Lorenzo Masters has a dream--to be the first person in his family to graduate from college. At fifteen, he is already well on his way with a full ride academic scholarship to Clearwater University, but little does the freshman know he is about to get an education in life, love, and growing up. Morgan Everett on the other hand takes his academics very lightly, as do the other guys of House Orison, but everything changes when they find themselves the unexpected caretakers of an adorable and impressionable Lore. From mentorship to romance, each member of House Orison finds a way to deal with their newfound freshman fifteen.
It has been a while since the kissing contest organized by Warren Wallace brought Lore and Morgan closer together, and while lounging around House Orison cuddling and PDAs in the privacy and safety of their own home is all well and good, Lore has been itching for his first real taste of dating. It is a magical night, one filled with the promise of new beginnings and lasting feelings, but somewhere something is stirring. On the horizon, a devastating truth looms and one violent act will begin a chain reaction that will test the limits of brotherly love.
DISCLAIMER
The following story is completely fictitious and any resemblances to persons living or dead are entirely coincidental. Just as in life, this story contains graphic scenes of love and hate, life and death, joy and sorrow, as well as sexually explicit scenes which may involve minors. If it is unlawful for you to view such media, or such material makes you feel uncomfortable, then please read no further than this warning.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
I would appreciate any constructive criticism you have to offer me, but anything that lacks any form of redirection or remedy will be ignored. Also, anyone commenting on how I need to make things hotter and steamier between certain characters will be equally ignored. The sexual content of my stories, while present, does not make up the majority of the storytelling. Send legitimate questions or comments to: faretheeforeverwell@yahoo.com.
TO MY READERS
Might be a little egotistical of me to think of you guys as "my" readers, but you have been supporting me with feedback, helping me become a better writer, and eagerly awaiting the next installment of Freshman Fifteen!?, so forgive me for being a little possessive. I apologize for my absence as of late; life sometimes has a way of getting away from me. This is the fifth of seven planned chapters for Freshman Fifteen!?, so hopefully you will not have to wait so long for the last two chapters. Thank you always for your encouraging words and thoughts.
FRESHMAN FIFTEEN!? -- EPISODE FIVE
~ IN A LAND FAR FAR AWAY ~
A Midwest winter is a fickle mistress, both bitterly cold and breathtakingly beautiful; she will snow on a person and take their feet out from under them, but also slowly manipulate people, causing them to gravitate towards one another for comfort and warmth. Her chilled winds blow cold, her snow falls pure and silent, and witnessing such frigid beauty from the comfort of a heated blanket with someone to share it with makes the warmth feel all the more precious. In a Midwest winter, the cold can kill, and not always with frostbite and blizzard conditions. Sometimes it is the cold of the heart which threatens the greatest and only a warm heart can shelter the soul.
It had been several months since she had last seen all that remained of her family. She knew it would be hard, letting go of her greatest love, her most precious grandchild, but she had steeled herself to follow through. Sure the letters Lore would send home were comforting to read, but she missed the boy's gentle smile and carefree spirit. However, she knew he was on a journey for knowledge, friendship, and love, and from the letters she had received it seemed to Nana Masters that her grandson, Lorenzo, was indeed learning, making friends, and maybe even falling in love.
As Nana looked out of the large windows to the front of the Master's family home, she saw the gently falling snow as it grew heavier and heavier. It seemed as if winter had come early this year, and she knew it wouldn't be long before she would have to stock more firewood and prepare for the invariable snowstorms that would come. She had seen many winters come and go in this land, this sacred place, but she knew each year the snow would melt and spring would begin again, with or without the help of the Masters family.
As she finished folding a heavy wool blanket she had pulled out of storage, a beam of light pierced the cover of snowfall and shined through the large front windows of the Masters' family home.
"What in the devil is anyone doing out in this storm?" Nana wondered out loud to no one in particular.
Nana Masters was a stout and strong woman in both body and will. She had braved many dangers in her life, mothered a strong-willed daughter and strong-spirited grandson, buried a devoted husband and beloved daughter, and tended the land granted to the Masters family for all of her adult life. As the vehicle drew closer and closer towards the large timber house, her eyes narrowed and her dander went up.
A moment later she was throwing on a coat and headed towards the front door.
"Marcus Peterson!" the older woman shouted as the front door to the Masters' family home flew open, "what are you doing on this land!?"
Nana Masters stood defiantly at the front door wrapped in a heavy coat she had thrown on as Marcus Peterson and three others got out of the expensive black BMW. The men seemed to regard the woman with a bit of a start, but Mr. Peterson wasn't impressed. As the four approached, Nana Masters walked forward to meet them halfway down the snow-covered drive.
"Now, Grace, that isn't any way to talk to your guests..." Marcus replied as he slicked his goatee. "I mean, look at this storm, it came out of nowhere. We tried driving back to town but didn't want to risk it on such icy roads. Honestly, you were the only safe place to weather this storm nearby, and I thought..."
"You thought you could just talk some sense into me about selling this land to you and your developer friends." Nana Masters finished for him. "You had best better get back in your fancy car, because you are not setting foot in that house and you are not staying on this land. You and your associates had best leave before you start stirring up some trouble."
"Was that a threat, Grace?" Marcus asked coyly.
Nana Masters smirked.
"Wasn't a threat, Peterson, just a word of warning," she replied, "after all, out here it isn't me you have to be worried about."
It was subtle, just a flicker in the eyes, but Grace Masters, mother of Gail Masters, grandmother of Lorenzo Masters, saw something in Marcus Peterson's eyes that chilled her to the bone more than the cold air ever could.
"For once, Grace," Mr. Peterson said with a smile, "you are right. You don't scare me."
Movement to her left, but it was too late.
The pain was overwhelming at first, a sharp shattering pain to the right knee as Grace Masters fell to the snowy ground, the associate of Mr. Peterson who had cracked her in the leg with a collapsible baton looming over her. She focused on the cold of the snow to try and keep the pain at bay as she looked up at Marcus Peterson.
"It really is such a hazardous way of life living all by yourself on a dangerous piece of land far away from any help," Mr. Peterson explained, "Phone lines go down during a storm, an unsteady step causes someone to trip and fall, breaking a leg. Unable to get to shelter, a woman is killed by the very land she watched over for her entire life; how ironic."
Nana Masters, shivering and in pain in the gently falling snow, began to chuckle to herself.
"You dumb little prick," she laughed as she half picked herself up from the ground so she was on all fours, "you think by killing me, you can get this land? If I die, who do you think all of this goes to?"
"I know exactly who all this goes to." Marcus said coldly.
