S c a v e n g e r h u n t

Back up at the manor, we shower and then go downstairs to have an early dinner. Or late lunch, whatever you want to call it.

It's around 5, we spent most of the day in the water. We are tired, our muscles aching, so when we finish eating we just sit around. Much like most of them did the other day while Lucas and I were exploring the manor.

We are slouching on couches when we hear a knock on the food and Mrs Cypher pokes her head in.

"Do any of you want to do a scavenger hunt? I know, it might sound like a childish thing to do but it will allow you to work together and explore the manor," she suggests. Her description doesn't sound too fun, but I could use something to occupy my mind right now.

"Yeah, sure," Cecilia says before I can answer. Most people are willing to do it, so Mrs Cypher leaves the list and closes the door.

The top of the page had a set of rules, so I pick it up, read them out. After I finish, I look around at everyone. Everyone nods, and we are doing it in pairs. Everyone gets a copy. As I hand them out, I notice Casper looking at the list and reacting strangely, like there is something wrong.

I look away and go to Lucas, who I am paired with, and we examine the list.

"A small place to live; built up high. Where bees build their hives, near the sky," I read out the first riddle on the list. "First letter is T."

"What do you think?" Lucas asks. "Built up high…"

"We know that it's built then, not naturally occurring or anything. Where do bees build their hives?"

We are slowly walking along, and I look up to see we are moving in the direction of the garden.

"Tress," Lucas says.

"Oh yeah. Trees are tall, near the sky. Kinda." We move out into the garden, and I look at the trees. "A small place to live. We live in houses.." I trail off.

"Treehouse!" Lucas exclaims. "We gotta take a photo."

I mentally slap myself. How did I not think of that?

The paper says we have to get a photo, so I take out my phone and take a photo while Lucas writes down his answer next to the riddle. We look at the next riddle and go to solve it, then the next and the next.

As Lucas writes down the answer for the last riddle, he announces "Done."

"Finally. That took a while." We had items we had to take photos of from all around the house, a hairbrush from a bathroom, rings from a jewellery room, eggs from the kitchen and an iron from the laundry.

We go back to the room and wait for the others to get here, next to finish are Casper and Alexa.

"Random list, huh?" Alexa says.

Casper pauses for a moment. "Our town takes scavenger hunts a little seriously. They started off as a way for the poor people to get things for the rich to get themselves favours so that they have more money or food or whatever. This list is one of the first lists to have been made for people."

Lucas finishes his thought, obviously also knowing the story. "These items we found, the riddles we solved, people hundreds of years ago were doing this to survive."

"Oh, joy" Alexa says. "Then why'd your mum give us this list?"

"Dunno."

I look down at the list. "Do you wanna compare answers?"

"Sure."

We both read our answers out. "We got Treehouse, Sundial, Hairbrush, Eggs, Iron, Yacht, Fireplace, Candle, Nightstand and Rings."

"Casper and I got the same, literally all the same," she says in shock and surprise.

"Huh. We must all be really smart or really dumb," Lucas jokes. I look over at Casper, who has stayed silent. Is he really so worried about the fact that we used a list from ages ago? I open my mouth to say something, but then the others come in. Mia and Aviania, Cecilia and Amelia, and finally Matthew, Pandora and Damon.

"Took you guys a while," I joke.

"You can't have been waiting here that long," Matthew scoffs.

"Actually, Charlotte and I were first done. We have been waiting for you guys for like forty minutes," Lucas says.

"Oh,��� this quietens Matthew up.

I turn back to the others. We compare answers, not everyone got the same. We go downstairs to get our answers checked, and have dinner because by now it's getting late.

As we settle down in the tv room again, I am reminded of the events from last night. I look over at Lucas. We make eye contact, and I can tell he remembers about it too.

"Aww, look at them staring into each other's eyes," Mia purrs, giggling fakely.

I look at her with disgust. 'Don't ever speak or laugh like that again. It's creepy."

"Aw sorry did I interrupt your moment?" she says in the same voice.

"Yes," Lucas sounds annoyed but we look over at him and he smirks and winks.

Mia's mouth drops open, and looks between us. I have no idea what Lucas is doing but Mia's reaction is entertaining so I go along with it.

Casper realises what's going on and his face turns shocked. I am having a hard time not to laugh now. I turn my gaze to the tv screen to stop myself. The movie, however, is currently a very intimate scene between the two main characters, so I look away.

"Oooh, kissing distracts you," Mia teases. "Never this much before."

"Yeh, cause you're trying to get Lucas and I together!" I shoot at her.

She sighs. "I know. I only wish you'd make it easier for everyone and finally go out. Everyone can tell you like each other. Except for you two. Even your parents know," she finishes exasperatedly.

"Wait, what?" I ask. "My Parents? They think I like-" I glance over at Lucas and he is just as bewildered as I am.

Mia suddenly grabs my arm and pushes me through the door, and Casper does the same for Lucas.

"Wha - What are you doing?" I ask, trying to get out of her grasp, but she's holding me tight.

"Lucas is cooperating, stop struggling." and with that, she and Casper go back inside and slam the door shut.

I stand there, shuffling my feet and then look at Lucas. He is leaning on the wall, legs crossed, a smirk plastered on his face.

"What?"

He takes me by the hand and pulls me along through the halls, then pushes me into a room. I look around.

"What's this place?" I ask. His smirk widens.

"My room."

"Why did you take me to your room?" I shout.

"They wanted me to, judging by their actions. Chill," he adds, looking at my expression. "Is it that bad being with me in a room? Alone?"

I start to smile. "Yes."

In one quick movement, he has grabbed my hands in one of his and has pinned me against the wall. "Oh, that's too bad."

My heart starts thumping again, like it did last night in the room. I expect him to move away, but he only stays there. He slowly moves closer, I close my eyes, and he puts his lips on mine. Suddenly our every touch is electric, and we shift with the other person's every movement. His hand lets go of me and moves to my waist and my back, pushing me against him. My hands move up to his hair, pulling his head down, closer to mine. I can feel his smirk under our kiss, and the kisses become more aggressive. His tongue traces my lips and his mouth opens against mine. We start getting more passionate, and I let out a soft moan as he bites my lip. He pulls away, and we both breathe raggedly, my mind is going crazy, processing what I just did.

Did I just kiss Lucas freaking Cypher? The guy who every girl wants, is heads over heels for him?

He chuckles softly at my confusion, lifts my chin. He quickly pecks my lips one more time then turns around and walks away.

I walk back to the mattress room after I get my beating heart to slow down, and fall asleep.

And dream.

Of Lucas.