Keep A Secret

Alice felt someone prod her in the shoulder.She yawned and turned to see who had woken her.It was her white cat.She smiled and said groggily,"Aw,you know how much I like you but I have to sleep." The cat gave her an irritated meow and flicked its tail to the right,indicating Jordan's room.Alice stared at the closed door and giggled.This could be fun.She tossed her blanket aside.

Alice pressed her ear against the door as she did before.This time there was no whispering,only a deep but quiet snore.Jordan had to be sleeping.Alice pressed her ear against the door harder,almost flattening her ear completely.Alice had no idea why she was doing this,but the cat seemed to like it as it kept purring contently while it watched her.So Alice listened.She heard a rustle,feet lightly touching the floor,then soft footsteps.The snoring continued.Alice frowned,the rare occurrence of reason resonating within her fogged mind.Wait a minute,the snoring must be from Jordan,but there's footsteps so...someone else is inside?,thought Alice.She wondered who it might be.A long list of names and people ran through her mind,each consecutive one increasing in unlikeliness.Jordan,Mom,Dad,her child-mind-big-brother,Santa,elf,Neil Patrick Harris,dwarf,the list kept going down.Alice peeled her ear from the door and sat there in front of it,lost in her dreams once again.Bunny,the Joker,pet shop owner,a door?Alice looked up as the door opened with a whisper.In the doorway stood a frightened looking girl in a T-shirt and pajamas.When she opened her mouth,the voice that emerged was filled with the pureness of the young and untried,laced with a sadness and wonder.The girl asked,"W-who are you?"

Alice quickly stood and brushed her clothes.She curtsied to the girl and whispered,"Your Highness." The girl continued to stare at her with large,unblinking eyes.The eyes of one who was scared.She asked again,more timidly,"Who,um,a-are you?" Alice replied,"Alice The Cat-Lover the first,or Alice,like in Wonderland with rabbit and mean cards.But I prefer Alice because people keep calling me Alice which I don't like.So call me Alice but never Alice." She smiled at the girl,whose eyes slowly blinked at the odd response.They both stood there and looked at each other.Alice surveyed the girl.She was more than a head shorter than Alice,who was of middling height.The girl's raven hair did not reach past her neck,but her fringe would have nearly covered her eyes if not for the fact they were bigger than most girls.She stood uncertainly,almost shy of the stranger.She looked barely older than ten.What struck Alice the most was that the girl's eyes had a slight but noticeable curve around her eyes which gave her a somewhat feline appearance.Alice loved her already.

The girl shifted her feet,eyes now cast downwards.She said,"You talk funny.Are you okay?" Alice replied,"Right as rain.Feeling great.Ready to start another adventure." The girl's lips twitched slightly,which made Alice chuckle.She knelt to look the girl in the face and asked,"What's wrong?Shouldn't you young ones be full of life and happiness?Brightening up everyone's day like a million-watt light bulb?I was happy when I was as small as a titch like you." The girl shook her head and mumbled,"But i'm scared of the grown-ups." Alice nodded,looking thoughtful."You better be scared.Be scared of everything.Don't be hush-hush and vegetably.Let it out all dam like.You'll feel better talking to someone.Like me!" The girl giggled uncertainly,which gave Alice a thrill.The girl whispered,"You're funny." Alice replied,"I'm not funny,I'm sage like,Yoda and Gandalf and Kung Fu master types.I ooze advice and stuff." The girl really smiled now,but it disappeared as quickly as it came.She asked somberly,"So I talk to someone?Like counselling?" Alice patted the girls's shoulder,which made her flinch.Alice praised,"Exactly,young padawan.The grasshopper ate the bamboo.Let it out,and you won't be scared anymore.Say,before I feed the cat,what's your moniker,your designation,your name you little sad thing?" The girl looked up and answered,"I'm Jackie,Little Sister, Jacqueline."

"I'm Jordan's eleven-year-old-sister,and you must never tell him you saw me or he'll kill you and your friends."

The Deal

William was roughly shook awake.He groaned and sat up,massaging his wound and yawning.Through bleary eyes,he saw Jordan similarly waking Kumar and Leon.Alice was already up,eyes bloodshot and blowing on yet another mug of Milo.She must have had another fit last night,thought William as the last vestiges of his sleepiness slipped away.Alice was prone to irregular outbursts of emotion both positive and negative.Usually it was during the night when her fits tended to occur.Jordan was saying,"Up,up up!I got needs to talk to you." Now fully awake,the boys gave Jordan their full and undivided attention.Jordan pulled up a chair and sat.He folded his arms and said,distaste clear on his face,"I've been up late last night,and I had a change of heart.You guys can stay here." William stared.Leon broke into a small grin and bumped fists with Kumar.Jordan snorted and held up his hands."Let me finish before you go party.There are several conditions I'm gonna attach to this arrangement,so listen carefully."

Jordan held up three fingers.Ticking them off one by one,he named his terms."First,while there's plenty of food and water for...me,sharing with four others can only last us a month.I ask for you guys to forage for yourselves.There are some places I still haven't searched yet in the area.Second,like I said yesterday,no one goes into my room.Ever.Don't even look in it.Finally,while you stay here,you answer to me.The Big Chief.Numero Uno.You all stick by these terms and you can stay as long as you like or live.Savvy?" Leon thought for a moment then nodded.Kumar said,"Its a deal." William stood and pointed angrily at Jordan.He asked Leon,"But Leon,we barely know this guy and you trust him?He shot a bloody arrow into me!He could kill us in our sleep if he could!" Leon retorted,"Will,you're a good friend and fighter but Jordan barely knows us too.Yet he's letting us stay here.Besides,we don't even know where the rest of our friends are.With a stable base,we can slowly look for signs of them." William fell back,finding it hard to argue with Leon's logic which always made him get a headache."Fine.Fine I accept too.",William said.Alice raised a hand and exclaimed,"Me two!Me three!" She giggled.The four boys ignored her.They were too busy trading fist bumps and shaking hands,albeit grudgingly on William's part.As Jordan went to fix some celebratory breakfast,Leon finally relaxed.He had not done so since he fought those adults on the flat rooftop so long ago.They were safe.At least for now.He glanced at the door to Jordan's room.He wondered briefly what Jordan wanted to so obviously hide,but he decided not to go further.Their host was quite the danger.

While Leon and Alice cleaned the dishes;Jordan,Kumar and William sat around the coffee table and discussed their responsibilities.Jordan was the leader,as he termed.He left it up to them whether they wanted to be his "soldiers and stand to when ordered" or just merely report to him.The three boys agreed on the second option.Teams of two would be regularly sent to search the area around the apartment.Jordan refused to join the scavenging party until he found the others trustworthy enough.Jordan also made a concession that he would let them eat from his store for the rest of the day.Security was to be managed by Jordan alone.Whether this was out of the goodness of his heart or to not wear down his guests,Leon could not say.Alice amused herself with the soap bubbles,laughing whenever a particularly big one floated and popped.While the discussions continued,Kumar noticed Jordan's room's door opened a crack slowly.He saw part of a small pale face stare at the four boys and girl.Before Kumar could confirm what he saw.The door closed quickly again,but not so fast as to seem deliberate.Kumar rubbed his eyes and returned to the discussion.