Gen One- Chapter Thirty Nine

I swore that all three of us stopped breathing the instant Blaze spoke those words. His gaze was resolute on me while mine stared blankly back. Amaranth's eyes flittered between me and his uncle. Honestly, I almost forgot he was there. My mind could only focus on Blaze and the words buzzing throughout my consciousness. Eden was my brother? What? I understood that Eden was my brother because that was the bond we had forged for ourselves, but I knew that wasn't what Blaze was getting at. He was trying to tell me that we were related by...by blood? Eternity seemed to pass, but I'm sure in reality it was no more than ten seconds. Blaze then motioned the stunned me over with a little wave of his hand.

Gen One- Chapter Thirty Eight

One could not have asked more a more perfect late spring day. The temperature was just at the right place to encourage running around in the warm, sunny heat without getting everyone all sweaty. A swirling breeze wafted the scent of flowering buds across the landscape while scatterings of clouds provided relaxing pockets of shade. It was difficult to not stare up into the endless beauty of the sky, and when I chose to do just that I spotted one particular diploma being tossed so high that I swore it joined the birds flying overhead.

Gen One- Chapter Thirty Seven

My eyes stared blankly at the wall. My body ached from having lain still for so long, but the ache in my chest was far too great for me to pay attention to anything but it. I didn't even feel hungry despite not eating since the previous morning. I felt somewhat thirsty, but I knew Eden would be in soon enough to try in get something in me. There was no point for me to bother getting up. Shifting slightly and sighing, I ran my fingers over my cheeks. They were completely dry, but too often it seemed as if they were drenched. I had cried so much that even when my skin was dry like it was now that the tickling sensation of tears never went away. Content to not be sobbing again, I closed my eyes only to hurriedly reopen them when my head screamed at me. It definitely didn't like being rested against the pillow for such an extended length of time. It protested against me whenever I did anything that slightly resembled sleep.

Gen One- Chapter Thirty Six

No matter how many times I blinked or rubbed, exhaustion roared up to make it feel as if my eyes were drying up inside my head. I would have been able to count the hours of sleep I had gotten in the past three days on just my two hands if my mind hadn't been just as useless as my desperate attempts to convince myself that it didn't seem like a good idea to go sit on a toilet in the bathroom and nap sitting up. I had fallen asleep in one class, but my teacher ended up leaving me alone. It was as clear as it had always been that I had no real reason to be there after he woke me up the first time, and I not only answered the quick string of questions he asked but stood up to teach the next minute or so of the lesson before sitting back down and resting my head against my desk. I wouldn't have ever dared to do such a thing before, but I think even the teacher understood it was best to leave the girl who could dance circles around him when it came to the knowing the information he was sharing alone when she was overwhelmingly exhausted. I had done my best to control myself since then. Sleeping in class was naturally much prefer to hiding out in the bathroom, but I didn't want to be a distraction for the other students who did need to learn. Not that most of them paid attention anyway. Their laziness was not a massive concern of mine at the moment though. Standing next to my locker, my more pressing issue was remembering what my combination was.

Gen One- Chapter Thirty Five

It was one of those moments where I was highly glad that Allium could be so utterly unobservant about the world around him. It was a month into our senior year of high school, and we were standing out in one of the back walkways of the building not too long after we had been let out for the day. Taking a page out of my book, Allium normally chose to wait ten or fifteen minutes for the vast majority of students to clear out of the parking lot before he made any attempt to leave. And, like usual, we spent that time waiting together. However, that afternoon was one of the ones that was becoming more common for me. I found myself pensive, worried, a little anti-social, and rather frightened. It was growing harder to hide such expressions on my face, which was why I was relieved about Allium not paying a heap of attention to me.

     "They thought it would help them get down the hill faster." Allium laughed as he continued the story he was telling me about his friends in Bayport and their sled races over the past winter.

He faced forward as he talked, so I was able to fool him with the occasional appropriate comment and hastily placed smile when I sensed him giving me a quick glance. I wish I could have enjoyed the story more, for it was amusing, but it had been a long time since I had wanted Allium to just go away and leave me alone already.

