Opheliac by J. F. Jenkins Page B

always a plus. The problem was, JD didn’t know Dallas. Sure, Orlando vouched for the guy, but he’d also gone so far as to successfully commit suicide. That didn’t make him seem all too stable. How did experiencing death change a person? JD had been close to death once, and he saw life in a whole new way. Did actually being dead have the same kind of impact on a person?
    Everyone was quiet. Orlando’s quiet tapping seemed much louder than before, and for that brief moment, JD felt as if everything were moving in slow motion. Unable to stand it, he spoke.
    â€œSo how long is this going to be? I mean, if it’s just temporary.”
    â€œTwo weeks to a month. Maybe a tiny bit longer. I need to wait until I gain control over my money,” Orlando said.
    â€œYou don’t have it now?” JD was pretty sure the guy bought whatever he wanted, whenever he felt like buying it. Why wouldn’t he? He had seemingly unlimited amounts of money. JD was dying to know the actual number in Orlando’s bank account. The only reason he didn’t ask was because he knew how inappropriate it would be, as well as insulting. He didn’t want Orlando to think he was nothing more than a dollar sign to the group.
    Sighing, Orlando shook his head. “With my parents being home, everything is out of whack. What I would have done by now is ask about getting an investment property and schmoozed my way into buying one now, and the problem would be solved. There is no way my parents would ever give me permission to do something like that. They’ll probably see it as a waste of time. When they’re home, they check the bills constantly. I wouldn’t be surprised if I get in trouble for funding the remodeling of the Apartment back in the fall—again. Lyssa already almost grounded me over it.”
    â€œBut on your birthday, you’ll be eighteen, so you’ll gain access to your own money,” Cadence said.
    He snapped his fingers and pointed at her. “You got it. While most parents wait until their rich brats are out of college to give them their trust funds, my parents are giving me mine as soon as I’m an adult. I think it’s their way of abandoning me completely without having a guilty conscience. They did the same thing with my sister. She’s got her own share tucked away in the bank that she uses for her personal treats, and then uses their money to take care of me and the house.”
    â€œI could deal with it, if it’s only for a few weeks to a month,” JD said. The mixed emotions were still present inside of him. In the end, the good outweighed the bad. It made a lot more sense in his mind to help Dallas than to tell him he was out of luck.
    Even though JD was declared the leader of the teens, he wasn’t the final say in the matter. Alan was. The alien scratched his chin. “He can stay, but I have to get approval from my superiors if he is going to join our team. I don’t think I need to stress how important it is for him to stay hidden while we meet. Regardless of how much he already knows, he is not one of us. In fact, I propose we meet elsewhere while he’s around.”
    â€œYeah, fine,” Orlando said, rolling his eyes. “You’re being paranoid, but I get it. Where should we meet? There aren’t a lot of private areas.”
    â€œI’ve noticed Cadence’s mother isn’t around much, so her place is a possibility. However, I would like to refrain from any personal spaces until we get to know our new team member better,” Alan said.
    â€œYou mean our rehabilitated friend we’re not sure we can trust?”
    Alan smirked. “Precisely, and your resurrected friend, Orlando, is now a perfect reason for us to have a temporary change in headquarters. Jaes has recommended a number of meeting places in one of the nearby cities. He uses one of the local businesses with his charges. We can make up an