Forest Of The Lost, Celeste *** [books to read in a lifetime txt] 📗

going to be like. I steel myself not wanting to bring my grandma into my sadness, after I got dressed in my favorite shirt and pants I headed down the hall. But I was not prepared for the chaos that was my grandma’s living room.
Chapter Two

When I saw the people and décor I instantly looked at the clock, it was 12 o’clock!!! I can’t believe I slept in that long, I must have been really tired. I scan the room for my grandma and see her talking to Mr. and Mrs. Kalaki; I walk across the room towards her. “Grandma” I complained,” Why didn’t you wake me up.” She gets up to hug me, “because you needed your sleep sweetie.” That’s when I noticed the people around us, girls and guys that looked about my age.
I laughed “wow grandma did you invite the entire neighborhood.” I feel tears coming knowing my parent won’t be here, but I hold them back and look around. Then I notice a guy by himself leaning against a wall looking at me, I watch as a girl walks up to him and starts flirting. “… so what do you think?” I turn around realizing my grandma was speaking to me. “Oh… what were you saying?” She laughs with a knowing smile as she follows my gaze. “That’s Mr. and Mrs. Kalaki son, Daniel.” Daniel hmm it matches him I guess, I thought, the girl next to him reminding me of Megan.
“You mean he is the person showing me around?” my grandma frowns, “yes he is, why is something wrong?” I shake my head, knowing if I got her concerned I would be bombarded with questions. “I'm going to go meet people grandma; I’ll be back in a few.” I walk around wondering what to do when I hear someone call my name; I turn around and come face to face with three girls.
They all have the same look caramelized skin, dark eyes, and beautiful dark hair. Each girl has different hair styles definitely showing personality. A girl with a waist-long braid smiles and introduces herself, “I’m Natalie, this is Jess.” She says pointing to a girl with a pixie bob. Another girl steps forward with shoulder length hair with light brown streaks and grabs my hand with a huge excited grin on her face “I’m Katy, but my friends call me Kat.”
I laugh quietly, “I’m Vanessa it’s good to meet you.” Jess looks over her shoulder, nudges Natalie’s arm and starts whispering and giggling. They laugh out loud long enough to gain my curiosity (which isn’t long) “what are you laughing at?” I look behind them and see Daniel getting stalked by the girl I had seen him with before. “Sh-she won’t l-leave him alone!” I look at Kat for answers, since the other girls were too busy laughing their heads off.
She shakes her head looking at them” the guy over there is Daniel the girl stalking him is Taylor; every girl in school likes him. He doesn’t seem to be interested in anyone, but Taylor won’t take no for an answer. Sooo she follows him like a puppy dog hoping to get lucky.” Now I’m laughing “sh-she’s pathetic” I barely speak through my laughing. Kat looks over at Taylor stalking Daniel and soon joins us.
After the laughing dies down, we talk about school and I find out when I start going to their school I will have four classes with them, including lunch. I know immediately we will be great friends, and I know life here might not be too bad. We start walking towards my grandma when Jess taps my shoulder, I turn around. She whispers “Hey Vanessa, I couldn’t help but notice that you’re getting stared at.” I look around, “there are tons of people looking at me, and it is my birthday. “She looks over her shoulder and is about to speak when Natalie jumps in “jeez Nessa you must be blind to not notice Daniel staring at you.” The first thing that pops in my head is Nessa? They gave me a nickname already, my second reaction was to look for Daniel.
I scan the room then I realize they are right he IS looking over in our direction. “Why would he be staring at me, he probably likes one of you guys. I mean he doesn’t even know me, so you’re probably just imagining it.” Jess and Natalie shrug their shoulders while Kat continues staring at Daniel, “Vanessa I see you’ve made new friends, that’s good.” Kat and I give small high pitched squeaks “yeesh grandma, you scared us, please be careful were you pop out from.”
My grandma laughs at my shocked expression, “Vanessa we’re going to have cake soon, and I just wanted you to know.” She walks back over and talks to the cake and starts decorating it. We stare after her wondering if her visit was really necessary. While we wait for the cake to be finished the girls and I continue our conversation when someone taps my shoulder…again. “The cake is done already, grandma?” I say as I turn around. But it wasn’t my grandma I came face to face with…. It was “DANIEL!!! Yeesh, you like my grandma need to stop popping out of nowhere.” I say while clutching my chest feeling like I was having a mini heart attack.
