• A Normal Beginning

    It started out like any other Junior Guards day my alarm clock shrieking in my ear. “Shut up you stupid thing,” I mumbled under my breath.

    Living in Ventura I also awoke to the sun creeping through my blinds as the morning fog was disappearing. I opened and closed my eyes a few times before attempting to climb out of bed. As I sat up I turned up the music that I fell asleep to that was know quietly humming in the background. My CD had landed on the song Afraid by Yellowcard and that is exactly how I felt. Afraid. Today was the day and nothing was going to stop me from what I wanted to do.

    “Jane wake up before I go in there and get you up my way,” my younger sister called out, “You’re going to be late and you and Rose are going to the island today.” At that point I leaped out of bed. Rose and I had been best friends for four years now and I couldn’t wait to have another year at the island with her.

    I ran to the bathroom and ripped off my pajamas as I crammed on my bathing suit. I then sprinted to my room and started shuffling through my laundry basket looking for my jacket. I found it and pulled it out. I quickly threw it on over my slightly faded Junior Guards shirt as I pulled on the light blue shorts that were part of our noticeable uniform. I quickly ate a granola bar I could hear Rose calling out from the car, “Come on Jane lets move!”

    “I’m coming,” I yelled back as I quickly grabbed my backpack that my mom had already packed for me. “Thanks Mom!” I called out as I walked out the door.

    “Well hurry up we need to go pick up John and Joe or did you forget?” At that I started sprinting Joe was another one of my great friends and John was his silly brother that always made me crack up. I couldn’t wait to hear dumb jokes that always made me snort and catch up with Joe on how he was doing.

    As a jumped in we headed to there house with my brother Mike complaining in the back of the car. “I was going to go on the greatest date of my life but no JG’s got in the way… gosh I hate this.”

    “At least John and Joe are going to be there come on it can’t be that bad turn that frown upside down,” I stated to torture him just a little bit more.

    “Hey leave him alone”, Rose muttered, “If he doesn’t want to hang out with John and Joe than all of our great plans are ruined.” At that I kept my mouth shut Rose and I were going to try and push Mickey and John in the water together. Last year we tried the same stunt but John wasn’t “entertained” by Mike. The reason we were doing this Mickey was the fastest swimmer and three years ago beat John in the swimming competition. Rose wanted to see him be creamed because she wasn’t there that year. “Hey, here comes John and Joe.” Rose said getting me out of my thinking trance.

    “Hey girls what’s up,” Joe said sitting down in-between Rose and me flicking his black long hair in her face.

    “The sky,” Rose said stating out the obvious, “Just kidding. Jane was late; she slept in again that’s why we are late.” She gave me a little glare out of the corner of her bright green eyes.

    “It’s not all my fault I can’t help it I couldn’t sleep I keep having nightmares about a girl trapped in a room that can’t get out and wants something that isn’t there, then out of desperation takes a golden dagger and well you know.”

    “No we don’t come on. Don’t leave a story unfinished!” Rose pleaded her lime eyes seeming huge against her tan skin and short light brown hair.

    “Come on, I want to hear the end too don’t make me puppy dog pout,” Joe teased as he smiled with his strange puppy dog brown eyes.

    “Fine, she takes the dagger and plunges it through her wrist and in the pain smashes through the wall only to plummet down into the surrounding forest, then nothing,” I said ending the tragic tale.

    After the few moments of silence we approached the harbor and magically seamed to be early. Even though I was late out of the house and I remember leaving at 8:20 I thought putting it in the back of my mind. However, being the first people there all we could do was watch and wait for someone to show up.

    We all got out of the car and started to approach the docking area we split into our normal chatting groups. John, Joe, Rose, and I started talking about the new song Joe was thinking of putting in the band. Rose was their drummer, John the main guitarist, and Joe bass guitar. I was only a guest star that rarely came in because I couldn’t really play any instrument and wasn’t the best singer in the world.

    Getting bored I walked away only to have Rose follow me a few minutes later. “Jane come on! Why do you always do that? You can’t just walk away and not tell me you might hurt your elbow again like when we where camping together and I want to see it happen this time.”

