Young Writers Society

Cristina looked at me with a confused look and nodded. She looked quickly looked away and hooked a loose curl of her hair behind her ear. The five of us just sat there, watching the sky quickly get darker. Finally Jason broke the silence.

"Ryan, do you think we'll ever get to visit Earth?" He asked.

"We could, but I have bigger priorities right now, Jason. I don't think it'll be anything but a little trip to a primitive time." I answered, icily. Jason's fascination with Earth was something I did not understand.

"Oh, alright." Jason stared up at the sky for a few more seconds before swiftly bounding up. "Okay then, I'm going inside, because unlike you, Ryan, I actually need sleep, even though I've been sleeping all day."

"Okay you do that." I answered. Cristina and I watched Jason go inside and shut the door behind him. "Gavin, Jill, you mind giving us some time alone?"

"No problem!" They exclaimed in unison. I waited for them to be far enough away before laying back on the grass and turning towards Cristina. She inched closer to me.

"Okay, spill. What's troubling you now?"

"I feel like I'm crazy." She sighed. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but ever since I found Jason, I been having this sick feeling in my belly. Like someone is watching us." She lie down next to me and rested her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her. "I feel it now, even in the comfort of my own home. Is that normal?"

"You can never be too sure, Cristina. Take it from someone who was constantly sneak attacked by assailants while I was in school." I laughed, remembering the countless people Donna used to send after me when I excelled to the top of my class. "Listen you," I said, giving her a playful squeeze that made her giggle. "You're probably still unsure about Panara. Who knows, maybe she's bringing some bad stuff along with her; Some people can't control the badness that surrounds them. I know I can't. If that's the case, we'll be ready. I just know it."

"You always know how to reassure me, Ryan. Thank you." Cristina hummed.

"Anything for you, ma petite soeur. You mean more than this entire world to me." We lay there in silence for a while until I realized that she was sound asleep. "Ugh, I am gonna have to baby you like this forever?"

She stirred and mumbled, "Yeah, I'd like that..."

----

"Jeez, I must have walked around the entire area five times already!" Pan groaned to herself. "I should have found Ryan's house by now."

"Who's Ryan, Pan?"

Pan nearly fell over from turning around too quickly to look at the familiar face behind her.

"Jake, you're following me?" She said with an irritated glare.

"Can it, sister. Yeah, I followed you. What are doing so far from home?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." She spat out. "I have my business and you have yours, so butt out.

"Whatever. By the way you're not off the hook yet. You still owe me for-"

She cut him off. "For staying with me when I had to walk home alone. You don't have to keep bringing it up. Besides, I'm a big girl now and I don't need you to babysit me."

"Oh come on now Pan, I'm hurt. If I didn't happen to be there that night, you could have been kidnaped by some unsettling people, or worse..." Jake chuckled.

"The only person I know who would do that is you, idiot." She shoved her way past him. "Now please, leave me alone. Unlike you, I have actual important stuff to deal with."

"What? Stalking a friend isn't important to you?" Jake clutched his belly, laughing loudly.

Pan let out an irritated growl as she rounded a corner to get away from him. She found herself looking at my black house when an image flashed in her head. She saw me smiling at her. "This is the place." She thought.

----

"Damn, Cristina, what do you do to wear yourself out this much?" I sighed, tucking her in bed.

"Mmm, same things you do, Ryan." She murmured.

I kissed her forehead. I was already headed downstairs when I heard a knock at the door. "It's open!" I said.

The knob turned slowly and I made my way to the door, and suddenly stopped as if the person turning in had seconds thoughts. I opened the door, and was looking my new sister dead in the eyes.

"Hey.." Was all she managed to say.

"Hey, you. " I smiled. "What took you so long?"

"I kinda got lost. Fearahu is just so big." She shrugged. "Anyway, I'm here now. Can I come in?"

I stepped to her side and put and arm around her shoulders. "Welcome home."

We walked in and I closed the door behind us without touching it. "Please tell me that was you..." Pan shivered.

"Haha, I'm already making you uncomfortable. I'm sorry." I chuckled. "Don't worry, I understand your nervousness."

"Did you find out that your were a member of this family like I did?"

"No, I established this family. This entire world was all created by me." I released her and patted her shoulder. "One day I'll explain it all to you."

"I'd like that, Ryan... I'd like that a lot." She lowered her voice to a whisper, and started leaning her face closer to mine.

"Well, did you decide if you want to live here with us?" I asked. I didn't notice her blink as if I'd snapped her back to reality.

"I thought about it while I was on my way, and yes, I would really like that if you'd have me." She said, nervously."

"Awesome!" I exclaimed. "Which apartment was yours? I'll go get your things for you."

"Sorry, I can't leave just yet. I haven't paid all of my debt yet."

"No worries, I'll pay it for you." I smiled.

"Really? Th- Thank you, Ryan. That's really nice of you." She beamed.

"Oh, Panara, don't get too attached to this side of me, because all of this kindness and generosity is masking a much more vile Sparker." I flashed her a devious grin.

She snuck an almost hungry look at me, biting her lip. "Hmph, I'll keep that in mind, you devil."

----

"Huh, Pan's got a new boyfriend, it seems. That's odd, she doesn't search for mates too often.." Jake said to himself while scratching his head. "Something's up, and I'm going to find out what."

Jake materialized his hat and stretched his large black wings through the holes in his jacket and flew over my house to hover. "What are you hiding Panny?" He shook his head and flew back to his apartment building. Jake slowly landed, retracted his wings, and walked inside upstairs to room 134. He rapped at the door and waited until it opened. Flannery greeted him with a smile.

"Hiya Jakey!" She beamed. "What brings you here?"

"What, I can't visit my own sister?" He answered.

"You only fly here when you need something. Otherwise you'd walk or at least call."

"You know me so well, Nee-Nee." Jake chuckled. "Can I come in?"

Flannery stepped aside to let him in and shut the door after he kissed her cheek. "I need help with something. A friend of mine is being a bit sneaky and I need you to figure out what?"

"Why so nosy, Jakey?" Flannery frowned. "Can't you let them live their lives?"

"Oh, Nee-Nee, you're too innocent for this. This friend and have a little history, and right now I have to know any secrets they are keeping. It was an agreement we had." He lied.

"Oh well..." She sighed. "You're the boss."

"The Big Boss." Jake laughed as he recited his famous answer to that statement. It was especially funny to him, considering he and Flannery were the only people who knew he was a Honchkrow...