We're Not as Dumb as we Look
Chapter 1
It was just like any other Saturday. I was with my friends in the mall, and girls laugh and giggle while there together right? Well not me. I wasn’t laughing and giggling with my friends because it was my birthday my friends insisted that we see: Justin Beiber Never Say Never. Which would have been ok with me if it had been any other day of the week, but it had to be my birthday.
“Did you see his hair! It was gorgeous!” Squealed my friend USeal. (Yes, that’s how she spells her name.)
“Omigosh! I know!” Sondra let out a huge sigh.
I sighed a sad sigh. “It was ok.”
“What?!” Sondra and lUSeal said. “Just ok?”
“Guys, I’m not big into singers.”
Sondra put her arm around me. “You’ll be soon, I mean, once you hit twelve, you go all gaga over them.”
Her logic was reasonable, she and lUSeal were each thirteen years old, and they did go all gaga when they turned twelve.”
I decided just to agree with her. “Cool.”
“Great! Now, let’s go to Clare’s I’m dying to get some Justin Beiber hats.” Sondra said.
“Yeah! Let’s go!” The ran to the Clare’s store, I just walked slowly after them, not being too thrilled about going. I was wearing my usual outfit: Aeropostale jacket with convers and jeans. While my friends were totally decked out in the news threads.
I passed a table were a man was selling watches. “Miss, would you like to buy one of these watches?” the man asked.
“No, no thank you. I would if I had enough money though.” I kept walking, hoping I wouldn’t have to say more. I hate public speaking.
“But, I will give you one for free! No money required!” The man had an Italian accent.
I turned around. “Oh, I couldn’t bother you.—“
“No! Please, take it!” the man insiteed.
I decided that he wouldn’t stop asking until I took it so I thought taking it wouldn’t hurt. The watch was light blue with a bunch of buttons on the side. It was cool, and it was digital. Just the kind I liked. I have dyslexia, so reading isn’t my specialty. I thanked the man and walked on. I put the watch on. It was pretty cool, I thought.
I came up to Clare’s and walked in just in time to see Sondra and USeal pay for there stuff.
“Annabell! Check this out!” Sondra put on a Justin Beiber hat.
“Awesome, Sondra, lookin’ good!” I smiled.
“I know right? Oooh! What’s that?” she pointed to my new watch.
“Oh, some Italian guy gave this to me for free. I have no idea why.”
“It’s pretty! And it watches your eyes!” USeal cried.
I blushed. “Yeah.”
“You know, Annabell, I’ve always envied your blonde hair and blue eyes.” Sondra said dreamily.
“Really?” I asked. Perking up a bit.
“No.” she laughed. She patted me on the shoulder. “Anyway, what do you guys want to do now?”
USeal started to go on about going to Aeropostale. Even though that’s my favorite store, I wasn’t feeling so good, after that comment Sondra made. I know she didn’t mean to be mean, but after going to see Justin Beiber and getting a mean comment in one day, and especially on your birthday, all you want to do is go home.
“You know what guys, I’m just going to go home.” I said.
“You sure?” Sondra asked.
“Yeah, I’m…uh…not feeling too good.”
“Alirght, see ya tomorrow, then?” USeal asked.
“Yeah. Bye.” And I started to walk towards the door. If only that ‘yeah’ was true.
Chapter 2
“Mom! I’m home!” I called, when I entered my house.
“Hi, honey! How was your trip?”
My mom traveled a lot so when she asked me about how my trip went, I just went with it.
“Good.” I lied.
“Great! We’re having lazongya for dinner.”
“Ok, when is.—“ Joshua ran into me, knocking me down.
“Hi Luna!” he yelled. He had gotten into this habit of yelling everything he said.
“Hi, Joshua.” I said, I couldn’t keep from smiling at my younger brother, he always made me happy again. Then I heard Lucy running through the house. She jumped down on Joshua, almost knocking me out. “Grunt. Hi Lucy.”
Lucy was only a year older than Joshua (he is three) So it hurt, a lot when she jumped on me.
“Hi Luna! How was your trip?” She had heard Mom say that like every time Dad would come home, so she just thought that’s what you said.
“It was good, Lucy. Now.” This is the part they loved, I would sit up, knocking them off me and they would just burst into laughter. I laughed as I saw them sprawled on the floor laughing.
I got up and walked into the kitchen. “Hi, Mom…mmm…smells good.”
“Thank you, dear. What movie did you see?”
I wanted to say, Oh, we watched that movie I’ve been dying to see all week. But the words: Justin Bieber Never Say Never. Came out of my mouth.
“Oh, I’m sorry dear, I know your not a big fan like your friends.” She had her face in her work, but I knew she meant it. Moms were like that.
“Yeah, but I got a cool new watch. Look.” I held up the watch.
My mom turned around and turned pale when she saw it. Then she breathed deeply and said: “T-that’s nice dear. How about you take it off, so you can wash up?”
Something about my Mom’s reaction when I showed her the watch, made me not ask: why? I took it off, and I helped my Mom finish making dinner.
Just as I had finished making the salad, my Dad came into the door.
“Hellooooooo?” he called. He always did that, even though the front door wasn’t that far from the kitchen.
“Daddy! Daddy!” Lucy and Joshua came running past the kitchen. I wiped my hands on a towel and went to greet him.
“How was work today Dad?” I asked. He worked on Saturday’s but he got Monday and Tuesday off, which seemed fair.
“It was good, my little moon. Now, what’s the delicious smell coming from?” My name means moon, so that’s why he calls me that.
“Layzonia.” My Mom walked in to greet my Dad. Lucy and Joshua ran back to what they were doing.
“Mmmmm. Smells and sounds good.”
I giggled. My dad was too funny. We sat down for dinner. I told them about how I got talked into seeing Justin Beiber Never Say Never. My Dad said that life’s like that sometimes. He’s a English teacher (some kids have detention on Saterdays, so that’s why he was there.) So he always gave me some English teacher term.
I took a bite of my salad and remembered my watch. I got up and got it. I showed it to my dad.
“What do you think dad? Some Italian guy gave it to me.”
My Dad did the same thing my Mom did. Turn pale and then took a deep breath. “It’s great, Luna.” And he took a bite of his layzonia.
I didn’t know why my parents were so upset about the watch, I mean, it’s a watch.
“Oh! I forgot to ask you, When is Jonah coming home?” I asked.
My parents looked at each other. “Not for awhile honey, he…uh…got bad grades so he has to stay at collage longer.” My Mom said.
I looked down at my plate. I couldn’t believe my big brother wasn’t coming home yet. It had been a year since I’d seen him. “Collage must be pretty bad, huh?” I said.
“Yes, dear, it is.” My Mom said.
And we ate the rest of our dinner in silence after that.
That night, while I was watching TV, I heard my Mom and Dad talking about something. I went to their room where they were talking and listened:
“It can’t be happening yet!” my mom cried.
“Dear, we just have to go with it. She’s twelve now, probably sometime tomorrow they’ll come and get her.” My dad said.
Get who? I thought.
“I just wanted one more year.” My mom said.
“Honey, this is such a privlage. Not many people get picked.”
“But, I can’t bear to lose her. Jonah’s already been gone. For two years now.”
I pictured my big brother. He had red hair and freakles, like my dad. He had brown eyes and was at least two feet taller than me. I felt like crying, I missed him so much. I burst into their room. They looked startled when they saw me.
“What are you talking about?” I demanded.
“Nothing, honey. Oh! Look at the time, it’s bed time for little miss moon.” My dad said.
I walked to my room. I didn’t know who they were talking about, but I had a feeling it was me.
Chapter 3
The next morning I got up and got dressed. I went down the stairs. I had forgotten about what had happened the night before. So when I saw my Mom and Dad sitting at the table looking like they hadn’t slept well at all, I said: “Didn’t sleep well?”
My mom looked at me, she looked like she was going to cry right on the spot. “Yes, dear. We didn’t.” And she took a sip of her coffee.
My dad started reading the newspaper.
I sat down at the usual spot at the table and started eating the eggs that were there. “Thanks for making me breakfast, eggs on a Saturday. That’s new.” I smiled.
My Mom smiled, but I could tell it was forced. “Luna, we have to tell you something.—“
“Luna! Look at my drawing!” Joshua came running down the stairs.
“That’s cool, Joshua.” I said, I shoved my toast into my mouth and got up.
“Where are you going?” my mom asked.
“I said I would meet, Sondra and USeal at the mall today.” I said. I ran upstairs and got my purse. I shoved my cell phone in my pocket. (which I found to be a better place for it then my purse.)
“Honey.—“
“I gotta go. See you guys soon! Love you!” And I ran out the door.
I started walking down the side walk, enjoying the sunshine the birds, the mysterious white van…Mysterious white van?!
I pulled out my cell phone. I learned that if you act older and you have a cell phone, no one will try to kid nap you. But apparently the people in the white van didn’t care about acting or cell phones. They stopped the van and a bunch of people in white suits came out. They were all brunette, which I found strange.
But that didn’t stop me from running. I ran back down towards my house, they were fast, I mean really fast, scary fast. (If you didn’t get it before.) I turned a corner, I saw something flash, and I looked down at my watch. And the words: But, I can’t bear to lose her. Jonah’s already been gone ,for two years now. I quickened my pase. I tore off the watch and threw it across the alley. I looked behind me, bad idea, they were right behind me. I turned my head back and I ran into one of them. SMACK! CRASH! (It didn’t sound like that, but this book has to have some dramatic noises.)
I sat down, hard. “Geez, watch where you’re going!” I snapped.
“I meant to do that.” The person I had bumped into was one of the people in white, with had snow goggles on and it was a girl! How surprising is that? I mean, girls do get into fights with other girls, but this was totally weird.
The other white suited people came up behind me.
“Take her to the van! The Commander is waiting!” the girl barked at the other people.
“Whoa! You can’t just take me somewhere, I mean, like, I don’t even know who you are!” I protested. One of them pulled me to my feet.
“Oh, you’ll know soon enough.” The girl said. The smile on her face didn’t make me feel any better.
You would think that I did some awesome kung-fu thing on them, but I didn’t. I mean, I had taken karate and I knew how to take some one down, but at that moment I forgot all about my karate, they pushed me towards the van. It was kind of awkward because I was being kid napped by kids my age.
Just when we reached the van and they opened the door, something closed the door.
“The Commander was right! You Burnettes are up to something!” This time, a bunch or blondes came.
“Oh my gosh…I think that medicine I took last night wasn’t Advil…” I said.
All the Burnettes took out guns. I was feeling faint, so I can’t tell you what kind and all that, but I knew they were guns. The boy who had me pulled out his fun and did one of those: Don’t come any closer, or I’ll shoot her! Thing.
Then just as I was ready to pass out, I saw the blonde girl in front of me nod and then I felt the gun by me drop. And everything went black.
Chapter 4
I don’t know what happened in the past four hours, but when I woke up I wasn’t outside anymore and I wasn’t in a place I knew. I sat up and my head started to throb.
I groaned. Everything was white, I mean like blinding white. I sqinted, which made my head hurt even more.
I saw a bunch of hospital beds and I knew where I was, in a hospital place. Just then a nurse came in, all in white and she had blonde hair. That’s when I remembered.
Did those people get me afterall? Or am I dead?
After I thought about it, I knew I wasn’t dead, because in Heaven there’s no pain and in hell, there’s lots of that, but it was too white to be hell. So I went back to the first option.
“Who…are…you?” I asked the nurse.
“I am a nurse, honey. How are you feeling?” the lady answered.
“At the moment…horrible.” I groaned.
“That fall must have been harder then I heard. Here, I’ll get you some Advil for that.” The nurse walked over to a cabinet in the corner and pulled out a white box. (I told you everything was white!)
She brought over a glass of water and some Advil. I plopped the Advil in my mouth and drank some of the water. “Thanks.” I said, after I had swallowed.
“Your welcome, honey. Can you walk?” the nurse asked.
“Uh…I think so.” I mean if this had been a normal everyday nurse, I would have said, just I think so. But I mean, I didn’t even though were I was.
The nurse helped me to my feet, my head started to throb, I felt like throwing up. But I breathed in deep, and dug in my pockets for a piece of gum. (gum calms me down). The nurse helped me across the room. Then I said:
“Where are we going?”
“To see your fellow blondes, dear.” The nurse said.
Fellow blondes? I thought.
After awhile of walking down the white hallways, I told her I could walk on my own. I didn’t ask where we were, because that fellow blonde thing, kind of scared me. I mean, yes, I am a blonde. And don’t go thinking I’m a dim wit or anything, because, hey. Blondes aren’t dumb. Anyway, we walked down the hall and we stopped at a door. (I don’t have to say white in front of anything anymore because everything is white) The nurse punched in some letters in the key pad. And a camara came out.
“What do you want?” the camara asked. Or should I say the person controlling the camara.
“I have to girl you wanted to see.” The nurse reiplied.
“Oh. Send her in. They want to see her alone.”
“Of course.”
The camara went back into the wall and the door opened.
“Go on in, sweetie.” The nurse smiled. I felt a little better. I was starting to get really nervous though, because I took the pieace of gum out of my mouth and shoved it in my pocket. (It’s rude to talk to people with gum in your mouth.).
I walked into the doors. Not knowing that doing that, would change my life forever.
Chapter 5
When I got inside the room, there were three people sitting at a table in the middle of the room. A girl a boy and a women. The girl looked about my age and the boy looked about Jonah’s age. And the women well, looked like at women I guess. You could say like my mom if you wanted to.
“Come sit.” The women said. The boy was wearing a white jump suite the girl had on a skirt with a leggings and a top, and the women had on a white business suit.
I sat down in the chair next to her. The girl’s eyes bore into mine. I felt really uncofterlbe.
I kept thinking the same thing: Am I in trouble with the space police?
Finlley, after a long moment of silence, the lady next to me said: “Now, do you know why you are here?”
And me, being a young lady answered. “No ma’am.”
“Do you know who we are?”
“No ma’am.”
The women didn’t say anything for a second. “Do you know who, sold you this watch?” the women held up the watch that I had thrown on the ground earlier.
“A Italin man gave it to me.—“ I started.
“You just took it!?” The girl yelled.
“Well I didn’t know it would cause trouble.” I said.
“You should!” The girl went to get up. The boy pushed her back down.
“Dana! The girl did not know it would. She hasn’t been up here as long as you have; she doesn’t even though who she is.”
This was starting to freak me out. It was like a Percy Jackson moment. (that’s what I call moments when someone doesn’t know who they are or something important.)
“Go on.” The women nodded towards me.
“As I said, an Italion man gave it to me at the mall.” I said. Glancing nervously at Dana, She crossed her arms and sat back. The boy just sat there, looking at me.
“Can you describe him?” the women asked.
“Uh…He had black hair and a mustache, and he was wearing a read suit.” I said. “That’s all I can reamember.”
“Very good. You have helped us. Now, we know who you are, but you don’t know who we are. I am Angelica, the Head Officer of Blonde Headcounters.” Angelica said. “And this is Jason and Dana.” Dana made of humphed noise, and Jason nodded.
“Follow me.” The three of them got up, I followed Angelcia out the door, with Dana and Jason right behind us.
“How did you find me?” I asked.
“Here at Blonde Head Quarters. We are great at tracking people, by certain watches.”
I felt myself blush.
“And we went to pick you up, but apperntly we were too late, the Burrnetes had already gotten to you. They must of tracked the same signal.”
“I don’t think that they were true Burnettes though, because sometimes you can tell that their hair was dyed.” I said.
Angelica looked at Jason. At first I thought I had said something wrong.
“This is probably true. Now, let me tell you why you are here.”
Good, because I don’t. I thought.
“There are very few blondes that are chosen to come to Blonde Head Quarters. When we do choose someone then they are taken here, were they learn all the neccerity tasks to defend the world.”
“Wait, the world?” I said.
I heard a duh from Dana.
“Yes, we protect the world, along with the other Hair Color Forces. But sometimes, we have compactions…” Angelica said.
“Like with those “Brunettes”.” I said.
“Yes. Like that. Now…” Angelica led me into a huge room. And it was white (just in case you didn’t know before that everything was white) and a bunch of blondes were everywhere. And they were in white jump suites. Some of the girls had skirts though.
“Wow.” I breathed.
“Jason, how about you take Luna here to the resgerstaion house, I have something’s to do.” And with that, Angelica walked away. And I was alone, with Dana and Jason. I wanted to ask her if I was ever going to see my family ever again, or that I would be in this…place I guess…forever. But she was already gone.
Jason and Dana walked in front of me, which I found rude. I mean, I would like to talk to someone! They didn’t even say “hi” or anything.
We made it to the resigration house. There were some very confused looking boys and girls. I was glad I wasn’t the only one. Than a girl in a white suite came running up, her blonde pick tails bouncing.
“Jason! Is she here? I was so worried about her, I mean…” then she looked behind Jason and ran and gave me hug. Which was very akward.
“I’m so glad your not dead!” she said.
I looked pleadingly at Jason, he smiled. “Anne, chill. She’s fine.”
Thank you, Jason. I thought.
Anne let go of me. She didn’t seem emabarressed in the least bit, she was smiling…well…like a lunatic.
I was getting creeped out by her smiled so I said. “Hi, I’m Luna.”
“Anne, Anne Bellum. Which is almost Latin for, before the war. It’s actullay Ante Bellum, but that was a weird name for a girl. Or anyone at all for that matter.”
“So is Bellum your middle name or…?” I asked. Trying not to sound rude.
“Oh no. That’s my first name.” Anne Bellum started to jump up and down.
I took a step backward. Jason saw how uncofterble I was and said: “Anne, how about you go and get a bunk ready for, Luna.” Wow, he’s good.
Anne Bellum beamed at this and ran off, not even with a good-bye, which I was glad about.
“I gotta go check on something, Jason.” Dana said. Her arms crossed. (there had been like that the whole time, I had no idea how she did it. Her arms must have been tried.)
“Sure, Dana, go on ahead.” He smiled. And walked on. I followed him to a table with some paper work on it.
Now I know I told you that blondes aren’t dumb, but at that moment I felt dumb. I always made my mom or dad to do the paper work for me, because half the stuff I didn’t know. I tried filling out the sheets of paper but I was failing misberly. Also, my dyslexia was getting to me.
Jason leaned aginst the table waiting pationly for me to finish. Like I was going to, ever.
Finalley I said, “Hey, Jason, I’m too good at filling out paper work. Like I always have my mom do it for me.—“
“That’s fine, here.” He took the paper work out of my hands and started writing. When he gave it back everything was just the way it should be.
“Wow. But how did you know.—“
“I looked up your file earlier today.” He said.
“And you rembered, everything?” I asked.
“I have a photographic memory.” He said it as if it was no big deal, which it was, for me anyway.
He walked my paper work over to one of the people behind the desks there and walked back.
“While they process all of this, I’ll show you around.” He said.
“I was wondering, if there’s already a file on me, why didn’t they fill out the papers before?”
“Because they like the person fill them out, so they know that’s the real person but just between you and me, I didn’t fill out your paper work.”
“But you filled out mine, so it’s not really me.”
“I’m good at forging.” He said.
And he walked on. I followed him, he showed me where I was going to sleep and eat and take classes, and he showed me the Hall of Blondes.
There were a lot of people that were blonde that were famous. I was surprised how many there were, Jason said that some of the famous people really had blonde hair, but the other Hair Forces didn’t want to admit that blondes were smart. So they made there pictures have different color hair.
“I guess I should be mad at all those people who make blonde jokes, huh?” I said.
“No, you don’t have to be. But even the oldest people here still get mad about it.”
“So, Amelia Earhart was part of this? And they changed her hair? I think it’s cool just to be standing where she stood.” I said. Amelia Earhart was one of my biggest role models. I did a report on her once for school.
Jason smiled. “Yeah, she was my great, great, great, great grandmother.”
He looked as if it was something that was totally normal to say, but it wasn’t. “Wow. That is so cool!” I said.
Jason laughed. “I guess it is.”
I was about to say that it was awesome. (and a bunch of other cool words). When he put his hand to his ear, and listened for a second and then said. “I got her here.” Then he listened again and then said: “Sure, I’ll bring her.”
He looked up. “The Commander wants to see you.”
Chapter 6
Jason led me to a small office. By the look on his face, I don’t think seeing the Cammander was such a good thing. I knew he had an ear piece in because I’d seen Justice League and that’s how they talked to each other on missions.
Jason was a good foot on me and I was pretty sure he was 16 (I wasn’t sure how old he was) All the boys at me school always teased me, so I was surprised he didn’t.
When we got to the office, he opened the door and motioned for me to go inside.
“I’ll wait out here.” He smiled, but I could tell it was a forced one.
It was every other office I’d seen, like the principles. (I’m not saying I went there often!) With a desk and a chair behind it and a chair in front of it and book shelves, (And did I mention everything’s white?) Angelica was sitting behind the desk, looking very pretty, not that I think back.
“Have a seat, Luna.” She said.
I did.
She sat there a moment, probably trying to think of something to say. “You do you know that you cannot go home.”
That wasn’t the best thing to start out a conversation with. “No, but now that you told me.—“
“Even you want to go back, you can’t. All of the other Hair Color Forces are trying to get at you.”
“What do they want with me?”
“They think you’re the one who’s going to start the great Hair Forces War.”
War. That’s not good, right? “I’m not going to start any war.”
“I know you wouldn’t mean too, but they think that somehow, if they have you, then if you do start the war, then you’ll help them win.”
Having another Percy Jackson moment. “I don’t have anything special.”
“But they don’t know that, they think that somehow you’ll get super powers.”
I could tell that the other Hair Color Forces didn’t get along well with each other.
When she didn’t talk for sometime, I said: “So, what is the difference between the Hair Color Forces?”
