A Nameless Face by Break.Even (best novels for beginners TXT) 📕

Camo and continued
back towards our home. Truth was, I loved storms. They never made it
easy on our lives, but something about all the power they held was amazing.
My grandmother said her mother, my great grandmother, was the same way.
Of course, if I were to tell any of my group about it they would think I was crazy.
Rain, storms, and lighting were not something you should like being a street rat.

Camo scoffed and I looked over at him. He pointed up ahead and his
eyes grew dark. Following his fingers direction, I saw what he meant. One of the
rival groups were all drooling around a girl. She was probably a few years younger
than me and Camo, but she was about their same age.

"Do you think we should help her?" Camo asked worriedly, watching the other
group. I sighed heavily and took a step forward purposely snapping a stick. The other group
jerked their heads up almost in fright. When they recognized it was us, a few chuckled
and tried to look tough by crossing their arms. Camo was about to do the same, but I
stopped him with a look.

"I thought yous didn't venture out into the rain, Devin?" One of the
particularly grungy guys asked. He took four giant steps forward, landing right
in front of my face. "Street rats don't like rain. Or so I thought." I pinched my nose
and turned my head away. We all had bad breath, and we all knew it. But for some
reason it still bothered most of the street rats when someone mentioned it. I knew
who was talking to me. His name was Finn. Finn was a great person to be in a
group with because he protected anyone. But if you ever got on his bad side, things
pretty much went downhill from there. His cold blue eyes locked into my suttle brown
ones as he too remembered what happened.

When my mother and father were taken away, I knew I had to get Gabe,
Dustin, and myself out of the area. Finn had helped us, done more than I could ever
thank him for. We were our own little group of four until I realized the Rouge vampires
were starting to watch us. I guess I knew why Finn didn't mention that he had been a
civilian before. Any street rat would kill him. It was a given. But he didn't tell anyone and
in return, that caused serious trouble for us. After the Rouges started hanging by our
make-shift house every night, I asked Finn what was going on. He shook his head and
said nothing.

Gabe and Dustin knew something was up, so they asked Finn themselves. Finn
didn't answer them right away, but that night he told us about his previous life. I immediately
kicked him out. The look on Finn's face was indescribable, but I knew I had to protect
my brothers. In the week that followed, I heard that Finn had joined a crew of his own
and that he had become one of the most feared street rats. And that he was out to get me
personally.

Thinking back to this, I glared up at him. He towered over me, but I didn't waver.
After only minutes of our silent staring contest, Finn backed away and turned his head
toward Camo. "Finn, no." I looked over to where the voice came from to find a girl that looked
a lot like Finn at the head of the crew. Her eyes were the same cold blue and her hair the same
dark red. [i]Finn's sister.[/i] I looked at her in shock, but when her eyes met mine, I quickly
focused them one something else.

I tugged on Camo's shirt and he backed away from Finn. If anything, Camo knew
what Finn could do, but he also knew the damage he could put on Finn. I glared at Finn,
my eyes pleading him to go away. No matter who, or what, he used to be and what he was
now, I still cared for his safety. The two boys still tossed threats with their eyes, but Finn
also backed away. Clearing my throat, I made a pointed look at the girl who was circled
by his crew. "Let her go. She's not food." I knew he wouldn't listen to me at first, but
if I started out argument of with a order, I was bound to win. Finn tossed his head back
and looked at the girl grudgingly. "Eh, we're done with her anyway. Yous can take 'er." I
was almost shocked at how quickly he agreed. Finn must not want trouble either tonight.
That meant something was definitely wrong in the city.

I nodded my head in a mutual thanks and started walking towards the girl. I had
elbow several people hard in the ribs before they parted, but I finally reached her. She
was small, very small. Her amber eyes darted back and forth like a caged animal and she
messed with her hands nervously. I held out my hand. "Come one, get up." The girl got up
herself, refusing my hand. Pulling it back to my side, I nodded. "Well then, lets go." Camo had
walked up beside me and the girl looked at him with awe. It was true, Camo had pretty
good looks for a rat, but hardly anyone thought of that anymore. I rolled my eyes and
pushed her forward.

"What's your name?" Camo asked later, trying to fend off the awkward silence.
The girl looked puzzled for a moment, then she held up a finger like she had gotten some
brilliant idea. "It's Lizzie." Camo nodded thoughtfully. "Camo, and that's Devin." I waved
limply and continued sloshing through the soaked ground. Already in a matter of ten minutes
everything in sight was soaked.

