Tell Me Something I Don't Know
For the big brother I never had
Chapter 1
I hate being at a good mall and you can’t go shopping.
“Can’t I at least go shopping?” I asked.
Matt shook his head. “No.”
“Why?”
“Because. Your safer here.”
Yeah, he was right, I was. But I was so bored. Being the most wanted person by the Dyed Hair Force, isn’t any fun.
And my big brother was my body guard. Which wasn’t any fun either.
It was my thirteenth birthday, and I was stuck in a mall doing nothing. It was even more boring than my last birthday at the mall.
“But you’ll be with me. And there’s Blonde Force personal everywhere.”
“I said, no. Luna.”
“What ever.” I turned and leaned on the table against my back.
“It’s not a ‘what ever’. Luna.”
“To me it is! I’m bored.”
“Stop acting like your three.”
“You can’t tell me what to do.”
Actually, he could. But he was my brother and these were the kind of arguments siblings had.
Matt turned then. “I can, Luna. You know that. Now just sit down and.—“
“I’m hungry!”
Ok, I knew I was pushing it, but I was really bored.
“I said, stop Luna.”
I crossed my arms and legs and sat back in the booth. I looked at the other people. They were having fun. Unlike me. There lives were normal. Unlike mine. They didn’t know what my life was like, being protected constantly. Your mother trying to kill you and your other older brother trying to kill you too. They didn’t know what it was like to be Luna St. James.
“Hey guys!” Dana called. She walked up with my cousin Jason. They were arm in arm.
I almost gagged. I tried love once. It didn’t work out. The guy turned out to be my older brother.
“Hey, Luna. Having fun?” Dana asked. Sliding into the booth next to me.
Matt shook his head at her.
“Oooh.” Dana wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “At least you get to go see your parents!”
If that was supposed to make me feel better. It didn’t work. I still didn’t know what I was going to tell them. Yeah, mom and dad. I almost got killed at least a thousand times and your not my real parents and I have two older brothers. Real ones. And my so called one, is trying to kill me too.
“Yeah.” I stood up and went over by Matt. I sighed. “That’ll be great.”
I saw Matt, Jason and Dana give each other worried looks. I knew Matt was nervous too. Showing up and my parents didn’t even know who he was.
“Luna! Hey Luna!” Anne Bellum, Jason’s little sister, my cousin and one of my best friends ran up waving her arm in the air.
“What, Anne?” I asked. Trying to sound euphemistic. I put on a fake smile.
“Nail polish just went on sale at Clair’s!”
You will never know how much that made my day.
I looked at Matt. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t even resigter that Anne Bellum had come up at all.
“Can I please go?” I asked.
“What?” Matt said. Hitting a few more buttons.
I sighed. “Can I go to Clair’s with Anne to get some nail polish.” I said, taking each word a couple more syllables than they had.
“No.” Matt said.
“What?” I threw my hands in the air. “That is so unfair!”
“Yeah, Matt. I’ll go with her too. You can come along if it makes you feel better.” Dana said, hoping up to stand by me.
“No.” Matt said again.
“Let the girl have some fun!” Dana protested. “What do you think, Jason?”
Jason put his hands up. “Don’t bring me into this. This is entirely, Matt’s decision.”
We all looked at Matt.
“Fine. But be careful.”
“Yes!” I gave him a hug before I went off with Anne Bellum and Dana.
“And when I say come back, you come back. OK?” he called after us.
“OK!” we said in unison.
As we walked to Clair’s. I finally felt…happy. I was acting like a normal thirteen year old girl, going shopping with her friends. Too bad it wasn’t going to last much longer.
We got to Clair’s and we were soon separated by the crowd of people.
Must be some nail polish fans. I mean obsessed nail polish fans, here.
I went to a spot where there weren’t a lot of people and started to look at the different color nail polishes.
Angelica had warned me about malls and stores and resurants. Someone might be there to kill you. So check for anything out of the ordinary on the product before getting it.
I checked each nail polish bottle carefully.
“Can I help you find something?”
I jumped at the voice. I turned and saw a tall guy with brown hair and blue eyes.
“Um…not thank you.” I said.
“Are you sure? We have some really cool stuff by the check out counter.”
“No thank you.” I said again. Hoping that he would go away. I turned back around and continued to browse along the rack of bottles.
“Are you visiting from somewhere?” the guy asked again.
I tried not to show my frustration. “I live here.” I lied.
“Ooh.”
Yeah, now go away.
“My names, Kurt.”
“Josie.” I lied. Never give out your name to complete strangers when thousands people are trying to kill you.
“That’s a very pretty name.”
Stop flirting and get lost!
I turned around, “It was nice to meet you Kurt.” I said smiling.
“You too, Josie.” He smiled and walked away..
I picked out a light-blue-sparkly-glow-in-the-dark-nail-polish and went to find Dana and Anne Bellum.
“Where have you been?” Dana demanded.
“I was just over there.—“ I pointed to where I was a couple seconds ago.
“We were trying to find you! You can’t pick cool nail polish when your worried sick about your best friend!” Anne cried.
I put my arm around her. “Hey, chill. I’m fine.” I looked over at the check out desk. Kurt was there. And he was doing a bad job of not looking in my direction.
I handed my nail polish to Dana. “Could you buy this for me?” I handed her the money.
“Sure, why?” she asked.
“Because.”
Dana shrugged and Anne Bellum and I walked out of the store to wait for her.
“What was that all about?” she asked.
“Nothing.” I said. I suddenly become very interested in the ceiling.
“Do you like the guy at the checkout counter?”
“No!” I said, a little too quickly.
“Yeah right.” My cousin\best friend crossed her arms. She was very grown up for ten going on eleven. Anne was the smartest kid in the Blonde Force. But she still acted like her age sometimes. Which is fine, you don’t want to grow up too fast!
“I don’t!” I looked down at my black convers.
“Luna St. James. Don’t lie to me! You do.”
“I don’t!”
“Do.”
“Don’t.”
“Do.”
“Don’t.”
“Ok, settle down you two.” Dana said, she handed me the Clair’s bag. “You know, that checkout guy is kinda cute.”
Anne hit her in the arm. “Dana!”
“Your brother is a lot cuter. And I was mentioning it to, Luna.”
I put my hands up. “No, I don’t like him. Now come on.”
We started to walk back. But I got a feeling that someone was watching me. And when your on a Hair Color Force. That feeling is almost right everytime. I turned on my camara in my hair. (It’s not gross. So stop thinking that) And I saw some girl pretending to be talking to someone, but she was watching me. And then I saw another girl doing the same thing.
“Anne…” I said.
“What?”
“There are Dyed in this mall.”
“Ok, don’t panic. I’ll tell Dana.” Anne leaned over and told Dana.
Dana, moved causally over to my other side so that I was flanked by my friends. And whispered into my ear. “I’ve already alerted Matt. He’s coming.”
I nodded. “Thanks.”
She squeezed my hand. “Anything for you, girl friend.”
When we met up with Matt and Jason and we went outside, that’s when Matt really started to freak.
“I shouldn’t have let you go.” He kept saying, he had started pacing. Bad sign.
“I’m fine, Matt. I’m a big girl. I saw them myself ya know.”
“Luna…It’s just…I don’t…we don’t.”
“Ok, now your just speaking gibberish.” Dana said.
Matt shot her a shut up look. I was glad that I was the only one who knew that. Then he turned back to me. “If anything happens to you, then one,” he cleared his throat. “Angelica would fire me.”
Dana, Anne and I let out sighs of disappointment. “Your supposed to say, ‘I would never forgive myself’ Duh.” Dana said.
Matt pressed his lips together. “That too.”
I sighed.
“Now, come on. It’s not safe here. And we have to go see your parents.” He grabbed my hand.
“If only they were my real parents. Then everything would be alright.” I whispered to myself.
We made it to my ‘parents’ house a little before dinner time for them. We all got out of the car. I took a deep breath and went up to the house with Matt.
We didn’t think barging in with five people was a good: ‘I’m home!’ thing. And they needed to know the truth. If they didn’t already.
I knocked on the door. I saw Matt take a deep breath himself and look back at the car.
“It’ll be fine. We won’t get killed or anything.” I said. I turned back to the door just in time for it to be opened.
I put on a smile and opened my mouth to say hi when two little bodies jumped on me knocking me on the steps of the house.
Lucky for me, all the food at Blonde Headquarters builds up your health, so that if you fall or hit something, it won’t hurt as much, or kill you.
“Luna!” Joshua and Lucy screamed. They kept jumping on me.
There heavier than I remember.
“Luna! Are you alright?” Matt cried. He helped me up.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Joshua and Lucy kept jumping up and down and saying my name over and over and asking where I’d been.
“Luna?”
I turned to the door way and saw my ‘mom’. She had tears in her eyes.
I gave her a hug and cried myself. “Mom!”
“Oh, my darling girl.” My mom cried. Hugging me tighter and giving me a kiss on the head.
“What’s all the commission out here?” I heard my ‘dad’ say.
My mom let go so my dad could give me a hug.
I could see Matt standing awkwardly behind me from the side of my eye.
I let go of my ‘dad’ and wiped away the tears in my eyes. And took a breath. “Hey.” I waved and smiled.
“We’re so glad your back! It’s been too long!” My ‘mom’ said. Tearing up again.
My dad saw Matt. “And who’s this?” he gave me a michious look. “Dating already? I don’t know if I approve of that.”
“What? No, no. This is my Matt…um…my…”
“It’s probably best if we discuss this inside.” Matt said.
Always so clam and collected. I wish I was like that.
My ‘mom’ was clearly taken back. “Of course! Come in!” we walked in side, Joshua and Lucy still asking me questions.
“Joshua, Lucy. Give your sister some space and go upstairs and play.” My ‘mom’ said.
I pressed my lips together. Determined not to cry at the sound of ‘sister’.
“But.—“ Lucy and Joshua started.
“No, go upstairs please.”
A couple groans later, they evenitly went up the stairs.
My ‘parents’ led us into the living room. We sat down and Matt set the mood just fine.
“This might be kind of hard to take in, but just…just bare with us.” Matt said. He turned to me and gave me areashering smile he squeezed my hand.
I turned to my once mom and dad. “Mom, dad. This is Matt. My brother.”
My parents both leaned back and widened there eyes. “Don’t be silly, Luna.—“ my mom started.
“No, I’m not silly. I’m telling the truth.”
My mom put a hand on my knee. “Jonah is your brother, sweetie.—“
“No! He’s not!” I pressed my lips together. I didn’t want to talk about Jonah. The traitor.
My mom recoiled, hurt.
I felt bad, but they needed to hear this.
“When I left year and a day ago. I never came back, because…” I swallowed. “Because, I was almost kidnapped by the Dyed Hair Color Force.” I gave Matt a glance. He gave me and smile and squeezed my hand again. “And I was rescued by the Blonde Hair Color Force.”
“We knew that you wouldn’t be coming back when you left that day, honey.” My mom said. “But almost kidnapped?”
I nodded. “Yes, but luckily for me, my fellow Blondes showed up.”
“And what’s this about Jonah?” My dad cut in.
I took a shaky breath. “He’s with the evil people, dad. He’s trying to kill me.”
My father stood up. “Something is clearly wrong with our little girl.” He said.
Something is clearly wrong with my big dad.
“George, sit down, honey.—“ my mom said.
My father turned to me. “Something is very wrong,”
I knew that voice, it was a voice of one of my enemies.
My father flickered and instead of him standing there. John was standing there.
Chapter 2
John strechted his arms. “Goodness, holding posture like that is diffucult.” He turned to me and smiled an evil smile. “Well isn’t it my two little siblings. How nice it is to see you both!” he tipped my chin up. I glared at him.
“Luna, who is this…” my ‘mom’ said. She stood up.
“Mom, don’t. Sit back down.” I said. Trying to hold it together.
Matt pushed John’s hand away from my chin. “Leave her alone, John.” He hissed.
“I never understood why you didn’t like me.” John said, running his fingers threw his sleek black hair.
“Because you’re mean.” Matt said.
I don’t know how he holds it together so well. If I was talking, John would be on the ground. But Matt had a firm hand on my arm holding me down.
My mom still hadn’t sat back down, she was reaching for a book on the couch.
“Mom, don’t.” I said.
My mom was too scared to stop. She grabbed the book and threw it at John.
John turned and blocked the book. “Now, now. No fighting.” He said. He took a step towards my mom.
“No!” I went to stand up, but Matt pushed me back down.
“John, enough.” Matt said. He stood up, still keeping me down.
“If you want me to stop, you’ll let me take my little sister. Sound good?”
“No.” Matt said threw gritted teeth.
Matt was slowly loosing his cool. Slowly though.
John was taller, he was taller than my mom, Matt and I. He was a good 5’11. (I was 5’5 and Matt was 5’7) And he was willing to kill. Something that we weren’t willing to do.
I heard Lucy and Joshua coming down the stairs.
“Matt…” I said.
“Luna…” my mom said. “Who is this?”
John took another step to my mom. “I am their older brother. But they don’t obey me. Isn’t that wrong?”
My mom looked at all of us like we were crazy. “Luna! What did you get yourselve into?” she cried.
“Only the most dangouras game in the world.” I whispered. And no, not the 39 Clues, but that’s pretty close.
The rest happened too fast. Matt lost his cool faster than I thought possible for him. He lunged at John knocking him to the ground. That was my chance, to get mom, Lucy and Joshua out of the house and get Jason, Anne Bellum and Dana to help Matt.
I jumped over my wrestling brothers and grabbed my shocked ‘mom’ by the hand and dragged her to the steps. “Go outside. I have friends out there who will help you. Go.”
“Luna, I can’t.—“
“Go.”
She nodded and ran out the door.
I risked a quick look back in the living room, Matt still had him on the ground. Good.
Joshua and Lucy were crouched on the stairs. Probably listening to what we were talking about.
“Come on guys, who wants to be carried?”
“Me! Me!”
They jumped on me, I could hold them.
Thank you super health food!
I carried them outside. Dana was already with mom and Jason and Anne were already on there way to the house. I handed them Joshua and Lucy.
“Take them back to the car. I’ll go back in.” I said. I started back to the house.
Jason grabbed my arm. “No, we’re going with you.”
“No, I can take care of this. We’re brothers and sister. We have to settle this.” I started again to the house. Anne stopped me.
“We’re part of your family too.”
“I know, but, I have to settle this. Once and for all.”
If only I was braver than I talked. I needed to do this. We were siblings, my ‘mom’ always said that, she couldn’t fix the problem for us. It was our job to make up.
I ran back into the house. I took a quick step back avoiding a dart. I smelled the air where it had flown.
Yep, poison.
“Nice, try, John.” I said.
“Very good reflexes, darling.” John said. He was on his knees and Matt was on the floor breathing hard.
“What did you do?” I said. I narrowed my eyes.
“Well, I had to get him off me somehow!”
I rolled my eyes. “Funny.”
Another dart flew my way. I dodged it again. “You really fail at aiming.”
John stood up, and twirled the gun in his hand and pocketed it. “You got better at dodging, than the last time I saw you.”
He always dressed in black. He never did change his hair color or clothes color like the other Dyed. Maybe he thought it confused people who didn’t know who he was, thinking he was a Black Hair. But he didn’t fool me.
He walked up to me. I regretted not letting them come in.
“Now, are you going to let me take you willingly? Or will I have to drag you all the way to Blonde Head Quarters so you can show me where mother dear is?”
I pressed my lips together and looked up at him. “Neither.”
“I guess it’s the first one then.” He reached for my wrist. He was attempting to put one of those horrible shocking bracelets on. But I wasn’t going to let him do that.
I crawled under his legs at the last moment to Matt. “Matt, are you alright?”
“I’m fine…just…run…ok?”
“Why? Because you’ll loose your job?” I smirked.
He gave me a shut up look. “Just…run…”
I went to stand up but John pushed me back down and I felt that cold hard silver on my wrist. And then, the pain,
“Ow!” I screamed. I shook my arm, trying to make the pain go away.
John grabbed me by the arms and pulled me up. “I said it was going to be number one, darling.”
“Don’t…call…me that…” I said.
Matt sat up. “Leave her alone, John. Take me instead.”
I shook my head.
“Why would the Dyed want you? We want DNA from her.”
“What for?”
“I’m not stupid, little brother.”
I saw the frustration in Matt’s face. He was trying to help me.
I tried to pull away, but I just got more pain.
“Stop that!” I screamed. Electricity was the only thing that really hurt someone, even with super health food.
Matt was clutching his right side.
“What did you do?” I said again.
“Just something that will hurt him for awhile. Might even make him sick too.” He shrugged. “Who knows.”
“Who knows?”
John pulled me to the door. “If you just obey me, than there won’t be that much pain. Got it?”
“No, I don’t’ get it. And you totally avoided my question.” More pain. “Seriously, stop that.” I said.
John reached for the door knob and turned it. “Maybe I’ll give you a sticker if you cooperate.”
Then the door flew open knocked John off his feet. I was lucky that someone had grabbed my hand so I wouldn’t fly back with him.
“Always wanted to do that.” Jason said. He pulled me outside. I heard police sirens.
“We better get out of here.” I said. We didn’t want the police or the government to know about the Hair Color Forces, if they knew, well…let’s just say…we want to keep it to ourselves.
“Agreed. Let’s go.” Jason said. We ran to the car.
Dana and Anne came out of the house with Matt. He was moaning now.
I helped them get him in the back of the convertible. The white convertible. (duh)
I opened the passenger seat door. “Wait, what about mom and.—“
“There fine, we dropped them off at a friends house and told them we’d explain everything later.” Anne said. She pushed me into the car and closed the door.
Dana hopped into the back with Anne and Matt. “Let’s go! John will have a lot to answer for once the police get here.”
Jason hopped in the driver seat and turned the car on and stepped on the gas.
Back to Headquarters. Where it’s safe.
Chapter 3
“You really should have let us come in with you.” Jason said.
“That is the longest sentence; I’ve heard you say in like ever.” I teased. “Hey! Ow!”
The blonde beside me was trying to pull off the silver bracelet John had put on me. And they guy was failing epicly to get it off.
“Sorry, Luna. Just let me try something else. It looks like your brother was prepared for something like this.” The blonde guy said. Reaching for another tool that would probably hurt too.
“I can take care of myself, Jason.” I said. Wincing as the blonde dude pulled.
“You can’t. That’s why you should have let us help you. You wouldn’t be having this problem!”
Jason was usually quiet. And I’d wish he’d just go back to being quiet.
“Fine. Whatever. OW!”
The guy took one more pull and the bracelet was off. I rubbed my wrist. “Thanks.” I said. I stood up and started to walk away. Jason followed.
“You should really start aspirating us helping you, Luna.” Jason said.
“Well, I am kinda sick of being locked up.”
“But if we don’t do that, then you’ll get killed.”
“Ha! You just admitted locking me up!”
Jason sighed.
I was difficult. Yeah, I was. But you get that way when people are trying to kill you and you constantly are being locked up.
We continued to walk through Blonde Headquarters. The boys were in white jump suits with gloves. And girls were in white trench coats with white pants, boots, shirts and gloves
It was the same for all Hair Color Forces. Except for the different colors.
The Brown Hair Color Force was green.
The Black Hair Color Force was black.
The Red Head Hair Color Force was red.
The Blonde Hair Color Force was white.
And the Dyed Hair Color Forces wore whatever color they felt like it. But my mom seemed to like purple. That’s what color their Headquarters was.
It was the end of summer, and everyone was getting ready for classes to begin. Angelica almost went with the idea with school all year around. But multiple people tore that idea down.
“Luna, just answer me.” Jason pleaded.
I turned to him. “Stop harassing me, Jason! I feel bad enough as it is.” I turned back around and went into Room 12.
Room 12 was for girls twelve through seventeen. And Room 13 was for girls older than seventeen. Room 14 was for boys twelve through seventeen. And Room 15 was for boys older than seventeen.
Lucky for me, no boys were allowed in girls rooms.
I went to my bunk. (bunk 11) and I climbed to the top and sighed.
I should probably go see Matt.
Matt was in the Infirmary. He was hurt bad. And I knew it. John knew it.
John knew that without Matt, I didn’t have a protector or a big brother.
I took a shaky breath. Just control yourself, Luna. Sure, John posed as your dad. Sure he almost killed Matt. Sure he almost kidnapped you. But everything will be alright.
“Luna, what are you doing?”
I groaned. Jessica had entered the room.
Now, Jessica, that’s an interesting story to tell. Was posing as a Blonde to get me, with the help up Matt. It’s a long story. Anyway, she turned out to be a Dyed. And her and her brother Marcus. A former Red Head. Were the meanest people I’ve known in my entire life. Aside John and evil Becky mom. But I had turned them both nice. But I wasn’t so sure that they had really turned nice. Since I’d come back, they’ve been acting suspicious. So I had to watch my step around them.
I looked down at Jessica. Her blonde hair always looked perfect.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“What are you doing?” Jessica climbed up onto my bunk.
“Thinking. What are you doing?”
“Just was walking by and saw you sitting all alone on your bed. Thought you’d like some company.”
“No thanks, I’m fine thank you.” I rolled my eyes and jumped off the bed. Jessica followed me.
“Marcus and I are really surprised about how smart you Blondes are.”
I stopped. And turned around. “You know, Jessica. I don’t really care about anything you have to say. So just go back to your brother and talk about all the things you ‘Dyed’ talk about.”
Even though they had turned ‘good’ they were still prisoners. Angelica thought it was safer if it was that way. And Jessica and Marcus were acting strange all of a sudden.
Jessica grabbed my arm. “You know, sweetie, we really want to go see your mom. And to talk. Help her turn good. Like you turned us good.”
“Do you think I’m stupid Jessica?” I snapped.
She let go. “I guess your not.” She turned to go. “See you later, sweetie.”
I stood watching her walk back down the hall.
She hadn’t called me sweetie since she was turned ‘good’ something was up.
Lucky for me, I didn’t even know where my mom was kept in Blonde Headquarters. Only Angelica and a few others knew. Matt and I weren’t allowed near her. And it didn’t bother me. I’d rather have her locked up where she can’t hurt anymore people.
“And by the way,” I heard Jessica yell. “Don’t yell at your cousin, he’s just trying to help you!”
I clenched and unclenched my fists, and walked on.
I needed someone who understands me to talk to. That someone is Matt. I probably needed that day to talk with God about all my problems, but I thought that God wouldn’t want to hear me complain and say I’m sorry. I didn’t think anyone wanted to, except Matt. And he was in a state just to stare and nod and say ‘uh-huh’ every once and awhile, as I ramble.
I knocked on the door to the room where Matt was being treated. For what, we still didn’t know.
A croaky ‘come in’ came from the other side of the door. I opened it.
“Matt?”
Matt was on a white hospital bed. He was straight on his back. He was in his Hair Color Force suit still. He should have taken it off. He would be more cofterble in a hospital gown.
I never really understood why Matt had freakles splashed across his nose. He was blonde! But anything’s possible with God.
I swallowed hard. I hope that He heals Matt. I couldn’t live without him.
I pulled up a chair by the bed and sat down. I rubbed his arm. “How you feeling?” I asked.
He took my hand in his and sqeezed it. “Just fine.” He croaked. And then a fit of coughing came. He didn’t stop coughing for another couple seconds.
“Your not ‘just fine’ Matt.” I said.
“I am.” He croaked. “Just a cold.”
I squeezed his hand and tried not to cry. “It’s not a cold, Matt. It’s some strange disease that John gave you.” Or poison.