Angelica brighten up at this, “Well, the Red Heads are good at well, war type things. The Brunettes are good at being graceful, like dancing and such, anything that requires pationts and grace. The Black Hair is good at like spying, very sneaky. And the Blondes,--even though no one likes to admit it--are the smartest. They can make such things as the first rocket ship.”
I pondered this for a second. “I’m not that great that doing that kind of thing, I like reading and writing.—“
“And those things help all Blondes get there smarts. I’m not saying that just Blondes are smart, I’m just saying that we can go things that the other Hair Color Forces have failed to do.” I tried to picture USeal trying to be sneaky. She couldn’t pull it off. And I tried to picture Sondra trying to kill someone. Then I said, “How do you choose people for this.”
“Each Hair Color Force watches each of their hair color around the world, and picks the ones that act promising for their Force.”
“But, how do they tell that their hair is nautral?”
Angelica’s face became dark. “Well, along time ago, a couple of, people who had dyed and ruined there hair, found out about the Hair Color Forces. And wanted to know why they couldn’t join. We told them that we only pick the ones that act promising and also that once you dye your hair, you have no chance of getting picked. They grew angry at this and swore revenge. A couple of times, they would…um…take out the people we would pick and pose as them, trying to get it and take their revenge. But we soon found out and now we analyze each of everyone’s hair, to make sure it is natural.”
“Are those people still out there?” I asked.
“No, we got rid of them long ago. Most of them got scattered across the world. They called themselves the Dyed Force.”
The name sound evil. “So, was like Hitler one of them?” I was trying to get this history thing down.
“Yes. His hair wasn’t natural so he started one of the Hair Forces War known as World War 1. There wasn’t just one though, there were many.”
I thought about what Hitler had wanted. He wanted everyone to have blonde hair and blue eyes. Probably because it would be easier to take out the Hair Color Forces if there were only Blondes left.
More silence, “Who started this?” I asked.
“I know, but you do not need to know that know.” Angelica said. “Now, you must get fitted for your outfit and go check out your room. Come and see me anytime.” She smiled.
I smiled back the best I could, but now I knew that I wasn’t safe, not even here, in who knows where. I wasn’t safe.
Chapter 7
When I got to where I was soupossed to be fitting for my outfit, Jason said he had something to do. So he left.
Anne Bellum was there, she kept talking away, which kept my mind off the people who wanted me.
“And did you know that Albert Einstein built the code breaker in room 7?” she rambled on.
After a machine scanned me if went and made my out fit. It didn’t take it long. When my out fit came, it was a white long sleeve shirt with a white skirt and white tites, with white boots. It looked just like Anne Bellum’s.
Next, Anne Bellum showed me where I would be sleeping, The room had bunk beds along the back wall.
“Bunk 12 is yours , it’s right next to mine!” Jason had told me that all they girls 12 through 17 slept in room 12 and any older slept in room 13. The same went for the boys except that their rooms were 14 and 15.
“The bathroom’s over here, so you can change!” Anne Bellum said.
I was getting tired of her talking. Her talking could start a war. That’s probbbaly why her parents named her Anne Bellum. Her talking was before the war started and that’s what started it.
“So Anne Bellum,” I said, stepping into a stall in the bathroom. “What do your parents do for a living?”
“Oh, my dad teaches Latin at a school and my mom is here actually.” She answered.
“Really? Your mom’s here? That is so cool, Anne.” I said.
“Not really, everyone thinks that I should be as good as her when I grow up. But my mom and I are so different.” Anne Bellum’s war starting talking stopped.
I decided to change the topic. “Well, my dad teaches English at a school and my mom stays at home. I have little sister named Lucy and a little brother named Jonah. I have a big brother too, named Joshua, but I never see him, he’s at collage all the time.”
“You mean, James St. James?” Anne Bellum perked up.
“Uh…yes.”
Anne Bellum started to say something but then stopped. “I’ve just heard of a…uh…famous guy by that name.”
“Oh, cool. My brother isn’t famous though.”
“Oh.”
There was silence for a long time so I asked Anne Bellum about the history of the Hair Color Forces and she started babbling.
When I came out of the stall. Anne said, “Wow, you look amazing, Luna!”
I looked down at my new outfit. “You think so?”
I was wearing a white trench coat with white boots and a white skirt, leggings and a long sleeve shirt.
“Defentily! Now come on, dinner is soon.”
As soon as she said that, I remembered that I’d had any thing since breakfast, and that was a long time ago. She pulled me along, down the hall way. She was running so fast, my glasses fell off. (Yes, I have glasses). When I went to pick them up, I saw someone standing in front of me. I picked up my glasses and stood up. And Dana was standing there.
“Walk much?” she asked.
“Excuse me? My glasses fell off.” I snapped.
“Well don’t go around dropping things. I’ll smash those the next time they fall. You hear?”
She shoved me as she walked by.
“She’s a really Tess.” I said. Cleaning off my glasses.
“Tess?” Anne Bellum asked.
“Oh, yeah. There’s this girl in this movie called Camp Rock and Tess is the mean girl. And she’s blonde, so yeah.”
“Oh, that makes sense.” Anne Bellum said.
“So, how old are you?” I asked, as we contuined down the hall way.
“I’m ten.” Anne said..
“Wow, I thought you were.—“
“Older? Yeah, people say that. They just can’t face the fact a ten-year-old girl can do algebra.”
“I just think its cool, that you can.” I said.
“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s just people always say that. Even my mom.”
We walked in silence until we got to the dining hall. Jason came walking up with something in his hand.
“Here’s.—“ he stopped and looked at me. “You look nice.” He said. And he handed me a file.
“What’s this?” I asked. Opening it up.
“That’s your ID and keys to the class rooms and such. The doors don’t open by themselves without clearance.”
“Cool. Very cool.” I said.
Just then Anne Bellum cried. “Uh…I gotta go…bye!” And she ran off. Angelica came up.
“Hello, Luna, Jason, how are you?” she asked.
“Good.” I said. Jason just nodded. “You just missed, Anne Bellum.” I said.
“Oh, we’ve met.” Angelica said.
I smiled. I didn’t know what else to talk about. Angelica wasn’t in her bussines like form. So I didn’t ask anything about the Hair Color War.
Just then, Dana walked by. She glared at me. I shivered. Definitely a Tess. I thought. Dana sat down at a table with a bunch of other girls.
“She’s just…Mean.” I said.
“Who?” Jason asked. Angelica had gone over to talk to the cook.
“Dana.” I said.
Jason laughed. “Yeah, you should see her on our dates.”
“You’re dating her?!” I said.
“What?” Jason asked.
“Oh, nothing. I just didn’t…you know…”
“Jason smiled, yeah, I understand.” He smiled. “Excuse me.” And he walked over to where Dana was sitting.
I went and sat down at a table where no one was sitting, and sighed.
“Why so glum?” someone asked.
I turned around and saw a girl with green eyes. (and blonde hair, but I don’t really need to say that.)
“Oh, um…Just sad.” I said.
“I saw you talking to Jason. And then he walked over to Dana. I see what’s wrong.”
“Um…how do you know?”
She sat down next to me. “It’s just how life goes, anyway, you new?”
“Yeah, I’m Luna. You?”
“Been here for two years, name’s Jessica.”
We went up to get some food. Anne Bellum came running up. “Sorry, about that. I just—“ She stopped when she saw Jessica.
“This is Jessica, Anne.—“
“I know.” She cut in between me and Jessica.
I sent an apologetic look towards Jessica. She just shrugged and got her food.
When we got back to the table, Anne Bellum sat as far away from Jessica as possible.
The pizza would have been good, if my two my new friends weren’t staring daggers at each other and the fact that anyone could be coming to get me at any minute.
I put down my pizza and took a deep breath and said: “Stop it you two.”
They looked up at me. “Sorry, Luna.” Anne Bellum said. She kept glancing mean looks at Jessica.
“Anne, if you were truly sorry, then you wouldn’t still be staring angrily at Jessica.” I said.
“I gotta go work on some homework anyway. See ya.” And Jessica left.
“Anne! Come on. What’s so bad about her?” I asked.
“Nothing you need to know. Anyway, if you ever need any help with your homework just ask me.”
“Ok.” I didn’t ask her again about why she hated Jessica so much. I figured I’d ask Jessica instead.
After dinner I walked back to room 12. Jason came running up behind me.
“Hey. Did I hurt your feelings or anything?” he asked.
“No, why would you think that?”
“Beucase you acted all sad when you went to sit down.” He answered.
Oh, he’s good. I thought. “I was just surprised that, no offence or anything, that you would be dating a mean girl. I mean, she so mean to me.”
“Dana just takes awhile to warm up to new comers. She’ll just used to you.”
I nodded, and we walked in silence. I decided to ask him about the Hair Color War. “So, Jason, Angelica told me that the other Hair Color Forces want be because of a war.”
Jason looked at me. “Yes, they do. But you don’t have to worry, Angelica has hired some body guards to go around with you. Better safe then sorry, you know.”
I smiled. “What kind of body guards?” When I thought of body guards, I thought of guys in black suits. I defitenty didn’t want them following me around.
“Just some of the older Blondes here, they will just take you to your classes and such, they won’t be with you all the time, they will stay outside the rooms and wait for you.”
I breathed a sigh of relif. “Cool, I’m sure I’ll be safe then.”
Jason smiled, “Yep.” Then he looked at his watch. “Oh I gotta run, Dana…”
“I understand, don’t want to keep her waiting.” I said.
He waved as he ran back down the hallway.
“Of course you hurt my feelings. Oh, I just can’t belive your dating a jerk! UGH! Why can’t I just say things?” I yelled. “And why is he dating in the first place? He’s only four-teen! I’m not allowed to date until I’m eighteen! I wish everyone would just wait! Your not going to get married next year are you? No your not!”
“Luna?” Anne Bellum came running up. “Who are you talking to?”
“Uh…um…no one…why do you ask?” Smooth, Luna, smooth.
“Well for one thing, people just don’t go around yelling to nothing, now do they?” Anne Bellum laughed.
I forced a laugh. “Yeah. So, tomorrow, after school, you want to help me with homework?”
Anne Bellum brighten. “Sure!”
“Oh, but I don’t know about what my body guards would say.” I said.
“Oh, I know how they work, I’ve had some, they just wait outside the room your in.”
“You’ve had body guards?” I asked.
“Yeah, my…uh…mom wanted them at first. But after awhile, she let me around by myself.” Anne Bellum said.
“Did you like have a code name?” I asked, we started walking towards room 12 again.
Anne Bellum laughed. “Yes! It was too funny! It was Braine.”
I laughed. “That is funny.” Then I sobered. “But I’m also scared, I don’t want someone getting me. They say I’m going to start the Hair Color War.”
Anne Bellum put her arm around my shoulder. “It’s ok, theses guys are trained for this, they will protect you.”
I smiled, but it was half hearted. We got to room 12 and I crawled into bed. (no need for pjs, our uniforms don’t need cleaning at all, and they’re very comfy.) I fell asleep right away, hoping that Anne Bellum was right, that they would protect me.
Chapter 8
When Anne Bellum woke me up, it was 6:00.
“Anne! I don’t even get up this early when I was at home!” I cried, I pulled my pillow over my head.
“Come on! You have to meet your body guards!” Anne Bellum said, she pulled the pillow off my head.
The sunshine through the windows shone. When Anne Bellum finally got me up, I looked outside the windows and gasped. We were in the air!
“Woah.” I said.
“I know! Isn’t it cool? Now come on, they’re waiting!” Anne Bellum pulled me out of the room.
“I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet!” I protested, anything to get me back into room 12.
“No need to, our food here brushes them for you! Cool huh?”
So much for that idea. I thought.
“How did you get so strong?” I asked. As she dragged me through the hallways.
“The food.” Anne Bellum replied.
I didn’t need anything then that. I wonder if the food could make me smarter? I wondered.
When Anne finally slowed down, we were by Angelica’s office. Jason came walking up, with Dana behind her.
“Tess at 12o’clock.” I whispered to Anne Bellum.
“Good luck, I uh…gotta go. Bye!” And she ran off.
“Hi, Luna.” Jason said. “Where’s Anne going?”
“I don’t know.” I said.
“Probbaly going to improve her smarts, like she needs it, it won’t help, she’s already dumb.” Dana said.
“She’s not dumb!” I snapped.
“Ha! Did she tell you that she was really smart? She’s so not though.” Dana looked at her nails.
I was waiting for Jason to tell his jerk for a girlfriend that she was being well, a jerk. But he didn’t seem to notice.
“Do you have your keys, Luna?” Jason asked.
“Yes, I do. Anne made sure I didn’t forget them.”
Jason smiled, “Anne is a very bright girl. Now, just slide the key into this slot…”
The keys were like the cards you use to get into a hotel room. I slid it through the slot. And the door opened. Inside there were two people in the chairs in front of Angelica’s desk.
“Hello, Luna, Come here.” Angelica said.
Jason gave me a smile, and Dana just flipped her hair.
I walked in to where Angelica was sitting.
“Luna, these are your protecters. Matt and Sam.”
The boys nodded. I forced a smile. “Nice to meet you.” (you still need manners even if you are in a building in the air!)
“They will follow you to all your classes, they will sit in the back of the class rooms. During meal times they will sit at the same table you are sitting, but they will not sit close. You still need your personal space.” Angelica said. “They are only two years older than you, so it looks like you are with your friends. They have classes but they will study even harder beucase they cannot be at their classes during the day. Any questions?”
“N-no.” I stammered.
“Good, now here’s your shecudle of classes. Don’t be late. Teachers here do not like students being late. Now go on.”
I walked towards the door, my hands in my pockets. Matt and Sam were not far behind.
I walked back down the hallways to room 12, Anne Bellum came running up. Matt and Sam looked like they were going to attack Anne. “No guys, it’s ok, she’s my friend.” I said hastily. Matt and Sam nodded. I let out a sigh of relif. “Hi, Anne.”
“Hi Luna! I see you got your body guards, now here’s your backpack, it has all the things you’ll need to class.” Anne handed me a white backpack.
“Thanks.” I said. We walked down the hall to my first class. “So, what do we learn in room…100?”
“Math, codes to crack and such. Easy.” Anne answered.
“Easy?” I said.
“Yep! Now come on!” She grabbed my hand. Matt started to walk forward.
“She’s fine.” I said, as Anne pulled me down the hall. Matt and Sam had to run to keep up.
When we got to room 100, people were going inside the room. I all of sudden felt really nervous. Even at my old school I was nervous, having dyslexia makes it hard for me to read.
“Here, you can sit by me.” Anne pulled out a chair at a desk (by the way, everything was white in here too.)
I sat down, I looked behind me and saw Matt and Sam take a seat by the door. Matt actually smiled at me. I smiled back and then turned to the white board. (yep, to chalk boards, just white boards…)
Then a lady in a white dress came out, she had blue eyes like me. “Hello, class. And special guests…” she gestured towards Matt and Sam. “And welcome, Luna St. James We are glad you have you here with us.” She smiled at me. “I am Miss. Susan. And this is math class.”
I’ve always stunk at math, even though my mom has said that I rock at it. I was so glad to have Anne Bellum to help me with it after class. We learned about Einstein’s eqasution thing. And other things that my brain couldn’t process.
When we finally got out of class, I had a headache.
“How do you like that stuff?” I asked Anne Bellum.
“I don’t know, I guess I just do.” Anne Bellum shrugged.
“I happen to like math.” Matt said.
That was the first time he’d said anything that whole morning. I turned around. “Really?”
He nodded.
Sam bumped him with his elbow. “He’s such a geek. PE is better.”
Matt just shrugged, I guess he was used to Sam’s teasing. I was glad because, boys always tried to beat each other up, it didn’t make any sense to me.
“So…Anne, what’s in room 101?” I asked.
“History! And then after that, PE, science and Language arts.” She answered.
“I’m good at history and language arts. So at least there’s an up side to things.”
Anne just laughed. In history, we just learned about all of the history of Amelia Earhart and her flight around the world. It so happens that the Red Heads shot her down, and then took her hostage in there base in the sky. That’s why no one can find her ship and her. I thought it was very cool. Mrs. Lotis was very nice too. In PE we learned karte. I was good at that. Then we had lunch. We had chicken noodle soup. One of my favotires. Anne said that it boosted your immune system even more that normal chicken noodle soup. In science, Anne almost blew me up. Matt had to save me from the explosion. And then we went to Language arts, in room 104.
By that time, I was tired, so I was glad that my last class was my easiest.
“Hello class!” the teacher skipped into the room. “Today we are going to learn how to write in French!”
I whispered to Anne: “I thought this was Language arts.”
“It is. Language arts.”
“Oh.” And then I laughed to myself. We were learning different languages and turning them into art.
By dinner, I was so tired, I could barely go to dinner.
“You ok, Luna?” Matt asked me.
“Yeah, just tired, really tired.”
“Let me hold your backpack.” Matt offered.
“Geez Matt, we’re only soupossed to protect her! Not carry her things.” Sam said.
“It’s the same thing, Sam. Sometimes the most dangerous things happen in your body.” Matt said.
“Nerd.” Sam said.
“Sciecntest.” Matt corrected.
“Guys. I’m fine, but if you don’t mind, Matt. I would like someone to hold my backpack.” I said.
Matt took my backpack as we went to dinner. When we got there, all of the kids in the room were trying to see over eachother’s heads.
“What’s going on?” I asked one of them.
“Cat fight!” he answered.
“Cat fight?” I looked at Matt and Sam.
“Girls.” Sam said. “Girls fighting. That’s what we call it.”
“Well that’s not good. I wonder who’s going to stop it?” I pushed through the crowd before Matt and Sam could stop me.
Jessica and Dana looked like they were going to kill each other.
“Aww, did you break a nail?” Jessica said.
“Shut up! You—“
Jessica kicked Dana in the mouth. Dana howled in pain.
“Jessica! What are you doing?!” I yelled. I didn’t like Dana, but that doesn’t mean we can hurt her because of it.
I started to walk up to Dana, to see if she was alright, but Matt had gotten through the crowd and he pulled me back. “We should let the pro’s handle this.” Matt said.
“But she’s hurt!” I protested. I tried to walk forward. But Matt had a strong grip on my shoulders. “And aren’t you one of the ‘pro’s’?”
“Yes but the Commander wanted us to keep you safe.” Matt said.
He was right, and I couldn’t aruge back. I let him pull me back though the crowd.
When we got through, I saw Jason coming up with some of the teachers. Our PE teacher Mr. Boris yelled: “Ok! Everyone move!” The crowd parted, like he was Moses from the Bible and they were the Red Sea.
Jason ran up to Dana.
“love.” Sam said. “It’s so overrated.”
“Actually.—“ Matt started.
“Stop, you two.” I snapped.
They nodded and went back to their quiet state.
Dana was crying as Jason walked her to the Medical House.
I walked up to them. “Are you ok, Dana?” I asked.
She opened her mouth up to say something. But all that came out was blood.
“She’ll be fine, once I get her to the Medical House.” Jason said.
I walked over to Jessica. “What were you thinking?!” I said.
“What? She’s a jerk, you have to teach them a lesson you know.” Jessica answered.
“No, I don’t know. She’s still a person, ‘you know’” I snapped back.
“Jessica, I want to see you in my office.” Angelica came walking up.
Jessica shrugged and did what she was told. Angelica went over to Matt and whispered something in his ear. Matt nodded. And walked towards me.
Great, she told him to make sure I was safe. I thought. And I was right.
“Come on, Luna. Angelica want’s you back in room 12.” Matt said.
“But.—“
“No buts. Come on.” He gave me a gentle shove towards the door. Sam was close behind.
I thought I would like the idea of having body guards. But now I know why kids in movies run away from them. They don’t let you do anything. I asked Matt if we could go back to dinner because I was hungry. He said no, and that I have to wait until Angelica said I could go back. I sat on my bunk dangling my feet off the side. (I got the top bunk!) It at least gave me a break from Matt and Sam.
Other kids started to come in the room. Looking as hungry as I was. Anne Bellum came running up and climbed the latter to my bed.
“Hi!” She said.
“Hi.” I said.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Well for one thing, I’m hungry. And they won’t let me go get some food.” I said. Pointing to Matt and Sam who were sitting by the door, talking.
“I know how you feel. I’m hungry too. My m—“ she stopped. “Angelica told everyone to go back to their rooms until they clean up the Dining Hall and Jessica and Dana are talked to.”
“I think Jessica started it.” I said.
“I told you that she was trouble.” Anne said.
“I didn’t say that.—“
Anne Bellum put her hand up. “I know what you meant.”
I laughed.
Then I heard over the speaker that everyone can go back to the Dinging House for dinner.
Anne jumped down from the bed, but before I could jump. Matt came up and insited that I need to be carried down. I let him, but it was really awkward.
As soon as I got down, I ran for the door, I caught up with Anne Bellum.
“I hope I lost them.” I said. Breathing hard. (I wasn’t in best of shape)
“Nope. You didn’t.” Anne said.
“Great.”
Matt came running up. “Don’t do that again!” He said.
“I’m just walking to the Dining House!” I said.
“She’s right, just let her go.” Sam said.
Matt glared at him, which gave me enough time to run down the hall and into the Dining Hall.
I saw Anne at a table and I quickly grabbed my food and sat down next to her.
“I didn’t ask for another older brother.” I said.
“You’ll get used to it.” Anne Bellum said, taking a bite of her salad.
“I don’t’ think I will. Why did you have body guards?” I asked.
“Oh…uh…my mom is a…very important teacher here…so…They were just like yours. Speaking of which, here they come.”
I groaned as Matt and Sam came up. “I told you don’t do that again!” Matt said. Sam just nodded.
