By now it was dark and we were in the middle of the woods Cole sat down and I followed. He fixed a burning fire and broke some wood to make seats. He was really good at this. I looked at the stars and saw the zodiac Cancer sign. My dream, maybe he would know what it meant.

“Hey Cole can you help me with something?”

“Sure what is it?”

“I keep having this strange dream.”

“What is it?”

“Just three pictures: a girl, the zodiac Cancer sign, and a broken heart. I think it’s trying to tell me something.”

“Well try to figure it out.”

“Obviously a girl is a girl.”

“Think harder.”

“Well the girl was tall so she must be an older woman.”

“That’s a good start.”

“Then the zodiac sign must be cancer like the disease.”

“Good job.”

“Then a broken heart.”

“Try to put them together.”

“A girl with cancer will lead to a broken heart! I got it!”

“Now we have to figure out who the girl is and who the broken heart is.”

“I have a broken heart.”

“Then that is you.”

“And Kai is stressed because a girl in the family has cancer!”

“Who is the girl though?”

“His wife! Paige! Clide told me they were paranoid of Paige getting cancer again! Paige has cancer which will lead to my broken heart! Thank you!”

I hugged him tightly and he gently pushed me off.

“Too close.”

“Sorry.”

“Try to go to sleep and see if you have another dream to solve in the morning. I’ll have food waiting when you wake up then you have to do some training.”

“Oh great.”

I spoke flatly and drifted off to sleep. Sure enough the pictures were gone but three more appeared. It was: a man, a couch, and a block of white. I woke and as Cole said there was food in front of me. I picked it up and stared at it but happily ate it surprised at the taste and texture.

“Have a dream?”

“Yes. A man, a couch, and a block of white.”

“Don’t try to hard to figure it out it may change tomorrow.”

“Ok, now about my training?”

“Oh yes get up.”

I stood up and he ran over to a tree carving three circles on it. He handed me a wooden bow and arrow but to me it looked like gold.

“Shoot it.”

I fired and to my surprise actually got in all three circles.

“You’ve got aim.”

“Thanks?”

“It a compliment.”

“Oh. Thanks.”

He laughed at me.

“Your hilarious.”

“Ok…?”

“That’s enough training for today.”

“That was fast.”

“Your good though so you don’t need much.”

“So do we need to get moving?”

“Yep.”

We started walking and talking and I really like Cole. If you could add someone onto your family I would kick Hunter out and make Cole my brother. The best thing though is that he doesn’t growl. He says it’s impolite and that only savages do it. We didn’t stop but kept walking, we ran into some other nomadic families and I got to play with some hybrid children.

Everyone thought I was Cole’s sister and I just played along with it. At one in the morning we finally stopped to sleep. The same dream again. It bothered me how I didn’t know this one. We got up at five and I walked restlessly all the way until we actually got to Washington. We ran into another family there and I got to play with their children they followed us until we got to a house then left.

“Home sweet home.” He murmured

It was a tiny house that was probably only one or two stories. But it was safe and I liked it. We had neighbors though. The McAlisters and the Robinsons. They both seemed like really sweet people and when they shook my hand I was glad it wasn’t too hot or too cold. We walked into our tiny house and I was surprised at how regular it looked. It was wood floors and wood steps with about ten rooms and a basement in it. Cole told me he already had a room setup for me and escorted me there. The ceiling was light blue and the walls were a darker blue. The whole scheme of the room was blue I noticed. Blue and wood. Some of the blue had white outlining on it.

“I love it!”

“Why don’t you unpack your stuff and I’ll make dinner.”

“Quick question though.”

“What is it?”

“Do you drink human blood?”

“No. I drink animal blood you are perfectly safe.”

“Thank you for letting me stay here.”

“Your welcome. Now come downstairs when you are hungry.”

After unpacking my bags I went into the kitchen to help him cook. We sat at the table and ate talking about my dream. He thinks the man is Kai and that the couch is just a couch. He thinks that the white may be snow though. It scared me because it doesn’t snow in California unless Maria did that. I watched the news for California and luckily no snow but it was March. I laid in bed already ready to sleep but each time I closed my eyes all I saw was California. The only person that knew I was gone was Logan.

My mother has know idea where I am and no one knows who I’m with or where I am. I checked my cell phone constantly even though I didn’t have any messages. I woke up, talked, and went walking. I met up with one of the Robinson children, River. He was fourteen and had short brown hair. He was riding a skate board and said he was out of school already even though I doubt that. He had blue eyes but used his hair to cover one. Some other guys came and looked at him. They did some type of handshake then looked at me. River smiled and looked at his friends.