    I couldn’t help but force out a small giggle. Rose had always tried to cheer me up unless she was the one I was angry at. Soon my giggle became my signature full on belly, zebra, pig, mixture of insanity.

    After calming down I could see that John, Joe, and Mike were starting to dare each other to do stupid teenage boy stunts as always. I was tempted to go over and join them adding a female’s touch to some of there so called extreme stunts, but something caught the corner of my eye. I set down my backpack and peered down to try and tell what it was. Looking with my eyes squinted I could see a squid like creature trapped under a rock. Always trying to help animals I crept down to set it free.

    “Jane, what the hell are you thinking? If a lifeguard sees you we will be dead meat or well you know.” Rose was always trying to win gnarly girl award and didn’t want to have to climb down and get me out from under a rock if I suddenly got in trouble for some reason.

    “I’ll be up in a second”, I called up, “just have to help this creature.”

    When I finally reached the imprisonment, the prisoner was gone never to be seen anytime soon. However, were it stood a glistening object remained.

    A pin.

    It wasn’t anything like I’d ever seen before. A crescent moon covered with a faint blue tinge that had two intertwined silver ribbons coming off of the faint moon in the center. Where the ribbons met, my initials JG were there connecting the two pieces together. Thinking since it was down there, no one cared for it I quickly swept it into my jacket and started my ascent.

    “Jane hurry up I can’t have John, Mike or any other of those teenage boys seeing you. They would probably jump down there and start CPR thinking you died or something. I know who would use that as an excuse to do it…,” At those words, I saw my crush had arrived that same moment.

    Sprinting up to the sidewalk, I saw Rose wave over to Henry. “s**t”, I thought, “I’m going to have too talk to him, please don’t come over here please...” At that he started walking over away from his friends. “No please don’t come over here wait his friend is over there go to your friend yes leave. Go over there no.” he walked over to talk to Rose. “Damn.”

    “Hey Rose, what’s up? Don’t say the sky!” Henry casually remarked.

    Seeing that I was finally up from my exploring she just stated, “Just saying hi and making sure you have a fun boat ride.”

    “Ok then?” he questioned and walked back to his friends.

    “You are so lucky you came up here I would have told him if you hadn’t come up in the next twenty seconds… you would have well… never had a chance.” She said with her evil grin.

    “Sometimes I question our friendship. Hey, look, the lifeguards are getting on we better hurry if we want seats that have a good view. Hey race you there,” as those words left my lips Rose sprinted to the boat. I quickly grabbed up my backpack as well as hers even with my slight head start though she graceful leapt on and beat me there.

    “Oh yeah whose faster whose faster,” Rose stared up her annoying chant.

    “You are, and your prize is a backpack full of valuables and not being thrown overboard, now get in there before I push you into the water,” tauntingly I gave her a small shove.

    At that exact moment, I felt unsafe, unsure of myself but then I saw Henry in front of me and I always felt that way when I saw him. To me he was one of the things that helped me connect to myself. When we were both at water polo practice he would let me be me and I didn’t have to pretend to be someone else. He also helped me with my water polo skills and was the only one that could keep up with me. He always made me laugh, but I knew that when his friends were around I shouldn’t really talk to him. He was one of those semi popular people and I knew I wasn’t the best known person there. It wouldn’t work out between us anyway we both went to Foothill High School, but he was one of those guys that hung around a pod of girls that all wanted his attention or to be his girlfriend but some guys don’t even realize it. I knew he probably did but he didn’t like any of them that way: that I knew of at least.

    When all of the crew finally got on the boat and the GP (if you didn’t know that would be the General Public) the boat finally started pulling out of the harbor. The water was perfectly smooth until we hit the end of the harbor and got into open water. I wasn’t ready for the sudden impact so I ran straight into Henry’s lips.

