The Guardians Read Free Page A

to leave, so I gathered up my books and followed the others out to the garage.
    As we began buckling up, Gabriel turned back to us. “Michael said we should be getting another car. One for you guys to share and one for Sophie and me.”
    Rafe snorted. “Yeah, I’m sure it’s some boring old lady car, like a minivan.” When Gabriel shot him a look, Rafe held up his hands. “I’m just saying that I don’t know what it would hurt for us to get a cool car every once in awhile.”
    “And what would you suggest?”
    “Like a convertible or a souped up Mustang.”
    Gabriel rolled his eyes and then turned back around. “Dream on, Rafe,” he muttered.
    Rafe sighed. “It can’t hurt.”
    We eased out of the driveway and then began the ten minute drive to school. I turned my head to gaze out the window, eying the trees as they became an emerald blur. I couldn’t remember the last time I had seen so much green. Everything seemed to be alive and splashed with vibrant colors. There’d been a lot of desolate and grim places in my years, so this was a very welcome change.
    As we pulled into the carline at the school, my stomach fluttered again. Oh no, don’t let me lose my cool. Not now. Closing my eyes, I took deep breaths to calm myself. Then I resorted to a pep talk in my mind. You can do this, Elijah. You’re strong. You’ve been up against worse than this, and you survived .
    I don’t suppose it worked because when I got out of the car, an amused look twinkled in Rafe’s eyes. “What?”
    He grinned. “Man, you gotta chill out.”
    “Easy for you to say,” I said.
    “Yeah, yeah, I know this ain’t my first time at the rodeo and all, but you’re gonna be fine. Listen, in my forty plus years on earth, I’ve been in and outta every high school imaginable. Schools with metal detectors, gun fights, stabbings in the bathrooms during class changes… You name it, and I’ve been there, done that. So, this,” he said, motioning to the immaculately landscaped campus, “is nothing!”
    I sighed. “Fine, you win. Let’s go before I lose my nerve.”
    We ambled across the parking lot. Gabriel and Sophie led the way with Rafe sandwiched between Cassie and me. Cassie seemed to have a momentary crack in her veneer when actually faced with school. We pressed so closely against Rafe we looked like Siamese triplets. When we got to the main door, I thought we might all squeeze through at one time, but another angelic power boost gave me the strength to take a deep breath and walk in first.
    I kept my gaze on the floor as I followed Gabriel into the main office. A secretary glanced up at us from a mound of paperwork. I raised my eyes long enough to read her nametag. “Yes?” Mrs. Hopkins asked.
    Gabriel cleared his throat and motioned towards Sophie. “We’re here to register our brothers and sister for school.”
    “Oh, I see. I’ll get the paperwork for you.” When she came back with a stack of forms, she peered at us. I watched as her curious gaze fell upon Rafe. I sucked in an anxious breath when I saw him fighting the urge to mess with her a little. Silently, I raised my eyes to the heavens. Please don’t let him say anything!
    Finally, Rafe sighed dramatically. “I guess there’s no use getting around it. I suppose you noticed I’m black.”
    “Well, uh, yes,” Mrs. Hopkins stammered.
    He nodded. “They,” he began, gesturing towards us, “don’t like to say anything, but I’m my father’s love child!”
    Another secretary in the office gasped, her shock causing her to fumble with an armload of permanent records. I shot Rafe a murderous look while Gabriel apologized to the ladies. “You’ll have to excuse my brother. He has a very vivid imagination.”
    “I see,” Mrs. Hopkins replied, throwing Rafe a disapproving look. Her gaze flickered over Sophie and Rafe and then back at us. “And you’re all brothers and sisters?” Mrs. Hopkins questioned.
    “Yes ma’am,” Gabriel replied.
    “Oh, so