Suddenly, Grace Masters felt a deathly chill run down her spine. She was no longer afraid for herself, but for her grandson, Lore.
"You son of a BITCH!" she yelled as she used her good leg to launch herself from the ground and tackled Mr. Peterson as she began punching him in cadence to her furious raving, "IF! YOU! EVER! TOUCH! HIM! I! WILL!..."
A final blow to the back of the head from the surprised associate of Mr. Peterson rendered Nana Masters unconscious and the woman's body hit the ground with a thud. As Mr. Peterson got to his feet and tenderly touched his face where he had been beaten by the unusually strong woman, he spit blood on her before kicking her in the side for good measure.
"You," Mr. Peterson called to one of his associates, "drag her back inside the house. You two go get the fire started. I'll be in the car."
As the three associates went to work dragging the unconscious body of Grace Masters back into her family home, they set to work setting up the scene. The storm had knocked out the phone lines and the power, so Grace Masters had been using the fireplace to keep the large house warm. While coming downstairs from the second floor, she had tripped and fallen. Unattended, the fire in the fireplace got out of control and burned down the entire house, killing her. What a tragedy.
With everything in place, one of the associates went to the large fireplace, adorned with family photographs, and took a box of matches and struck a match against the box. As soon as the match head lit on fire a harsh chilled wind came swooping in from the open front door and blew it out. Throwing the unlit match in the fireplace he grabbed another and struck it against the box. There was a moment of flickering flame and then another gust of unnaturally cold wind and the fire went out.
"Hey!" the man shouted to the other two, "Will somebody close the damn door so I can light a fucking match?"
One of the other men quickly moved to the entryway and shut the large wooden door. The wind at bay, the man struck a third match and the head of the match sprang to life, a bright and warm flickering flame.
"Finally," the man said as he went to light the fireplace.
BOOM!
A howling wind flung the closed door wide open, knocking the associate closest to it to the ground, and a gust stronger then the storm outside would allow blew out the flame of the match. With a chilled howl the wind seemed to be baying to the men inside the house. Panicked the men fled outside, but the snow was coming down harder and thicker, making it difficult to see anything past a few feet.
"Where the fuck is the car!" one yelled.
"How should I know? I can't see shit!"
"What the fuck is going on!?"
As the men blindly inched forward in the storm, attempting to guide themselves to the waiting BMW and their employer, Marcus Peterson, a large looming figure came into view.
"Holy fuck..." one man said but his voice was lost to the wind and all he could do was pee himself.
The bear was as large as the BMW they were trying to find, its thick brown coat barely visible beyond the snow that surrounded them. As it reached the men, it stood up on its hind legs, dwarfing the figures who had fallen to their knees in fear. It looked at them, judging them, and while its form was fearsome it was the intelligence in its eyes that made the men unable to move. It roared at them with a bitter wind that howled in their souls, sentencing them.
With a single swipe of its massive paw, it ended their lives.
Mr. Peterson had watched as the snow pressed in from all sides, whiteout conditions all around him. He had seen, dimly, the figures of his associates as they fled the large Masters family home, and had watched spellbound as they quivered and quaked before the storm. When they had fallen to their knees he had seen some massive figure, barely, and suddenly it had attacked them.
"Damnit!" he shouted before turning the car on and going into reverse. "Damnit, Damnit, Damnit!"
He knew the Masters family's land was a haven for wild animals, bears, wolves, big cats, birds of prey; all very dangerous animals. He never understood why they lived in such close proximity to such dangerous creatures without getting mauled or killed. Unless, of course, they had trained the animals over generations not to attack members of the Masters family, but only outsiders; that is what Grace must have meant, Mr. Peterson thought to himself.
Still, maybe it was a blessing in disguise, he thought as he hastily navigated down the lone winding road out of the Masters land. With his associates dead, a fire set that would burn down the Masters family home with Grace Masters inside, it was his word against anyone else. He could argue that he had noticed smoke coming from the area and he and his associates had gone out to check on Grace, but when they got there the house was an inferno and they had been attacked by a bear. Only he had gotten away.
As Mr. Peterson looked to his left, he thought he could see fast moving forms in the snowfall beyond, moving in a pack. As if to answer his silent question, one of the forms moved closer and a grey wolf burst into view as it snapped its jaws at the window of the car.
"Holy shit!" Mr. Peterson yelped as he drove faster down the icy road.
To his right and left the figures moved with him, but as he accelerated, he began to leave the pack behind.
"Good riddance you dumb mutts!" he celebrated but his smirk twisted into a look of shock; standing in the middle of the road was a bear that was as big as his car. "Jesus!"
Mr. Peterson turned hard, but the icy roads caused his car to go out of control, a moment later he was plunged off of the winding road through thickets of young trees and withered undergrowth as his car bounced and dinged and scrapped. Feeling an upward thrust, the BMW was hurled into the air off of a bank before slamming into the side of a ditch; the airbags deploying.
A few stunned moments later, Mr. Peterson staggered out of the wreck of his fancy car and found himself on the main road. Looking around quizzically, blood dripping down his goatee and disheveled hair he turned around to the sound of a growl. Next to his abandoned car he saw a grey wolf watching him. The animal seemed to regard him with a human like intelligence in the eyes, like it was thinking and planning. As it approached the edge of the road it growled once more at him.
"What?" Mr. Peterson spat at the animal. "You want me? You want to kill me!? Well, here I am... TAKE ME!?"
The wolf got a running start and leapt at Marcus Peterson, father of Jon Peterson, and a moment before it could sink its teeth into the flesh of his neck it transformed into a cascade of pure white snow that dissipated around him.
In complete and total shock, Marcus Peterson turned and began walking down the long road towards town, snow gently falling all around him. In his mind he began to reorganize events so he could grasp them, so his rational mind could comprehend the irrational information it was trying to process.
He had been driving, yes, driving... there had been others, associates of his, but they weren't here now. Why not? There were animals, of course! The animals had attacked them and everyone was dead, everyone but him. Wait... there was Grace, Grace Masters was there too, and he could picture a fire, but... everyone was dead. Everyone was dead, except him, and soon it would be time. It was a terrible thing, but soon it would be time to make a call and get that land once and for all. He would call Hodges and everything would be his.
~ GETTING READY FOR A NIGHT ON THE TOWN ~
"You know this is a bad idea, right?" Chase Dunn arched an eyebrow at Morgan Everett as if to prod the question further forward, but the older house captain of House Orison was too busy fixing his hair. He was freshly showered, shaved, and even smelled like he had used cologne.
