Chapter 1.9 The Start of Something

I stared at myself in the mirror deciding whether or not I liked the dress.

It would take a little getting use to, but I guess it suited. Ariel had come over earlier in the afternoon and I had actually really enjoyed getting ready for the dance with her. Plus I was going with someone and that someone was the only one I had imagined going with.
"Its fine," Ariel groaned as I came out again.

"I know, I'm just you know getting used to it," I said defensively.
 "Well, remind me never to go shopping with you. You might spend the whole day just getting used to one dress," she joked. I rolled my eyes at her, waving as she left. She had helped set up the dance so she had to be there early. I sank down into my computer chair and opened my email, Olivia had help me ask around a few towns yesterday to see if they had heard anything about my father. I realized that if he had died, I wanted to know.

An email from Riverview city hall caught my eye.

He was dead, I knew I shouldn't of checked before the dance. Apparently he was given a funeral by a Braden Smith, who claimed family connections, I wondered if he was a descandant of mother's friend Jayden Smith. Tears breached my eyes and I wiped them away, I couldn't really understand I mean didn't I already know. Stupid and I banished the thought from my mind. I wandered around not doing anything really, until I heard Alexander arrive. Weirdly, I didn't feel that nervous. I opened the door and smiled at him, locking the door behind me.

"How many people have a key to my house?," I asked as I came up to him, remembering I had wondered about that before.

                                                                                                                                                             "You and me, I mean I have a key to every house, it just comes with the job," he said slightly embrassed.
"Sorry, weird question," I muttered embrassed as well, blaming myself for asking such a stupid question.
"Its fine, should we go. We have to arrive semi earlier, curse of being a Graham you could say," he replied, walking to his car. We made our way to the cafeteria in the base, and I may have let a sound escape when we opened the door it looked completly well, transformed.
"I'm awesome right?," Ariel said, showing up beside us.
"Because it was all you. I'll make sure to tell all the people who "helped" that," Alexander teased, smiling at Ariel.
"Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Its amazing," I told her, honestly.

"I know, anyway got to go. Who knew how much people drink," she laughed, running off.
 "You'd think they would learn after all these years," Alexander said.
"I'm not really sure we ever learn from our mistakes," I replied.

 "You may have a point, do you want something?," he asked.
 "Well I was going to say no but just to annoy Ariel sure," I joked. The night passed quickly and I found that I was really enjoying myself, even the dancing which for me was well weird. Though I didn't complain when Alexander asked to take me somewhere.

"Are we nearly there?," I asked as I saw yet another hill, we had made our way from the base over the hills beyond it.
"You sound like a five-year old," he called back.
"I'm taking that as an insult, just so you know," I replied.
"Here," he said, as he reached the top of the hill. The sight took my breath away, something so beautiful, hidden so clearly.

"What it is?," I asked guessing it had to have come from a time before the military.
"A man brought this land to build a house for him and his wife, but she loved nature, so instead he built a tiny hut and made the rest a tropical paradise. Anyway, the military ended up buying it with the rest of the land from his children," he said.
"So kind of like the hanging gardens of Babylon, the king built them because his wife missed her home," I muttered. He nodded then headed down and I followed slowly, slipping on the last bit, Alexander steadied me.

I wasn't really sure how the hours passed while we were there, we were only really watching the stars and talking.

Yet, before we knew it, the sun was nearly up. I laughed as we ran back to the base.
"I really enjoyed tonight, last night," Alexander said as we stood outside my place.
"Me too," I said, my eyes shining.
"We really have to do it again," he said, leaning in and before I knew it we were kissing and everything just felt so right, this was defintely the start of something.

                                                                 

Chapter 1.8 An Explantion and A Question

"So I'm putting down blue for your colour, your more of a dark blue kind of girl aren't you?," Ariel asked me.                                                                                                                             

"Yes I guess. I don't think we should go to all this trouble, I mean I don't even want to go," I muttered refusing to look Ariel in the eye.                                                                                                   

"I swear Angel, I'm this close to slapping you. The annual military dance is a tradition, its your rite of passage," she said, glaring at me, which is as far as Ariel could get to nasty.                                          

"I know, but dances have never been my thing, plus I don't have anyone to go with," I said. I didn't even know how I got into this, everything had been fine until Ariel mentioned military dance.

