The Wanderers Beginning: The Wanderers, Reborn, & Unforgiven

by Jessica Miller

  I sighed and caught up with Josie. “I see you guys worked things out,” she whispered.

  “Yes we did, but we’ll talk about that later. Do you know what room they put you in?”

  “Yes, I just hope it’s not with some crazy, snooty bitch,” she whined.

  “What’s the room number?”

  “Five hundred something. I think Mr. Callahan said it was near the end of the hall on the left.”

  “Let me see,” I said, taking the paper from Josie. “Oh,” I looked at her sympathetically.

  “How bad is it?” she winced, holding her breath.

  “I’m sorry to tell you this, but you’ll be rooming with…me,” I smiled.

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No,” I shook my head.

  “Ahhh!” We both started screaming and jumping up and down.

  “What are the odds?”

  “Let’s not jinx it,” I said. I almost forgot about the other two girls I was supposed to show around. I was too caught up in all the excitement. “Oh, I’m so rude,” I said, turning around to the girls. “My name is Ella.” I extended my hand.

  The tiny girl with long, white blonde hair and eyes the color of the sky extended her hand to me first. “Hi, I’m Sophia, but you can call me Sophie,” she smiled, showing a gleaming white smile.

  The second girl wasn’t as forthcoming with the introductions. She stood there scrutinizing me with her eyes. Her bright, red, wavy hair was glowing orange in the sunlight. Her hazel brown eyes were glaring down on me like I was the enemy, making her freckles squish together as she frowned. I didn’t know what to say; afraid I would offend her in some way.

  “This is Dylan,” Sophia said. “Don’t mind her. She’s just upset because it wasn’t her choice to be here.”

  I understood. I knew exactly how she was feeling. I wasn’t too happy when I was forced to come here. “Do you know what room you guys are assigned to?”

  “Mr. Callahan thought it would be best if Dylan and I roomed together. I think he also put us in the five hundred hall so we would be close together.”

  “Okay good, well then you can follow me and I can help you guys get situated. Do you have any luggage?” I asked, looking at their empty hands.

  “Up there, there really is no need for clothes,” Josie said.

  “You guys just hang around…naked?” I asked, feeling dumb the second it left my mouth. At least I got a laugh from Dylan.

  “Gee whiz Ella,” Josie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, we all sit around naked with our harps and bongos and sing Kumbaya before a giant orgy,” Josie snorted, making Sophia blush.

  “Well how am I supposed to know?” I shrugged, embarrassed.

  “We will have to go shopping for clothes,” Josie said.

  “I know the school will provide you with uniforms so that you don’t have to worry about, but as far as everything else…what all do you guys need?”

  “Everything,” Sophia chimed in.

  “Shampoo, toothbrushes, underwear, condoms,” Josie started ticking off a list.

  “Josie, you don’t wear underwear and I think condoms shouldn’t be your biggest concern.”

  “Hey, you never know. Better safe than sorry,” she winked.

  I stifled an eye roll. “Okay, I’ll talk to Aidan, I mean Mr. Callahan about us leaving campus to go into town to get you the items you need. “ I had to be more careful about calling Mr. Callahan by his first name.

  “Yay, a shopping trip,” Josie cheered.

  I showed the girls to their room and told them I’d come back for them in a little bit. Then I took Josie to our room. “Hey, there’s only one bed?”

  “Oh, I pushed the other one against the wall. Was just me for the summer so I tried to give myself more room. Here, I’ll help you move it back,” I said, pulling the mattress away from the wall.

  After Josie raided my closet, we grabbed the other girls, and headed to Aidan’s office to ask permission to go get supplies and what not. He admitted he hadn’t even thought of that and told us that all of us, including the boys, could head off campus as long as Gabe and Zane came with us. He wanted us to take more guardians, just in case, but I told him that would just draw more attention to us and convinced him we would be fine with just Gabe and Zane.

