Pandemic.

The traffic snaked up the hill, two lines of steel and tyre. It was gridlock and the road looked like a giant parking lot. Every car had turned off its engine while some drivers wandered on the road looking for clues. It was probably an accident. One person's misfortune became the inconvenience of many.

"In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young girl. Her name... Enny."

I rolled my eyes and rested my head against the window at Alison's sad attempt to make me change my mind. She had been at it since we left the airport. It didn't help that we were currently stuck in traffic because it seemed like she had all the time in the world to convince me to take her to the amusement park.

Is the great kingdom the amusement park?

We had travelled to our mum's hometown with our parents to visit our grandparents for the holiday. Our parents had stayed back and were coming home in the next two weeks. I felt a bit giddy at the fact that we had the house to ourselves for those two weeks.

Ezra let out a groan in the driver's seat. I could see his flat eyebrows pinched together in frustration, probably due to the traffic, through the wing mirror. His black eyes opened and closed repeatedly as he sighed before he ran his hand over his coily black hair.

"Will you take me to the amusement park please?" Alison gently shook my shoulder and I looked at her.

Her blonde hair lay on her shoulders like a waterfall flowing mildly. Her dazzling forest green eyes glistened every time she moved them and her nose was freckled with brown splotches.

"Same answer I have been giving you for six days," I stated. "No."

"Come on Enny. I'm twelve, I need this. You can just drop me on your way to cheer practice."

I sighed. "I'm not going for practice."

I was sick of Tamara, the head cheerleader, and my spotter on the team had moved to a different state. It had taken so long for me to finally trust her to catch me and I wasn't ready to replace her yet but Tamara took the liberty of doing it for me. My new spotter, Roshni, was very nice but we weren't close.

She pursed her lips. "Well the cheer team can handle a loss."

That was the same thing Tamara told me whenever I said I couldn't make it to practice due to sickness or other reasons. Then, when I actually showed up if I'm sick, she made a great fuss over me.

I turned to face her with a grin. "Well the amusement park can handle a loss."

She narrowed her eyes at me. A car back-fired a street over, renting the air as good as any gun-shot, but instead of startling she stayed just as she was.

"Zeke could take you after Hae In comes over tomorrow," I said and he turned around in the passenger's seat.

His lustrous brown curls were tousled due to the numerous naps he took on the plane and his dark eye brows were sloped downwards in a serious expression. He had prominent cheekbones, well-defined chin and nose and his African heritage showed in his features. We both had a light brown skin tone but his brown eyes were a bit darker than mine. His eyes darted between Alison and I for a few seconds before he scoffed.

He closed his eyes and gently shook his head before opening them again. "It's a no from me."

He scoffed again and gave us one last look before turning back in his seat.

"But why?" she asked.

"You know why," he replied as he pulled out a bottle of water from the bag at his feet and unscrewed the cap. "You're a brat."

Her mouth fell open and she was silent for a couple of seconds. "I'm telling mum!"

"Should I call her so you can tell her right now?" He pulled out his phone and waved it in the air.

She gave me a sad look and pouted, she wanted me to defend her. I shrugged since he wasn't exactly lying. She was a bit troublesome and spoiled but that was because we regularly indulged her.

"Enny, please. I already told Nakisa and Carmen that I was coming to the amusement park. They would be expecting me," she begged when she realized I wouldn't say anything to Zeke.

"Go to school Alison."

"You're ditching school, why can't I?"

I wanted to say because you're twelve and I'm seventeen but I decided not to answer her. She wanted to drag this out for as long as possible till I agree to take her. I would take her if she had asked to go on a different day but I didn't want to leave the house tomorrow.

I looked out the window to see a car parked halfway on the sidewalk. A man piled bags into the boot in a frantic manner while a woman ushered three kids into the backseat.

"Wow... you don't care about me," she muttered, drawing my attention away from the family.

Pfft.

I glanced at her when she didn't say anything else and saw her looking out the window. She actually looked... sad. Does she really think I don't care about her?

"Okay, whatever, I'll take you," I said reluctantly as I let my head fall against the window, recoiling instantly when it hits it with a bang.

"Ow," I groan as I rub the side of my head while glaring at Alison who was currently grinning at me.

She mouthed a 'sorry' just as my phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out to see a text message from Tamara on the cheerleaders group chat.

Tamara Fuller, 1:38PM: Cheer practice cancelled. My mum has a cold. Cheri, Diana and Mitomi can't make it. Pray for my mum, guys. Xoxo.

"Oh, thank God," I muttered before I grimaced at my words.

Thank God cheer practice is cancelled, not thank God her mum has a cold.

'Hope she gets better soon.' I hit send just as another message came in. I couldn't stop the grin that grew on my face when I saw that it was from Daniel.

Hot Stuff, 1:38PM: I'm at your place, sugar. Where are you guys?

He didn't know I was coming back today till I texted him when Ezra came to pick us up. Ezra didn't go with us to mum's hometown because he had a school project to begin.

Me, 1:39PM: Stuck in traffic.

I looked up from my phone when I felt the car moving. The cars ahead were finally moving and I sighed in relief.

Me, 1:39PM: Will be home soon.

------

We got home soon after. The cause of the traffic had been a three way collision. I didn't know if there were casualties because I didn't see anyone in or around the cars.

Daniel and Jack were waiting outside the two storey building and I ran out of the BMW when it came to a stop. We quickly closed the distance between each other and I launched myself onto him, my legs wrapping around his sides as his arms wrapped around me tightly. His body was warm and toned as he hugged me, comforting to the touch while I locked my hands around his neck.

Jack let out a bark and started dancing around us while waiting for me to come down before he ran towards the car. I heard Alison squeal as he let out another bark.

"I missed you so freaking much," he muttered, his lips brushing my ear before he pulled back with a smile etched on his face.

His curls were midnight black, just like mine, and an almost perfectly symmetrical face. He's got that brown skin Adonis look going on and light brown eyes, framed by graceful brows that make me weak in the knees. His perfect lips were ripe for the kissing and I did exactly that.

His lips were warm and tasted of mint, locking my mind in the present while sending shivers down my back. When we finally broke apart for air, I rested my forehead against his and gathered some much needed oxygen.

"Where's my kiss, freerunner?" Zeke asked and I let out a laugh at the face Daniel made at him before I got down.

I saw Daniel's skateboard leaning against the wall by the door. No wonder he got here so fast without being stuck in traffic.

Jack quickly ran to me from Alison, his tail wagging excitedly as he danced around me. He let out a bark before standing on his hind legs and tried to leap at me. I immediately stepped away before his front legs hit my chest and he landed on the ground back. I got on my knees and began to stroke the fur behind his ears. His tongue lolled out of his mouth in a canine grin as he panted happily before he began to lick my face.

"No, no," I groaned as I tried to gently push him away while moving my head from his tongue. Ezra, who was bringing out our boxes from the boot with Zeke, whistled and he left me alone.

Daniel laughed when he saw that my left eye was partially open due to the dog's saliva and held my hand, pulling me up and in the direction of the house. "Let's get that off your face."