Matt waved his other hand. “I’ll be up and bossing you around before you know it.” He coughed again.
I laid down on his arm. “I don’t want you to die.” I whispered. The tears fell silently.
“I won’t.” he whispered back. He ran his fingers through my hair as I cried.
I felt his pulse and it wasn’t normal. Something was wrong with my older brother. Something was killing him from the inside out.
And I was going to find an antidote and make John pay.
Chapter 4
“Luna, I don’t think this is a good idea.” Anne Bellum hurried to catch up with me.
I had put on normal clothes and I wasn’t going to change my mind. “I want them to find me, Anne.”
“This is a bad idea. My mom won’t hear of it.”
“I don’t care with Angelica thinks. I’m going back down there and I know that John will want to do it himself. So I am going to make him tell me what Matt has and how we can cure it and I’ll make him pay.”
Anne pulled me back. My just curled hair splashed in my face. I pushed it back. “What?” I snapped.
“This is a bad idea.” She said slowly.
I wasn’t usually like this. I was half and half. Calm like Matt and tempered like John. And when I got mad, I got mean.
I pulled my arm away and straightened my jean jacket. I looked like Taylor Swift. I’m sure if someone saw me from behind they’d think I was. But I wasn’t going out for that. I was going out for revenge.
“My mom made it clear that you weren’t going anywhere without Matt.” Anne said.
“Matt is sick, Anne! Or haven’t you noticed?”
Anne looked hurt. “Fine. Do what you like. But don’t come back to me unless you want to hear a ‘told you so’. If you come back…” And she stomped off.
I felt bad for snapping at her. I knew she was right. I knew I was putting Head Quarters and myself in danger.
I gulped. I didn’t want to think about what the Dyed would do to me if they caught me.
But I hadn’t been training for a year for nothing. I still had those shoes that Mr. Aqua gave me that made the wearer stay in one place. I helped with John was trying to drag me to my doom. And that was my first real meeting with him. Before, he pretended to be my age and try to date me. Which is just…wrong.
Ok, I’m off topic.
I sneaked my way into the terminal. I could fly a plane, but I didn’t have my official license for it yet. So if I get caught by anyone. I’m toast.
I climbed into a white plane and turned it on. I didn’t bother putting the head piece on.
I opened the terminal doors and flew out.
*
I browsed threw the store, looking at things that only normal girls wear. I kept one eye on what I was looking at on the racks and the other around me. Just waiting for some person to jump out at me.
I ran my fingers threw my curly hair.
“Excuse me, can I.—“
I whirled around, waiting for the person to jump on me.
It wasn’t a Dyed. It wasn’t a Blonde.
It was Kurt.
I never thought I’d see him again. I forgot which store I had been in that one day. I didn’t want to remember that day. That day was my birthday, and one of the worst days of my life.
“Oh…Joise…it’s you!” he sounded happy.
I just stood and gaped.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you…so…um…what have you’ve been up to?”
He was probably fifteen. Or sixteen. He was very tall. I mean, very tall. Like 6’1 or something. I was 5’5. He was six inches taller than me. He kind of made me think of John. I shivered.
“Are you cold? You want me to get you something to drink?”
He was so nice. And if I wasn’t so lonely and sick of life at that very moment. I would have thought he was someone evil, trying to hurt me.
I smiled. “No, no. I’m fine, thank you.”
“I’ve been thinking about you these past couple of days.”
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow.
He nodded. “And I was wondering…even thought we haven’t known each other that long…would you…um…”
“Oh Luna! Hi!”
A girl with purple hair came running up to me.
“Excuse me, Kurt. I have to go…” I said.
He looked sad. “Alright, you want to meet up with me, later? Say twelve?”
“Yeah, sure!” I called. I had already brushed passed the girl with purple hair. She kept yelling me name, and telling me to stop.
I jumped into one of those halls where the staff rooms are and climbed the wall and sat in the corner. Holding my breath.
The girl stopped at the opening of the hall. She looked around. But she didn’t look up.
And they say Blondes are dumb.
The girl talked into a mic in her jacket. “Lost her. She’s not as dumb as she looks.”
People have said that to me a lot. They always said that I was smarter than I looked. Or not as dumb. I never understood why people thought Blondes where stupid to begin with. Probably some old rumor that one of the other Hair Color Forces started.
I jumped down after the girl had ran on. I looked around, I saw a door that said: Back Steps. Staff Only
Well, today I become staff. I opened the door and climbed the steps.
“You there!” I turned to see a guy running up the steps behind me. I had a feeling he wasn’t with Mall Security. I continued to run up the steps. I made it to the camera room. I saw the camera in Clair’s. Kurt was fine.
I let out a sigh of relief. I was starting to have some feelings about this guy.
“Aww, I’m glad your starting to have an interest in boys, sweetie.”
I whirled around to see Jessica and Marcus behind me. Marcus closed the door off to the stairs. I looked behind me, just slightly. There was another door. And it was to the roof steps.
As they got in closer, I backed up to the door.
Jessica was wearing a white jacket with a mini skirt and ciprees. Her hair was dyed purple.
Marcus was wearing a white jacket too. He didn’t have a mini skirt on. Thank goodness. He was taller than Jessica and me. His shoulders had gotten broader. And his read hair got orangeish. I wonder if he could pass as a Dyed.
“Just come with us, sweetie. You’ll be able to see your brother again!” Jessica said soothingly.
“Please clarify, Jessica. Which one? I have three.” I said. Reaching for the handle on the door.
“Why, Jonah of course! He misses you!”
“He betrayed me.”
“Only to serve the Dyed! And this is for your own good! Just come with us and we’ll get some of your DNA. And we’ll have our older leader back again. Because you Blondes took our old one.” The hatered in her voice didn’t last long. “Please, Luna?”
“No.” I turned the knob.
Jessica sighed a sad sigh. “Then I’ll just have to have Marcus drag you out of here screaming.” She smiled and held up one of those horrible bracelets.
I tried to control my breathing. I threw open the door just as Marcus reached for me and I ran out. I took the steps three at a time.
I heard Jessica yelling at Marcus.
They sure haven’t changed.
I climbed the steps until I got to the roof.
“Either, I jump and kill myself. Or I stand here and let them kill me instead.” I pondered that for a second. “I’ll jump.”
I ran to the edge and took a deep breath and jumped. But someone grabbed my arm before I could get far. I looked up.
“Jonah?!”
He pulled me up. “Luna, are you ok?” he asked.
“I’m fine! No thanks to you!” I tried to get his hand off me. “You’re hurting me!”
“I’m just here to help you.”
“You smell funny.”
“Thanks. It’s hair dye. Now come on.” He started to pull me. Something wasn’t right. I was getting coned. As Kat Bishop would say.
“Enough Marcus!” I yelled. I kicked his arm and did a complete back flip and ran to the side and jumped.
Bad idea.
I didn’t look down when I jumped. Which usually would have been a bad idea. But I heading right for traffic.
“Josie!” I heard someone scream.
I saw out of the corner of my eye Kurt, holding out his arm from the mall window.
Was he serious?
I reached for it and he actually grabbed me and pulled me threw the window. I landed on the floor, trying to regain my breath.
He was breathing hard too. “What was that all about?” he asked.
“Long story.”
“Can I have the short version then?”
“Stunts. I like doing stunts.”
He nodded. “Ok.”
I didn’t think he believed me.
I stood up. “I have to go.” I said turning for the door.
“Wait!” Kurt reached for my arm. He was faster than I thought.
“What?” I asked.
“Um…want to meet up again?”
“I-I can’t, Kurt.”
“Why?”
“It’s just too complicated.” I said, pushing his arm off mine.
I almost gave in. I almost didn’t walk away. I almost admitted that he was cutest guy that I had ever laid eyes on. But I walked away. I had too. Matt needed help. And I was going to give it to him.
Chapter 5
“Luna St. James! Come back right now.—“ Angelica yelled into the phone.
“I can’t hear you!” I sang. “Going threw a tunnel!” which probably wasn’t the smartest thing to say, considering that our phones never lost signal.
“Luna! I want you back at Headquarters now. Do you hear me? NOW.”
She didn’t’ sound like a concerned aunt. She sounded like a mad Leader.
“I don’t want to!” I yelled.
“Stop acting like your two, Luna. Get back to Head Quarters. Or I come and get you myself. And that won’t be pleasant. Believe me.”
“I’m not coming back. You aren’t trying to help save Matt. So I am!” I shut my cell phone and pocketed.
I was on a dirt road. Somewhere. Going…Somewhere.
I soon came to a small café. With internet. Thank goodness. I got on the internet with my phone and checked my Facebook accout.
I decided to find Kurt on Facebook, so that maybe, just maybe, I’d be able to meet up with him again someday.
I asked to be his friend and then like right away, he accepted and started to chat with me.
I told him I had to go.
He said ok. And did a sad face. I got off and went to the counter and bought a coffee.
“You look sad, honey.” The lady said. As she made my coffee.
I sighed. “No.”
The lady laughed. “Uh-huh. Is it boys? Yeah, I know how ya feel.”
How did she make such a good guess?
If I was a normal person, I would have been like, oh yeah, your right. And not think about it again. But I wasn’t a normal person, I was the most wanted person by the Dyed.
The lady gave me the coffee and I quickly gave her the money and hurried back out the door.
“Come back soon, ya hear?” she called. She smiled.
I ran out and looked into the window, she was gone.
I was right.
I hurried back down the dirt road.
“Oh Luna! Come with us!” I heard three voices sing.
I stopped.
I turned.
And there were three teenage girls. Same height. Same hair. Same everything.
“Come with us, honey!” they sang in Western accents.
“No.” I said.
“Aww, why not?” they said in usion.
“Stop talking like that! It’s creepy!”
The three blue dressed blue haired girls stopped. They looked hurt.
“Aww, you hurt our feelings!” they said.
I covered my ears. “Stop!”
“We only want to help.” The one girl said. I looked up and they were all around me. I tried to jump back. But the two girls behind me were blocking my escape.
The girl, who I noticed, was a little taller than the rest. She tipped my chin.
“You look a lot like your brother.” She said.
“Which one?” I asked sarcastically.
“Well, John of course.”
“And she would know.” The girl behind me said.
“Yeah.” The other said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well the date each other!”
“Yeah, duh!”
I completely stopped breathing. “What?”
“Shocking isn’t it?” the taller girl put down her hand and looked at her nails. “He’s such a nice boy. And you look so much like him!”
“We have nothing in common.” I hissed.
“Of course you do! You silly girl!” she ruffled my hair.
That was a bit too far.
I grabbed her arm as she lifted it away. “Don’t touch me.”
She got her arm out of my grip. And looked me in the eye. “And you say you don’t have any thing in common.” She laughed, a cold, frightening laugh.
She was right. John and I did have something in common. We both had anger issues. At least I was half and half. Half Matt, half John.
The taller girl stepped back. “We’ll see you later, honey.”
“Wait, your not here to kidnap me?” I asked. I was totally confused.
The girls behind me laughed. “No, silly. Why would we? Colleen just wanted to meet you!”
I stared at the girl now called Colleen in front of me. “I’m so confused.”
“John said you were a lot of trouble. But I don’t think so. If I can handle him, I can handle you.” She ruffled my hair again. I didn’t even bother to glare. I just stood there, gaping at her.
“We’ll see you later, honey!” Colleen said waving as they walked away.
The other girls turned before they followed. “John will be back for you. You can count on it.” They smiled evil smile. And walked back with sister. If that’s who they really were to her.
I noticed just then that I was in more danger in ever. Somehow, these sisters, or gorgons, knew how to find me. And I needed to find out how.
And now John was coming for me.
I swallowed. Oh Lord, help me.
“Luna, are you alright?” Matt asked.
He still sounded really sick.
“I-I’m ok.”
“Your not. Where are you?”
I took a shaky breath into the phone. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? Aren’t you at Headquarters?”
“No. I’m not.”
“Why not? Luna, get back in Headquarters! Your safer here.—“
“I know! I just needed to help you.”
“You were helping me by being safe.”
“I’m so scared, Matt.” I cried.
“Come back, Luna. Everything will be fine. I’m feeling fine.” He started to cough.
“You’re not ok!” I started to choke up.
“I’ll be fine if you come home! Do you understand?”
“Y-yeah.”
“Ok, call Angelica and tell her to come pick you up. Alright?”
“Alright.”
“Ok, I love you.” He said.
“I love you too.” I whispered.
I put the phone down. And swallowed my tears. I dialed Angelica’s number.
“Luna! Are you.—“
“I’m fine! Just please come pick me up! And…I’m sorry.”
“Oh, sweetheart. No one blames you for leaving. I’ll send Jason.—“
“No!”
“What?”
“Can you come instead?”
She laughed. “Of course I can. Activate your tracer.”
“I will.”
“Ok. I’ll be right there. Don’t move.”
I hung up and sat down on a bench.
Everything will be alright.
If only that were true.
Angelica came a little bit later. I gave her a hug and I cried into her shoulder.
“Shhh.” She stroked my hair. “I’m here now.”
“Are you really here? Or is it just some Dyed?”
“Oh sweetheart. It’s me.”
I just cried harder. “I was so scared.”
“I know.”
“I was scared for Matt. And when I’m scared. I’m mean, and I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you.”
“Ok.” I took a breath and looked up at her and smiled. She smiled back.
When we made it back to Head Quarters. I didn’t want anyone asking me where I’ve been, so I hurried to Room 12.
I quickly changed.
Just as I pulled on my last glove, I ask tackled by a hug.
“Oh Luna! Your back! Thank God!”
I laughed. “I’m fine. I told you I could handle myself.” I gently pushed Anne off me.
“Anything happen while I was gone?” I asked.
“No not really.” She leaned in. “Don’t tell anyone I said this…but…the Brown Hairs are mad at us.”
“What for?”
“They say it was wrong of us to take the Dyed Commander away from the Dyed.”
“That’s stupid.”
“I know. But it’s just a rumor. No one knows if it’s true or not. But some are saying that they might take over Blonde HQ and keep as all here, trapped. And let Becky go.”
I leaned back my mouth open. “No! That’s like…wrong.”
“I know. But there all about world peace and green.”
“That’s annoying.”
Anne shrugged. “It’s just their way of life. Nothing wrong with that. But it’s just a rumor.”
“Let’s hope that it’s not true.”
*
People say I’m guilble. Which is probably true.
I gaped at the chat that just came in from Kurt. He just asked me out. On Facebook! Wrongness is happening here!
I didn’t know what to do. Say yes? Or say no?
I was on my bunk bed in Room 12. I really wasn’t supposed to be on the computer. But…I didn’t want Kurt to feel like I left him or something.
I was still gaping at the computer when he typed:
You can think on it.
I typed back. Um…I have to go Kurt bye.
I closed the laptop before he could answer.
I knew that probably ended are very short friendship. Very, very short friendship.
I knew that he would be mad at me. And that he would ignore me for awhile.
And I was right.
When I tried to chat to him again, he didn’t answer.
And the bad news was, Matt found out about him.
“Delete him.” Matt said. He was sitting up in the hospital bed.
“Why?” I whined.
“Because I said so!”
I looked down at my hands. “Your not my dad.”
“Luna…I’m just trying to protect you. Who cares if he’s mad?” he lifted up my face to his. “He’s missing out on a chance to date you later.”
I laughed. Then I became sober again.
“It’s his problem that he’s doing wrong.” Matt said.
I had told him that Kurt had had a girl friend on there and then it changed two days later.
“I know.”
“You shouldn’t try to change him. God’s got it. It’s in His hands now.”
I nodded. Matt was right. I was wrong. That’s how it usually went.
I smiled. “Ok.”
“Say it.”
“Say what?”
“Say it.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “You were right.”
“Thank you.”
I laughed and got up and kissed him on the cheek
We really did have a strange bother and sister relationship.
Chapter 7
The next couple of weeks where all about school.
Getting all the teachers background checks. Checking the locks. Checking everyone’s hair to make sure they weren’t Dyed.
And this was all because of me. And everyone knew it.
“Good going, Luna! I had to have all my hair scanned because of you!”
“I’m all dizzy now because of you!”
The words stung. A lot.
“Just ignore them.” Anne said. My cousin wrapped her arm around my shoulders.
“I know.” I lied.
“Then why aren’t you?” Dana asked. Blowing on her just painted nails.
“Because.”
“Because isn’t an answer you know.” Dana said.
“I know.”
“Than why did you say it?” Dana yelled, practically in my ear.
I rubbed my ear. “Because.”
She threw her hands in the air. “I’m getting no where!”
“Luna, what’s wrong?” Anne asked.
I took a shaky a breath and put on a elastic smile. “Nothing.” I assured them.
I hadn’t told them about Kurt yet. And I wasn’t planning on it. I wouldn’t see him again anyway. No need to have a rumor spread about me. Another stupid-annoying-not-true rumor. I held my tongue so I wouldn’t curse aloud loud.
My cousin looked at me, worry filled her eyes. And then she looked away and she smiled. “Hey, look! It’s Matt with Jason!”
I tried to smile. I did. I tried to run and give Matt and hug. I really did. But I was too sad a depressed to do anything.
I put on a very plaster like smile I knew my older brother would see through.
Matt was leaning on Jason as the slowly made their way down the hall. He smiled at me when I came up to them. But then it quickly faded.
I was right, he saw right through my smile.
I sighed and started to shake my leg and look around while Anne Bellum asked Matt tons of questions.
“How do you feel? Are you in pain? Oh, I hope not.” Anne said.
Matt tried to answer her questions but he kept stealing glances at me. He caught my eye and asked me.
What’s wrong?
Nothing. I said back.
Uh-huh.
I sighed again and my leg shook anymore. (in case you were wondering, that means I’m nervous)
What’s wrong. He mouthed.
Nothing! I snapped back the same way.
He looked at me. We’ll talk about this later.
I sighed again.
He looked at me for another second and then he turned his attention back to Anne. Who hadn’t stopped for his answers.
“School’s starting soon! Are you going to join the classes? I hope so!”
Matt smiled. “I’m not sure yet, Anne. It depends on what the doctors say.”
“Well I hope you can. Then Luna can actually feel safe.”
Matt glanced at me. I didn’t meet his gaze.
“She doesn’t feel safe?” Matt asked. Still looking at me.
Anne nodded her head. “She’s been acting all strange. I think she doesn’t feel safe without you around.”
Thanks Anne for telling me what I might feel to my older brother.
This wasn’t true. I felt safe. I just couldn’t get Kurt out of my mind. I knew that he hated me now. I knew he wouldn’t talk to me for like ever. But I felt bad that no one was helping him with his girlfriend problem.
“Ooh.” Matt said. I knew he didn’t believe Anne. He knew what was wrong. Then he said. “Excuse me Anne.” He whispered to Jason. And Jason let him walk on his own. He came up to me, wrapped his arm around me and walked down the hall.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing!”
“Well when Anne says something is wrong, something is wrong.”
“It’s just…”
“What?”
“It’s just…I feel bad for Kurt. I feel like I want to help him.”
“It’s not your job. Like I said before, God’s got it.”
“I just…” I groaned. He would never see it my way.
“You need to relax. And hey,” he turned to me and put his hands on my shoulders. “Don’t believe anything that those rumors going around. And don’t listen to what people are saying. It’s for their protection too.”
I nodded. “Ok.”
“Ok?”
I nodded again.
“Ok.” He smiled.
I didn’t feel any better. That feeling inside of me just wouldn’t go away.
The next day, everything went wrong.
The locks all thought that someone was trying to break in, so everyone was trapped between lasers in every room. And since one robot follows me around in the ceiling. It thought that I would be safer up there. Which was true. But since the locks kept going crazy, it kept pulling me up there.
“Let me out!” I banged on the ceiling floor.
The robot was holding me by the waist, and it had been over ten minutes, it was starting to hurt.
And it was also programmed if that I started to freak and started to scream, it would cover my mouth. And it did.
I grabbed it and tried to get it off.
I heard sirens.
This usually didn’t happen. Usually it would let me down once Angelica hit a button in her office. Sirens meant that this was serious.
I heard running feet.
“Where’s Luna?” Anne cried.
“We have that robot, she’s in the ceiling somewhere.” Jason answered.
And they ran past.
I groaned. Come on. Nothing can be really wrong.
But when the robot shut down and I fell threw the ceiling. I changed my mind.
I pushed myself up. The sirens kept going off. I heard a creaking noise. I looked up and rolled out of the way just in time. My robot fell to the floor.
I scrambled to my feet. I pulled out my laser gun.
The sirens got louder.
Something was terribly wrong.
“Guuuuys.” I called. “What’s going ooon?”
I took a deep breath. Nothing is wrong. Everything is fine.
I climbed the steps to where Angelica had her office. I stepped inside, “Angelica?”
No one was in there.
Never mind. Something is wrong.
I ran back out and down a hallway when an arm grabbed me by the hand and I was pulled forward and someone else’s lips touched mine.
The last time I got kissed, was by Matt. And that was when I didn’t know he was my brother and he was trying to kidnap me. Or kill me. I never asked him which.
A hand went around my waist pulling me forward.
I was so freaked out.
When I finally pushed back.
I saw who was kissing me.
“Kurt?!” I cried.
He looked down at me. “What? Can’t I have some fun?
Matt had said that too. I was hoping that Anne Bellum would be there to ask him why kissing was fun.
I wiped my mouth on my sleeve. Ew. Gross. He kissed me! Ew, ew , ew , ew.
I looked at Kurt. He wasn’t wearing his Clair’s uniform. He was dressed as a Brown Hair. Which was bad. Very bad.
“W-w-what are you doing here?” I asked, trying to pry his arm off my waist.
He shrugged. “Nothing. Just invading.”
“WHY?”
“Hey! I didn’t mean to offend you!”
“You didn’t!” I groaned. I said it slowly. “Why are you invading us?”
“Because, you took the Dyed Commander. And that isn’t right.”
“Why isn’t right?” I asked.
“No more questions, Josie. Or should I say, Luna St. James. The most wanted person by the Dyed.”
“Whatever.” Man, was he annoying. “Let go.” I said.
He did, but he grabbed me by the arm instead. And dragged me along. My laser gun had flown across the hall when he had grabbed me.
“Let go!”
“Chill.”
I groaned again.
“Sir!” We turned to see another Brown Hair run up.
“What is it?” Kurt asked.
“We found where they put the Commander. But we can’t figure out the code.”
“If you could break their security system. Then you can break the lock!” Kurt said through gritted teeth.
“We tried! It’s force fielded. It’s more protected then anywhere else!”
Kurt thought for moment. And then looked at me. “Do you know the pass code?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes! I don’t even know where they keep my mom!”
“Your mom?”
Oops.
I pressed my lips together.
“What do we do sir?” the Brown Hair asked.
Kurt sighed. “Find someone who knows.”
“Take them by force? But.—“
“No buts! These Blondes are smart. Do what it takes, just no real pain. Understood?”
“Yes sir!” the Brown Hair ran off.
Kurt leaned down, “Do you know who, by chance, knows the pass code?”
I didn’t answer.
He stood up again and started to walk. “Fine.” He let go of my arm and I ran.
I skidded to a stop when I saw Anne being dragged along the floor. She was kicking and screaming.
I reached for my gun. But it wasn’t there.
I sighed. The old fashion way it is.
I ran up and kicked both the guys out grabbing Anne by the hand and pulling her into a counter. “Are you alright?” I asked.
She swallowed I knew were tears. “Yeah. Are you ok?”
“I’m fine. Just…Yeah, I’m fine.”