    I couldn’t believe it my first kiss with Henry and on accident. Soon we heard a course of ohs, ahs, and finally erupt around the boat at that I started to fast walk away with Rose and ever other girl in the A program following me. I could tell that the boys were attacking Henry as well, but all I could think about was that I would have rather have had Rose just tell him then this happening. I ran up on top of the deck and hid behind some of the bags Rose saw me immediately but thank god she directed the girls away from me saying she saw me run in the bathroom. Oh and of course she stayed behind to talk to me. “Jane Grim what were you thinking I thought … I … why would you …,” Rose couldn’t think of words she had been hoping for me to finally express my feelings towards him for two years, but she didn’t think it would be in this way I would express my feelings to him.

    “I wasn’t trying to! I didn’t even see him there!” I said standing up, “I think I’m going to go talk to him.”

    “Jane you just kissed him. You’ll probably be mobbed by the girls on the way out and if you could survive that you’ll have to get past all of the boys trying to get a close up with the girl that kissed their best friend,” Rose continued, “and anyway why would he want to talk to you after that stunt?”

    “I’m going to have to try and talk to him at least I’ll be able to get that confession of my chest. Well here I go,” at that I started to try and get to Henry through the girls and guys crowding around him. Lucky for me, I was able to switch jackets with Rose so no one took any notice in me. Right when I got close enough to talk to him, the lifeguards finally notice something was going on so they told everyone to give him some breathing room. After they heard the story, they went out searching for me not knowing I was crouched behind him. “Hey I’m sorry about that earlier.”

    At that Henry jumped. I guess he didn’t see me behind him, “Oh it’s you,” is all he could say.

    “Yes it’s me and I didn’t mean to kiss you! It was an accident, even though I kind of liked it, but it doesn’t matter I kind of liked you for awhile but whatever you probably have a girlfriend anyway and you would want to go smack lips with her. Let’s just pretend this didn’t happen. If you need me I’ll be in the galley. I have no clue why you would go there though, but yeah, whatever.”

    At that I started walking away, heart broken for the second time. The pain wouldn’t hit till later, but it would have the same awful sting of depression. As I started walking head low and heading to the galley, I heard Henry say, “I think I just saw her go into the galley.”

    s**t why cant he leave me alone and go tortured some other girl hey those could be good lyrics … wait I need to focus! Walk casually over there… ok right left right left oh what the hell! At that I glided over there with little to no ease. “Yeah,” I said as I approached the life guards, “what’s up.”

    “Young lady, did you do anything to cause this commotion?” As they waited for my response, I just twiddled my thumps. “Answer us!”

    “Well I ran into Henry over there. Other than that, I didn’t intentionally cause this, but you know how people get. Now if you would excuse me, I would like to leave and hang out with a few of my buddies. So talk to you guys later.”

    As I walked away the excitement seemed to dwindle away to nothing. I saw Rose in the galley and walked in to sit by her she had already sent John off on a quest for hot chocolate. Good thing she ordered three!

    “Hey do you guys want to play a game?” John said out of the blue as he returned setting down the hot chocolates.

    “What kind of game?” I asked.

    “Yeah Jane, doesn’t want to scare her new boyfriend,” Rose couldn’t help but tease me.

    “Shut it, he doesn’t like me back anyway I might as well play your game. What is it?”

    “It’s called who can push Joe off the boat first. Ready set and go!” as John ran out leaving his hot chocolate behind.

    “No you ahh,” at that she started sprinting. I had no idea of what of to do until Rose called back at me, “Well come on!”

    At that we started to catch up to John. Right as we got there I could see he ran past Henry and gave him a bloody nose. “That’s it!” I screamed. With that, a feeling of uncertainty and power waved over me until it was diminished by an unknown presence and with that we caught up to John. “Don’t even think about,” I screeched.

    John halted for a second but the push was enough. Joe was heading into the water. At that I couldn’t take it I fell down head in hands, then a gust no a bellow of wind came bringing Joe safely aboard and a seagull knocking John in the back of the head. “Ok that was weird,” Joe said finally realizing what was going on.

    Rose looked like she was about to kill John but was holding herself back from doing anything to drastic. Joe looked like he just woke up. And I looked like I was fully consumed by power. “What’s up with Jane’s eyes?” Joe murmured. At that everyone turned to me.

