“You read the reports on Serka that I gave you?”
“Yes, though read is hardly accurate. More like I muddled my way through those walls of text. You’d think archeologists would pick up some adjectives from their extensive educations, but apparently their writing is as dry as the sand they dig through all day.”
Next: dig
“I don’t like this.”
[name_u]Piper[/name_u] gave me an incredulous look — a brief one, but a look all the same. “You’re not enjoying this? Digging into your own secrets isn’t as much fun as it is with other people’s lives?”
The words stung, and I kept quiet after that.
Next: brief
The letter was brief, and in a handwriting [name_f]Maddalena[/name_f] didn’t recognize. Each word was precise and consistent, but jaggedly angled so that she almost had to turn her head to read the whole thing. And read it she did-- over and over and over again.
next: read
A piece of paper is glued to the back. I pull it off.
Meet me in the basement at 10:15 — your lunch break
MM
It reads. The room grows colder. MM. Anger rises and I clench my fists. HOW is he always one step ahead of me? He knew I was going to break the vase.
I can’t help it. I’m afraid.
next: Glue
The twins, for their part, ignored everything. [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] was still glued to her book, even after Mum told her to stop reading for the fifth or fifteenth time, and [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] was mumbling something to himself that [name_u]Eli[/name_u] couldn’t quite hear. Not that it mattered — his nine-year-old brother’s ramblings meant as much as Lydia’s approval did.
Next: approval
[name_f]Samantha[/name_f] awkwardly held her arms out, and [name_f]Daisy[/name_f] rushed to hug her, giggling a little at the absurdity of it all (whether that laugh stifled a sob was unacknowledged and unapproved; [name_f]Samantha[/name_f] hated when she cried).
next: awkward(ly)
There was a long beat of silence, and once it began transitioning from awkward to stifling, [name_f]Elske[/name_f] spoke up.
next: silence
“Do you hear that?” [name_u]Kenna[/name_u] said, borderline panicked. “Do you hear that?”
“Hear what?” [name_m]Oskar[/name_m] panted, doubled over as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
She turned to them all, her face a jumble of confusion, alarm, and horror, before whispering, “Silence.”
Next: Alarm
I love the feeling of lying in the grass with a good book, I love waking up without an alarm, I love every amazing meal I’ve ever eaten, including the pizza from the suspicious Domino’s scooter in the back of some pickup truck after watching Notre Dame beat [name_m]Stanford[/name_m] in two overtimes and a pouring rainstorm in 2012 and the scrambled eggs I ate once and have never been able to replicate.
next: truck
[name_m]Josiah[/name_m] and [name_f]Naomi[/name_f] heard the rumbling of a truck and ran outside. To their utter disappointment, several High Voltage vehicles drove by their house, disappearing around the corner. Those jerks didn’t even bother to try repairing the damages done by the hurricane!
“How long has it been now?” [name_f]Naomi[/name_f] asked her brother.
“About two weeks, give or take,” [name_m]Josiah[/name_m] said, glaring in the direction the trucks went, while [name_f]Naomi[/name_f] stomped her foot and cursed.
Next word: hurricane
Watching the story-boy work was almost like being in the eye of a hurricane, [name_f]Sophie[/name_f] decided. Particularly when he refused to look at her, or really just acknowledge her existence at all.
Next: decide
The next day, [name_u]Ari[/name_u] decided it would be a good idea to go scout the palace’s perimeter. [name_m]Tyoma[/name_m], who had taken the trundle, crawled out of bed and fumbled into some clothes. With a bottle of water and a protein bar for breakfast, the three of them set for the streets.
next: crawl
[name_f]Laura[/name_f] made her way through the vent, crawling Army-style as quietly as she could, even without shoes on. Yes, she knew she was doing something stupid, breaking into a Mafia don’s mansion like this, but she was going to get that bastard one way or another! She touched the handgun she brought with her for a little extra courage.
[name_m]Just[/name_m] then, Laura’s cell rang, had she cursed under her breath. “Shit!” Before she could even fumble for her phone to shut it off, she felt something grab her arm and forcefully pull her out of the vent, making her scream.
Next word: forceful
she heard a sharp intake of breath from her right and looked to see mary charlotte with her face forcefully stoic and her hands pressing hard into the ground. “what’s the matter?” annie asked, nudging mary charlotte with her elbow. “nothing, dear anne. nothing to worry about,” she said.
next word: worry
Kaz pondered this for a moment. “What about a full bow? I’ve never seen you do that. [name_m]Matthias[/name_m] does it to [name_f]Nina[/name_f], though.” And [name_m]Jesper[/name_m] does it to Wylan.
[name_u]Dorian[/name_u] snorted. “Well. If I did that to you, it’d be cause for worry.”
“Cause for worry? What does it mean?”
A grin spread across Dorians face. “Courtship.”
Kaz choked on his drink. He coughed, setting the glass on the table beside him. “Sorry?”
next word: drink
“Thanks!” said [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m]. He happily took the mug and sipped the warm drink. “Lui, tell Roddykins to turn that stupid music down.”
“Roddy, turn that down!” [name_m]Ludwig[/name_m] yelled.
Next word: music
[name_f]Lucia[/name_f] pulls the van door shut and steps back, watching as [name_u]Val[/name_u] waves awkwardly with both hands, balancing the steering wheel between her wrists. They pull out of the driveway, the music fading away. [name_f]Lucia[/name_f] sees [name_m]Benny[/name_m] wink at her through the back window before pulling the soft purple curtains shut.
Next word: wink
“I was a brilliant thirteen year old, but I’ve definitely lost some of that knowledge since.” He winked, but neither of them laughed. “As you probably guessed, it was about the petroleum, and I’ve only accumulated more and more assets in that time.” He shrugged as in the millions of Talents he now had meant nothing.
next: shrug
Fong shrugged and dropped Arslan back onto the floor, then pocketed the key. “All right, let’s take it outside. It’s too cramped in here anyway.”
Next word: cramped
[name_f]My[/name_f] decision to be nice and let [name_m]Alec[/name_m] sit in the front with Dad was a stupid one — the back of the car was impossibly cramped, I couldn’t move my legs because of the bags practically heaped on top of me, and I was halfway sure I was going to die of heatstroke long before we got to Clarenforte.
And [name_m]Alec[/name_m] was saying I was dramatic.
Next: impossible