“They wanted me to open the door to where my mom keeps Becky.”
“You know the pass code?”
She nodded.
I looked around the corner. “There here to invade us.”
“What was your first clue?”
I didn’t say what my first clue was. My first clue was Kurt.
“Anyway, we need to get to the others.”
“Where are they?”
“Follow me!”
We ran to a small room where all the Blondes had gathered together. Or been forced together.
Angelica was trying to calm everyone down.
“Don’t worry everyone! I’ll just talk to their Commander and.—“ she saw us and ran to Anne and gave her a hug.
“Are you alright? I shouldn’t have ever told you the code!” She looked up at me. “Are you alright, Luna?”
I nodded and took a deep breath. “Yeah. Where’s Matt?”
“He’s over there.” He pointed to a corner where Matt’s hospital bed was. I ran over to him. “Are you alright?” we asked at the same time.
“I’m fine.” We answered together.
We didn’t smile.
“Matt.” I said.
“What?”
“Kurt’s here.”
Worry and dread came across his face. “What did he do?” he started to get up. I pushed him back down.
“He.—We need to get them out of here.”
“Luna, answer my question.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Luna, what did he do?”
“He kissed me! Alright?”
Matt stared at me. And then his older brother wrath kicked in. He got up this time.
“Matt, your still sick, sit back down.—“ I tried.
He went up to Angelica and whispered in her ear.
I don’t want everyone to know!
She looked at him and then at me. And nodded.
Great.
She motioned for me to come to her.
I groaned. I obeyed and walked up to her.
“Matt said that this boy…Kurt?” she looked at Matt, he nodded. “Kissed you.”
I bit my lip and nodded.
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“How did you meet him?”
“At Clair’s on my birthday.”
“Why did he kiss you?” she tried again.
“He asked me out and I told him no and now he hates me.”
“So he kissed you?” she raised any eyebrow.
“Ask him if you don’t believe me.”
“I believe you, Luna. It’s just…strange…That’s all.” She turned when the door opened. And Kurt came back in with one girl Brown Hair and one boy.
“Ok, I want open that door. But I can’t unless I have the pass code. Who knows it?” Kurt swept his gaze across the room. It fell on me.
I stepped back and bumped into Matt. I took a deep breath. Matt was there.
“Are you sure you don’t know the pass code, love. Or do you just like to get me angry?” Kurt asked as he made his way threw the crowd of terrified Blondes towards me.
“I don’t know it.” I said.
Kurt scared me. He was tall and he was scary.
“Are you sure?”
“I don’t know it!” I yelled at him. “Stop picking on me!”
Kurt looked up at Matt. “And you are?”
“Her older brother. And unless you want me to knock you uncoussness I’d step back from her.” Matt eyes narrowed.
Kurt smiled. “Fine.” He stepped back.
Matt moved me behind him. “Thank you.” With his eyes still narrowed to went up to Kurt. “And may I ask you why you kissed my sister?”
Gasps went around the room. And everyone looked at me and then at Kurt. Some started whispering to each other. Others glared at me. Or glared at Kurt.
I saw Anne, Jason and Dana cross their arms and death glare Kurt.
At least they weren’t mad at me. Like everyone else was. Like it was my fault the guy kissed me!
Kurt shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve always wanted to grab someone and pull them and kiss them.” He shrugged again. “Don’t you ever want to do that?”
Matt looked back at me. Who is this guy? He asked with his eyes.
A jerk I said back.
“Well?” Kurt asked.
“I’m never kissing anyone again.”
“Why?”
I knew why. The last time he kissed someone. It was to kill them and it was me. I knew he wouldn’t want to kiss anyone again until his wedding.
Matt looked back at me again. “Because.”
“Because isn’t an answer.”
“Shut up!”
The whisperings stopped. The glares went to shocked faces. And the silence was deafening.
Matt never yelled at someone. He didn’t even yell at mom. Or even John.
I smiled. Take it all out on Kurt, Matt.
“Why don’t you do yourself a favor and leave my sister alone. Or better yet. Leave altogether.”
Kurt smiled as he pulled his glove on tighter. “I can’t do the second one. And the first one is pretty hard also…”
And I knew why. I was too gullible. You could tell me anything and I’d believe it. If you told me that gullible wasn’t’ in the dictionary. I would believe you.
“Leave.” Matt said. He pointed to the door. “There’s the door.”
“No can do. The Commander wants the Dyed Commander let go. And we’re not leaving until then. So…if you’re not going to give us the pass code, then I’ll just have to put this building on…LOCKDOWN.”
All our security went wacky, if it wasn’t already. The shutters closed and the lights went off.
And screams were blocked out by the realization that…we were trapped.
Chapter 8
“MATT!” I screamed.
“I’m over here, Luna.” I felt his arms around me. “It’s alright.”
I held back tears. “What’s going on?” my voice shook.
“I don’t know. But it’ll be fine.”
Fine? Fine? My life hasn’t been fine! It’s been un fine!
“You do know. Don’t you?”
I felt him take a deep breath. “No, I don’t.”
I was afraid of that.
“Luna! Matt! Are you alright?” I heard Anne and then I felt her. She ran right into me.
“We’re fine.” Matt said.
Then I heard Anne scream.
“Anne!” I reached to where she was standing.
But someone else grabbed me. And I screamed.
“Luna!” I heard Matt yell.
Someone had wrapped their arm around my waist and they were carrying me. “Put me down.—“ a hand went over my mouth.
Then I was thrown. And I landed on the floor.
The lights flickered on and I saw that all the girls had been tossed in the same room.
A girl with brown hair smiled. She wiped her hands together. “Have a nice stay.” And she closed the door and the click of the lock hovered in the air.
“We’re doomed.” Dana said.
“No, yeah think?” someone said.
“Shut up.”
“No you shut up!”
“Guys! Chill!” I stood up.
“How about you go talk to your boyfriend, Luna!” one girl said mockingly.
“He’s not my boyfriend. He’s a flirting jerk.”
Dana shifted uncoterblely.
What’s wrong with her?
“We have to get out of here.” I said. I went to the door and started to examine it.
“We’re doomed.” The girl fell back on a bed in the room and shoved a pillow in her face.
“Glad you guys have faith in me.” I said. I rolled my eyes.
“If only the boys were in here.” Dana said. She came to the door with me.
The girl groaned.
“Who is that?”
Dana shrugged. “Beats me.”
After about a minute, we gave up on the door. There was no way out.
We heard running outside the door.
Someone knocked on the door. “Luna! Are you in there?”
I almost cried. “Yeah Matt. We’re all in here!”
“Alright, just hold on…” I heard him talk to someone.
“Who’s out there with you?” I asked.
“It’s Jason, Luna.”
“Oh Jason!” Dana looked like she was going to cry. Which didn’t happen often.
“You ok, babe?”
I smothered a laugh with my hand.
Dana smiled. “Yes. I’m fine.”
The door opened and I gave Matt a hug. He stroked my hair. “Are you alright?” he asked.
“Yes. That was a bit too much.”
“Yeah, I don’t understand why they locked you up in there.” Jason said.
“Did they just let you go?” Dana asked.
“No, they kept us in the same room. Maybe they thought without both genders in the same room we couldn’t come up with an idea?” Matt suggested.
“Probably. Girls don’t usually coparte with girls and same for boys.”
Jason almost laughed. “Yeah.”
As the other girls filed out. Everything seemed to be ok. No one was hurt. Everything was fine.
Until, we looked through the whole building and Angelica was gone.
“Where’s my mom!” Anne cried.
Jason was trying to calm his little sister down. “We’ll find her.—“
“What if they took her?” Anne cried.
“Anne.—“
“What if.—“
“Anne, chill. We’ll get her back. I promise.” I said. Patting my crying cousin on the back.
“How are we supposed to do that if we don’t have any ships?” Matt asked. He raised an eyebrow.
“Gosh Matt. Negative.”
“I was just stating the obvious!”
“But the ‘obvious’ isn’t always the encouraging thing.”
He shrugged. “Fine. I won’t say anything again.”
“I didn’t mean it that way.—“ I did a face palm.
Brothers.
“We’ll find a way to there. Now both of you, just calm down. Give each other a hug or something.” Dana said.
“I am not hugging him!”
“And I am not hugging her!”
Dana groaned. “Guys, I’m not your mom. And I really wouldn’t want to be. But seriously, you’re acting like your five.”
I crossed my arms. “What ever.”
Matt did the same and walked off to where some other boys had gathered.
“You really should be nicer to him, Luna.” Jason said.
I shrugged. “He started it.”
“Ok, I am walking away now.” Dana said.
The rest of the night wasn’t that great.
With no grownups around. (all the teachers were taken too) we all kinda went wacky.
The music was up as loud as it could go. If any of us smoked or drank beer. We would of. But good for us, we knew it was wrong. And we also didn’t have any in the building.
As “Falling Down” by Selena Gomez blared across the whole headquarters. I tried to talk to Dana.
“That guy is such a jerk.” I said.
“Yeah. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to see him again.”
I turned to her. “What?”
“huh? Um…nothing.” And she got up to get some fruit punch.
I groaned. We needed to stay focused. We needed a plan.
I got up and went to where the boys had made ‘camp’ they didn’t bother to play music since “Falling Down” was everywhere.
“Matt!” I called.
He was over in a circle with Jason and some other guys.
I wasn’t supposed to be in the room where all the guys were, but how else was I supposed to talk to Matt?
I decided to go for the polite way first.
“Excuse me!” I said. No one moved.
Ok, now time for the rude way.
I tried to push threw them. That didn’t work either.
So I got out my gun. (Which I found and the Brown Hairs hadn’t taken) And I fired it threw the room. And yelled: “MOVE IT!”
The guys stopped talking and parted.
“Thank you!”
The shock died down once I marched through the room.
“Matt, no one is focusing, they think that it’s over.”
Matt just rolled his eyes.
“I agree with her, Matt.” One guy said.
“Yeah.” Another said.
“We need to get together and work out our options. We need to go to the Brown Haired Headquarters, and get Angelica back.” I said.
“But how?” one guy asked.
“We make a plan.”
“Like what?” Matt asked. The scaratasic tone was thick.
I smiled. “I think I might have one…”
Chapter 9
I did have a plan. But some people thought it was stupid.
“So, we’re going to build a small hover board that will carry a couple of us to the Brown Hair Headquarters. And we’ll be dressed and we’re going to dye are hair? I don’t think so!” one girl named Ashely said.
“We’re not going to dye it. We’re going to put on wigs. The ones that actually stay on.” I said.
“And, lucky for us, Angelica always had some clothes like the other Forces. So we’re all ready.” Dana chipped in.
Ashley groaned. “It’s not going to work.”
“If we believe in ourselves. It will possibly work.” I said.
“Ok, this is not a Disney story. This is a real life. We pray and God will help us.” Ashely said.
I smiled. “Good thinking, Ash.”
“It’s Ashley to you.”
Works for me. As long as your in with the plan.
The plan was, we make two hover boards. One for the girls and one for the boys.
Dana, Ashley and I were going. And Matt, Jason and some guy named Cord was going.
We really didn’t know what we were going to do once we got there. We really didn’t know what the Brown Hairs did.
Thank goodness for Anne Bellum.
“It says here that they have ranks. Unlike us.”
“All other Hair Color Forces have ranks. Except us.” Ashley pointed out.
Anne sighed. “Yes, I was just saying.”
“Well stop ‘just saying’ and get on with it!”
“And since they’re all about art. They’re very…um…”
“What?” I asked.
“There really into love.”
“Well that’s not bad. Jason and I can.—“
“No! It’s not like that.” Anne said.
“Then what is it?” I asked. I was getting impatient.
“You’ve seen movies where like, kings have like…um…girls?”
“Yeah…” Dana and I said. What did this have to do with the plan?
“Well, the Brown Hairs do.”
“Ok, that’s just wrong!” Ashley said.
I couldn’t agree more.
“I am not being someone’s ‘girl’” I said.
“Me either.” Ashley said.
“Well, Jason and I could do it.” Dana said.
“Multieble girls, Dana. Multible.” Ashley said.
“Oh.” Dana said.
“What’s wrong?” Matt asked. He came over and looked my shoulder to see the screen. “Ok, that’s just wrong.”
“I know right.” I said. I turned. “What are we going to do? We have to blend it, or we’re dead.”
“Or worse.” Matt said.
“I never understood that phrase.” Anne said. “What’s worse then death?”
“If you’re a Christian. You’ll go to heaven. So it means that it’ll be a good thing if you die. But if they just torture you, then yeah. You get the point?” Ashley replied.
Anne nodded. “I get it now.”
“So back to what I said before. What are we going to do?” I said.
“I could be with Jason.” Dana said. “And Luna, you could be with Matt.”
“No, no, no.” Matt and I said.
“What? Your brother and sister. Just don’t do anything weird.” Dana said. She turned to Jason. “What do you think?”
Jason shrugged. “I don’t really care. As long as we get our mom back.”
“But what about, Ashley and Cord?”
“I’ll be with him. But seriously guys. RESPECT EACH OTHER. Do nothing that will go over lines. We have to pure so when we get married.”
“You heard her. Do you guys all understand? Especially the unrelated people.” I said.
Everyone nodded.
I turned to Matt. “And don’t go kissing me.”
He smiled and winked. “Of course not.”
“Guys,” Anne said. “You only have one girl. How is this going to work?”
“If someone asks, we say that the rest are at a club or something.” Cord said.
“What is this? A Lady Gaga or Katy Perry music video? No! Tell them something close to the truth. Tell them they’re in their rooms where they belong.” Ashley said.
Man, I am loving her.
Everyone nodded.
I took a deep breath. “Alright. Let’s do this.”
The hover boards weren’t hard to make, and were done in little over an hour.
We all got on our hover boards.
“You ready?” I called.
“Ready!” everyone yelled.
“Open the doors, Anne!”
Anne hit a button, which wouldn’t have worked if Jason hadn’t hot wired the doors.
The doors didn’t open at first, they creaked and slid open and then closed and finally opened. And we were on our way.
We found that the Brown Hairs didn’t have any outside security.
We landed in the back, just to be on the safe side though. We didn’t have any plan about what to tell a real Brown Hair why were out or where we were, and then being taken to the Commander.
We all got off.
“Ok, let’s do this. What ever happens. Remember the rules.”
They all nodded.
We paired up.
“You ready for this?” Matt asked. “Are you sure?”
I took a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
We entered the back entrance and it wasn’t long until we made contact with a lot of other Brown Hairs. Or was it just Browns? I think it was Browns. I keep getting Black and Brown mixed up.
The guys were like being followed by at least two girls.
Anne said that the higher in rank had more.
I shivered. That was kinda scary.
Matt grabbed my hand.
I looked at him.
“What? Might as well blend in!”
“Matt it’s not like that.”
“Then what is it like?”
I guess he’s never seen a movie like that.
I whispered in his ear.
He made a ‘O’ with his mouth.
“Yeah.” I said slowly nodding my head.
“Shut up.”
I groaned. This was going to be harder then I thought.
“How are you guys doing?” Anne said. We had put on walkie talkies the size or an atom inside our ears.
“Good. I guess.” I said. Telling Matt to wrap his arm around my waist or something.
“You guess? What’s wrong?”
“Matt doesn’t get it!”
Matt squeezed me. And whispered. “Jeez, I’m getting it now.”
“He’s getting it now.” I said.
“Good.” Anne said. “Over and out.”
I whispered in his ear. “When ever I whisper in your ear, or vise versa, we have to act like it’s really funny.”
Matt smiled and whispered back. “I think I’m getting it now.”
I smiled too. “Good.”
When we came to an opening to a door in the hall way. We stepped into it.
“We need to find, Angelica.” I said.
Matt nodded.
Then, I turned and I saw Kurt walking by.
“Sunglasses!” I hissed.
We put on our sunglasses and Matt pulled me forward. So that my hands were on his chest.
“This is really awkward.” I said.
“Tell me about it.”
“Isn’t it a lovely day?”
We turned and tried to act calm. Kurt was standing there with at least five girls on him.
“Yeah, sure.” I said. I whispered in Matt’s ear. “We’re doomed.”
“But it’s dark in here.” Kurt said.
“Yeah…” I said.
“Then why are you wearing sunglasses?”
“Um…” what was I supposed to say?
“She looks hotter in sunglasses.” I heard Matt say.
Ok, it was beyond awkward now. It was that possible.
“Do I?” I giggled.
Matt pulled me closer. “Yes.” And then he smiled.
Hopefully he didn’t notice us holding our breath.
Kurt smiled and pulled one of his ‘girls’ closer. And she had sunglasses on. “They do don’t they?” and he pulled the girls sunglasses on.
And we both gasped.
It was Dana.
I pressed my lips together.
Where is Jason?
Matt saw her too, but he did a better job covering up his shock. “And who’s that?” he was acting interested.
Dana looked scared. I mean scared. Was that the real Dana that went with Jason? Did Kurt take the real Dana away?
She didn’t know it was us. Which was either a bad thing or a good thing. I didn’t’ know. I wanted to tell her it was alright.
Just then, the real Jason and the supposedly real Dana walked by. And the ‘Dana’ looked pretty pleased with herself.
“I picked her up at the Blonde Headquarters. She fits in nicely doesn’t she?”
My fears were true. The real Dana was in trouble. And Jason was in trouble.
While Matt kept talking to Kurt.
I talked to Anne.
“The real Dana is with Kurt. And the fake one is with Jason.”
“This is bad.” Anne said.
“I know. What are we going to do?”
“Contact, Jason. Talk to him! Do anything!” the worry in her voice made me worry even more.
What if it was a Dyed that was with Jason? I swallowed.
“Well, if you excuse us.” Matt said. He went to open the door behind him. It said,: Break Room.
“Of course.” Kurt said and he walked off with all his girls. And with Dana.
Matt led me inside the room.
I whirled around. “What are we going to do?”
Matt ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know.”
“You’re the older one! Think of something!”
Matt put his hands on his hips. “I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
I sighed. I ran my fingers through my fake hair. “Dana is doomed, and so is the plan.”
“Are you sure about that?” Matt asked.
Uh-oh. Jason wasn’t the only one who got a fake person.
“We’re just getting started.” The person in front of me wasn’t my brother. He was a Dyed and I was so doomed.
I kicked him as he went to grab me. And I ran out the door, screaming: “Someone tried to kill me!”
All the Browns leapt into action. At least they jumped in to help with one of them was in trouble. Sort of.
When the guy came out it wasn’t just any Dyed. It was John.
Well, at least it wasn’t some total stranger than had his arm around my waist. I ran down the hall screaming.
When I came up to Jason and the ‘Dana’ I knocked her out.
“Why did you do that for?” Jason cried.
“Jason, it’s me. And that is not the real Dana. Kurt’s got her. And John is chasing me right now, so a little help would be nice.”
It was either me his cousin getting chased or some other guy had his girlfriend, either way. He grabbed me by the wrist and we ran together to go and try to find Ashley and Cord. And hopefully the real Matt and Dana.
We decided we would take the wigs off. Everyone was trying to find the guy who was trying to kill the poor little Brunette.
I mean seriously, why can’t we have cool names like that?
“Luna, we need to be careful.” Jason said.
“I know.” I knew so much that I wish I didn’t. If that makes any sense.
We stopped when we saw Kurt. Or he saw us.
“Well, well. I knew that you would come at sometime. Your not as dumb as you look.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” I said. “Now, if you would so kind as to let Dana go and tell us where my brother and my aunt are.”
“Their just fine.” Kurt said.
“Where are they?” I hissed.
Kurt pushed Dana to Jason and Jason hugged his girl friend while I made it clear how much of a jerk Kurt was.
“Your so mean! You were working with the Dyed! You kidnapped people I love and you made sure that we all would died if it hadn’t been for me and some other people. How could you do this? You jerk!”
“Hey, I didn’t mean to offend you.—“
“You never offend me! At all! I’m just stating the obvious. Now, if you would just kindly tell me where Matt and Angelica are. We’ll leave.”
“I.—“ Kurt grabbed his head.
Ok, that is weird.
Then I knew something was wrong. All the Browns were on mind control.
“Really dear sister, you didn’t figure out our plan until now?”
I didn’t need to turn around to know that John was behind me.
I didn’t have any snappy come backs. I didn’t have anything. I was done for.
“Where’s Matt and Angelica.” I said. Trying to keep my voice level.
“There fine. For now.”
“What do you mean, ‘for now’?”
“Well…if you don’t come with me, then I’d say that they would be dead in a matter of minutes. Isn’t that right, baby?”
Colleen stepped out from behind him. “That is right, hon.”
Gross, gross, gross.
Colleen held a small object in her hand. “When I hit this button. They go bye, bye.” She smiled at John who smiled at me. I didn’t smile at anyone. I didn’t smile at all.
I noticed just then that Jason and Dana were on the ground. Unconscious.
I looked down at them.
“And if you ever want them to wake up, I’d come with us.” Colleen said. She held another thing in her hand. Another button that would probably wake them up when she pressed it. Or kill them. I was hoping the first one.
“Well?” Colleen said.
I took a deep breath. This looked so much easier in the movies.
“I...” My voice cracked.
Oh Lord, what do I do?
“Luna, we don’t have that long.—“
“Shut up!”
I stood there thinking. If I didn’t go then Matt, Jason, Dana and Angelica would die.
But if I did go, then…I would die.
I’ll be the hero, I’ll save my friends. And there’s a good chance they’ll save me. But I’m doing this for you, guys. So just make a monument for me when I die. Ok?
I took another deep breath. And looked up. “Fine.” I said. “Take me away.”
Chapter 10
Well, as they tossed me into a cell in Dyed Headquarters, I wanted to take back those words. I would have just kicked the buttons out of their hands. I would of…
I held back threnting tears. I’m going to die.
I had to get out of here, I had to escape.
I’m going to die.
The words just wouldn’t leave my mind.
I thought of so many happy things, but they all just made me cry. And the words still haunted my mind.
I am going to die.
“Ok Luna! Get a hold of yourself! It’s not for certain your going to die!”
Way to go lying to yourself, there, Luna.
I got up and started pace.
I need a plan. I need to get out, and get those buttons that Colleen was holding. She probably still has them with her, just in case I decide to run. Which I am.
You know Luna, they might just draw some blood and then, well, your not home free. But, at least you’ll be alive. For the most part.
I snapped my fingers. That’s it.
I’ll pretend that I’m already dead.
Then I sat back down again. No, that’ll never work.
Maybe it will…
No. Because what if I wake up? And then who knows what they’ll do then. But there going to kill me anyway, a least I tried.
I laid down and then screamed. “AHHHH!”
Might as well fake me being in horrible pain. Plus, it’ll get there attention.
I curled up as if I was in pain when I died. I closed my eyes looking like I had tried to block out the pain.
I heard running down the hall. And the door opened. I stopped breathing. And I made my heart stop. (you get good at doing that after being in the Force. But you can’t keep it up for a long time, because then, you’d die)
“Get up! What are you doing on the floor, you brat?” a Dyed guy said. He kicked me in the ribs.
I tried really hard not to flinch.
He pushed me over.
“She’s dead.” Another guy said.
“That can’t be! She was fine when we brought her in here an hour ago.”
“A lot of things can happen in an hour.”
My thoughts exactly.
“Better tell John. He’s not going to be happy about this.”
What? John! No! I was counting on him not coming, because well…I’m sure he knew all my weaknesses. Like…
The door flew open. He banged against the wall.
“What do you mean, she’s dead?” John asked. I felt him come over and kneel next to me.
