Chapter: 6... Broken

19 September 2034, Project Z

ALICE P.O.V.

I lay awake staring at the roof. 'Geez, I haven't slept at all.' I sigh and get up pulling on some gym clothes and running shoes. As I reached the living room a pair of arms circled around my waist.

"Well, if it isn't the most amazing girl alive." Jayden purred into my ears.

I smiled. "Hey handsome. Couldn't sleep?" I asked, turning in his arms and wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Yup! I was planning on heading upstairs to drag you into bed with me, but just as I headed that way, low and behold the most amazing thing happened! Right there, before my eyes was an angel."I giggled and swatted his arm.

"Come on, might as well go for a run now, loud mouth." Jayden smirked, giving me a swift kiss before we headed out the door to the athletic track.

The air was cold and damp, almost as if there was a warning of the day ahead... If only I knew what that warning had been, if only I got him before he got her, everything would've been avoided... Jayden cuddled me to his side wrapping one arm protectively around my shoulders. As we reached the field Jayden burst out in a run. "CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!" He teased.

I laughed and ran after him trying my best to catch up. Every time I get close he increases his speed, making sure I have no way of catching him. I pushed further and harder till I finally caught up, I am convinced he let me catch up though... "Hey sexy!" I joked.

Jayden skidded to a halt, making me stop just short of bumping into him. "What's wrong?" I asked worriedly.

"Well you see, I have this extremely hot girl in front of me and we are completely alone, yet I didn't get one kiss!" Jayden pouted.

"But you were running away silly, how was I supposed to do that?" I edged closer to him inch-by-inch, until finally he circled his arms around my waist.

"So my amazing lady, am I allowed to have a kiss?" I smiled, standing on my tippy toes to kiss him. Jayden smiled into our kiss holding me closely. Once I pulled away I cuddled into his chest. "We should start heading back if you still want to make everyone some lunch and all that."

I nodded. "Yeah I know." I sighed as he let go.

We walked hand-in-hand heading back home...

20 minutes later

Finally we are back home, but something seems off, there's a strange iceyness, thickness to the air... I guess looking back now it actually made sense... I struggled breathing it in, eventually I wrote it off as nothing more than fatigue and sleep depravity. Heading in I kissed Jayden's cheek, before he headed to go take a shower. "What to make for lunch..." I whispered to myself.

"Alice can we have chocolate spread on bread and some fruit please?" Alaric's voice made me jump.

"Geez, don't sneak up on me like that you nearly gave me a heart attack." I could practically feel the grin on his face, before I saw it. "I know your grinning Alaric, do that again and I'll give you tuna mayo sandwiches for the rest of your life."

"I hate tuna… And mayo for that matter..." Alaric sulked.

"Exactly, now be a good boy and come help me." I smiled, he has changed a lot lately, he's almost always studying lately and if not, he's first in line to help in the kitchen, though his shit attitude is still there, luckily he doesn't use it on me anymore or else I'll simply stop tutoring him. Easy, right?

Alaric sauntered over to me. "What do you need me to do Alice?"

"Well, you asked for fruits right? So why don't you take out the ones you want and wash them, afterwards you can take out brown paper bags, drying the fruits off before you put them inside." Alaric listened carefully then nodded.

"Do I need to take out the Juice as well?" Alaric asked as he started getting the fruits from the fridge.

"Sure if you want to." I started spreading some margarine on the bread, making sure not to put any margarine on my, Alaric's or Jayden's bread. Jayden sat at the counter watching us, a strange emotion glinting in his eyes.

"Enjoy your shower?" I asked over my shoulder, as I started spreading the chocolate paste on, Super thick for Alaric and Jayden, Thick for me and Leo and super lean thin for Nicole. Geez, who thought it legal for everyone to want things their own way in this house...