“I’m fine. Now go do something besides bother me.” I said.
Like he didn’t hear me, Matt sat down at the table. Sam said: “The Commander said nerd here would need help, but he doesn’t. Have fun with her, Matt.” And he walked away.
“At least you got rid of one of them.” Whispered Anne.
I didn’t say anything. Just then, Jessica came walking up.
“Hi!” She sat down next to Anne Bellum.
Anne scooted closer to me.
Jessica looked at Matt. “Hello there, the name’s Jessica.” She held out her hand.
Matt just nodded.
“What’s up with him?” she asked me.
“He’s my body guard, he thinks I can’t walk here by myself. Now, why did you start that fight with Dana?” I said.
“Me? I didn’t, miss jerk did.” Jessica took bite of her spaghetti.
Before I could reply. Angelica came up. Anne said: “I need some more garlic bread.” And she got up. But she still had a whole untouched pieace on her plate.
“Luna, Sam tells me that you aren’t listening to them.” Angelica said.
“But they.—“ I started.
“No. You do what they say. I thought you wouldn’t make any trouble for them, but you did.” Angelica said “Now it is just Matt, because Sam quit. Now you only have one protector Miss. St. James. Make sure you don’t end up with none. Because then the enemy will get you. Think about that.” And she left.
Anne Bellum came back with another piece of garlic bread. She looked at me. “What’s wrong?”
“I-I’m not hungry anymore.” I pushed my plate away. “I’m going to go to room 12 now.” I got up and started towards the door, with Matt close behind me.
Chapter 9
For the next month the same old things happened. School for five days a week and then Saterday and Sunday off. Even on the weekend Matt followed me everywhere. I didn’t try to loose him. I couldn’t get what Angelica said out of my head. I didn’t want anyone to get me, but I didn’t want someone following me around all the time.
What was even worse was that Dana was even meaner because she had detension for a month. Also, her mouth was hit so hard that she can barely talk anymore. She everytime she saw me, she would give me the death look, like it was my fault her mouth was busted and she had been blamed for the start of the ‘cat fight’.
I was still sleeping Monday morning at 7:00. When I heard someone talking in the room. I woke up and grabbed a pillow to through that the people who forgot we get another hour of sleep before classes. But I froze, when I saw Jessica talking to someone, I didn’t know who because they were in the shadows. But I reconzided Jessica’s way of talking.
“Are you sure no one knows?” the voice said.
“Positive.” Jessica answered.
“And you blamed the fight on the girl?”
“Yes. Now no one knows that I started it.”
“Good. We wouldn’t want anyone finding out. The Commander will not be pleased.”
“I’m sure she wouldn’t be.”
Then the person disappeared. And Jessica turned around. I fell back on m pillows and didn’t move, until I heard her get into her bed.
I didn’t get that extra hour of sleep. I was too busy thinking about what I had heard. Should I tell Angelica? Or with Jessica deine it and then I would get in trouble for lying. She must have been pretty good at lying herself, for pinning the blame on Dana for the fight.
When everyone started to get up, I got up just like normal and tried to act as if nothing happened. I would talk to Jessica myself. When I had the chance too, but the time being I would not say anything about what I had heard. But Anne Bellum was good at knowing if something was wrong.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked, as I brushed my teeth.
I spit out into the sink. “Nothing.”
Anne put her hands on her hips. “Really? Then why are you looking as if you’ve seen a ghost?”
She’s too good. I said to myself.
“Alright! I’ll tell you!” I told her about what I had heard. When I was finished Anne stood there a moment.
“This either means that she’s working for one of the other Hair Color Forces, or she just likes to act sneaky.” Anne Bellum said.
“It’s the first one…duh…” I said.
Then I heard a knock on the bathroom door. “Luna, you can’t hide in there!” Matt called.
I sighed. “Coming!” Then I turned to Anne Bellum. “We’ll talk about his later, but promise that you won’t say anything!”
“Deal!” and we shook hands for affect.
I ran out the bathroom door and ran into Matt. “Oop, sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Matt brushed himself off. “Math starts in two minutes. We have to hurry if we’re going to make it.”
“You mean me.” I said, I walked to the door. And down the hall.
In math all we learned about dividing five numbers at once. (no one teaches that in schools now. It’s so much easier!) Then in PE I had Anne as a sparing partner.
I blocked her punch and through her on the mat. “Nice one, Luna!” she said, when I helped her up.
“Thanks. Now, we have to talk to Jessica about what I heard.”
“She has a late class tonight, if we can sneak out we could go and catch her as she get’s out…” Anne said. throwing me on the mat.
“No, Matt will catch me and I’ll get one of his lectures again.” I shivered at this. His lectures were so long and boring and if I didn’t listen he would have to start all over again. Anne helped me up.
The bell rang.
Anne and I walked to the door. We passed Dana who couldn’t do PE because of her mouth.
I looked at Anne Bellum. She looked at me. We nodded. This was perfect.
Chapter 10
At lunch, we had grilled cheese sandwiches with frenchfries.
“Are you sure about this?” Anne asked me.
“Positve. She’s so good at making people angry, so all we need is to tell Dana what we want to know, and then she’ll make Jessica spill it.” I answered.
“I don’t know, Dana already hates you, and she can’t even talk right.”
Just then, Jason and Dana came into the Dining House. They came over to our table.
“Hey, Luna, Anne.” Jason said.
“Hey, Jason, Dana.” We replied.
“Dana, how about you wait here and I’ll get us some food.” Jason said.
“Fine. But hurry.” Dana sounded almost normal.
I whispered to Anne Bellum: “Should we tell her now?”
“Yes, but let me do the talking.” Anne whispered back.
I nodded, and looked at where Matt was sitting, I didn’t want him to hear this, or I’d be in a lot of trouble. He was busy talking to Jessica, which was ironic.
“So Dana, we have a favor to ask you.” Anne said.
Dana looked at her. “Like I want to help you!”
“No, no, this is for revenge.” Anne answered.
Dana got a smug smile on her face. “Revenge on who?”
“Jessica.”
Dana listened while we told her about what I had heard and about what we wanted her to do. We told her she couldn’t tell anyone.
“Fine, but you owe me.” She said, Jason came over with his food. She winked at us as she walked away with Jason.
I let out a sigh. “Whew! Glad that’s over.”
“Me too. I’d been planning that speech for forever!” Anne Bellum exclaimed.
“Forever? Or just an hour?” I asked.
“Fine, just an hour.” Anne smiled.
After lunch we went to science, and along the way, I got a long lecture on how science is the most important subject ever, from Matt.
“Elbert.—“ Matt started.
“Enough, Matt. I get it.” I said.
Anne just giggled.
Matt glared at me. I shrugged.
We made it to room 103, and we walked in and took our seats.
“Today class, we are going to go outside the base and show you the world below.” My science teacher said.
There was murming around the class room.
Dana raised her hand.
“Yes, Miss. Evans?” my teacher said.
“Where actually are we going, down there?” Dana asked.
“We’re not shopping, if that’s what you mean, Miss. Evans.”
There was giggling around the room.
But that didn’t stop Dana from talking, “I want to know where.”
“Dana, just go with it. You’ll find out when we get down there.” Jason said.
Dana sat back aginst her chair and crossed her arms.
My science teacher (who is, Mr. Aqua) pulled a box out of his desk. “In here ladies and gentlemen is normal clothes that you will wear when we go down there. He pulled out another box. “This one is for the boys and the other one of the girls. Come get your boxes and go to your room and report back here in twenty mintues. Understood?”
A bunch of “yes sirs” came as we went to get our boxes.
Matt went to take me to my room, when Mr. Aqua said: “No, Mr. Jones. You will not be accompyning Ms. St. James today.”
Matt started to protest but Mr. Aqua was firm. “No, I’ve already talked to Angelica about it, you are staying here. I have a test for your grade. You better get on it, it’s due tomorrow.”
Matt sat down again.
“I’ll be fine, but get that test done.” I whispered as we passed by.
We went to room 12, it felt good not to have anyone following you all the time, but then, I didn’t feel as safe.
I picked a jacket, with a white T-Shirt and jeans to where. Anne Bellum picked a black dress with flats. Dana put on a white dress with a matching coat. And Jessica but on a purple jump suit.
“Really, Jessica?” I asked.
“Yep! It’s so good to be wearing something else for a change!” she answered.
Dana walked up to us. “When are we going to talk to her?” she whispered.
“What was that?” Jessica asked.
“Uh…oh…Oh Dana! You don’t have to wear that! We’re not going anywhere fancy!” I said hastily.
Jessica went to her bunk.
“Whew, I don’t know Dana, soon I hope.” I said.
When we all were in room 103 again, Mr. Aqua all had us file down the hall and out into the plat form where the ships are. I hadn’t been there before, it was awesome. That’s the only word I can think of to explain it. There was glass protecting us from the thin air in the sky, and everything was white and so was the ship we were taking.
We followed Mr. Aqua into the ship. We all took seats (there were a lot).
Jason sat by me, Dana was on his other side and Anne Bellum on my other side.
“You nervous?” Jason asked.
I shrugged, “A little.”
He smiled.
I turned to Anne, “What if someone tries to kidnap me?” I hissed.
“Relax, that’s what I’m for.” She answered. I stared at her. “What? Ok, ok, that’s why Mr. Aqua and Jason are for. Ok?”
I laughed.
“Ok, class, when we get down there you must act as normal students.”
I know how to do that. I thought.
“Since you are going to help the people of the world someday, we will start with small tascts.” He held up a paper bag to City Barbeque. “Recycling.”
I heard groans.
“This is just a small thing, this is probably the only chance you’ll get to do this is a long time, make the most of it.” He turned around and started the ship, it blasted off.
They ride was actullay really fun, Anne and I talked about what we would do if we had time to look around.
When we landed, everyone got out, talking and laughing, but then, I looked up and saw a sign, it read:
WELCOME TO LIGHTSVILLE, WHERE EVERYONE’S BRIGHT.
I froze. “What’s wrong?” Anne asked me.
“T-this is where I live…” I said.
Chapter 11
“Really? That’s so cool!” Anne Bellum said.
“No it’s not.” I said.
“Why?”
I turned to her. “Because, if someone I know asks me where I’ve been, what am I soupossed to tell them? What if Sondra and USeal see me?”
“Sondra and who?”
“Anne, your not getting the point.”
“Sorry, don’t worry, it’s the middle of a school day! Also we’re going to the part of town where the streets and bad and stuff, more trash to pick up.” She grabbed my hand and we ran to catch up with the others.
“Now class,” Mr. Aqua said “try to avoid contact with anyone No, don’t just try, do it. We can’t risk the world finding out about us. And anyone here could be part of the other Hair Color Forces.”
I shivered even though I wasn’t cold. I wanted to by back in Blonde Headquarters, where it was safe. I wanted Matt to protect me.
“Does everyone understand?” Mr. Aqua asked.
Dana raised her hand. “No Ms. Evans, there will be no shopping today.”
Dana put her hand down and crossed her arms.
“Do you understand?” he asked again.
“Yes, sir.” Everyone replied.
“Good, now here are your bags and your sticks. And remember, go have fun!”
Right, have fun while anyone here could jump out and kidnap you.
Everyone ran and grabbed their bags and walked down the streets laughing and talking. I wasn’t laughing and talking I picked up trash as slowly as I could, I wanted to keep a look out for anyone trying to kidnap me.
I got down to this one aperment building and looked up, I saw a mom inside the building yelling at her kids. Not just yelling like: ‘I told you to clean your room!’ yelling, but screaming as if they had murdered someone. I could hear her yelling. (I’m not going to repeat what she said.) I thought about how my mom would never do that. Then I remembered that I hadn’t told mom or dad where I was. I thought how maybe they were in the hospital, hysterical.
“Hey.” Someone said behind me.
I whirled around and I was face to face with a boy. This boy wasn’t like any boy that I ever seen. (and in my case, that was true, because I’d only seen blonde boys for a month)
“Uh…hi.” I said back. He had black hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a black hoddie with jeans. His hands were in his pockets.
“I haven’t seen you around before.” He said.
“Oh, I’m from out of town.” I turned back around.
“You must like to clean.” He pointed to my bag and stick.
“Oh, um…I do…” That was a lie. I hated to lie. Just thought I’d throw that out there.
“I don’t, takes too much time.” He looked down at the ground. “I’m John.”
“Luna.” Oh. My. Gosh. I was talking to someone when I wasn’t soupossed to! And I’d given him my name.
His eyes lit up, and then he said. “Cool.”
There was an akward silence for awhile and then he asked me. “Where you from?”
I opened my mouth to answer when I heard my name. “Luna!” and it wasn’t a happy greeting, who ever it was, they weren’t happy. I turned and saw Jason stomping towards me.
He grabbed me by the arm. “What are you doing?”
I started to answer when Jason remembered that John was standing there. “Sorry, but, we have to go.” He pulled me away. “What were you doing?”
“He said hi! What was I soupossed to do? Ingorne him?”
Jason gave me the ‘duh’ look.
I turned around and saw John walking away. Then I saw a pieace of paper in my pocket. I didn’t have time to look at it because Mr. Aqua looked pretty upset.
“Ms. St. James! What did I tell you to do?”
I yanked away from Jason’s grip. “Not to talk. But.—“
“No buts. I told you not to talk to anyone.”
“But it’s rude not to answer someone when they talk to you.”
“In other places yes, but here no.”
I thought I was toast when Dana came up. “She didn’t mean to, she just couldn’t resit talking to a cute boy.”
Thank you, Dana! I thought.
“And besides, she’s new. I mean, I’ve been doing this for years now. It takes a long time to avoid people.” Jessica walked up.
Wow, Jessica is helping me.
Mr. Aqua considered this. “Alright, but next time…”
“Ok.” I walked over to Anne and we finished picking up trash.
When we got back on the plane, everyone kept talking about how good it was to be on the ground again, but me, I just couldn’t stop thinking about John. Was he good? Or was he bad? I couldn’t figure it out. Then I remerber the piece of paper in my pocket…
Chapter 12
I was on my bed thinking. The note had said:
Call me if you want…my cell # is: 102-332-9097.
Did this mean that he wanted me to call him so he could track where I lived, and then kidnap me? Or does he want a girlfriend? Or does he want to know about me, and my life?
I didn’t want to do all three. (1 I don’t want to be kidnapped. (2 I’m not going to date until I’m eighteen. (3 and I could only tell him my life before I was brought to Blonde Headquarters, which wouldn’t be my whole life, and which I would have to lie and that’s wrong.
I sat up. “This is hopeless!”
“What’s hopeless?” Dana came walking up.
I hid the note and cell phone under my pillow (you can’t have cell phones, because someone could track the singal and find out where Head Quarters is)
“Uh…Nothing…” I stammered.
“Nothing, huh?” She sat down on my bed. “Then what’s…” She reached over me before I could stop her and pulled out the note and cell phone. “This?”
“Dana! Give them back!” I tried to grab them out of her hands.
She held them up high. “What are these anyway?”
“Dana!”
“oh, come on…What are they?”
“That’s a cell phone.”
“I know that, but what’s the other thing?” she held it up to her face to read it. I snatched it out of her hands.
“None of your business, that’s what.” I snapped.
“Hey, just wondering. I won’t tell on you.” Dana put up her hands.
“Fine, it’s a note from that boy.”
“Oooh! Really? Can’t I read it?”
I gave her the note. “That is so cute! You should call him!”
“You think so?”
“I know so.”
“All right, but don’t tell on me.”
“Cross my heart and hope to die.”
I smiled. “I guess I’ll call him tonight. But I don’t date, so there’s no reason to call him.”
“Talk to him now, and when your ready to date, date. It’s simple.”
It didn’t sound simple to me, but I said I would call him tonight.
Just then, Jason came in with Matt behind him.
“Hey you two, what are you doing?” Jason asked.
“Talking, none of your business, Jason.” Dana pulled him out the door.
And it was just Matt and I in the room.
“It’s dinner time, you hungry?” Matt asked.
“A little, you?” I said.
“I guess.” He stood there a rubbed his head as if he was thinking. “Hey, I heard about that boy today…”
“Oh, you did? Well it was nothing, he didn’t kidnap me.” I smiled.
Matt stood there and then he said “So…Luna…I was wondering…”
He didn’t get to finish because Anne Bellum came running into the room. “Come on slow pokes! Dinner!” She grabbed my hand and we ran down the halls. Matt was close behind.
I took a bite of my crock pot spegtti and I remerbered that Matt had tried to say something.
“Hey, Matt, what were you going to tell me today in room 12?” I asked.
He looked up from his food. “Oh…Nothing…”
I eyed him for a moment and then contuined eating. Dana came up. “When are we going to do the speech?” she asked. (that was code for, ‘when can I make Jessica spill it?’)
“Soon I hope, have you been practicing?” I replied. (that was code for, ‘It better be soon, I don’t want to get kidnapped by her!’)
“Sure been.” Dana said (that was code for, ‘Don’t worry, you won’t. I’ll make sure of that.’)
I had to admit, just a month in Blonde Force classes and I can already talk code. Who knew?
Dana left to sit with Jason.
“What were you guys talking about?” Matt was reading his Nook Color.
“Nothing, just something we’ve been working on.”
He nodded. I knew he wasn’t listening, because uselly he would grill me.
That night, while I was sneaking out to call John, I heard someone coming down the hallway. Make that two people.
“When are we going to kidnap the, brat?” Someone said impaitontly.
“Don’t worry. We have a agent working on it.” Jessica said.
I jumped inside a closet just in time, as they passed.
“Good, the Commander likes things to be on time. We need her.”
Those last words freaked me out. I kept telling myself that they weren’t as bad as: ‘We want her’, or, ‘We want to kill her.’
When they had passed. I tried to think of who would be that other person, it was a man I knew that much, but who was it?
I stood there in the closet, thinking, when I rembered what I was going to do.
I took out the slip of paper, and shakily dialed the number.
It rang. Just when I was sure he wasn’t going to pick up and I was going to hang up, or something like that. He answered.
“Speak to me.”
I had to control myself from laughing. Only agents talked like that.
“Uh…hi…John…this is Luna…”
There was a pause.
“Oh! Hey. I thought you wouldn’t call.”
I forced a laugh. “Yeah right, of course I was going to!”
“So, I was wondering, I never got to know where you were from.”
Oh boy…What do I say? I hate lying!
“Oh…I used to live in Lampville, but then we moved…Now I live somewhere far away…”
“Cool! I like mysteries.” He laughed.
I smiled.
“I know this is going to sound random but, what’s your favorite food?”
I told him that I LOVED speggitti and all other things that I hadn’t told even Anne Bellum.
It was twelve o’clock by the time we stopped talking. I stepped out of the closet, smiling to myself.
Then the hand clamped over my mouth hands went behind my back and a hit on the head that made everything go black.
My eyes opened slowly. My head was throbbing. I sat up, I didn’t know what had happened, when everything started to come back in fast, painful flashes in my mind. I griped my head. I tried not to cry. It had happened, Matt wasn’t there to protect me, I had been kidnapped. I didn’t’ know who had kidnapped me and I didn’t know what they were going to do to me, but I didn’t want to think about that.
Then I noticed that my white coat was covered in blood, I touched my head and for the first time, I felt a bandage around it.
“Well at least they know first aid.” I said, I stood up I fell back down from the pain. I was in a dark red room with metal walls, (with a pinch of orange) I could tell where a door was, but there wasn’t a window in the whole room. Just red and orange wall. But then I noticed, a camara, moving at my every move.
“Who ever you are! Show yourself!” I yelled at it.
The camara seemed to hear me, and it turned off and a hole opened up into the wall, and the camra slid into it.
“I scared it. Great.” I started pushing at the outline of the door. There was no knob no anything.
I leaned against the door.
I held back my tears and prayed that somehow, God would help me out of this. Then the door opened behind me and I fell back aginst the ground.
I looked up.
“Hey, sis.”
Chapter 13
In other circumstances, I would jumped up and hugged my brother. But I didn’t. For two reasons: (1 He was one of my kidnappers and (2 He was wearing and red jumpsuit with gloves and everything we had, but in a different color.
He reached out his hand to help me up, I ignored it and stood up myself.
Jonah reached out towards my head where the bandage was, “How’s the old noggin?” he asked.
I hit his hand aside, a little harder than I intended.
“Ow.” He rubbed his hand.
“It didn’t hurt.” I snapped.
“Hey, what did I do to you?” he smiled his way of: I’m teasing you, I dare you to yell at me.
But I wasn’t in the mood for teasing. “Well, you kidnapped me. Duh.”
Jonah stood there for a moment. “Not on purpose, the Commander wants you for.—“
“Stop! It doesn’t matter who wants me for anything, you still did it!” I yelled.
“Luna, calm down.” He went to put his hands on my shoulders, I stepped back. “Luna, I care about you, I’m still your brother.”
Those words stopped me. “If you cared, you would of c.—“
“St. James!” Someone yelled.
Both Jonah and I turned around and snapped. “What?”
A girl in the (same outfit as me, except in red) came stomping down the hall. “The Commander told you to get the girl, not talk to her!” The girl came so close to me, I stepping back, hitting the wall with my injured head.
“Ow.” I rubbed it.
“Get used to pain, your.—“
“Shut up, Darline.” Jonah said. “That’s my sister you’re talking to.”
The girl stood there for a moment, hand on her hip. “So?”
Wow, another Tess in my life. Great. I thought.
“Darline, I said, shut up.” Jonah snapped.
“I don’t care even if you are the Commander’s favorite, she wants her.” Danline pointed at me. “In her office, now.”
“Darline.—“ James started.
“If you won’t take her, I will.”
I looked at my big brother, he glanced at me. “I don’t care who takes me, let’s just get it for with!” I threw my hands in the air.