“She’s dead, sir. We tried to wake her up.—“
“How hard did you try?”
This is not going the way I planned.
“We kicked her.—“
“That’s it? Did you even try, I don’t know. HARDER?”
“Sorry, sir, sorry.”
“Leave.”
And they left.
I felt him take my wrist and check my pulse.
Maybe he really did think I was dead? Maybe he didn’t want to admit it in front of them?
“Really, Luna? You think it’s funny to pretend your dead?”
Then he did what I knew he would do.
He tickled me.
I burst into laugher. “Stop, stop!” I sat up and scooted against the wall.
And then the laughter stopped. I looked up at him.
“Well? Are you going to answer me?” John asked.
“No.” I crossed my arms.
“You still had a pulse. That trick. Or teckneike is old school. Everyone knows that. You can still feel a little pulse.” His cold bright blue eyes scared me. “And do you know what we would of done if you were really dead?”
I shook my head.
“Well, let’s just say, it’s not pleasant.” He ran his fingers through this hair. “Now, I have places to go. Things to do.—“
“John.”
He stopped. He turned. “What?”
“C-can I see, Jonah?”
He looked at me. “No.” and he contuined to the door.
I got up and grabbed his arm. “Please? I never get to see him! I haven’t seen him in forever! I-I want to talk to him.”
He looked down at me. “I said, NO, Luna! Are you dumb?”
“No!”
“Then let go!”
“I want to see him!”
He pulled me in. “I said no, it’s over.” He tried to pull away.
“Please, John. Please.”
He took a deep breath. I could sense that he was trying to control his anger. “Fine.” He grabbed my arm and opened the door and pulling me out.
“Wow, redocarted?” I asked. The walls had different colored spots, that moved and turned a different color on the walls.
“Yeah.” John said.
He wasn’t acting like his evil self.
He pulled out a silver bracelet and went to put it on me. I pulled my hand away. “No.”
He pulled it back. “Yes.” He said, imitating me. He put it on.
So far, he’s gone from evil, to annoying brother, to evil, to annoying brother slash flirting guy. Ok, this is freaky. Matt didn’t do that.
I almost started crying thinking about Matt. How was he supposed to get on without me? I knew he loved me so much that he would probably kill himself if I died. Which is stupid. To me anyway.
I looked around at where we were. The big purple building hadn’t changed since the last time I was here, besides the walls of course.
I fit in pretty well, besides being dragged, because I was still wearing the Brown’s outfit and my hair was blonde. No one stared at me. Thank goodness.
We came to a room. I looked like a normal room. (normal for Dyed that is) but it had extra security on the door and you needed a code to get in.
“Why is he in there?” I asked.
“Because, he was in charge and well…we needed some changes in the leadership.”
“In ‘we’ you mean ‘you’ right?”
His grip tightened it. “I fit better as Leader.”
“You know, I was wondering…did you ever get mom back? We never checked.”
“Yes.”
I swallowed. “Where is she?”
“She was going kind of crazy, so we locked her up for awhile.”
“As in ‘we’ you mean ‘you’ right? Because locking her up again would make someone more crazy. Everyone knows that.”
He turned to me. “How about you shut up now. How’s that?”
“Fine.”
He typed in the code and we went down a hall. There were doors with the same locks on them. As we passed one door. I saw something that horrified me.
Matt was lying on the floor. And he looked in terrible pain.
“Matt!” I screamed. I pulled away from John and looked in the door trying to open it. “Matt!”
John grabbed my arms. “Now, darling. Just relax, he’s fine. He’ll live to see another day.”
But I won’t. So I’ll never get to see him. For a long while…
“Don’t call me ‘darling’.”
“Why?”
“Because, it’s weird. And plus, you have a girlfriend.”
I felt him shrug. “I call her other things. I saved ‘darling’ for you.”
“Thanks.”
Wait, he saved it for me? Does that mean he cares? No Luna, don’t be stupid, John doesn’t care.
But he might…Ok! Stop!
“I want to see him.” I said.
“Sorry, only one brother at a time. At least you get to see me all the time.” John pulled me away from the door. I gave up reluctantly.
“You know, I was wondering…is John your real name?”
“Why?”
“Just wondering…”
“Maybe someday I’ll tell you.”
If I live that long.
We came to the end of the hall. I hadn’t seen Anne, Jason or Angelica.
“Why aren’t, Anne, Jason and Angelica in here?” I asked.
“Because.”
“Because…why?”
John looked uncomfterble. “Because.”
“Just answer the question!”
“I want him in Matt in here…because…”
“Because…?”
“Stop asking stupid questions, Luna!”
I shut my mouth.
“Thank you.”
He punched in the code to the room where Jonah was in. The door slide open. Why was this one for secure than the others? Something was going on.
John pushed me inside. “Go down the hall, there. He’s down there. Five minutes.”
“Ten.”
“Nine. Now go before I change my mind!” he shut the door, it slid into place.
I took a deep breath. Here we go.
Chapter 11
It was cold. Really cold. I felt like Mr. Freeze should be in here.
I walked down the hall and came to a door. I took a deep breath and opened it.
Jonah was sitting on the bench in the room looking at the floor. He looked normal. Besides the Red Head uniform.
“Jonah…?” I said.
He looked up, and the next second I was in a hug.
“Luna! Thank God you’re alright! You are alright, right?”
I held back a laugh, but smiled. “For now.”
He pulled me to the bench. “What’s going on? Why are you here?” he asked.
“Um…long story.”
“Give me the short version then.”
“Well, I tried to save some friends of mine and well…I’m going to die soon. Yeah, that’s about it.”
“Die? But why?” then he sobered. “oh, Luna I am so.—“
I put up my hand. “Save it.”
He stood up. “I want to say I’m sorry.”
I stood up. “But I don’t want you to say your sorry!”
“Then what do you want me to do?”
“Sitdown and I’ll tell you!”
He sat down.
“First of all…” I smacked him across the face. “That is for being a jerk. And second,” I leaned in. “I hate you.”
The words hung in the air. For too long.
I half wished I could take them back. The other half wanted to say some other things to him.
“You hate me?”
“Yes! You tried to kill me! And you lied to me! You lied about loving me! You lied about being my brother! When were you going to tell me the truth? Huh? When were you?”
He stood up and took my hands in his. “I was going to tell you when you turned twelve but…”
“But what?” I took my hands away.
“I didn’t.”
“Why?”
“Because, if I did, then. They would come and get you. Which they did.”
I felt the tears. “You could have saved me, Jonah! You could of! Why? Why didn’t you?”
He looked at the floor. “Because, I…I couldn’t.”
“Why?”
He pointed down hall. “Because of him.”
“John?”
“Yes.”
“What did he do?”
“He said that his mom wanted him to tell you. Which I knew was the lie from the beginning. So when your other brother…um…”
“Matt.”
“When Matt, got to go and get you instead. He kind of went crazy. He started to rant about not being able to see you.”
The tears were closer. “He did?”
“Yes. He was angry that he wasn’t allowed to see you.”
“I-I don’t understand.”
“You know how I was always teasing you?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“That’s what he’s doing.”
“He’s more liking tormenting me.”
“He’s telling you he loves you, Luna. Can’t you see that?”
I looked down the hall. He was? Oh, John…
“He wants to be there for you, Luna. He so does. He’s the oldest of the family. And since your mom is a little off the rocker.” He smirked. “He wanted to be there to take care of you. So when Matt got all the love. He got upset and locked me and your mom up.” He took my face in his hands. “I know I wasn’t the best brother in the world. But…” he chocked up. “I still love you, like a brother Luna. But how about you take all the love you had for me, and give it to John out there.”
I looked down the hall way again. I couldn’t. John is so mean. I don’t want to love him!
“Luna, go and tell him you love him. You might not have a long time to do that. Since, of what there making him do.”
“He’s the one who wants it done!”
“No! Luna! Weren’t you listening? He loves you! He would never do that to you!”
The tears were coming now. “Then why is he trying to kill me?”
“His ‘girlfriend’ makes him and all the other Dyed go with what John says.”
“I knew she was trouble.”
“I’m pretty sure she wants him all to herself, so with you out of the way, then she’s got him all to her self.”
“So the enemy was Colleen all along?”
“Ask John, Luna. Ask him.”
“Luna! It’s been over nine minutes!” John called.
“I-I have to go.” I kissed Jonah on the cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you too. But go tell that to John!”
As I hurried down the hall. I kept trying to tell myself that Jonah was right. I should tell John I love him.
“That was ten minutes.” John said, after her opened the door for me.
I didn’t say anything.
John grabbed my arm. “Let’s go back to your cell.”
I pulled away. “NO!”
He looked at me, maybe I looked as wild as I felt.
“John…I.—“
“Oh, there you are baby!” Colleen came up to John and grabbed his arm.
That witch.
“Hey, Colleen.” I don’t want to say what he did after that. She had more influence over him than I had thought.
I crossed my arms. “Aren’t you going to say hi to me?” I asked, smirking.
“No.” Colleen smiled and held up those two buttons.
I narrowed my eyes. “You know, we should get together sometime.”
“Oh really? Because just in a little while, you won’t be around to hang out with.”
“Is that so?” I walked up to her and looked her in the eye and whispered. “Stop messing with my brother. For your info, that’s always the little sister’s job.” And I spun around whacking her with my hair as I stocked away. “I’ll be in my cell!” I sang. And I walked out the door.
That was fun.
Chapter 12
I sat in the corner. Rocking. That spunky me was gone. And had been replaced with a very, very scared me.
I don’t want to die. I really don’t.
I stood up and started pacing. I need to tell John I love him. If I do, then there’s a good chance he won’t let them kill me.
Wow, Luna, be selfish.
I sat down again.
I need to tell him. But when? How?
A knock came at the door. I didn’t get a chance to say ‘come in’
Jessica and Marcus came right in.
Jessica leaned on the wall and admired her nails. “Lovely day isn’t it?”
This was serious dej ve. Except this time, I won’t get away.
“I guess.” I shrugged.
“You sad, sweetie?”
“Maybe, why do you ask?” I looked up.
“Oh, no reason…” she looked up from her nails. “We’re here to take you.”
I scooted back into the corner. “No!”
I screamed as Marcus dragged me out the door and into a large room. He dragged me up the steps and into a glass room.
He put my hands in cuffs attached to the wall, so my hands were above my head.
I kicked at him. Screaming some more.
I saw John come in with Colleen praticaly glued to his side.
“John.—“
Marcus put a clear plastic mask on my face. It had a tube attached to it, which was connected to some machine.
“I wouldn’t talk, or you’ll run out of air. Like it matters.” Marcus said. Then he closed the door of t he small room.
It was over looking a large room. Where a couple Dyed had gathered.
Then I felt it.
I screamed and kicked at the wall in front of me.
I felt the air being sucked right out of me. My lungs felt squeezed. I could barley breathe.
“LET ME OUT!” I screamed, with the remaining air I had left. I kicked at the door.
Why were they sucking the very life out of me, just to get some leader that won’t even be like, real?
“STOP!” I screamed. The tears streamed down my face.
I saw John’s bright blue eyes look into mine. Then I started to see black spots.
It’s over…It’s over…
Everything went black.
I felt movement around me. I was on the floor. And I felt nashus.
“Did it work?” I heard Marcus ask.
“Ask, John! Stupid.” Jessica snapped.
“John, hon. Did it work?” Colleen asked.
“Sir! We didn’t get enough! Should we try again.—“
“NO!” John yelled.
I was shaking. I curled up into a ball, my arms around my stomach. I feel awful. I think it’s the end.
“Hon, it’s just a Blonde…” Colleen said. “She can take some more. We need that Leader, or we’re all toast.”
“You don’t believe in me?” John snapped.
I could have sworn I heard the ‘ooo’s go around the room.
“Well, I-I do but.—“
“But what?”
Ooh, Colleen’s gonna get it now!
“John, dear. I don’t think your ready to take control of this.—“
“And you are?”
“I um…I have to go!” I heard running feet.
Silence followed. I wonder if anyone knows a little girl is on the floor, slowly dying…
“What do you want us to do? We can’t finish, unless we get more DNA. We have to do it again.” Someone said.
Oh, please no, please no…
“No! I said no! I want her taken to the Medical Bay. And I want you to find another way to get more DNA.” I heard John turn. “And you, go find, Colleen.”
“Yes, sir.” Jessica said. Then she ran off.
I felt being picked up and then I slipped into uncossuesness once more.
I woke up to beeping. Typical hospital-room-after-accidents-noise.
I slowly opened my eyes. And the sight that met me was so terrible, I shiver now.
Everything was white. Everything. It blinked, everything was still white.
Am I back in Blonde Headquarters?
I tried to reach my arm out. But it was attached to the bed.
Great. I guess not.
But why is everything all white?
I looked in the mirror. And to my horror, I was white too. Not just my clothes, but my face and everything. And worst of all, my eyes white, except for the pupils.
I screamed.
I heard running footsteps down the hall. And the door flew open. “Luna, are you ok.—“
I didn’t want to look at anyone.
Kill me now.
“Luna!” John snapped. “Open your eyes and look at me.—“
“No! I don’t want to! It’s-It’s horrible!”
John sat my bed. “What’s horrible, darling? I don’t think I’m that horrible..—“
“What did you do to me?”
“I did nothing.—“
“First, you sucked practically all the life out of me and then this! Why?”
“Luna! Look at me!”
“NO!”
“Luna…” John lowered his voice. “What’s wrong?”
I lay back in bed. “It’s horrible…just horrible.”
“Luna, just please open your eyes and tell me what’s wrong.”
I slowly opened my eyes.
And John’s face went from sympthec to total shock.
“What did you do to yourself?” he cried.
“This is your fault!”
“Just calm down. What do you see right now?”
“White. Just white.”
“Wonder why that is…Your pupils are fine.—“
“Stop talking like that, and fix me!”
“This is not a Soup Opra.”
I would have crossed my arms, but they were kinda stuck on my bed.
John saw this and let my arms free. “What do I look like right now?” he asked.
“White.”
“Everywhere?”
I nodded. “Wait, except your eyes. I can still tell that your eyes are blue.” I shrugged. “At least something’s normal.” I went to get up, John grabbed my arm.
“Sit back down.”
“No.”
“Now.”
I sighed and sat back down on the bed. John got up. “So from what I can tell, that machine sucked all the color out of your eyes.”
“Wow, that’s helpful.”
“Shush.”
“Now your sounding like my mother.”
“I said shut up!”
“Actually, you said, ‘Shush.’”
John came up to me. “Are you going to work with me here?”
I shook my head and sighed and shrugged. “Why should I?”
Before John could answer the door flew open. “Colleen left Heaquarters, sir.” Jessica said.
“What?” John asked. He got up. He turned to me. “Stay here. Jessica, follow.”
Jessica hurried after John and the door shut, but the lock clicking wasn’t heard.
Yes! He didn’t lock it!
I got up and went to grab the handel. But I couldn’t find it.
“Where is the darn thing?” I said. I reached around until I found it.
I stepped out and fell.
“Ow!” What did I fall off? I looked and narrowed my eyes.
Oh, there’s steps there.
I got uneasily on my feet and contuined to walk.
But I soon learned I was, well, blind as a bat.
“This is so frustrating!”
I needed to get to Matt. So then he’ll help me, find everyone else.
I slowly made my way threw the building. No one knew it was me, because my eyes had changed color. Or they were just dumb. I couldn’t tell.
I made it to the locked door.
“Man! I don’t know the code!” I looked around. Everyone didn’t notice me.
So I hacked into it.
I opened the door and closed it behind me.
I followed the wall to where I remembered where Matt was.
I knocked on the cell door. “Matt? It’s Luna.”
“Luna! Oh your fine! Thank goodness!”
“I’m not as fine as I’d like.” I said hacking into the lock.
“What do you mean?”
“As soon…as I get you…out…I’ll show you…” I threw open the door and was greeted by a hug.
“Oh Luna, your fine.—“ Matt looked at me. He brushed some hair out of my face. “W-what happened?”
I covered my face with my hands. “I don’t know! It was that machine or something!” I started to cry.
Matt gave me another hug and held me there. “Shhh. It’ll be fine.”
I told him all that what happened. As we made our way threw the building, unnoticed.
“I so can’t see. And it’s not funny.” I said, bumping into something else.
“Oh course not…” Matt said, thinking. Or that’s what I thought he was doing. I couldn’t see! “So you can only see the color of people’s eyes?”
“Yeah. Oof!.—“
“Let’s go get our cousins and then go back home and everything…will…be…fine.”
“Why are you talking so slow? Matt! Answer me!”
He grabbed my arm pulling me close.
“Matt! I can’t see that well!”
“I thought I told you to stay in that room.—“ John said.
Uh-oh.
John stopped. “What is he doing out?”
“I.—“
“The question is, what did you do to my sister?” Matt yelled. He let go of me and stalked up to John.
“She’s our sister.”
“Who says? You don’t treat her like one!”
Oh no.
“Guys.—“ I said.
“I want to!” John said.
“Then why don’t you?”
Oh total no.
“Guys!” I said. “Matt.—“
“Because.—“
“Because why?” Matt snapped.
I’m pretty sure John was fuming.
“Because everyone else got her attention!” he walked up to Matt. “And that ‘everyone’ would be you.”
“Guys!” I screamed.
They turned to me. “WHAT?”
“Shut up!”
“Luna.—“ Matt said.
“Why don’t you treat, John like the older brother he is?” I put a hand on my hip. “Huh? Tell me.”
“I—Luna, it’s not like that.—“ Matt started.
“Answer me, Matt. Why? Why am I more important then John?”
The girly girl in me was flattered that he loved me more than he did John. But I had to take matters into my own hands.
“He’s been mean, Luna.—“
“Well, John, say you’re sorry, and then Matt, you tell him you forgive him.”
John looked at me like I was crazy.
“Well? Go ahead! And mean it.” I said.
John looked at Matt and I smirked when he gave Matt the: is-she-crazy? Look.
They were acting like brothers.
Yes, yes, yes, yes!
“I’m sorry.”
I looked up. Did I hear right?
“I forgive you.”
I smothered a laugh with my hand.
They turned to me.
“Good job!” then I burst out laughing.
Then I decided to run.
“Luna! Bad idea!”
Really?
Just as they had me, I jumped and grabbed onto a sideways pole on the ceiling. And swung up and sat on it.
I looked at my nails. “I’m more nimble than you idiots are.”
“Ooh. You didn’t say that.” Matt said.
I stuck my tongue out.
Then John and jumped and grabbed my feet.
“Hey!” he pulled me down. And Matt grabbed my arms. “Stop!” I laughed. Trying to kick John.
When he let go I pushed off him and flipped over Matt and pushed off him in mid air and landed on the ground.
They gaped at me.
I shrugged. “What? Told you I was more nimble.”
As they went to get me again. Sirens blared. I covered my ears.
“What’s up?” I yelled over the noise.
“Someone is escaping.” John yelled. He went to run. Matt grabbed him.
For one terrible moment, I thought Matt was going to get mad. But he let go and said. “Let them, go John.”
“I can’t do that, Matt.” John said. He sounded like evil John again.
“Why?” Matt asked.
“B-because if I don’t. Then I’ll loose my rank as Commander.”
“Who cares about that?” Matt asked. “You have us.”
John looked torn.
I smiled at him. I told him with my eyes that I wanted him to stay.
He said back that he wanted to.
I asked him why he didn’t.
He said back that he would loose everything.
Then I did something that I told myself that I would never do. I hugged him.
And he hugged me back.
Chapter 13
I heard the gasps. I felt Matt move in front of us.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
John didn’t let go. “It’s going to be ok.”
“Sir, what are you doing with the prisoner?” a Dyed asked.
The rest of them nodded.
John grew tense.
“And what is he doing here?” they pointed to Matt.
John didn’t say anything.
“Maybe we should appoint a new Commander? Since both of the ones we’ve had haven’t done anything for the Dyed.”
I knew John wanted to say something.
I kept my arms around his waist. And he kept his arms around me.
“Fine. You do that.” John said. “Because I quit.”
“Aww, baby. Are you sure about that?” Colleen said. “Because I’ll gladly take the role.” She smiled.
I walked up to Colleen. “I love your outfit! Too bad there’s something right there.” I pointed to the collar of her shirt. She did the stupid thing by looking. And I gave her a uppercut.
She screamed and the Dyed rushed at me. But Matt already had an arm around me and we were feet in the air.
“Wow, Luna. That was smooth.” Matt said. He looked at John. “Your little sister just punched your girlfriend.”
John laughed. “She had it coming. I was going to dump her soon anyway.” Then he smiled a soft smile. “And she’s not just my sister. She’s our sister.” He smiled at me.
I smiled back.
The Blondes had followed through and rescued us. And I didn’t care that they were late. It worked out just fine.
Everyone was very unsure about John. But I assured them that is evil days were over.
“Luna, are you alright?” Angelica asked.
“I’m fine, Angelica. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine also. And I see you brought someone with you…”
“Yeah, that’s John. I think for sure that his evil days are over.” I smiled.
Angelica nodded and moved on.
They don’t believe me, do they?
I sat down next to John. “Your not evil anymore right? Because everyone thinks you are.”
“I’m not evil anymore, Luna.” John said.
“I’m just making sure. Because no one believes me.” I turned to him. “Plus, I’m a very gullible person, so you tell me something, and I’m bound to believe you.”
He smirked. “Good to know.” And he stood up.
I groaned. “Probably shouldn’t have told him that.”
“Ya think?” Matt sat next to me.
“You trust him, don’t you?” I asked.
“Yes…Why?”
“Everyone else doesn’t believe us.”
“Because there not part of our family.”
“Angelica, Jason and Anne don’t even believe us!”
“Look at me, Luna. Our close family. I know we entirely don’t trust him. But we know that his evil days are over. And Jonah told you, about him.”
“How did you.—“
“Big brother.” He pointed to himself. “I know all.” And he got up.
I smiled.
I looked at both my brothers. They were actually getting along. Actually talking. And they actually cared.
I sighed. I’m glad I have two brothers. Wanna know why? Because there twice as fun to annoy.
Chapter 14
As I flipped threw random channels back at Headquarters. I heard Matt and John arguing.
I guess know ones perfect.
“Would you keep it down in there? I’m trying to watch TV!” I yelled.
“Your just flipping threw channels Luna! Don’t lie!” Matt yelled back.
“Oh yeah!” I yelled back.
And that would include me too.
From there was just original brother and sister arguing. We argued about things that had nothing to do with TV.
“Why don’t we all go sit down and watch something.” I said.
I was so regretting sharing a room with these too.
Angelica wanted us to have more bonding time. Hope she has ear muffs.
“Fine.” Matt said. He brushed past me and into the room again.
I sat down in the middle of the coach, John sat on my left and Matt on my right.
After a little while of watching TV. I muted in and said.
“You know what guys?”
“What?” they asked.
“I love you.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” They said. And the each kissed me on the cheek at the same time.
I’d say that was a perfect end to a semi perfect day.
And we lived happily ever after, if that’s what you want to call it.
I still could barely see, but hey, it’s alright.
And in case you were wondering about Ashley. Turned out she was an angel. John didn’t believe that one. But he will in time.
And mom is still in the nut house with all the squirrels. But I have my two older brothers.
The ones I never had. But love.
And who knew they could be so annoying!
And—wait, I can’t tell you that! Read the next book!
THE END
PS: This is Matt, and John. Don’t tell Luna we wrote in her book. She’d kill us.
PSS: This is Luna, you better run you creeps!
Like I said, we lived happily ever after. If that’s what you want to call it.