  Excited to get off campus – having been stuck here all summer – I practically ran to the van. Josie and I squeezed in the back with Dean, while the rest piled in. I had no idea why Dean had decided to come along, I think it was just so he could get off campus – I didn’t blame him. We managed to squeeze us all in snugly. When Kyle got in he barely even looked my way and I felt a small ache in my chest. I was sure it had something to do with Roman’s little pissing contest earlier. I pinched the bridge of my nose trying keep away the headache that was forming. Zane closed the door and headed off in to town.

  It didn’t occur to me until we left that how was all this stuff going to be paid for. “Um, I just thought of something. Who’s footin’ the bill?”

  “Ella, we’re rich. We can afford anything we want,” Josie said, rolling her eyes.

  “Correction, you were rich.” Her eyes widened in surprise and I quickly finished. “Josie, technically you’re dead so you yourself have no money.”

  She hung her head, now realizing the seriousness of the situation. Gabe over hearing our conversation, turned around while we were stopped and said, “Mr. Callahan has given me money for you to get what you need and only what you need. There will be a limit and you are only allowed the basics.”

  “Gross,” Josie whined.

  “What if maybe you let your parents know you’re alive…sort of?” I wasn’t sure how it worked with angels. “Can you tell them?”

  “I don’t know. That’s why we were sent here. Less chances of running into someone we knew and getting exposed.”

  “Considering your family is of the supernatural nature themselves I don’t see what the harm would be? Unless you don’t want to?”

  “I do. I’m just scared.”

  “You have nothing to be afraid of. I know your parents and Jake will be ecstatic to see you.” Josie teared up at the mention of Jake. “How about when we get back we can talk to Mr. Callahan and –”

  “Thank you Ella, but I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. And even though I don’t have money I know you do,” she said, elbowing me.

  I just laughed and relaxed back into my seat.

  We got everything the angels would need for the first few months. Every now and then Josie would slip me a few things for me to buy. I knew Gabe had to know, but he didn’t seem to care…much. I spent most of the trip avoiding Kyle. I had no idea what to say to him. Avoiding him was easy because Zane went with the boys to get what they needed and Gabe came with us girls. I couldn’t imagine Gabe wanted to deal with us girls and shopping, but I had a feeling he didn’t trust Josie and me to be alone together and didn’t want to put the pressure on Zane.

  For some reason Josie and I together was considered trouble. “Honestly, I have no idea why you would think that?” I had said to Gabe and he had given me one of his many disapproving looks, forcing me to hide my smile.

  When we loaded all the bags into the van and hopped in, I noticed the only seat left was next to Kyle. I sighed sat down knowing I’d have to talk to him eventually. Not wanting discuss things publicly, I decided to keep quiet until we got back. I could tell Kyle wanted to say something to me too, but was feeling the same way about not wanting an audience. It was an awkward ride back to the school. Every time Kyle would shift in his seat his long legs would brush mine and he’d jerk back like he had been burned. I wanted so badly to reach out and take his hand, but was afraid I would make things worse.

  When we got back to the school, everyone got out of the van. As I was about to make my exit Kyle grabbed my arm. “Can we talk?”

  My heart started to beat double time and my tongue was twisted up in knots not allowing me to speak so I nodded.

  “H
ey Ella, you comin’?” Josie called.

  “In a minute,” I said, finding my voice. She gave me a nod of understanding when she saw Kyle was still in the van with me. When I felt everyone was out of earshot, I turned to Kyle. “How are you?” I wasn’t the best conversation starter.

  “I’m good, actually. How you’re doing is what I’m more concerned about,” he said.

  “I’m great,” I said a little too enthusiastically. He eyed me for a moment, not buying it. I didn’t want to talk about Roman with him so I moved to the next issue. “I never got a chance to say thank you.”

  “Thank you for what?”

  “For saving my life.”

  He smiled that boyish smile I loved so much. “Ella, you don’t have to thank me.”

  “I do and I’m sorry,” I said, feeling a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”

  He looked at me funny. “Ella, what are you talking about?”