Darline smiled an evil smile. “Alright, Jonah, you take her, she doesn’t care.”
“I.—“ Jonah said.
“Jonah, you don’t care about me, so go ahead, this is stupid to aruge about.” I said.
James grabbed me by my arm and pushed me down the hall. “Luna, I can’t just take you nicely, it’s how the Red Heads work. That’s why I didn’t want to do it.”
“It’s fine, I mean, if you cared, you would of.—“ I was intercepted again.
“Jonah! Are you coming?” A boy about James age, (which is 16) came running up. Then he looked at me. “Great, you got her. And she’s very pretty…” the boy reached out to touch my face. I slapped his hand away.
“Marcus, leave her alone.” James sighed.
My arm was starting to hurt, I knew James wasn’t doing it on perpuse, but it hurt.
“Ow.” I said.
“There will be a lot more pain waiting for you.” Marcus laughed evilly.
My eyes got wide, I looked up at James, he looked sad and heartbroken, I knew if they hurt me, he would do something he would regret, I had to get out of there to avoid that. I grabbed Jonah’s arm, and used his weight to throw him against Marcus and they landed in a heap, dazed. “Sorry Jonah!” I called back as I ran down the hall, avoiding, or knocking down anyone in my path.
I came to a deadend. “Shoot!” I grumbled. I looked up and down. No exit. “Wait…” I climbed the latter on the wall and found a vent, I opened it up and climbed inside.
It was a tight fit. “I really need to get out more!” I whispered to myself.
I climbed around, until I couldn’t here the sounds of people running and barking orders. I leaned against the side of the wall. I took off my glove on my left hand and hit a button on my watch, I talked into it: “Hello? Can anyone hear me?”
Static “Who…Is….This…?” someone said back.
“Luna St. James. I’ve been kidnapped and being held at the Red Head Head Quarters.” I answered.
“Thank…you…right…! This…Jason…”
I wasn’t getting good respetion. “Jason! I am so scared right now.” A tear slid down my cheek.
“Don’t…Luna…We’ll…you…” which I think meant Don’t worry, Luna, we’ll get you.
“O-ok…My brother is here…” I stammered.
“Luna…Stay…are…We’re…Coming…” Static.
“Jason? Jason?!” He was gone
I wrapped my arms around my knees and cried.
After I had finished crying, I started to think about other things, besides what was happening at the very moment. I thought about dolphins…home…TV…John…
“Wait! Maybe I could call John?” then I thought better of it.
Then I heard something, someone…climbing through the vents. I braced myself for the worse. A girl seemed to jump out of nowhere. “Hold it right there!” she yelled. She pointed her hand at me, and a laser was at my chest.
She was wearing a black suit with gloves, and matching boots. Her black hair was in a bob. And she had dark sunglasses on. Then the girl put down her hand and stared at me.
“Well, if your going to kill me or something, do it already!” I snapped. Holding back more tears.
“Luna?” the girl took off her sunglasses and it was USeal!
Chapter 14
We stared at eachother for the longest time, then I ran to her (or how fast you can when you can barely sit up) wrapped my arms around her, and we hugged.
“Oh Luna! I thought I’d never see you again!” USeal cried.
We stopped hugged and just held hands. “How did you get here?” I asked.
“When you didn’t show up on Sunday, Sondra and I started to get worried, we split up, I went to go to your house and Sondra went to look around the mall for you. But on the way, a bunch of people with black hair came out and kidnapped me and then they said all this stuff about.—“
“I know! I was almost kidnapped by people with dyed hair.” I said.
USeal’s eyes got big. “Really?”
“Well, I’m not sure, but I think they were. They had that look that there hair didn’t go with there eyes, you know?”
“I totally understand! Wow, that was freaky. We want this girl.—“
She looked at me. “What’s wrong?”
“They want me, USeal, I’m that girl.”
There was silence. “Oh, I’m sorry, Luna.”
“It’s fine. So why are you here?”
“Do I have to say it?”
I laughed. “I guess not, heard a rumor about me being here?”
“Yep.”
“Did you come alone?”
“Actully…no…”
“Well, if I’m going to get out this, we have to wait until Jason comes to save me.”
“Who’s Jason?”
I told her the whole story start to finish, when I was done. She sat there for a moment, then she said, “Is John cute?”
“USeal!”
“Sorry. Hey, I’ll create a divorson and then you can find a way out.—“
“USeal, they’ll catch you.”
She smiled a sly smile. “I’m a Black Hair; I know how to not be noticed.”
I wanted to belive USeal that everything would go ok, but I doubted it, we were both inexperienced in what are Hair Color Forces have been doing for a more then a hundred years, and we hadn’t had any field work practice yet. (that’s for once you’ve been in the Force for a year) or has USeal been trained in protecting someone. And me, I hadn’t had any practice in sister lessons in over a year, so if I faced my brother I think I would take him down, hard, because I am mad at him.
So when we started to crawl through the vents I had thought about turning myself in.
“USeal! This is crazy.” I hissed.
“It’ll be fine we just have to…AHHHH!”
Then she fell as the metal in the vent gave away.
“USEAL!” I screamed.
I looked down the hole where she had fallen and she was on the ground shaking her head. Then I saw a bunch of Red Heads advancing on her.
“USeal! Look out!” I yelled.
The Red Heads looked up.
Oops.
“Go Luna! I can handle this. I think.” I barely heard the last part as I started to climb over the hole and kept going.
I heard people yelling, sirens were screaming: EXAPEE! EXAPEE!
“Great, now I’m famous.” Then my watch started to vibrate. I hit the ‘talk’ button and said. “What?!”
“Luna! We are coming, are you ok?” Matt called back, I could tell he was on a plane because of the wind blowing by.
“I’m fine at the moment.” I screamed, as a dart shot through the vent and right in front of me.
“What happened?” I heard Matt say, I heard people asking him questions.
“The natives are getting restless, hurry!”
“We’re almost there, we have a least twenty Blondes with us now. Hang tight.” Then he hung up, leaving static.
“I don’t think I can ‘hang tight’ I have to move to not get caught!” I said to myself.
I kept crawling hoping that this long cave of metal would end soon, then I heard a hissing sound, I looked behind me and I saw little holes letting in some kind of gas.
Oh no! I thought. I took a deep breath and closed my mouth trying to get as much clean air in my lungs as long as I could.
I kept crawling as fast as I could and just when I was running out of air and all I could see where black dots in my vison the floor gave away and I fell down at least ten feet.
Lucky for us, all that food we have bursted our immune sytems and we can take harder blows then everyday humans. But it still hurt, a lot.
“Finally! I knew that gas and weak vent shafts would pay off!” I turned around and saw Marcus standing there holding a dart gun in his hands. “How long can it take to capture a stupid Blonde?”
“We’re not stupid.” I said, trying to get to my feet. Marcus pushed me down again.
“Maybe you aren’t, but right now, I’m feeling a lot smarter than you.” He took off the bandage that was still on my head. I felt where it had been and I felt a big bump.
“Give that back!” I snapped.
“Why? No one can tell you have a bump on your head, all they can see is how big your brain is.” He laughed.
“Shut up!” I yelled.
He put up his hands. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I hurt your feelings?”
“Nope, but I’m pretty sure you hurt their’s.” I pointed to in the doorway stood at least four Blondes looking pretty angry.
I saw a flicker of doubt in Marcus’ eyes. Then he pointed the gun at me and fired, the dart hit me right in the arm. I screamed in pain.
I saw Matt push through the crowd of Blondes, running towards me. I saw the other Blondes surround Marcus.
“Luna. Hang in there.” I heard Matt say, but I could barely hear him, all I heard was a loud thumping in my ears.
“That dart was full of poison, it won’t kill her, but it will disable her for maybe a month or so, if not treated right away.” I heard Marcus say. He didn’t sound sorry.
I felt Matt’s thin arms around me as he carried me across the room, then everything started to fade, and then…black.
Chapter 15
As I faded in and out of a coma, I heard people talking:
“We can’t take her back to Headquarters, she won’t make it in time!” I was pretty sure that was Matt.
“We have to find the meds now. Spread out and find some! Do whatever it takes, do you hear?” I knew Jason’s voice anywhere, he sounded different though, he sounded, scared.
I heard sobbing. I had focused enough to see Anne Bellum crying.
Then I whispered. “Jonah…”
“What did she say?” I heard someone ask.
“I don’t know, Luna. Hang in there, hang in there.”
While I was asleep, I dreamed that I was at home with Mom, Dad, Johsua, Lucy and James, everything was the way it was soupossed to be. We were eating lunch talking about normal things, school, friends…But then, all the windows started to be covered in metal doors and people in all kinds of different color jump suits came running in and they said: We want, Luna St. James.
I woke up suddendy breathing hard, I was in a room with orange and red walls, I was in a hospital bed, I had a cast on my right arm and I hurt everywhere. I groaned.
Then I heard a door opening and Jason walked in.
“How ya doing?” he asked, he didn’t’ sound like the Jason I heard when was I fading in and out. He sounded like Jason.
“Ok.” My voice was grogaly and my throat hurt when I spoke.
“Well, ok’s better than anything.” He forced a smile.
“Yeah, I guess.” We sat in silence. Then I built up enough courage to say. “I want to see Jonah.”
Jason looked at me. “I’m sorry Luna, you can’t.”
“Why not?” I started to sit up.
“Luna, you just don’t understand, we have forced all the Red Heads to not come into this room in case they try to hurt you, if we let even one of them in.—“
“I don’t care! I want to see my brother!”
“Alright.” He got up and walked back through the doors. But he was hesataint.
I lay there waiting, when I heard something being unscrewed I looked up at the vent, someone was coming though! The screws fell, but whoever was unscrewing them grabbed the vent before it fell then they jumped in landing right by my bed.
“Whew, I thought I’d never get in!” USeal stood there, smiling.
“Hey, USeal.” I looked up again.
“No one’s coming, I lost them. I think.”
“You think?”
“Hey, chill, it’ll be fine.” She sat down at the end of my bed, I noticed that she had a black eye.
“Sorry, just…scared.”
“I know.”
“Did they beat you up?” I asked. Smiling.
“Haha, yeah. They were harder than I thought.”
“You didn’t kill my brother did you?” I asked.
“Nope.” She laughed. “Actually I skoured all the rooms, and I didn’t’ see him.”
And just on cue, Jason came in, alone. He saw USeal.
“It’s fine, Jason. She’s my friend.” I said. Sighing.
USeal hurrided off the bed, “there probably hot on my trail, I better go. We’ll be heading back to Black Hair Head Quarters.” She shot a rope up into the vent and climbed.
When she was gone, Jason said. “I couldn’t find him, Luna. No one has seen him.”
“Where could he have gone? I haven’t seen him in over a year and the time I see him is when I flip him on the ground.” I cried.
“Hey, it’s going to be fine, we’re going to get you out of here and safe and sound at.—“
The doors burst open. “Yes, your quite right, safe and sound at Black Hair Head Quarters.” A women said.
Chapter 16
I could see through the door that the other Black Hair’s were holding back Red Heads and Blonde alike.
“Jamie.” Jason said.
“Oh, you remember my name. That’s great!” she said in a mocking voice.
“It’s not great to see you again.” Jason growled.
“The last time I saw you, we were having tea or something? And your mother and I.—“
“I remember. You don’t’ have to tell me.” Jason snapped.
Just then Anne Bellum burst past the guards and past Jamie and over to Jason and I.
“Oh! How touching, both the brats are here too, you two look so much like your mother.”
I was freaking out. I forced myself to sit up. “Y-your brother and sister?” I asked.
Anne and Jason looked back at me.
“You haven’t told the most wanted girl in all the world that you too were brother and sister? Now, what kind of friendship is this?” Jamie mocked.
“Shut up, Jamie.” Anne snapped.
“That’s aunt Jamie, dear.”
Ok, I was dreaming, this wasn’t happening. “That’s your aunt?”
“Goodness! You don’t tell anyone anything anymore. Just like your friend here…”
Two Black Hairs came in, dragging USeal with them. “The poor dear took it so hard on herself, if she would of just told us where you were right away, she probably won’t be in so much pain right now.” She brushed USeal’s face.
USeal didn’t snap back, she didn’t’ talk, she didn’t do anything. “What did you do to her?!” I yelled.
“Calm down, she’s not dead, yet.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “Jason! Do something!”
“Yes, Jason, do something.” Jamie smiled an evil smile.
Jason and Anne stood there, staring daggers at their soubbosely aunt. Before they could attack her, there were cries from people and a bunch of Blondes ran into the room surrounding Jamie.
“Another time then.” Jamie threw something on the ground and a bunch of smoke came out. When it cleared, Jamie was gone. And so was all the other Black Hairs including USeal.
Chapter 17
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me! How could you not of told me?!” I was sitting in Angelica’s office where Jason, Anne and I had just told her what had happened, and she had just told me that Jason and Anne Bellum were her children. And that all the Commanders of the other Hair Color Forces were her sisters.
“Luna, calm down.—“ Angelica said.
“No! I will not!” I yelled. I started to get up, Matt pushed me back down.
“I know your upset.—“
“But how could of you not told me? I mean, the only reason the others want me is because they think that I will start a war and because of a family feud? I’m not releavtied to any of you! Why do they want be because of a feud?!”
“Luna, you are releaaited to the first leader of the Dyed Hair Force.” Angelica said planliy.
I was about to say more when those words stopped me. “What?”
“Your great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother was the person who started to Dyed Hair Force.”
This shocked me. “But, but.—“
“Luna, I know this is hard to take in, but it’s true. She was angry at us so she started the Dyed Hair Force.”
I sat there, I felt Jason’s and Anne Bellum’s eyes on me. I didn’t know what to say, I just got up and walked out the door.
“Luna!” I heard Jason running after me.
I saw Dana walking my way. “Luna, are you ok?” she asked.
I shook my head and managed to whisper. “No.” and a tear slid down my cheek.
“Luna!” Jason had caught up with me. “Luna, I.—“
“Jason, I think Luna wants to be left alone.” Dana said sternly. Dana wrapped her arm around my shoulders and we walked to room 12 togther.
Matt had stayed behind, so it felt good to just have Dana there with me. “Dana, I’m so confused…”
“Shhhh…It’s going to be fine, you’ve had a long day, your sore, and your arm is broken, you need to rest.” Dana was four years older then me, but she never acted it since now.
I didn’t say anything, she walked me to the room and I climbed right into bed and slept, for what seemed for forever.
I had a dream that those people in the muiticolor jump suits had came and gotten me, someone I was close with had told them where I was. And I almost saw who, but then someone woke me up.
“Luna?”
I jumped up, Anne was sitting on my bed. I glared at her. “What do you want?”
“Luna, I just want to tell you.—“
“Your sorry? I should of told you the moment I meant you? I don’t want to hear it.”
I jumped down on off my bed.
“Luna wait!” Anne Bellum called after me.
I put my hand up.
She stopped.
I walked out the door, I slept all that night and it was now lunch. And I was hungry, but when I got my food, I didn’t eat.
“Are you ok, Luna?” Matt asked.
“No, I’m hungry, but I can’t eat.”
“You better eat, you’ll need your streghnth.”
I didn’t know what he meant, but I didn’t have time to ask because Jason came up.
“Luna.—“
“I don’t want to talk about it.” I snapped.
He stepped back.
“Come on, Matt. Let’s go to class.”
That night, I snuck back out of the room and went to the closet, I didn’t hear anything or anyone, I called John.
“Hi, Luna, I haven’t heard from you in awhile, are you ok?” John asked.
“I-I’m not ok.”
“What happened?”
I told him everything (well, not everything, just things that wouldn’t give away everything about the Hair Color Forces)
“I’m sorry, Luna. Do you want to come over to my house tomorrow after school?” John asked when I had finished.
“I don’t know, John…”
“It’ll be fine, we can meet in the park, where no one will see us.”
It was a good idea, and I did want to get away from, well, everything. I knew getting away from Matt would be hard but I said. “Sure, what time?”
“Ten, tomorrow night.”
“Perfect. I’ll be there.”
“Great.” Somehow, I could feel him smiling.
When I had finished talking, I walked out the door, and looked around, making sure no one was going to kidnap me. When I was sure the coast was clear, I walked back to room and climbed into bed and went to sleep.
Chapter 18
The next day was like anyother day, just that there were a lot more guards and camaras for my safety. After classes that day I went back to room 12 with Matt.
“Hey, Luna…I was thinking…” Matt said.
“What, Matt?” I asked.
“Would you like to…you…know, see each other…like not when I’m protecing you?”
I stopped walking. “Like, just hang out?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
I looked at him for a moment. “I guess, but it’s is not a date.”
He laughed. “Fine.”
We contuined down the hall. “So what time?” I asked.
“How about ten tonight after everything goes to sleep.”
“Great.” I said. But after I said that out of the blue, I had forgotten I was going to meet John.
So at ten that night, I didn’t know what to do, this was probably the only time to hang with John, Matt wouldn’t care. Right? But he would come looking for me. But I was stupid and went to see John anyway.
I snuck out of Head Quarters and took a hover board down to the ground. (we had learning about hover boards in science class)
I had changed my clothes, I was wearing that blue coat with a white t-shirt with jeans. My hair had been cut that day, it was a bob now then down to my shoulders. I still had glasses, I was nervous. What if John didn’t reconnize me? But when I landed I barely had enough time to hide my board before John came.
“Hey.”
“Hi.” I said.
We stood for a second, thinking about what to say next.
“So, how did you sneak out?” I finally asked.
“Climbed out a window.”
I laughed.
“So how did you get out?”
“Went out my front door.”
It was his turn to laugh.
We walked over to a bench and sat down. “Nice hair.” He brushed his hand through the back of my head. “Boingy.”
I smiled. Then I scooted a little away from him. “Just got it cut today.”
“Cool.”
“So, you got me here, what do you want to talk about?” I asked.
“Just to talk. I mean, this is my first date. I don’t really know what to say.”
I didn’t even hear the word date, I was too lost in his eyes. (if this is getting too gross for you, you can skip it. I know some people think this is gross, go ahead and skip it, I won’t care.)
I told him about what homework I had. (just the normal stuff about it) He said he had so much homework that it filled his entire room. I laughed at that.
“Really?”
“Yeah.” He smiled.
When we got up to leave, he said. “Wait.” He went picked a daisy from the flower beds. “Here.”
I took it. “Th-Thanks.” I managed to say.
I could tell he was blushing. Then I said good bye and watched him go. When he was gone I pulled out the hover board, but just when I went to get on it, hands cupped over my mouth, and a strong arm went around my waist and carried me towards the trees.
When we got to the trees, I hit the person so hard I hurt a grunt, I did a kick almost hitting him in the face, but he grabbed it with his hand. I fell down.
“Who ever you are.—“ I started.
“Shhh!” I turned and saw Dana and Matt.
“What are you two doing here?” I hissed.
“Well. When you didn’t show up for our…” he looked at Dana. “Hang out time, I went looking for you, and Dana found me and she gave me a hint.”
I scoffed.
“Or two, maybe three.”
“Dana!” I cried. “How could you? I told you not to tell anyone about this! You crossed your heart!”
“I didn’t cross my heart so you could get hurt! I crossed my heart just about telling him you had his number and you called him.—“
“You have a cell phone!” Matt said.
I glared at Dana. she whispered. “Sorry.”
“Yes,” I got up. “So?”
“So? That’s aginst the rules!”
Hot tears came down my cheeks. “I don’t’ care! I want to be a normal twelve year old girl!”
“You can’t be! You are in danger, you need to not break the rules or something will happen to you!” Matt stepped closer. I stepped back. “That is my job, I am your procter, and right now, your not safe where you are.”
“I don’t care!” I felt my broken arm swell up, it wasn’t soupossed to have been fallen on.
Matt grabbed my shoulders, “Luna, he just a boy, he is not as important as your life.” He looked me in the eyes, I looked back. “We are going home.”
I pulled away.
“I’ll go home be myself.” And I ran away, tears dropping to the ground, and the daisy that John gave me, fell to the ground.
Chapter 19
The next morning I lay in bed, even after everyone went to breakfast. I heard Matt by my bed, but he didn’t’ say anything. I didn’t say anything. When I did get up, I felt sick. My arm hurt like crazy. I walked to the bath room went into a stall and breathed deep. (I hated getting sick, so I tried to avoid it as much as possible.)
Then I heard a knock on the door. “Matt, I’m busy.” I called through deep breathes.
“Luna, I just want to talk about last night.”
“Well I don’t.” I snapped.
“Luna.” I heard the door open.
“Matt! This is a girls bathroom!”
“Just come on out of there, I need to talk to you.”
“No.”
I heard a sigh and then I heard him picking the lock.
“Matt!”
“I didn’t want to do this.”
The door swung open and I jumped on to the side of the stall where the next stall is.
“Luna, I just want to talk.” Matt said.
I jumped from each side until I reached the door. I opened it and ran out. I hid behind my bed. I laughed a little, this was fun.
“Luna!” He was having fun too, I could tell from his tone of voice.
When I thought he had left the room I started to back up to see what was happening when arms went around my waist.
I screamed as I was pulled back. “Matt!”
“What? Can’t I have some fun?”
He was right, I needed some fun, I hadn’t had a good time with my brother in a long time, and this was probably how close I was going to get.
“Careful of the arm!” I yelled.
Then the door swung open and Angelica walked in. She cleared her throat. Matt let go of me and stepped back, looking like a procter again.
“Luna, you weren’t at breakfast, you weren’t at lunch and now it’s time for science and you seem well enough to go, am I right?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I said. I walked to the door.
“When your done with classes, come to my office.”
I nodded and walked out the door. Feeling as sick as when I went into the bathroom.