"Probably," he admitted as he finished styling his hair and admired his rather handsome form in the mirror. "But it is not like it was my idea."
Chase begrudgingly gave him that.
"True," the younger patrol captain admitted, "but still, you have the power to put a stop to this before it gets out of hand. I know how you feel about Lore and how he feels about you, I'm certainly glad he feels safe and comfortable around you, and it is more than adorable to watch the two of you snuggling on the couch in the privacy of our own home, but I mean... people are going to get the wrong idea. It's been awhile since that whole kissing thing happened, people haven't said anything about your `friendship' around campus, but if you do this people are really going to start talking."
Morgan turned to his friend and brother as he slid on a nice jacket.
"So?" Morgan looked at Chase defiantly with a grin. "Let them."
It had been years since Morgan Everett had gone on a legitimate date, and now he had finally found someone he wanted to grow closer to. He knew there was something special about Lore and every time he looked at Lore he kept trying to imagine the man he would someday become. Of course, there was just one small problem...
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Lorenzo Masters, fifteen year old freshman and resident captain of House Orison's sixth squad, stuck his head into the room with an excited grin on his face.
"You almost ready, Morgan!?" the youth seemed to be brimming with excitement.
"Almost," Morgan assured, "just getting a last minute pep-talk from our resident coach."
"Okay." Lore smiled and ducked out of the room, and immediately Chase Dunn could see why Morgan would never deny Lore the joy of his first real date with the person he loved.
"Point taken." Chase admitted with a sly grin of his own. "Just be sure you two are safe, and for God's sake, Morgan, no unreasonable PDAs. After all, House Orison has a reputation to uphold."
"Sure thing, mommy." Morgan chuckled to himself.
"Oh, speaking of, where is Ian?" Chase asked seriously, "I haven't seen him since lunch."
The redheaded maternal figurehead of House Orison could often be seen around the house, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, or reading quietly while the others did their schoolwork, but for the last few hours he had been absent along with House Orison's youngest tenant, precocious ten year old Whit Riley.
"Oh, he is out shopping with Riley." Morgan said simply as he put the finishing touches on his outfit. "Riley is having a friend over tonight for a sleepover, one of the kids from your team if I am not mistaken, so Ian is going to watch them until Lore and I get back from the movie. Warren is out on a date of his own, believe it or not with Melody. Artisan is organizing the patrols for tonight, and didn't I hear something about you and a certain freshman making plans of your own?"
"Oh, umm... yeah... actually, Brian and I were wondering if it would be okay if he crashed in my room tonight," Chase blushed a bit, "you know... if he is too tired to go back to his dorm."
"What I don't know won't hurt me tonight." Morgan dismissed with a grin as he walked himself to the door of his room.
As he exited and made his way down the stairs to the living room of House Orison, Morgan saw Lore waiting for him. The fifteen year old freshman had gone all out, and he looked stunning; a measured blend of beautiful and handsome that seemed to radiate a youthful innocence.
"Ready?" Morgan asked as Lore stood up from the couch where he had been nervously waiting.
"Yeah." The teen smiled.
So began the night of seven dates.
~ ONE WALK IN THE MOONLIGHT ~
"So?" Brian Evers asked his boyfriend, "Did you ask him?"
The two college kids were walking quietly on the winding bike path that made its way in a crisscross pattern all over the Clearwater University Campus. Darkness was just starting to claim the sky after another long day, but a growing number of flickering beacons of defiant light found their way through its shroud. Huge trees overhead sheltered the two figures below from the penetrating light of the full moon, but they could do little against an endless army of celestial motes. In the gentle glow of a starlit sky Chase Dunn stole a quick kiss and smiled.
"Maybe I did... and maybe I didn't." Chase grinned with an almost childish energy as he walked backwards in front of Brian Evers, their hands never parting. "Maybe I will just have to sneak you up to my room tonight, just in case."
Brian tried to hide the devilish smirk that came to his face, but not very hard.
"Oh, really?" he asked his boyfriend as he returned to his side, holding him closer in the cool night air.
"Really." Chase said with a slight squeeze. "After all, it is starting to get colder out, snowing in some parts, and we might have to make our own body heat."
"I like where this is going..." Brian continued as the two walked on towards the small café just off campus.
The small college town of Clearwater was alive and well this night, many couples taking advantage of the clear night sky and brisk air to get closer to the ones they loved. Of the few major restaurants and cafés in Clearwater, the Library was one of the favorite hangouts. It had been established a few years after Clearwater University itself had been founded, and had been family owned for the duration. It's signs and décor had changed over the years with the times, but the menu and atmosphere had little need to evolve. For most Clearwater students it was the first and only hangout they would ever know.
"Chase!" Sherry, one of the regular waitresses called out as the two entered the café, "how's it going cutie? Oh, and whose this?"
"Going good Sher, this is Brian Evers," Chase introduced with a smile, "he's my boyfriend."
"Oh," Sherry said with a wink, "how cute."
Brian blushed a bit, not really used to being openly referred to as another guy's boyfriend.
"Well, you two just have a seat over there and I will be right with you," Sherry explained as the fake redhead handed them a couple menus, "it is starting to get busy around here, but no worries, we will get you boys squared away in a jiffy."
As Brian and Chase settled down at their booth and began flipping through the menu, Brian looked up towards the door and smirked, "well, well now, what do we have here?"
~ TWO HEARTS ~
Cole Greenberg held the door open for Katie Star as both entered into the relative warmth of the Library café. Soon they were greeted by a hostess who navigated them towards a free booth and got them settled. While Cole had been reluctant to the idea of going to the Library, having more than a few bad memories of the place, he figured so long as he didn't have to go down to the musky basement where he had been beaten senseless a few months before, it would be fine.
"So," the shy yet beautiful Katie ventured, "it was really nice of you to ask me out."
"Yeah, I mean, no problem." Cole mumbled.
"So," Katie asked, "you been on a lot of dates before?"
"Umm..." Cole stalled, "no, not a lot, mostly just group dates, you know... more people..."
The most troubled member of House Orison's sixth squad was trying his best not to let his nervousness show, but he was well aware of the fact he had never gone on a date with anyone outside of big group get-togethers. It had taken him months to get up the courage to ask Katie out, hours of "bumping" into her at the school's library where she spent most of her time, and many small chats about books he had read just for her. After the whole kissing contest ordeal, he had felt bad about almost causing her to lose her chance at kissing Lore Masters. Soon, however, he felt some sort of a pull towards her, and it frightened him a little.
Heroes get the girl, and Cole Greenberg didn't play hero...