Chapter 1
I hate being at a good mall and you can’t go shopping.
“Can’t I at least go shopping?” I asked.
Matt shook his head. “No.”
“Why?”
“Because. Your safer here.”
Yeah, he was right, I was. But I was so bored. Being the most wanted person by the Dyed Hair Force, isn’t any fun.
And my big brother was my body guard. Which wasn’t any fun either.
It was my thirteenth birthday, and I was stuck in a mall doing nothing. It was even more boring than my last birthday at the mall.
“But you’ll be with me. And there’s Blonde Force personal everywhere.”
“I said, no. Luna.”
“What ever.” I turned and leaned on the table against my back.
“It’s not a ‘what ever’. Luna.”
“To me it is! I’m bored.”
“Stop acting like your three.”
“You can’t tell me what to do.”
Actually, he could. But he was my brother and these were the kind of arguments siblings had.
Matt turned then. “I can, Luna. You know that. Now just sit down and.—“
“I’m hungry!”
Ok, I knew I was pushing it, but I was really bored.
“I said, stop Luna.”
I crossed my arms and legs and sat back in the booth. I looked at the other people. They were having fun. Unlike me. There lives were normal. Unlike mine. They didn’t know what my life was like, being protected constantly. Your mother trying to kill you and your other older brother trying to kill you too. They didn’t know what it was like to be Luna St. James.
“Hey guys!” Dana called. She walked up with my cousin Jason. They were arm in arm.
I almost gagged. I tried love once. It didn’t work out. The guy turned out to be my older brother.
“Hey, Luna. Having fun?” Dana asked. Sliding into the booth next to me.
Matt shook his head at her.
“Oooh.” Dana wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “At least you get to go see your parents!”
If that was supposed to make me feel better. It didn’t work. I still didn’t know what I was going to tell them. Yeah, mom and dad. I almost got killed at least a thousand times and your not my real parents and I have two older brothers. Real ones. And my so called one, is trying to kill me too.
“Yeah.” I stood up and went over by Matt. I sighed. “That’ll be great.”
I saw Matt, Jason and Dana give each other worried looks. I knew Matt was nervous too. Showing up and my parents didn’t even know who he was.
“Luna! Hey Luna!” Anne Bellum, Jason’s little sister, my cousin and one of my best friends ran up waving her arm in the air.
“What, Anne?” I asked. Trying to sound euphemistic. I put on a fake smile.
“Nail polish just went on sale at Clair’s!”
You will never know how much that made my day.
I looked at Matt. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t even resigter that Anne Bellum had come up at all.
“Can I please go?” I asked.
“What?” Matt said. Hitting a few more buttons.
I sighed. “Can I go to Clair’s with Anne to get some nail polish.” I said, taking each word a couple more syllables than they had.
“No.” Matt said.
“What?” I threw my hands in the air. “That is so unfair!”
“Yeah, Matt. I’ll go with her too. You can come along if it makes you feel better.” Dana said, hoping up to stand by me.
“No.” Matt said again.
“Let the girl have some fun!” Dana protested. “What do you think, Jason?”
Jason put his hands up. “Don’t bring me into this. This is entirely, Matt’s decision.”
We all looked at Matt.
“Fine. But be careful.”
“Yes!” I gave him a hug before I went off with Anne Bellum and Dana.
“And when I say come back, you come back. OK?” he called after us.
“OK!” we said in unison.
As we walked to Clair’s. I finally felt…happy. I was acting like a normal thirteen year old girl, going shopping with her friends. Too bad it wasn’t going to last much longer.
We got to Clair’s and we were soon separated by the crowd of people.
Must be some nail polish fans. I mean obsessed nail polish fans, here.
I went to a spot where there weren’t a lot of people and started to look at the different color nail polishes.
Angelica had warned me about malls and stores and resurants. Someone might be there to kill you. So check for anything out of the ordinary on the product before getting it.
I checked each nail polish bottle carefully.
“Can I help you find something?”
I jumped at the voice. I turned and saw a tall guy with brown hair and blue eyes.
“Um…not thank you.” I said.
“Are you sure? We have some really cool stuff by the check out counter.”
“No thank you.” I said again. Hoping that he would go away. I turned back around and continued to browse along the rack of bottles.
“Are you visiting from somewhere?” the guy asked again.
I tried not to show my frustration. “I live here.” I lied.
“Ooh.”
Yeah, now go away.
“My names, Kurt.”
“Josie.” I lied. Never give out your name to complete strangers when thousands people are trying to kill you.
“That’s a very pretty name.”
Stop flirting and get lost!
I turned around, “It was nice to meet you Kurt.” I said smiling.
“You too, Josie.” He smiled and walked away..
I picked out a light-blue-sparkly-glow-in-the-dark-nail-polish and went to find Dana and Anne Bellum.
“Where have you been?” Dana demanded.
“I was just over there.—“ I pointed to where I was a couple seconds ago.
“We were trying to find you! You can’t pick cool nail polish when your worried sick about your best friend!” Anne cried.
I put my arm around her. “Hey, chill. I’m fine.” I looked over at the check out desk. Kurt was there. And he was doing a bad job of not looking in my direction.
I handed my nail polish to Dana. “Could you buy this for me?” I handed her the money.
“Sure, why?” she asked.
“Because.”
Dana shrugged and Anne Bellum and I walked out of the store to wait for her.
“What was that all about?” she asked.
“Nothing.” I said. I suddenly become very interested in the ceiling.
“Do you like the guy at the checkout counter?”
“No!” I said, a little too quickly.
“Yeah right.” My cousin\best friend crossed her arms. She was very grown up for ten going on eleven. Anne was the smartest kid in the Blonde Force. But she still acted like her age sometimes. Which is fine, you don’t want to grow up too fast!
“I don’t!” I looked down at my black convers.
“Luna St. James. Don’t lie to me! You do.”
“I don’t!”
“Do.”
“Don’t.”
“Do.”
“Don’t.”
“Ok, settle down you two.” Dana said, she handed me the Clair’s bag. “You know, that checkout guy is kinda cute.”
Anne hit her in the arm. “Dana!”
“Your brother is a lot cuter. And I was mentioning it to, Luna.”
I put my hands up. “No, I don’t like him. Now come on.”
We started to walk back. But I got a feeling that someone was watching me. And when your on a Hair Color Force. That feeling is almost right everytime. I turned on my camara in my hair. (It’s not gross. So stop thinking that) And I saw some girl pretending to be talking to someone, but she was watching me. And then I saw another girl doing the same thing.
“Anne…” I said.
“What?”
“There are Dyed in this mall.”
“Ok, don’t panic. I’ll tell Dana.” Anne leaned over and told Dana.
Dana, moved causally over to my other side so that I was flanked by my friends. And whispered into my ear. “I’ve already alerted Matt. He’s coming.”
I nodded. “Thanks.”
She squeezed my hand. “Anything for you, girl friend.”
When we met up with Matt and Jason and we went outside, that’s when Matt really started to freak.
“I shouldn’t have let you go.” He kept saying, he had started pacing. Bad sign.
“I’m fine, Matt. I’m a big girl. I saw them myself ya know.”
“Luna…It’s just…I don’t…we don’t.”
“Ok, now your just speaking gibberish.” Dana said.
Matt shot her a shut up look. I was glad that I was the only one who knew that. Then he turned back to me. “If anything happens to you, then one,” he cleared his throat. “Angelica would fire me.”
Dana, Anne and I let out sighs of disappointment. “Your supposed to say, ‘I would never forgive myself’ Duh.” Dana said.
Matt pressed his lips together. “That too.”
I sighed.
“Now, come on. It’s not safe here. And we have to go see your parents.” He grabbed my hand.
“If only they were my real parents. Then everything would be alright.” I whispered to myself.
We made it to my ‘parents’ house a little before dinner time for them. We all got out of the car. I took a deep breath and went up to the house with Matt.
We didn’t think barging in with five people was a good: ‘I’m home!’ thing. And they needed to know the truth. If they didn’t already.
I knocked on the door. I saw Matt take a deep breath himself and look back at the car.
“It’ll be fine. We won’t get killed or anything.” I said. I turned back to the door just in time for it to be opened.
I put on a smile and opened my mouth to say hi when two little bodies jumped on me knocking me on the steps of the house.
Lucky for me, all the food at Blonde Headquarters builds up your health, so that if you fall or hit something, it won’t hurt as much, or kill you.
“Luna!” Joshua and Lucy screamed. They kept jumping on me.
There heavier than I remember.
“Luna! Are you alright?” Matt cried. He helped me up.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Joshua and Lucy kept jumping up and down and saying my name over and over and asking where I’d been.
“Luna?”
I turned to the door way and saw my ‘mom’. She had tears in her eyes.
I gave her a hug and cried myself. “Mom!”
“Oh, my darling girl.” My mom cried. Hugging me tighter and giving me a kiss on the head.
“What’s all the commission out here?” I heard my ‘dad’ say.
My mom let go so my dad could give me a hug.
I could see Matt standing awkwardly behind me from the side of my eye.
I let go of my ‘dad’ and wiped away the tears in my eyes. And took a breath. “Hey.” I waved and smiled.
“We’re so glad your back! It’s been too long!” My ‘mom’ said. Tearing up again.
My dad saw Matt. “And who’s this?” he gave me a michious look. “Dating already? I don’t know if I approve of that.”
“What? No, no. This is my Matt…um…my…”
“It’s probably best if we discuss this inside.” Matt said.
Always so clam and collected. I wish I was like that.
My ‘mom’ was clearly taken back. “Of course! Come in!” we walked in side, Joshua and Lucy still asking me questions.
“Joshua, Lucy. Give your sister some space and go upstairs and play.” My ‘mom’ said.
I pressed my lips together. Determined not to cry at the sound of ‘sister’.
“But.—“ Lucy and Joshua started.
“No, go upstairs please.”
A couple groans later, they evenitly went up the stairs.
My ‘parents’ led us into the living room. We sat down and Matt set the mood just fine.
“This might be kind of hard to take in, but just…just bare with us.” Matt said. He turned to me and gave me areashering smile he squeezed my hand.
I turned to my once mom and dad. “Mom, dad. This is Matt. My brother.”
My parents both leaned back and widened there eyes. “Don’t be silly, Luna.—“ my mom started.
“No, I’m not silly. I’m telling the truth.”
My mom put a hand on my knee. “Jonah is your brother, sweetie.—“
“No! He’s not!” I pressed my lips together. I didn’t want to talk about Jonah. The traitor.
My mom recoiled, hurt.
I felt bad, but they needed to hear this.
“When I left year and a day ago. I never came back, because…” I swallowed. “Because, I was almost kidnapped by the Dyed Hair Color Force.” I gave Matt a glance. He gave me and smile and squeezed my hand again. “And I was rescued by the Blonde Hair Color Force.”
“We knew that you wouldn’t be coming back when you left that day, honey.” My mom said. “But almost kidnapped?”
I nodded. “Yes, but luckily for me, my fellow Blondes showed up.”
“And what’s this about Jonah?” My dad cut in.
I took a shaky breath. “He’s with the evil people, dad. He’s trying to kill me.”
My father stood up. “Something is clearly wrong with our little girl.” He said.
Something is clearly wrong with my big dad.
“George, sit down, honey.—“ my mom said.
My father turned to me. “Something is very wrong,”
I knew that voice, it was a voice of one of my enemies.
My father flickered and instead of him standing there. John was standing there.
Chapter 2
John strechted his arms. “Goodness, holding posture like that is diffucult.” He turned to me and smiled an evil smile. “Well isn’t it my two little siblings. How nice it is to see you both!” he tipped my chin up. I glared at him.
“Luna, who is this…” my ‘mom’ said. She stood up.
“Mom, don’t. Sit back down.” I said. Trying to hold it together.
Matt pushed John’s hand away from my chin. “Leave her alone, John.” He hissed.
“I never understood why you didn’t like me.” John said, running his fingers threw his sleek black hair.
“Because you’re mean.” Matt said.
I don’t know how he holds it together so well. If I was talking, John would be on the ground. But Matt had a firm hand on my arm holding me down.
My mom still hadn’t sat back down, she was reaching for a book on the couch.
“Mom, don’t.” I said.
My mom was too scared to stop. She grabbed the book and threw it at John.
John turned and blocked the book. “Now, now. No fighting.” He said. He took a step towards my mom.
“No!” I went to stand up, but Matt pushed me back down.
“John, enough.” Matt said. He stood up, still keeping me down.
“If you want me to stop, you’ll let me take my little sister. Sound good?”
“No.” Matt said threw gritted teeth.
Matt was slowly loosing his cool. Slowly though.
John was taller, he was taller than my mom, Matt and I. He was a good 5’11. (I was 5’5 and Matt was 5’7) And he was willing to kill. Something that we weren’t willing to do.
I heard Lucy and Joshua coming down the stairs.
“Matt…” I said.
“Luna…” my mom said. “Who is this?”
John took another step to my mom. “I am their older brother. But they don’t obey me. Isn’t that wrong?”
My mom looked at all of us like we were crazy. “Luna! What did you get yourselve into?” she cried.
“Only the most dangouras game in the world.” I whispered. And no, not the 39 Clues, but that’s pretty close.
The rest happened too fast. Matt lost his cool faster than I thought possible for him. He lunged at John knocking him to the ground. That was my chance, to get mom, Lucy and Joshua out of the house and get Jason, Anne Bellum and Dana to help Matt.
I jumped over my wrestling brothers and grabbed my shocked ‘mom’ by the hand and dragged her to the steps. “Go outside. I have friends out there who will help you. Go.”
“Luna, I can’t.—“
“Go.”
She nodded and ran out the door.
I risked a quick look back in the living room, Matt still had him on the ground. Good.
Joshua and Lucy were crouched on the stairs. Probably listening to what we were talking about.
“Come on guys, who wants to be carried?”
“Me! Me!”
They jumped on me, I could hold them.
Thank you super health food!
I carried them outside. Dana was already with mom and Jason and Anne were already on there way to the house. I handed them Joshua and Lucy.
“Take them back to the car. I’ll go back in.” I said. I started back to the house.
Jason grabbed my arm. “No, we’re going with you.”
“No, I can take care of this. We’re brothers and sister. We have to settle this.” I started again to the house. Anne stopped me.
“We’re part of your family too.”
“I know, but, I have to settle this. Once and for all.”
If only I was braver than I talked. I needed to do this. We were siblings, my ‘mom’ always said that, she couldn’t fix the problem for us. It was our job to make up.
I ran back into the house. I took a quick step back avoiding a dart. I smelled the air where it had flown.
Yep, poison.
“Nice, try, John.” I said.
“Very good reflexes, darling.” John said. He was on his knees and Matt was on the floor breathing hard.
“What did you do?” I said. I narrowed my eyes.
“Well, I had to get him off me somehow!”
I rolled my eyes. “Funny.”
Another dart flew my way. I dodged it again. “You really fail at aiming.”
John stood up, and twirled the gun in his hand and pocketed it. “You got better at dodging, than the last time I saw you.”
He always dressed in black. He never did change his hair color or clothes color like the other Dyed. Maybe he thought it confused people who didn’t know who he was, thinking he was a Black Hair. But he didn’t fool me.
He walked up to me. I regretted not letting them come in.
“Now, are you going to let me take you willingly? Or will I have to drag you all the way to Blonde Head Quarters so you can show me where mother dear is?”
I pressed my lips together and looked up at him. “Neither.”
“I guess it’s the first one then.” He reached for my wrist. He was attempting to put one of those horrible shocking bracelets on. But I wasn’t going to let him do that.
I crawled under his legs at the last moment to Matt. “Matt, are you alright?”
“I’m fine…just…run…ok?”
“Why? Because you’ll loose your job?” I smirked.
He gave me a shut up look. “Just…run…”
I went to stand up but John pushed me back down and I felt that cold hard silver on my wrist. And then, the pain,
“Ow!” I screamed. I shook my arm, trying to make the pain go away.
John grabbed me by the arms and pulled me up. “I said it was going to be number one, darling.”
“Don’t…call…me that…” I said.
Matt sat up. “Leave her alone, John. Take me instead.”
I shook my head.
“Why would the Dyed want you? We want DNA from her.”
“What for?”
“I’m not stupid, little brother.”
I saw the frustration in Matt’s face. He was trying to help me.
I tried to pull away, but I just got more pain.
“Stop that!” I screamed. Electricity was the only thing that really hurt someone, even with super health food.
Matt was clutching his right side.
“What did you do?” I said again.
“Just something that will hurt him for awhile. Might even make him sick too.” He shrugged. “Who knows.”
“Who knows?”
John pulled me to the door. “If you just obey me, than there won’t be that much pain. Got it?”
“No, I don’t’ get it. And you totally avoided my question.” More pain. “Seriously, stop that.” I said.
John reached for the door knob and turned it. “Maybe I’ll give you a sticker if you cooperate.”
Then the door flew open knocked John off his feet. I was lucky that someone had grabbed my hand so I wouldn’t fly back with him.
“Always wanted to do that.” Jason said. He pulled me outside. I heard police sirens.
“We better get out of here.” I said. We didn’t want the police or the government to know about the Hair Color Forces, if they knew, well…let’s just say…we want to keep it to ourselves.
“Agreed. Let’s go.” Jason said. We ran to the car.
Dana and Anne came out of the house with Matt. He was moaning now.
I helped them get him in the back of the convertible. The white convertible. (duh)
I opened the passenger seat door. “Wait, what about mom and.—“
“There fine, we dropped them off at a friends house and told them we’d explain everything later.” Anne said. She pushed me into the car and closed the door.
Dana hopped into the back with Anne and Matt. “Let’s go! John will have a lot to answer for once the police get here.”
Jason hopped in the driver seat and turned the car on and stepped on the gas.
Back to Headquarters. Where it’s safe.
Chapter 3
“You really should have let us come in with you.” Jason said.
“That is the longest sentence; I’ve heard you say in like ever.” I teased. “Hey! Ow!”
The blonde beside me was trying to pull off the silver bracelet John had put on me. And they guy was failing epicly to get it off.
“Sorry, Luna. Just let me try something else. It looks like your brother was prepared for something like this.” The blonde guy said. Reaching for another tool that would probably hurt too.
“I can take care of myself, Jason.” I said. Wincing as the blonde dude pulled.
“You can’t. That’s why you should have let us help you. You wouldn’t be having this problem!”
Jason was usually quiet. And I’d wish he’d just go back to being quiet.
“Fine. Whatever. OW!”
The guy took one more pull and the bracelet was off. I rubbed my wrist. “Thanks.” I said. I stood up and started to walk away. Jason followed.
“You should really start aspirating us helping you, Luna.” Jason said.
“Well, I am kinda sick of being locked up.”
“But if we don’t do that, then you’ll get killed.”
“Ha! You just admitted locking me up!”
Jason sighed.
I was difficult. Yeah, I was. But you get that way when people are trying to kill you and you constantly are being locked up.
We continued to walk through Blonde Headquarters. The boys were in white jump suits with gloves. And girls were in white trench coats with white pants, boots, shirts and gloves
It was the same for all Hair Color Forces. Except for the different colors.
The Brown Hair Color Force was green.
The Black Hair Color Force was black.
The Red Head Hair Color Force was red.
The Blonde Hair Color Force was white.
And the Dyed Hair Color Forces wore whatever color they felt like it. But my mom seemed to like purple. That’s what color their Headquarters was.
It was the end of summer, and everyone was getting ready for classes to begin. Angelica almost went with the idea with school all year around. But multiple people tore that idea down.
“Luna, just answer me.” Jason pleaded.
I turned to him. “Stop harassing me, Jason! I feel bad enough as it is.” I turned back around and went into Room 12.
Room 12 was for girls twelve through seventeen. And Room 13 was for girls older than seventeen. Room 14 was for boys twelve through seventeen. And Room 15 was for boys older than seventeen.
Lucky for me, no boys were allowed in girls rooms.
I went to my bunk. (bunk 11) and I climbed to the top and sighed.
I should probably go see Matt.
Matt was in the Infirmary. He was hurt bad. And I knew it. John knew it.
John knew that without Matt, I didn’t have a protector or a big brother.
I took a shaky breath. Just control yourself, Luna. Sure, John posed as your dad. Sure he almost killed Matt. Sure he almost kidnapped you. But everything will be alright.
“Luna, what are you doing?”
I groaned. Jessica had entered the room.
Now, Jessica, that’s an interesting story to tell. Was posing as a Blonde to get me, with the help up Matt. It’s a long story. Anyway, she turned out to be a Dyed. And her and her brother Marcus. A former Red Head. Were the meanest people I’ve known in my entire life. Aside John and evil Becky mom. But I had turned them both nice. But I wasn’t so sure that they had really turned nice. Since I’d come back, they’ve been acting suspicious. So I had to watch my step around them.
I looked down at Jessica. Her blonde hair always looked perfect.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“What are you doing?” Jessica climbed up onto my bunk.
“Thinking. What are you doing?”
“Just was walking by and saw you sitting all alone on your bed. Thought you’d like some company.”
“No thanks, I’m fine thank you.” I rolled my eyes and jumped off the bed. Jessica followed me.
“Marcus and I are really surprised about how smart you Blondes are.”
I stopped. And turned around. “You know, Jessica. I don’t really care about anything you have to say. So just go back to your brother and talk about all the things you ‘Dyed’ talk about.”
Even though they had turned ‘good’ they were still prisoners. Angelica thought it was safer if it was that way. And Jessica and Marcus were acting strange all of a sudden.
Jessica grabbed my arm. “You know, sweetie, we really want to go see your mom. And to talk. Help her turn good. Like you turned us good.”
“Do you think I’m stupid Jessica?” I snapped.
She let go. “I guess your not.” She turned to go. “See you later, sweetie.”
I stood watching her walk back down the hall.
She hadn’t called me sweetie since she was turned ‘good’ something was up.
Lucky for me, I didn’t even know where my mom was kept in Blonde Headquarters. Only Angelica and a few others knew. Matt and I weren’t allowed near her. And it didn’t bother me. I’d rather have her locked up where she can’t hurt anymore people.
“And by the way,” I heard Jessica yell. “Don’t yell at your cousin, he’s just trying to help you!”
I clenched and unclenched my fists, and walked on.
I needed someone who understands me to talk to. That someone is Matt. I probably needed that day to talk with God about all my problems, but I thought that God wouldn’t want to hear me complain and say I’m sorry. I didn’t think anyone wanted to, except Matt. And he was in a state just to stare and nod and say ‘uh-huh’ every once and awhile, as I ramble.
I knocked on the door to the room where Matt was being treated. For what, we still didn’t know.
A croaky ‘come in’ came from the other side of the door. I opened it.
“Matt?”
Matt was on a white hospital bed. He was straight on his back. He was in his Hair Color Force suit still. He should have taken it off. He would be more cofterble in a hospital gown.
I never really understood why Matt had freakles splashed across his nose. He was blonde! But anything’s possible with God.
I swallowed hard. I hope that He heals Matt. I couldn’t live without him.
I pulled up a chair by the bed and sat down. I rubbed his arm. “How you feeling?” I asked.
He took my hand in his and sqeezed it. “Just fine.” He croaked. And then a fit of coughing came. He didn’t stop coughing for another couple seconds.
“Your not ‘just fine’ Matt.” I said.
“I am.” He croaked. “Just a cold.”
I squeezed his hand and tried not to cry. “It’s not a cold, Matt. It’s some strange disease that John gave you.” Or poison.
