by Rachel Angel
“You can say that again, Helen.”
“Why are you back?” Helen asked. “Don’t you have to finish school and graduate? After all the hard work you put into school?”
I didn’t want her to worry so I said, “It’s Spring Break so I wanted to come home.”
“Oh Sweetie,” Helen said. “I’m so glad you came home. Things have not been the same without you.”
“And Lily,” I said. “Do you know where Lily is?”
“Isn’t she at the boarding school for girls? Skylark Academy?” Helen asked. “You mean she’s not there?”
“Skylark Academy’s San Francisco campus closed and the students were transferred to their Los Angeles campus, but Lily wasn’t,” I said. “I don’t know where she is, and I lost my phone, and it seemed everything I thought happened didn’t really happened.”
“Hold on,” Helen said. She took my arm and led me into my trailer. It was just like the way I left it, but neater, cleaner.
“You did a great job taking care of this place,” I said. “Thank you, Helen.” I hugged her again.
“My pleasure,” Helen said. “I knew you would return soon. Now sit down at the table. I’ll bring you lemonade and cookies. I just made some.” She went to the fridge and took out a pitcher of lemonade and some glasses which she placed in front of me. “Hold on, I’ll have to get the cookies from my oven,” she said, leaving to go across to her trailer.
Coming back to this small trailer, the size of Kaz’s Kingsbury Prep mansion’s bedroom closet, had never felt better. I looked around, appreciating the positive sayings pinned to the walls and the bright cheerful photos of places Lily and I would like to see around the world. We were so poor but we were happy in this trailer. For about two years we lived here, growing up and learning to take care of ourselves. I was only 16 years old when we lost our parents, and Lily was 9 years old. Living on our own made more sense than being separated and having to go live in foster homes so I was fortunate enough to have Mr. Nichols declared me independent and the guardian for Lily.
Helen came back, carrying a tray of shortbread cookies fresh from the oven. “Hmm, Helen, you always make the best cookies,” I said taking one and gobbling it.
“Baking is my passion, only I don’t have anyone to share it with except you girls.”
“We are so lucky to be your taste testers then,” I said. “You’re so good, Helen, you could sell these.”
“No, it’s just a hobby of mine,” Helen said.
“I could sell these for you and deliver them,” I said. “We can sell them at all the restaurants along the Pier and even gift shops. I’m sure they would love to sell something local and help you out.”
“There you go, Tempest, being so enterprising.”
“Can’t help it,” I said. “My parents were, and I grew up working at 3 Kings Technologies with them. They taught me to be enterprising as long as I could remember. 3 Kings Technologies were every bit a part of me as it was my parents’ company.”
“What happened to it, Tempest,” Helen asked. “I never fully understood.”
“Well, when my parents died, their silent partner who never lifted a finger to help run the company suddenly appeared and said my parents owed him all the shares from the company because they never paid him. Lily and I didn’t know anything about that since we weren’t there to know what kind of deal my parents had with Sloane. Without any way to prove him wrong when he produced some papers, the court awarded him the entire company. But it wasn’t enough. He kicked Lily and me out of our family home, repossessed it along with all of our family’s belongings, including paintings by my mother of us, and left us homeless and penniless.”
Helen looked so angry, she could burst. “How heartless. Especially when you’ve just lost your parents.”
“Speaking of which, I can’t lose Lily too, Helen. Do you have any idea where she could be? Knowing Lily, I think she’ll be alright, but I need to find out for sure.”
“Lily is a smart one, for sure,” Helen said. “She’s like her older sister. Tough.”
“I hope she didn’t fall for some stupid ruse or something like her older sister did,” I said.
“Oh?” Helen asked. “Why did you say that?”
“I think when I went to Kingsbury Prep, I was constantly trying to fit in, that I became someone who really wasn’t me. I got caught up in some stupid ritual they had there called The Black Envelope.”
The color on Helen’s face drained. “You were part of The Black Envelope?”
