:: Warning. This story has strong material not suitable for young children. Reader descretion is advised::

~Chapter 2~

The bell rang. All the students got up and left for the busses. Jack groaned. The entire day went slow, but it was finally over. Jack walked outside, looked back toward the school, sighed and continued on his way. He boarded his bus, Number 40, and walked to his seat in the back. Another kid was already sitting there.

"You're in my seat," Jack said. The kid looked up at Jack.

"Get lost. This seat is mine," he said. Jack clenched his fists.

"Look," Jack continued, " I have been sitting here since 7th grade."

"What do you want? A metal?" The kid turned back to the window. Without hesitation, Jack grabbed the kid by the shirt and threw him into the aisle, along with the kid's bag. The kid scrambled to his feet. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" The kid felt pain in his back where his bag had landed on him.

"Piss off!" Jack said as he sat down. The bus driver looked to the rear view mirror. She decided to stay out of the conflict. Jack put in his ear buds and was lost in the music.

A while later, the bus dropped Jack off at the end of his street. He didn't mind the long walk home. He liked walking. It gave him a sense of freedom. Jack grabbed the mail and entered his house, instantly greeted by his dog, Dusty. He leaned down and petted her. He set the mail down and went to his room. Jack sighed and sat down at his piano bench.

He began playing a piece from Moonlight Senata when his mother knocked on his door. She came in and asked him how his day went. Jack continued playing and told her there was nothing new. His mother walked out and he stopped playing. He knew that she would laugh had he told her what really happened, so he kept quiet. He decided to do research on the story of the guardians. As he read, he realized that the story was based on a myth. He then laughed to himself and watched TV. After dinner, Jack went off to bed.

As he slept, his dreams changed. He began dreaming about what Maros had told him. His dream then turned into a nightmare. He tossed and turned, his dream getting worse. Suddenly, Jack sat strait up in his bed, now awake and gasping for air. Once he caught his breath, he turned and looked at the time. It was only 1:00 AM. He threw himself back down on his pillow and tried to sleep once again.

The morning brought pain as Jack woke up. He found himself laying on the floor. He got up, feeling sick to his stomach. He was glad it was Saturday. Jack grabbed a bowl of cereal and began eating. When he was done, he got dressed and got ready to leave. "I'm walking to the library," he told his dad.

"Ok. Be back by one," his dad replied. Jack had to learn more about what was happening. When he got to the library, he saw a familiar face. It was his friend, Jessica Dennen. They have been friends for a long time. Also with her, Jack saw his other friend, Brandon Scott. He greeted them, as any other teen, with a simple "Hey".

He told them what had happened to him and, as he suspected, they laughed. He then showed him the necklace. They stared in awe as the colors lit up as he spoke the elements. He then told them the story of the Guardians and of Maros Teo. Their eyes widened. Brandon and Jessica looked at each other, and back at Jack. They laughed again.