Ever since I had been made a recruit, two and half months ago people had accepted me and been really nice. Although I was still avoiding Alexander, after I found out he had lied to me. I had been all set to quit, but.... I felt accepted. All I had to go back to was Olivia, and even though we were close friends, we just weren't the same. There was an unseen strain on our friendship. I knew I should give Issac the chance to show me hes changed, but I wasn't interested. Now this a military dance I was going to humilitate myself at, since everyone and I mean everyone had partners. Yet Ariel had basically forced a promise out of me that I'd go. A promise I'd began to regret, she was making me get my dress made by hand, by their famous dressmaker. She was making me do everything I wasn't comfortable with.

"Look Angel, I know you've never had a boyfriend and you seem to have a distorted view of relationship type events, but nobodys going to judge you for going alone. I mean I would go alone to but I'm a Graham I have to keep up apperances, plus this is me and John's first dance that we have gone to together," she said, her eyes lighting up.                                                                                 
"Yes I know, and I'm really happy for you and Mr Chambers plus hes my boss so you have to go with him. Its just I thought I ditched this sort of events after I left high school," I replied, deciding not to reply to her thoughts on "relationship type events" and me.                                                        
"Please, you have to come and somebody still might ask you. If they do you have to say yes. Anyways I've got to go, dress orders to put through okay", she said standing up.         

"Bye Ariel," I say hugging her.                                                                                                                                                  
She skipped out the door and I rolled my eyes at her excitement.

Ariel had been a really good friend to and she was one of the main reason, I hadn't marched up to Alexander and quit. Every week I still got blood samples taken and apparently nothing was happening or changing I was just the same. It made me kind of happy, to me it was a way of getting back at Alexander if I had to be his stupid test subject, at least I was being a useless one.

A knock at the door suprised me and I opened expecting to see Ariel, and instead I saw a face I never wanted to see again, Issac Tate.                                                                              
"What do you want?," I asked, my voice sounding like ice, moving outside to talk to him.     
"Look I know you don't want to see me, but I had to apoligise. I was wrong, young and really stupid okay. Sometimes people do stupid things, I just wanted to make someone pay," he said quietly, desperately.                                                                                                                                                                   

"Pay for what?," I said, refusing to trust him.                                                                             
"I had a....bad upbringing. I acted like everything was fine but I wanted someone to feel like I felt everyday. I wanted someone to feel like they were nothing, cause then it would make it okay what I felt. I know you will never forgive me and they were the dumbest reasons, but I wasn't thinking. I just want you to accept me enough for Olivia's sake," he pleaded with me.                                  
I didn't want to trust him or accept him, but he had come all this way for my best friend and he sounded genuine, so I said, "I'll tolerate you, but only for Olivia for no other reason."                     

"Thank you, you won't regret it," he replied his eyes lighting up.                                                                               

"You can go now," I said, just the hint of a smile on my face.                                                     
"Right, bye Angel," he said waving as he left. Part of me wished I hadn't done it but maybe I held the grudge to long, we both needed to move on, for Olivia.

"Angel, just wait I need to talk to you. Its really important," Alexander called. I cursed myself, I had been doing so well at avoiding him and then he had seen me.                           

I spun around to face him, "What, I'm busy you know," I said struggling to not growl at him.                        

"I know, but I need to tell you something, something I should have told you a long time ago. Its...you have to understand Victoria's family. Do you think we can talk I mean in my office?," he asked, looking really agitated.                                                                                                                  
I crumbled, "Fine."                                                                                             
We made our way to his office and I wondered if he was finally going to tell me the truth to everything and if he did would I forgive him.                                                                                
He shut the door and then said, "Victorias pregnant."                                                                                                          

"Excuse me," I replied, stunned I hadn't expected that.                                                            

"She thinks if she helps Nicholas, he'll come back for her and the baby. So she did something bad. She made you a test subject here so Nicholas would be able to use our resources or at least Victoria would for him. The worse bit is she signed my name off on it to, I'm sorrry Angel I should of told you but I fooled myself into thinking you wouldn't mind," he said looking down ashamed.                 