“I was the target,” I said. “I didn’t want to tell you, Lily, or Mr. Nichols because I didn’t want you to worry about me. But I had many incidents where I was bullied and even threatened with death.”
“How dare they bully my Tempest,” Helen said, clenching her hands.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I survived. But I heard that someone died from being targeted by the Black Envelope. And another student became insane after he narrowly escaped.”
“Stupid rituals,” Helen said. “How could they let that happen?”
“It started out in a noble way and with a better intention back in World War Two, as a way for the school to weed out Nazis from the student body. The war outside the school was affecting how students treated each other at the school, so the student body President came up with it to help with the Ally cause. It worked.”
“So you threatened them that much that they had to target you with the Black Envelope?” Helen asked.
“I’m the first commoner to set foot on their campus deliberately to open their doors to the outside world. It’s a change so drastic, they targeted me just because I was a symbol of change for them.”
“Just like being bullied for changing the way people like to read their romances,” Helen said.
“What?” I asked.
“Oh, when you and Lily left, I started reading romances and even joined a book club at the local bakery café where we pick books to read. I picked a bully romance book, and it wasn’t the same as the ones out there, and got bullied for picking something different when all I wanted to do is open the minds of my fellow book club members to try something new and to appreciate authors who are trying to innovate their genres.”
“Good for you, Helen,” I said.
“I left my country because they were so stubborn with keeping things the same way for hundreds…no, thousands of years. They were falling behind the times, the economy there had weakened, people were losing their jobs, and wanted change. Still the monarchs there were too stubborn for change. So…I left. I couldn’t change their minds. Only education and being open-minded could.”
“I don’t know if I want to return to Kingsbury at all, Helen, to tell you the truth.”
“You don’t have to, Tempest,” Helen said. “But it depends on the reasons. Is it because they are trying to force you out? Or is it because of personal reasons?”
I wasn’t a quitter. I hate to admit defeat. Out of pride alone, I wouldn’t quit school just because some dumbass bullies wanted me out of their school. I wouldn’t be quitting Kingsbury Prep because of the Black Envelope target on me.
Personal reasons? The only personal reason at Kingsbury Prep would be my relationships with the K3s. I thought they loved me. I knew I loved them.
But why were they acting like I never went to Kingsbury Prep and that I never met them? Ori and Hunter at the hotel were not the same ones from Kingsbury Prep. And where was Kaz, the King of Kingsbury Prep?
Something was up, and I was going to find out what it was or die trying. I was going to play their game to uncover their scheme.
“Helen, thank you for that wise advice,” I said taking her hands and squeezing it. “I’m not going to quit. I can’t. I was chosen to be there for a reason, and I can’t let bullies force me to do something I don’t want to do…which is quit. I’ll never let anyone force me to do anything I don’t want to do. I can’t. It’s not in me. I’m going back to Kingsbury Prep to finish what I started
. I’ll be the first commoner to graduate from Kingsbury Prep, whether they like it or not.”
Helen beamed at me, raising my hand up like a champion. “There’s my girl!” she exclaimed. “There’s our champion! I knew you were the one they were looking for, despite all the threats…”
My mind perked up. “Threats? What threats, Helen. Has someone threatened you or Lily while I was away?”
Helen looked down, mouthing silently, “Shoot”.
“Helen?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Did anyone threatened you?”
“There were some threats,” Helen said. “For Lily. They didn’t know about me, plus I don’t bend to anyone’s threats. But I was worried about Lily, and I didn’t want to worry you about it.”
“Is that why Lily is no longer at Skylark Academy?”
Helen nodded. “Just know, she’s safe and in good hands.”
“Mr. Nichols?” I asked.
“He’s on top of things,” Helen said. “But just don’t expect to hear from him. He has reasons to avoid contact with you. He will reach out to you if he needs to.” Helen then quickly spilled a jar of sugar on the table, wrote something in the pile with her finger, and looked at me then looked down at the pile.