~ THREE IS A CROWD ~
In the tranquil calm of the night air Artisan exhaled slowly, so as not to disturb the spirit as she wandered the wooded lands. The entire area was shrouded in darkness, save for the stars above and the wispy transparency of the spirit below. As the stoic swordsman used his carefully trained eyes to follow the movement of the specter as it harmlessly wandered the area, he felt another presence join him.
"Hello, little brother." A female voice whispered, more for the sake of not disturbing the spirit then to keep her brother from being startled.
"Yumi." Artisan replied.
Yumi was a senior at Clearwater University and appeared almost as if a perfect female version of her little brother, Artisan. She walked with a delicate grace, smiled with an enchanting beauty, but deep down inside she was cold as a frigid steel blade. She was a deadly and dangerous slayer and a high ranking member of their family's order. She slew her first vengeful spirit when she was only six years old, and someday when their grandmother passed, she would take her place as High Seer of the Order of the Hidden Keepers.
"How did I know you would be here?" the older girl quietly chuckled. "Enjoying your date?"
"It is not a date." Artisan said in leveled tones with only the slightest hint of embarrassed anger. "It is a vigil."
"One that need not go on for another year," Yumi replied coldly, the giggly girl replaced the chillingly collected slayer she really was. "There is no shame is feeling for those who have departed this world. If you but give me the word, little brother, I will take this one in your stead."
Both figures silently watched as the spirit wandered the area pausing briefly to look towards them, as if some hint of their presence had been betrayed, but it had not. She continued to wander around the same area, over and over. Artisan knew Yumi could dispatch the spirit in a heartbeat; a feat that was not beyond his own capabilities. Still, he was reluctant to simply hand this spirit over to his sister for the slaughter.
"She is not causing anyone harm." Artisan defended. "Our techniques are only meant to protect the living from vengeful spirits."
"So you would condemn her soul to wander this place for all eternity?" Yumi spat.
"No," Artisan simply replied. "I will find a way to put her to rest, but without harming her."
"You are a damn fool!" Yumi shouted, purposefully breaking their concentration.
In a single moment, the spirit looked up to the two swordsmen and with a quizzically startled glance was gone. Yumi, though a powerful slayer and higher ranking than her little brother in the order, was not allowed to take action against a spirit not actively engaging in vengeful activity. However, that didn't means she couldn't disrupt their presence.
"Yumi..." Artisan growled defiantly.
"Don't worry," his delicate and deadly older sister cautioned, "she will manifest again in a few days, completely unaware of anything that has transpired. Ghosts are reliable like that; mindless and predictable, really. And I advise you, little brother, to put this spirit to rest. Otherwise I might have to tell grandmother you have yet to put to rest your first spirit at this school. Maybe if I do tell her, the order to put that spirit to rest will fall to me..."
With a quickness that betrayed the eye, Artisan closed the distance between himself and his sister, his kendo stick poised to strike.
"Temper, temper, little brother." Yumi coyly teased as she tapped Artisan's inner thigh with her own quickly drawn kendo stick.
Yumi, Artisan thought to himself, she had always been better and faster, always able to see the spirits more clearly, but there was a detached presence about her that frightened him even more so then her skill with the blade.
"You listen to me, Yumi," Artisan spoke in deadly calm as he summoned his courage, "I will put this soul to rest, but not with a weapon; that is your way. Every spirit has a reason for its presence in this world, and I will not rest until I find this one's connection and resolve it. And I swear to the Powers that Be, if you ever lay a charm, invocation, or finger on her soul... I will bring unto you a wrath that will make the Fury look like an old lady playing Sudoku."
Yumi stared in disbelief at her brother, inches away from her face; poised with the fury of the Destroyer in his eyes.
"This is the part where you leave." Artisan coached her.
In an instant, Yumi was gone.
Artisan lowered his kendo stick with a trembling hand until it rested on the cold hard dirt of the calm and silent woods around. He slowed his breathing, he focused himself, pushing away the anger and pain he felt in his chest. He had threatened a higher ranking member in the Order, he had invoked the Powers that Be, and he had boasted to wield the power of the Fury. If Yumi told anyone in the order what he had done, he would no longer be able to call Clearwater University and House Orison home.
"Still..." Artisan paused as he felt her presence once more.
A gentle hand that carried with it unnatural warmth rested on his. Suddenly, Artisan could detect the smell of countless summers spent lying on a hill as the sun warmed the skin, and an endlessly blue sky filled his soul; these were her memories, that which she would carry forever. As Artisan turned around to the presence of the woman who had found her way to this place, instead of where she could find true rest, he smiled.
The spirit of an enchantingly beautiful woman smiled back at him.
"I promise," the swordsman whispered as the spirit faded away once more, "I will not find rest until you do."
As Artisan looked down to where the woman had vanished, he thought he saw something glint in the moonlight. Reaching down, he cleared away some dirt and picked up a hidden brooch, delicately engraved in silver with the surname Masters. A brooch like this was not just a simple trinket lost in the woods, nor an ordinary decoration. It was symbolic, meaningful, and sacred.
"My dearest lady," Artisan whispered, "so it was you all along."
~ FOUR MORE YEARS ~
Morgan and Lore continued to enjoy their food in-between light conversation about school and days past. The small upscale Italian restaurant, a favorite romantic spot around the campus, provided just the right atmosphere for a first date, and Morgan Everett had been pleased with the way things were going thus far. Both boys were enjoying themselves and they still had a while until the movie started, so they were taking their time and really getting to know one another.
"So," Morgan continued as he carefully sipped some water, "I know you said your family owns some land back home, I was just wondering what they did with it. Like, is it a farm or more of a resort?"
"Well, actually..." Lore began as he looked down to his plate a little embarrassed, "it is sort of silly, really..."
"Silly?" Morgan asked, his curiosity peeked. "How so?"
"Well," Lore continued as he set his fork down, "it is kind of hard to explain, especially to outsiders... I just don't want you to think my family or I am weird."
"Lore," Morgan assured, "you are weird, you are a fifteen year old college freshman with a brilliant mind and a beautiful heart. Honestly, the weirdest part about you is that you, for some reason, like me. So, I doubt you can throw anything weirder at me."
"Yeah, I guess you are right," Lore said cheekily, "It is pretty weird that I like you at all... honestly, I don't know what I see in you."
Both boys laughed good-naturedly.
"Okay, so now that the weirdness is out of the way, I am curious to find out what it is your family does." Morgan ventured, "So please..."