 I breathed, happy he hadn't wanted me to be a test subject, "I know," I said, smiling.                                     

"How?," he asked shocked.                                                                                 

"Someone put this in my house," I replied handing him the piece of paper.                              

"Your joking thats how I found out to," he said putting out an identical piece of paper. "It was in my room," he contiuned.

"Who knew and could do that?," I asked, really suprised. "Angel, some things I can't tell you. Some things are a thousand times more classified than Project Air. You just have to trust me enough to sort this out," he said urgently stuffing the paper into his pocket.                                                    

"I don't understand," I said frowning.                                                                          

"You don't have to thats my job," he said hugging me. I almost had a heart attack when he hugged me, this closeness to him felt perfect.                                                                                                                    

"Will you attend the dance with me?," he asked slowly.                                                                                              

 "Yes," I said excitied. I wasn't even worried about the more classified things, Alexander wanted to go to the dance with me of all people it was perfect.

Chapter 1.7 A Family Affair

I waited nervously the next day for Ariel, I hadn't even known what to wear, but decided to go for something more formal.

Ariel parked up by the house, her music blazing and I slipped into the seat beside her.
"Oh you look so good, I wish I had your figure," she squealed, looking me over.
"Well, I wish I had yours," I smiled.
"Yeah, well what can I say," she joked. I let out a laugh.
Ariel talked all the way there and I found that I really enjoyed her company I mean you can't help but be happy when your with someone who seems to walk on sunshine.

 We arrived at the Grahams house and I was surpised at how simliar it looked to my new house.
  Ariel must have noticed because she said, "Most houses in the village look the same, not that its exactly a village but its the common name. Cause when they were built, they were like I don't know the standard issue build. Anyway everyone kind of makes them their own, after generations their really not the same. Oh and ours has an awesome watchtower out the back."

"Ariel, I think she gets the overall picture, " said a man I had never seen before.

"Okay Daddy, by the way this is Angel Darvill and this is Taylor Graham," she said, in voice dripping with respect.
"Its a honour sir," I said.
"Taylors fine, come on in. I've never heard so much about a recruit before meeting them so really the honour is all mine," he said, walking inside.

I walked inside and was given an hug by Nadia, who told me she was so glad to meet me properly and then the Chambers.

Nathenial and Aziza were a lot more reserved than the Grahams but kind none the less.

John reminded me of any other young man, nothing remarkable about him that I could notice.

                                                                                                             
"So we're waiting on dinner do you want to see the old watchtower," Alexander, a nervous twinge to his voice.
 "Yeah that should be good," I replied.
 I followed Alexander outside, "They won't mind we're leaving will they?," I asked looking nervously over my shoulder.

Alexander shook his saying, "They enjoy each other company to much, they're all the best of friends."
"So like family," I said, just feeling a twinge of jealously, he grew up surronded by people who would call him their family and I hadn't.
"Yes, this is very much a family affair. Sometimes I wonder if this whole tradition is so they can get together, no offense intended," he said as we arrived in front of a huge, well tower.

"None taken, so this it, why is it even here?," I asked, wondering why they had a watchtower on their property.
"Well, when the base was built people didn't agree with it and there was some well attacks," he replied, smiling at me.
"Wow, they don't teach that part of Twinbrook's history in school," I muttered, returning the smile.

Nadia called us in because dinner was ready. We sat down and Taylor said we should have a moment of silence as Nicholas wasn't present. It was then I really digested the fact that none of these people knew he was alive, and I suddenly felt really guilty the knowledge was being kept from them, but then again maybe knowing would hurt alot more. I listened to the rest of their conversation and afterwards I went and helped Ariel with the dishes.
"You seem really upset anything wrong?," she said carefully.

