"What in the world are you doing here?" I asked him as I did almost exactly what Rose had done to Caleb.
"Oh my god! It is you!" He returned the hug and I heard someone's teeth clentch. One glance told me it was Caleb. "I'm sort of related to one of the guards here. I'm training to be a warrior, have been all my life." He continued, answering my question. "I was on Earth because I needed an education and they decided it was best. I, of course, had to keep it a secret, but it would seem you understand that pretty well." We pulled aparg now and I smiled sheepishly
Caleb came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. It was very tense, as if ready for a fight.
A fight? Seriously, Caleb? I thought to him as I met his eye. He instantly relaxed. So I turned back to my friend who I had known longer than even my siblings. Kyle's expression had changed from happy to concerned and slightly angry.
"You had us all very worried, Vi!" He said in a tone I heard a lot growing up. "You went missing over a week ago!" It was the tone that said I had caused him to worry. "I used all the tracking methods I could think of, but according to all of them you were not anywhere on Earth! Which could mean you were literally not on the planet...or, what I thought was more likely but preyed it wasn't true, you were dead." To anyone else, it would have sounded like he was mad at me, but I knew he wasn't he never got mad at me, no matter how bad I messed up. I hadn't really realized it until now, but I had really missed the one who has supported me my entire life. "Please don't ever ma..." He continued his usual lecture.
But I cut him off, "I know, and I'm sorry!" I said, giving him another quick hug to symbolize my apology and thank him for being worried about me. Ihad done that a lot growing up too. "Forgiven?"
"Forgiven. Just don't do it again!" he continued as Caleb, again, claimed my shoulder with a tensed, ready to fight, hand. I rolled my eyes at the both of them. "You know you're like a little sister to me, I can't let you get hurt!"
Caleb relaxed completely with those words and I knew there was a smile on his face. "How can that be? We're the same age. I'm even a couple of weeks older than you." I replied, smiling.
"Ah, but you are smaller than me." He was right, if I was unusually tall, then he and Caleb were freakishly tall, easily half a foot taller than me. They made me feel small and as if I should be protected. It went against everything in my nature, but I liked it about them.
"You know, I really don't mindt that," I paused and looked at Caleb, "for either of you."
Jake cleared his throat, breaking up our little group. "Violet, Caleb, um, I don't think I got your name." He started.
"Oh, I'm sorry. My name's Kyle."
"I am Jacob, good to meet you. Would you three care to join Rose and I for lunch?"
I glanced at Caleb and Kyle before replying. "We would love to."
