CRYSTAL POINTE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2015

XAVIER’S POINT OF VIEW

My eyes immediately flew open.

Yep, I was lying in the hospital as my mother saw me and burst into tears. “Xavier, thank God,” she said softly as she hugged me, being careful of the IV that was attached to my arm. Dad came into the room, looking upset before turning into relieved.

“Ugh, how long I was out?”

“It’s now Saturday afternoon,” Dad said. “You missed a whole day and everyone’s been asking about you.”

“Where’s Coretta?”

Dad sighed. “She’s in holding,” he informed be bitterly. “She’s gone too far this time. First the beatings, then the bullying and her trying to make sure you never got ahead back home in Texas, and now she TRIED to kill you.”

“Why?” I asked looking confused. “She didn’t try to kill me but she was warning me of something that was going on. She didn’t tell me what it was because of the explosion.”

“She thinks that this town is up to something and she wanted to get you out of here,” Mom said, shaking her head. “She said that it was for the best and she was sorry for everything.”

I looked at my parents with worry. “You guys think she’s in a cult?” I asked.

“Most definitely,” Dad said. “Actually, she’s part of some resistance group called the Redbeards. They were the ones that recruited her and told her to get you out of this town. Thankfully, one of the heroes saved you from being roadkill.”

“Who?” Now I was getting confused. “Dad, what are you talking about?”

Before Dad could answer, Zach and Alex cam bursting in the room, their faces changing from worry to relief as they saw me. “ Xavier, man, I am sorry I couldn’t get to you in time,” the former said to me. “And everyone was asking about you. Hell, the whole town is buzzing, even the Tri-County school district.”

“His sister was trying to get him to leave this town,” Mom informed them. “I’m just glad I hadn’t lost him.”

Alex looked at me. “Don’t worry, man. We rescheduled everything for this next weekend and Yaz will arrange another shopping trip Friday morning.”

“Thank you,” I said, lying back down on the hospital bed.

“Get some sleep,” Dad instructed me, shooing everyone out of the room. “You’ll be going home tomorrow evening.”

I nodded, my eyes growing heavy from exhaustion. Man, what a crazy weekend, I thought. Brad was right.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2015

The following afternoon while I was watching some boring television show, there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” I said.

Maddie burst in, a big shopping bag of treats in hand. “Zay, thank God,” she breathed. “What the hell happened? Everyone had heard about it, but you know the other and I want the whole story from your side.”

I told her about the incident, how Coretta was remorseful yet worried, the mysterious explosion the town thought she caused, and what Mom and Dad said from what they heard. “They have her in holding, but who knows what can happen at this point,” I had finished. “Dad had told me that one of the heroes had brought me here, but I don’t know who they are.”

Maddie’s eyes went as wide as saucers. “You mean one of the Sentinels brought you here?” she exclaimed. “You lucky bastard!”

“Sentinels?” I said confusedly. “Who are they?”

She took a deep breath excitedly. “They’re basically the protectors of the Tri-County area. Hell, they have chapters in the entire state of California and even legions in the whole US,” she explained. “I’m sorry we never told you this, but we never expected you to be rescued by one of them. I got a feeling, though, that we’re going to know a lot about what’s going on?”

“What makes you say that?” I asked, getting more interested.

“Well, starting after the time you left before school let out, Carli and Brad got called to the office and were then escorted with their parents by the police. They weren’t in trouble or anything, just was told to come with them.”

“To Millerfield Hills?”

“Most likely. Listen, I better go because you’re being checked out this evening but I brought you my older brother’s old clothes, some new shoes, and my grandma’s homemade brownies. Call me tonight before bed, but if you can’t we’ll meet up later at lunch tomorrow.”

I nodded. “Given,” I said.

Maddie left just as one of the nurses came in to check on my vitals and informing that my parents were on their way to pick me up. As she ran my vitals, I wondered about what Coretta was thinking when she was about to tell me something important. She looked like she was ready to make peace for everything she did to hurt and humiliate me. But then the explosion happened and here I was lying in a hospital bed and she was in jail.

But most importantly, I wondered who the Sentinels were and if they were really among us, maybe even at our school. And what it all have to do with me being wanted by someone.

Maddie was right. One of these days we were going to know the ugly and naked truth. I just hoped I was prepared for it all. And I hoped that Carli and Brad were all right.