“Tell me”

“No!”

Lena groans “Why”

“Because you don’t need to know NOW”

“Why?!?”

“LENA STOP I’m NOT TELLING YOU”

“Why is there so much secrecy in the family?”

“ENOUGH YOU TOO”…

Lena’s dad shouted from across the house ending the mother and daughters quarrel. Lena stomps up stairs to think up excuses of why they won’t tell her anything.

Yeah…that’s pretty much what happened every time I had a project for school that involved family history or anything. Or my middle name. Ha. Since it’s Rosaline, people think they got it from twilight…but they always don’t see the ‘n’. but even still it was my middle name way before that came out.

 Who knew that one day I’d get a chance and find out all the answers to my questions in a shopping cart?  Though I’d dream I’d never see it again.

“Lena!” Trevor yelled at Lena out of shock and worry

“My eyes again, Trevor?” she said rolling her eyes

“Yeah” he said mystified.

 It’d been almost a year since we met but my eyes never seemed to stop intriguing to him. But I guess I’m used to people being mystified by them. Scared of them even I never ask why, usually because I know that some people’s eye change color or just tell the emotion their feeling. But I guess should have asked, it would have saved me a lot of eye rolling, and thinking people are weird. And more analyzing of what why they were mystified.

Chapter One: The History of Me and Trevor & the History I Actually Know About My Family

My names Melena but no one calls me that, unless I’m in trouble, every one calls me Lena. Unless your Shane or Mesha than you know me as Mella, Who seem to think that I look like the girl in the movie twilight.

Which the rest of my friends can’t see it at all, because  I’m 5’5,tan,stick straight dark brown hair, slim and my eyes….well we’ll just say my eyes blue hazel for now. So we have no clue where the heck they got that idea.

The weird thing is I only look like my mother a tiny bit, never really figured out why but there’s A LOT I don’t know. That’s all thanks to my parents, AKA, the people who don’t tell me anything, AKA, Jesse and Rosalynn. Before I was born they met in Italy and all I know is that they were looking for something, found it together, and found each other in the mist of some danger. They moved to Seattle, to escape the danger but they soon found out that danger only found them again.

But they stayed to the last possible second they could, because Jesse loved they way Rosalynn looked in the snow, he said she looked like Christmas morning, with this romantic look in his eyes like he’s seeing her walk down the aisle again. But when they’re last second was up they traded cars with the neighbors and fled to south California, to get food and supplies and rest for a little bit before traveling somewhere else. They got to Texas after buying a map and deciding they needed to find someplace to live where they wouldn’t run into “danger” very often or at all. 49 states were definitely out, so Florida was it, it didn’t take them long to decided orange county was the place for them. It didn’t take long for Rosalynn to make a friend in the neighbor her name was Katalyna James. She was about Rosalynn’s height and size with long wavy strawberry blonde hair with faded pink streaks and bangs and blue hazel eyes.

 They did everything together, went shopping, book club, movies, they somehow managed to get pregnant at the same time which I honestly don’t see how you can plan pregnancy…ok not that I don’t see how…I really really don’t want to know. Anyway Katalyna had Trevor and four weeks later I came along. Trevor and I have been best friends for nineteen years, and go to Flagler College together. Now I’m going to stop that suspicious thought dead in its tracks. He’s Not My Boyfriend.

And his girlfriend Raylen will 2^nd that, though she gets jealous every now and then, I love seeing them together, because there’s a foot between the top of her head and his. He’s about 6’1, these amazing dark blue green eyes and blonde hair, and she’s about 5’1, dark brown almost black straight hair, she proportionally skinny.

We all hang out sometimes at the beach, but not lately since she’s works a lot at the book store our mother’s have their book club. But when we do hangout it’s double the fascination with my eyes…until my eyes get a certain tent of green then they jokingly runaway screaming.

It was a sunny fall day in St. Augustine, not unusual for Florida. But I’ll gladly take over snow any day not the I’ve ever been in snow but living in Florida All my Life and how my dad describes the white freezing wet stuff it doesn’t sound appealing, well unless he’s describing my mother in the snow in Seattle. Than it sounds magical because he describes it so beautifully in her hair, then he looks at her as if he’s realizing all over again he’s in love with her, and more than once I’ve seen a tear in his eye. But I’ll welcome the sun any day, especially today Trevor and I didn’t have classes today, and we needed a break from Flagler campus. Our favorite to escape to is the grassy hill that slopes down from Fort Matanzas which is the best place to relax; you have the sun, the grass, and the cool ocean breeze. “I love this place” Trevor said leaning up against the palm tree that stood behind our blanket on the hill. It made me fade away into old memories of trips before this one, our parents used to bring us here. Until the fall before we turned sixteen, Before Trevor got his license….

