here.'' Avril says looking at Lucy and Olivia coming in the cafe.

My breath catches my throat when I see Olivia. She's wearing black baggy jeans and a red tight shirt, with a black jacket on. Her brown hair is falling free on her shoulders like a waterfall on a cliff. How is it possible that this human being could be so perfect?

''You're late.'' Avril tells them.

''Sorry, Lucy got distracted by the library.'' Olivia says with an eye roll.

''I just returned the book.'' Lucy says with a soft voice.

''Same thing.'' Olivia says then she looks at the bag on the table and stills.

''Lucy.'' she touches her sister's arm, ''Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

''Yes, Liv, it's a cat.''

''Oh my God!'' she screams and I flinch. I'm not sure if she likes it or she's afraid of it.

This would be very embarrassing for me and Popsicle if she's afraid of cats.

Olivia comes closer to the bag and touches it.

''Liv, you have to ask permission if you can touch it. Don't be rude.'' Lucy stops her.

''Oh... sorry I got too excited.'' she takes her hands off the bag. ''Can I touch it?'' she looks at the three of us.

''Yes, you can.'' I say, ''Here, let me take her out of the bag.'' I offer and she squeals.

She takes a chair and sits next to me.

''Hi!'' she pets the cat sitting on my lap, ''What's its name?"

''Her name is Popsicle.'' I say.

''Hi Popsicle.'' she smiles, ''You have a cute name.''

Seems like Olivia Meyer likes cats.

''Is it yours?" she asks me, and I nod.

''Wow.'' she breaths out, ''I always wanted to have a cat.''

''Why don't you have one?" I ask.

''I can't, my dad is allergic.'' she says with a sad face, petting the cat.

Popsicle leans her head on Olivia's hand and then licks it. I smile.

''She likes you.'' I say and Olivia giggles.

''Just like the owner.'' Luke says sipping his coffee and I look at him in disbelief.

I look at Olivia and she's smiling with a little blush on her face.

''Do you want to hold her?" I ask.

''Yes, please.'' she says and my heart flutters at her cute little voice.

I drop Popsicle on her lap and the cat curls on her lap. Damn she really likes her.

''Oh, I love you.'' Olivia says and kisses the cat's head.

I take my phone out of my pocket, yes, my father returned it to me, and take photos of Olivia.

She's so damn beautiful.

''Okay, back to what we came here, '' Luke speaks, ''did you discover anything?"

''No, nothing.'' Lucy says.

''I risked myself and went to my dad's office.'' Olivia begins, ''There were nothing, no death signs, no trace of the beginning of an enemy era, and no hidden sibling.''

''But we found a strange thing.'' Lucy says.

''What strange thing?" I ask.

''A ripped photo.'' Lucy says and reaches for her bag. She takes out a teared photo of a boy and three girls hugging each other from the sides and lands it on the table.

''Who are they?" I ask.

''This is me.'' Olivia points to a cute short girl with brown hair that is wearing a blue dress. ''This is Lucy, and the boy is Andy.''

''You were so cute.'' I say studying the smiling little girl on the picture.

''Thank you.'' Olivia smiles.

''This is not the time to be romantic, brother. Focus.'' Avril says and I shoot her a glare.

''The photo is torn on a half, and we believe that there are other kids on the photo.'' Lucy says.

''How?" Avril asks.

''You see here on Olivia's arm?" she points at the picture. ''There is another arm there that Olivia is holding, and you can see the half of the shoulder.''

''Yeah.'' Luke says, ''It looks like they have almost the same height.''

''Yes, so it means that the other people on the photo are children like us.'' Lucy explains.

''But why are they separated?" Avril asks.

''We don't know, and we don't remember that party.'' Oliva says and I frown.

''Which is weird because I must have been around the age four or five, I should have remembered it.'' Lucy says.

''And if you see on the back,'' Olivia turns the photo, ''There is written Our little Sunshines and the names Melinda and Michelle.''

''Who's Michelle?" I ask.

''Andy's mother.'' Olivia answers.

''And there is another name there gone with the other half of the photo.'' Lucy says.

''Yeah, the letter a its only left.'' Luke points at the names written with a blue pen behind the photo.

''Do you know anyone that their name ends with the letter a?" I ask.

''There are a lot of mom's friends, but we're not enemies with them.'' Olivia says, ''There's no point of the photo being ripped.''

''What if that person is the one who died that Christian Meyer is talking about?'' Avril says and I nod.

''It could be.'' Lucy says, ''But who is she?"

''You don't remember the other kids on the photo?" I ask.

''No.'' Olivia says, ''Not at all.''

''So, our mission right now is to find who the other kids are and who is the lady, which name ends with the letter a.'' Avril says and we all nod.

''I think that she's the one who died.'' Luke says, ''If you connect the dots they lead us here.''

''Could she be one of our relatives then?" Lucy asks.

''Maybe'' Olivia shrugs, ''What if we ask Grandma Salish?"

''Will she tell us?" Lucy asks.

''Worth a try.'' Olivia kisses my cat on the head.

My phone vibrates on my jeans pocket, and I take it out to look at it.

I frown when I see the sender.

Royal Academy News: What's going on with the Cullens and the Meyers? What did you discover?

Why the heck is this freak asking me these questions?

Me: You really think that I'll tell you that?

I made the mistake of telling him my secret once, I'm not doing it again. My life would be ruined if that secret is revealed.

Royal Academy News: I don't think, I'm sure that you'll tell me that.

Me: What makes you so sure of it?

Royal Academy News: The fact that your secret won't be that safe with me if you don't tell me what I want.

My face drops as I read it. I clench my phone at my hand as my heart start beating faster.

My father would literally destroy me if this secret is revealed.

''Are you okay?"  Olivia asks and I look up at her.

''Yeah, I'm fine.'' I swallow.

''You've been silent for a while.'' she says.

''Don't worry, I'm just looking at my phone.'' I smile and she nods.

My phone vibrates again and my heart drops when I see the notification on my lockscreen.

Royal Academy News tagged you on their post.

Shit.

He didn't post it right?

''What the hell?" Olivia curses looking at her phone and my heart starts beating wildly on my chest.

Oh no. Not her. She will hate me if she finds out about it.

I open Instagram and go through the post.

Royal Academy News.

Wow, wow, wow, hang on royal academies because a big shocking think happened just yesterday on our beloved school. For those who saw it, congratulations and for those who didn't... I feel bad for you. Our school's king and queen hugged in front of us. What a beautiful moment it was, with tears and smiles.

What could have happened that they hugged like that publicly? Is their romance blowing again? Do we have a Meyer and a Cullen couple now?

More updates coming, stay tuned.

''Didn't Joel give this account a secret, so it doesn't talk anymore about you?" Lucy asks looking on her phone.

''He did.'' Luke frowns.

''Why is it spreading rumors again then?'' Avril asks looking at me.

Royal Academy News: I warned you.

I rub my forehead as I read it. What the hell will I do now?

I pass the phone to Luke and his eyes widen as he reads the messages.

''What the heck?" Avril grabs the phone.

''What happened?" Olivia asks and none of us answers her.

''Come on guys, you should tell us. If we're working together then there should be no secrets between us.'' Lucy says and I sigh.

''RAN is threating me with my secret if I don't tell him what's going on between our families.''

''Oh no.'' Lucy says concerned.

''What is the secret?" Olivia asks me.

''I can't tell you.'' I sigh, ''Please, just don't ask me that.''

''Okay, don't tell me. It's okay.'' she touches my hand and I smile thankful.

''What will we do about this now?'' Avril asks.

''We need to find who is behind Royal Academy News.'' I say and they all look at me.