“This is my girlfriend, Claire.”

One of the guys looked at me and nodded. I looked at River furious.

“I don’t even know you! I got here yesterday with my friend, Cole.”

He looked at me smiling.

“ You miss California baby?”

There was a cold hand on my shoulder than Cole was beside me flipping his blonde hair so that the bangs weren’t covering his eyes.

“Leave her alone River. She doesn’t want to be terrorized by a fourteen year old. She just got over her abusive boyfriend.”
River did his freaky smile.

“Well I can heal those scars baby.”

Cole turned me around and dipped me like we were dancing. He kissed me then flipped me back up.

“She’s taken.”

River rode away with his friends but turned around.

“Call me sometime.”

He ran off and I looked at Cole.

“What was the kiss for?”

“To make him leave you alone.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t like you like that way and I hope you don’t like me that way.”

“No I don’t.”

“Good.”

The next morning I went on my walk again. River walked next to me a little to close.

“Hey sweetie.”

“You remind me of my disgusting brother, Hunter.”

“I do?”

“Yes a lot.”

“Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself?”

“I ran away end of story.”

“What made you want to live with Cole Allendale?”

“We are friends.”

“Close friends?”

“Yah but not like romantically close.”

“So you aren’t dating him?”

“No.”

“Need a boyfriend?”

“Listen kid. I’m seventeen and you are fourteen.”

“Three year difference so what.”

“I don’t like you though.”

“Have you met my brother?”

“No.”

“Come on.”

He led me back to our houses and led me into his it was large and beautiful with granite everywhere.

“Where are your parents?”

“Navy. I live with my brother. He’s nineteen.”

He stopped and knocked on a door. A man opened who had hazel eyes and the same brown hair as his brother’s he flipped it and held out a hand to me.

“I’m Maxwell.”

“Claire.”

“ Are you from California?”

“How did you know?”

“You can tell. Come in though.”

I walked into the room and he slammed the door into his brothers face. I sat on the bed and looked around the room. He was the average teenager. He had posters in his room and a computer. It was mostly black everywhere and on the bed was a leather jacket.

“Do you have a motorcycle?”

“Yah but I don’t use it anymore. You can have it.”

“I can!”

“Sure. It’s black though.”

“I don’t care! Thank you!”

I hugged him but backed away quickly do to the fact that I didn’t even know him.

“Are you into motorcycles?”

“Not really but my brothers had some.”

“How many brothers did you have.”

“I only have one but then I got adopted and had four then I ran away and now live with my friend.”

“Are you good at wrestling?”

“Why would you ask that?”

“Having so many brothers and all.”

“I guess I’m average.”

“I’m a pro.”

“I bet I can beat you.”

“Want to see?”

“Sure thing.”

He grabbed me and pinned me to the ground but I did the trick that I do with Kai and I was already pinning him down.

“I win.”

He flipped over and pinned me to the wall.

“One two three I win.”

He kissed me and I just stood there dumbfounded.

“Did you just kiss me?”

“I’m so sorry it was kind of a reflex.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. I closed my eyes and saw the three pictures. I pulled away and the pictures fading. I kissed him again and they came back. Pulling away they faded. I opened my eyes and saw Maxwell staring at me.

“Sorry.”

“Want to take a ride on your new motorcycle.”

“That would be good.”

I opened the door and saw River standing right there.

“How can you kiss my brother and not me?”

“It’s a reflex. I used to live with four mega hot guys and I made out with all of them. It’s a reflex little boy.”

“I’m not a little boy!”

“Compared to your brother you are.”
Maxwell grabbed my arm and pulled me to the backyard.

“Hey Claire you can call me Max.”

“Ok.”

He led me to their garage and inside was a black motorcycle in well shape. He pulled it out and showed me how to use it. I was pretty good I had to admit. I fell one or twice but never once hit anything.

“Have you done this before?”

“Nope never.”

“You are good at it.”

“Thank you.”

I rode it around the neighborhood then back to Max’s house. I spent the next week at his house but each night I had the same dream then woke up screaming Kai’s name. Oh great I’m homesick. I have to leave my hot new boyfriend for my mega hot old boyfriend. Not yet. I went back over to Max’s house where he was already waiting for me in his room. He kissed me then walked me down to the motorcycle. He got on and put me on the back. He drove me to the mall and bought me some things. That took the whole day but all I though about was Kai. At midnight I walked next door and to his room. He sat up and I got next to him.

“I think I’m leaving.”