When I got into science class, I slid into my seat and everyone kept looking at me, Dana walked in and noticed this, and she said: “Don’t you people have better things to do besides stare?”
Everyone looked away, Dana was a respected and sometimes mean person so they thought they’d listen.
Dana sat behind me and Jason next to her. “You ok.” She asked.
“Truth? No.” I said. I was leaning as far back as possible in my seat. My arms were around my stomach. “I don’t feel good.”
“Come to Room 13 after class, I know what’s going on.” She gave me a reassuring smile.
I turned back to the white board, where Mr. Aqua had just come in. “Today we are going to learn how Amelia knew really how much gas to use on her flight across the world. And after, I will be handing out tests, you have two weeks to study and do them. Now back to Ameila Earhart!”
He started to write somethings on the white board but my mind wasn’t on Ameila Earhart, it was on John.
After science I gripped my test and walked to Room 104 where Lanague Arts was.
Matt was behind me we hadn’t said to word to each other since what happened in the room.
“Hey!” Jessica came running up, I kept walking but Matt stopped and Jessica whispered in his ear, I saw him smile an evil smile, and I got an uneasy feeling. Then I remembered my dream where someone I knew would betray me.
I quickened my pace and made it to the room before Matt and took my seat next to Anne Bellum.
“Hey.” She said.
“Hi, we need to talk after class. Something’s not right.” I blurted.
And just like a best friend should, she said, “Sure.” And she smiled.
Langauge Arts went fast and then Anne and I were walking down the hall.
“You said he smiled evilly?” Anne asked.
Matt had gone to see Jessica for some reason.
“Y-yes.” Then I told her about my dream.
She stopped and looked me in the eyes. “This isn’t right, Luna. We need to tell, my Mom.”
“Tell her what?” Jason asked, he was walking up.
“Matt and Jessica were acting strange today, Luna said.”
I excepted Jason to say something about how we weren’t talking to each other anymore. But instead he said: “What’s wrong?”
I told them everything, starting with last night, they listened paitonly and didn’t say anything until I had finished.
“Something isn’t right.” Jason said, when I had finished. “You can’t go and see that boy anymore, Luna. With Matt acting strange, I don’t know if it’s safe to even have him around.”
“I agree with Jason. We have to tell my Mom.” Anne said.
“No, we can’t do that, I’m already in trouble with her, speaking of which, I have to go to her office.” I started to jog down the hall.
“Let us come with you!” Jason called after me.
“No, I’ll be fine.”
If only that statement had been true, when I had said it.
Chapter 20
When I got to Angelica’s office, I opened the door. And Matt and Jessica came out. He bumped into me.
He didn’t even say sorry, which I found strange, but before I could recat, Angelica said.
“Come in, Luna.”
I walked in and sat down.
“Where were you last night?”
I couldn’t lie, that would be wrong. “Out.”
“Out where?”
“Just down in LampVille.”
“Luna, why did you do that?”
“Because, I wanted to see…someone…”
“Who?”
“Just someone.”
She eyed me. “Who?” she repeated.
“Just a boy that I met.”
“And how did you get to know about his boy?”
“I met him when we went down to that science thing a couple weeks ago.”
“But how did you make plans with him to meet?”
I looked up. “You already know, just say it.”
Angelica stood up. “Luna, we are doing this for you. And yes, Matt just told me everything.” She walked over to where I was sitting. “I don’t want you talking to this boy, you need to stay up here where it’s safe.”
I wanted to blurt out that Matt might be the one that could hurt me. But she didn’t give me the chance.
“And has the Commander, I have to punish you for what you have done. You are not aloud to go on anymore sience trips for a month. Understood?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Now get along, I’m sure you have other things to do.” She waved her hand to the door. And I walked out.
I walked down the hall, until I ran into Matt.
“Hey,”
“Um…hi, so I was thinking, tonight we could hang out.” I said.
“Well, I was thinking we could do it…now.” He corned me into the wall.
“Matt…your freaking me out.” I said.
“Why am I freaking you out?” he asked.
“Well, for one, your too close to me, even for procter mode. Now second, you have a weird look in your eyes…”
He got really close to my face. And I was freaking out, just when I was going to kick him where it hurt most. Dana came running up.
“Luna! I thought you were coming to my room to talk?” Dana asked.
“Yeah, I was coming, but Matt.—“
“I don’t see Matt.” Dana said. And she was right, he was nowhere to be seen. But I had an uneasy feeling that he was watching me.
“Anyway, let’s go. Do you have any food? I’m starving.” And we went on chatting. We talked about what Angelica had said and about what happened the other night.
“What your feeling is boy withdraw.” Dana said.
“Boy withdraw?”
“Yes, you’ve not seen this boy in longer than you want, and now your feeling sick and not yourself. Boy withdraw.”
“That does make sense…” I said.
“Anyway, you better get back to the room, Matt maybe dying of proctee withdraw.”
I laughed. “Yeah.”
I waved her good bye as I went into Room 12. Anne Bellum was on bed with her laptop out.
“What are you doing, Anne?” I asked her. “Where’s Matt?”
“No idea.” She was absorbed in what she was doing.
I climbed up and looked at what she was working on. And I saw John.
“Anne! What are you doing?”
“Just something I do, I hacked into the sat alights that view the land below on Head Quarters and now I can zoom in and see what people are doing in their normal lives.”
“But why, John?”
“Oh, so this is the boy.”
“Anne, I can never see him ever again, so don’t talk like that.” I looked at the screen for a second. “What does his bedroom look like?”
Anne laughed. “Your obessesed, Luna St. James!”
We sat there for about an hour, when Jessica and Matt came in.
“Great.” I whispered.
“What?” Anne Bellum asked. I didn’t get a chance to answer.
“What are you guys doing?” Jessica was fourteen and so was Matt so when she talked in a tone that we were breaking the rules (which we were) What I mean is, I hate when people act older than they are.
“Nothing, what about you guys?” I asked. Anne closed the lap top.
“Just walking around.” Jessica answered.
“Where were you Matt?” I asked. “You were soupossed to be with me. Not on a date.” When being talked to as if three, then you must talk back the same way.
“Just walking around, but I’m back now. How about you come down now, and I can take you to dinner.”
“You mean, to where everyone else is going to eat, don’t talk as if it’s a date. That creeps me out.” I got down. “Come on Anne.”
Anne climbed down with me, and gave Jessica the death look, and bumped into her. “Oops. Sorry.” And she scooted up to where I was.
When we got out of Room 12, Jessica said something to Matt and Matt did that evil smiled again. I shivered.
“Something isn’t right.” I whispered to Anne Bellum.
“I know! Why is dinner so early?”
“Anne…” I said.
“What?”
“Run.”
“What?—“
“Just run!”
She ran on down the hall, I knew now would betray me, and I knew who else they wanted, besides me, they wanted Anne Bellum. And I wasn’t going to let them get her.
Chapter 21
Matt and Jessica turned when they heard Anne’s steps echoing through the hall.
“Why did she run for?” Matt asked. That smile was still on his face.
“Must have been hungry.” Jessica yawned.
Then I ran, but I ran down an oppiste way.
I heard Jessica yelling at Matt to catch someone, but I wasn’t sure who. I just had to get to someone…
“OW!” I ran into Jason, I knocked him clean to the floor.
“Woah! In a hurry?” he asked.
I scrambled off him. “Sorry. Yeah, I guess…”
“Dinner isn’t for awhile, but if your hungry now.—“
“Jason.” I blurted.
He looked at me. “What’s wrong?” I guessed my expression looked frantic
“Matt and Jessica, they’re.—“
“There you are!” I heard Matt’s voice and then I saw Matt.
Jason still looked at me, he looked worried.
“Don’t run like that! I not in such great shape.” Matt breathed hard. But I knew he was faking it, I’d seen him run. And he can run fast. That day when those kids were trying to get to me, that very first day I came to Blonde Head Quarters. I now remember him there.
Jessica came up behind him. She had an angry look on her face she opened her mouth to say something, but then she saw Jason. And stopped.
Then I saw Anne came running up she had a chair with her. She dropped it when I shook my head.
“Oops, I thought…uh…Luna fainted and I…um…needed to get her a chair.” She said hastily.
Jason eyed the both of us. “How about we all go to dinner, I’m sure it’s almost time.” He kept his eyes on Jessica and Matt as we walked. I heard Jessica mumbling, Matt just acted like nothing was wrong.
When we got to the dining hall, people were already coming in for dinner.
I grabbed Anne’s hand and pulled her to a table that was really far away from Jessica and Matt.
“Why did you tell me to run?” Anne Bellum asked. Once we had sat down.
“Because…” I was sweating now. “They are the ones that want to get me.”
“That’s silly.” Then she saw how much I was sweating. “Are you serious?”
“Yes! I am! They want both of us. I don’t know why. I just…do.”
“Luna, your not feeling well, you haven’t gotten over, John.—“
“No! This is serious! I don’t know why they want you too. But your mom isn’t telling you and Jason something, they might try to get Jason too.”
“Luna.” She put her hand on my shoulder. “Just breathe, we’ll go tell my mom and.—“
“Anne, listen to me, your mom won’t tell you anything, if she would wanted to, then she would of a long time ago.” I snapped.
Anne snack back, as if she’d been slapped. “You really mean that? You think that she would.—“
“She would Anne, I have a normal mom, and I know that sometimes, they don’t tell us something because we’re better off not knowing.” I said soothingly. “I know these things.” I leaned to her ear and whispered. “That’s why I sneak up and listen to her phone convosations.”
Anne giggled.
“Don’t you two, lovely young ladies want some dinner?” Matt walked up, he was carrying two trays of maccoronni and cheese.
I mouthed the words. Don’t eat the food.
Anne nodded. “We’re actulley not hungry right now, Matt. But thank you.”
“You guys sure? I mean it’s really good.” He had that smile on again.
“We said no, Matt.” I said.
He put down the trays on the table. “Alright, but just in case.” He sat right next to me, a little too close.
Jessica came up and sat next to Anne. They thought we were dumb and wouldn’t think that they were up to something.
I flipped my hair, to show that I was relaxed. (and that the sweat on my neck was really soaking my shirt)
“Do you guys want to, hang out tonight? I mean just the four of us?” Jessica asked. They were laying it on a little too thick.
“No, I have a science test to study for, but thanks.” I said.
Anne nodded. “Me too.”
“Maybe so other time then, I have to go check on something. Do you want to come, Matt?”
“Sure.”
And they both got up and walked away, Anne Bellum and I let out a sigh of relief.
For the next week or so, we tried to avoid Matt and Jessica as much as we could, and we never went anywhere alone. We told Jason about what we thought was going on. And he agreed that telling Angelica wouldn’t help, she wouldn’t do anything about it unless something happened for sure, which, by then, we would probably be dead. Or worse.
Everything went well for about a week, until that day…
“Hey, Luna.” Matt came walked down the hall, he hadn’t been protecting me for awhile, and I was hoping that he would completely stop. And I was alone, and he was coming. I quickned my pace.
“Woah! Where are you going?”
“Away from you.” I said simply.
“Why?” He ran up to me, and blocked my path to the safety to Room 12.
“Because, that’s why.” I snapped.
He held up his hands for defence. “Hey, I didn’t’ do anything.”
Yet. I wanted to say. I tried to go around him, he sidestepped, blocking me again. I tried the other way, blocked. I turned around and started to walk the other way, he caught up with me, and blocked me again.
“I just want to talk.” He said. He backed me up into the wall.
All I was thinking was. Please, please, please don’t do anything!
“Matt, I don’t.—“ I started.
“Shhh. I just want to talk.” He got really close to me that time. And I dropped my books when he went forward and kissed me! On the lips! It was the most gross, and creepy thing I had ever felt. (And I had felt a lot of creepy things)
I tried to push away, but he didn’t’ let me. I tried to tell him to stop, but it came out as, wup!
Then I heard someone else’s books fall and a gasp. Matt stopped kissing me and I slid down unto the floor. Dazed.
“Luna!” I heard Anne’s voice. She ran up. “Matt! Why did you do that?!” Anne yelled.
“What? Can’t I have some fun?” I heard Matt said.
“FUN? YOU CALL KISSING FUN?” Anne took a deep breath. “And that your kissing the girl you want to kidnap, and did you let her say no? Did you let go when she said so?”
I looked up and looked into the brown eyes of my best friend. “I-I…”
“Luna!” It was Jason this time. I saw Matt’s legs back up, he looked scared. Jason was older and had had more experience in hurting someone.
“Anne! What happened?” Then there was silence, and later I found out that Jason was giving Matt a horrible glare. “What did you do?”
“Me?” Matt asked.
“Jason, just hurt him in someway.” Anne said.
I could barely hear her, something was wrong, terriblely wrong. “A-Anne…” I said.
“Your so pale! Matt! W.—“
But she didn’t finish. Then I heard it, I heard the glass roof break, Anne covered me, as the glass came down.
Then she turned and she screamed. “Jason!”
I couldn’t see what was wrong, but Anne was terribly upset. I wanted to tell her that she could leave me and take care of Jason, but I couldn’t talk. It hurt too much.
“Luna! Your eyes aren’t blue anymore!” Anne was freaking out. “There black!”
“The venom does that, no worries.” I heard Matt say.
“You poisned her?!”
Sure I’ve been poisned before, but this was horrible! I opened my mouth up to say something, but nothing came out. Then I heard helicopter blades.
“W-what’s going on?” Anne said.
“I told them I’d get the package ready; they just had to come get it.” Matt said.
Anne put her arms around me. Then something pulled her away.
“LUNA!” She screamed.
I reached out my arms. But all I felt was air, I couldn’t see anymore. What’s happening?! I thought.
Chapter 22
I can only remember parts of what happened, I couldn’t see, so I had to use my other senses. I knew that Matt and Jessica were there, I could hear their voices. I heard Anne screaming and Jason’s moaning. He was hurt.
I had part of my voice back so I kept screaming: “Anne! Jason!”
Then I heard: “The venom’s wearing off! We need to get her back before it goes away completely!” I didn’t know who was saying it. But they didn’t sound nice.
I kept being pulled around, and seated. I knew we were on a helicopter. I kept praying that we would all get out of this alive. Yes, that would be nice.
Then after what seemed like hours, the helicopter landed, and I was carried out, I kicked and screamed a lot, so much that they had to set me down, then I felt something cold and metal go around my wrist, then I felt it, the pain.
I screamed. My broken arm (which wasn’t really broken, thanks to chicken noodle soup) wasn’t the only arm in pain now.
I could see shapes of things, but no color. And when I saw something that didn’t seem to be anyone I knew and trusted I kicked at it, I saw it double over and then I felt more pain in my arm. Imagine a shock you get on a slide, and times that by a million, that’s what I was feeling.
“STOP IT! YOU’RE HURTING HER!” I heard Anne scream.
“She’ll be fine! So zip it!” I heard someone snap back.
Not being able to see was hard, I now knew how blind people felt. And I didn’t want to feel it again.
“LET GO OF ME!” I screamed. I knew it wouldn’t work, but what else was I supposed to do? Let them take me?
I felt even more pain. I knew it was the bracelet, and I had to get it off. Except with a broken arm, you can’t really do anything. And now I practicly had two.
I made it hard as I could to drag me. Maybe if I was hard to drag, they would let me go. That was a pretty high hope though.
I was starting to see color now, but everything still looked like blobs. I kicked at what I thought was Matt.
“GOSH! EASY!” He yelled.
“EASY? I DON’T THINK SO!” I yelled back. My vision was coming back, and I could see him. And he didn’t look happy.
“Don’t do that again.” He said, his face was really close to mine.
I struggled against the arms that held me. “If you hurt my friends, I will personally kick you somewhere where it hurts even more.”
He stepped back. I had scared him. “I hope you enjoy your stay, Ms. St. James.” He said.
I gave him a glare, as I was pushed towards the huge purple building. Dyed Head Quarters.
Chapter 23
Any other day I would loved to take a tour of the huge purple building (with tons of body guards) But I didn’t ‘enjoy my stay’ I didn’t even enjoy going in.
When my sight was fully restored, I looked behind me and saw Anne. She now had her hands cuffed behind her back and a gag in her mouth. Her blonde hair had blood in it. I didn’t even want to know how it got there.
Jason didn’t look any better. They were dragging him across the ground, he was unconscious.
We stopped, and I saw them take Jason and Anne away. I tried to pry away from them.
“Sweetie, fighting us won’t work.” Jessica came walking up, her hair wasn’t blonde anymore, it was black. Her outfit was black too, she looked just like a Black Hair.
“I should I least try, you jerk.” I snapped.
“If you having nothing nice to say, then say nothing at all.” She said.
“You.—“ I felt a gag in my mouth.
Jessica winked at me. “Take her to a cell. We won’t be taking her to the Commander in this, conduction.” She made it sound like I had the chicken pox or something. I didn’t get to snap back. I wish I could of.
They pulled me through halls and halls of horrible things. Like wars. They must have had fun making 3-D images of those. They would have been kinda cool, just that I was being dragged to my doom.
The whole hall was just covered in horrible things. I wanted to ask them if they had cuased those things to happen, but with a gag in your mouth, you can’t talk. That’s kinda the point.
We passed a door that said: Prisoners That Need Special Treatment
I knew that the ‘treatment’ wasn’t for sickness. It was for torture, I was glad we passed it. I didn’t want to go in there, I heard screams. I hoped that they hadn’t taken Anne Bellum and Jason in there. In there state they wouldn’t of lasted a second.
We went down the hall some more and we stopped at door that said: Cell 1209
They must of had a lot of cells. This place was worse than Red Head Head Quarters. I figured that all the Dyed just copied off the other Hair Color Forces.
The pushed me inside, but before they went, the tore the gag off.
“Ow!” I said.
“That’s the point.” They said, and they left. I heard them lock the doors. And I was left in the cell.
In the cell were 3-D pictures, I didn’t want to look at them, but they were everywhere. And I wondered why they had taken Anne and Jason too. I knew that one day they were trying to get Anne too. But maybe since they were there and then didn’t want anyone telling what happened to me they took them.
I heard screams down the hall. I felt sick. I was still dizzy from the venom. I heard my watch buzz.
“Hello?” I said into it.
“Luna! Thank God you’re alright! Where are you?” it was USeal.
“USeal! Where are you?”
“I.—“ then I heard her scream. And we were cut off.
Something was wrong, and she was in pain. In worse pain then I was at the moment.
I tried to conact Anne or Jason but I got no reply. Then I heard people coming down the hall, I couldn’t see who, because there wasn’t any windows. Just a little hole that let in air of something.
I heard Jessica’s and someone else’s voice that I had heard before, but I couldn’t tell who. The door was being unlocked. I couldn’t stand up. I tried to pull and pry the braclet off, before they came in, they would electrocute me until I talked. And I wasn’t planning on talking, and that was probably going to hurt.
The door burst open and Jessica and Marcus walked in. My left arm was already hurting.
“I thought I heard a faimler rat.” I said.
“I see your arm is still broken. That dart must of gone in deep.” Marcus said.
“It did, but my arm isn’t broken anymore.”
“Is that so?” Marcus said. He came towards me. I regretted saying anything at all. “Then you wouldn’t mind me pulling this off then?”
I shook my head.
He pulled it off, it did hurt, but not from my bone, but from the force of his pull. When you take off a cast, you cut it with a special mecine thing. Jonah had had a broken arm once. And I got to watch it be taken off.
“Hurt?” he asked.
“Yes, but that’s becucase you took it off wrong!” I snapped.
“Oh sorry.” And he tossed the cast aside. And got up. Jessica hadn’t said anything since they came in. Her hair was purple now, and so was her outfit.
“You must change fast.” I said. I tried to get to my feet. But I was still dizzy.
“Oh, you mean the suit? Whatever color I push on this panel,” She showed me the panel on her wrist, it had a bunch of colored buttons on it. “Whatever button I push, that’s the color my suit and hair changes. Cool huh?”
“Acutlly, no. Because your hurting you hair everytime to dye it.” I said.
“You’ve been hanging out with your blonde friends too much. My hair is fine.” She looked at her fingernails. Which were probably the same color as her hair.
“You think blondes are dumb, don’t you?” I asked. I had gotten to my feet, but I had to lean against the wall.
“Hmmm, let me think…” Jessica said, she seemed to be consulting her nails. “Yes. I do think you blondes are dumb.”
“Well I have some news for you,” I stopped leaning against the wall. I was determinded to do this. “we’re not as dumb as we look.” And I ran right into Marcus and Jessica knocking them down. I ran out of the room.
I heard Jessica screaming at Marcus, behind me. At least her voice was bigger than her ego.
I ran past the ‘treatment’ room, and I heard my name being called.
I stopped.
“Luna!” the voice sounded urgent. It soundn’t like someone was in lots of pain.
I went up to the room. I heard the voice scream.
“I’ll get you out of there!” I yelled. I didn’t’ know who it was, but they needed me, and I didn’t them.
The door was protected by a scanner. If I scanned my hand, then an alarm would probably go off. I had to think this one out, but I didn’t have time to think.
“LUNA!” I heard the voice scream again.
Then I heard foot steps coming towards me. “I’ll come back for you, I promise!” I called to the voice, and I kept running. I turned a corner and I ran into someone.
“What.—“ the person started. I backed up and I saw who it was. It was a women who looked exactly like me. The blue eyes, the blonde hair, the same surprised face, everything. Execpt the she had no glasses, she probably had contacts in. If your having trouble picturing her, just think of me, and then age me twenty years.
She was wearing the same thing Angelica wore. I backed up.
We kept staring at eachother, I was surprised that she didn’t try to hurt me, that’s what everyone else did.
“I think she went this way!” I heard Matt’s voice.