“They are watching you.”
I nodded.
She exclaimed. “Oh I’m so clumsy, I spilled.” She wiped the sugar off the table.
“I need to get ahold of him,” I whispered.
She nodded.
I was going to use my phone to call him, but Helen shook her head. The phone Hunter had given me was tapped. No wonder none of the numbers worked. They were diverted to other numbers. I couldn’t get ahold of Mr. Nichols because of it.
“Thanks,” I said. “For everything. I love you, Helen like family.”
“I love you too,” Helen said, hugging me.
I took out a backpack from my closet, filled it with clothes and a few things, including the tin box I had filled with cash and mother’s precious jewelry. If I couldn’t get ahold of Mr. Nichols to gain access to my accounts, I’ll need to pawn my mother’s jewelry.
As soon as I rode out of the trailer park and into downtown, I went to a trash can and dumped Hunter’s phone.
Going to a drugstore I’ve never been to, I purchased a cheap phone without a subscription plan. Harder to trace, too, in case whoever was watching me or listening in on me was tracing me.
If they wanted to erase my identity, I could do that myself. But I could do it so they couldn’t even find me, if they tried.
So Mr. Nichols and Lily were in hiding. I figured they also managed to take out whatever amount I had left over in my bank account after we purchased 3 Kings Technologies.
I sighed. At least they were safe.
Helen, who they didn’t notice as being anyone close to me, was left alone.
So, whoever was tracing me, was going after my family and anyone close to me. Could that mean the K3 was just acting like they didn’t know me to keep me safe?
I wanted so much to believe they had not deliberately ghosted me. To pretend that I never existed was cruel and painful.
It was worse than breaking up.
As painful as it was to confront what had happened, I had to. I needed to see Kaz, Hunter, and Ori again.
Chapter 5
Tempest
Using my new phone, I called Mr. Nichols on his private line which he had set up for Lily and I to use in case of emergencies. Why I had forgotten that, I didn’t know.
He didn’t answer, but I left a message for him to call me. Or at least to let me know how Lily was doing.
Right after I left the message, a woman selling flowers from the corner newspaper stand walked over to me and handed me a lily flower. “Lilies are flowering well in Spring,” she said. “In the sun they are flourishing, especially when they have all the water and nutrients that they need.”
“Thank you,” I said. “And where do lilies grow the best?” I asked.
“Where there are 3 Kings,” she said.
“Thank you again,” I handed her some coins, and placed the lily in the basket at the front of my bike.
Where there are 3 Kings.
Did she mean the K3’s? Kaz, Hunter, and Ori?
Or 3 Kings Technologies?
It couldn’t be with the K3’s if they were acting the way they did with me. Strange and aloof.
I pedaled faster headed to the building where 3 Kings Technologies was headquartered. Could Lily be there?
Locking my bicycle on a post near 3 Kings Technologies, I walked in. I was glad I had changed out of the sweats I had on this morning and had freshened up at my Airstream trailer. I was wearing a nice crisp button down shirt with beige slacks, flats, and a navy blazer as I approached the receptionist in front.
“Hi,” I extended my hand. She was new and wouldn’t remember me from over 2 years ago when I used to visit 3 Kings Technologies every day. “I’m Tempest Ryan, the owner of 3 Kings Technologies. We haven’t met.”
The girl’s bland face lightened up and she stood up. “Oh, Ms. Ryan, nice to meet you. Sorry about that. I couldn’t recognize you. I’m Becky.”
“Nice to meet you Becky. Can you buzz me in? I left everything at home and just wanted to visit the office.”
“Sure thing,” she said, pressing a button to open the gate into the Executive offices. I headed right into the President’s Office.
Without knocking at the door, I walked straight in. Sitting there in front of a large computer monitor on the President’s desk, was my sister Lily.
“Lily,” I said. “Thank God you’re alright.”
“Tempest!” she jumped out of the cushy Herman Miller chair and ran to me, hugging me tight.
