Chapter 6 MEETING MRS CARTER

Our eyes met for a brief moment before Zane quickly turned back to his phone.

"I don't know anything about it," he said. "I didn't see anyone in the room."

My heart skipped a beat, disbelief washing over me.

Wait, did Zane just cover for me? Did he really just lie for my sake?

"Okay, Sir Zane. Thanks for your time. We apologize for the inconvenience," the woman said before she and the two men left.

I pulled my gaze away from Zane and focused on my locker. The entire situation still felt surreal.

Why did Zane lie? Did he really do that to protect me?

But he doesn't even know me. He hardly glanced my way.

Why would he cover for me?

Oh man!

I couldn't help but smile, even though I tried to hide it.

Zane defended me today.

Maybe he did it because he's more of a recluse who doesn't care about other people's drama, but it still meant a lot to me.

Or maybe he just didn't recognize me?

I could swear my cheeks were flushed the rest of the day.

The fact that Zane spoke up for me felt like a miracle.

Thank goodness! Imagine getting into trouble on my second day at school.

As soon as math class ended, he stood up and walked out even before Mr. Leonard could dismiss us.

I watched him leave, and when Mr. Leonard finally wrapped things up, the other members of Phoenix 4 followed suit.

Instantly, students erupted in chatter, sharing the snap photos they'd taken with the band.

Oh my God! Check out Caleb's hairstyle, it's so cool!

Did you see Zane? He was sitting next to the new girl.

I wish I were that lucky!

Look at Leo's glasses!

Did you notice the ring Zane was wearing?

I smiled at their excitement.

Phoenix 4 were celebrities and without a doubt, every girl's heartthrob. They're so cool!

The rest of the week passed by in a blur. Just school, home, and back again, nothing special, just the usual. I didn't get to see any of Phoenix 4 again, though. The next time we were supposed to have math class, Mr. Leonard wasn't around, so naturally, they didn't show up. I wished we could have math three times a day!

I wasn't surprised. I didn't really have close friends, but there were a few classmates I'd exchange smiles or quick hellos with. Carissa wasn't around; we weren't in the same grade, so our paths didn't cross, but that was fine. It was just another ordinary week, and when lunchtime rolled around, I wasn't really hungry, but I grabbed a couple of cupcakes and a soda from the cafeteria and found a quiet corner.

Luckily, I found a secluded spot behind the school library and settled onto the grass.

I took a bite of my cupcake and sipped my drink, savoring it. My thoughts drifted back to the other day when Zane had lied about not seeing me in the storeroom. I couldn't help but replay it in my head.

I smiled as I remembered how he had walked into class.

He had touched my bag.

Oh, my bag!

I hugged it tightly.

I recalled how he looked at me when the woman asked him her question.

He's so cute!

Oh, Zane; when will I ever get that close to him again?

I opened my bag and pulled out my songbook, landing on the lyrics of one of my sad songs.

It was about my family.

Where are they? Who could they be? Do I even have one?

Of course I must; everyone has a family.

But where could mine be?

And why didn't they show up when Mr. Harrison put me on TV?

And why did I lose my memories four years ago?

I turned to the next page and found more lyrics. I looked over it and began to sing.

🎶What if I have a family?

Somewhere beyond the sea?

Could there be someone there missing me?

🎶I need to know these answers

I need to find my way...🎶

"Is that from Barbie?" A sweet, tiny voice broke through my thoughts. I turned to see a young girl standing in front of me.

Huh?

Who is she?

"The song," she said eagerly, stepping closer, "it's from Barbie, right?"

She was adorable, with her long hair pulled into pigtails.

She held a toy and looked affluent; I guessed she was probably a sister of one of the students.

"Oh my God! You love Barbie too? My friends always say she's outdated, which annoys me. But I finally found someone who gets it!" she exclaimed, and I couldn't help staring at her.

She was so bold and confident.

"And you have a beautiful voice," she added.