"Alright," Lore said as he prepared himself for a rather long explanation, "to put it simply, the Masters family has looked after a certain piece of land for over five generations because we were entrusted with its safety. So long as we have looked after it, the land has provided for us, maybe not in crops or plentiful game, in fact we don't do any hunting on the land at all, but it watches over us and protects us. Animals on our land don't attack us, storms never unleash their full force upon us, and we tend the land making sure people don't poach or try to harm its natural resources."
"So," Morgan observed with another sip of water, "it is like a preserve?"
"That is one way of looking at it," Lore said simply, "but it is much more than that. It is alive, Morgan, and so beautiful... like the entire land is awakened. Ever since I was little, I could explore that land, even without mom or Nana around and I was safe. We have wolves and bears, some cougars too, but none of them will attack us. It isn't something we learn, it is just something we know. For my entire fifteen years on that land, I never once felt scared or alone, but every day I would go off to school or go into town, and I could feel that safety and protection evaporate."
"So, what you are saying is..." Morgan concluded, "is that your family watches over the land, protecting it from stuff like development or exploitation of its resources, and you are in turn protected by the land itself, but only so far as the land's property extends."
"Yeah," Lore said a little embarrassed, "I know it sound ridiculous, to think that a piece of land could do all of that, especially now that I say it out loud... but it is true, Morgan; every word of it. We just don't really talk about it much, you know, outside of the family."
Morgan smiled.
"Well," Morgan comforted, "I am certainly glad you consider me family enough to share, Lore, and I am especially glad you trust me enough to talk with me about it. I mean, who is to say a piece of land doesn't have some inherent power to watch over those that look after it? Science can't explain everything and people believe in stranger things then what you just told me. I am not sure if I would believe in all of that myself, but I believe you, so hopefully that is enough for right now."
Lore looked into Morgan's eyes and smiled.
"I'd love to have you come see it sometime." Lore went on, "it is beautiful during winter. Usually, Nana will build a fire in our huge fireplace, warming the entire house from top to bottom, we will drink coco and tell stories... mom used to tell the best stories..."
The youth trailed off a bit, lost in a memory almost forgotten by time.
"You really miss home, don't you?" Morgan asked with understanding.
"Yeah," Lore replied. "I just get so worried about Nana, being at home by herself. I mean, I know nothing on our property would hurt her, but..."
"But what?" Morgan asked as he sensed a more serious tone in Lore's angelic voice.
"Nothing." Lore smiled as he picked his fork back up to resume eating. "I'm sure everything is just fine."
As Morgan and Lore continued to eat, enjoying their company, Morgan couldn't help but feel that Lore was holding something back, something else that was going on back home. He only hoped, whatever it was, it wouldn't cause Lore harm.
~ FIVE MINUTE TALK ~
Ian Black quietly made his way towards the stairs of the observation tower that led to the bedroom of Whit Riley. He had gone out shopping with the boys a few hours ago and picked up some supplies for the evening. After playing for a while and a supper of homemade pizza, Caesar salad, breadsticks, and root beer floats, Ian had sent the boys upstairs to get changed into their pajamas and ready for bed. As he made his way up the stairs he stopped dead in his tracks at the sounds coming from Riley's room.
Smack!
"Ouch!"
Smack!
"Ouch! It hurts, Riley"
"I know. I'll try to slow down, okay?" ten year old Riley coached. "Just keep with it; you are getting better by the minute, Olli."
Ian burst into the room almost immediately.
"Boys!" but what greeted him was not what he had pictured.
Whit Riley and Oliver Weaver were facing one another on Riley's bed, their pajamas fully on, and no sign of inappropriate behavior going on. As it were, it appeared Riley was teaching Olli how to play slap-hands, a game where one person holds out their hands over the upside-down hands of another person, with the goal of moving their hands out of the way before the other person can bring their hands around to slap them. A game that was a far cry from what Ian had imagined the two boys to be doing.
Both boys looked at Ian as if he was crazy.
"Hey, boys..." Ian caught himself, "just wanted to know if you wanted some hot chocolate before bed?"
"A... sure, Ian." Riley replied a little taken back by the redhead's sudden entrance, "sounds good to me."
"Yeah, that would be cool," the cherub next to Riley echoed, "a... thanks."
"No problem," Ian smiled as he half closed the door behind him.
Once the authority figure was gone, Riley and Olli turned towards each other and laughed.
"He was acting kind of weird, right?" Riley asked as they continued to giggle, their game of slap-hands forgotten.
"Yeah," Olli agreed from under a mop of blond hair before adding, "but he is really nice."
"Yeah, that's Ian," Riley said matter-of-factly, "he is always looking out for me and everybody else. He does like everything around the house. He cooks and cleans and does laundry and goes shopping and fixes me up when I get hurt and stuff. Kind of sucks though because I don't think he has a boyfriend."
Olli stopped giggling and just looked at Riley in surprise, "A boyfriend?"
"Yeah," Riley said as if explaining something as mundane as the weather, "Ian likes guys, I heard Coach Chase talking about it once with Morgan. Morgan is the person in charge of everything around here, but Ian is the one that keeps everything running. Anyway, I heard them talking about how they think it sucks too that Ian doesn't have anyone, but how he gets stuck looking after all of us. I don't know, I mean he seems happy taking care of us, but maybe he wants a boyfriend too."
"But, isn't that gay?" Olli asked in barely a whisper, like someone might hear them and come jumping out of the walls to get them. "I mean, isn't that bad?"
"No," Riley explained as if he had all the answers in the world, "gay isn't bad, Olli, it just means you like someone who is the same sex as you. That's all. Lots of people get upset about it, but I don't get it. I mean, it's not like it is a big deal or anything."
Olli was silent for a moment before he asked, "are you gay, Riley? I won't tell if you are... I was just wondering."
Olli fidgeted with his pajama leg as Riley thought about the question.
"A..." Riley thought about it for a moment longer, "I don't know, maybe... I mean, I never kissed a girl before, but I've kissed a boy before."
Olli's jaw dropped.
"You did?" Olli said with a gasp. "I never knew someone that kissed another boy before..."
"Sure you have," Riley giggled a bit but not going on about how Coach Chase and Brian kiss all the time or how Lore and Morgan sometimes kiss now too, "Besides, Coach Chase says kissing or liking someone doesn't make you gay, just means you kiss them and like them."
"Coach Chase said that?" Olli asked as if the statement somehow had more meaning, as if the words were more believable coming from their coach.
"Sure he did," Riley said, "besides, Coach Chase is dating a guy and you don't think Coach Chase is bad, right?"
"Of course, not," Olli replied almost defensively, "it's Coach Chase."
"See," Riley pointed out with a smile.