I couldn’t go forward and I couldn’t go back. I was trapped.
Chapter 24
I was still staring at the women when Matt ran up. He grabbed me from behind. I kicked at him. He blocked it.
“I told you not to do that again.” He said. Then he looked up and saw the women. “Commander! Sorry, sorry. We’ll have her back in her cell.—“
“Shut up.” The women said, she put up her hand.
Matt shut up. Wow, I should have done that a long time ago.
“Who is she?” she women asked.
“It’s the girl that you wanted.—“ Matt started.
“Shut up! I didn’t ask who I wanted and who I didn’t. What’s her name?”
“Luna St. James, ma’am.” Matt said. I remembered when he called Angelica that.
The women walked up to me. “And this is the girl I said I wanted?”
“Yes ma’am.” Matt said, he gulped.
I was breathing fast. This women was like my evil twin.
Every time Matt was snapped at, his grip on my arms got tighter, and it hurt.
I wanted the women to go away; I would rather take ten electric shocks then face her.
She touched my face. “I don’t think you locked her up good enough. You know what that means, don’t you?”
Matt swallowed—hard. “Yes, but.—“
“You are acting like a blonde again, Mr. O’Bryn.” The women snapped. “I don’t like that.”
“Sorry, ma’am.” He said, I had never seen him this scared before, and I didn’t like it. Even though Matt was a jerk, he was still human.
“Don’t you know that you’re blonde to?” I asked. “Or are you too dumb?”
“Luna!” Matt hissed.
The women stood up straighter, her eyes seemed to glow. She laughed. “My hair is dyed, you stupid little girl. I’m a Black Hair at heart.”
“Still.” I mumbled to the ground.
“Tell me, how did you escape?” the women asked me.
I didn’t look up. I felt Matt’s arm let go of my arm and he reached into his pocket.
“Are you going to answer me? Or are you too stupid?” the women asked.
Then I heard the click. And then the pain shot up through my arm. I screamed. It felt worse then the others I had gotten.
The women pushed my face up to hers. “Are you going to answer me now?”
“Never.” I said.
“I see she’s too strong willed, and I don’t like that. Go on, Mr. O’Bryn. You know what to do.”
Matt seemed reluctant to go.
“I don’t like to repeat myself.” She women said. “Go!”
Matt turned me around and he pushed me back down the hall.
“Luna! You should have answered!” Matt said. His voice was choked up., like he was going to cry or something.
“Why should I? That women looks just like me! And she’s evil! I don’t talk to my evil twin!” I said.
“Well, you should of. Now she wants you to have the Special Treatment.”
I stopped. “W-what?”
“I told you, you should have listened!” He kept pushing me.
“But, t-that’s.—“
“Luna.” He turned me to face him. “I don’t want to do this, but she’ll.—“
“Who is she anyway? Why are you so afraid of her?” I interrupted.
Matt looked away for a moment. “I don’t think you want to know.—“
“Matt!”
“Fine! She’s your mom alright! Happy?”
“She’s my what? I have a mom already.—“
“Those aren’t your real parents, Luna.”
“Then who are they? You mean my whole life, I’ve been called someone else, mom, who wasn’t my mom for twelve years?!”
“It’s a long story.—“
“I want to hear it, now.”
Matt looked around, then he pushed me towards a closet, and we went in.
“If you kiss me I’ll kick you.” I said when we were inside.
He got that a smile I hadn’t seen in awhile on his face. “Ok, sorry about that, but I didn’t want to hurt you in another way, the others would of hurt. A lot.”
“Well, thank you for caring.” I said.
“No problem.”
We stood there in uncofterble silence. Then Matt said.
“Now, I’ll tell you. When you were born, your mom and dad were already working for the Dyed. But of course, the Commander wouldn’t allow you to stay. But your dad put up a fight. But the Commander…”
“Killed him?” I said.
“No, she stuck him into the Special Treatment room, and he never came out.”
I stood t here for a moment. “What happened to my mom?”
“She was forced to get rid of you. And soon, she became the Commander, and she forgot about you and your dad. The End.”
“So now she’s evil, huh?” I said. “You know, it’s kinda of freaky that you know so much about me.”
“I know, but it’s in the history classes, but she doesn’t know about it though. And whoever dares to mention the story to her. You’d be pretty much dead.”
I laughed. “I can’t believe my mom is, evil.” I said the last word in a sigh.
“I’m sorry, Luna, but there’s nothing I can do about it.” Matt said, he went for the door.
“Sure I can.” I said.
“Um, no you can’t because I’m not going to let you.”
“Why not?” I whined.
“Because, it’s too dangouras, if she see’s you again, I’m as good as dead, and you’ll end up like your dad.”
“Matt, I need to do this.”
“Luna, I’m not going to let you.”
“Where are my friends?” I asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Matt! Where are they?”
“Ms. St. James. You need to be quiet now.” He put his gloved fingers over my mouth. I hadn’t noticed before, but his hair was brown now. And he was sounding like the Matt who had kissed me, and I didn’t like it.
I looked at his wrist; he was wearing that same panel that Jessica had shown me. I reached up and hit the blue button. His hair and outfit turned blue.
“Woah. You don’t l.—“ I said.
“Don’t say it.” He put up his hand. He hit the blonde button. And his hair turned to blonde and his outfit to white.
“That’s better.” I said. “Not it’s getting stuffy in here, and I need to find my friends, save my mom and get out of here.” I pushed passed Matt. And went out the door.
“Luna! No!” Matt said.
I looked back at him. “Matt! Yes!”
And I ran down the hall. Off to save the world. (not really, but I’ve always wanted to say that)
I heard Matt behind me, but I didn’t turn around, I was going to find my friends if it took all day. But I didn’t have all day.
I came up to the Special Treatment room and I went to touch the scanner, when I felt the pain in my arm.
“Matt! Not cool!” I yelled.
“Oh, that wasn’t Matt, sweetie,” Jessica came walking up, her hair was green now, which matched her attuide just fine. She pushed the button again.
“Stop!” I said. I backed up against the wall.
“The Commander told me that you were supposed to be in the Special Treatment room, but I guess Matt didn’t obey.” She smiled evilly. “I’m glad I’m such a great tattle tale.” She hit the button again.
“Stop, Jessica.” I said. Trying to keep my voice even.
“Aww, am I hurting you?”
“Yes! I mean, yes. But stop! Seriously.” I said.
“You know, I can’t believe that your mom is so mean to you.” Jessica flipped her hair. She hit the button again. I tried to keep from falling.
“Jessica! I’m serious. Stop.”
But she just ignored me and kept talking. “You would think she would welcome you with open arms.” She sighed dramticly.
“Jessica!”
She hit the button everytime she had finished talking. And I had fallen on the floor. I couldn’t feel my arm anymore.
“I’ll stop, if you go into the room right now.” He pointed to the torture room.
“Never.” I said.
She turned a knob on the panel. “Poor, Luna.” And she hit the button.
I screamed. It was even more painful then the one Matt had given me awhile ago. And she kept hitting it over and over.
“St-stop.” I was shivering.
She picked me up by my the collor of my shirt, and banged me against the wall. “You blondes are dumb, no matter how many times you say your not.” She put her hand on the scanner and it said: Jessica Jones, Dyed Personal. Access Granted.
The door opened. “Bye, bye.” Jessica said, and she pushed me in. And the last thing I saw was Jessica’s sly smile.
Chapter 25
My arm was still numb, so I had to push it aginst my body, with my other arm.
It was pitch black in the room. And then a sign lit up behind me. It was really bright, I narrowed my eyes and turned to read it. It said: Don’t think about your worst fear, because it’ll come true
Of course I thought of it, that was the point of the sign. I saw Jason and Anne, and they were bloodied and I saw Matt and Jessica hurting them. I covered my eyes with my hands. But gloved hands pulled them away.
“Look at your worst fear…” it said. I tried to turn around, but the person wouldn’t let me. I closed my eyes, but bright light made when hurt and I had to open them back up.
It was all in 3-D and it seemed so real. I started to cry. Jonah and Joshua and Lucy…mom and dad. Were all in pain. It was all the Dyed people’s fault.
I started to loose it. And I knew that was what they wanted.
“Luna!” I heard my name. I tried to pull away. But I was getting weak.
“GO AWAY!” I screamed. Then the room became light and I fell to the floor, on my back. Everything was blurry.
I tried to stand up, but something pushed me back down.
“You alright?” it was Matt.
“I’m fine, but let me get up!” I tried again, and again, I was pushed back down.
“No, we need to talk.”
“Talk about what? I already know that the Commander is my mom and she’s evil and.—“
“No! I mean, no, that’s not what I want to talk about.”
“Then what is it?” I was getting impaitiontent.
“I’m.—“ then he yelled and he fell to the floor.
“MATT!” I knew he was going to tell me something important, really important.
“Oops.” Jessica was standing right over me now.
I stood up before she could do anything.
“Matt just doesn’t obey, I’ve already told the Commander, and when he wakes up he’s going to have her to deal with.” Jessica’s laugh rang out across the empty room.
“Shut up, Jessica.” I said. “I don’t want to here how great you are.”
“Ooh, jealous?”
“Not in the least bit. I’m not jealous of a jerk like you.”
That really pushed her button, which made her push the button on the panel.
I started to back up to the door, hoping it would magicly open. But when I turned around, Jessica grabbed me by the collor of my shirt and held me up aginst the wall. I had no idea she was so strong.
“Jess.—“ she was choking me.
“Luna, sweetie, it’s over.” Jessica put on a puppy dog face, which I knew was fake.
She turned the knob up as far as it could go, I had only felt one of those, but I didn’t know how many she was going to do, and how many of them I would last.
Then I had an idea, just as she hit the button I put the bracellete arm on her arm so the bracelette was touching her and then the shock went through her. She screamed and fell to the floor. I fell and landed on my feet. PE had come in handy.
I checked to make sure Jessica wasn’t going to get back up for awhile, and then I smashed the panel.
I ran over to Matt.
“Matt, speak to me!” I pleaded.
His eyes started to open a little bit.
“Matt!” I said again.
“Luna?” he said.
I was so happy and hugged him.
“Woah!” he said, he gently pried my arms off his neck and he stood up.
“Your alright!” I cried.
“Yes, I am. Now I have to tell you something.”
“Not right now, we have to get out of.—“
I didn’t get to finished, Matt pushed me against the wall.
“Matt, this is not cool.” I said.
“I need you to listen to me. I mean really listen.”
“O-ok. Shoot.”
“Do you know how I was so terrified of the Commander?”
“Yes.”
“Well, that’s—that’s…”
“What? Tell me!”
“It’s because she’s my mom.”
I stared at him.
Then he continued, “And you know Jonah? He’s not your real brother. The same thing happened to his parents, so he came and lived with you and your adopted family. I was around way before you were born, but mom and dad hid me until mom became the Commander, but she couldn’t hide you, that’s why they had to send you away. Do you understand?”
I was freaking out. “Stop lying to me, Matt!”
“I’m not lying! I’m.—“
“Stop! I don’t want to hear it anymore!” I pried my hands away from his, and covered my ears. “NO! You’ve been lying to me this whole time! She’s not my mom! Your just lying! I knew it! Your as bad as Jessica! Except she shows it more!”
“Luna.—“
“NO! GO AWAY!” And I ran with my eyes closed, hands over ears. Towards the door, but I ran into someone. I looked up.
“Hey sis.” It was Jonah. I was never so happy to see him.
I burst into tears and he picked me up, just like every big brother was soupossed to do. I cried into his shoulder. I heard other people come in. Jonah put me back down, he pushed me behind him.
“So this is, Matt. Huh?” he said.
I saw Matt back up.
Then I noticed that Anne and Jason, and even USeal were in the room too.
“Yep, that’s him.” Anne said. She ran over to me. And hugged me. “Are you alright?”
“I-I’m fine.”
I saw Jason and USeal grab Matt. Matt gave me a look. And it wasn’t a nice one. I glared back at him. He was lying, I knew it. He was claiming to be my brother. I should of known about him! It’s been twelve years, twelve! And he expects me to believe him?
We all walked out of the door, but we didn’t get far when I felt the pain in my arm.
“AHHHHHHHH!” I screamed. I fell to the floor.
“Luna!” Jason pulled Matt’s hand behind his back, I saw that Matt’s face was twisted in pain. “Stop that!”
“I’m…not….doing…anything!” Matt said through clenched teeth.
“Then who’s.—“ Jason started. Then he yelled out in pain. I noticed that we all had those bracelettes on.
“Guys…take…those…off…” I said.
But it was too late, everyone was yelling in pain and dropping to the ground.
“Goodness! He has a tight grip.” I heard Matt say. I didn’t look up, my arm was in tons of pain. I heard him walking this way.
“Leave…me…alone!” I yelled, as he started to pick me up.
“Luna, I’m not lying!”
“You are too!” He had me on my feet now, and I was trying to sink back to the floor.
“Why would I lie about something like this?” he asked. He looked into my blue eyes
“Because! You lied to me about wanting to keep me safe! And look what you did! I’m not safe anymore!” I held back tears.
“Luna, I care about you.—“
“Really?” but before I could say anything else, I heard footsteps down the hall.
“You wanted to save mom, well here’s your chance,” he had one hand on my arm, which I was trying to get off.
“Matt! We should, you know, run now!” I said.
“Why? You wanted to save her.”
“Matt! I’m serious!”
“Yeah Matt, she’s serious.”
We stopped arguing and we turned and saw Marcus, with Jessica and the Commander.
“Matt!” I hissed.
“Mr. O’Bryn, Ms. James tells me you didn’t do what I told you to do. And I see it’s true.”
“But.—“ Matt started.
“Shut up. Jessica, grab the girl. I’ll deal with her later.” The Commander said.
“Matt! Snap out of it! RUN!” I yelled.
I heard the other’s stirring behind me, if they would only wake up…I deicded that Matt was going to be no help, brother or not, so I elbowed him in the side, and he let go, and I ran down the halls.
Then there was a deafening crash, and it threw we aginast the wall. I hit my head so hard, I thought for sure I was going to black out. Then I saw a familer ship, and I saw Angelica.
I would of taken off my glasses. (But I didn’t have any, because I lost them somewhere, and I didn’t need them anymore anyway.) Because Angelica was wearing a white jump suit gloves, everything! She looked just like every other Blonde.
“Ah, Luna,” she flipped her blonde hair. Everything was in place, I couldn’t believe she could keep everything so, in order, I mean, she just blew up a wall, for pete’s sake! “I see your still in one piece.”
“Yes, ma’am. But I can’t say for the others. We have to go get them!” I said, getting to my feet, she held out a hand, I took it.
“Is Jason, and Anne Bellum alright?” she asked. Worry was in her eyes. I had never seen her worry, usually she acted like there was nothing to worry about, when there was.
“They rescued me, but then…You just have to come help!” I pleaded.
“Alright, alright.” She said. She turned around. “BLONDES! ASEMBLE!”
A bunch of kids I’d seen at Head Quarters, came out of the ship, there was at least twenty of them.
“Where are they?” Angelica asked.
“Down this way.” I ran down the hall way, the Blondes at my heels. Then I skidded to a stop. Anne, Jason, USeal and Jonah were just now getting up.
“What happened?” I asked. Running to help them. “Where’s Matt?”
“That jerk? I don’t’ know, and don’t care, let’s go.” Anne ran to her mother, who gave her a hug.
“But we have to help him! He’s.—“
“He’s what? A jerk? Yeah, we know.” USeal said.
“No! Can we just help him?”
“Luna, we have to go back, you’re all safe, that’s all that matters.” Angelica said, in her Its-alright-no-need-to-worry voice.
“Fine, if you don’t want to help, then I’ll do it myself!” And I ran down the hall.
“Luna, no!” I heard Jason yell.
But I didn’t look back. I just kept running.
Chapter 26
I ran until I couldn’t run anymore. I stopped and leaned forward, breathing hard. I was never good at track and field.
Then I heard the Commanders voice.
I stood up, leaning aginst the wall, breathing hard still.
“You brat! You could never do anything right!” The Commander’s harsh voice rang through the halls.
I followed it, still breathing hard. I was hoping that it wouldn’t give me away.
And then it got really loud. It wasn’t that I was getting close, it was because she was raising her voice.
“YOU COULD NEVER DO ANYTHING RIGHT!”
“I’m sorry.—“ I heard Matt’s voice, which was timid and quiet compared to his mom’s.
Our mom’s.
“No, snap out of it. Matt was lying.” I whispered to myself.
I crept through the halls staying close to the walls. Then when it got really, really loud, I knew I had made it to them.
I slowly opened the door. I saw Jessica and Marcus standing off to the side. Jessica was admiring her nails. Marcus was punching the palm of his hand with his other hand.
I opened the door a little more, and I saw the Commander. Her face was red with rage and then I saw Matt. He was in a metal chair and his wrists were handcuffed to it, by the cuffs coming out of the arms of the chairs. His face was looking at the floor, like he was hiding.
Then I saw why, the Commander lifted her hand and slapped him!
I saw a shiver go through Matt’s back.
“JESSICA!” The Commander yelled.
Jessica walked up, hands at her sides. “Yes, Commander?”
“Put this on him,” the Commander handed, Jessica the same bracelette I was wearing.
Jessica smiled a sly smile. “Yes, ma’am.” And she put it on Matt. Matt looked up, his face was bloodied and bruised.
“MARCUS!”
“Yes?” Marcus said, still punching his hand.
“Do it!”
Marcus took the panel, and an evil smile came on his face. And he hit the button.
Matt yelled.
“Turn it up!”
Marcus did, and hit the button.
“TURN IT UP! ALL THE WAY!”
Marcus did. And hit the button.
And Matt screamed.
I was so mad; I opened the door completely and started to run in.
But someone cuffed their hand on my mouth and pulled me back.
“What are you doing?” Jason hissed.
“Saving Matt!” I hissed back. I saw Anne close the door.
“Guys! I know he’s a jerk, but.—“
“That’s not why were here.” USeal interpreted. “We came to apologize.”
“Yeah, we were not being good friends,” Jonah said. “And I wasn’t being a good big brother.”
Brother.
“Ok, I accept your apology, now we have to.—“
“We need to plan this better.” Jason interpreted.
“No, we can just.—“
“Jason’s right.” USeal said.
“Stop intercepting me!” I exploded.
Everyone stared at me.
I took a deep breath. “Ok, sorry. Now, where’s Angelica?”
“She said she would give us twenty minutes to do this. That’s it.” Anne Bellum said.
“Ok. Now what can we do to save him? We can’t just run in there! We still have these bracelltes on. She can still hurt us.” I said.
“I have an idea…” USeal said.
We all gathered into a circle.
When we had figured out a plan, I turned around. “This is awesome.”
USeal took a deep breath and walked into the room, Jason and Jonah went down the hall.
Anne and I watched USeal. She ran into the room, right in front of them all, and said:
“Hi! And welcome to…”
Then Anne and I ran in and yelled together: “Catch Me If You Can!”
“The rules are…” USeal said.
“You try to catch us! Fun, fun!” Anne and I yelled. And we all started to run.
Matt looked so confused, it would have been funny, if his life wasn’t on the line.
The Commander yelled at Marcus and Jessica to catch us. While she kept yelling at Matt.
Marcus was about to grab me when I did a back flip in mid air. And when I landed, I kicked his feet, causing him to fall down.
“Aw, sorry, it is, Catch Me If You Can!” And I ran the other way.
I heard Marcus say some words I won’t repeat. And he ran after me.
I saw USeal trying to get the Commander’s attion, but the Commander kept kicking and punching at her. While yelling at Matt. She was a real multitasker.
Then I looked over to Anne. I froze. Anne was on the ground, in a ball.
“ANNE!” I ran after her, tripping Marcus.
“Luna…don’t…” Anne said.
Then Jessica turned around, she had the panel. And I was sure it worked on all braceltess. I froze. Marcus grabbed me.
“Your ‘game’ didn’t work, sweetie.” Jessica said, with mock sympathy.
“Stop!” I yelled.
“This little girl is useless. There’s no need for her, we only got her and her stupid brother just because we were bored.” She hit the button.
Anne screamed.
“STOP!” I struggled aginst Marcus.
I looked behind at USeal, she was on the ground to.
“We knew that you would give up, when your friends were hurting,” Jessica said. Hitting the button.
“You—you—you.” I stammered.
“Jessica! Stop!” The Commander, well, commanded.
Jessica stared at her leader.
“I said stop.” The Commander repeated.
Jessica stopped hitting the button. I heard Anne start to breathe normally again.
I looked at Matt. He didn’t meet my eyes.
“Let go of her, Marcus.” The Commander ordered.
Marcus let go of me, and he stepped back, not completely going away.
I looked at Matt again, I was scared. He nodded, telling me it was ok.
The Commander came towards me. I stepped back, bumping into Marcus.
“Who are you?” the Commander asked.
“Luna St. James.” I said.
The Commander seemed to think for a second.
“What is your mother’s name?”
I didn’t know how I was soupossed to respond. “Um…someone…” I looked at Matt. “Told me,” I cleared my throat. “It was you.”
The Commander’s eyes got wide. She turned to Matt. “You told her?”
“Well, yes, mother, of course.”
“Don’t call me mother! You address me as ma’am or Commander. Understood?” Snapped the Commander.
“No, actually, I don’t.” his green eyes sparked.
“How dare you!” the Commander picked up the panel and hit the button. Matt did his best to not show that is hurt, but she kept hitting the button.
“NO!” I charged her, and knocked her to the ground. I heard Jason and Jonah takle Marcus and Jessica, smashing the panel in the prosses.
“You stupid girl!” the Commander roared.
