Chapter 9

 I wake up around nine o'clock at night from a bad dream. Jake is gone, I flip on the lamp on my bedside table. There's a note beside the lamp.

It's from Jake,

Went to the school, we're meeting there. Come down when you wake up. Btw I love the dress.

Jake.

I look down, just now realizing I fell asleep with my dress on. It's rolled half way up me from rolling around so much.

I stand up and pull my dress down, grabbing the note and throwing it in the trash. Walk out the door of my bedroom and down the stairs.

Half way down the stairs this wave hits me and I almost fall down realizing there's someone here. I pull the Swords out of the holders on my back.

When I get all the way down the stairs, I peek around the corner. I walk in the living room and swing the swords through the curtains, No one's there.

I put the swords back in there holders and sit down on the couch and yell,

"You can come out now!!" messing with my nails while yelling it.

Then someone pops out of the shadows, "How'd you know I was here?"

I smile, "You have a very strong aura about you and could feel you here halfway down the stairs."

He looks down and I say, "Who are you anyway?"

"You should know."

I stand up and pull the Katana out and spin it around my finger. "Stupid hunters, what do you want?"

He smiles at me, "I just wanted to let you know, I know Michael's working with you to get Gina out."

"Yea? Really now?" I say circling him, I get behind him and poke him with the Katana and whisper in his ear, "Prove it..."

I walk back around him he just stares at me. I sit back down on the couch and say, "So... what are shadow people anyway?"

He looks at me with surprise, "They’re the god of the underworlds sons and daughters. Just like you with a couple differences."

"Yea..." I say, "YA'LL are all a*s holes... there’s one difference."

He sits down, my head is in my hands and I'm crying. He just looks at me, "You just say that because some of us are trying to kill you and we have your sister."

I start crying harder and laughing at the same time, "Some? Why you say some?... I just want my sister back unharmed that's all I've ever wanted."

"I know..." He says still staring at me, "Not all of us are 'a*s holes' you know."

I look at him, there's light from the window reflecting on his eyes. He has deep blood red eyes, I keep staring at them and realize he actually cares about me.

"You have pretty eyes." I say whipping my eyes.

He smiles and looks down embarrassed. I just smile and realize I still have the Katana in my hand then put it back in its holder.

"Look I got to go. You said you know that Michael's with us... So what? What are you going to do? Why did you come?"

He looks me in the eyes again, what is it with this guy?, then says, "I wanted to help you to... if that's ok."

I think, It gives me time to actually get to know him, "Ok... but I got to know your name first." I say laughing a little.

He smiles, "Xavier... is the name..."

"O ok... I've really got to go, you coming or not?"

"Yea."

"Sorry but It's really important."

He puts his arm around my waist and nudges me forward and says, "I know."

We get in the car and head off toward the school, talking a lot on the way there. I'm asking him a bunch of questions to see if he'll tell the truth, I'm not good at believing these people.

Fifteen minutes later we pull up to the school. I'm walking really fast to get to the Cafeteria. Xavier has a hard time keeping up, but manages it.

We get to the cafeteria and they’re just sitting there discussing something and stop as soon as we walk through the door. Some people are staring at me but most people are staring at Xavier. I stare back at them and say;

"Boo! What ya'll staring at?" A little mad that they're just talking and not getting ready to leave.

I walk up to Jake, Michael and Princess. "So are we leaving or not?!" I say.

"That's what I said…" Michael said looking at me.

"Wait, Not everyone's here yet."

"Then they’ll catch up! If we don't get there now they could kill Gina they could be right now!"

Jake ignores me, "who's he?" he says looking at Xavier.

"A friend," I say getting a little impatient, "I'm leaving I’ll meet you there." I say walking off.

"Katty... Katrina!" Jake says.

I turn around pissed off and take the throwing knife out of my shoe about to throw it but stop when I see them all flinch, "She's my sister! I'm not just going to stand here and wait for everybody to get here while they could be killing her." I walk out the door.

I hear running footsteps behind me and Xavier pops up beside me still in the shadows, I would really like to see the rest of his face.

"You can't go by yourself they'll kill you." He says with a worried tone.

"They can try..." I say still pissed off.

"What if they succeed?"

I turn around and look at him, "Then I die. But at least I die trying to save my sister."

He looks upset and worried, "Then I'm coming with you."

I just stare at him for a minute, "Why do you care about me so much?"

"You don't remember?"

I look at him confused, "No? Remember what?"

