MONDAY MORNING SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2015

Monday when I got off the bus, I was greeted by the usual gang sans Carli and Brad. “We’re so glad that you’re all right,” Jadalyn said, giving me a big hug. “Who would’ve thought that she would try to kill you?”

“Surprisingly, she was worse when we were growing up,” I confessed to them as we gathered in the middle of the school courtyard where other students were milling about. “She made my middle school and my freshman year in high school a living hell, from daily beatings after school and leaving me outside overnight while my parents were out to bribing the other students to bullying me and even humiliating me at a pep rally-right in front of everyone.”

“That’s sick,” Maddie breathed.

“Did your parents know about this?” Rakeem asked me, looking like he was about to heave.

“Only when they found out about her beating me to a near pulp with a bat and having her friends use me as a punching bag. And the time I was humiliated by her and the entire school at a pep rally, right in front of everyone,” I said, graciously accepting a cup of coffee from Amber. “When they did, they sent her off to boarding school. But the damage was done, sadly. I was more introverted and shunned than I was in the first place before all of this.”

“That’s must be why you moved here in the first place,” Trent deduced. “Man, it must’ve been brutal the way Coretta did that to you and then begging for forgiveness before that explosion happened.”

I shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

“Then we’ll leave Coretta out of it,” Amber said. “But I want to know where Zach was when it all went down.”

“Did someone call my name?” Said Bellevue kid drawled as he and Ava sauntered towards us. “I believe that my lady and I were to escort him to his classes.”

“Of course,” Maddie said disdainfully, giving the odd couple the once-over. “We wouldn’t want Zay to be tainted with mediocrity.”

I only gave them the “good sport” smile. “Easy guys,” I said. “We can catch up at lunch later on.”

“Oh, that reminds me,” Ava said, pointing to Trent and Jadalyn. “Principal Jackson said to meet him at the office at once. Don’t worry, you aren’t in any trouble, but it’s important.” With that, she and her beau locked arms with mine and swept me away to my destination.

I didn’t see much of my friends all day. In fact, I was constantly around my fellow club mates and teammates alongside the Bellevue kids the whole day. It wasn’t until later on when I called Rakeem that I learned that Trent and Jadalyn was given the same treatment as Carli and Brad. “Did you get a chance to reach either one of them?” I asked him over the phone after dinner.

“Nah, man,” Rakeem said worriedly. “First my girl and Brad, and now my homeboy and Jadalyn. What the hell is going on?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” I said. “But like Maddie said, by the end of this week, we’ll find out about everything.”

The same thing happened the following day, but then Maddie went AWOL as I saw a despondent gang while the lovebirds whisked me away. And again on Wednesday when Rakeem pulled a vanishing act and on Thursday when Amber was the final one to go. And all throughout those days, I kept my routine up: acing tests, attending meets with the swim team, and being the artist that I was with the bands and the Art Club.

All throughout the week I also noticed that their parents were given rather expensive gifts. On Wednesday as Mom and I were getting groceries, I met Rakeem’s mother as she fawned over a new pearl jewelry set and a fur coat. And Wednesday, Carli’s folks gave me a ride home from swim practice in their new Audi Quattro.

All I could think about was one question: what the hell was going on?

SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2015

Well, on Friday, I learned the truth. Not the whole truth, mind you (that comes later in the story) but the part where I learned all about the Sentinels.

It was a stormy Friday. It started simple enough. The night before, Zach had sent me a text saying to pack a bag for the weekend and that Yaz would take me on another shopping spree. That time, she gave me a new laptop.

But during the Spanish II quiz, the intercom buzzed. “Please send Mr. Reeves to the principal’s office at once,” the PA intoned. “He is relieved of his final class for the day.”

I simply handed the teacher my finished quiz, collected my belongings, and made a beeline for the office where a smiling Principal Jackson and a grinning VP Hardict was waiting for me. “Take a seat, Mr. Reeves,” the former said, motioning at one of the chairs in front of his desk.

I did so very quickly.

“First, Xavier, know that you’re not in any trouble or there’s nothing wrong with your parents,” VP Hardict assured me.

I felt no relief, but kept a cool façade on my face. “All right,” I said.

“You may have noticed that in the past seven days that your friends Rakeem Sadler, Trent Rayborne, Amber O’Riley, Jadalyn Hancock, Brad Jiang, Carli Eubanks, and Madison Hartley are not at school. That is because they are at Alex’s house with their families, getting acquainted with him and the other Bellevue kids,” Jackson informed me. “They are there with your parents, expecting you while having a great time.”

I nodded. “I did have a few questions regarding their well-being, but I knew it was best not to pry,” I said. “My grandparents told me that curiosity kills the cat.”

“They taught you well,” Hardict said, smiling faintly. “Given last week’s snafu regarding your sister, Principal Jackson and I both think that it’s time you know everything. And you may not know about this but,” she took a deep breath, “we also know the Sentinels as well. In fact, you will meet them at Alex’s gathering today.”

“Whoa,” I breathed. Maddie was right, I thought.

A thunderclap from outside made the room shake as the sky grew darker and ominous. Mr. Jackson extended two roses in front of me. “You are like little Alice, Xavier, following the white rabbit before it jumps into the hole. You pick the white rose, and the story ends,” he began. What is this, the Matrix, I thought as he continued, “You’ll go home, believing what you want to believe. But if you pick the red rose, you’ll see how deep the rabbit-hole goes as you fall in. but know this, once you made your choice, there’s no going back. Choose wisely.”

Now I know what most of you are thinking, “Pick the white rose, Xavier! Quit while you’re ahead!” I can’t blame you, but we wouldn’t have much of a story now, wouldn’t we? And besides, I had to see for myself if the others and my parents were doing okay. So I took a deep breath, cut my losses to the maximum, and picked the red rose.

At that moment a deafening bolt of lightning made the room shale once more as a bolt of lightning flashed across the skies.

“Good,” Mr. Jackson said, his voice more deeply frightening than I was used to.

I then signed an NDA forbidding myself to speak of this and what I’m about to see to anyone other than my parents and my friends. “It’s for our privacy, Xavier,” Hardict informed me. “We’ve been discreet for as long as it all started.”

“I understand,” I said, handing her the agreement.

Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of the day. “Come, Xavier,” he said as he grabbed my bags. “The limo is waiting outside for us.”

Wait, limo?

Oh, Lord. What the hell is going on? Do the others know about this? What about Coretta and my parents?

I had the strangest feeling that I was in for a rude awakening. And in the end, I was right.