“Mom this isn’t fair…every one else is going to get the easiest ‘A’ you can get in this class except me” says a disgruntled Lena. “I’m sorry, Hun but you’re just going to have to live with a ‘C’ in that class” her mother, Rosalina, tell her on there way home from school.

“Why can’t anyone tell me, it’s not like were related to mystical creatures or anything” she says glaring out the window looking at the forest that almost seemed to flow together outside the car.

…Trevor grabs my hand to trying to get me to stop walking in to the lake that was a hundred yards away, which jointed me out of the flashback I was having. “Flashback?” was all he said though the worry in his eyes told more “yeah…why were you getting scared?” I asked him jokingly taking my hand back and pushing him lightly.

 His face turn smug and serious “uh YEAH…your eyes were almost green, and know you as long as I have…yeah I was a little scared…dude, even Godzilla fears for his life when you eyes are deep green. Although the way your eyes change is kind of nice” he said smiling at me. I stopped walking turned to give a dirty look “And why is that?”

He laughed and said “because I generally know what you’re thinking or if something bad is going to happen”. “Ok mister, what does the color of my eyes mean now?” I said challenging his smug thoughts of him “your eyes are going a soft brown, which means….” He grinned to himself “You want to kiss me”. I resisted letting my jaw drop so not to give him the satisfaction, keeping my face composed except for the smile my plan brought. “Are you psychic or something” I finally said as I kept us walking, so my plan could actually take action. He looked and me with surprise and worriment “maybe?” his voice squeaked out. As I started to lean into him, he closed his eyes, than I pushed him into the lake. By the time he felt himself going sideways and opened his eyes he didn’t have time to react. He crashed in to the clear blue water. “Of course if you were psychic you would have seen that coming” I said falling over with laughter, I knew I had until he got over the shock and kicking himself for falling for that, to start running. And sure enough he shook his head like a dog after they get a bath and started toward me “how bout a hug?” he said smiling. We laughed as he ran after me back to the grassy hill on the other side of the park. “…so why do your eyes change when something bad happens” he said when we finally settled down laying on the grassy hill looking up at the clouds.

“You know for as long as you’ve known me you never get tired of asking me that, do you? I have no idea why they do that. My parents won’t tell me that or anything about my family history all I know it something about some little town in Italy.” I explained. “What about a little town in Italy?” Trevor asks turning over so he face me with his curious face. “I don’t know, when I asked about it they Always just ramble on and on about Italy and how some day I’ll understand why the never told me anything” I sighed closing my eyes….

“Baby, Don’t let them get to you like that, they probably are keeping your best interest in mind” Jared said putting his hand on Lena’s jaw line and kissing the top of her forehead trying to calm her down. “I know…it’s just driving me crazy how I don’t know the history about my family or why my mother’s name is Rosalina or who my grandparents are…the stuff most normal kids know” says Lena leaning her head against his head. “I know, Hun” he says.

My phone starts going off in my pockets waking me up, it’s Brooklynn. Crap. I was supposed to be clocking in to work…twenty minutes ago.

Mr. Laymen is going to be pissed if I don’t take a jet to work right now; Mr. Laymen is the manger that works during my shirt at Ebbertsen’s. It’s just a text:

Lenny, now don’t worry I covered for you. But you have to get here in like the next half hour or else.

I checked the time, mentally going a plan to get there fast and what roads to avoid. So she wouldn’t have to hold down the fort much longer, I texted back:

Oh awesome, babe! Thanks yeah I’m just at the park with Trevor I’m on my way right now. See you in few!

