Chapter 1 – Home late

I pushed away my wet black hair out of my eyes with my hand as I cycled down the street, it had been ‘hammering it down’ for half an hour…sadly that was the time that I had to go back home. Yeah, I’d be dry there, but  I’d be soaking when I got there…since it took that long to get home! I was going to silently make my way to the bike shed, then I was going to slip through the kitchen – and past the cook- get up the two flight of stairs, through a corridor or two, get into my room and into my bathroom to dry and pretend that I’ve been home for at least an hour. Of course…that didn’t work out as I had planned. My mother had seen that my bike wasn’t there and had waited for me.

“Zena,” Yeah…that’s my name, it’s sorta weird, “You were supposed to be inside half an hour ago!” I sighed silently to myself and replied with, “Sorry mother, it took me half a hour to get home from when you said to come home so it’s not…really late.” I gave my ‘sorry, but not guilty’ smile and backed out of the bike shed. “Get dry and changed Zena!” was the last thing I heard as I rushed to the door of the house, I ran into my room and grabbed my towel and started to dry myself hastily. I struggled into one of my dresses, brushed my unkempt hair –which was surprisingly hard to do-, and rushed downstairs. “Who’s this, might it be the Queen?” I heard a laugh from inside the dining room as I reached the door. I knew straight away who had said it, even if I didn’t see them. “Very funny Zario!” I said to my brother as I walked into the room and sat down at the table. “Don’t start fighting you two, alright?” My father sighed as the servants brought in our dinner. “Alright Father, we won’t fight…I wont fight.” I told him, smiling innocently. “And I won’t either…Father.” Zario agreed, mimicking how I said ‘Father’. “Zario, don’t mimic your sister.” My mother told him sternly. “He’s always doing that!” I sighed. “‘He’s always doing that!’” Zario mimicked. “Stop that!” “‘Stop that!’” He repeated. “Mother! Tell him to stop!” I wailed –not literally-, gripping the side of my seat with my hands tightly. “Zario, stop mimicking her or I wont let you get out the house OR let any of your friends come round! And no phone or computer to talk to them with.” My mother told my brother, a threat that she uses a lot…and always works because he stops straight away after that. “Sorry Zena.” Zario apologized, my mother excused herself and slipped out of the room. “Alright, so…Zena, who did you hang out with today?” Father asked me, I heard Zario whisper something quietly which I didn’t hear properly and I replied with, “Oh, Lyca, Takio and…Reyes.” I told them, then I fell silent and moved my peas around with my fork slowly. “Reyes? Reyes Crowe?” My dad asked angrily, standing up and banging his fist on the table. “Dad!” I begged him to sit down in that one word, he wouldn’t listen though…why would he? I shouldn’t of mentioned Reye’s name; my father hates him, he never tells me why though,  mother thinks he’s alright but doesn’t like him, and Zario…doesn’t pay any attention to him thankfully. “I told you not to talk to him!” He shouted at me, walking to the window –which wasn’t too far away- and back. “What’s wrong with him?” I shouted back, standing up. “You don’t need to know that, but you can’t talk to him!” My dad replied in his ‘furious’ tone of voice. My mother walked into the huge arch-way which led into and out of the dining room. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and shouted, “He hasn’t done anything wrong Dad!” “How would you know if he has or not?” My dad ‘shouted back at me. “Because I know him enough to know he wouldn’t do anything bad to us!” I cried out. “I’m not going to let you talk to him anymore!” He told me. “…I hate you!” I shouted slightly, in a crying sort of voice and I ran out past my mother. “What was it this time?” My mother asked. “Something about a Reyes Crowe or…something.” Zario told her, standing up and making his way up to his room. “Reyes Crowe…” My mother whispered, “Oh no Laziur, you didn’t…” “She shouldn’t be near him Lexia…He’s dangerous.” Laziur whispered, walking away into the other room.