"Maria!" Beatriz gasped, embracing her younger sister tightly. "Don't ever do that again!" she cried. She tried to frown, but found that her face would not obey her. She was just too happy that her sister was alive and well. How could she be angry?

The girls aura was so happy that it made her smile with sisterly love. "I'm so glad that you found her"

"Thank you so much for helping me!" Beatriz said, releasing Maria and giving this strange girl a hug despite herself. When she did, something nagged at the back of her mind. She smelled like someone else, didn't she? Surely, this was Beatriz's mind playing tricks on her.

Her aura was crazy happy and she hugged her back. "Anytime." she said. When she released her she said, "You know I think that your in my grade. Im new here. My name is Anna Saint"

"Oh," Beatriz said. "My name's Beatriz, and this is my little sister, Maria." She reached out a hand for Anna to shake. "Welcome!"

Anna knew if she didn't shake her hand it would be rude. So she she did briefly, trying to time it right when to let it go. She was thankful when Beatriz let go her cold hand. She hated seeming weird because she was so cold.

"Say thank you," Beatriz commanded Maria. She obeyed, somewhat reluctantly. Her wandering eyes were watching the ducks. Beatriz sighed.

"Can I pet them? Pweese?" Maria begged, clasping her hands beneath her chin. Beatriz sent her away with a wave, and soon Maria was off running.

"So, what grade are you in?" Beatriz asked, turning back to Anna. "Maybe we'll have some of the same classes."

"11th" she said smiling at little Maria. She almost sighed out loud, wishing she could have

children

"Really?" Beatriz said, smiling. "So am I. If you need anything at all once you get to school, just let me know. I'll be glad to help." She glanced back at Maria, who was happily scaring the ducks away. She sighed. If only they could stay. "We have to get going. But see you around, okay?"

She smiled at her. "Thank you so much. I appreciate it. See you" she said before heading to walk to the other side of the park and continue her search.

Beatriz called her younger sister away from the ducks, and they walked home. She couldn't look for her sister now. She would probably come sulking home, anyway. Why bother looking?

After looking for a couple more hours, finding only one boy who was too shy to talk to her, she gave up her search and headed home. Her brother was reading some new books he'd bought at the bookstore. She reported her finds, or lack thereof, and left out the part about the girl. She could almost sense the brother had come in contact with her so she didn't want to make him upset

Anna breezed along as she walked the sidewalks with exaggerated slowness in her eyes but a somewhat normal pace for humans. She hadn't seen anyone yet and she was halfway there but she kept optimistic.

"Yay! Duckies!" Maria cried as soon as they reached the park. She released her sister's hand and dashed forward, waving frantically at the birds. Startled by her appearance, they flapped their wings and rushed away. "Duckies?" Maria echoed.
"You have to be slow, and gentle," Beatriz said. "You should probably give them food, too." She sighed inwardly. She didn't have anything ducks would like. Maria peered at her with her innocent, big brown eyes, begging for help.

Anna arrived at the park, hearing some little girl scream 'duckies' and they all flew away. She smiled softly. Sometimes she would feel a maternal side to her, only once in a decade or so, but it was there since she was so old

"I'm sorry. I don't have any food for ducks," Beatriz said. "Maybe some other time?"
The look on Maria's face was so heartbreaking, Beatriz had to clear her throat and look away. "Come on," she said. "Let's keep walking, okay?"

Anna was sad to hear the girl didn't have any duck food and wished to get some for the girl. But she didn't know that place so she couldn't buy her some and give them to her. She sat on a bench in the center of the park and looked around, profiling everyone.

"Let's walk this way, okay?" Beatriz said, practically dragging Maria along the path. She was very stubborn when she didn't get her way. Beatriz sighed, rolling her eyes. The real reason she had wanted them to take a walk was just to get away from her crazy dad. Now she wanted to find Rosi. Whenever she was angry, she usually hung around by the statue in the middle of the park.