    My pupils were consumed by gold and silver outlining with a green iris instead of my gray blue eyes. “Ok, what’s wrong with them?” At that they all stared at me Rose quickly regained herself, Joe following close behind, while John kept staring. Rose took off her sunglasses and showed me the reflection of my eyes, “Ok, why are my eyes this way. Any guesses?”

    “Well maybe yeah that could be a possibility,” Rose just looked at the clouds.

    “Come on I want to know why my eyes are like this. Please tell me what you think,” I said in pleading I wanted to know why all these weird things were going on and if this was the cause of it, I wanted to know.

    “Well remember what I said in my book about the magicians?”

    “Yes they all have powers and that now who do these things relate?”

    “Know how their eyes change color when they’re using magic. Well that might be he reason or you could be going nuts.” Rose said.

    “What, you think I have magic?” giggling I continued, “that’s the weirdest thing ever… but,” the giggling stopped, “crazy. I don’t think I’m that nuts.”

    “Yeah, she’s right about that,” I turned around startled. I hadn’t heard him approach, but there right behind me was Henry. Agreeing that I wasn’t nuts.

    “What do you want?” I said in a normal tone for I think the first time in my entire life.

    “Yeah about earlier… um”, at that his voice lowered, “Yeah, I sort of meant for that to happen. I can understand if you hate me and all that, so I hope were okay and all that. Well I’ll see you later, I guess.” At that I stood there like a carving. I went tense everywhere and then I did what many would question.

    I kissed him.

    I could tell it took him by surprise but soon he relaxed and we just stood there in each others embrace until Rose interrupted. “Uhh, Jane, not to break up your moment or anything but there’s a lifeguard coming and we’re right here.”

    At that, I quickly turned away as Ryan who was leaving this year ran up. “Is everything ok over here? I heard a scream?”

    “Everything is perfect, we’re fine there was just a bump and Jane spilled her hot chocolate all over herself,” at that I looked down and saw hot chocolate all over my JGs sweater. Dang it! There is always something stupid in my romantic moments!

    “Well if there’s any trouble or if she gets cold, we’re all in the galley.” At that he sprinted away.

    “Ok, any other ideas why my…” at that Rose clasped her hands over my mouth I guess she didn’t want Henry to know. “Never mind, I’m going to go talk to Henry. See you guys later.”

    “As I walked away I could see that Rose was going to make John sit next to her for the rest of the trip. At that I had to have a small giggle. I didn’t realize where Henry was taking me until I saw his friends. Oh great, I thought; now I’m going to have to tell them all I’m not crazy, oh well.

    “Wait here,” at that he walked the rest of the way there and got who I thought his best friend was Seth.

    “Ok, it’s only the best friend. This is a great intro. Just act normal,” at that I started to slouch on the railing only to slip. “Great.” I thought at that I could see Seth trying to hide in his giggles.

    “Henry, are you sure you want her? You could have almost any girl in the school. I bet you could even get Susana. I heard she just broke up with her old boyfriend.” Seth was trying to lure Henry into some popular group that would boast his popularity.

    “No, I want her… I mean she isn’t the best known for sure but … there’s something about her. I can’t quite put my finger on it but she’s just… normal,” at that I tried to slip away from them to get into the galley and get warmed up. “Not so fast.” When he saw me shivering he got the hint and we went inside to talk.

    “So hi,” I felt sort of weird talking to Seth and Henry at the same time I thought I would have my first few times with my boyfriend alone of well.

    “Yeah hi you’re the girl my best friend likes right?” Seth asked trying to start up conversation.

    “Yeah I guess if that’s what he thinks,” I said glancing over at him. Little did I know my eyes at that moment were the strange green mixture.

    “Umm I’m going to go outside. Jane will you please come with me,” I wasn’t sure if I could refuse Henry or not so I just followed him outside.” Jane look. I’m only going to show this to you once.” At that he took of his glasses to revile his bright blue eyes. For a second I didn’t know what to do all I could see were his eyes and then I saw mine.

    “Umm uh yeah what ups with that I’ve never seen this before.” I was always a bad liar and this was like a test to me. He just looked at me and I had to tell him. “Ok, ok I just seriously don’t know what’s going on. Today this happened already I have no clue why or how it just happens sometimes I’m normal trust me!”