I broke my barcellte off, when I tackled her, I picked it up and snapped it onto her wrist, and I grabbed the panel and turned the switch that said: Only for older tortuees, and I hit the button, she fell to the floor screaming. And then, she didn’t move.
Chapter 27
We stood there for a long time, the only noise was Jessica’s muffles through Jason’s hand.
We all stared at the Commander’s still body. Then Matt said,
“Well, that was interesting.”
I knew he was trying to joke around, but it wasn’t funny. I went over, and uncuffed his hands. He rubbed his wrists.
“Thanks,” he said. He cleared his throat. “I just want you to know, that I wasn’t lying.—“
“I know.” I said.
He put his hands on my shoulders, “I want you to know, that I’ll always be there for you.” He smiled, but it was forced.
I smiled back, but then I looked away. “Now what do you we do? She won’t listen to us!”
Matt went to say something when someone said, “We go home now.” Angelica stood in the doorway, hand on hip.
I felt Matt get tense, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. He squeezed back.
“Mr. O’Bryn, wasn’t it?” Angelica walked towards us.
Matt didn’t even seem to blink. “Yes, ma’am.”
She looked down at me. “And I see you have found each other after, what? Twelve years?”
“Y-yes.” I stammered.
“Wait,” Anne walked up. “What do you mean ‘they’ve found eachother’?”
“They’re brother and sister, Anne Bellum.” Angelica said it as if it was the most normal thing to say, about two kids who haven’t known about eachother for twelve years.
There were gasps. I wanted to tell, Jonah myself, but now it was too late.
“Now wait a second!” Jason said. “You have been mean to Luna this whole time!”
“Not the whole time,” Matt said flatly. “But if I was ever going to get a chance to tell her, it was alone, you always seemed to be around.”
“So you pretened to proctect her, and you got rid of Sam on purposse?” Anne asked.
Matt, nodded. “Yes.”
“Mother! This isn’t right! You can’t.—“
Angelica held up her hand. “If Matt wishes to come back with us, he may. But he has to promise to never, never come back here, unless I say so.”
I looked up at Matt, he stammered, “I-I promise.”
“Good. Now, what should we do with these two nice children?” he pointed to Jonah and USeal, who ever standing there, mouths open.
USeal was first to recover herself. “I have my own place to go back to, ma’am. I’m sure, my Commander is mad at me be this time.”
“Wait? You mean Jamie? But she was going to.—“ I started.
“That wasn’t, her.” USeal pointed to the Commander’s still body. “The Dyed are in places you least suspect.”
“There good at blending in.” Jason added.
“Yes, and sometimes they.—“ Anne said.
“Enough, Anne.” Angelica interpreted her daughter. “What about you, young man?” he asked, Jonah.
“I-I have a place to go too, ma’am.” And with that, Jonah walked out the door.
“Jonah! Wait!” I called after him.
He didn’t stop. I ran out the door behind him. I grabbed his arm. “Stop!”
He turned around. “You don’t need me anymore, Luna.”
“I do! Matt and I aren’t as close as we are! Come on!” I protested.
“Luna, he can be with you, I can’t.”
“Still, we can.—“
“Luna, it’s over, I probably will never see you again. But if I do, I just want you to know, that we’re just friends now.” He started walking.
“Jonah! No, I love you like a brother! I.—“
“It’s over Luna.” He kept walking.
I leaned aginast the wall, and fought back tears.
I just couldn’t loose Jonah! He was the only person in the world that understood me. He…
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
I looked up and saw Matt.
“Nothing.” I said.
“There is something. Where’s that guy? Josh? Joshua?”
“Jonah.”
“Oh yeah, right.”
“He’s gone, Matt. Gone! Just because he thinks you’ll take his place.” A tear broke past my eye.
“I’m sure he’s just kidding.—“
“He’s not!”
“Alirght,” Matt sqeezed my shoulder. “It’s going to be fine, I’ll talk to him.”
And with that, he jogged after Jonah.
I leaned against the wall. Everything was messed up. I heard Angelica telling Jason and USeal to take Marcus and Jessica to the ship, so they could question them. Now, I couldn’t trust anyone, to matter how much they say I can. I didn’t even trust Matt yet, he had done so many terrible things to me. I didn’t even know he was telling the truth, but something inside me told me he was. I got up and walked to the room again.
I let Jason and USeal pass with Jessica and Marcus. Jessica gave me a nasty look, as she passed. But she didn’t say anything. I walked in, I wanted to ask Angelica something, when I heard a loud crash.
“What was that?” Anne cried, the floor was shaking.
“I don’t know!” I cried back, I could barely hear myself think.
“Follow me!” Angelica yelled.
She ran with more speed that I had seen anyone do when the ground is shaking beneath you.
We followed her, Anne and I joined hands, so it would be easier to stand.
We ran down the hall, then I saw someone fly agnaist the wall, from the other hall way.
“MATT!” I ran up to him. I kneeled to the ground.
“The building isn’t going to stay up much longer; we need to get out of here.” Angelica said, acting calm.
But I wasn’t calm. “Where’s Jonah!?”
“Calm down.—“
“No! Where is he?”
“Luna, we can’t go looking for him, we have to get back.”
“No! I won’t leave without him! He’s still part of my family!” Tears streamed down my face.
Angelica got down beside me. “Alright, but we’ve already spent too much time here.” She got up again, and yelled at the Blondes that had come back from scouting the building. There weren’t anymore Dyed in the place, it’s like they vanished.
Matt moved in my arms.
“We need to get him out of here. I’ll take Anne and—“
Then the building suddenly tilted to the right, we all slid down. We all screamed. Even Angelica let a little yelp come out.
I held on to Matt. Who on the way down, woke up and grabbed onto my neck. Choking me.
“Matt!” I yelled. “Let—“ I tried to breathe.
“Oh, sorry!” he yelled. He let go and grabbed on my shoulder and I onto his.
I knew if we hit the buttom, we would probably be hurt badly. Not enough to kill us, just give us a sprain or maybe a broken limb. The chicken noodle soup isn’t magic ya’ know.
A door fell off it’s hinges a couple of yards ahead of us, I grabbed onto the door frame with one hand. (it was painful, by the way)
“Matt!” I yelled. “Let go of my shoulder! I need both hands! Tell Angelica and Anne to grab hold of you, and you of me!”
He nodded. And he yelled up to where, Angelica and Anne where rushing towards us.
I felt the weight of all my friends on my leg. If I was normal, then it probably would of fallen off.
“Can you still move your leg!” Angelica yelled up to me, to where she was hanging off Matt’s arm. Anne was white with fear, she was holding onto her mom with both arms. Like a baby monkey.
I bent my knee, but it took all the strength I had to do it.
“Yes! I can!” I yelled down
“Good! You don’t want to ingure your leg!” Angelica called up.
My arms were starting to hurt though, if only I could climb up into the door…
“Anne! Climb up to the door, using us as a ladder!” I yelled down to them.
Anne didn’t move.
“Anne! Please!”
I saw her take a deep breath and she starting to climb up Angelica and onto Matt, and then finally me.
Then Angelica climbed up and then Matt.
“Come on Luna!” he yelled. The creaking of the building was just covering up his voice.
He took my right hand by the wrist and started to pull me up. But then the building tilted to the left, and he fell.
“Matt!” I screamed. Over the roar of breaking metal.
I heard him scream my name. I was fine just for a few more seconds, just my arms felt like fire. And my leg would probably be sore tomorrow. If I lived that long. I tried to pull myself up, but someone pulled on my leg. I looked down. It was Jason! He was hanging from my leg. This was getting awkward.
“Jason! You’re alright!”
“We’re fine! Where’s everyone else?”
“Up here, climb up me—“
“No, we need to go.” I heard USeal say. She didn’t sound like herself.
“Did you catch a cold in the past twenty mintues?” I shouted. “Because you don’t sound right.”
“Duh. No.” That didn’t sound like USeal at all.
“Come on, Luna. There not as important as you are.” Jason said.
He didn’t sound like Jason. Something was wrong.
“Are you guys…ya’ know…ok?” I asked. I tried to pull myself up. Jason pulled harder.
“Yes. Now come down!” Jason said.
“Your not Jason, and your not USeal. Where are they?”
“She’s smarter then she looks.” USeal said. This time, I knew who it was. It was Jessica.
“She is.” The pretend Jason said. He smiled slyly. It was Marcus.
I was in big trouble.
Chapter 28
Marcus hit a button on his panel, his hair went back to the way it was. Jessica didn’t, she kept the Black Hair look.
I saw Jessica drop down to the ground. It was only a few yards down. I tried to pull myself up. But Marcus was Red Head strong, he pulled so hard. I had to let go, I fell down, I landed like, Askoa, from Star Wars the Clone Wars. I felt proud of myself. But then, Marcus landed, and he landed perfectly on his feet.
“Show off.” I murmered. I looked up. I couldn’t climb the stupid wall, even if USeal and Co. weren’t there.
Marcus grabbed my arms and banged me aginsat the wall, so hard, I thought I’d black out.
Jessica pulled out one of those bracelettes.
“No! I won’t put that on!” I yelled.
“Aw, come one, sweetie.” Jessica said.
“Stop…calling….me…sweetie!” I said through clenched teeth. I tried to push away Marcus with my feet, but he didn’t even seem to notice me kicking him.
He had his fingers wrapped around the top of my arms, so I hid my wrist and my rest of my arms behind my back, I didn’t want that bracellte on me.
“Marcus!” Jessica yelled.
“What do you want me to do? I’m already holding her down!” Marcus snapped. He looked behind him. I took the advantage and pulled my arms out from behind me and I punched at his face. He whirled around before I could make contact. He caught my hands with his. And pushed me back against the wall. I kicked again, but Marcus just seemed to think nothing was kicking him.
He pulled out my right hand so Jessica could put the bracellte on. I pulled it back, but he just pulled it out again.
I closed my eyes. I felt the cold metal against my skin. There wasn’t a shock. I opened my eyes.
“See, that wasn’t so bad now was it?” Jessica asked.
I didn’t even bother to shake my head.
Jessica looked up. “By the looks of things, we have to climb up this wall to get out. Marcus.—“
“Whatever.” Marcus grabbed me by the arm.
“Good, I knew you would catch up sometime.” Jessica said. She shot a rope from her panel and I heard it snap shut around something. Jessica pulled at it. “Should be safe enough, come on.”
I wasn’t in the mood to climb, but at least I wasn’t the one that was being hanged on. Marcus grabbed the rope with his free hand and started to climb. I guessed that Red Heads were strong too. Not just stupid war loving freaks. Not that I was calling Jonah one or anything.
Jonah! Where was he?
“Where’s Jonah, you jerk!” I yelled down at Jessica. I knew Marcus wasn’t the ring leader, so I thought I would just yell at Jessica from now on.
“He’s fine. Someone came and picked him up earlier. You’ll see him soon.”
Why did they want Jonah? He wasn’t my blood brother. Matt was. “Why don’t you just take Matt instead?” Oops. Didn’t mean to say what I was thinking. But it was too late.
“I don’t know! Ask mother dear when you see her!” Jessica snapped. The building started to shake. I grabbed on to Marcus’s arm. Not that I didn’t trust his streghth and all, I just felt better knowing that I was holding on too.
We weren’t that high, if only I could jump back down…
I started to kick at the rope, it started to shake.
“Stop, stupid! Your going to get us killed!” Jessica yelled at me. “Marcus.—“
“Whatever.” He said again. He pulled his arm up like I was the weight he was lifting at some gym. And when I was high enough, he let go. I yelped. Then he grabbed back onto me, he put his whole arm around my waist. This day couldn’t get any more awkward.
“Thank you!” Jessica said. She didn’t sound like she meant it though.
The rope stopped shaking, and we contuined up. I kept thinking of ways to get away, but Jessica’s ‘Marcus’s’ weren’t helping.
When we finalley got to the top. I had my plan all figured out, once Marcus hauled me up there, I would make a run for it down the other end, find Matt and the others and get out of there. But when Marcus did haul me up there, I almost fell down the other side of the hall. It was millions of feet down to the ocean. I backed up slowly.
“Woah.” Marcus said. Then he said, “You comin’ Jess?”
“Don’t call me Jess! I don’t care if you are my.—“ But the creaking of the building covered what she was going to say. I had a feeling it was something even more awkward.
Then the building completely fell from it’s place. I screamed, as I slid towards the giant hole and the million’s of feet drop into the ocean.
I closed my eyes, then I felt a arm around my waist. I looked back and I saw Marcus, practicly hanging from the frame of the door. I saw Jessica trying to regain blalance as the builing fell.
“We’re going to die!” she screetched.
“We’re not going to die!” Marcus yelled. He was trying to pull me up. But he was having a hard time. “Help me! Don’t just stand there!”
I had never heard Marcus or anyone else (besides the Commander) talk like that to Jessica.
Jessica seemed paralyzed.
“Come on!” I yelled. I was freaking out too.
Jessica went closer to the ledge, but she going to slowly, and the ocean wasn’t going to wait forever.
“JESSICA! MOVE!” I screamed at her.
That got her attention. “Shut up! I’m going!”
“Pull, Luna up.” Marcus commanded. Wow, did he just call me Luna?
I reached out a hand and Jessica grabbed it. I pushed against the wall of the building as she pulled me up. When I was up, Jessica pulled me close to her and said into my ear. “Just becase I saved you life, doesn’t mean I don’t’ like you now.”
Yeah right, you so do.
I helped Jessica pull up Marcus and then we just stood there, looking at the ocean as it came closer to us. Only a couple thousand feet and we were dead.
“Now what?” I shrugged. Trying to act relaxed.
“I don’t know!” Jessica turned to Marcus. “WE ARE GONNA DIE!”
Marcus shrugged. Then he looked over and his eyes got wide. “Woah.”
A huge purple ship flew in our direction. I stopped feeling happy. I started to back up. But I felt that wonderful pain in my arm.
“Gosh!” I snapped.
“Come on.” Jessica said.
Marcus did his, ‘whatever’ and grabbed me by the arm. “Just between you and me,” he said into my ear. “Jessica’s got issues.”
I forced back a laugh. But he smiled at me. I knew this guy wasn’t all bad.
Chapter 29
As the ship flew closer, I started to feel sick. I didn’t want to see that women who was soupossedly my mom. She was evil. And I hated her for it. She stunk at being a parent to Matt, why would she suddenly jump up and treat me like I mattered?
Marcus seemed to read my mind beccuase he gave my arm a cofterble sqeeze. Which if you were a Red Head, then it probably would have been, but it hurt on me. I didn’t say that it hurt though. Marcus was starting to act nice, and I wanted it to stay that way.
The purple ship tossed out a ladder. And I gulped. I took a step back.
“It’s going to be fine.” Marcus said.
Jessica turned on him. “It’s not going to be ‘fine’ if we die! Now come on!” Jessica jumped onto the ladder. And then Marcus pushed me in front of him.
“Ladies first?”
I knew he was trying to be funny, but I wasn’t in the mood to laugh. I haven’t been for the past weeks. It seemed like everyone else was though.
I glared at him, and I jumped onto the ladder, and started to climb. Marcus jumped on just as the building crashed into the water.
I flipped my hair when I got to the top. But then I stopped, in mid flip. There was Jonah, hands tide behind his back, gag in mouth. Two Dyed had their hands on his arms. He was standing. That was good at least.
I felt the pain in my arm.
“Move!” Jessica yelled.
“No.—“ I started. But then the pain was in my arm again.
“I said.—“
“Ok! Cool it!” I snapped.
Jessica pushed me through a door on the roof. And I looked behind me.
“Now, now sweetie. You’ll see him soon. Don’t worry.” Jessica said.
“Shut up.” I mumbled.
“What was that?”
“Nothing!”
She hit the button. I turned and glared at her.
“What?” she put up her hands.
I rolled my eyes. And she said I was the dumb one.
She pushed me through another door and I saw some really horrible looking mechiences.
“W-what are those?” I asked.
“Torture Devices. Duh.” I didn’t have to look at Jessica to know she was rolling her eyes.
“The Commander will probably put you in one of those things later. But for now, your going in a cell.”
“Where’s Matt?” I asked, I turned to face her.
“I don’t.—“
“Where is he?!”
“He’s probably in the ocean! I don’t know!”
“You are such a jerk! You only care about yourself!” I yelled at her. She backed up.
“I’m not.—“
“Yes you are! You pretended to be my friend! You hurt Dana! You lied! You hurt me! That’s more than a jerk. You were a mean jerk!”
Jessica stood here, staring at me. I was breathing hard. I had needed to get that out of my system for awhile, and I thought I would make me feel better. But now I just felt like I had hurt someone. And I felt like crying.
And I did. I broke down right in front of Jessica. The person who had hurt me so many times.
I cried for a long time before she did anything. She wrapped her arms around me, but I could tell it was awkward for her. I hugged her back, which probably made it even more awkward.
“I-It’s ok.” She kept saying. But she didn’t mean it. I could tell, so I didn’t stop crying. Not that I was trying to make her feel bad or anything. I was just so stressed. So when someone didn’t mean what they said, I was just going to keep on crying.
“Luna! Stop! It’s ok.” Jessica said. I knew then that she meant it and I looked up still crying a little bit. “I know that I was a jerk and I’m sorry, you see, it’s hard to not be a jerk when you work for one.” She glanced behind her. “Your mom isn’t so sweet either.”
That got me crying again.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to make you cry! I.—“
“No, no it’s alright. Your right, she isn’t nice…It’s just, I don’t think I can live with the thought of having to one out there to help me.” I took a deep breath. “Matt, Anne, Jason, Angelica. There all gone! And I don’t think I could live without them.”
“Hey, don’t worry, you have me.”
I pulled away from her. “You mean that?”
“Well…I guess…”
That didn’t make me feel any better. “So you just lied to get me to stop?”
“No! no! I didn’t it’s just…”
“What?”
“It’s just…I haven’t been nice to anyone in a long time, and I don’t know how to…ya know…”
I laughed. “It’s not that hard, you just start with the basics like saying that your ‘sorry’ or ‘thank you’ but you have to mean it. Like my mom always said: ‘Don’t say your sorry, unless you mean it.”
She smiled. “That makes sense. Now! As my first act of niceness, I will take this off!” she pulled out a key out of her pocket and took off my braceelte.
“Thanks.” I rubbed my wrist.
“Now, let’s go rescue, Jonah. That’s my second act of niceness!” Jessica said.
I started to run after her, but then I stopped. This was too easy, could you really turn someone like this? I mean, she was really mean. Could you turn someone to nice with like, tears and a speech? It didn’t seem like it. Or maybe Jessica was just waiting for a chance to be nice. I mean, she was trying to not be beaten up by her Commander. And the only way she was going to do that, was by being mean. And I also turned Matt too.
It made sense, so I just went with it. I followed her to the door where I had last seen Jonah.
She put up her hand to stop me. “Shhh…the Commander’s out there. And she’s talking to Marcus…I hope he’s still smart and he won’t tell her where we went.”
I hoped that too. I didn’t think I could turn Ms. Evil Mommy from being mean to nice with tears and a speech.
“When I say go. We run. K?” She hissed.
I nodded. “K.”
The Commander wasn’t really talking. She was, yelling. She a lot of things that would of made my pastor flinch. It made me flinch too. I hated it when people used God’s name in vain. It was wrong. Anyway, as she was yelling, I looked at the rest of her. She was wearing a light blue business suit and skirt. Her hair was down on her shoulders. She looked like my second grade teacher. She always said that second grade was as important as a business meeting. I didn’t’ think so though. Second grade was just as boring as a bussniess meeting.
My Evil Mom’s face was red, it was either from yelling so much, or from rage. It was probably both.
“You mean you let him die?!” she yelled at Marcus.
“Yes, but.—“
“He’s dead! You should of done something!”
“We thought you didn’t care.—“
“Do I look like a person who doesn’t care about her own children, Mr. James?!”
Yep, you do.
Then I saw Jessica flinch. Then I knew. Marcus was Jessica’s brother.
I touched her arm. “It’ll be ok.” I whispered.
She nodded. Then she looked back at the sceance. Then her eyes got wide. “Run!”
She started to run, I ran after her. The Commander didn’t even notice, but Marcus did. And he looked over at us. I shook my head at him. I wanted him to look away.
“Mr. James! Look at me when I’ve talking to you!” The Commander shouted.
“I.—Sorry.”
Then the Commander looked. And I saw her face soften for a fration of a second. Then it harden again.
“Get them!” she screamed at Marcus.
But Marcus didn’t move.
“Are you all turning into Blondes?!” The Commander screamed. Practically in Marcus’ face. Then she turned to the other Dyed and screamed at them instead.
“MARCUS! FOLLOW US!” I yelled at him.
He came running after us. Apparently I was running too slow for him. And Jessica, she was yelling at me to hurry. Hey! I have shorter legs then them! Marcus ran up to me. And picked me up and practically threw me on his back.
“HANG ON!” He yelled.
“You don’t have to yell! I’m right here!”
“WHAT?!”
Never mind.
I grabbed onto his shoulders with both hands and I wrapped my legs around his waist.
“PIGGE BACK MUCH?!” He yelled.
“Some.” I used to on Jonah. We would do it around the yard…
Jessica interrupted my thoughts, “Enough day dreaming! What do you we now?!”
“Jessica, there are a lot of types of mean.—“
“Luna! This isn’t the time to teach me!”
“Whatever.” She clearly got mean when she was freaking out. And right now, she was doing exactly that.
Marcus put me down. “Ok, we need a plan…”
“There isn’t any time for plan making!” Jessica schreeched at me.
“Shut up, Jess! Luna’s right.” Marcus said.
I’m glad someone agrees with me.
“Ok, by now she’s probably told the whole ship about us, so…”
“Ok! Start running again!” Jessica yelled.