"I'm fine honest, just a litle bit tired," I muttered, smiling at her.
 "Yeah you were sick right, that sucks. Alexander was really worried about you, I haven't seen him that worried since his old girlfriend Tania had a fall," she told me.

 "Really , who was she?," I asked, trying not to sound to interested.
"Oh, girl he met at his boarding school, he was totally in love and she broke his heart. Horrible person in my opoion, but then again hes my brother so, don't take it for fact ok, if you ever met her," she said.

"Okay, I'll remember that," I replied.
"So do you like him like as a friend I mean?," she said, slowly.
 "Yeah, I mean hes been really nice to me," I said.
"Thats great," she said, but I could tell she was disappointed with my answer.

Alexander offered to take me home, so I said goodbye to everyone. We didn't really talk on the way back to my house and I was about to get out when he said, "Angel, I know how hard this is, its my family."

"Yeah I know, but I don't know. I get I walked into this whole situation, but I didn't purposely walk into Nicholas, I just randomely found his hideout," I said, still remembering I wasn't completly trusting his explantion.
"I know, I'm sorry you got caught up in this. It isn't...your fault," he said, and again I got the feeling he wasn't telling the whole truth.
 "Its alright, and don't worry I'll keep my mouth shut. After all it might be shut permantely soon," I said, attempting a joke, which in hindsight was never going to be that funny.
 "Don't say that Angel, your going to be fine. Never say that", he told me.
 "It was just a joke," I said defensively.
"I know just don't," he said.
 "Okay, I gotta go, but thanks for the ride. I guess I'll see you around," I said really hoping I would, but considering he wasn't my boss and I wasn't a mess hall server I doubted it, and maybe I'll drop dead soon.
"Bye," he said staring in front of him.

I walked into my house, and saw a small folded note on the table.

I'll admit I was really freaked out since, well actually I didn't know who had keys to my house but still. I picked it up cautionsly, it was a printed out page, lots of bits were blacked out but the bits I could see confirmed that I had been lied to.

Project Air Intivative Test Subject -----------------Angel Darvill --------------------------------------- Exposure Confirmed g g Blood Tests --- to continue g ------------------------------------Test Authorized by Miss Chambers and Mr Graham A C Chance of DE - 95% Chance of COL - 1% ---------------------4%

Signed ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                                                                                                   It could of been a fake, but it held the Sims in Arms seal, and only a few people apparently knew of my exposure. The more annoying question was who had put it here. Someone who wanted me to know the truth. It hurt though, I trusted Alexander and all I was to him was a test subject.

Chapter 1.6 Its a Matter of Conscience

I woke up around noon the next day. I was still pretty tired but I forced myself to get up. The more I thought about what Alexander said, the more I was convinced he hadn't told me the whole truth. Some things didn't make complete sense. Like why Angelica was my doctor, or why Maragret had said Nicholas wasn't at the base, yet the way Alexander said it, he made it sound like Nicholas was here. Maybe he just forgot to mention that he had gone away for a bit or something like that. I didn't really want to be believe that Alexander was lying to me and I decided then, that I wouldn't. After all, shouldn't I be worried about the fact I might drop dead soon.

I got myself ready to go out, knowing that Olivia deserved to see me. Considering I didn't know where I was, I decided to walk to the house.

It took me a long time, but it did refresh me. I walked in and was confronted by Olivia who looked well nervous. It was the kind of look she used to get when she used to copy my maths homework. "What are you doing back?," she asked.
"I thought you would be happy to see me," I said, just a little offended.

"I am silly, its just the person on the phone said I wouldn't see you this soon. I just don't want you getting worse, is all," she said in a high pitched voice.
"Livvy, your lying I can tell. Why don't you want me to be here?," I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Thats crazy," she muttered, nervously looking over her shoulder. I followed her eye movement to a pile of clothes on the floor. 

"Livvy, is someone here?," I said, wondering why I hadn't guess it before.
"Yes, oh Angel. I've been seeing someone. I haven't told you because I know your going to judge me," she said, speaking fast.
"Come on, how bad can it be. Its not like your dating Issac Tate," I joked.