I grabbed the lunch boxes and for each a small cooler bag. Even the cutting was different, 4 squares for Jayden, 2 triangles for Leo, 4 triangles for Alaric, 2 rectangles for me and whole for Nicole... 'Curse the day I volunteered to make lunches!' Finally i started adding them into the lunch boxes with a special treat for each one, a small chocolate in each, I placed the lunch boxes into the cooler, added the juices, which Alaric had poured into bottles for each of us, then the fruit and finally a bottle of water for each of us for when we are in class.

"Remind me how old are you guys again?" I asked, staring at the small cooler bags.

"18." Jayden answered. "19."Alaric answered. "And I'm 17, yet we all still eat lunches like the ones they make for 2 year olds, in all those movies."

Alaric pouted. "I am officially changing my age to 2 years old then."

I laughed staring at the 1.87m male… Definitely will pass as a 2 year old, for sure. "Sure thing." I joked trying not to laugh.

Alaric's pout deepened. "You're no fair."

Jayden smiled. "My amazing lady, you should go shower and get ready. I'll make sure everyone gets the right lunches, they are colour coded with our names on, after all."

I nodded, then headed upstairs to our room...

50 minutes later.

I checked the time. 5:50 am. 'YES! I am early for once!!!′ I pack my school things, wake up Nicole then head downstairs with my bag, luckily Alaric and Leo decided we are using the cars today. I quickly packed my cooler bag then back my stuff in the car.

"Yes! I am first today!" I cheered.

"Sorry Alice, but I was." Alaric said, making me pout childishly. "No, Fair!! I call cheatsies!"

Leo started laughing behind me. "Skipped sleeping again, didn't we?"

I nod vigorously. "Two days in a row now, actually." Jayden said as he put his school stuff in Alaric's car.

Leo stared at me. "Why is that?"

I sigh. "Something just feels wrong, ever since the day we met Sam I have been feeling really uncomfortable."

"I have been feeling the same." Alaric nodded behind him.

Leo nodded. "We need to keep an eye out then just in case."

"An eye out for what?" Nicole answered behind Leo.

"The weather. Alice said they were warning about storms." Jayden answered quickly.

"O, ok." Nicole answered as she packed her stuff into Leo's car.

"Everyone ... It's 06:30 am. Time to head to school." Leo announced checking his watch. Everyone nodded and got into their prospective cars, and headed to school... I was in no mood for school today and I had no physical way of describing why, scratching it up to pure laziness.

After school.

Me and Jayden headed out of class, Leo and Alaric right behind us, all chattering about the strange lesson we had, no one really getting how "safety precautions" was of any use in a math class. Once outside me and Jayden decided to walk home while Leo and Alaric went home with the cars, more to go and get gas than anything else.

"You ok Alice?" Jayden asked his hand gently squeezing mine.

"Yes, I'm fine, slightly tired, but I'll manage with tutoring Alaric, cooking and all that." I smile at Jayden to help put him at ease.

Jayden nodded. "Leo and I will handle dishes tonight, you really need to get some sleep ..."

"Jayden... Can I sleep with you tonight?... I don't wanna sleep alone." I sighed softly. Something is off and it's scaring me.

Jayden nodded. "Of Course, anything to help you get some proper sleep."

I smiled and we started heading home. "Salad or Stir-Fry?" I asked mid-way.

"Both." Jayden grinned triumphantly.

"Ok..." I laughed grabbing my phone, texting Leo to bring back salad ingredients and some Hawaiian Stir-Fry Veggies, the only type all of us eat, and some mushrooms. "Chicken or beef or pork?"

"Chicken." Jayden said instantly.

I nodded. We froze in front of the gate when we saw Nicole, deciding to wait for her to catch up. When she reached us Nicole was practically a demon of rage, greeting us half-heartedly before heading into the house.

"What's her issue?" Jayden asked, frowning.

I shrug. "No clue." We head in after a while of silly chatter, and I decide to head upstairs to make sure Nicole is ok. I enter the room smiling broadly.

"So how was school, Nicole?" I purred at her.

"Fine, thanks." She replied curtly.

"Did anything interesting happen?" I tried to push a bit more. Something must have happened.

