Since 1998

New Allegiances

One Year Later in Spain

"Maria?"

Allison peeked into the kitchen. She didn't come for the breakfast bell; she came for a strange laugh. A sound she had never heard before.

Maria looked up quickly. "Oh! Ali... This is my daughter, Anna. She just got here." She turned to Anna, "Well, that's Allison. Isn't she beautiful?'

But neither of them paid attention to Maria. They just stared at each other, Allison thrilled to finally see a girl her own age.

Anna was Maria's daughter, a secret thug girl known for her mischief.

She was the opposite of the mansion's perfection.

At lunch, Allison asked Lauren. 'Mom, can Maria and Anna eat with us? Why do they eat separately? "

Lauren looked at her daughter, a stunned expression on her face. "Oh... Right, Ali. I didn't think of that."

When they sat down, Maria looked worried, but Anna didn't care. She sat right next to Allison.

"Mom," Allison said, "What if Anna stays in my room? We can go to school together, too."

Anna choked on her food. "Me? Seriously?"

"Of course," Lauren smiled. "You two could be like sisters. How cute is that?"

"Not a good idea," Maria warned, waving her finger. "My daughter is... she's different."

"Mama, she said she wants me!"

Anna interrupted. "I like her, too!"

Maria sighed. "Anna, behave yourself. I know you too well."

"Mama, you always think I'm the bad girl," Anna grinned. "I’m just a little feisty. Deep down, I’m cool as hell."

"Hell?!" Maria gasped.

Lauren tried to maintain a straight face, but a stray giggle escaped anyway.

Upstairs, Anna spun around the room. "Wow! You’re a real princess, Allison. This place is glamorous."

"Be careful," Allison smiled. "Don't break anything."

"Can I jump on the bed? I expected a waterbed, but it's much better."

"Haven't seen one yet."

Anna fell onto the pink silk. "If you are a princess, where are the glass shoes?"

"They're dangerous, Anna."

"Not if you know how to wear them!" Anna said with her thick accent. She sat up. "I really like you. I guess we're going to be good friends. Not just friends, I’ll be your buddy, your bodyguard."

"You? But you're a girl."

"Girls are cooler than men," Anna declared. "The boys back home? They're all scared of me. I know martial arts and dangerous words."

Allison laughed, feeling the loneliness of the mansion finally start to fade. "For real?"

"For real?"

Back in South Carolina

Devin was sitting on the front steps of the Austin estate when a voice suddenly cut through the silence.

"Excuse me!"

A boy, roughly thirteen, stood at the fence's edge.

"Pretty hot, huh?" the boy said, shielding his eyes.

"Yeah," Devin replied shortly.

"My family just moved in next door. How long have you been living here?"

"Since I was born..."

His voice was flat, almost sounding like a sarcastic joke, but the boy just smiled, completely unaffected. "Cool. I'm Sam, Sam Cook."

Devin took the offered hand briefly. "Devin. That's what my ancestors gave me as a name."

"Ancestors?"

"Never mind. Nice to meet you. I should head now."

Before he could step back, a girl appeared from behind Sam.

Although only twelve, she carried herself with an easy confidence, a cashmere sweater knotted over her shoulders. Her dark hair shimmered in the sunlight, and her hazel eyes swept over, but Devin didn't care.

"So, this is the 'quiet neighbor' you were talking about?"

"Devin, this is my sister, Cathy."

Cathy stepped closer, her Tiffany bracelet catching the light as she offered her hand. Devin didn't take it. He gave a small, polite nod. "Nice to meet you; I should get going."

As he walked away, he heard Sam mutter, "Well... that was cold."

"Maybe he's just shy," Cathy whispered, as she watched him walk back to his house. "Or gay because he likes you, ew."

"Oh, shut up, Sis! Disgusting!"

Inside the Cook residence, their parents, Robert and Eleanor, were already busy turning the massive house into a home.

"This estate has soul," Eleanor remarked, polishing a crystal flute.