    At that he just kept staring at me I looked down on the water and saw my reflection. My waist length long blonde brown hair was hanging limply over the railing as my long torso threatened to cast me into the deep abyss. For a second I lost my footing and almost was claimed by the waves, but then he just swept me up in his arms and held me close. I wished I could stay there forever but I had to ask him something. “Henry?”

    “Yes,” is all he could say as he held me close acting like he would never let go.

    “I need to go talk to Rose,” at that he squeezed me a little tighter; “I wish I could see you all day too, but she might know what’s wrong with me. And she has an idea why my eyes keep doing these strange things.” At that he reluctantly set me down. I gave him a short kiss and tried to slip my phone number in his pocket stealthily.

    “What’s this for?” he asked startled that I didn’t just tell him my number to put in his cell phone, “You know I have a photographic memory and a cell phone.”

    “I now you do, but…” I looked up at his long black as night wind blasted hair. “I wanted you to have it in my hand writing. Just in case anything happens to me... I want you to have the last thing that I wrote; even if it’s just this.”

    “You’re saying it as if you’re going to die,” Henry said trailing his finger across my lips. I couldn’t help but look up into his eyes those gorgeous hypnotizing blue eyes. Against his hair and pale skin made him look like a character out of a story book. His hair was just the right length to not long enough to make him look girly, but enough to make him look handsome. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll come running if you need me. Here this is my lucky charm just so you know I’m always watching. Keep it safe and don’t tell the guys about this. Ok?” He then reached into his jacket and took out a silver fairy on a chain. I gasped and almost fell over. Lucky for me I fell into him.

    This same lucky charm he held in his hand was the one I had lost two years ago. “Where…How did you find that I lost it? Did you take it? How long have you had it?” I guess that must have been an outburst because of the way he looked at me.

    “I thought you would have figured it out by now. You left this on the pool deck the first day I met you. I thought you might have wanted it back, but you didn’t seem to notice it was missing. I just kept it hoping it would bring us closer together. I guess it worked.” He grinned showing me his perfect no braces teeth. At the shocked look spread across my face.

    My most precious possession that I lost was dangling limply from his outstretched hand waiting to be returned to me. “Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me!” At that I talked him with a hug. Only one more reason I like him so much. “No I hadn’t figured it out,” I wish I could just stand there forever and have him stroke his fingers through my hair, but I had to find Rose. “I’ve got to go I’ll see you when we get there. I promise.” I gave him the best smile I could with my wretched braces grinding against my gums.

    I left him only to have him be mobbed by all of his guy friends that saw that last kiss. Poor guy if only he wasn’t liked by everyone at least I knew that he would stay with me and be my boyfriend. I could hold him close until he wanted to let go then I would let him. All I want from my story boy is to see him happy even if that would be with another commoner or princess.

    After turning the corner I started my wild goose chase in search of Rose. I went to the galley with no luck and then to the bow where I found the same results. I then thought of where she would put John to make him unhappy and uncomfortable. No duh the balcony of course! As I finished that thought I was mobbed by the A group girls that saw the last kiss.

    “Oh my god, Jane did you just kiss Henry? I need a picture!” At that Mickey grabbed me and got out her camera, “Smile.”

    “Jane, you are so lucky. Henry is so cute! You guys are the cutest couple ever! How did you have him fall in love with you?” At that girls started flooding me with all of there questions and congratulations. I couldn’t take this much attention.

    “As much as I would want to hang; I have to go ask a friend a question. And I think I’ll keep how I got him to fall in love with me a secret.” I then tried to break out of the girl mob, bad idea. The second I got out from there I got stuck in the guy mob.

    “Jane,” I turned only to come face to face with Rick. Rick was the tallest guy at Junior Guards that wasn’t an instructor. He was six foot three and a half with only muscles on him. His hair was almost buzzed all the way off. It should have all been buzzed off all the way to because the little bit that was still there was not attractive at all. The only things that seemed to match with this guy at all are his skin and his chocolate brown eyes. Rick was the same guy who has had a crush on Rose since the first time he saw her and has been trying to make her fall in love with him since; with no success.