  I looked away not able to meet his eyes. “The accident.” The knot in my stomach tightened. “I tried, I really tried. But I couldn’t get you out in time and it was all my fault.” I could feel the tears burning in my eyes.

  “Don’t say that. It was not your fault. I know you did what you could. I know you tried to help me.”

  “No. It was my fault. Because of me, because of my powers. If I was just a normal person no one would be after me and the people I love wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”

  “Love?” he asked with hope in his eyes.

  “Kyle, you know what I mean,” I said, not liking where this was going.

  “Ella,” he turned me to face him, wiping tears from my face. “The accident wasn’t your fault,” I started to protest but he stopped me. “Ella, it was my time to go. It didn’t matter how or who. It was meant to be,” he said calmly.

  “But aren’t you mad? Mad that your life got cut short?” I asked, wondering how he was so calm about all this.

  “I was, at first. It took me a while to understand why it had to happen. But once I came to terms with it, I got past all the anger. I was able to accept my destiny for what it was.”

  “Can you please explain it to me because I don’t understand?”

  He shifted his body so he faced me and then took my hands in his. “Ella, I know what my purpose is now and it’s not to be a pro football player,” he joked, trying to force a smile out of me. “The only reason I thought my life was going anywhere was because I had you.”

  “Kyle,” I said, shaking my head. I had to bite my lip to keep from crying again.

  “Ella, I came back because I want to help. I want to help kids like me. I may not have gotten the life I imagined, but I’m doing what I can with what I got and I get to help people in the process.” I smiled at his amazing outlook on life and wished I could feel the same way, but I didn’t. Sometimes I still felt like I didn’t belong to this life.

  “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable around me,” he said. “I’m just here to learn like everyone else and do my job. I know you have a boyfriend now and I wouldn’t expect you to just go back to the way things were.”

  If it were that easy.

  “Ella, I will always care about you, but I understand. I did die after all. I can’t expect you to never be with someone,” he joked and I laughed, thinking this all sounded so familiar. “I’m just glad you ditched that douchebag Tristan.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Come on Ella, really?”

  “I guess I must have hit my head harder than I thought in the accident.” He smiled and I leaned into his shoulder, taking comfort in the one person who always understood me. “When did you become so accepting?”

  “Well when you become someone with a superior essence like me you tend to mature a bit.”

  “A superior essence?” I mocked and he puffed his chest. I hit him and he laughed. “So you’re okay with us just being friends?”

  “I rather have you as a friend than nothing at all. We were friends first at one time, weren’t we?”

  “Yeah, we were, but that’s because you thought you were too cool for me,” I teased.

  “Hey, it’s not my fault you were a nerd.”

  “I was not a nerd. I just went through an awkward stage. We all did,” I said, narrowing my eyes and remembering when he spent a summer at a camp for comic book nerds. “Captain dorko.”

  “Captain dorko? That’s the best you can come up with?” he laughed when he saw my sour face.

  “Shut up,” I said, elbowing him. I sighed and leaned back against the seat. “Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you?”

  “I know, I’ve missed you too,” he said, squeezing my shoulder.

  We sat there a moment, before I broke the silence. “We should probably get back.” I scooted out of the van and waited till Kyle shut the door. “I’ll see you around?”

  “Yes you definitely will.” He flashed me his most charming smile before giving me a quick peck on the cheek. I flinched. “Sorry, habit.”

  “No it’s okay. Just maybe a hug next time.”

  “I can do that.” He winked and took off.

  When I got back to my room I discovered Josie had already made herself comfortable by throwing bags everywhere. I see some things never changed. After a much needed lecture on Josie’s slovenly ways, I took the girls on a tour of the school, and then took them to dinner. Thankfully the kitchen staff was back preparing for the school year so we didn’t have to cook our own meals and I was happy for that.

  After dinner, Josie and I went back to our room to catch up on gossip. I told her all about what happened with Roman and Tristan and about the summer. I even told her about the nightmare Tristan had left me in. Josie said she didn’t believe Tristan would do that to me and that there had to be another reason or explanation. She said she knows how much Tristan loved me and would not be that cruel. I told her she didn’t see the look on his face when he disappeared. Part of me believed what she said was right, but another part of me wasn’t sure.

