Chapter 4

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"Maaarcuuus! When can we go out again?!" The little boy questioned his brother, his bright blue eyes filled with frustration.

"When someone comes to get us, Theo. The door is locked from the outside, so we can do nothing about it." Marcus said, putting the toast into a plate and handing it to Theo. "Take this upstairs and make sure to share it with Tim."

"Hmmpf." Theo stubbornly looked up at his brother, and then hurriedly ran out of the kitchen when he received a glare.

Marcus sighed and turned off the stove. He walked out and went upstairs.

Walking towards the balcony, he opened the doors and stepped out onto the landing.

He bent his head down and saw that a girl with navy blue braided hair, had stopped and gotten off her bike at the Thompson's house.

leaning against the railing, he looked down at them-

"Can't we just climb down from here?" Another boy showed up from behind him.

"Ugh, Tim don't scare me like that," Marcus said putting a hand over his chest, where his heart seemed to be pounding loudly from the fright. "And, no, we can't. If you want, go ahead, but just know that if you break any bones or something, I'm not coming down to help you." he said stubbornly.

"Hmmpf." Tim humphed and then ran off back inside.

A few minutes later, Marcus went back inside as well.

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Melanie and I rode to the Thompsons. Jason is our class rep, or former class rep, whatever.

As I knocked on the door, the feeling of being watched was there again.

I ignored the feeling and waited for someone to open the door.

In a couple of seconds, Jason opened the door.

"Hey, how are you two?" He asked opening the door wider.

"Good, where's Irene?" I asked stepping up towards the door.

"She's sleeping upstairs." He said stepping back, a small smile on his face.

"Can you pack some of you two's clothes and bring her down?" Melanie asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"Sure. I'll be back in a few minutes." Jason said and walked upstairs.

"Anyways, you stay here, I'll go get someone else." I said and stepped out of the door.

"What?! Don't just leave me here!" Melanie whisper-shouted stepping out behind me.

"C'mon, we'll cover more ground this way." I said as I tried to convince her.

"But.." she started mumbling again.

"C'mon Mel, I thought you liked the guy. You two'll be alone together." I continued to persuade her.

"Irene is still gonna be there.." she said looking at me with a skeptical look.

"She'll most likely be asleep the whole time. So, I'm gonna go and your gonna stay here. Are we clear?" I asked stepping up closer to my bike.

"ughhh.... Fiiiine. You can go.. But be back at my house in under twenty minutes, Got it?" Melanie said as I got onto my bike and rode out of the driveway.

"Got it!" I yelled as I rode past the house to Celia's on the other side of the street.

I rode into the driveway and got off the bike. I ran over to the door and gave a loud knock.

Celia opened the door a minute or two later. She looked like she hadn't slept at all in the past twenty-four hours.

*sniff* "Hey Avery." she said her voice hoarse.

Compared to Jason I think he was just a little too preoccupied with Irene to mourn his parents' deaths, but Celia looked worse than I was, and she is usually the most cheery person in the whole neighborhood.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" I asked stepping inside and giving her a small hug.

"Better, I guess.. How are you?" she asked as I let go of her and she wiped her nose on the handkerchief she was holding.

"Good. C'mon, let's go and pack some of your clothes." I said as I held her hand and took her upstairs.

Walking her into her room, I sat her down on her bed. Then I went over to her closet and opened it up. I took out a bag from the top shelf and started stuffing some clothes into it.

"Where are we going anyway?" Celia asked with a small cough.

"Melanie and I decided it would be best for us to stick together, and you're like my family, I couldn't tolerate you having to go through this all on your own." I said as I took out another bag and started filling it with a few pairs of shoes.

"OK." she said and stood up.

Walking over to the bag I had already filled up, she picked it up and proceeded out and then downstairs. A couple of minutes later, I went downstairs with the other bag to see that Celia had already put the other bag on the bike and was standing next to it waiting for me.

I put the other bag in the basket and got on. Celia got on behind me and then I rode the bike out of the driveway and toward Melanie's house.

Stopping in the driveway two minutes later, Celia and I got off the bike and took the stuff inside.

I took Celia to Diana and then headed out again.

I checked the map and decided to head towards the Miller's first.

Riding up to their house, I gave a loud knock.

The door opened up a second later, and August stuck her head out. She looked exhausted and there were huge eye bags under her eyes.

"Who is it, August?" I heard Xavier say from behind her.

August opened the door wider and then hugged me tightly as she cried into my shoulder.

I hugged her back as I looked up to see that Xavier had disappeared from the door. He probably went upstairs.

"Let's get inside. We should also pack some of you guys' clothes as well." I said holding her shoulder and taking out a tissue to wipe her eyes.

"Ok, you go on ahead, I'll tell Xavier." she said, rubbing her nose on her sleeve and then turning inside.

"K. Meet Melanie at her house. I'll be out a little while." I said and walked back to the bike.

"Ok." I heard her say as she closed the door and I rode out and headed to the next house.

'Let's get this done quick.'