Livvy gulped looking down, "Your not," I yelled, angry.

"I knew you were going to judge. He's changed," she said quietly.
"People like him, don't change," I said storming out.

I guess it didn't suprise me that much. Olivia was the forgiving type. She always believed that people had a reason for doing things and nobody was just plain bad. Issac Tate, to me was plain bad. When I was a kid, he thought it was funny to make fun of how I killed my mother. Everyone in school knew about my nickname Angel the murderer. Even though a lot of people at school didn't bother about it, alot did. It made my school life unbearable. He even made the boy I liked ask me out, only to ditch me and prank me. He never changed, even on graduation day, he put a whoopie cushion on my chair. Even if he had change, what would Olivia even see in him.

I found a note from Alexander sitting on the table. It said he had been in and figured that I had gone to see Olivia. I knew I needed to talk to her about my new house but I really couldn't be bothered. At least I was moving into a house that wasn't filled with bad memories and I actually really liked my new house. It was small, but it wasn't really any smaller than my old house. It also depressed me to know that Olivia my best friend wasn't going to be here for me anymore. Don't get me wrong, she would always be my best friend but I just knew this would mean we wouldn't be as close as before. She would always have to chose between Issac and I. Even at her wedding, even though I would be her bridemaid, she would still be chosing between the two of us.

I sat down, feeling a headache coming on.

The feeling I had just had was the weirdest feeling, I had felt like I could actually see her wedding. It was like the gut feeling I use to have but stronger. I shook my head, I had obviously been asleep to long and now my imagination was running wild. I took out my phone and called Livvy. "Hey, sorry about before I guess I owe him a chance. I just...wish you had told me," I said, knowing with every word I was lying.

"I know and your right you had every right to judge with everything he put you through," Olivia replied. This made me angry, she knew that to well. Olivia was the person I would cry all night to and she still went and got together with...him.
"I guess its a matter of conscience, you shouldn't ever have to see him. My conscience on the other hand says I should give him a chance. Trust me though he won't ever be at the house while your here," she said.
"Its okay, I got a promotion. I'm offically a recruit now, so I get a house in military village. So we'll have to sort out some paperwork and the house will be yours," I said, in a way happy. I didn't want to just sell that house it had to much history to it. At least it would go to someone who could appericate it.
"I'm going to miss you, although at least I'll get to see military village," Olivia said.
"Yeah, I guess you will. I'm going go now though I'm really tired," I told her.

When I put the phone down I heard a knock at the door. I opened it to a young girl I had never seen around before. "Hello," I said rather guarded.
"Hey, I'm Ariel Graham, can I come in?," she asked, basically walking pass me into the house.

I will admit, she wasn't what I expected from Alexander's little sister. She sounded so happy and she walked with a bounce to her step.
"Yeah, sure. Do you want something to eat or drink?," a little unsure of what she was actually doing here.

"No, I'll be quick, your probably tired. Since your a recruit now, which deserves a congraulations by the way. Your finally one of us, you probably worked out we are not the most ordinary of military bases and we have this like age-old ritual for newbies. You basically get to have dinner with us, the Grahams and Chambers. Its like a welcome from the two oldest families. Which I super excitied about by the way, because I've heard so much about you. I'm sorry I'm rambling again aren't I. Its tomorrow night, I'll pick you," she said taking a big breath as she finished.

I was taken a back by how unalike her and Alexander were.
"I'm really looking forward to it," I said putting on a smile.
 "Yay, I'm so glad. Although Victoria won't be able to come, she's been so busy with work. You can't blame her though she just lost the love of her life," she said for the first time looking a little bit upset.

"That's fine. I understand," I said slowly. Although it wasn't entirely true, she was starting to feel like the mystery woman I was never going to met.
"Good, anyway I best go. So seven tomorrow. Its so nice to met you," she smiled and then she hugged me.

I watched her go and just couldn't believe that was Ariel, it was just not right.

I wasn't exactly sure if I was excited to go tomorrow, but it wasn't like I had a choice and the Grahams that I had met all seemed really nice, well minus Nicholas.