Gen One- Chapter Thirty Four

I sat back in my chair with a little sigh. I hadn't been that hungry, so choosing a muffin to eat for my snack had seemed like the best choice. What I hadn't realized was how big that muffin would be. I should have listened to my stomach and not eaten all of it, but the thing was just so darn good that I had gone ahead and done just that. The tight feeling across my abdomen and little burps I let out quietly were worth it. Amaranth finished eating not long after I did, which left Allium and Cocoa. Allium normally would have wolfed down his pie, but we had had a big lunch at my house earlier. Cocoa, I think, was trying to be polite by taking tiny forkful bites out of her danish.

I took the brief moment of silence that passed to once again remark at the situation. When Cocoa suddenly invited Allium and me on a double-date with her and Amaranth, I hadn't been sure what to expect. Part of me had been too nervous to hypothesize her motives. I considered dates more private things than situations that were meant to be shared. It felt like it would be hanging out more than a romantic outing. And, so far, hanging out was what it had been. The four of us were chilling instead of wooing and flirting with our respective other. However, that helped me to see more of what Cocoa wanted. I strongly suspected she hoped bringing Allium and I along would reduce the problems I heard she and Amaranth had whenever they tried to date on their own. The first twenty minutes of our time together went well, although it didn't stay that way for long.

Gen One- Chapter Thirty Three

I took a deep, calming breath as I walked through the now quiet hallways. Fifteen minutes ago they had been filled with bodies rushing to get out of the school. It was nearing the end of the school year, and it was also the last day of mandatory testing week. Unlike most students, I considered it one of my favorite weeks. That was mostly because the tests were a piece of cake for me. I rarely had to study for them, which left the rest of my classmates who had goofed off all year seethe as they desperately tried to cram the year's worth of education into their minds within the span of several days. Another reason I liked testing week was because the school day was significantly shorter. The clock had only just chimed one. Like most days, I lingered about for a while to let the parking lot empty before I went to leave. My intention was just to take a single lap through the hallways, not to stumble across what I stumbled across. I knew what was going on before I saw them. The voices, and their current tone, had become far too familiar over the past months.

Gen One- Chapter Thirty Two

I couldn't help but to feel proud as I watched Frost chase Allium around and pelt him with snowball after snowball. For so many of our younger years it had been the opposite way around. Allium had never given Frost a break. That's why it was nice now that Frost had grown into his body that he was able to repay the favor. Allium kept on trying, but he just could not escape.

     "Argh! Get off me you big nerd!" Allium cried out in frustration as Frost landed a particularly big hit on him.

     "If I'm such a big nerd, then why are you the one taking a beating?" Frost taunted.

He sent a massive kick of snow cascading onto Allium's face and laughed merrily as he let Allium give chase. There was no competition between the two though. Allium had no chance at catching up.

Gen One- Chapter Thirty One

I stopped stirring and glanced over to my left, sighing and laughing in exasperation for what felt like the millionth time.

     "Flower, would you please stop sneaking bits of the hotdogs buns? We're not going to have any left if you keep eating them all." I warned.

     "I can't help it," she smiled as she defiantly popped another little swipe into her mouth, "I'm hungry."

     "We have plenty of other snacks, you know."

     "Yeah, but I don't want those. I want to eat the hotdog buns." she teased.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I had been trying for five minutes to get Sunflower to control herself, and it clearly wasn't going to happen. Our buns were simply going to have to look like they had been pecked apart by birds.

Gen One- Chapter Thirty

My fingers flew over the buttons on my controller. My thumbs had started aching long ago from how I abused them by mashing them against that piece of plastic, but my pride wouldn't have me give in to the hardly irritating pain. I had been winning, and I needed to keep winning.

     "Ohf! Yes! Take that!" Eden cried out in merriment, raising his controller above his head in victory, when my tackle failed to keep his player from entering the end zone.

     "Good job. You managed your first touchdown, and we're only in the third quarter. You must feel very proud of yourself." I teased.

     "Go ahead and taunt all you want. You only have one touchdown too. We're finally even, and I'm not letting you win this one."