Anna looked for guys but only a couple cute ones walked by. But they were all together. She felt their auras and it was so...she didn't like it. So she kept watching and waiting.

Beatriz finally sighed, throwing her hands up. Rosi wasn't there. They would just have to head home.
"Maria, let's go," Beatriz called over her shoulder. She waited to hear Maria padding behind her, but only heard silence. She whirled around.
There was no sign of Maria.

She was drawn out if her concentration on the search for boys when she felt an aura of panic. That same one had just been a mix of emotions but it was now scared and frantic. It was a girl who had been with the little girl she'd heard earlier. She waited to see what the girl would do before offering help. In the mean time she began to search for the littlegirl.

"Maria?" Beatriz called out, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Maria!" her voice grew more panicked, more frightened. She walked to the nearest bush and shoved the branches apart. Sometimes Maria would decide to play hide and seek on her own. Surely, she must be doing htat now? Beatriz reasoned.
But she was wrong. Maria was not there.

Anna finally located the girl. She was hiding behind a tree, seeming very giddy. What did she have? Nothing living, for she couldn't feel it. She didn't focus on that and went up to Beatriz. "Are you looking for someone?" she asked her innocently.

"Yes!" Beatriz said frantically. "I'm looking for a little girl named Maria. Have you seen her anywhere?" Beatriz peered around the girl, hoping her younger sister would be hiding behind her. But she wasn't there. She tried not to let her disappointment show on her face.

"I did see a little girl go in this direction. I'll help you look for her" she said smiling. When she smiled, her brother and her looked so much alike because of the way they smiled and their dimples.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Beatriz said. A thought flickered at the edge of her mind, about how this girl looked like someone she had met, but then the thought was gone. She shrugged it off. She probably went to the same school or something. Yes, that was it.

Anna headed towards the little girls aura, keeping tabs on the girl's sister. She peeked around a tree and saw the girl where she knew she'd be. She then looked back at Beatriz, pointing behind her

"Yeah...I think so," Beatriz said, standing up slowly. "Wow. I don't even know how to thank you." She found that she was lost for words. She couldn't even meet his eyes. What was wrong with her? "How did you even...get there in time? Weren't you inside the building?"

"I was coming outside when I saw you" he lied smoothly. He wished he could look into her eyes but she kept looking away

"Oh. Wow," Beatriz said, shaking her head. She still couldn't believe it. Her life could've ended right then and there. She could've died. "Thank you...so much." Finally, finally, she looked up to meet his eyes.

"Your welcome" he said, looking deep into her eyes. He didn't know why but he felt like they were pulling him in or something. She smelled...way too good for her own good. He took a towards the store. "I think you should come back inside for a moment. Don't want you to go into shock" he said worriedly

"Ah! I can't," Beatriz said, shaking her head firmly. "I-I have to head home." She knew she sounded rude, but it couldn't be helped. Her sisters were probably going insane. "Gracias!" she called over her shoulder, hurrying down the street before he could protest.

He watched her go, confused for many reasons, but simply went back inside to try and recover himself. He picked up the books and paid for them then went home. He told his sister, Anna, about what happened. They had only just moved there and didn't know anyone.

"Home!" Beatriz announced, but she hadn't needed to. Her youngest sister, Maria, had crowded around her as soon as the front door opened. Their scrawny labrador retriever trailed after her.
"Bibi!" Maria, Bea's six year old sister, wailed. "Rosi won't give me my Barbie doll back! Make her give it to me!"
"The entire Barbie doll line is just a stupid government conspiracy to get all women to starve themselves, trying to look to sticks, therefore crushing all the accomplishments of the feminist movement," Rosita spouted from her spot in front of the television. For a twelve year old, she had a large vocabulary. "So, no, I'm not handing it back. Play with a Rubix's cube or something."