I smiled, feeling flattered.

"Thanks," I said, and she nodded cheerfully.

"By the way, do you know any more Barbie songs?" she asked.

"Um... yeah, a little."

"Oh! Can you sing more for me, please? I really love her songs. Too bad I can't sing, and my brother is always too busy to help me out."

Oh, so she has a brother?

"Could you sing for me, please?" she urged with a puppy-dog expression.

"Uh... maybe. But right now, I'm eating..."

"I'll wait!" she interrupted, and I couldn't help but chuckle internally.

Where does this kid come from?

I took another bite of my cupcake, and she watched me with bright eyes.

"Want some?" I offered.

She nodded after a moment's hesitation.

I fed her some of the cupcakes, wiping the crumbs off her lips as she smiled widely.

Just then, I noticed a small scrape on her knee.

"Oh, wait!" I said, "Let me clean that up for you."

I pulled a tissue from my bag and gently cleaned the small injury.

"There you go, all better!" I smiled, and she beamed at me.

"Um... by the way, are you here with someone?" I asked.

She looked surprised.

"You seriously don't know me?" she asked, and I shrugged.

How am I supposed to know her?

But honestly, she did look a bit familiar.

"Did you...?"

"Maddy!" I heard a woman call, and I looked up to

see a woman approaching us with two security guards.

"Oh my God, Madison! What are you doing here? You made me worry again," the woman said, scooping the little girl into her arms.

Wait,

Oh my God; it was Mrs. Carter, the CEO of Phoenix Holdings, Zane's mom!

I recognized her instantly from various magazines and on TV.

What?

I sprang to my feet, and the soda can I held tipped over, spilling everywhere.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I was just exploring," Madison said, and my heart raced.

What? She's Zane's sister! The one I'd heard about!

No wonder she seemed so confident; she was just like her brother.

"And what are you munching on?" Mrs. Carter asked, noticing the crumbs on Madison's lips, then turned to me.

I felt weak standing in front of Zane's mom.

"G-Good afternoon, ma'am," I stammered, lowering my gaze.

"Oh hi, young lady, I don't believe I've seen your face before." Her sharp eye swept over me.

I froze for half a second, my breath hitching. Mrs. Carter's voice was smooth and polite, but there was an edge of curiosity that made my palms feel clammy.

"Oh," I said quickly, forcing myself to smile. "I just got admitted last week." My voice sounded steadier than I felt, thank goodness. "I'm Nora. Nora Harrison."

"Last week, hmm?" she said, her tone giving away nothing.

"Yes," I added, trying not to fidget. "I'm a new student here."

"Well then, Nora Harrison, welcome to Starlake High." She smiled.

"Thank you, ma'am," I replied, grinning.

I hadn't expected to meet someone like her so soon.

"She's a nice person and I love her, Mom," Madison chimed in excitedly.

"She has a beautiful voice and also loves Barbie."

"I want her to be my babysitter, Mum," Madison said, pouting.

Mrs. Carter laughed, a mix of surprise and amusement on her face.

"Did... did you just say she's a nice person? Like... you want her to come babysit?" she asked, and Madison nodded eagerly.

Then Mrs. Carter took a deep breath and turned to me, her eyes sparkling.

"I can't believe my daughter likes you. Trust me; that's rare. It really hasn't been easy for me, balancing my work and taking care of her. She's wandered off a few times recently. Just last week, she nearly fell into a ditch."

She paused, glancing at Madison.

"Sweetie, please would you be nice enough to be her babysitter?" she asked, and my heart raced.

I blinked, caught off guard by the offer. Babysitting at the Phoenix Mansion?

I could hardly breathe.

Huh?

"Please, Nora... please," Mrs. Carter pleaded, looking at me, hope glimmering in her eyes.

I swallowed hard, trying to process what she'd just said. Babysitting Madison would mean visiting the Phoenix Mansion-often.

Okay; this has to be a dream.