"No." She answered matter-of-factly, as if ending this conversation.

"Something wrong?" I asked again. BIG MISTAKE!!

"YOU ARE WHAT'S WRONG! WANT ME TO SPELL IT OUT? I DON'T WANT TO TALK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She snapped, getting up and storming out.

"Nicole..." I tried, but she'd already slammed the door shut.

I sat on my bed thinking of all the possible reasons she could've been like this, but no matter how hard I tried the only reason I could come up with was Sam, and that made me even more anxious. Finally I decided to get up again, heading out to prepare a table where me and Alaric could have our tutoring lessons, then set out washing the lunchboxes, making sure they are ready for tomorrow, as well as the juice and water bottles.

"Leo went out with Nicole quickly, I am heading over to them now to go fetch the groceries." Jayden said behind me.

I nodded. "It's time for the tutoring now so that's perfectly fine." Just then Alaric came in, books at the ready.

Jayden nodded and gave me a kiss on my forehead before heading out. I went to sit at the table that Alaric had already taken residence at. "What do you wanna start with today Alaric?" I asked, smiling at him.

"Can we start with Chemistry today? I don't get a single thing of it." Alaric hissed irritably.

"Of course." I nodded, taking it and opening on the first page. "First, let's start with the definitions."

Alaric nodded grabbing his notepad...

1 hour later.

Alaric nodded. "I get that now."

I smiled. "Well that means today's lesson is over." Alaric thanked me, grabbed his things and headed to his room. A few minutes later Jayden also came home carrying two bags of groceries.

"Honey, I'm Home." Jayden jokes.

I giggled and helped him unpack the bags, grabbing the Stir-Fry veggies and mushrooms, setting them aside along with the defrosted chicken strips. All the salad things went into the fridge.

Jayden stood keeping me company as I started cooking. Feeding him bits and pieces to make sure it tasted good, and making sure the rice is just perfect, then starting on the salad. Once the food was finished, about two hours or so, later we decided to wait for Leo and Nicole.

Alaric came in with his phone in hand. "Leo said we should eat, they are going to be late."

I checked the time, 6:30 pm, not too bad. "Sure let's eat." I quickly dished up for us three and placed Nicole's and Leo's food in the fridge. "Eating time." I announced to the two males who came to greedily grab their plates. Carefully I took mine and went to sit next to Jayden.

"Alice, tonight... Jayden and I will do the dishes, so you just need to go take a shower after you have eaten and head straight to bed." Alaric commented. Receiving an agreeing nod from Jayden " Also, this tasted amazing!"

I nodded. "Thank you boys." I finished my meal and placed the plate and cutlery in the basin before heading up to our bathroom for a bath. By the time I finally got into Jayden's bed, it was already 9 pm. Jayden came in to check on me before he headed to their bathroom and got ready for bed. Alaric popped his head into the room and bid me goodnight before he disappeared... I lay down on the soft double bed, cuddling a huge pillow, my eyes were heavy. Jayden got in and pulled me close to him, gently stroking my hair till I finally fell into a deep sleep.

2 Am

I was awoken by my phone's ringing. 'Who the hell phones at this time of night.' I reached for the phone and answered it. Jayden stirred next to me switching his light on, sitting upright.

"Hello?"

"A-Alice..." Leo's voice was strange.

"Leo? Is something wrong?"

There was a long pause, one that sent chills down my spine. I stared wide-eyed at Jayden who moved closer to me so he could hear.

"Leo? Are you still there?"

The line crackled a bit and I could swear I heard a man screaming and gurgling in the background. Jayden quickly got up and headed to fetch Alaric.

"Alice... It's Nicole... Something... Happened... Please!" Leo's voice cracked, then he cut off the line, Jayden and Alaric headed into the room and stared at me. "Alice?" Jayden asked warily.

"Jayden and I went to look in Nicole's room to fetch her, but she wasn't there." Alaric said gently trying to find out what is going on, I thought of a million ways to respond, none of them viable as an answer.

I was frozen... Now what?...