"Wow. Maybe we'll see her at school or something" Anna said as she printed out a receipt for clothes after shopping online. "I got you some new clothes. The old ones we brought were too dusty"
He looked at it and sighed, "You know, we always stick out because you get the most expensive, name-brand things you can find..."
"I know, I know, you don't like the guys who approach you but it works out. I always get to sit with you. Popular table and all that. It's always fun for me" she reminded him
He rolled his eyes. "That's because you get all the guys. I don't usually date" he reminded her.
"That's got nothing to do with it" she said, looking back at the screen

"Rosi!" Beatriz warned, slipping off her shoes and crossing the room to where she sat. "Give the doll back."

Rosi lounged on the sofa, the doll crushed between her arm and the sofa. She wore baggy jeans with holes in them and a black shirt with a chain on it. "No," she snarled back. "And it's 'Zi.'"

He laughed at her. "As if. At the last town, your 2 years of high school you had a total of 233 boyfriends," he teased, "I had...oh yeah, NONE"
"Oh please! You were SO into that Karen girl" she challenged, glaring daggers at him
He rolled his eyes. "You set me up with her. And I'm a gentlemen so I was nice to her"

There was a thumping sound over head. "What was that?" Beatriz demanded, already dreading the answer. Suddenly, her two younger siblings were silent. "Tell me," she demanded. Rosita and Maria shared a look.
"Dad went loco, that's what happened," Rosita snarled. She stood up. "Too bad you weren't here, huh." With that, Rosita yanked open the front door.
"Rosi!" Beatriz called out, reaching out a hand to stop her. Maria tugged on her arm. Beatriz watched the door slam and sighed.

"Yeah yeah Caspian. But I've got a good feeling about this place though. When you were driving I spotted at LEAST 27 hot guys. This place is rich!" she said smugly. Caspian merely shook his head and headed to watch some TV.

"We're going out, okay?" Beatriz said to Maria. "Go get your jacket." She just didn't want to deal with her father today.
"Okay!" Maria said brightly. "Can we go to the park? I want to see the duckies."
I hate ducks, Beatriz thought. She smiled anyway and said, "Sure. Whatever you want."

"Well I'm going to the park to scout out some other guys. I'll try not to bring them back" she said in her giggly, charming voice.

Caspian sighed. "Seriously, you shouldn't be going around getting everyone you want. Your messing with other girls' destiny"

She scoffed. "Oh whatever. Stupid mortals will get them back eventually" she said as she headed out. "Bye"

Beatriz held Maria's hand as they walked along the porch. She quietly clicked the door shut as her sister went on and on about the park. "The last time I went to the park," she was saying, "I was with my friend Wendy and she had some ducky food so we fed the duckies. They were furry and warm. I liked them." She gazed at Beatriz expectantly.
"Wow," the older sister said, faking enthusiasm. They started down the sidewalk.

NEW RP!!!!!!!!!

"The History of America," Beatriz read aloud. She pulled the book off the shelving cart and weighed it in her hand, contemplating it. She casually flipped it over, then sighed. "Becky?" Beatriz called out, wandering down the aisles in the bookstore. She opened the door to the backroom, revealing a frazzled-looking, bespectacled woman in her mid-twenties. Rebecca was reviewing some papers at her desk.
"Hmm?" she mumbled in reply, not glancing up at Beatriz.
"This book doesn't have a barcode on it," the younger library helper pointed out. "I can't shelve it. You know we've been having trouble with people stealing things."
"No barcode?" Becky wailed, snatching the book out of Beatriz's hand. For an exhausted woman, she sure was fast. "Really? Agh! Now I have to reorganize all the displays, order some new sci-fi books, and put a barcode on this book! All this work makes me want to rip out my hair!"
"Please don't," Beatriz said, leaning against the door frame. "And I can help you with some of your work. You know I can."
Becky waved away this offer of help with her hand. "No, no. You have school tomorrow, don't you? You should probably get on home. Isn't it getting dark out?"
"It's only six," Beatriz shrugged. "I'll be fine. My sister, Rosita, knows how to let herself into the house. I'll just stay for another hour!" She ducked out of the room before Becky could refuse. The old bookstore wasn't making a lot of money. Hardly anyone would go there, since the new Borders had opened up down the block. Beatriz sighed. She knew that the extra, unpaid hours were probably helping the store more than Becky would ever admit. But that wasn't why Beatriz was doing overtime.
She didn't want to go home. Ever.