Both boys seemed to come to agreement that if Coach Chase did it then it couldn't be as bad as kids at school made it out to be.
"So, it is okay to feel like that?' Olli asked a little hesitantly, "like... like other boys and stuff?"
"Yeah, Coach Chase said that sometimes it happens even if the person is going to grow up to like girls that they might think about boys too sometimes." Riley informed as if an expert, "why, Olli? You ever think about other boys too?"
"A..." the blond clearly blushed as he averted his light brown eyes from Riley's inquisitive stare. "No... not really... I mean, no..."
"Olli, it's okay." Riley comforted. "I used to be scared too, sometimes, but I had Coach Chase. Now I have a whole bunch of people that look out for me and help me. They taught me to be strong and to help others, so don't worry... I will look out for you too, Olli. You are my friend and that is what friends do for one another. Besides... I really like you, Olli."
Olli looked up to Riley and smiled, finding simple truth in the other boys beautiful blue eyes.
"You do?" Olli asked. "But, you are like the coolest kid on the team, Riley. You are the fastest base runner in the league, you can hit farther than the eighth graders, and you aren't afraid of anything. I'm just a klutz and a nobody."
"No, Olli," Riley said as he rested his hand on the blond boy's knee to stop his nervous fidgeting, "you are my friend and you are somebody to me."
From the other side of the almost closed doorway, Ian Black smiled to himself as he held two fresh cups of hot chocolate. Over the past few months, he had seen Whitric C. Riley grow in many surprising ways. The boy seemed to have an intuitive sense of other people, their feelings and needs, as well as a genuine desire to see other people happy. He was like a budding flower and Ian felt privileged to watch him bloom into a thoughtful and understanding young man.
After a few moments Ian pushed the door open and smiled with hot chocolate at the ready; when he saw Riley and Olli shirtless and kissing on the bed, he nearly dropped the mugs.
"Boys!" Ian scolded.
Riley broke his kiss with a startled Olli Weaver and turned to face the redhead's disapproving look, "awe, Damnit."
~ SIX SHOOTER SERENDADE~
"You know," Melody King said a little displeased, "when you said you were taking me someplace special, I never imagined this."
"Oh, come on, darling'," Warren replied with a smile in the darkness, "where is your sense of adventure?"
"I left it in my other outfit, unfortunately along with my bear mace." Melody said quietly as she helped the roguish cowboy jimmy open the window. "So, tell me why we are breaking in here again?"
Warren paused for a moment, just a moment, but for Melody King it was as if the egotistical and self-assured entrepreneur had shot a flare off into the air. It was uncharacteristic for Warren to hesitate or show any uneasiness. Whatever the reason was, Warren seemed almost embarrassed about it.
"Umm, no reason in particular..." Warren Wallace deflected as he resumed character and tipped his cowboy hat up at Melody, "...but, just so ya know, we ain't doing this for me."
Warren turned back around and began climbing into the open window of the large office.
"We are doing this for Lore." He replied almost offhandedly.
Helping Melody inside, the two found themselves in a large office, and endless sea of books lining the countless bookshelves, and various items scattered about on pedestals. Towards the large bay windows they had just broken in to was the old oak desk Warren had seen the old man sitting at many times, usually when reprimanding him for his latest failed venture.
"We should go." Melody King said unsure of herself, as she looked around. "We should NOT be here. This is the headmaster's office, you know?"
"I know, woman, pipe down." Warren hushed her.
He had been planning this for a while now, ever since Morgan told him they would not release the name of Gail Masters' attacker. Warren always had an itch to scratch when it came to people keeping secrets, namely that he be the only one keeping them, but since this also helped out Lore it was made a top priority. After all, Warren did feel a bit responsible for some of the grief Lore had been receiving on account of his kissing contest, as well as using him to push merchandise at the campus store, as well as that time he inadvertently got him chased out of House Orison.
Okay, Warren Wallace figured he owed Lore a lot, so this was the first step in paying what he owed.
"Well?" Melody asked in the darkness of the office.
"Just give me a minute, jeez." Warren hushed her once more. "Look, we are looking for a file, from about fifteen years ago. It should be a nondisclosure contract between the police, the campus, and a third party. We need to figure out who that third party is."
"Why is that?" Melody asked as she followed Warren towards some filing cabinets. "Who is the third party?"
"Umm... it's kind of private, alright?" Warren deflected.
Melody King grabbed the cowboy by the scruff of his neck and whipped him around.
"Warren Wallace," Melody looked him in the eyes, "you are going to stand here with me in the headmasters' office, after we just broke in to find a file from fifteen years ago, and you are going to have the nerve to tell me it is private? Like I am someone you cannot trust?"
Damn, woman had a point.
"Okay, look, it ain't exactly like that..." Warren tried to counter, "If you really want to know, we are here to find the nondisclosure contract that was made to keep the name of someone who attacked a student at Clearwater fifteen years ago out of the press. You know all about why House Orison was built, why we patrol the school at night to keep people safe, right? Well, part of it also comes from the fact the woman who was attacked was also Lore's mother. His dad was the one who did the attacking... if you catch my drift."
"Oh," was all Melody could say, her eyes welling up with sympathy, "so..."
"Lore has been feeling like he needs closer at least with his dad," Warren explained as he began opening the filing cabinet, "thing is, he never knew the guy except once when he was really little. Guess he said some things he wasn't too proud of to the guy, who can blame him. Still, he wants to find him and, I don't know, make peace or something. After all, the guy is about all the family he's got, other than his grandmother."
"So you are risking all of this, so Lore can find his father?" Melody asked.
Warren turned slowly towards the Latin angel at his back, "yeah, of course. He's a brother. Sure I might ride him a little sometimes, trick him into doing stuff, or downright take advantage of his innocence, but that is sort of what family does, ya know? It's forgivable because at the end of the day you know who you can count on and who's got your back."
At that moment, Melody King did not know what came over her, but she pulled the cowboy towards her and kissed him. She kissed him long and she kissed him hard. When the moment had past she let go of him and for once in his life, Warren Wallace was rendered speechless.
"Just wait until we find the file." She coaxed, "I might have something else for you when we do."
Wasting no time, Warren Wallace began searching the cabinet for the file they sought. As he investigated file after archived file, he soon found the catalog system and began going back almost sixteen years to the events of Gail Masters' attack. Finally, after a few minutes of careful combing the cowboy found the file he was looking for. Bringing the file over to the oaken desk, he opened it and began skimming through the fine print with the moonlight as his guide.