Matt waved his other hand. “I’ll be up and bossing you around before you know it.” He coughed again.
I laid down on his arm. “I don’t want you to die.” I whispered. The tears fell silently.
“I won’t.” he whispered back. He ran his fingers through my hair as I cried.
I felt his pulse and it wasn’t normal. Something was wrong with my older brother. Something was killing him from the inside out.
And I was going to find an antidote and make John pay.
Chapter 4
“Luna, I don’t think this is a good idea.” Anne Bellum hurried to catch up with me.
I had put on normal clothes and I wasn’t going to change my mind. “I want them to find me, Anne.”
“This is a bad idea. My mom won’t hear of it.”
“I don’t care with Angelica thinks. I’m going back down there and I know that John will want to do it himself. So I am going to make him tell me what Matt has and how we can cure it and I’ll make him pay.”
Anne pulled me back. My just curled hair splashed in my face. I pushed it back. “What?” I snapped.
“This is a bad idea.” She said slowly.
I wasn’t usually like this. I was half and half. Calm like Matt and tempered like John. And when I got mad, I got mean.
I pulled my arm away and straightened my jean jacket. I looked like Taylor Swift. I’m sure if someone saw me from behind they’d think I was. But I wasn’t going out for that. I was going out for revenge.
“My mom made it clear that you weren’t going anywhere without Matt.” Anne said.
“Matt is sick, Anne! Or haven’t you noticed?”
Anne looked hurt. “Fine. Do what you like. But don’t come back to me unless you want to hear a ‘told you so’. If you come back…” And she stomped off.
I felt bad for snapping at her. I knew she was right. I knew I was putting Head Quarters and myself in danger.
I gulped. I didn’t want to think about what the Dyed would do to me if they caught me.
But I hadn’t been training for a year for nothing. I still had those shoes that Mr. Aqua gave me that made the wearer stay in one place. I helped with John was trying to drag me to my doom. And that was my first real meeting with him. Before, he pretended to be my age and try to date me. Which is just…wrong.
Ok, I’m off topic.
I sneaked my way into the terminal. I could fly a plane, but I didn’t have my official license for it yet. So if I get caught by anyone. I’m toast.
I climbed into a white plane and turned it on. I didn’t bother putting the head piece on.
I opened the terminal doors and flew out.
*
I browsed threw the store, looking at things that only normal girls wear. I kept one eye on what I was looking at on the racks and the other around me. Just waiting for some person to jump out at me.
I ran my fingers threw my curly hair.
“Excuse me, can I.—“
I whirled around, waiting for the person to jump on me.
It wasn’t a Dyed. It wasn’t a Blonde.
It was Kurt.
I never thought I’d see him again. I forgot which store I had been in that one day. I didn’t want to remember that day. That day was my birthday, and one of the worst days of my life.
“Oh…Joise…it’s you!” he sounded happy.
I just stood and gaped.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you…so…um…what have you’ve been up to?”
He was probably fifteen. Or sixteen. He was very tall. I mean, very tall. Like 6’1 or something. I was 5’5. He was six inches taller than me. He kind of made me think of John. I shivered.
“Are you cold? You want me to get you something to drink?”
He was so nice. And if I wasn’t so lonely and sick of life at that very moment. I would have thought he was someone evil, trying to hurt me.
I smiled. “No, no. I’m fine, thank you.”
“I’ve been thinking about you these past couple of days.”
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow.
He nodded. “And I was wondering…even thought we haven’t known each other that long…would you…um…”
“Oh Luna! Hi!”
A girl with purple hair came running up to me.
“Excuse me, Kurt. I have to go…” I said.
He looked sad. “Alright, you want to meet up with me, later? Say twelve?”
“Yeah, sure!” I called. I had already brushed passed the girl with purple hair. She kept yelling me name, and telling me to stop.
I jumped into one of those halls where the staff rooms are and climbed the wall and sat in the corner. Holding my breath.
The girl stopped at the opening of the hall. She looked around. But she didn’t look up.
And they say Blondes are dumb.
The girl talked into a mic in her jacket. “Lost her. She’s not as dumb as she looks.”
People have said that to me a lot. They always said that I was smarter than I looked. Or not as dumb. I never understood why people thought Blondes where stupid to begin with. Probably some old rumor that one of the other Hair Color Forces started.
I jumped down after the girl had ran on. I looked around, I saw a door that said: Back Steps. Staff Only
Well, today I become staff. I opened the door and climbed the steps.
“You there!” I turned to see a guy running up the steps behind me. I had a feeling he wasn’t with Mall Security. I continued to run up the steps. I made it to the camera room. I saw the camera in Clair’s. Kurt was fine.
I let out a sigh of relief. I was starting to have some feelings about this guy.
“Aww, I’m glad your starting to have an interest in boys, sweetie.”
I whirled around to see Jessica and Marcus behind me. Marcus closed the door off to the stairs. I looked behind me, just slightly. There was another door. And it was to the roof steps.
As they got in closer, I backed up to the door.
Jessica was wearing a white jacket with a mini skirt and ciprees. Her hair was dyed purple.
Marcus was wearing a white jacket too. He didn’t have a mini skirt on. Thank goodness. He was taller than Jessica and me. His shoulders had gotten broader. And his read hair got orangeish. I wonder if he could pass as a Dyed.
“Just come with us, sweetie. You’ll be able to see your brother again!” Jessica said soothingly.
“Please clarify, Jessica. Which one? I have three.” I said. Reaching for the handle on the door.
“Why, Jonah of course! He misses you!”
“He betrayed me.”
“Only to serve the Dyed! And this is for your own good! Just come with us and we’ll get some of your DNA. And we’ll have our older leader back again. Because you Blondes took our old one.” The hatered in her voice didn’t last long. “Please, Luna?”
“No.” I turned the knob.
Jessica sighed a sad sigh. “Then I’ll just have to have Marcus drag you out of here screaming.” She smiled and held up one of those horrible bracelets.
I tried to control my breathing. I threw open the door just as Marcus reached for me and I ran out. I took the steps three at a time.
I heard Jessica yelling at Marcus.
They sure haven’t changed.
I climbed the steps until I got to the roof.
“Either, I jump and kill myself. Or I stand here and let them kill me instead.” I pondered that for a second. “I’ll jump.”
I ran to the edge and took a deep breath and jumped. But someone grabbed my arm before I could get far. I looked up.
“Jonah?!”
He pulled me up. “Luna, are you ok?” he asked.
“I’m fine! No thanks to you!” I tried to get his hand off me. “You’re hurting me!”
“I’m just here to help you.”
“You smell funny.”
“Thanks. It’s hair dye. Now come on.” He started to pull me. Something wasn’t right. I was getting coned. As Kat Bishop would say.
“Enough Marcus!” I yelled. I kicked his arm and did a complete back flip and ran to the side and jumped.
Bad idea.
I didn’t look down when I jumped. Which usually would have been a bad idea. But I heading right for traffic.
“Josie!” I heard someone scream.
I saw out of the corner of my eye Kurt, holding out his arm from the mall window.
Was he serious?
I reached for it and he actually grabbed me and pulled me threw the window. I landed on the floor, trying to regain my breath.
He was breathing hard too. “What was that all about?” he asked.
“Long story.”
“Can I have the short version then?”
“Stunts. I like doing stunts.”
He nodded. “Ok.”
I didn’t think he believed me.
I stood up. “I have to go.” I said turning for the door.
“Wait!” Kurt reached for my arm. He was faster than I thought.
“What?” I asked.
“Um…want to meet up again?”
“I-I can’t, Kurt.”
“Why?”
“It’s just too complicated.” I said, pushing his arm off mine.
I almost gave in. I almost didn’t walk away. I almost admitted that he was cutest guy that I had ever laid eyes on. But I walked away. I had too. Matt needed help. And I was going to give it to him.
Chapter 5
“Luna St. James! Come back right now.—“ Angelica yelled into the phone.
“I can’t hear you!” I sang. “Going threw a tunnel!” which probably wasn’t the smartest thing to say, considering that our phones never lost signal.
“Luna! I want you back at Headquarters now. Do you hear me? NOW.”
She didn’t’ sound like a concerned aunt. She sounded like a mad Leader.
“I don’t want to!” I yelled.
“Stop acting like your two, Luna. Get back to Head Quarters. Or I come and get you myself. And that won’t be pleasant. Believe me.”
“I’m not coming back. You aren’t trying to help save Matt. So I am!” I shut my cell phone and pocketed.
I was on a dirt road. Somewhere. Going…Somewhere.
I soon came to a small café. With internet. Thank goodness. I got on the internet with my phone and checked my Facebook accout.
I decided to find Kurt on Facebook, so that maybe, just maybe, I’d be able to meet up with him again someday.
I asked to be his friend and then like right away, he accepted and started to chat with me.
I told him I had to go.
He said ok. And did a sad face. I got off and went to the counter and bought a coffee.
“You look sad, honey.” The lady said. As she made my coffee.
I sighed. “No.”
The lady laughed. “Uh-huh. Is it boys? Yeah, I know how ya feel.”
How did she make such a good guess?
If I was a normal person, I would have been like, oh yeah, your right. And not think about it again. But I wasn’t a normal person, I was the most wanted person by the Dyed.
The lady gave me the coffee and I quickly gave her the money and hurried back out the door.
“Come back soon, ya hear?” she called. She smiled.
I ran out and looked into the window, she was gone.
I was right.
I hurried back down the dirt road.
“Oh Luna! Come with us!” I heard three voices sing.
I stopped.
I turned.
And there were three teenage girls. Same height. Same hair. Same everything.
“Come with us, honey!” they sang in Western accents.
“No.” I said.
“Aww, why not?” they said in usion.
“Stop talking like that! It’s creepy!”
The three blue dressed blue haired girls stopped. They looked hurt.
“Aww, you hurt our feelings!” they said.
I covered my ears. “Stop!”
“We only want to help.” The one girl said. I looked up and they were all around me. I tried to jump back. But the two girls behind me were blocking my escape.
The girl, who I noticed, was a little taller than the rest. She tipped my chin.
“You look a lot like your brother.” She said.
“Which one?” I asked sarcastically.
“Well, John of course.”
“And she would know.” The girl behind me said.
“Yeah.” The other said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well the date each other!”
“Yeah, duh!”
I completely stopped breathing. “What?”
“Shocking isn’t it?” the taller girl put down her hand and looked at her nails. “He’s such a nice boy. And you look so much like him!”
“We have nothing in common.” I hissed.
“Of course you do! You silly girl!” she ruffled my hair.
That was a bit too far.
I grabbed her arm as she lifted it away. “Don’t touch me.”
She got her arm out of my grip. And looked me in the eye. “And you say you don’t have any thing in common.” She laughed, a cold, frightening laugh.
She was right. John and I did have something in common. We both had anger issues. At least I was half and half. Half Matt, half John.
The taller girl stepped back. “We’ll see you later, honey.”
“Wait, your not here to kidnap me?” I asked. I was totally confused.
The girls behind me laughed. “No, silly. Why would we? Colleen just wanted to meet you!”
I stared at the girl now called Colleen in front of me. “I’m so confused.”
“John said you were a lot of trouble. But I don’t think so. If I can handle him, I can handle you.” She ruffled my hair again. I didn’t even bother to glare. I just stood there, gaping at her.
“We’ll see you later, honey!” Colleen said waving as they walked away.
The other girls turned before they followed. “John will be back for you. You can count on it.” They smiled evil smile. And walked back with sister. If that’s who they really were to her.
I noticed just then that I was in more danger in ever. Somehow, these sisters, or gorgons, knew how to find me. And I needed to find out how.
And now John was coming for me.
I swallowed. Oh Lord, help me.
“Luna, are you alright?” Matt asked.
He still sounded really sick.
“I-I’m ok.”
“Your not. Where are you?”
I took a shaky breath into the phone. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? Aren’t you at Headquarters?”
“No. I’m not.”
“Why not? Luna, get back in Headquarters! Your safer here.—“
“I know! I just needed to help you.”
“You were helping me by being safe.”
“I’m so scared, Matt.” I cried.
“Come back, Luna. Everything will be fine. I’m feeling fine.” He started to cough.
“You’re not ok!” I started to choke up.
“I’ll be fine if you come home! Do you understand?”
“Y-yeah.”
“Ok, call Angelica and tell her to come pick you up. Alright?”
“Alright.”
“Ok, I love you.” He said.
“I love you too.” I whispered.
I put the phone down. And swallowed my tears. I dialed Angelica’s number.
“Luna! Are you.—“
“I’m fine! Just please come pick me up! And…I’m sorry.”
“Oh, sweetheart. No one blames you for leaving. I’ll send Jason.—“
“No!”
“What?”
“Can you come instead?”
She laughed. “Of course I can. Activate your tracer.”
“I will.”
“Ok. I’ll be right there. Don’t move.”
I hung up and sat down on a bench.
Everything will be alright.
If only that were true.
Angelica came a little bit later. I gave her a hug and I cried into her shoulder.
“Shhh.” She stroked my hair. “I’m here now.”
“Are you really here? Or is it just some Dyed?”
“Oh sweetheart. It’s me.”
I just cried harder. “I was so scared.”
“I know.”
“I was scared for Matt. And when I’m scared. I’m mean, and I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you.”
“Ok.” I took a breath and looked up at her and smiled. She smiled back.
When we made it back to Head Quarters. I didn’t want anyone asking me where I’ve been, so I hurried to Room 12.
I quickly changed.
Just as I pulled on my last glove, I ask tackled by a hug.
“Oh Luna! Your back! Thank God!”
I laughed. “I’m fine. I told you I could handle myself.” I gently pushed Anne off me.
“Anything happen while I was gone?” I asked.
“No not really.” She leaned in. “Don’t tell anyone I said this…but…the Brown Hairs are mad at us.”
“What for?”
“They say it was wrong of us to take the Dyed Commander away from the Dyed.”
“That’s stupid.”
“I know. But it’s just a rumor. No one knows if it’s true or not. But some are saying that they might take over Blonde HQ and keep as all here, trapped. And let Becky go.”
I leaned back my mouth open. “No! That’s like…wrong.”
“I know. But there all about world peace and green.”
“That’s annoying.”
Anne shrugged. “It’s just their way of life. Nothing wrong with that. But it’s just a rumor.”
“Let’s hope that it’s not true.”
*
People say I’m guilble. Which is probably true.
I gaped at the chat that just came in from Kurt. He just asked me out. On Facebook! Wrongness is happening here!
I didn’t know what to do. Say yes? Or say no?
I was on my bunk bed in Room 12. I really wasn’t supposed to be on the computer. But…I didn’t want Kurt to feel like I left him or something.
I was still gaping at the computer when he typed:
You can think on it.
I typed back. Um…I have to go Kurt bye.
I closed the laptop before he could answer.
I knew that probably ended are very short friendship. Very, very short friendship.
I knew that he would be mad at me. And that he would ignore me for awhile.
And I was right.
When I tried to chat to him again, he didn’t answer.
And the bad news was, Matt found out about him.
“Delete him.” Matt said. He was sitting up in the hospital bed.
“Why?” I whined.
“Because I said so!”
I looked down at my hands. “Your not my dad.”
“Luna…I’m just trying to protect you. Who cares if he’s mad?” he lifted up my face to his. “He’s missing out on a chance to date you later.”
I laughed. Then I became sober again.
“It’s his problem that he’s doing wrong.” Matt said.
I had told him that Kurt had had a girl friend on there and then it changed two days later.
“I know.”
“You shouldn’t try to change him. God’s got it. It’s in His hands now.”
I nodded. Matt was right. I was wrong. That’s how it usually went.
I smiled. “Ok.”
“Say it.”
“Say what?”
“Say it.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “You were right.”
“Thank you.”
I laughed and got up and kissed him on the cheek
We really did have a strange bother and sister relationship.
Chapter 7
The next couple of weeks where all about school.
Getting all the teachers background checks. Checking the locks. Checking everyone’s hair to make sure they weren’t Dyed.
And this was all because of me. And everyone knew it.
“Good going, Luna! I had to have all my hair scanned because of you!”
“I’m all dizzy now because of you!”
The words stung. A lot.
“Just ignore them.” Anne said. My cousin wrapped her arm around my shoulders.
“I know.” I lied.
“Then why aren’t you?” Dana asked. Blowing on her just painted nails.
“Because.”
“Because isn’t an answer you know.” Dana said.
“I know.”
“Than why did you say it?” Dana yelled, practically in my ear.
I rubbed my ear. “Because.”
She threw her hands in the air. “I’m getting no where!”
“Luna, what’s wrong?” Anne asked.
I took a shaky a breath and put on a elastic smile. “Nothing.” I assured them.
I hadn’t told them about Kurt yet. And I wasn’t planning on it. I wouldn’t see him again anyway. No need to have a rumor spread about me. Another stupid-annoying-not-true rumor. I held my tongue so I wouldn’t curse aloud loud.
My cousin looked at me, worry filled her eyes. And then she looked away and she smiled. “Hey, look! It’s Matt with Jason!”
I tried to smile. I did. I tried to run and give Matt and hug. I really did. But I was too sad a depressed to do anything.
I put on a very plaster like smile I knew my older brother would see through.
Matt was leaning on Jason as the slowly made their way down the hall. He smiled at me when I came up to them. But then it quickly faded.
I was right, he saw right through my smile.
I sighed and started to shake my leg and look around while Anne Bellum asked Matt tons of questions.
“How do you feel? Are you in pain? Oh, I hope not.” Anne said.
Matt tried to answer her questions but he kept stealing glances at me. He caught my eye and asked me.
What’s wrong?
Nothing. I said back.
Uh-huh.
I sighed again and my leg shook anymore. (in case you were wondering, that means I’m nervous)
What’s wrong. He mouthed.
Nothing! I snapped back the same way.
He looked at me. We’ll talk about this later.
I sighed again.
He looked at me for another second and then he turned his attention back to Anne. Who hadn’t stopped for his answers.
“School’s starting soon! Are you going to join the classes? I hope so!”
Matt smiled. “I’m not sure yet, Anne. It depends on what the doctors say.”
“Well I hope you can. Then Luna can actually feel safe.”
Matt glanced at me. I didn’t meet his gaze.
“She doesn’t feel safe?” Matt asked. Still looking at me.
Anne nodded her head. “She’s been acting all strange. I think she doesn’t feel safe without you around.”
Thanks Anne for telling me what I might feel to my older brother.
This wasn’t true. I felt safe. I just couldn’t get Kurt out of my mind. I knew that he hated me now. I knew he wouldn’t talk to me for like ever. But I felt bad that no one was helping him with his girlfriend problem.
“Ooh.” Matt said. I knew he didn’t believe Anne. He knew what was wrong. Then he said. “Excuse me Anne.” He whispered to Jason. And Jason let him walk on his own. He came up to me, wrapped his arm around me and walked down the hall.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing!”
“Well when Anne says something is wrong, something is wrong.”
“It’s just…”
“What?”
“It’s just…I feel bad for Kurt. I feel like I want to help him.”
“It’s not your job. Like I said before, God’s got it.”
“I just…” I groaned. He would never see it my way.
“You need to relax. And hey,” he turned to me and put his hands on my shoulders. “Don’t believe anything that those rumors going around. And don’t listen to what people are saying. It’s for their protection too.”
I nodded. “Ok.”
“Ok?”
I nodded again.
“Ok.” He smiled.
I didn’t feel any better. That feeling inside of me just wouldn’t go away.
The next day, everything went wrong.
The locks all thought that someone was trying to break in, so everyone was trapped between lasers in every room. And since one robot follows me around in the ceiling. It thought that I would be safer up there. Which was true. But since the locks kept going crazy, it kept pulling me up there.
“Let me out!” I banged on the ceiling floor.
The robot was holding me by the waist, and it had been over ten minutes, it was starting to hurt.
And it was also programmed if that I started to freak and started to scream, it would cover my mouth. And it did.
I grabbed it and tried to get it off.
I heard sirens.
This usually didn’t happen. Usually it would let me down once Angelica hit a button in her office. Sirens meant that this was serious.
I heard running feet.
“Where’s Luna?” Anne cried.
“We have that robot, she’s in the ceiling somewhere.” Jason answered.
And they ran past.
I groaned. Come on. Nothing can be really wrong.
But when the robot shut down and I fell threw the ceiling. I changed my mind.
I pushed myself up. The sirens kept going off. I heard a creaking noise. I looked up and rolled out of the way just in time. My robot fell to the floor.
I scrambled to my feet. I pulled out my laser gun.
The sirens got louder.
Something was terribly wrong.
“Guuuuys.” I called. “What’s going ooon?”
I took a deep breath. Nothing is wrong. Everything is fine.
I climbed the steps to where Angelica had her office. I stepped inside, “Angelica?”
No one was in there.
Never mind. Something is wrong.
I ran back out and down a hallway when an arm grabbed me by the hand and I was pulled forward and someone else’s lips touched mine.
The last time I got kissed, was by Matt. And that was when I didn’t know he was my brother and he was trying to kidnap me. Or kill me. I never asked him which.
A hand went around my waist pulling me forward.
I was so freaked out.
When I finally pushed back.
I saw who was kissing me.
“Kurt?!” I cried.
He looked down at me. “What? Can’t I have some fun?
Matt had said that too. I was hoping that Anne Bellum would be there to ask him why kissing was fun.
I wiped my mouth on my sleeve. Ew. Gross. He kissed me! Ew, ew , ew , ew.
I looked at Kurt. He wasn’t wearing his Clair’s uniform. He was dressed as a Brown Hair. Which was bad. Very bad.
“W-w-what are you doing here?” I asked, trying to pry his arm off my waist.
He shrugged. “Nothing. Just invading.”
“WHY?”
“Hey! I didn’t mean to offend you!”
“You didn’t!” I groaned. I said it slowly. “Why are you invading us?”
“Because, you took the Dyed Commander. And that isn’t right.”
“Why isn’t right?” I asked.
“No more questions, Josie. Or should I say, Luna St. James. The most wanted person by the Dyed.”
“Whatever.” Man, was he annoying. “Let go.” I said.
He did, but he grabbed me by the arm instead. And dragged me along. My laser gun had flown across the hall when he had grabbed me.
“Let go!”
“Chill.”
I groaned again.
“Sir!” We turned to see another Brown Hair run up.
“What is it?” Kurt asked.
“We found where they put the Commander. But we can’t figure out the code.”
“If you could break their security system. Then you can break the lock!” Kurt said through gritted teeth.
“We tried! It’s force fielded. It’s more protected then anywhere else!”
Kurt thought for moment. And then looked at me. “Do you know the pass code?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes! I don’t even know where they keep my mom!”
“Your mom?”
Oops.
I pressed my lips together.
“What do we do sir?” the Brown Hair asked.
Kurt sighed. “Find someone who knows.”
“Take them by force? But.—“
“No buts! These Blondes are smart. Do what it takes, just no real pain. Understood?”
“Yes sir!” the Brown Hair ran off.
Kurt leaned down, “Do you know who, by chance, knows the pass code?”
I didn’t answer.
He stood up again and started to walk. “Fine.” He let go of my arm and I ran.
I skidded to a stop when I saw Anne being dragged along the floor. She was kicking and screaming.
I reached for my gun. But it wasn’t there.
I sighed. The old fashion way it is.
I ran up and kicked both the guys out grabbing Anne by the hand and pulling her into a counter. “Are you alright?” I asked.
She swallowed I knew were tears. “Yeah. Are you ok?”
“I’m fine. Just…Yeah, I’m fine.”
“They wanted me to open the door to where my mom keeps Becky.”
