Hold: Hold & Hide Book 1 Read Free

Typical school-looking buses had “A Safe Nation is an Alive Nation” written along the sides of each one. One at a time, they pulled away as each one filled and finally I stepped up the stairs of a squeaky clean bus. I held the door and turned back to spot Blake, but too many faces clouded my line of vision. I glanced back to the bus driver as he waved me inside. Something eerie about his perfectly white smile and side-swept hair. He looked more like an old movie star than a bus driver. 
    I walked by him and stared down the aisle that separated the seats, hoping to see a familiar face when someone waved me over. “Claire!”



TWO

    I sat down beside Brayden, wishing it were Blake. But at least they looked the same. Mostly the same. They were identical in every possible way, just like Audrey and me. Except I could tell them apart by two very subtle differences. Blake had the ever so slightest hint of lines edging out from his eyes and his hair, although nearly a spitting image of Brayden’s in color and style, came out a little further near his temples. Not to mention the obvious personality differences. 
    “You seen Blake?” he said as I scooted toward him. 
    I shook my head and we watched the bus fill up in silence until every seat was taken. He wasn’t much for talking, but his presence alone comforted me. At least I wasn’t completely alone.
    “All right, kids,” the driver’s voice burst through the speakers. “Enjoy the ride. We will arrive in approximately forty minutes.”
    I believe thirty of those minutes passed without Brayden saying a word, though I tried to make small talk about dumb stuff. He’d only nod or shake his head, sometimes neither, but I think he liked knowing I was there too. Everyone else on the bus spoke quietly, which surprised me. The bus rides to school were always obnoxiously loud. This was different. Not one of us knew where we were going. How I wished I were on the bus to school. Senior year. Prom and elective classes and fun. Not this ... this experiment I didn’t want to be a part of. 
    “How was your summer?” I said to Brayden as he picked at a loose string on his orange shirt. “Did you guys survive your intensive thing?”
    “It was ... weird.” He pulled the string out of his shirt and formed it into a straight line on his jeans. “This sucks though.”
    I nodded and stared out the window. “We stay here an entire year. You think we will have nice rooms and get to go outside?” 
    “Doubt it.” Bitterness oozed from his voice like moldy yogurt. “They aren’t interested in our welfare.”
    “But they wouldn’t—“
    “I wouldn’t talk about it. Not out loud. Not inside your head either.” He made eye contact with me for a brief second and I could see the pain in his eyes. What did he know that I didn’t? I’m sure he researched everything as much as possible. That was his way of coping with everything. Knowing as many details as possible beforehand. I think I preferred the mystery, at least then I didn’t worry so much. His eyes though ... his demeanor told me that worry was warranted. 
    “Okay, kids,” the driver blasted through the speakers. “We’re here. When we are parked, please file out in an orderly fashion. No talking please.”
    He wouldn’t have to worry about excessive chatter with this group. I wondered if other orange senior-filled buses talked more than this one did. 
    The bus squealed to a stop in front of a tall building that peeked above a brick wall about the size of my house. The wall seemed to wrap around the entire building, not leaving much room for land surrounding it. We stood, all of us taking in the nature of our new home. An iron gate connected the brick wall and stood opened, welcoming us with its ivy-covered arms. The sign on the gate read, The Order of the Day. Then, just below that in smaller text it said, The Third Rite. 
    It made absolutely no sense to me and didn’t serve as a particularly warm