    “Yes Rick?” I said turning around only to allowing him and his goons to trap me in there circle.

    “You’re now Henry’s girlfriend correct?” he asked as if he couldn’t believe he was asking me this question.

    “Yeah, I guess and what’s it to you?” I couldn’t help but give that group a little bit of attitude.

    “Perfect,” at that an evil grin spread across his face. “Henry has a girlfriend guys you all know what that means.” At that guys started nudging each other and giving high fives. “We have to vote on her approval to the brotherhood as taken.” At that he pointed to me. “Until then she is up for grabs for anyone who wants her.”

    “Huh?” is all I could say as his biggest goon Rufus went up to me and started stroking my hair. “Get off me! Hen…” That was all I could get out before he clasped his hand over my mouth.

    “We well have the official meeting on the island where we will show her our leader and have the official vote all how agree?” Of course all of the goons raised there hands along with a few of the other A boys. “Boys as our leader is not present I would wish to bring this meeting to a close any who oppose?”

    “Yeah, I want to oppose because isn’t it up to Henry if he likes me enough as not to have your friends take advantage of me? I mean wouldn’t your brotherhood, whatever the hell that is, want to see him happy? You can’t control someone like that anyway it’s not right!” I didn’t want to be without Henry only a few minutes after I had been expressed my feelings and been accepted. “You wouldn’t dare anyway. Would you?” All of sudden I felt a strange increase in the temperature in my hands. I looked down and saw that my hands were glowing a strange fire blue. I quickly tucked them in my jacket before any of the dumb guys noticed.

    “Guys, meeting is over leave I need to talk to the outsider alone.” At that all of his followers despaired into the galley. “Yes I am daring, but there is one little thing that might sway my vote; which my friends would follow in suit.”

    “What can I give you here that you don’t already have? It’s not like I can give you anything you don’t have anyway. You’re like the richest guy here! Wait no you wouldn’t!”

    “Yes I would. You think I wouldn’t know you liked Henry? Of course if you’re so dim witted as not to know he is in the Brotherhood then I have no idea why he even likes you. All the boys in the A group are in the Brotherhood except one and just so I’m sure you know exactly what I want. I get Rose then you get to keep Henry.” He had an evil grin spread across his lips.

    “Rose wouldn’t like you even if you and her where the last two humans on earth. She would marry a rock before she would even consider dating you!” I hoped that my outburst would scare him enough to take his mind off Rose and get me an easier task to accomplish, but he just kept staring. “Fine, I’ll try, but no guarantees.”

    “For your sake there better be a guarantee or I can’t guarantee that I’ll vote in your favor and trust me. If you don’t have me it is as if you have no one at all. I suggest you go find her and tell her before we get to the island because that’s when you fate is decided and the meeting is held. Good luck!” He walked into the galley without a second glance lucky for him because I was using my communicator.

    Now I really had to get to Rose. I ran up to the balcony and saw her talking to Joe as John had a little string tied around his index finger. At first I thought it was just one of those other little random things that John dose, but then I saw that it attached to Rose sweater. I couldn’t help but laugh John, our strongest guy swimmer, had Rose, our fastest girl runner, in control of ever little movement he made; as she was talking to Joe about what I was going to do about the Henry thing with my parents and dating arrangements.

    “So, Jane, I guess it worked out between Henry and you. Now all we have to do is get someone to come on a “date” with me and we can go hang out at the movies or something.” Rose said without even looking up from her MP3 player. I looked over her shoulder and saw she was listening to Nirvana.

    “Yep and I know the perfect guy you can go out with.” I got out my MP3 player turned it on and I put my headphones into my ears. I slowly turned up Sick Puppies to prepare for her yelling outburst. “How dose Rick sound?”

    At that she grabbed me by my hair and ripped out my headphones. “Jane, did you just suggest I go out with Rick the d**k. What are you thinking? He is as close to …I don’t an official unwilling to admit it retard as you can get. Why would you want me to go out with him anyway?”

