I bordered the bus keeping my head down. I still didn’t want anyone to notice me. The bus was going from Burnsville to Toronto before continuing East. I was alone for the first part of the trip. In Toronto a young woman sat beside me. She was pretty. She had long brown hair which she covered with a grey hat. She smiled at me and I couldn’t help smiling back. “Hi want some chocolate?” she asked extending a purple wrapped brown bar, it didn't look appetizing so I declined. “I’m Sophia” It looks like she is going to want me to talk to her. “Annie Bluwaters” I respond with the name on my fake ID from Aunt Mackie. “Cool name, you’re native right? You look native. I have an uncle who is native, Ojibway” I wasn’t sure what she was talking about so I just smiled and nodded. “Where you headed?” “Nova Scotia” I responded then realized I shouldn’t have said that. “Me too! Do you have family there?” “No I’m moving there for a new life.” I didn't know what else to say. “Wow that’s so brave, I’m moving there with my grandparents for a while, My Nana is sick.” We continued talking she was sweet and funny. I laughed every time she laughed. I was glad she sat down beside me. She made the time pass a lot faster. I learned a lot about her. She’s 22 and had recently broken up with her girlfriend who cheated on her. She was moving back to Nova Scotia where she grew up. She had quit her job as a police officer hoping to work as one when she got to her home town. She kept looking at me with her beautiful brown eyes. She made me jealous she was so pretty. I barely slept while on the bus. I did wake up just as the sun was coming up. Sophia’s head was resting against me. I didn’t want to move. She looked so peaceful in the dim orange glow coming in the window.  

Once Sophia did wake up she was ready to chat again. This time she wanted to know more about me. She was shocked I had never had a job before. I told her the same lies, it was getting easier. I was running from a boyfriend and I wasn’t sure where exactly I was going. I also told her about Reese, how I hoped I would see him soon; that we grew up in separate foster homes. It wasn't a lie exactly. She told me to come to her town New Glasgow she called it. “We’ll look for jobs together” before I really thought about it I was agreeing to it. She made me excited to see the town she grew up in. “My poppa is picking me up in Halifax; he’ll drive you with us I'm sure.” “Thanks” I laughed again I’m moving to New Glasgow I thought to myself. I’ve made a new friend. Maybe everything would be okay after all. 

When I got off the bus her Poppa wasn't there yet. I took a second and called Michael in private. “Hello?” “Hey it’s Luna” “Luna sweetheart. So glad you called, have you found a place? Just answer yes or no.” “Yes, have you heard from Aunt Mackie? Is Reese okay?” “Yes but I can’t say anything now, I’ll call you back on another phone in fifteen minutes and explain things and you can tell me where you are.” I agreed and then joined back up with Sophia. It took another ten minutes before her Poppa came. She introduced him as George and we got into his truck. Sophia and George talked so I was able to look out the window. This place was beautiful. My phone started ringing. “Michael?” “Hey Luna, Mackie was able to request Reese for a mission and get him away. He’s hiding in a hotel now. We’re going to put him on a bus to you. Where are you?” I’m in Nova Scotia. Tell Reese I’ll meet him in Halifax. Tell him to give me and ETA as soon as he knows.” I will, talk later good luck.” he hung up. I realized Sophia was looking at me. She poked me in the side. “Who’s Michael?” I laughed; he's my uncle he’s helping Reese move out here. “Oh, well hey! You get to see your brother soon” she looked genuinely happy for me.  

George and Sophia dropped me off at a small hotel. We agreed for Sophia to come by tomorrow we would look for jobs together. I also needed to find an apartment. Something for me and Reese. I hadn’t eaten in a while and Sophia reminded me I needed to write a resume to apply for jobs so I would go get food and go use the libraries computers. I walked to the library stopping at a small cafe for a sandwich before continuing onto the library. The internet helped me figure out how to do a resume. Apparently being trilingual would be good for my resume. I also lied about saying I had finished high school. I printed off 10 copies; I wasn’t sure how many I was going to need or where I wanted to work. A bookstore maybe. I walked back to the hotel. I missed Brayden and Melodie. I knew because of the drugs they didn't really feel the same but I wondered what they knew. Do they think of me at least? I fell asleep thinking about Shift. Dreamed that they had found me. They used a dart gun to put me asleep and I woke up chained to a bed behind bars. They were going to keep me locked up forever. Someone was banging on the cell beside me. Was it Reese? 

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I woke up afraid realizing the knock was my hotel door. I got up and walked to the door to peek out. It was Sophia. I opened the door and she hugged me. Then backed up looking at my bare legs. She gasped a little looking at the gunshot wound on my leg. “Sorry” I quickly said embarrassed and rushed to put on my pants. “Hey Annie, don’t take offence, I know you’re running from someone but do you have any other clothes?” I looked at myself, my black shirt and pants were dirty. I had been wearing them for days now. “No” I admitted. “That’s okay we can go shopping or you can borrow an outfit from me.” Once again her smile was infectious. “Shopping sounds great.” 

After a couple hours of shopping with Sophia she had helped me pick out a pair of jeans and some warm tops for Nova Scotian Autumn weather. I changed and then we headed over to the police department first for Sophia. She came out looking pleased. “They’re going to call my captain and if everything checks out I start Monday. Turns out the captain here is an old family friend. I grew up with his daughter.” I congratulated her then asked if she could take a look at my resume. I was nervous it wasn't good enough. “Wait you speak English, French and Spanish!” she was impressed “Oui” “that’s so cool” “yeah” I agreed “but is my resume any good? I’ve never made one before.” “Yeah it’s fine no one will care once they see you’re a trilingual genius” she joked. It took me a little longer to find a job. We had handed out half the resumes when we walked into a diner that had a help wanted sign on the window.  

I walked up to the counter where a middle aged man with a managers name tag with the name Ryan on it stood. “Hello, my name is Annie, I saw your help wanted sign.” “Yes, do you have any experience?” he asked “um, no well I've volunteered in kitchen and serving I lied. I had chore shifts in the kitchen at Shift. I figured that was good enough. “Oh I also speak French and Spanish.” I added. He smiled “how many hours you looking for Annie?” “Oh as many as you can give sir” “well I’m sure we can work something out. We can do a trial run tomorrow at four. sound good?” “that’s great thank you so much.” I was so happy I got a job. My luck couldn’t be better. I walked back over to Sophia. “I start Friday, I can’t believe it was that easy.” “I can, you’re pretty. He was looking at your chest the whole time. He looks like such a perve.” “What?” I was embarrassed and not use to people looking at me sexually. I didn't know how to tell. But I liked that Sophia thought I was pretty. 

Now that we both had jobs we decided to go get some food. During supper I got a phone call from Reese He was leaving the hotel this evening and would be in Halifax Saturday at 6pm. I told him I would be there to meet him. “You’re going to Halifax to get Reese on Saturday?” “Yeah I want to meet him there.” “Ooh want me to drive you? I can borrow my Poppa’s truck?” “Would you? That would be amazing, you are literally the best.” “No problem I’ll come by at 3:30 to get you.” We finished supper and I walked back to my hotel.  

Work the next day went okay. Sophia was right Ryan was a little creepy but he was willing to offer me five, eight hour shifts a week. Besides I was in a perpetual good mood because tomorrow I would be seeing Reese for the first time since knowing he is my brother.