Okay, this is really chapter three. Again, sorry for the mix-up.

Chapter Two

Captured and In Danger

When Jay arrived at school the next morning, the first thing he saw was a figure standing by the door to the school, apparently waiting for someone. As he got closer, he saw with surprise that it was Sera. He approached her hesitantly, unsure about what to say. "Hi."

She turned toward him quickly, and a smile spread across her face. "Hey! I didn't know you went to this school."

"Yeah, me neither." Jay saw a strange look cross her face. "What?"

"You really do look like me," she murmmured.

"Huh?"

"Sorry. What's your name? I think you heard mine."

"Jaydan, but you can call me Jay. What was it you said earlier?"

Sera ducked her head, but finally answered. "You and I look alike. I started drawing you last night, while I was waiting for Tina, and she said we look alike." Sera held a very good drawing of him next to her face.

"Wow! That's wierd!" Jay exclaimed. He then took a good look at the girl. She had wavy, brown that was tied back from her face in a pony tail. Her eyes were an icy blue, but were full of warmth and kindness. Her clothing suggested that she was part of the slightly popular group at school. He could just see the sketch book that she hugged to her chest beneath her cozy jacket.

Jay was suddenly concious of his own clothes. His jacket was a little too big and several years old. His sneakers were scuffed, and a little worn. They were comfortable clothes, and he had never been uncomfortable about them before. Now, though, standing right beside Sera's stylish, from-the-mall jeans, boots, sweater, gloves, and fur-lined jacket, he couldn't help feeling shabby and dull.

Sera suddenly chuckled, breaking into his thoughts. At his confused look, she held up one of her gloved hands. "I should have been wearing these yesterday when we had our run-in with that guy."

Jay joined her in the chuckle, but inwardly he cringed. How was he supposed to handle it if she asked any questions about him in relationship to what happened yesterday? After all, she was a Paladin. Or at least he assumed so since she had been helped away by a Paladin guy who knew her. "Yeah, that would have been helpful. How are your hands?"

"Fine, Tina helped me wash them off last night and told me to wear my gloves today." She chuckled again and shook her head. "She even drove me here and dropped me off before she went to work. She's going to get off early today and pick me up instead of making me walk home."

"Who's Tina?"

"She's the lady who found me when I was about two. I was crying in the bushes beside my burnt house," she hesitated before continuing. "Someone came, killed my parents, and burnt the house. All I could remember was my name. I've lived with Tina ever since."

"That was alot like what happened to me. Janet and Brian found me outside my burnt house. They looked to see if there was anyone in the house still, and they found the remains of my parents and my sister."

"You had a sister?"

"At least that's what Brian assumed. He found some charred clothes that had to be my parents', and there were some smaller scraps of pink. That's why he thinks I had a sister," he frowned slightly. "What I can't understand is why she would have been burned. Janet thinks that my parents told me to run out of the house when the people came. I don't understand why they didn't tell her to run as well."

Sera was about to reply when her phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her pocket and Jay felt another stab of jelousy. It was a Droid Razor, one of the coolest, and most recent phones. The jelousy quickly dissapated when Sera released a frustrated sigh and shoved her phone back in her pocket. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Tina can't get off early and come get me," she replied, still sounding a bit angry. "She said that since I shouldn't be alone for a while, because of what happened yesterday, that she's sending Seth over to get me and take me somewhere for me to do my homework."

"Why is that bad?"

"I just don't understand why she would send him and not one of my girlfriends. He's not really one of my favorite people."

"He seemed nice enough yesterday," Jay pointed out.

"I know, but I think that was just a fluke. He's usually a big jerk." It was then that most of the cars drove up and Sera said good-bye so that she could go walk with some friends.

Jay moved through the day with their conversation constantly at the back of his head. The fact that the girl was so familiar, plus the fact that their stories were almost identical was starting to make him wonder. What if his sister hadn't really died in the fire along with his parents? What if Sera was his sister? If she was, what would that change? If she was a Paladin, it could be dangerous for both of them, but especially for him as a Jumper. It was then that he thought of his family. If the Paladins learned that he was a Jumper, they would be killed in an attempt to get to him.

After school, Jay was about to head home when he had an intense feeling that he should stay for a while. Peeking around the corner of the building, he could see Sera sitting on one of the benches drawing in her sketch book. A car drove up and Seth stepped out to open the door for Sera.

Before she could reach the car, the guy the the day before appeared on the sidewalk right next to her. Jay gasped as he grabbed Sera and once again held his knife to her throat. "Griffin!" Seth shouted in anger and shock. Sera winced slightly at Griffin's close-proximity Jump, but otherwise remained still.

"Hello, again. Didn't expect to see me here did you? No, but I have some things I need to discuss with the young lady so I must be going now." Jay realized where this conversation was leading before Seth did. He was a lot further away than Seth, but he started running before the guy finished talking.

He was too late. He barely managed to skid to a halt in time to avoid going through the Jump Scar. Seth started forward, but it was no use. Sera was gone, and Jay was left alone with the Paladin.