When the three of us reached home, I found out our door had stuck again. Wrapping
my hands around the handle, I pushed my shoulder to the door as hard as I could, but I didn't budge.
"If they have this door locked, so help me..." I muttered, pushing on the door again. I looked at Camo
and he walked over to the door and pushed on it with me. After another minute of struggle, I
slammed my shoulder against he door and I heard a soft click, then it gave way. I stumbled forward
and toppled into Jessie, the other girl in our group. She braced herself against me so neither of us
would fall. When we both had our balance, I heard a snicker behind me and looked to see Camo
bent over with laughter. Huffing, I stalked to my room and plopped down on my bed.

I don't know how long I had been asleep when I heard a soft knock on my door.
Rolling over, I threw a small blanket off my and heard it swish to the ground. The knock came
again and I moaned, not really wanting to get up. "Come in." I said groggily. A few hesitant seconds
later, my door creaked open and a small face peaked through. "Devin?" Whispered a voice
that wasn't familiar to me. Then I recognized it. I slung my legs over the side of my bed, yawned,
then got up and opened the door wider. Lizzie looked at me and smiled sheepishly. "Everyone else
is asleep, but I wanted to ask you some questions." She turned her head away from me and
peered into my room. I frowned slightly and steeped out of my doorway and pulled the door closed
behind me with a soft click.

I beckoned Lizzie to follow me into the 'living room' and sat down on a love seat. "Ask away,"
I mumbled still asleep. Lizzie plopped down into a chair next to mine and took in a deep breath.
"Okay so, how often do you guys go on food runs and who normally goes?" She frowned at herself
and somewhere in the back of my mind I wanted to kick her out. But, in this world everyone's crazy.
She probably just had a traumatizing moment when she was younger.

"Um, normally everyday, unless it's rainy. Camo and me usually do the runs, but sometimes
Jessie will come if we know the loads gonna be big." I didn't ask her why she asked me the question,
honestly I just wanted to answer her questions and go back to sleep. Lizzie nodded and looked at
me curiously, almost as if she didn't believe me. I'm guessing she was hungry and thought that you had
get your own food. That's always how Jessie was. I sighed and got up, walking to our pantry.

Shifting through the cans, I found a small can of fruit and brought it back out. I sat back down
on the loveseat and picked up a pocket knife from nearby, prying open the can. Lizzie watched me
the whole time, her eyes never leaving the can. "If your hungry, just ask. Your part of our group now." I
told her, handing over the can. Lizzie took it gingerly as if it were made of dust. After only moments though,
she tipped the can back and sucked all the fruit out of it. "Thank you so much, Devin! Really." I waved her
off and let her finish the can before saying, "We only eat one can of food a day, and normally it's during
the hottest part of day. But sometimes we allow ourselves to splurge and eat twice." I looked back over
towards the pantry and sighed inwardly. I had just given my food for the day to Lizzie and there wasn't
enough for me to eat another.

I sat on the loveseat for a while after Lizzie went to her own bed. Something bugged me about
her, though I didn't know what. Maybe there was a reason Finn and his group were treating her so nasty.
Shaking my head as if clearing the though, I got up and moved slowly towards her room. She didn't have
a door on it, so spying was a breeze. What I saw was astonishing. Lizzie was dancing. I had no idea
what dancing it was, but it was graceful and full. She danced for a while too, hardly getting winded at
all. Maybe nothing was wrong with Lizzie. Like with Camo and Jessie, I would just have to wait and see.

********
I barely remember leaving Lizzie's doorway and passing through mine to fall on the bed.
I know it had to happen though because I woke up there. Pushing of the thin blanket that had become
hot in the current weather, I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I didn't hear anything from the group in the living room
and I immediately got worried.

A few minutes later as I walked into our living room and sat down on the loveseat, everyone
became quiet. Camo hung is head and Jessie awkwardly twiddled her thumbs. "Guys, what's up?" I asked
leaning forward and placing my elbows on my knees. Camo cleared his throat, but didn't say anything.
Narrowing my eyes towards Jessie, I asked again, "what is going on?" Jessie lurched forward and curled
in on herself, sobbing. My eyes darted from her to Camo, and back again. It was then