"It has soul, but it also has ancient plumbing," Robert laughed. He looked at his children and let out a low whistle. "Look at you two. The neighborhood won't know what hit them."

Eleanor's smile faltered, her eyes landing on Cathy's skirt. "Catherine... the length. It's a bit spirited for a first impression. We have rules; you represent this family."

"Mom, it's 1999," Cathy pouted, hopping onto a stool. "Dad, tell her it's fine."

Robert winked. "Eleanor, loosen the corset. They're the Y2K generation. Let them wear the cashmere."

Cathy did a theatrical twirl, but the playfulness vanished the moment she reached her upstairs bedroom window. "Sam," she called to her brother. "Look."

Outside, bathed in golden light, Devin sat on a stone bench, writing something on paper.

"Who writes letters in 1999?" Sam groaned. "We have AOL. Just send an IM."

"To who?" Cathy murmured. She watched Devin fold the paper and head toward the beach. "Wait, he's going somewhere."

They trailed him from a distance, staying low behind the manicured hedges. When they reached the construction site on the dunes, they stopped.

Construction on The Glass House has now begun.

Back in Spain, Allison began to write.

Dear Devin, I met a new friend, Anna. She's Maria's daughter.

Just as she finished, the door swung open without a knock.

"Allison, what's that?"

Anna stood in the doorway, her sharp eyes landing on the stack of airmail.

Allison felt a prickly warmth crawl up her neck. She quickly smoothed the paper against the desk. "Letters from my best friend."

"Ohhh, stop it. No such thing as best friends who write letters to each other," Anna remarked, sliding into the room with a knowing look. "He's probably your boyfriend."

"No, just best friends," Allison insisted.

"I know that look," Anna grinned, hopping onto the edge of the bed. "I've already had three ex-boyfriends. One was a gang leader." Her smile faded, her gaze drifting toward the window. "I miss them sometimes. People judge them, but they were the coolest people I've ever met."

"No way! You're too young for that," Allison said, her posture straightening in surprise.

"Young? I had my first crush when I was six," Anna replied with a shrug.

"Really?" Allison asked, leaning in. "If you're asking about my first crush... I saw him in 1998 and immediately started trailing him. He had this hold on me." Her gaze drifted, unfocusing as her mind traveled back to the South Carolina shore. “God, why did I fall so hard for that mysterious boy?”

"Whoa, that look in your eyes—this time you're being bold. It means the feeling is real," Anna giggled, nudging her shoulder.

Allison smiled. "Why couldn't I stop thinking about him? He's not even interested in me."

"Allison, just tell me who he is; I'll help you lock him down," Anna said.

"He lives in South Carolina. I'm too shy to tell you who he is, Anna.”

"My bad. How can we even put him under the spell? I know how to make a love potion."

"Love potion?"

Back in South Carolina, Devin sat on the edge of his bed.

"Yes! She wrote again!" Devin exclaimed as he collapsed in his bed.

Thanks, Anna, for taking care of Allison.

Over on the academy grounds, Daniel stood perfectly still as the taunts echoed across the schoolyard.

"Vampire! Vampire!" the kids cheered, mocking his pale features and quiet intensity. But Daniel didn't even blink. If he were allowed to hit back, they would have been long dead.

"Hey! Stop it, go away!" a boy shouted, stepping between Daniel and the crowd. The bullies dispersed, muttering under their breath. The boy turned around. "Are you okay?"

Daniel nodded. His eyes, usually cold and detached, softened slightly as he looked at him.

"I'm Rafael," the boy said, offering a casual grin. "I've noticed you around. You've always got that signature stiffness."

"Daniel."

"Why don't you ever fight back?" Rafael asked, walking beside him.

"They'd be long dead if I did."

Rafael let out a low whistle, a smirk playing on his lips. "Interesting. You could be one of us."

Daniel stopped short, his sharp gaze locking onto Rafael.

"We don't fight the weak," Rafael explained, looking back with a knowing expression. "That's the beauty of the underworld."