Caspian walked into the nice, quite bookstore. It was more his style, more vintage. He almost laughed at the irony of it. He was still old enough to be this bookstores great- grandfather. But books were timeless. He had just moved here with his sister, Anna, and had saw the Borders down the street to be quite busy. He settled for this place since it probably had random, out-of-print, hard to find books. Better for his old taste. He walked straight to his favorite section, which was usually embarrassing to walk to but since it was so empty he didn't mind, the romantic fiction. He began to scan the titles for something that caught his eye. He picked up the first one and started to read. He sat down on the floor after a while because his motionless stance would eventually alert someone

Beatriz heard the bell distant ringing from the front of the store, announcing the arrival of a customer. She had been daydreaming of the new novel she wanted to write, but was jolted back to reality by the sound. She shook her head, inwardly scolding herself, then wandered over to the new customer. He was sitting on the floor. In the romance section?! Beatriz tried to hide her surprise.
"Oh, hello!" she said in a friendly tone, bending down to talk. "Finding everything you need all right?"

He smiled at her pleasantly, not letting all his teeth show. "Yes I am. Thank you very much" he said to her in his flowy, velvet voice

"Well, let me know if you need any help," Beatriz said politely, straightening up and stepping backward. She flashed a smile at the customer, then wheeled around. She started to hurry back to shelving books when she heard a noise.
"Beatriz?" Becky called out from behind a book shelf. Beatriz turned the corner to meet her. "Oh, there you are! I think you've done enough for today, alright? You've stayed nearly two hours longer than you should have. Go home. You should spend time with your family too, you know."
Beatriz's breath caught in her throat for a moment, and she almost didn't know what to say. "But Becky," she said, forcing a smile, "I consider you a part of my family."
"Flattery will get you nowhere in life," Becky said, placing her hands firmly on her hips. "Now you must go home. Go!" She pointed Beatriz in the direction of the door.
"Yes, ma'am," Beatriz nodded, bowing slightly. "I just...have to grab my coat. It's in the back room," she lied. It was warm when she came to work, so she hadn't even brought a coat. Despite this, she dashed to the back. Once she was safely inside, she leaned against the doorway, sighing.
"You should spend time with your family too," Becky had said.
But what if I hate them? Beatriz thought sadly.

Caspian had heard all of it. The girl sounded...skeptical about going to see her family. Her name was Beatriz apparently and she didn't sound like she wanted to go home. He briefly wondered why then went back to reading his books.

"Leaving!" Beatriz called out to Becky, who was now reading a manga behind the counter. "Happy?"
"Hai!" Becky waved from behind the counter. "Jaa, mata ashita!"
"I speak Spanish, not Japanese," Beatriz replied, swinging open the door and stepping outside. It was such a sunny autumn day. Beatriz frowned at the irony of it. Inside her house, it was going to be storming, just like always. Her younger sisters would want something, her father wouldn't be there to give it, and her mother was nowhere to be found. She sighed. Just perfect.
Still, she would have to face them all sometime. She stepped off the curb...
And right into the path of an oncoming car.

He was getting up so that he could buy a book but looked up just in time to see Beatriz step off the curb into the path of an incoming car. Without thinking, he sprinted outside to her and pulled her back onto the sidewalk before she was flattened. The person in the car beeped at them as they sped by

Beatriz gasped as, suddenly, she was slammed into. She waited to her the squealing of tires, the crunch of her bones, but heard...nothing. She squeezed her eyes open slowly. She was still on the curb. Only, now, she was lying in the hands of the boy from the bookstore.
She kind of liked this improvement.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, worry coloring his voice. He had pulled her to him pretty fast and that might have hurt her with his rock hard body