“Oh my God, Lily,” I said, squeezing her. “Don’t ever disappear on me again.”
“I’m sorry, Tempest,” Lily said. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t even had time to tell you, plus the threats said if we got in touch with you, something horrible would happen to you.”
“Poor Lily,” I said hugging her. “Sorry I put you in such a predicament. I didn’t want you to leave Skylark Academy and our home.”
“Mr. Nichols thought it was safer to pull me out of Skylark and have me stay here. There’s a penthouse suite built into this building so I could live here, plus the security here is top notch.”
“I’m just glad you’re safe and well,” I said.
“What about you?” Lily asked. “Are you okay? Why aren’t you at Kingsbury? Did something happened?”
She looked at me with her wide blue eyes, the color she had inherited from Mom.
“It’s Spring break,” I said, “So I thought I’d visit home.” I hugged her tighter. “Plus, I miss my baby sister.”
“Tempest,” Lily said. “If they were threatening me with death and all kinds of things, then what are they doing with you? Are you really alright? How’s K3? Ori? Kaz? And Hunter? Are they now your friends?”
I didn’t know how to answer her so I just smiled. “Well, Kingsbury Prep is not a place for commoners yet. We’re working on that, though. And the K3? I did become friends with them, but I’m not sure what’s going on with them right now. Boys…word of advice about them, Lily, until you really know them, don’t trust them.”
“You know, Tempest, even though it was my idea for you to go to Kingsbury Prep, you don’t have to go,” Lily said. “I don’t want you in danger. I don’t know what is going on there, but Tempest, I’m not dumb. I’m also not like a normal 11 year-old. I had to grow up fast like you did when we lost Mom and Dad. You can tell me what’s really going on. I’ll always be on your side, Tempest.”
“I forgot you’re a 30-year-old in an 11-year-old body,” I said.
Lily laughed, “No, an ancient alien in a kid’s body.”
“Still watching those reality tv shows?”
“Trying to catch up on them. I missed out on several episodes when I was at Skylark.”
“Missed Skylark?” I asked.
“Yes and no,” Lily said. “The academy life is lacking for me, but I enjoy the education. Mr. Nichols found a good solution for me for school though. I’m getting schooling one-on-one with the instructors so I don’t have to go in for school. That way I could get the education but don’t have to go to the school that would expose me to any security concerns. The school is happy with that, too.”
“That is a good solution,” I said.
“Plus, now that 3 Kings is ours, Tempest,” Lily said. “I’m here trying to help run things.”
“You?” I asked.
“The only other person who owns this company is you, Tempest, but you’re at Kingsbury.”
“I can help run the company from afar,” I said.
“You have the real experience to, Tempest,” Lily said. “Me, I may be smart, but I really don’t have the experience. There are senior management here who are keeping the company going, but since Mom and Dad, the company has been faltering. They need a real leader. You know Sloane didn’t even bother. He was here just to collect the cash at the end of the day.”
“I know,” I said bitterly.
“They are only listening to me because I’m a Ryan,” Lily said. “They think I’m you, so I’ve been pretending to be because I’m underage.”
“So you’re the Ms. Ryan who closed the bank account we have,” I said.
“Guilty,” Lily said. “I had to close it immediately because one of the threats were that they were going to hack all our accounts and steal everything we’ve got from the banks. Mr. Nichols and I had to act fast. Sorry about that.”
“I knew something was up, and yes, I did think it was you. Quick thinking.”
I sat down and looked around. The office looked almost the way Mom and Dad had left it. Sloane didn’t change a thing.
“Remember when we used to stay here while Mom and Dad worked late into the night?” I asked Lily.
“Yes, Mom had all my toys here so I didn’t mind.”
“It’s like coming home, isn’t it, Lily?”
“Yes,” Lily said. “Why don’t you stay here with me in the Penthouse Suite? Did you know Mom and Dad had it built? Must have been a place they had to stay in when they worked really late.”