    “He is going to make it so that I am not aloud to see Henry ever again. All because of this stupid thing called the Brotherhood. He told me that only one guy wasn’t in it. So John, Joe which one of you if not both of you are in this group?” I looked at each of them in turn. Joe looked as if he had no idea of what I was talking about so I aromatically knew John was the only one we had on the inside, beside Henry of course.

    “Apparently you are one of those girls that more than one person in the Brotherhood want. So there going to vote on who you go out with and who you can’t even look at again. In there you’re just another pretty face that’s wanted by more than one person. My advice to you is to act like you don’t care what side you’re taken by then you’ll have a better chance at getting the one you want.”

    “Ok, Mr. Brotherhood can you explain to us how this thing actually works or is that classified.” Rose was trying to find anyway she could to get the easy ticket out of this one, but there was nothing that I could see about this that would be easy.

    “I might as well start off easy there are three major groups of the Brotherhood. The first are the Athletic group, that’s the branch that I am under. Then even with the Athletic group is the popular guy group. Not always popular in the positive way obviously because that’s the group that Rick is in. Last and lowest are our geeks. There the ones that get us all the dirt on everyone that we need dirt on and they do all the dirty work. Then above them is the head council which is a group of three selected people from each branch. They then vote on someone that fits all three categories and he then becomes the leader.” Taking a breath he continued. “Rick sadly in your case is the most well known person in our Brotherhood, behind the leader of course. So you are almost guaranteed to be doomed if Rose doesn’t help you because of course Rick is head of the popular group. Lucky for you he is not the head of it all or you would be doomed before it started.”

    “So not to seem to far fetched, but it looks like we have two options. One we try and magical convince everyone that I would be better with Henry then the other guy without seeming desperate or two Rose goes out with Rick. Number one is not guaranteed, but we could all be safe and nothing would change. Number two is a complete guarantee, but Rose would have to go out with the man hoe for a day at the least. Rose this is all up to you it’s your call.” As I finished naming our two options we all looked over to her waiting for a response.

    “If he is … ok I’ll do it but Jane. You owe me big time.” I knew that Rose meant that I would owe her big time, but it was so worth it.

    “Yes! Rose thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me now all we have to do is tell the a**.” I gave her a huge hug and walked off in search of Rick.

    As I walked into the galley I saw him talking to Henry so I couldn’t help but ease drop.

    “Henry. First off I’m glad you finally tied the knot with Jane. Second you seem to have forgotten about the Brotherhood in the process to get her so just to let you know we are going to have a meeting on the island.”

    “How authorized it and what is it about?” Henry just acted cool as if he had been in the in this organization for a long time. Why wouldn’t he tell me about this after he kissed me for the first time?

    “I authorized it and you know better than to kiss open territory before telling us. Do you think you have special privileges or something? Never mind don’t answer that just be ready for the meeting.” At that he stood up and left Henry’s side.

    I walked over and decided to talk to Henry before telling Rick the “good” news. “Henry?”

    “What Jane?” his voice was drenched with stress and worry.

    Before I said any thing else I sat down next to him and put my head on his shoulder and looked up at him acting like I was a little tired kid that needed a hug. He just smiled and put his head on mine. “You never told me about the Brotherhood. What are you in it?”

    At that he pulled away and looked at me with utter hatred. He must have not liked the fact that I mentioned the Brotherhood. “The Brotherhood is evil. I didn’t even want to be a part of it, but of course I got noticed. I was then forced to join and soon after I became …leader.”

    Everything started making sense as the concept came crashing down on me. “So can’t you do anything to stop this and just allow me to go out with you? It shouldn’t be that hard at all if you’re the leader and all. Why can’t you… I mean.”

    “I wish I could, but of course another a** likes you and in the code it says, ‘Think of bros before hoes.’ I wish you didn’t have to go through with this...”

    “What who is the other guy that likes me? I might as well know who the other guy is so I can not go near him for the rest of the time on the boat.”

    “I can’t tell you it’s a secret.”

    “You’re group sounds like little kids with all of your secrets. Can’t you just tell me this one it won’t hurt anyone; that badly.”

    “Sorry I cant you better go tell Rick what you wanted to tell him before we get there. Good luck finding him!” At that we started to approach the island.
    * * *