     "Isn't that what you've been saying for the past several games? You are aware I won all of those as well, don't you?" I pointed out haughtily.

     "This one is the one. I can feel it."

     "You just keep telling yourself that." I smirked.

Gen One- Chapter Twenty Nine

I couldn't believe how hot it was. Though it was almost the beginning of autumn, summer was hanging around with a vengeance. The temperatures had barely dipped at all, and the pounding sun was as intense as ever. If it hadn't been for the plethora of clouds blocking out those glaring rays and the constant breeze, I never would have stuck around at the festival for as long as I did. I had already had a long day, and making myself collapse from heat stroke wasn't a pleasant idea. Thankfully, that heat was bearable enough. There were plenty of cool treats around in addition to the clouds and the wind to combat it. I made my way over to the snow cone machine as soon as it was open. Normally I went with a rainbow mix, but I decided to do something different. I went with plain blue raspberry instead.

Gen One- Chapter Twenty Eight

I hummed along to the music playing from my phone behind me as I worked. I had learned years ago that it was better to put it on the island counter instead of right next to where I cooked. Eden hadn't been incredibly pleased to find out that one afternoon that I had accidentally knocked half a bottle of vinegar right onto the new phone he had bought me. It took me months doing nothing but chores in order to earn another one. Naturally, I was not keen on repeating the experience. However, my phone was hardly a thought in the back of my mind because I was far more focused on the ingredients before me. Frost adored key lime pies, and since his birthday was tomorrow I had promised him I would bring him the best one he ever tasted. I had looked up several recipes online, and after considering all the variations I had come up with my own recipe. It included things such as a gingersnap crust and just a hint of cinnamon. On paper the recipe seemed strange, but I was confident it would come out well. I know I was certainly pleased with how the pie was progressing when it came time to put it in the oven.

Gen One- Chapter Twenty Seven

I walked out of the store, not too particularly fond of the weight on my ears. I normally didn't wear earrings. If I did, they were usually of the stud variety or either very light. As you might suppose, my ears didn't like most metals that earrings came in. Any extra weight the earrings carried only made my lobes more sore than what they would be when the redness set in. Currently, I only had two pairs that I could wear safely. The ones I had on at that moment were already bothering my skin, but I knew I wouldn't be wearing them long anyway.

     "How do they look?" I asked my companion.

     "They look fine? I mean, they really don't look any different from when you asked that question inside the store thirty seconds ago." Allium answered with slight exasperation.

     "I just wanted to make sure they look alright in natural light as well as artificial light."

     "Do girls really worry about that kind of thing? Besides, you already bought them anyway."

I merely shrugged as I took the earrings out and replaced them neatly in their box.

Gen One- Chapter Twenty Six

I scrunched my toes together in my boots. They were going numb submerged in the snow like they were. The world around me appeared bright and beautiful, but when I looked up I saw nothing but a treacherous wasteland. I honestly don't know what had gotten into me when I signed up for the class field trip to Wonder Light. What could be bad about a five day trip over spring break to a picturesque town snuggled against the mountains? Well, I had clearly ignored the fact that Wonder Light was also famous for its cold temperatures and snow even during spring. I had managed to escape any hospital trips over the winter. The days had been warming and the danger had been passing, but now I had willingly tossed myself back into the conditions that were prime for my body throwing a fit. Despite it only being the third day of the trip, I just wanted to go home. I couldn't get warm no matter how much I tried standing there in the cold like I had no choice but to do.

Gen One- Chapter Twenty Five

I had dreaded its coming. I had wished it would never come, but, alas, winter did come. I wondered what would happen this year. It was nice that I had made it to the Holiday break without coming down with something other than those random colds one gets, but that hardly meant I was out of the woods yet. The snow and the cold would be around for another two and a half months. Would it be the flu? A small infection? In the end, it didn't matter too much what it was. The end result would be the same; I would end up in the hospital again. Such an event truly did happen every year. Normally, it wouldn't be so bad. My stay would be a few days or so. It was only rarely that I became incredibly sick like I did last year. I hoped as I sipped on my fresh hot chocolate that such a bad experience then meant I was in for a lighter ride this time. It helped that Eden let me be lazy during the cold months. I could even wear my warm pajamas all day if I wanted.