  “You know there is a way you can find out?” Josie hinted.

  “How?”

  “Ask him,” she said simply.

  “I don’t even know where he is.”

  “Visit him in a dream like he does you.”

  “I never tried. I wouldn’t even know how? And how do you know he’ll tell me the truth?”

  “You just have to believe he will. Didn’t you say yourself you figured out how to tell if people are lying?”

  “Yes,” I said skeptically. It was something I picked up on a while ago. At first I thought it was a new power, but Ms. Kraft told me no. It was just my intuition kicking into overdrive – a perk of being supernatural.

  “Ella, I think you’re making this more difficult than it is. I think you’re just scared to admit that you already know it wasn’t Tristan.”

  “Well yeah,” I agreed. “If I admit that then that means it’s something else or someone else and I really can’t handle anymore.”

  She sat down on the bed next to me and gave me a hug. “Ella, you no longer have to handle it alone. I’m here now and don’t plan on going anywhere for a long time,” she smiled.

  “Now that you are back are you going to tell Billy?” I knew this was a sore subject, but I needed to take the attention off of me for a while.

  She fell back on my bed dramatically. “Billy was so last season. I’m in the mood for a new look.”

  “When are you going to stop kidding yourself? I think someone needs to admit a few things but is too scared to.”

  “Ella please, there’s nothing to admit because there was never anything going on. We were just having fun.”

  “Someone is in denial,” I sang.

  “The only person in denial here is you thinking you look good in those sweats.”

  “Hey,” I said, smacking her. “What’s wrong with these sweats? They’re comfy.”

  “What happened to the Ella that actually cared about how she looked?”

  “In case you hadn’t not
iced, a lot of things have changed. And I do care how I look. Just not as much.”

  Josie sighed, sitting up. “So what do you want to do now?”

  “We can call Cameron and the rest and go watch a movie in the social room if you want?”

  “Sounds great,” she said.

  I called Cameron and Dean and asked them if they wanted to join us. Cameron agreed but Dean said he had other plans. What, I didn’t know, considering there was no one else here but Mackenzie. I shivered at the thought. Josie asked the other angels if they wanted to join us as well. Sophia said yes, but Dylan decided to stay in her room and pout. Clearly she was still pissed about being here and was not going to enjoy herself.

  I also called Roman, hoping it wouldn’t be weird with Kyle there, but Kyle had said he understood so I was hoping he really meant it. I guess we would find out.

  We watched two movies until I fell asleep in Roman’s arms. I was sad to say goodnight, realizing he could no longer stay in my room with me. I couldn’t stay with him either, because Dean was his roommate and that would just be awkward. After the five kiss goodbye, Josie got sick of us and pushed Roman out the door and slammed it in his face. “Goodnight Roman,” she said, standing in front of the door. I tried to glare over my smile but was unsuccessful.

  “Goodnight Josie,” he laughed. “And sweet dreams, Ella.”

  “Goodnight Roman,” I called, hoping he heard me before he left.

  Aidan relieved us of our duties so we could rest up for school and prepare for the new students who we would have to ‘mentor’. Gabe had told me now that school was starting up, Zane would no longer have the time to train me and I was going to go back to training with him. As much as I enjoyed my sessions with Zane I was actually happy to go back to training with Gabe, but I was not happy about getting up early.

  I spent the week hanging with Josie, Cameron, and Roman. Kyle would hang with us once in a while. I could tell, despite what he said, he was still uneasy seeing me with someone else, but he proved he could do the friend thing. He even went out of his way to befriend Roman, which is a hard task to do when you’re one of my exes. Roman and Kyle were a lot alike and had so much in common it didn’t take long for them to become buds. It did take a bit for Roman to warm up to Kyle and only after Kyle and I both had convinced him we were just friends and he had no interest in trying to get me back. I was just happy everyone was getting along.