Glenview Valley Memorial Library, later that afternoon...

"I'm so glad that you're interested in learning more about the history about our fair town, Mr. Hedare," Mr. Aguirre, an athletic Hispanic man who looked more like a male model other than a typical male model, said upon learning that Ja'Marco wanted to borrow a few books about the town of Glenview Valley. "It's very thrilling that some of our youths want to dive in deep about the legacy of Glenview Valley and how we all came to be in Rhode Island. We have several books from the historians of the past, you know, so it'll be crucial to immerse ourselves in what you can expect."

"I look forward to it," Ja'Marco hummed as he followed the older man through the spacious library halls with some of the students from GVA and nearby South Vicente also around with doing schoolwork or losing themselves in a good book. "Since I'm going to be sticking around for quite some time, I figured that it's only fitting that I know what the legacy of this town hold. Even more so, given that I'm from one of the oldest families in town- the Quitmans, that is."

"But of course, Mr. Hedare."

Sure enough, gentle readers, Ja'Marco was at the town library after he was dropped off by Dominic (the older man making him promise to be back at the dorms by curfew) with the intentions of finding some answers about the town. Of course, he knew that he couldn't ask if he could find books about the dark side of Glenview Valley because that would arouse suspicion as he knew his mother had eyes and ears everywhere. So he had to be circumspect and find the books about the town in general.

And now, here he was with the town librarian ready and willing to lend a hand.

"So, the books on the history of Glenview Valley are written by many of the the historians from the past, those who know a lot about this place since they too were residents before the present-day," Mr. Aguirre went on as he handed Ja'Marco several books. "Audrey-Lynne Boyd, Abraham Sliddell, Monique Lancaster, Sara-Jane McLeod, and Evelyn Reagan were known to be the crown-jewels of the historians before today as they recorded everything and anything about the details of our coastal town. But the one author to read about is none other than Susanna Haynes, one of the top historians before she was tragically killed in a plane crash in the sixties."

Ja'Marco was soon given a large book that resembled a textbook. "Glenview Valley, the Jewel of the Seas by Susanna Haynes," he read. "Looks like a prominent read. This'll take me days to read, I'll bet."

The older man's eyes twinkled, flashing under the lighting. "I'm sure that you'll make the time in between school, being part of the Triton Mystique, and the swim meets," he assured. "And of course, I'll be more than willing to lend a hand whenever the need arrives."

The teen shuddered as he felt his bum being goosed by the older man's large hands. "I'll keep that in mind," he said as he turned away. He soon found a spot at the reading nook and was about to start reading when...

"Ja'Marco."

Said teen looked up to find a well-dressed Kristen standing over him with a sad smile on her face. "Hey, Kristen," he said, granting her a warm smile. "Been a minute since I last saw you. I guess you know that I've been attending GVA now and...well, let's just say that things have been transformative to say the least."

"I bet," the model-esque Asian-American young woman replied. "Mind if I sit?"

"Of course."

She did so, sitting in a comfy chair in front of him. "I take it that you're doing some research on the town to see what's going on," she remarked, glancing at the books he had. "You won't get much out of those, given that they're all the same about the history of the town and how it began back in the 1700s after the Salem witch trials. It's basically all sugar-coated to keep outsiders and cynics from knowing the whole story...the dark side of the town."

"Figures," Ja'Marco muttered. "I was hoping that I could find at least something about the dark side and what the Triton Mystique is really about."

Kristen scoffed. "There's been a few writers who know all about that, but their books have been banned since the sixties. No one in town or in Rhode Island has any access to those books...save for a few that are basically underground where the books are a bit controversial."

"And I'm guessing that's going to be impossible to find given that most of the townsfolk are handsome male models, right?"

Kristen nodded. "Only Chanel and the gang knows where they are," she replied. "We haven't been around since we were almost caught at one point, but we got the same copy of books from the same place. I ended up getting three of them- one for me, one for Mom, and one as a spare. And lucky for you, I have the other copy with me."

She reached into her bag and extracted a thick hardcover book with a book-cover that resembled a romance novel. Ja'Marco frowned. "Love in the Crew? I thought-" he began.

"That's just a front for the real name of the story," Kristen interrupted. It's called 'Dark Shores: The Powers of the Triton Nexus and the Legacy of Glenview Valley.' Written by Veronique Goddard-Slade, the biggest naysayer of this town who's been locked away in an asylum in Providence after her family failed to persuade to pass the book as fiction. Rumor has it that she was the first to warn outsiders to stay away from the town and GVA."

She handed him the book. "Make sure to keep this out of the guys' sight," she warned him. "Find a good book and take the cover to disguise it. And make sure that no one else gets a copy of this, especially your mom and her brood since they'll likely have it burned. No doubt that they'll do anything to keep you from knowing the truth early on, especially now that things have changed."

"How's that?"

A clouded look formed on Kristen's face. "Jay, all I can tell you is that once you do learn the whole story about this town, you're going to have to come to grips that your family and the Quitmans have been planning this for the longest," she replied. "And there's an unspoken war going on- one that involves your future and your life. It's about the Rebels versus the Tritons and their Allies. Even Chanel, Kimani, LaVanna, and Ro'Niah are involved as there are indeed dark intentions going on when it comes to you. One group wants you to assimilate into their world while the other...wants you to die while saving your soul."

Ja'Marco's eyes went wide. "Wait, you can't be serious."

"I'm dead serious, Jay. The only ones who aren't involved other than me and my mom are Felicia and the Westons since they too don't want to get involved in what's about to happen. Believe me when I say that your future is about to be in great peril," Kristen said sadly. "Once you do learn the whole story, you're going to have to make the one that will either have you killed or be a part of their world."

Ja'Marco nodded. "Thanks for telling me this," he said. "So, Ro'Niah and the others believe that I have to die before I learn the truth and be a part of what's going on, huh?"

"Unfortunately, yes. And Mom and I warned them that once you learn the whole story, they will lose you as a friend. Be careful, Ja'Marco Hedare. Know who to trust and be careful in what games are in play. In my book, sometimes it's best to remain on the sidelines and play by your own rules."

Ja'Marco nodded, standing to his feet and grabbing his books (alongside the one Kristen gave him). "Looks like I have a LOT of reading to do," he said. "What about you, Kristen?"

Kristen sighed. "Far as we know, Jay, the future remains clear as day. A new era is about to be born and nothing's going to be the same."

And that was the truth, gentle reader. Shall we move on?

Ain't that the truth, folks! Kristen and her mother are going to make some moves of their own in the days to come before the fateful weekend when the truth will come out!

But coming up next, it's back to Steven Hedare's private journal as Ellie's visit doesn't go as planned. Stay tuned!

Media: "Alligator Tears" by Beyonce.

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