Gen One- Chapter Twenty Four

I gave Sunset a friendly smack on the back when she stepped on my toes for the hundredth time. I should have switched her and Sunflower around. As we modeled through various poses, Sunset got lost in her excitement and kept forgetting she couldn't stand right on top of me as she attempted whatever new position she concocted. If I wasn't careful, my feet definitely weren't going to last me through the night. Sunset gave me yet another amused, apologetic grin before backing up and turning to face the camera Eden had pointed our way. The device that hadn't been touched since I tried to take a picture when I turned white was finally getting a moment to shine.

Gen One- Chapter Twenty Three

The park was full of children laughing and merrily screaming as they played. And by children, I mean my teenage friends. There were few actual little ones on the lot, and they were all enjoying themselves in much quieter ways. It was the ones who should have been acting that way who were acting like they were five. Amaranth and Allium were the ones who had started off the crazy game of tag that they, Sunset, and Sunflower were participating in. Allium had claimed that he could finally outrun Amaranth, which had been the wrong move. The two began chasing each other as if stopping meant they would die, and poor Sunset and Sunflower got caught in the crossfire. Needless to say considering how many times Allium was 'it', he was still highly unable to outrun Amaranth.

Gen One- Chapter Twenty Two

That Wednesday morning was just like any other morning. I rolled out of bed with a grumble regretting as I always did how I late I stayed up talking to my friends on the phone. The lateness of the night never bothered me. The earliness of the morning always did. I contemplated letting myself sleep in for just one day. Then I forced myself to remember how much I hated dealing with the congestion if I didn't get to the school before the buses. The extra rest wasn't worth it. I took a quick shower, got dressed, made sure to take my medicine, went downstairs to have breakfast, chatted with Eden, played with Button, and was then on my way. The roads were calm, and I got an even better parking space than normal. My mood had increased decently by the time I reached the halls. When I turned the corner to approach my locker, I found out it was a rather good thing I hadn't delayed. Sap was clearly waiting for me as he stood right next to it. I was still sleepy, but he looked even more out of it. I couldn't help giggling quietly as he yawned a massive yawn- his expression shifting into something quite amusing.

Gen One- Chapter Twenty One

My eyes were threatening to close on me even when walking through the front door with my arms full of luggage. To be honest, I was exhausted enough that the floor looked like a good enough bed. I only forced myself to make it to the couch because Eden was coming in behind me. The return trip had been the worst flight of my life so far. A storm delayed our original plane. Sap's parents were lucky enough to find us another flight not long afterwards, but in order to claim our position at the last second we had to take economy seats instead of first class ones the Spring family typically booked. None of them were together. I ended up in a middle seat with a grumpy old man on my left and a chatty couple on my right. A crying baby was a few rows behind, and the turbulence the whole ride was awful. I felt banged up, beaten, and sore by the time the plane landed.

I sunk into the couch cushions like they were cushions straight from heaven. Glad that I had at least thought to wear comfortable, lazy clothing for the trip, I had no qualms about making the couch my bed that night. I sat there, half-asleep, too exhausted to give Button the petting she wanted. She had to make do with simply sitting at my feet instead.

Gen One- Chapter Twenty

A light, tickling breeze brushed my hair and danced across my skin. The scent of the seawater was definitely not unfamiliar, but there was something wholly different about at the same time. A crispness and liveliness that did not exist in Berrybrook thrived in Tropic Luna. The tingling of the bright sunlight illuminating the world unceasingly further amplified the exotic atmosphere. The stretch of ocean before me was nearly infinite. It was only partially blocked by a fog covered island in the distance. With an unfocused gaze, I stared straight ahead at it. I should have been ecstatic in that moment. There I was on a gorgeous rented house boat anchored on the edge of one of several tropical islands with two days ahead of me to do whatever I wanted. However, I couldn't focus on my fortuitous situation and only concentrate on how my fortuitous situation had me feeling so down. I sighed, not noticing the person coming up from behind me until she was right there.