"Okay, here we go," Warren whispered excitedly, like a little kid that had just found a stash of Christmas presents, "blah blah, signed order, confidential, blah, here we are; Signed authority the police chief of the Clearwater Police Department, Steven Wright. Co-signed authority the headmaster of Clearwater University, James Hodges. Signed accused..."
Warren Wallace paused as Melody King tried to read over his shoulder.
"Well, what does it say?" she asked.
"It is signed James Hodges." Warren almost shouted. "That damn old codger changed the papers!"
"What?" Melody asked confused. "What do you mean he changed the papers?"
"He must have known we would be looking for it," he explained as his voice carried a little louder, "so he replaced his name with the name of the attacker!"
Click!
A light flooded the large office from a lamp next to a large leather chair just off to the right. Before it had been shrouded in shadows, but now the light illuminated a very old and very tired man. On his chest, where it had been resting while he slept was a rather worn photo album and next to the small stand near the chair he had been sleeping in was a rather expensive looking bottle of brandy and a half empty glass.
"So, sheriff," James Hodges chuckled a bit to himself, "you think I am playing keep away from you?"
The headmaster was a little drunk. Warren and Melody watched as the old man carefully got up from his chair and with the album under one arm grabbed up the half empty glass of brandy. With a thoughtful look at what remained in his glass, he set it back down and seemed to really regard the two intruders before him. In a single moment, it appeared as if the usually jolly and wizened headmaster had pushed away the haze of intoxication.
"It's my right," he said simply, "I'm an old man... it is my right to sit in a comfortable chair, having a little drink, and trying to remember how things used to be. But you... Wallace... I always liked you. And you, my lady... Miss King, was it? Well, I'm afraid I don't really know you all that well, but you seem like a fine young lady... I'm sorry Mr. Wallace has been giving you so much grief. Warren, I am afraid I cannot just turn a blind eye to this, so if you want to know the truth there will be repercussions, just so you know."
Warren visibly gulped.
"Miss King, I am sorry to say for you there will also be fallout, but one less severe than Mr. Wallace's here." The old man explained. "But, I have never been one to discourage inquisitive minds, nor have I been one to ignore an act to achieve knowledge at great personal cost. For you, Warren, the cost will be paid in full, so as a parting gift... I would grant you the knowledge you seek, a parting lesson if you will. Now, what is it you wish to know? What is it that was worth breaking into my office, risking your enrollment here at Clearwater, and acting in a manner unbefitting a young entrepreneur?"
Warren considered his options.
"What if we were never here?" Warren asked. "What if we just forget about this entire night and everybody walks away clean?"
"Then," headmaster Hodges explained, "the knowledge you seek will disappear and any evidence of it will be lost forever."
Melody looked to Warren and in his eyes she could see him gambling.
"Headmaster Hodges," Warren stated with resolve, "I ain't come here for me. I came here on behalf of a boy who wants more than anything in this world to say he is sorry to his daddy for telling him that he hated him. I'm not sure why you have been riding us so hard on this, but I am sure you have your reasons. Still, that boy is a part of our family now, and family sticks together. If it means being kicked out of Clearwater University, losing my campus store, and disgracing the good name of Wallace in order to help that boy move on with his life, well then, you best better let me know who attacked and raped Gail Masters some sixteen years ago, because I'm not leaving until I know. And if I am kicked out of Clearwater, then it will just give me the time I need to help Lore find his father."
James Hodges looked into Warren Wallace's eyes and saw conviction.
"You are a damn fool, Warren Wallace, but a noble one." Professor Hodges said solemnly. "You had the answer before I turned on that light. You could have walked away clean and known the truth too."
Warren Wallace looked down at the piece of paper on the large desk before him. With the added illumination now in the room, he could read the print much more clearly. Indeed, both signatures read James Hodges, but both were clearly written in two different styles of handwriting. As he looked over the names more carefully, he could see the difference; one was signed Senior, the other was signed Junior. Warren looked up towards the headmaster and was met with sympathetic eyes.
"The man you are looking for is James Hodges, Jr., but to me he was always Jimmy." the headmaster explained as he seemed to take on the visage of a much older man, "He is my son."
~ SEVEN IS LUCKY AFTER ALL ~
Ian Black said his goodnights to Morgan and Lore after having gotten Riley and Olli settle into Riley's room in the observation floor. The boys had settled down after Ian had walked in on them, and after a bit of a talk and answering a few questions from both boys, Ian had felt comfortable letting them share Riley's bed as originally planned. While the idea of two ten year olds kissing wasn't exactly his cup of tea, Ian had to admit there was an inherent innocence in the act. After all, it wasn't as if any harm would come to the boys even if they did decide to mess around.
Making his way outside and into the brisk night air, Ian carefully navigated the walkways of the neighborhood, crossed through a beautiful starlit park, and finally made it to his destination. Taking out his keys, he entered the small house without invitation or declaration, and, hanging his coat on the nearby rack, entered the living room where he was met with a glass of red wine and a smiling face. The two kissed gently, and Ian felt better about the night's prospects.
"Did you miss me?" Ian asked as he sipped the wine.
"Always," the man grinned, "still, I feel kind of bad that we can't tell anyone about this."
Ian nodded in agreement, "but I don't think people would understand."
Ryan Malcolm, English professor and academic advisor to House Orison, sat next to his lover and soul mate on the couch of his small home. Wrapping a comforting arm around the redhead who immediately sank into his embrace, he rested his head on the younger man's shoulder, observing his own glass of red wine.
"You know I love you, Ian." Malcolm said matter-of-factly, "you are a wonderfully perfect person."
"So you keep saying," Ian grinned as he let his arm rest on the older man's leg, "I still say you only want me for my cookies."
Malcolm laughed lightheartedly to himself.
"Yeah," he smiled, "you got me there."
~ FALLOUT ~
In the wee hours of the morning, Morgan Everett awoke to the sound of activity in House Orison. Making his way downstairs, he was met by his squad captains, save one. Ian Black, Chase Dunn, and Artisan watched as Warren Wallace moved another suitcase towards the door. Lorenzo Masters was still fast asleep upstairs, having fallen asleep with memories of his and Morgan's first date still playing in his head.
"What's going on?" Morgan asked, but as he looked on he could see Warren Wallace getting the last of his belongings together, a truck outside packed with the rest. "Warren?"
"Sorry, kiddo." Warren replied with a half-hearted grin, "I got to vamoose. Apparently, Clearwater frowns on B&E."
"What?" Morgan asked sternly. "What did you do?"
