REBEL

"Tye said that his parents might let him come here for the rest of the trip." I smiled and Sebastian's face lit up.

Tye really was good for Seb, he boosted Seb's confidence in himself, by telling him compliments everyday or saying how lucky he was to be with Seb, it was cute.

"Well my parents sent me some more spending money, I've just got to go convert my dollar into a pound." Adri said, looking at Sebby and I.

"So," I started out, "Tye's coming to Egypt, and you've got more spending more. That's all?" I ask, "I haven't missed anything else."

I really wanted to know. I knew logically, time hadn't passed since I've been gone, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was a disconnect between my friends and I.

"Rebel, you act like its been years." Adrienne chuckled. I laughed along with her, though I was sure my sounded much more forced.

I tried to downplay her statement, but to me it really did feel like years.

"So Rebel, what's been up with you lately? You've been sleeping in like all day, and when you are awake its like you're so zoned out to hear anything."

Ah, Seb ever the observant one.

The words Sebastian spoke couldn't have been truer if a saint had said them.

I took a deep breath, I was tired of lying to my friends. I decided to be truthful.

"You guys, something weird has been happening to me ever since the plane reached Cairo.

And I want so badly to tell you guys what it is that's been happening to me, but I can't. I can only tell one of you, and I feel like two of us knowing and one of us not would drive us apart.

So please just, believe that I'm okay, and that I know what I'm doing. Okay?" That was partly a lie, I don't know what I'm doing, but I don't want you to worry.

Of course, when I meant tell them the truth, I meant about the fact that I was, in-fact hiding something.

I wasn't going to defy Ra, and tell them the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Who knows what Ra would do to us if I had?

Instead I begged them with my eyes and my word to believe me; and to trust me.

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Both Sebastian and Adrienne stared at me with blank faces, for what seemed to be forever. Until Adrienne shuffled closer to me on my bed.

She tucked my head into the crook of her neck, and patted my back, rubbing my head. Then she pulled back.

"Does this weird thing have anything to do with the bruise on your neck?"

I sat frozen truthfully, I'd forgotten all about the attack, despite it having been the same day, it felt like forever ago.

"Yes." It was all I could say; what else was there to say?

"Okay." My attention shifted to Seb.

"Okay?" I asked, what did he mean?

"Okay, we'll trust you. But only if you promise to come to us when you need a break. You don't have to say anything, just let us be there for you 'kay Siren?"

Siren. My nickname, made from the fact that my middle name was Syrena.

That little piece of my childhood that Seb brought back was what gave me the strength, to give the pair of them an earnest smile and a nod of agreement.

"So... how did you two get into my room?

" No idea we were knocking on your door when Adri here, simply turned the knob and the door swung open."

I nodded my head feinting understanding. But I didn't understand.

What was happening to Adri? How had she opened the door without the key card?

Adri was the only other person this situation seemed to be affecting even if she didn't know.