“Did you just have another one? Geeze Lenz those things are going to get you in trouble one day” Trevor shake shaking his head “if I don’t get to Ebberton’s they will have” I said almost sprinting to his car which was across the field. “I knew it! Wait why?” he said as his face went from ‘I told you so’ to ‘huh’ in 3 seconds. “ Brooklyn is covering for me till I get there so Mr. Laymen doesn’t know I haven’t known up yet for my shift which starts…now” I said looking at my phone impatiently as I climbed in the driver’s seat of his mustang, which caused the most priceless expression on his face that if I had time I would fully enjoy. But that would get me tackled to the ground and tickled to death, so I kept my face composed.

“what the heck do you think your doing?” he said which he didn’t have to because it looked like he was going to all over his face “Um driving..” I said giving him like he was stupid as I jammed the key in the ignition “now you can get in or wait here until I get off work” after I said that he got this panic look in his eyes  and like crawled over me to the passenger seat. I gave him a strange look, “what? I thought you were really serious about leaving me here” he said with a half serious grin “you’re a loser” I said rolling my eyes and closing the door. “SLOW DOWN” he yelled at me gripping the seat and the door handle with a wild panicked expression “we’re not even going 10 over the speed limit” I said rolling my eyes at his passenger seat driving and keeping a close eyes on the freeway because people drive like maniacs. “yeah more like 20, have you even looked at you speed in the last 10 minutes?” he sarcastically questioned point at the speedometer like I didn’t know where it was “we’re only going…” a streak of panic struck through me as I paused “…85….you know what shut up, you never comment when your girl friend drives what do you trust her more than me. You’ve driven with me longer, Remember? I’m the one who can flawless put makeup on and text while going 5 over the speed limit with out getting close to hitting anything” I ranted at him because it wasn’t fair he never said a word when Raylenn is driving. I guess he just saves all his complaining and panic for me… “Because I’m over protective of you because you’re like my little sister” he said in a calm tone…or that reason. “Ha! 4 weeks younger Mr. I think I’ll 4 weeks premature and scare everyone by not breathing right away” I sarcastically argued pulling off the freeway and going through the ridiculous round-bouts. It was silent in the car for 3 seconds after I said that, I was glad I could bask in the glow of had come up with that.

Trevor took 2 more seconds to rethink and word what he was going to say and then finally said “Well if anything we’re twins…that aren’t related and I just decided to ditch you 4 weeks early” which we both laughed at because thats how we always described ourselves when either one of us said older brother or younger sister, that is our solid comeback.

“Lena Stop!” he said almost loudly enough to be yelling “why” I said in the same tone of voice. “You’re going to miss the driveway” he said pointing but it was too late. Little did he know I never go through that one because I got lecture for parking in the front of the store,probably longer then the gettysburg address and the veitnam war combind.I parked out back and stood by the door till he got in his car so I could tell him to pick me up in 4 hours. He stayed long enough for that message and then left to go pick up his girl friend before she killed him  for being late again.

I got there just in the nick of time, Mr. Laymen had just notice there was something not right and then forgot what it was when I walked up. “Did you just get here?” he inquired suspiciously like he’d been looking all over the store for me “like Brooklyn said I was just rounding up all the carts that were by bus stops and the parking lot and in between the mass amounts of cars” I replied with out a trace of panic on my face or in my voice. Brooklyn and I, with out showing it all, waited for his to reply to that like it was life or death. Finally he nodded and said “ ok well, uh, go re-stock all the shells” and just as we thought we had gotten away with it, as he was walking away he half turned back to us and said “ by the way you both have to close tonight, I was going to have Tracy and Mike do it but mike has to go to his other job and Tracy’s sick” which wasn’t true she, Mike and the significant others had a double date, they always did that on Friday nights. They were both the same height with blue eyes and blonde hair that makes them look like twins. Tracy’s was above her shoulder with electric blue tips and gel in it that always made it spike out at the bottom, Mike’s hair is sort of buzzed. They’re both crazy and love doing things that might either get them in trouble or injured, It’s amazing to us all their still alive. Brooklyn on the other hand is sweet a little shy, but don’t let that fool you, she can be evil and she is the definition of a blonde even though she’s really smart. She just has her moments when at times when she doesn’t think before she speaks or it sounded right in her head but not exactly smart when she said it.