"Warren got expelled." Chase filled in the gap. "He broke into the headmaster's office to get that info on Lore's dad. Melody was by earlier, I guess she is on academic probation, but she explained most of it. Tall, leather, and noble over here had a choice between walking away or learning the truth, and he chose learning the truth. Unfortunately, he won't tell us who Lore's father is; he said something about it not being his right to tell us, he could only tell you."
"Warren..." Morgan began but he could see the cowboy was hauling is stuff out to the truck, as if somehow soldiering on would keep him from realizing he had just been expelled. "Look, we can plead your case to the headmaster, we can fight this! Warren, stop, please!"
"Look," Warren said as he dropped a suitcase to the ground, "there ain't no fighting it, there ain't no coming back, and their ain't no reason to stay. I'm off to Alabama. That is the last place the headmaster knew Lore's dad to be, so I am going to start there."
"What?" Morgan almost stuttered as he followed Warren out to the truck in the bitter early morning air, "So, you are just going off to find the guy? Then what? Drag him back here? What is going on with you, Warren? Who is he!?"
"His..." Warren almost shouted but lowered his voice so only Morgan could hear, "his name is Jimmy Hodges... he is the headmaster's son. Morgan, the headmaster is Lore's grandfather."
Morgan was stunned into silence.
"I promised the old man I wouldn't go spreading it around." Warren explained. "If it gets back to the board that he knowingly gave his grandson a full-ride scholarship to Clearwater, how do you think that will look? Doesn't matter that Lore earned his way in, once that doubt is planted, how long before the scholarship goes away, or is at least suspended? How long before Lore has to go back home? I trust those guys back there, but Morgan... this was bigger than I was expecting..."
Morgan looked at the cowboy, his friend, and he could see the pain in his eyes.
"I just wanted to help Lore, ya know?" Warren explained. "But how do you tell a kid his grandfather, his flesh and blood is the headmaster of this school, that he has known about him his entire life and never once made an effort to contact him because he was too ashamed of the fact he had disowned his own son? Frankly, Morgan, I don't have the right to tell him... but you do. He loves you, and for better or for worse, you love him. You have that right."
Warren finished packing the last of his suitcases into the truck and after everything was firmly anchored, he made his way into the cabin of the large vehicles, but rolled down the window before driving off.
"Listen," Warren said finally, "I got to get going so I can make good time. I am going to be stopping at my family's home first to drop off some stuff and plan out my next step, but I will be in touch, partner. I will let you guys know when and if I find him. Oh, and if you could, make up some badass excuse to Lore for why I am gone, don't want the kid thinking I ducked out on him or nothing."
"Right," Morgan said as he felt himself close to tears saying goodbye to his friend, "it would be awful if he thought you were anything other than the heart of gold desperado you are."
Morgan meant ever word.
As Morgan walked back to House Orison he could see Ian on the phone with someone, and as he entered the house the normally cheerful redhead was just hanging up and looked devastated.
"Ian?" Morgan asked.
"That was Professor Malcolm," Ian said motioning to his phone, "he said their academic office just got word that there was an accident at Lore's home."
"What kind of accident?" a startling voice from the stairway asked.
The remaining patrol captains turned towards Lore who was standing on their stairwell, his appearance having gone unnoticed during the recent events leading up to Warren's departure.
"What kind of accident, Ian?" Lore asked again almost crying. "Why is Warren gone? Morgan, what is going on!?"
Morgan immediately went to Lore and brought the youth, still clad in only boxers and a t-shirt downstairs, closing the door on his way towards the couch to keep the cold air out. As he got Lore settled, the frightened youth just looked to each house member, as if silently begging for everything to be okay.
"Ian?" Morgan asked as much for his own knowledge as for Lore's.
"Lore," Ian began as he took the youth by the hands and sat down with him, "I just need you to stay calm, alright. There was an accident at your family's home and your grandmother was hurt. She is in the hospital and the doctors are doing everything they can for her. What I know is that she appeared to have fallen and hurt her leg and also hit her head. I don't know any more than that, but once we know more I will let you know. Okay, sweetie?"
Lore seemed to absorb the information being given to him, but all he could do was stare blankly out in front of him.
"Listen, Lore," Morgan said as he brought himself closer to the devastated boy, "everything is going to be okay, I promise. Warren had to go home because of a family problem, but we will see him again soon. As for your grandmother, we need to get some things packed, okay? Ian is going to help you get some things packed up and we are going to go see her. You are not going anywhere without us because no matter what you are not alone, you hear me?"
Lore just silently nodded and with Ian's help got up from the couch and began heading upstairs towards his room to get a bag together. Once the two of them were out of earshot, Morgan addressed the remaining two patrol captains.
"Alright, here is the deal," he explained. "I know we have a lot going on right now, but I need you two with me on this one... last night, I'm not sure what it is, but I felt Lore holding back something, like their might be trouble at home. His family land is basically an untouched preserve of natural resources and wildlife. My gut is telling me this is no ordinary accident, and that someone might be going after Lore's family's land. I need you two to get your assistant patrol captains ready and organize patrols for the next week or so. They know the drill, and I will do the same for my squad. Ian is going to get Lore packed up with everything he needs, and I expect you two to do the same."
"We are going to?" Chase asked?
"Well, he did tell Lore he wasn't going anywhere without us, and I for one am not going to argue the point." Artisan chimed in. "Especially if foul play is involved. If someone is going after the Masters family land it would make sense that Lore might be a target. If that is true, then he will need all of us there to watch his back. Besides, I have my own personal reasons for wishing to visit Lore's home, a few questions I wish to have answered, so count me in, Morgan."
"Good," Morgan replied. "Chase, I also need you to make arrangements for Riley for while we are away. Maybe he can stay at a friends' house. He is loveable and all, but I am afraid if there really is trouble, he might get hurt. For that matter, see what you can find out from Cole about Lore's family back home; see if there is anyone that might have a grudge against them. I don't want to go into this unprepared. I will keep Warren informed of what's going on as soon as he gets to his family's estate."
"Speaking of," Chase interjected, "did he tell you who Lore's dad was?"
"Yes," Morgan said sadly, "His father is the son of James Hodges, our headmaster, so I expect both of you to keep your mouths shut about it, while I try to figure out how to break the news to Lore."
A cough from the stairs caused the three to turn around.
"Looked like you don't need to." Chase added.
Lorenzo Masters, son of Gail Masters and Jimmy Hodges, Grandson of Grace Masters and James Hodges, looked as if everything he had ever known was crumbling around him. With chaos all around him, in a terrible storm lost at sea, Lorenzo Masters reached for and clung to the only anchor he had left; he clung to Morgan Everett for safety. Neither one would let the other go.