6:11 AM THURSDAY                                           1 DAY TILL THE WORLD ENDS

That awkward moment when you run up to somebody you've known for ten years and still call them the wrong name? Yeah that was nothing compared to the awkwardness of Zach shaking me awake and asking what we were doing in his house.

"Five more minutes, Mom!" Chase moaned rolling over.

"I don't wanna get up!" Ivy groaned putting a pillow over her head.

"What the Hell are you doing in my house?!" Zach yelled. At first I thought he was mad at me but then I notice the way he was glaring at Chase. Oh boy this is going to be interesting...

"Sleeping. got a problem?" Chase said copying Ivy and putting a pillow on his head.

"Get out of my freaking house!" Zach growled

"Make me Starboy."

"How did you-?" Zach said an angry shade of red.

"you really shouldn't leave personal letters out in the open." He said lazily holding up the wad of letters. Zach snatched the letters from his hand.

"Zach do you even remember what happened last night?" I yawned and stetched. "And why didn't you tell us-well them- That your parents know?"

"Wait what?!" Ivy sat up suddenly awake.

Zach turned a darker shade if that was possible. "Know what?" Ivy said looking wildly between the three of us. Zach and I had a stare down.

"Secrets don't make friends." I said like a second grader.

"Who said I wanted people in my business?" He retorted. I glared at him hard, which he gladly returned with extra. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife not that I was suggesting we go play with knives.

I'm sure that would go real well, Zach and you a bloody mess on this polished floor, Chase thought in my mind.

"Will you quit that!" I yelled at the same time Zach yelled "Get outta my head!"

Chase smirked.

"Guys why don't we all just calm down and head to the kitchen?" Ivy suggested. "Obviously we need to have a story time."

Ivy looked at Zach who huffed. "Fine. Mrs. McKenna just bought eggs anyway." Then he stalked off to he kitchen. I skipped to follow him.

He slammed a pan and cooking spray onto the table muttering incoherent words, but whatever they were they weren't friendly. I heard the water turn on in the bathroom; Chase must be taking a shower. I looked at Zach afraid to ask the question thats been bothering me.

I took a deep breath. "Zach," I started but he cut me off.

" I don't know." He answered. "I've got no clue what happened to him. Darn it!" He slammed his fist onto the counter making me flinch. "I told him not to, I said it was stupid. And he didn't listen! But no.. Zach's got no clue what he's talking about! I may be blonde but I'm not retarded!"

"Zach,"

"But he wanted to, he needed to know. It was suicide!  The place is heavily gaurded and it doesn't matter who the Heck your parents are! There is no way he is going to do it!"

"Do what, Zach?" I asked fearfully.

"Stupid idiot! I told him you were coming and not to leave! And then I left for a second- no a millisecond- to get a drink! I swear to the ever living God-!"

I cursed. "Zach Whatever-your-last-name-is, tell me where my brother is!"

Zach took a deep breath. "He went to HWEG. I sorry Chloe. He was probably ripped to shreads."

I put a hand over my mouth, tears threating to spill. "W-W-why?" I stumbled back into the wall.

"There was a report the first time everything happened. From HWEG, and in the report it classified everything that was going to happen. James was with your Dad when he announced the end of the world and sneeked a look at the report. He said-He said he needed to check it. Compare them." Zach swallowed hard. His eyes brimmed with tears like he'd lost a good friend.

"Holy Crap." I said. James.... "He can take care of himself, right? He'll be okay?" I tried to convince myself but after that run in with the mob I wasn't so sure and it came out more like a question.

"He'll be fine." Chase said walking into the room with wet hair and an arm wrapped around Ivy. He wore faded blue jeans and a red T-shirt that Ironically said "Professor X is my teacher!" they both sat at the table. "James has an annoying ability to get out of any situation he's in."

"What's that suppose to mean? " I asked challenging him to answer.

He glanced at Zach who cracked eggs and put them on the pan with a sizzle. Zach nodded absently. Stupid Telepath.

Chase leaned forward placing his hands on the table. Ivy looked pale like any second one of us was going to blow up, in my case literally. "It all started with a roller-skate rink....

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Flashback^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

James hung out at the roller rink. funky music played and strobe lights flashed. a snack bar sold food and a group of kids circled around a crane machine trying to win a pink fish. (Had to be there to get that joke. P.S. his name is Flerffy. Deal with it) A group of kids walked in. in front was an odd looking couple a guy who wore a long sleeved turtleneck and gloves and a girl who looked like a lost puppy who had accidentally stumbled into a shark tank. Behind them a guy who was pale amd leaned over and whispered something to a blue striped black haired girl before he turned and left.

James turned back to the rink as his best friend Zach skated into the middle. He sipped his coke and took a bit of his fresh baked pretzel. He barely noticed when the group of kids sat at the table next to him.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Zach's voice boomed over the speakers. "I'm Zach McCain and I'm excited to say that I will be giving away free tickets to the front row seat of California Cate's next concert!"A murmmer went through the crowd. James smiled knowing the catch. " Anybody who can beat me in a skating race will win these tickets." He held them up and the crowd gave an excited gasp. " One dallor to try, one dallor to win!"

Boy Zach knew how to sell stuff. A kid jumped up and paid the fee to race for his girlfriends tickets. The race started with the kid in the lead but then with amazing speed Zach swiftly skated and cut the guy off. A whistle blew signaling the end of the race. Zach smirked. 

James watched a few more people try. One came really close but Zach was always the winner. James knew he was always extremely fast. By the sixth person Zach even looked...bored.

The next person was a girl. The one who had looked lost earlier. But now she stood confindent. Zach wondered why she looked so sure. but she paid and the race started.  He went slow so the girl wouldn't feel too too bad about losing. But right as he was turning the last corner he fell backwards like he'd hit a wall. The girl skated across the line smiling real big.

James frowned as Zach gritted his teeth and handed the girl the tickets. "Looks like we have a winner!" He said.

James felt someone watching him. he looked around and saw the pale guy glancing through the window.

"I'm telling you James," Zach said later in the employee only rooms. "There really was a wall there!" James shurgged.

"It does seem weird that you fell like that." He said. Suddenly the weird group of kids came in witn the girl who had won. "Hey, Employees only guys. get out."

"Yeah but neither of you two are employed here." The pale boy said. James and Zach shared a look. No one knew that. They were even paid like the employees.

I can read your mind.

"Cripes!" Zach shouted covering his ears like that would help. The winning girl walked up the James and stuck out her hand.

"Hi I'm Wendy, Do you have a minute?" She asked.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^End of Flashback^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"You forgot the part where we said no and Ivy tied us to the chairs" Zach interupted in the present.

"Okay that was not my plan!" Ivy said

"Well you weren't going to listen otherwise!"

"So you tied us up?!"

"If you hand just waited-!"

"OKAY!" I yelled. "I don't really care about that, no offense."

"Fine, then. Ivy tied the boys to a chair and James electrocuted Ivy's vines and Zach faked us into thinking he ran out the door then he whipped around the block and met James through the back exit.And every time we tried to talk to them since, well its been painful encounters." Chase rubbed the back of his neck.

" I just wanna know why Zach can't get along with Chase. Van can't stand Chase and Chase is always getting on the other's nerves." I said. "It's a big Hate - triangle. "

"I can't believe you haven't figured that out already."

All of us whipped up astonished at the new voice. There standing in the doorway with an uncharacteristic smirk was James. And in his hand was a piece of paper.