“You know the pass code?”
She nodded.
I looked around the corner. “There here to invade us.”
“What was your first clue?”
I didn’t say what my first clue was. My first clue was Kurt.
“Anyway, we need to get to the others.”
“Where are they?”
“Follow me!”
We ran to a small room where all the Blondes had gathered together. Or been forced together.
Angelica was trying to calm everyone down.
“Don’t worry everyone! I’ll just talk to their Commander and.—“ she saw us and ran to Anne and gave her a hug.
“Are you alright? I shouldn’t have ever told you the code!” She looked up at me. “Are you alright, Luna?”
I nodded and took a deep breath. “Yeah. Where’s Matt?”
“He’s over there.” He pointed to a corner where Matt’s hospital bed was. I ran over to him. “Are you alright?” we asked at the same time.
“I’m fine.” We answered together.
We didn’t smile.
“Matt.” I said.
“What?”
“Kurt’s here.”
Worry and dread came across his face. “What did he do?” he started to get up. I pushed him back down.
“He.—We need to get them out of here.”
“Luna, answer my question.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Luna, what did he do?”
“He kissed me! Alright?”
Matt stared at me. And then his older brother wrath kicked in. He got up this time.
“Matt, your still sick, sit back down.—“ I tried.
He went up to Angelica and whispered in her ear.
I don’t want everyone to know!
She looked at him and then at me. And nodded.
Great.
She motioned for me to come to her.
I groaned. I obeyed and walked up to her.
“Matt said that this boy…Kurt?” she looked at Matt, he nodded. “Kissed you.”
I bit my lip and nodded.
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“How did you meet him?”
“At Clair’s on my birthday.”
“Why did he kiss you?” she tried again.
“He asked me out and I told him no and now he hates me.”
“So he kissed you?” she raised any eyebrow.
“Ask him if you don’t believe me.”
“I believe you, Luna. It’s just…strange…That’s all.” She turned when the door opened. And Kurt came back in with one girl Brown Hair and one boy.
“Ok, I want open that door. But I can’t unless I have the pass code. Who knows it?” Kurt swept his gaze across the room. It fell on me.
I stepped back and bumped into Matt. I took a deep breath. Matt was there.
“Are you sure you don’t know the pass code, love. Or do you just like to get me angry?” Kurt asked as he made his way threw the crowd of terrified Blondes towards me.
“I don’t know it.” I said.
Kurt scared me. He was tall and he was scary.
“Are you sure?”
“I don’t know it!” I yelled at him. “Stop picking on me!”
Kurt looked up at Matt. “And you are?”
“Her older brother. And unless you want me to knock you uncoussness I’d step back from her.” Matt eyes narrowed.
Kurt smiled. “Fine.” He stepped back.
Matt moved me behind him. “Thank you.” With his eyes still narrowed to went up to Kurt. “And may I ask you why you kissed my sister?”
Gasps went around the room. And everyone looked at me and then at Kurt. Some started whispering to each other. Others glared at me. Or glared at Kurt.
I saw Anne, Jason and Dana cross their arms and death glare Kurt.
At least they weren’t mad at me. Like everyone else was. Like it was my fault the guy kissed me!
Kurt shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve always wanted to grab someone and pull them and kiss them.” He shrugged again. “Don’t you ever want to do that?”
Matt looked back at me. Who is this guy? He asked with his eyes.
A jerk I said back.
“Well?” Kurt asked.
“I’m never kissing anyone again.”
“Why?”
I knew why. The last time he kissed someone. It was to kill them and it was me. I knew he wouldn’t want to kiss anyone again until his wedding.
Matt looked back at me again. “Because.”
“Because isn’t an answer.”
“Shut up!”
The whisperings stopped. The glares went to shocked faces. And the silence was deafening.
Matt never yelled at someone. He didn’t even yell at mom. Or even John.
I smiled. Take it all out on Kurt, Matt.
“Why don’t you do yourself a favor and leave my sister alone. Or better yet. Leave altogether.”
Kurt smiled as he pulled his glove on tighter. “I can’t do the second one. And the first one is pretty hard also…”
And I knew why. I was too gullible. You could tell me anything and I’d believe it. If you told me that gullible wasn’t’ in the dictionary. I would believe you.
“Leave.” Matt said. He pointed to the door. “There’s the door.”
“No can do. The Commander wants the Dyed Commander let go. And we’re not leaving until then. So…if you’re not going to give us the pass code, then I’ll just have to put this building on…LOCKDOWN.”
All our security went wacky, if it wasn’t already. The shutters closed and the lights went off.
And screams were blocked out by the realization that…we were trapped.
Chapter 8
“MATT!” I screamed.
“I’m over here, Luna.” I felt his arms around me. “It’s alright.”
I held back tears. “What’s going on?” my voice shook.
“I don’t know. But it’ll be fine.”
Fine? Fine? My life hasn’t been fine! It’s been un fine!
“You do know. Don’t you?”
I felt him take a deep breath. “No, I don’t.”
I was afraid of that.
“Luna! Matt! Are you alright?” I heard Anne and then I felt her. She ran right into me.
“We’re fine.” Matt said.
Then I heard Anne scream.
“Anne!” I reached to where she was standing.
But someone else grabbed me. And I screamed.
“Luna!” I heard Matt yell.
Someone had wrapped their arm around my waist and they were carrying me. “Put me down.—“ a hand went over my mouth.
Then I was thrown. And I landed on the floor.
The lights flickered on and I saw that all the girls had been tossed in the same room.
A girl with brown hair smiled. She wiped her hands together. “Have a nice stay.” And she closed the door and the click of the lock hovered in the air.
“We’re doomed.” Dana said.
“No, yeah think?” someone said.
“Shut up.”
“No you shut up!”
“Guys! Chill!” I stood up.
“How about you go talk to your boyfriend, Luna!” one girl said mockingly.
“He’s not my boyfriend. He’s a flirting jerk.”
Dana shifted uncoterblely.
What’s wrong with her?
“We have to get out of here.” I said. I went to the door and started to examine it.
“We’re doomed.” The girl fell back on a bed in the room and shoved a pillow in her face.
“Glad you guys have faith in me.” I said. I rolled my eyes.
“If only the boys were in here.” Dana said. She came to the door with me.
The girl groaned.
“Who is that?”
Dana shrugged. “Beats me.”
After about a minute, we gave up on the door. There was no way out.
We heard running outside the door.
Someone knocked on the door. “Luna! Are you in there?”
I almost cried. “Yeah Matt. We’re all in here!”
“Alright, just hold on…” I heard him talk to someone.
“Who’s out there with you?” I asked.
“It’s Jason, Luna.”
“Oh Jason!” Dana looked like she was going to cry. Which didn’t happen often.
“You ok, babe?”
I smothered a laugh with my hand.
Dana smiled. “Yes. I’m fine.”
The door opened and I gave Matt a hug. He stroked my hair. “Are you alright?” he asked.
“Yes. That was a bit too much.”
“Yeah, I don’t understand why they locked you up in there.” Jason said.
“Did they just let you go?” Dana asked.
“No, they kept us in the same room. Maybe they thought without both genders in the same room we couldn’t come up with an idea?” Matt suggested.
“Probably. Girls don’t usually coparte with girls and same for boys.”
Jason almost laughed. “Yeah.”
As the other girls filed out. Everything seemed to be ok. No one was hurt. Everything was fine.
Until, we looked through the whole building and Angelica was gone.
“Where’s my mom!” Anne cried.
Jason was trying to calm his little sister down. “We’ll find her.—“
“What if they took her?” Anne cried.
“Anne.—“
“What if.—“
“Anne, chill. We’ll get her back. I promise.” I said. Patting my crying cousin on the back.
“How are we supposed to do that if we don’t have any ships?” Matt asked. He raised an eyebrow.
“Gosh Matt. Negative.”
“I was just stating the obvious!”
“But the ‘obvious’ isn’t always the encouraging thing.”
He shrugged. “Fine. I won’t say anything again.”
“I didn’t mean it that way.—“ I did a face palm.
Brothers.
“We’ll find a way to there. Now both of you, just calm down. Give each other a hug or something.” Dana said.
“I am not hugging him!”
“And I am not hugging her!”
Dana groaned. “Guys, I’m not your mom. And I really wouldn’t want to be. But seriously, you’re acting like your five.”
I crossed my arms. “What ever.”
Matt did the same and walked off to where some other boys had gathered.
“You really should be nicer to him, Luna.” Jason said.
I shrugged. “He started it.”
“Ok, I am walking away now.” Dana said.
The rest of the night wasn’t that great.
With no grownups around. (all the teachers were taken too) we all kinda went wacky.
The music was up as loud as it could go. If any of us smoked or drank beer. We would of. But good for us, we knew it was wrong. And we also didn’t have any in the building.
As “Falling Down” by Selena Gomez blared across the whole headquarters. I tried to talk to Dana.
“That guy is such a jerk.” I said.
“Yeah. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to see him again.”
I turned to her. “What?”
“huh? Um…nothing.” And she got up to get some fruit punch.
I groaned. We needed to stay focused. We needed a plan.
I got up and went to where the boys had made ‘camp’ they didn’t bother to play music since “Falling Down” was everywhere.
“Matt!” I called.
He was over in a circle with Jason and some other guys.
I wasn’t supposed to be in the room where all the guys were, but how else was I supposed to talk to Matt?
I decided to go for the polite way first.
“Excuse me!” I said. No one moved.
Ok, now time for the rude way.
I tried to push threw them. That didn’t work either.
So I got out my gun. (Which I found and the Brown Hairs hadn’t taken) And I fired it threw the room. And yelled: “MOVE IT!”
The guys stopped talking and parted.
“Thank you!”
The shock died down once I marched through the room.
“Matt, no one is focusing, they think that it’s over.”
Matt just rolled his eyes.
“I agree with her, Matt.” One guy said.
“Yeah.” Another said.
“We need to get together and work out our options. We need to go to the Brown Haired Headquarters, and get Angelica back.” I said.
“But how?” one guy asked.
“We make a plan.”
“Like what?” Matt asked. The scaratasic tone was thick.
I smiled. “I think I might have one…”
Chapter 9
I did have a plan. But some people thought it was stupid.
“So, we’re going to build a small hover board that will carry a couple of us to the Brown Hair Headquarters. And we’ll be dressed and we’re going to dye are hair? I don’t think so!” one girl named Ashely said.
“We’re not going to dye it. We’re going to put on wigs. The ones that actually stay on.” I said.
“And, lucky for us, Angelica always had some clothes like the other Forces. So we’re all ready.” Dana chipped in.
Ashley groaned. “It’s not going to work.”
“If we believe in ourselves. It will possibly work.” I said.
“Ok, this is not a Disney story. This is a real life. We pray and God will help us.” Ashely said.
I smiled. “Good thinking, Ash.”
“It’s Ashley to you.”
Works for me. As long as your in with the plan.
The plan was, we make two hover boards. One for the girls and one for the boys.
Dana, Ashley and I were going. And Matt, Jason and some guy named Cord was going.
We really didn’t know what we were going to do once we got there. We really didn’t know what the Brown Hairs did.
Thank goodness for Anne Bellum.
“It says here that they have ranks. Unlike us.”
“All other Hair Color Forces have ranks. Except us.” Ashley pointed out.
Anne sighed. “Yes, I was just saying.”
“Well stop ‘just saying’ and get on with it!”
“And since they’re all about art. They’re very…um…”
“What?” I asked.
“There really into love.”
“Well that’s not bad. Jason and I can.—“
“No! It’s not like that.” Anne said.
“Then what is it?” I asked. I was getting impatient.
“You’ve seen movies where like, kings have like…um…girls?”
“Yeah…” Dana and I said. What did this have to do with the plan?
“Well, the Brown Hairs do.”
“Ok, that’s just wrong!” Ashley said.
I couldn’t agree more.
“I am not being someone’s ‘girl’” I said.
“Me either.” Ashley said.
“Well, Jason and I could do it.” Dana said.
“Multieble girls, Dana. Multible.” Ashley said.
“Oh.” Dana said.
“What’s wrong?” Matt asked. He came over and looked my shoulder to see the screen. “Ok, that’s just wrong.”
“I know right.” I said. I turned. “What are we going to do? We have to blend it, or we’re dead.”
“Or worse.” Matt said.
“I never understood that phrase.” Anne said. “What’s worse then death?”
“If you’re a Christian. You’ll go to heaven. So it means that it’ll be a good thing if you die. But if they just torture you, then yeah. You get the point?” Ashley replied.
Anne nodded. “I get it now.”
“So back to what I said before. What are we going to do?” I said.
“I could be with Jason.” Dana said. “And Luna, you could be with Matt.”
“No, no, no.” Matt and I said.
“What? Your brother and sister. Just don’t do anything weird.” Dana said. She turned to Jason. “What do you think?”
Jason shrugged. “I don’t really care. As long as we get our mom back.”
“But what about, Ashley and Cord?”
“I’ll be with him. But seriously guys. RESPECT EACH OTHER. Do nothing that will go over lines. We have to pure so when we get married.”
“You heard her. Do you guys all understand? Especially the unrelated people.” I said.
Everyone nodded.
I turned to Matt. “And don’t go kissing me.”
He smiled and winked. “Of course not.”
“Guys,” Anne said. “You only have one girl. How is this going to work?”
“If someone asks, we say that the rest are at a club or something.” Cord said.
“What is this? A Lady Gaga or Katy Perry music video? No! Tell them something close to the truth. Tell them they’re in their rooms where they belong.” Ashley said.
Man, I am loving her.
Everyone nodded.
I took a deep breath. “Alright. Let’s do this.”
The hover boards weren’t hard to make, and were done in little over an hour.
We all got on our hover boards.
“You ready?” I called.
“Ready!” everyone yelled.
“Open the doors, Anne!”
Anne hit a button, which wouldn’t have worked if Jason hadn’t hot wired the doors.
The doors didn’t open at first, they creaked and slid open and then closed and finally opened. And we were on our way.
We found that the Brown Hairs didn’t have any outside security.
We landed in the back, just to be on the safe side though. We didn’t have any plan about what to tell a real Brown Hair why were out or where we were, and then being taken to the Commander.
We all got off.
“Ok, let’s do this. What ever happens. Remember the rules.”
They all nodded.
We paired up.
“You ready for this?” Matt asked. “Are you sure?”
I took a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
We entered the back entrance and it wasn’t long until we made contact with a lot of other Brown Hairs. Or was it just Browns? I think it was Browns. I keep getting Black and Brown mixed up.
The guys were like being followed by at least two girls.
Anne said that the higher in rank had more.
I shivered. That was kinda scary.
Matt grabbed my hand.
I looked at him.
“What? Might as well blend in!”
“Matt it’s not like that.”
“Then what is it like?”
I guess he’s never seen a movie like that.
I whispered in his ear.
He made a ‘O’ with his mouth.
“Yeah.” I said slowly nodding my head.
“Shut up.”
I groaned. This was going to be harder then I thought.
“How are you guys doing?” Anne said. We had put on walkie talkies the size or an atom inside our ears.
“Good. I guess.” I said. Telling Matt to wrap his arm around my waist or something.
“You guess? What’s wrong?”
“Matt doesn’t get it!”
Matt squeezed me. And whispered. “Jeez, I’m getting it now.”
“He’s getting it now.” I said.
“Good.” Anne said. “Over and out.”
I whispered in his ear. “When ever I whisper in your ear, or vise versa, we have to act like it’s really funny.”
Matt smiled and whispered back. “I think I’m getting it now.”
I smiled too. “Good.”
When we came to an opening to a door in the hall way. We stepped into it.
“We need to find, Angelica.” I said.
Matt nodded.
Then, I turned and I saw Kurt walking by.
“Sunglasses!” I hissed.
We put on our sunglasses and Matt pulled me forward. So that my hands were on his chest.
“This is really awkward.” I said.
“Tell me about it.”
“Isn’t it a lovely day?”
We turned and tried to act calm. Kurt was standing there with at least five girls on him.
“Yeah, sure.” I said. I whispered in Matt’s ear. “We’re doomed.”
“But it’s dark in here.” Kurt said.
“Yeah…” I said.
“Then why are you wearing sunglasses?”
“Um…” what was I supposed to say?
“She looks hotter in sunglasses.” I heard Matt say.
Ok, it was beyond awkward now. It was that possible.
“Do I?” I giggled.
Matt pulled me closer. “Yes.” And then he smiled.
Hopefully he didn’t notice us holding our breath.
Kurt smiled and pulled one of his ‘girls’ closer. And she had sunglasses on. “They do don’t they?” and he pulled the girls sunglasses on.
And we both gasped.
It was Dana.
I pressed my lips together.
Where is Jason?
Matt saw her too, but he did a better job covering up his shock. “And who’s that?” he was acting interested.
Dana looked scared. I mean scared. Was that the real Dana that went with Jason? Did Kurt take the real Dana away?
She didn’t know it was us. Which was either a bad thing or a good thing. I didn’t’ know. I wanted to tell her it was alright.
Just then, the real Jason and the supposedly real Dana walked by. And the ‘Dana’ looked pretty pleased with herself.
“I picked her up at the Blonde Headquarters. She fits in nicely doesn’t she?”
My fears were true. The real Dana was in trouble. And Jason was in trouble.
While Matt kept talking to Kurt.
I talked to Anne.
“The real Dana is with Kurt. And the fake one is with Jason.”
“This is bad.” Anne said.
“I know. What are we going to do?”
“Contact, Jason. Talk to him! Do anything!” the worry in her voice made me worry even more.
What if it was a Dyed that was with Jason? I swallowed.
“Well, if you excuse us.” Matt said. He went to open the door behind him. It said,: Break Room.
“Of course.” Kurt said and he walked off with all his girls. And with Dana.
Matt led me inside the room.
I whirled around. “What are we going to do?”
Matt ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know.”
“You’re the older one! Think of something!”
Matt put his hands on his hips. “I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
I sighed. I ran my fingers through my fake hair. “Dana is doomed, and so is the plan.”
“Are you sure about that?” Matt asked.
Uh-oh. Jason wasn’t the only one who got a fake person.
“We’re just getting started.” The person in front of me wasn’t my brother. He was a Dyed and I was so doomed.
I kicked him as he went to grab me. And I ran out the door, screaming: “Someone tried to kill me!”
All the Browns leapt into action. At least they jumped in to help with one of them was in trouble. Sort of.
When the guy came out it wasn’t just any Dyed. It was John.
Well, at least it wasn’t some total stranger than had his arm around my waist. I ran down the hall screaming.
When I came up to Jason and the ‘Dana’ I knocked her out.
“Why did you do that for?” Jason cried.
“Jason, it’s me. And that is not the real Dana. Kurt’s got her. And John is chasing me right now, so a little help would be nice.”
It was either me his cousin getting chased or some other guy had his girlfriend, either way. He grabbed me by the wrist and we ran together to go and try to find Ashley and Cord. And hopefully the real Matt and Dana.
We decided we would take the wigs off. Everyone was trying to find the guy who was trying to kill the poor little Brunette.
I mean seriously, why can’t we have cool names like that?
“Luna, we need to be careful.” Jason said.
“I know.” I knew so much that I wish I didn’t. If that makes any sense.
We stopped when we saw Kurt. Or he saw us.
“Well, well. I knew that you would come at sometime. Your not as dumb as you look.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” I said. “Now, if you would so kind as to let Dana go and tell us where my brother and my aunt are.”
“Their just fine.” Kurt said.
“Where are they?” I hissed.
Kurt pushed Dana to Jason and Jason hugged his girl friend while I made it clear how much of a jerk Kurt was.
“Your so mean! You were working with the Dyed! You kidnapped people I love and you made sure that we all would died if it hadn’t been for me and some other people. How could you do this? You jerk!”
“Hey, I didn’t mean to offend you.—“
“You never offend me! At all! I’m just stating the obvious. Now, if you would just kindly tell me where Matt and Angelica are. We’ll leave.”
“I.—“ Kurt grabbed his head.
Ok, that is weird.
Then I knew something was wrong. All the Browns were on mind control.
“Really dear sister, you didn’t figure out our plan until now?”
I didn’t need to turn around to know that John was behind me.
I didn’t have any snappy come backs. I didn’t have anything. I was done for.
“Where’s Matt and Angelica.” I said. Trying to keep my voice level.
“There fine. For now.”
“What do you mean, ‘for now’?”
“Well…if you don’t come with me, then I’d say that they would be dead in a matter of minutes. Isn’t that right, baby?”
Colleen stepped out from behind him. “That is right, hon.”
Gross, gross, gross.
Colleen held a small object in her hand. “When I hit this button. They go bye, bye.” She smiled at John who smiled at me. I didn’t smile at anyone. I didn’t smile at all.
I noticed just then that Jason and Dana were on the ground. Unconscious.
I looked down at them.
“And if you ever want them to wake up, I’d come with us.” Colleen said. She held another thing in her hand. Another button that would probably wake them up when she pressed it. Or kill them. I was hoping the first one.
“Well?” Colleen said.
I took a deep breath. This looked so much easier in the movies.
“I...” My voice cracked.
Oh Lord, what do I do?
“Luna, we don’t have that long.—“
“Shut up!”
I stood there thinking. If I didn’t go then Matt, Jason, Dana and Angelica would die.
But if I did go, then…I would die.
I’ll be the hero, I’ll save my friends. And there’s a good chance they’ll save me. But I’m doing this for you, guys. So just make a monument for me when I die. Ok?
I took another deep breath. And looked up. “Fine.” I said. “Take me away.”
Chapter 10
Well, as they tossed me into a cell in Dyed Headquarters, I wanted to take back those words. I would have just kicked the buttons out of their hands. I would of…
I held back threnting tears. I’m going to die.
I had to get out of here, I had to escape.
I’m going to die.
The words just wouldn’t leave my mind.
I thought of so many happy things, but they all just made me cry. And the words still haunted my mind.
I am going to die.
“Ok Luna! Get a hold of yourself! It’s not for certain your going to die!”
Way to go lying to yourself, there, Luna.
I got up and started pace.
I need a plan. I need to get out, and get those buttons that Colleen was holding. She probably still has them with her, just in case I decide to run. Which I am.
You know Luna, they might just draw some blood and then, well, your not home free. But, at least you’ll be alive. For the most part.
I snapped my fingers. That’s it.
I’ll pretend that I’m already dead.
Then I sat back down again. No, that’ll never work.
Maybe it will…
No. Because what if I wake up? And then who knows what they’ll do then. But there going to kill me anyway, a least I tried.
I laid down and then screamed. “AHHHH!”
Might as well fake me being in horrible pain. Plus, it’ll get there attention.
I curled up as if I was in pain when I died. I closed my eyes looking like I had tried to block out the pain.
I heard running down the hall. And the door opened. I stopped breathing. And I made my heart stop. (you get good at doing that after being in the Force. But you can’t keep it up for a long time, because then, you’d die)
“Get up! What are you doing on the floor, you brat?” a Dyed guy said. He kicked me in the ribs.
I tried really hard not to flinch.
He pushed me over.
“She’s dead.” Another guy said.
“That can’t be! She was fine when we brought her in here an hour ago.”
“A lot of things can happen in an hour.”
My thoughts exactly.
“Better tell John. He’s not going to be happy about this.”
What? John! No! I was counting on him not coming, because well…I’m sure he knew all my weaknesses. Like…
The door flew open. He banged against the wall.
“What do you mean, she’s dead?” John asked. I felt him come over and kneel next to me.
“She’s dead, sir. We tried to wake her up.—“
“How hard did you try?”