"When we were kids we hung out we were best friends. But someone took away your memory, I thought you'd remember over time but, I guess not. We hung out all the time we were inseparable, I loved you, and still do. When they took your memory I followed you around, your entire life I’ve been with you in the shadows, staying hidden."

I think really hard about the past trying to unlock the memory the people hid from me. My head starts hurting, I turn around and start walking really fast to the pool we have in the school.

When I get there I take the weapons, Boots, and dress off, Just leaving me in my underwear and bra. Then Dive in the pool and sit at the bottom of the pool. My headache disappears right when I hit the water.

I focus on unlocking the hidden memory. I sit there for a couple minutes then I get really dizzy. Suddenly all my memories from when I was really young come flooding back to me.

I see the only person I'm with is Xavier, Jake and Gina are always together. Why didn't anyone tell me about this? I should've known, I knew I recognized him.

I push myself out of the water. When I get out I immediately start crying. "Why did they do this to me?!"

He sits beside me, both of our feet are in the water. "Because you knew me and I loved you. So they got rid of all the memory of me so you wouldn't know me."

"God I hate who ever did this. But I really got to go now." I say about to stand up.

I stand up and grab my cloths and weapons and put them back on. Then turn around and was about to head to the door when I see Jake standing at the door with this mad look on his face.

"What is going on in here?" Jake yells.

"You sound like a teacher," I say pushing past him, "I was getting some memory back if that’s ok with you."

He grabs my arm and I snap at him, "You may be my boyfriend but I’m sure as hell not afraid to cut your hand off. Let me the f**k go."

He lets go and backs away, "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you mad I was just..."

I cut him off, "Jealous? Let me ask you something. Did they erase your memory to?"

"What?"

"Like when I was young they erased my memory did they do the same thing to you?"

He thinks for a little while then looks guilty, "No, they didn't."

"So, Your just helping me to get Gina back because you love her?"

"No baby I love you."

"Don't lie, please, I see the way you look at her, and I saw the way you hugged her. You still love her. So why go out with me? When it’s obvious you love her."

He just stands there for a little while looking a little sad, "Because I love you too."

I just stand there for a little while then turn around and walk off. Tears running down my face, I don't know whether to believe him or not.

I turn around and face him again, "Do you still love her like you did when you were little?"

"No not as much."

I look him in the eye and can tell that he's telling the truth. "Do you Love me? I mean really Love me?"

"Yes. More than anything."

I look around and then grab Jake's hand, "ok. I believe you, But I got to go," I drop Jake's hand and look at Xavier, "Come on Xavier, We’ve got to go."

I turn around and walk out the door and say over my shoulder, "I'll see you in a little while Jake."

Me and Xavier walk out the door and get in my car, I don’t have the maps so I let him drive. He knows where it is and drives slowly towards the direction of the cave.

I fall asleep almost as soon as I get in the car. It's been a long day and I’m extremely tired.

I wake up what seems like a couple minutes later with Xavier tapping me on my shoulder. I look at him then the clock, it has been two hours.

I look at him and say, "We're there?"

"Almost, we walk from here... the car can't drive through this place."

"Oh." I say rubbing my eyes.

He smiles and helps me get out of the car. I straighten my dress and follow him toward the woods.

We keep walking, it seems like it's taking forever. I grab Xavier's arm and look at his watch, it's been thirty minutes.

He looks at me and says, "We're almost there, it’s just up here."

"Ok. Xavier… Do you really think Jake doesn’t love her as much anymore?" I say as I start to yawn, trying to pass time.

“Actually… I think he loves her just as much as he did back then. But he loves you too, he just needs to make a choice.” Xavier says, looking back at me.

“That’s what I was thinking. Why did you watch over me from a distance? Why didn’t you just come to me and tell me this sooner?” I say, grabbing his arm and stopping him.

“Because… I loved you too much to risk your life again.” He says, moving closer to me.

“You say that in past tense.”

“And you act as if you feel the same… You have a boyfriend remember?”

“Yeah but when I got my memory back, I have these feelings about you that I guess I used to have when we hung out all the time.”

“You guess?”

I back away a little then start walking away; “Anyway, that’s not important… We need to get to my sister…”

A couple minutes later we come to this big hill and walk over it. On the other side we see the cave, I hide behind a tree, not wanting to be seen.

He looks at me, "What do we do now?"

"You can go in there since your one of them. I'm staying out here till the others get here. I will meet you inside there… Be careful."

He looks at the cave and says, "Ok." Then walks off without another word.