Brooklyn has beautiful brown hair and loose curls of golden blonde hair, she’s very skinny but not anorexic kind of skinny and a average height of 5’5. Those are the 3 friends I have at work that work my shift, we have friends from the video store and the Chinese restaurant like to either sneak up on us or we switch jobs for the day. Brooklyn and I stocked aisle after aisle till there was nothing left to stock but the paper towels that we had a war with. It was crazy enough that our manager didn’t have the time to baby sit us during our shift like he when Edbertsen’s is slow, though it was only slow during in the early morning when the only people that actually wanted to be up were old people.

As we were having mop wars on aisle twelve a strange guy with a green emerald around his neck came down the aisle, when he saw me his eyes widened and averted his eyes got what he needed and ran to the next aisle. “ that was weird…Len, your eyes are green by the way or at least going that way…” she paused searching for words and thinking of what the color meant “…do you know him?” she finally asked, I could put my finger on it but he looked familiar but I’ve never seen him before. But I had a feeling that wouldn’t be the only thing weird that would happen this week, I just stared after him and stuttered “n-no” thinking why he looked so familiar…

“Mom who are they?” a six year old Lena asked her mom holding a picture up.“That’s me, my brother, and…I’m n-not s-sure” her mom stuttered when she got to the last person, trying to play off that she had no clue who that was. “What’s that thing around his neck” Lena said pointing at the leather with the gem in it,“That’s something you’ll find out when your older and you go to Italy” Rosalynn reasoned.

…All I ever heard back than when I asked things like that is ‘you’ll find out when you go to Italy, I used to think it was just there excuse to not tell me anything.

Chapter Two: Saved By The Mustang

”LEN!” Brooklyn finally yelled at me after supposedly twenty minutes, “ all you have to do is clock out Mr. Laymen said I could finish cleaning up and he’d help me lock up so you can go home if you want” she explained when she thought I was coherent enough to understand her. “Ok…sweet, I’ll see you tomorrow for another glorious day of pricing, stocking and mopping. Oh and this time lets not forget the forgetting the endless shopping carts of joy” I sarcastically said “ can’t wait” was all she said rolling her eyes.  As I walk to where Trevor had parked, I got the feeling I was being followed so I quickened my pace a little unconsciously, suddenly a shopping cart flew right in my path. I looked around to see where it came from, but no one who was around seemed like they could have done it or like they were running away or pretending they didn’t. then I saw the emerald necklace guy coming toward me with a determined expression. Crap. I started brainstorming self-defense, ways to get away and hide, and people’s cars I could jump in to. Right as those thoughts started flowing my head I saw Trevor coming my way very slowly like he always does to pass the time waiting to pick me up, I jumped in his car and started yelling at him to drive. After we got a few miles away he gave me his classic ‘what the….’ Expression on his face but I yelled at him to drive before he could even utter those words which would have been redundant since I knew the face so well. There were to many thoughts racing through my head and he still looked very confused, we were half way to the bookstore before I finally said “what color are my eyes?” looking very calm at him as he looked back at me like ‘where the Spark did that come from’ before it clicked. “um hold on a sec” he said noticing the Ben &jerry’s where he usually waited for Raylen to call him. He pulled in front, turned to look at me the creeped out look faded on to his face, “ok, now I REALLY need to know what the hell is going on before I get to freaked out over what maybe nothing” he finally got out. “I think I’ve seen that guy before, I’m not sure” I said half spacing out. “And thus the freaking out on me? He said raising his eyebrows, “ I did not freak out, I boisterously cautioned you to drive before I got in your tackled you in to the passenger seat and took the wheel” I said composed and sarcastic. “oh yeah big difference from…” he paused pulled out his phone looked at it then said “not again’’ as he put is head to the steering wheel. You could sence the yelling even before it started, he took a deep breath mumbling something like “woman’s gonna drive me insane” and flipped it open ” hey baby”. I kept as quiet, but apparently not good enough..he was already done for “well you weren’t around…How the heck was i sposed to know you were going with your co-workers for drinks and not to harass you there” he said banging his head on the steering wheel.” BABE..BABE..Talk TO ME” he started yelling over the static mumbled yelling, the agruing continued for awhile, this wasn’t the first time this had happened…Probably like the fifteenth. But hopefully the last, unlike the other this one went silent toward the end, trevor mouthed ‘she’s trying not to cry, she’s realizing whats going on” and i rubbed his back trying to comfort him. Though it was softly said the car was quiet enough to hear “can you come get me” and before he even could reach for the key, i had already turn the key for him and smile.