This is not going the way I planned.
“We kicked her.—“
“That’s it? Did you even try, I don’t know. HARDER?”
“Sorry, sir, sorry.”
“Leave.”
And they left.
I felt him take my wrist and check my pulse.
Maybe he really did think I was dead? Maybe he didn’t want to admit it in front of them?
“Really, Luna? You think it’s funny to pretend your dead?”
Then he did what I knew he would do.
He tickled me.
I burst into laugher. “Stop, stop!” I sat up and scooted against the wall.
And then the laughter stopped. I looked up at him.
“Well? Are you going to answer me?” John asked.
“No.” I crossed my arms.
“You still had a pulse. That trick. Or teckneike is old school. Everyone knows that. You can still feel a little pulse.” His cold bright blue eyes scared me. “And do you know what we would of done if you were really dead?”
I shook my head.
“Well, let’s just say, it’s not pleasant.” He ran his fingers through this hair. “Now, I have places to go. Things to do.—“
“John.”
He stopped. He turned. “What?”
“C-can I see, Jonah?”
He looked at me. “No.” and he contuined to the door.
I got up and grabbed his arm. “Please? I never get to see him! I haven’t seen him in forever! I-I want to talk to him.”
He looked down at me. “I said, NO, Luna! Are you dumb?”
“No!”
“Then let go!”
“I want to see him!”
He pulled me in. “I said no, it’s over.” He tried to pull away.
“Please, John. Please.”
He took a deep breath. I could sense that he was trying to control his anger. “Fine.” He grabbed my arm and opened the door and pulling me out.
“Wow, redocarted?” I asked. The walls had different colored spots, that moved and turned a different color on the walls.
“Yeah.” John said.
He wasn’t acting like his evil self.
He pulled out a silver bracelet and went to put it on me. I pulled my hand away. “No.”
He pulled it back. “Yes.” He said, imitating me. He put it on.
So far, he’s gone from evil, to annoying brother, to evil, to annoying brother slash flirting guy. Ok, this is freaky. Matt didn’t do that.
I almost started crying thinking about Matt. How was he supposed to get on without me? I knew he loved me so much that he would probably kill himself if I died. Which is stupid. To me anyway.
I looked around at where we were. The big purple building hadn’t changed since the last time I was here, besides the walls of course.
I fit in pretty well, besides being dragged, because I was still wearing the Brown’s outfit and my hair was blonde. No one stared at me. Thank goodness.
We came to a room. I looked like a normal room. (normal for Dyed that is) but it had extra security on the door and you needed a code to get in.
“Why is he in there?” I asked.
“Because, he was in charge and well…we needed some changes in the leadership.”
“In ‘we’ you mean ‘you’ right?”
His grip tightened it. “I fit better as Leader.”
“You know, I was wondering…did you ever get mom back? We never checked.”
“Yes.”
I swallowed. “Where is she?”
“She was going kind of crazy, so we locked her up for awhile.”
“As in ‘we’ you mean ‘you’ right? Because locking her up again would make someone more crazy. Everyone knows that.”
He turned to me. “How about you shut up now. How’s that?”
“Fine.”
He typed in the code and we went down a hall. There were doors with the same locks on them. As we passed one door. I saw something that horrified me.
Matt was lying on the floor. And he looked in terrible pain.
“Matt!” I screamed. I pulled away from John and looked in the door trying to open it. “Matt!”
John grabbed my arms. “Now, darling. Just relax, he’s fine. He’ll live to see another day.”
But I won’t. So I’ll never get to see him. For a long while…
“Don’t call me ‘darling’.”
“Why?”
“Because, it’s weird. And plus, you have a girlfriend.”
I felt him shrug. “I call her other things. I saved ‘darling’ for you.”
“Thanks.”
Wait, he saved it for me? Does that mean he cares? No Luna, don’t be stupid, John doesn’t care.
But he might…Ok! Stop!
“I want to see him.” I said.
“Sorry, only one brother at a time. At least you get to see me all the time.” John pulled me away from the door. I gave up reluctantly.
“You know, I was wondering…is John your real name?”
“Why?”
“Just wondering…”
“Maybe someday I’ll tell you.”
If I live that long.
We came to the end of the hall. I hadn’t seen Anne, Jason or Angelica.
“Why aren’t, Anne, Jason and Angelica in here?” I asked.
“Because.”
“Because…why?”
John looked uncomfterble. “Because.”
“Just answer the question!”
“I want him in Matt in here…because…”
“Because…?”
“Stop asking stupid questions, Luna!”
I shut my mouth.
“Thank you.”
He punched in the code to the room where Jonah was in. The door slide open. Why was this one for secure than the others? Something was going on.
John pushed me inside. “Go down the hall, there. He’s down there. Five minutes.”
“Ten.”
“Nine. Now go before I change my mind!” he shut the door, it slid into place.
I took a deep breath. Here we go.
Chapter 11
It was cold. Really cold. I felt like Mr. Freeze should be in here.
I walked down the hall and came to a door. I took a deep breath and opened it.
Jonah was sitting on the bench in the room looking at the floor. He looked normal. Besides the Red Head uniform.
“Jonah…?” I said.
He looked up, and the next second I was in a hug.
“Luna! Thank God you’re alright! You are alright, right?”
I held back a laugh, but smiled. “For now.”
He pulled me to the bench. “What’s going on? Why are you here?” he asked.
“Um…long story.”
“Give me the short version then.”
“Well, I tried to save some friends of mine and well…I’m going to die soon. Yeah, that’s about it.”
“Die? But why?” then he sobered. “oh, Luna I am so.—“
I put up my hand. “Save it.”
He stood up. “I want to say I’m sorry.”
I stood up. “But I don’t want you to say your sorry!”
“Then what do you want me to do?”
“Sitdown and I’ll tell you!”
He sat down.
“First of all…” I smacked him across the face. “That is for being a jerk. And second,” I leaned in. “I hate you.”
The words hung in the air. For too long.
I half wished I could take them back. The other half wanted to say some other things to him.
“You hate me?”
“Yes! You tried to kill me! And you lied to me! You lied about loving me! You lied about being my brother! When were you going to tell me the truth? Huh? When were you?”
He stood up and took my hands in his. “I was going to tell you when you turned twelve but…”
“But what?” I took my hands away.
“I didn’t.”
“Why?”
“Because, if I did, then. They would come and get you. Which they did.”
I felt the tears. “You could have saved me, Jonah! You could of! Why? Why didn’t you?”
He looked at the floor. “Because, I…I couldn’t.”
“Why?”
He pointed down hall. “Because of him.”
“John?”
“Yes.”
“What did he do?”
“He said that his mom wanted him to tell you. Which I knew was the lie from the beginning. So when your other brother…um…”
“Matt.”
“When Matt, got to go and get you instead. He kind of went crazy. He started to rant about not being able to see you.”
The tears were closer. “He did?”
“Yes. He was angry that he wasn’t allowed to see you.”
“I-I don’t understand.”
“You know how I was always teasing you?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“That’s what he’s doing.”
“He’s more liking tormenting me.”
“He’s telling you he loves you, Luna. Can’t you see that?”
I looked down the hall. He was? Oh, John…
“He wants to be there for you, Luna. He so does. He’s the oldest of the family. And since your mom is a little off the rocker.” He smirked. “He wanted to be there to take care of you. So when Matt got all the love. He got upset and locked me and your mom up.” He took my face in his hands. “I know I wasn’t the best brother in the world. But…” he chocked up. “I still love you, like a brother Luna. But how about you take all the love you had for me, and give it to John out there.”
I looked down the hall way again. I couldn’t. John is so mean. I don’t want to love him!
“Luna, go and tell him you love him. You might not have a long time to do that. Since, of what there making him do.”
“He’s the one who wants it done!”
“No! Luna! Weren’t you listening? He loves you! He would never do that to you!”
The tears were coming now. “Then why is he trying to kill me?”
“His ‘girlfriend’ makes him and all the other Dyed go with what John says.”
“I knew she was trouble.”
“I’m pretty sure she wants him all to herself, so with you out of the way, then she’s got him all to her self.”
“So the enemy was Colleen all along?”
“Ask John, Luna. Ask him.”
“Luna! It’s been over nine minutes!” John called.
“I-I have to go.” I kissed Jonah on the cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you too. But go tell that to John!”
As I hurried down the hall. I kept trying to tell myself that Jonah was right. I should tell John I love him.
“That was ten minutes.” John said, after her opened the door for me.
I didn’t say anything.
John grabbed my arm. “Let’s go back to your cell.”
I pulled away. “NO!”
He looked at me, maybe I looked as wild as I felt.
“John…I.—“
“Oh, there you are baby!” Colleen came up to John and grabbed his arm.
That witch.
“Hey, Colleen.” I don’t want to say what he did after that. She had more influence over him than I had thought.
I crossed my arms. “Aren’t you going to say hi to me?” I asked, smirking.
“No.” Colleen smiled and held up those two buttons.
I narrowed my eyes. “You know, we should get together sometime.”
“Oh really? Because just in a little while, you won’t be around to hang out with.”
“Is that so?” I walked up to her and looked her in the eye and whispered. “Stop messing with my brother. For your info, that’s always the little sister’s job.” And I spun around whacking her with my hair as I stocked away. “I’ll be in my cell!” I sang. And I walked out the door.
That was fun.
Chapter 12
I sat in the corner. Rocking. That spunky me was gone. And had been replaced with a very, very scared me.
I don’t want to die. I really don’t.
I stood up and started pacing. I need to tell John I love him. If I do, then there’s a good chance he won’t let them kill me.
Wow, Luna, be selfish.
I sat down again.
I need to tell him. But when? How?
A knock came at the door. I didn’t get a chance to say ‘come in’
Jessica and Marcus came right in.
Jessica leaned on the wall and admired her nails. “Lovely day isn’t it?”
This was serious dej ve. Except this time, I won’t get away.
“I guess.” I shrugged.
“You sad, sweetie?”
“Maybe, why do you ask?” I looked up.
“Oh, no reason…” she looked up from her nails. “We’re here to take you.”
I scooted back into the corner. “No!”
I screamed as Marcus dragged me out the door and into a large room. He dragged me up the steps and into a glass room.
He put my hands in cuffs attached to the wall, so my hands were above my head.
I kicked at him. Screaming some more.
I saw John come in with Colleen praticaly glued to his side.
“John.—“
Marcus put a clear plastic mask on my face. It had a tube attached to it, which was connected to some machine.
“I wouldn’t talk, or you’ll run out of air. Like it matters.” Marcus said. Then he closed the door of t he small room.
It was over looking a large room. Where a couple Dyed had gathered.
Then I felt it.
I screamed and kicked at the wall in front of me.
I felt the air being sucked right out of me. My lungs felt squeezed. I could barley breathe.
“LET ME OUT!” I screamed, with the remaining air I had left. I kicked at the door.
Why were they sucking the very life out of me, just to get some leader that won’t even be like, real?
“STOP!” I screamed. The tears streamed down my face.
I saw John’s bright blue eyes look into mine. Then I started to see black spots.
It’s over…It’s over…
Everything went black.
I felt movement around me. I was on the floor. And I felt nashus.
“Did it work?” I heard Marcus ask.
“Ask, John! Stupid.” Jessica snapped.
“John, hon. Did it work?” Colleen asked.
“Sir! We didn’t get enough! Should we try again.—“
“NO!” John yelled.
I was shaking. I curled up into a ball, my arms around my stomach. I feel awful. I think it’s the end.
“Hon, it’s just a Blonde…” Colleen said. “She can take some more. We need that Leader, or we’re all toast.”
“You don’t believe in me?” John snapped.
I could have sworn I heard the ‘ooo’s go around the room.
“Well, I-I do but.—“
“But what?”
Ooh, Colleen’s gonna get it now!
“John, dear. I don’t think your ready to take control of this.—“
“And you are?”
“I um…I have to go!” I heard running feet.
Silence followed. I wonder if anyone knows a little girl is on the floor, slowly dying…
“What do you want us to do? We can’t finish, unless we get more DNA. We have to do it again.” Someone said.
Oh, please no, please no…
“No! I said no! I want her taken to the Medical Bay. And I want you to find another way to get more DNA.” I heard John turn. “And you, go find, Colleen.”
“Yes, sir.” Jessica said. Then she ran off.
I felt being picked up and then I slipped into uncossuesness once more.
I woke up to beeping. Typical hospital-room-after-accidents-noise.
I slowly opened my eyes. And the sight that met me was so terrible, I shiver now.
Everything was white. Everything. It blinked, everything was still white.
Am I back in Blonde Headquarters?
I tried to reach my arm out. But it was attached to the bed.
Great. I guess not.
But why is everything all white?
I looked in the mirror. And to my horror, I was white too. Not just my clothes, but my face and everything. And worst of all, my eyes white, except for the pupils.
I screamed.
I heard running footsteps down the hall. And the door flew open. “Luna, are you ok.—“
I didn’t want to look at anyone.
Kill me now.
“Luna!” John snapped. “Open your eyes and look at me.—“
“No! I don’t want to! It’s-It’s horrible!”
John sat my bed. “What’s horrible, darling? I don’t think I’m that horrible..—“
“What did you do to me?”
“I did nothing.—“
“First, you sucked practically all the life out of me and then this! Why?”
“Luna! Look at me!”
“NO!”
“Luna…” John lowered his voice. “What’s wrong?”
I lay back in bed. “It’s horrible…just horrible.”
“Luna, just please open your eyes and tell me what’s wrong.”
I slowly opened my eyes.
And John’s face went from sympthec to total shock.
“What did you do to yourself?” he cried.
“This is your fault!”
“Just calm down. What do you see right now?”
“White. Just white.”
“Wonder why that is…Your pupils are fine.—“
“Stop talking like that, and fix me!”
“This is not a Soup Opra.”
I would have crossed my arms, but they were kinda stuck on my bed.
John saw this and let my arms free. “What do I look like right now?” he asked.
“White.”
“Everywhere?”
I nodded. “Wait, except your eyes. I can still tell that your eyes are blue.” I shrugged. “At least something’s normal.” I went to get up, John grabbed my arm.
“Sit back down.”
“No.”
“Now.”
I sighed and sat back down on the bed. John got up. “So from what I can tell, that machine sucked all the color out of your eyes.”
“Wow, that’s helpful.”
“Shush.”
“Now your sounding like my mother.”
“I said shut up!”
“Actually, you said, ‘Shush.’”
John came up to me. “Are you going to work with me here?”
I shook my head and sighed and shrugged. “Why should I?”
Before John could answer the door flew open. “Colleen left Heaquarters, sir.” Jessica said.
“What?” John asked. He got up. He turned to me. “Stay here. Jessica, follow.”
Jessica hurried after John and the door shut, but the lock clicking wasn’t heard.
Yes! He didn’t lock it!
I got up and went to grab the handel. But I couldn’t find it.
“Where is the darn thing?” I said. I reached around until I found it.
I stepped out and fell.
“Ow!” What did I fall off? I looked and narrowed my eyes.
Oh, there’s steps there.
I got uneasily on my feet and contuined to walk.
But I soon learned I was, well, blind as a bat.
“This is so frustrating!”
I needed to get to Matt. So then he’ll help me, find everyone else.
I slowly made my way threw the building. No one knew it was me, because my eyes had changed color. Or they were just dumb. I couldn’t tell.
I made it to the locked door.
“Man! I don’t know the code!” I looked around. Everyone didn’t notice me.
So I hacked into it.
I opened the door and closed it behind me.
I followed the wall to where I remembered where Matt was.
I knocked on the cell door. “Matt? It’s Luna.”
“Luna! Oh your fine! Thank goodness!”
“I’m not as fine as I’d like.” I said hacking into the lock.
“What do you mean?”
“As soon…as I get you…out…I’ll show you…” I threw open the door and was greeted by a hug.
“Oh Luna, your fine.—“ Matt looked at me. He brushed some hair out of my face. “W-what happened?”
I covered my face with my hands. “I don’t know! It was that machine or something!” I started to cry.
Matt gave me another hug and held me there. “Shhh. It’ll be fine.”
I told him all that what happened. As we made our way threw the building, unnoticed.
“I so can’t see. And it’s not funny.” I said, bumping into something else.
“Oh course not…” Matt said, thinking. Or that’s what I thought he was doing. I couldn’t see! “So you can only see the color of people’s eyes?”
“Yeah. Oof!.—“
“Let’s go get our cousins and then go back home and everything…will…be…fine.”
“Why are you talking so slow? Matt! Answer me!”
He grabbed my arm pulling me close.
“Matt! I can’t see that well!”
“I thought I told you to stay in that room.—“ John said.
Uh-oh.
John stopped. “What is he doing out?”
“I.—“
“The question is, what did you do to my sister?” Matt yelled. He let go of me and stalked up to John.
“She’s our sister.”
“Who says? You don’t treat her like one!”
Oh no.
“Guys.—“ I said.
“I want to!” John said.
“Then why don’t you?”
Oh total no.
“Guys!” I said. “Matt.—“
“Because.—“
“Because why?” Matt snapped.
I’m pretty sure John was fuming.
“Because everyone else got her attention!” he walked up to Matt. “And that ‘everyone’ would be you.”
“Guys!” I screamed.
They turned to me. “WHAT?”
“Shut up!”
“Luna.—“ Matt said.
“Why don’t you treat, John like the older brother he is?” I put a hand on my hip. “Huh? Tell me.”
“I—Luna, it’s not like that.—“ Matt started.
“Answer me, Matt. Why? Why am I more important then John?”
The girly girl in me was flattered that he loved me more than he did John. But I had to take matters into my own hands.
“He’s been mean, Luna.—“
“Well, John, say you’re sorry, and then Matt, you tell him you forgive him.”
John looked at me like I was crazy.
“Well? Go ahead! And mean it.” I said.
John looked at Matt and I smirked when he gave Matt the: is-she-crazy? Look.
They were acting like brothers.
Yes, yes, yes, yes!
“I’m sorry.”
I looked up. Did I hear right?
“I forgive you.”
I smothered a laugh with my hand.
They turned to me.
“Good job!” then I burst out laughing.
Then I decided to run.
“Luna! Bad idea!”
Really?
Just as they had me, I jumped and grabbed onto a sideways pole on the ceiling. And swung up and sat on it.
I looked at my nails. “I’m more nimble than you idiots are.”
“Ooh. You didn’t say that.” Matt said.
I stuck my tongue out.
Then John and jumped and grabbed my feet.
“Hey!” he pulled me down. And Matt grabbed my arms. “Stop!” I laughed. Trying to kick John.
When he let go I pushed off him and flipped over Matt and pushed off him in mid air and landed on the ground.
They gaped at me.
I shrugged. “What? Told you I was more nimble.”
As they went to get me again. Sirens blared. I covered my ears.
“What’s up?” I yelled over the noise.
“Someone is escaping.” John yelled. He went to run. Matt grabbed him.
For one terrible moment, I thought Matt was going to get mad. But he let go and said. “Let them, go John.”
“I can’t do that, Matt.” John said. He sounded like evil John again.
“Why?” Matt asked.
“B-because if I don’t. Then I’ll loose my rank as Commander.”
“Who cares about that?” Matt asked. “You have us.”
John looked torn.
I smiled at him. I told him with my eyes that I wanted him to stay.
He said back that he wanted to.
I asked him why he didn’t.
He said back that he would loose everything.
Then I did something that I told myself that I would never do. I hugged him.
And he hugged me back.
Chapter 13
I heard the gasps. I felt Matt move in front of us.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
John didn’t let go. “It’s going to be ok.”
“Sir, what are you doing with the prisoner?” a Dyed asked.
The rest of them nodded.
John grew tense.
“And what is he doing here?” they pointed to Matt.
John didn’t say anything.
“Maybe we should appoint a new Commander? Since both of the ones we’ve had haven’t done anything for the Dyed.”
I knew John wanted to say something.
I kept my arms around his waist. And he kept his arms around me.
“Fine. You do that.” John said. “Because I quit.”
“Aww, baby. Are you sure about that?” Colleen said. “Because I’ll gladly take the role.” She smiled.
I walked up to Colleen. “I love your outfit! Too bad there’s something right there.” I pointed to the collar of her shirt. She did the stupid thing by looking. And I gave her a uppercut.
She screamed and the Dyed rushed at me. But Matt already had an arm around me and we were feet in the air.
“Wow, Luna. That was smooth.” Matt said. He looked at John. “Your little sister just punched your girlfriend.”
John laughed. “She had it coming. I was going to dump her soon anyway.” Then he smiled a soft smile. “And she’s not just my sister. She’s our sister.” He smiled at me.
I smiled back.
The Blondes had followed through and rescued us. And I didn’t care that they were late. It worked out just fine.
Everyone was very unsure about John. But I assured them that is evil days were over.
“Luna, are you alright?” Angelica asked.
“I’m fine, Angelica. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine also. And I see you brought someone with you…”
“Yeah, that’s John. I think for sure that his evil days are over.” I smiled.
Angelica nodded and moved on.
They don’t believe me, do they?
I sat down next to John. “Your not evil anymore right? Because everyone thinks you are.”
“I’m not evil anymore, Luna.” John said.
“I’m just making sure. Because no one believes me.” I turned to him. “Plus, I’m a very gullible person, so you tell me something, and I’m bound to believe you.”
He smirked. “Good to know.” And he stood up.
I groaned. “Probably shouldn’t have told him that.”
“Ya think?” Matt sat next to me.
“You trust him, don’t you?” I asked.
“Yes…Why?”
“Everyone else doesn’t believe us.”
“Because there not part of our family.”
“Angelica, Jason and Anne don’t even believe us!”
“Look at me, Luna. Our close family. I know we entirely don’t trust him. But we know that his evil days are over. And Jonah told you, about him.”
“How did you.—“
“Big brother.” He pointed to himself. “I know all.” And he got up.
I smiled.
I looked at both my brothers. They were actually getting along. Actually talking. And they actually cared.
I sighed. I’m glad I have two brothers. Wanna know why? Because there twice as fun to annoy.
Chapter 14
As I flipped threw random channels back at Headquarters. I heard Matt and John arguing.
I guess know ones perfect.
“Would you keep it down in there? I’m trying to watch TV!” I yelled.
“Your just flipping threw channels Luna! Don’t lie!” Matt yelled back.
“Oh yeah!” I yelled back.
And that would include me too.
From there was just original brother and sister arguing. We argued about things that had nothing to do with TV.
“Why don’t we all go sit down and watch something.” I said.
I was so regretting sharing a room with these too.
Angelica wanted us to have more bonding time. Hope she has ear muffs.
“Fine.” Matt said. He brushed past me and into the room again.
I sat down in the middle of the coach, John sat on my left and Matt on my right.
After a little while of watching TV. I muted in and said.
“You know what guys?”
“What?” they asked.
“I love you.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” They said. And the each kissed me on the cheek at the same time.
I’d say that was a perfect end to a semi perfect day.
And we lived happily ever after, if that’s what you want to call it.
I still could barely see, but hey, it’s alright.
And in case you were wondering about Ashley. Turned out she was an angel. John didn’t believe that one. But he will in time.
And mom is still in the nut house with all the squirrels. But I have my two older brothers.
The ones I never had. But love.
And who knew they could be so annoying!
And—wait, I can’t tell you that! Read the next book!
THE END
PS: This is Matt, and John. Don’t tell Luna we wrote in her book. She’d kill us.
PSS: This is Luna, you better run you creeps!
Like I said, we lived happily ever after. If that’s what you want to call it.