“I don’t remember telling you my name” he says while smirking at me, with a look of amusement in his eyes. “You don’t need to; my grandma told me who you were.” So there Mr. Smarty-pants, I thought almost sticking my tongue out, while he stood there looking at me. “Ok, I was wondering what time you wanted me to show you around. Because I don’t have all day to wait until you feel like going.” This guy obviously doesn’t know me; I can’t believe he would say that, stupid rude jerk. “It’s up to my grandma; we can go when the party is over.”
Then with another smirk and an ‘ok’ he walks over to where my grandmas finishing the cake. As soon as he turns his back I stick my tongue out at him and whisper “jerk” under my breath. “I heard that” he says stifling a laugh but doing a terrible job. With that my face turns beet red, Jess, Natalie, and Kat burst into simultaneous laughter. I shake my head and realize that Taylor was glaring at me looking ready to rip my head off
My grandma’s voice rises over the chatter “everyone head outside its time for lunch and cake.” I got lucky my birthday was on a sunny day; I don’t think everyone could’ve fit inside the tiny kitchen. When everyone was outside my grandma motioned me to sit in front of the cake. Soon with a wave of my grandma’s hand, the air around me was filled with voices singing happy birthday. I lean to blow out the candles when, water blasts my back, I whip around to see what happened and my front gets soaked as well.
I notice the hose in Taylor’s hand, and my face burns red with anger. What’s her problem I didn’t do anything to her! “Sorry I noticed some of the plants needed to be watered I didn’t know the handle was stuck.” She looked upset, but I saw the gleam of humor in her eye. I look down and notice I was soaking wet, I look around and run inside. Daniel looked over at Taylor and rolled his eyes.
All the guys and most of the girls stood staring at me some laughing; Natalie, Jess, and Kat looked sympathetic as I ran towards the house tears stinging my eyes. As soon as I bolted inside they glared at Taylor, and Daniel told her she should leave. Why did Taylor do that? I didn’t do anything to her. I changed my shirt and stayed in my room, I stretched out and relaxing. I hear someone knock on my door, “come in” and my grandma walks in. “Sweetie are you okay that must have been terrible.” She moves a hair from out of my face, “it’s okay grandma, I feel better now.” She smiles and nods her head, “I know Taylor did it on purpose sweetie, I’m not that easy to fool.”
I smile glad my grandma knew the truth, “also Vanessa you still have your date with Daniel, so fix your hair and put a warm jacket on.” I look at my grandma startled “Gran it’s not a date, he’s just showing me around, and I barely know him.” She winks at me “of course, dear whatever you say” I grin at my grandma, grab a jacket, and head down stairs. Daniel was sitting on the couch; he looks up when I’m almost down the stairs. I walk over to him “so where are we going first?” He stands up and walks over to the door, “I’m going to show you the way to school, and then the some shops that are nearby.”
I walk outside expecting a car or truck; instead I find a black and silver dirt bike. I walk over to it running my hands over its shiny smooth paint; I look up “this is yours?” Laughing Daniel walks over and opens up his backpack, pulling out a black helmet. “Put this on …it will also help you keep warm.” He says when he notices my hesitation, I put the helmet on and secure it “where’s your helmet, I won’t wear one unless you do.” I mumbled while pouting not wanting to look like an idiot by myself. He looks at me and smirks, and then he grabs a helmet off of the handlebars. “Oh I didn’t see that one, oops.”
He gives me what I now think of as his signature smirk, starts the bike. I hear the loud roar of his bike, and watch him get on. I then realize that I would have to hold on to him so I wouldn’t fall off. I was happy that the helmet hid my face knowing it would be as red as a cherry; I get on and wrap my arms around his torso. My grandma opens the front door and walks out onto the deck with a worried look on her face “Daniel you be careful with my granddaughter, ok?” I’m pretty sure he grins back at her but I couldn’t tell. “Yes ma’am, she will be back for dinner” and with that we were off.
I was happy that it wasn’t raining because if it was I would’ve been soaked to the bone. We sped the mist, leaving rippling wave in our wake. “Where are we going first?” I yelled over the wind, wincing as he suddenly stops, jolting my body into his. I look around and see a tiny house I wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t stopped the bike. “Why did we stop here?” I ask while taking off my helmet. When I look at the house closer, then I notice the gas nuzzle. “…. It’s a gas