“Wha.—“ Marcus and I turned and we were tackled to the ground.
Purple hair was in my face. And then, everything went black.
Chapter 30
“Luna!” someone hissed. Someone I knew…
“Luna!” it hissed a little louder.
I woke with a start and sat up so hard that I ran into whoever was hissing my name.
“Woah!” The person said.
I scooted back in fear and then I saw who it was. It was John! And he was wearing a black suit! And…and…
“Woah! What’s wrong?” We sounded like it wasn’t strange to see me like this. In this place. And any other weird things that were happening at the moment.
“What.—Why are you here?” I finalley got out.
The last time I had seen John was when he had given me a daisy and then after that night, everything went wrong…
“Can’t Black Hairs show up here too?” he asked.
Ok, that was weird.
“What?! You were spying on me?” I stood up.
“No, I-I wasn’t.”
“Really? Because you’re a terrible lair.” I crossed my arms.
He stood up and uncrossed them for me. He had me against a wall, and I was freaking out.
“Go away! I can’t belive you were spying on me!”
Then I heard laughing. Horrible cruel laughing. And John dispeared.
“I love doing that.” And Ms. Evil Mom came out. I took a step back.
“This room is so…tourtuing.” She laughed some more. It made me want to throw up.
“You know, you took quite a risk running from me, uselly people would just do what I say. But…You are just to dumb to do that.”
“I-I’m n-not d-dumb.” I stammered.
“Really?” this whole time, she’d been talking towards me and now she was really close.
“You turned my own son, against me!” She screamed into my face. “and you turned two of my most important Dyed against me as well! You are dumb! No one would do that! Your going to have to pay for it now!”
I knew how mom’s worked. I have plenty of fights with my other mom. And I knew how to fight with this one.
“You did that yourself! If you weren’t such a jerk, we wouldn’t have this problem, now would we?” I put as much sarcasim in my voice as possible.
“You stupid little girl,” she said. “Why did I even try to hide you? You would of just hurt yourself by doing something stupid the first day you tried to do anything!”
Ow. That hurt me. I felt the tears coming now. My other mom wouldn’t of said that to me.
“Are you a jerk! And if you weren’t you would care about me! If you really cared about Matt, then you would care about me too!” I screamed into her face this time.
She seemed stunned. She kept opening her mouth and then shutting it. Then the doors in the room and Matt, USeal, Angelica, Jason and Anne Bellum ran into the room.
But we didn’t’ notice, we just kept staring at each other.
“Luna! Your alright! Thank goodness!” Matt cried. He ran up and wrapped his arms around me in a hug. Pulling me back. “Did she hurt you?”
“I-I’m fine.” I said.
I’m just probably scared for life.
The Commander recovered from her stun and looked over at Angelica.
“Well, well, sister, no time no see.” She snapped.
“Ok, I am officially freaked out.” I mumbled. “How many long lost relations do I have?”
“A lot.” Jason answered for me.
“Probably more. Mostly all of them are Blondes. So you don’t have to worry about another Hair Color forces taking a visit.” Anne supplied.
“That doesn’t help.” I said.
Matt’s arms sqeezed harder around me. “We need to get out of here now. Are you sure your ok?” Matt asked. He looked worried.
“I’m fine!” I snapped. Prying his arms off of me. “Where’s Jonah?”
“Don’t start that again, Luna.—“ Anne sighed.
“Anne, you don’t know anything about family do you?” I snapped.
Anne recoiled. “Yes I do.”
“No. You don’t! We look out for each other, that’s what family does. Now, name one time any of you, not including Matt. Came and saved a family member. Even though it meant not getting what you wanted.” I looked around at all of them. They all had there heads bowed. “I knew it! You don’t even care! The only reason any of you came and rescued me, was because of this stupid war! And I now know why I’m going to start a war,”
“How are you starting it?” Jason asked. His face looked dark.
“Because, everyone kept trying to take me, which started a war between to Hair Color Forces and so on. You see that now?” I had tears in my eyes.
“I do, Luna. I understand now. We were all wrong. We should of listened in the first place.” Angelica stepped forward. She wrapped her arm around my shoulder. She eyed her sister.
“Are you going to care about your family members, Becky?” she asked.
Becky? Wow, I didn’t know that my mom could have such a cheesy name.
“I’d love to, but.—“
“But what, mother?” Matt snapped. “But, that you can’t because your evil and only care about yourself? But, that all you want is to toutrue us, just because you can?” He pulled out a slick sliver gun. “Your going to let us go now.”
“Why you stupid little boy, I never know why I even cared to yell at Luna about your.—“
“You said, cared, Becky.” Angelica said. “That’s a first.”
That made Becky mad.
“Dyed! In here right now!” she screamed into her watch. “LOCK DOWN!”
The doors and the windows were covered by metal boards.
“Matt!” I couldn’t see anymore, the boards had blocked out the sun. And there weren’t any lights.
“I’m right here, Luna! Follow my voice.” Matt sounded so calm. I miss I could be that calm. I guess I took after Commander Becky.
He kept talking and I followed it, I didn’t know where Angelica and the rest had gone.
Then I felt a hand on my arm. I yelped in pain.
“Let go!” I shouted.
“Now dear, there’s no reason to yell at mommy.” Becky said. she grabbed my other arm.
“Let me go!” I screamed. She started to pull me. I kicked and screamed.
“Luna!” Becky yelled. “Shut up!”
“No! I won’t! Let me go!” I hated being the target of torture and dragging. I felt a gag in my mouth. I went to pry it out of my mouth with my hands, but then they were shoved behind my back. Then I heard Becky yell, and a loud thump.
A dim light came on, and I could see, Marcus and Jessica standing there.
“I’ve always wanted to do that.” Jessica said. Wiping her hands, the noise made a slight echo in the room.
I took off the gag, and breathed again. “Thanks.” I said.
“No problem. Let’s hope this is over now.” Jessica said. We all looked down at the body of the Dyed Commander.
“So…what do we do with her now?” I asked.
“We could take her back to Head Quarters.” Jessica suggested.
“I don’t think we’re going to be able to…” Marcus said.
“Why--?” We all turned and a bunch of Dyed came.
“Will this ever end!” I said.
“I don’t think so.” Matt was behind me, and so was, Angelica, Jason, Anne and USeal
“STEP AWAY FROM THE COMMANDER!” One of the Dyed shouted at us.
“We don’t intend to.” Angelica said.
“Then you’ll have to say good bye to the boy…” Another Dyed said.
I knew they meant Jonah. I was freaking. Matt put his hands on my shoulders.
“It’ll be fine.” He whispered.
I didn’t say anything. I didn’t’ even nod. I knew he was just trying to make me feel better. But it wasn’t’ working.
Then a tall Dyed came out behind the rest. He had black hair, but I couldn’t see his eyes, he had dark sunglasses on. I didn’t understand why he was wearing them. I could barely see a foot in front of me!
“We really don’t want to do this.” He said. I knew that voice.
“Guys, run.” I whispered to them.
“Why?” the all hissed at me.
“They want me, so just run!”
“No, we’re are not leaving you!” Matt hissed.
“Go! This is serious! I can handle this, just take mom with you. They want me.”
I didn’t know why I was telling them this. I just knew that they would hurt us all if I didn’t do something.
Matt looked at me for one second longer. Then he nodded, and he turned to the rest.
“Run!” he yelled. They grabbed the Commander and pulled her out, the Dyed jumped into action but I jumped in front of them.
“Hold it, I know who you want. And it isn’t them.” I said.
They all stopped. I didn’t move until I heard the doors shut behind me.
“Now, Jonah. How about you quit the act now?” I said.
Chapter 31
I couldn’t belive that Jonah would work with the Dyed.
Jonah quit the act, but he wasn’t the person who had stepped up. That person took off the sunglasses. And Luna wasn’t surprised to see John.
“You?” Luna said. “No, wait. I’m not surprised to see you here.”
“Of course your not. Your getting used to people betraying you.” John said. A sly smile came on his face.
“And you actullay thought I would like you?” I snapped.
“What’s not to like?”
Oooh! He did not just say that.
“Shut up. Where’s Jonah?”
“Oh, you mean agent X? Yes, he’s been talking about you.”
“Your creeping me out.” I said.
“That’s why I’m soupossed to do.” John said, stepping closer.
“Where’s Jonah?” I said again.
“Busy. Since you took away our Commander, he’s the next in line as Commander.” He took another step closer.
“You know what? I don’t think you like him as Commander. Your jealous. You have that look in your eyes that Matt gets.”
I’d been with Matt long enough to know which looks meant what.
“Wow, your actullay smart. That’s amazing for a Blonde.”
“That’s what people tell me.”
He took another step closer and he was right on top of me. He had a longer stride then I thought.
“But not smart enough.” He said. his breath smelled like something I had smelled before. It was on, Marcus, Jessica, Matt and Becky. Something I had smelled on my other mom once too.
“Hair dye.” I said.
“What was that?” I saw his hand reach for my wrist. I pulled it away.
“You really think you can just do that?” I asked.
Apperntly he had, because he didn’t answer.
“Now, I want to talk to Jonah. Busy or not.” I hissed.
“Why?”
“Because! That’s why!”
“John, stand down.” I heard someone say.
John obeyed and stepped back.
And there was Jonah. His hair wasn’t red anymore, it was black and so was his outfit. His eyes were piercing and I took a step back.
“How could you?!” I yelled at him. “Your just as bad as the rest of them!”
“Luna.—“
“No!” I thought I had gotten over being betrayed. But I had lived my entire life with him. He wasn’t as bad as Matt.
“I joined a long time ago, and.—“
“And what?” I snapped.
“I couldn’t just leave. They.—“
“Don’t tell me they needed you! Did they really?!”
Jonah didn’t move. He didn’t say anything.
“I’m leaving! This is stupid! You’re a jerk! You’re the biggest jerk that ever, ever lived! Your worse than, Mom! Your worse than Matt! Your worse than anyone who said they cared about me and then poof! They just turned against me!” I turned to leave. He firm hand grabbed my shoulder.
I stopped. I was so done with this.
I grabbed the arm and I kicked the person in the stochmace and I threw him down on the ground.
Jonah stared at me in horror.
“You didn’t think I was smart too huh? Well guess what? Us Blondes are smarter than we look.” That was the second time I had said that, and I liked the line. Because it was true.
“I can’t let you leave.” Jonah said, as I turned to go again.
I didn’t turn around. “Why? Because your fellow jerks.—“
“Luna. Stop.”
I wasn’t in the mood to stop. But he didn’t know that.
“I have know intension of staying, Jonah. I’m leaving.” I took another step to the door.
“Well, tell Matt that his brother is missing him.” John said.
Brother? What was he talking about, I turned around, bad idea.
He was pointing a silver gun at me. I saw the needle of the dart inside it.
“What are you talking about?” I said.
“Did you really think that the Commander only had one son?” John said.
Actullay, I never really thought about it.
“No.” I said.
“the boy was right, you have a lot of long lost reletives.”
“That boy’s name is Jason.” I snapped.
“And that ‘boy’ just left you? Some friend he turned out to be.”
I looked at Jonah. I didn’t want to talk to John, I just wanted to leave. But he looked away.
“He left, because I told him to. Because you didn’t want them.” I took a step back.
He leveled his gun. “Smart girl. Your right, we just want you.”
My eye’s got wide, and I took another step back. I had another brother that was going to hurt me. And I couldn’t belive that John had tried to go out with me, and he was my brother!
“Luna, we just want to.—“ Jonah said.
“Shut up, Jonah! I can take care of this!” John snapped. He looked behind him and nodded, and a bunch of Dyed advanced on Jonah.
“Leave him alone!” I cried. John advanced on me. He was taller than Matt,and I was pretty sure he was older, like Jonah’s age.
I saw Jonah being dragged away, but he wasn’t going without a fight. And I had John to myself, and I wasn’t sure I wanted him there.
“L-leave me alone.” I stammered.
“Darling, we just want you for a little while. And it’ll only hurt a little bit.” He said. Getting closer, I looked behind me. And I decided to run for it.
I took one tiny step backwards and than I turned around and ran for it.
“That’s not smart, sweetie.” He called after me.
“Don’t call me sweetie!” I yelled.
Then I heard a whistling noise by my ear. It was a dart.
I stopped.
“Now your acting smart.” John was right behind me. And I did a mistake by stepping backwards. I bumped into him. He grabbed both my arms and whispered into my ear,
“Don’t try anything funny, darling. Because I don’t want this to get any harder than it has to be.”
I hissed back at him, “I’m not scared of you.” But I was, but I had to say something back to hide my fear.
He laughed, the same cold laugh the Commander has. “You should be.” I guessed that John had gotten all of mom’s evilness and Matt had gotten dad’s niceness and I got the mix of both of them.
For the second time, he reached down to grab my wrist, and I elbowed him in the ribs. His other hand’s grip got tighter, on my other arm, and I tried not to cry out, because it hurt.
“I told you not to make this harder.” He said. He got his other hand back on my other arm and he squeezed harder on that one too.
I bit my lip. “That hurts.”
“It’s soupossed to.” He said. And he dragged me towards the door at the end.
“Let me go!” I yelled at him.
He didn’t say anything.
“What did you do with Jonah?!” I yelled at him. When we got through the door.
“He’s busy, darling.” He replied.
“Don’t call me that!” I screamed. I dug my heels of my shoes into the floor. Completely stopping us from moving. Mr. Aqua said that there super shoes would come in handy someday.
He turned me to face him, “All we want is a little sample of your DNA, that’s it.” He said. “And then we might let you go.”
“Might? Really?” I snapped.
“Yes, might.” He said, he got that smile that Matt had gotten when he went forward to kiss me. And I hoped that John didn’t have the same idea.
“This isn’t the way to treat your younger sister.” I said.
“Is it? Well, I didn’t know that. Maybe after we’re done you can show me what’s the right way.” He tried to push me. But I kept my heels in the floor.
I knew how older brothers worked and I knew how to make them mad.
“You know, your not as tough as Matt said you would be.”
John narrowed his eyes. “Matt’s a whimp.”
“He’s nicer than you.” I said smiling a sly smile.
“And he’s a idiot for even telling you about himself!”
I was making him mad.
“Actullay, I was glad he told me.”
“Why are you happy about that? Your family is just a bunch of jerks.” It was his turn to smile.
“Well, I can forgive jerks like you. But first.--” he didn’t let me finish. He was smarter than he looked.
“Don’t remember how, Jonah just left you?”
He didn’t give me a chance to answer.
“Or when Matt lied to you? Or when Mom screamed at you? How will you ever forgive them?”
“Because,” I said, looking him in the eye. “Jesus will help me, he forgave me, and he died on the cross for me. So I think I can forgive them.” I kicked him in the stomach. He doubled over.
“You stupid little girl!” he screeched.
“That’s what people call me.” I turned to go. And I felt a shot in my arm. And then pain.
I screamed. And I looked over and saw a dart.
I yanked it out. Creating more pain.
“AHHHHH!” I fell to my knees.
John towered over me. “I guess I’m the smarter one here, huh, darling?”
“Don’t…call…me…that…” I said, trying to breathe.
“JOHN!” I heard someone scream. John looked behind him, eyes filled with annoyance. Then his eyes got wide.
“What are you doing here, stupid?!” he yelled behind him.
I clutched my stomach. I had felt this before. It was the same venom that Matt had given to me, when he kissed me. But this felt more painful. I cried out.
“LEAVE HER ALONE!” Matt’s calm voice sounded far away.
“Matt…” I said.
“Why did you even come back here for her?!” I heard John scream.
“Because! She’s my sister, and I care about her!”
And those were the last words I heard, before everything went black.
Chapter 32
When I was out cold, I kept having visions of John, Mom and Jonah. They kept hurting me, not fisicley, but mently.
I remember once, I cried out and heard Matt’s voice, telling me it was ok. I didn’t feel ok. I think once, I threw up. But I’m not going to go into details about that.
When I did wake up, everything was blurry.
“I think…I…need my…glasses…again.” I moaned.
“No, no. It’s just the venom, it’ll wear off in a little bit.” I heard Matt say.
“Where…are…we?” It hurt to talk, but I wanted to know.
“Shhhh, we’re in a safe place.”
“Matt, seriously. Where?”
I saw him smile through the blurriness. “We’re back in Head Quarters.”
I smiled too. “That’s…good.”
“Yes, it is. Now you need to rest.”
“No, no, I’m fine.” I seemed like every other sentence I could talk without forcing the words out.
“Luna, you need to rest. It’s the only way the antadoite with kick in. Ok?” His voice was still calm. I wish I could do that.
“But…when I close…my eyes…I see…mom and…John…and…”
Jonah!
“Where’s Jonah?” I sat up in bed. Regretting it. My head exploded in pain. And I felt like throwing up.
Matt gently pushed me back down. “I don’t know, but don’t worry, we have mom here and John is harmless. He’s all talk.”
“He didn’t…seem that….way…to me…” I said.
I could see Matt’s face grow grim.
“It’s fine. We will resuce him, Luna. I promise.”
That made me feel better. It was the second most awesome thing I had heard all day.
Matt went to get up. I grabbed his hand. “Hey, I just want to know, that I care about you too. As a brother.”
He smiled. “Sweet dreams.”
“Your cheesy.”
He laughed, and he bent down and kissed me on the forhead.
All through the night, I knew that everything would be ok. And I didn’t have to worry. I had, Matt, Anne, Jason, Angelica and I had Jesus. I was going to be ok. And so was Jonah. I knew that Matt would never break that promise. I knew that God would take care of him, and everything would be ok.
Everything will be ok, Luna.
I heard the voice in my head, the voice I knew was God’s. And I fell into a deep and wonderful sleep. I swore that I had a smile on my face the whole night.
THE END
It was just like any other Saturday. I was with my friends in the mall, and girls laugh and giggle while there together right? Well not me. I wasn’t laughing and giggling with my friends because it was my birthday my friends insisted that we see: Justin Beiber Never Say Never. Which would have been ok with me if it had been any other day of the week, but it had to be my birthday.
“Did you see his hair! It was gorgeous!” Squealed my friend USeal. (Yes, that’s how she spells her name.)
“Omigosh! I know!” Sondra let out a huge sigh.
I sighed a sad sigh. “It was ok.”
“What?!” Sondra and lUSeal said. “Just ok?”
“Guys, I’m not big into singers.”
Sondra put her arm around me. “You’ll be soon, I mean, once you hit twelve, you go all gaga over them.”
Her logic was reasonable, she and lUSeal were each thirteen years old, and they did go all gaga when they turned twelve.”
I decided just to agree with her. “Cool.”
“Great! Now, let’s go to Clare’s I’m dying to get some Justin Beiber hats.” Sondra said.
“Yeah! Let’s go!” The ran to the Clare’s store, I just walked slowly after them, not being too thrilled about going. I was wearing my usual outfit: Aeropostale jacket with convers and jeans. While my friends were totally decked out in the news threads.
I passed a table were a man was selling watches. “Miss, would you like to buy one of these watches?” the man asked.
“No, no thank you. I would if I had enough money though.” I kept walking, hoping I wouldn’t have to say more. I hate public speaking.
“But, I will give you one for free! No money required!” The man had an Italian accent.
I turned around. “Oh, I couldn’t bother you.—“
“No! Please, take it!” the man insiteed.
I decided that he wouldn’t stop asking until I took it so I thought taking it wouldn’t hurt. The watch was light blue with a bunch of buttons on the side. It was cool, and it was digital. Just the kind I liked. I have dyslexia, so reading isn’t my specialty. I thanked the man and walked on. I put the watch on. It was pretty cool, I thought.
I came up to Clare’s and walked in just in time to see Sondra and USeal pay for there stuff.
“Annabell! Check this out!” Sondra put on a Justin Beiber hat.
“Awesome, Sondra, lookin’ good!” I smiled.
“I know right? Oooh! What’s that?” she pointed to my new watch.
“Oh, some Italian guy gave this to me for free. I have no idea why.”
“It’s pretty! And it watches your eyes!” USeal cried.
I blushed. “Yeah.”
“You know, Annabell, I’ve always envied your blonde hair and blue eyes.” Sondra said dreamily.
“Really?” I asked. Perking up a bit.
“No.” she laughed. She patted me on the shoulder. “Anyway, what do you guys want to do now?”
USeal started to go on about going to Aeropostale. Even though that’s my favorite store, I wasn’t feeling so good, after that comment Sondra made. I know she didn’t mean to be mean, but after going to see Justin Beiber and getting a mean comment in one day, and especially on your birthday, all you want to do is go home.
“You know what guys, I’m just going to go home.” I said.
“You sure?” Sondra asked.
“Yeah, I’m…uh…not feeling too good.”
“Alirght, see ya tomorrow, then?” USeal asked.
“Yeah. Bye.” And I started to walk towards the door. If only that ‘yeah’ was true.
Chapter 2
“Mom! I’m home!” I called, when I entered my house.
“Hi, honey! How was your trip?”
My mom traveled a lot so when she asked me about how my trip went, I just went with it.
“Good.” I lied.
“Great! We’re having lazongya for dinner.”
“Ok, when is.—“ Joshua ran into me, knocking me down.
“Hi Luna!” he yelled. He had gotten into this habit of yelling everything he said.
“Hi, Joshua.” I said, I couldn’t keep from smiling at my younger brother, he always made me happy again. Then I heard Lucy running through the house. She jumped down on Joshua, almost knocking me out. “Grunt. Hi Lucy.”
Lucy was only a year older than Joshua (he is three) So it hurt, a lot when she jumped on me.
“Hi Luna! How was your trip?” She had heard Mom say that like every time Dad would come home, so she just thought that’s what you said.
“It was good, Lucy. Now.” This is the part they loved, I would sit up, knocking them off me and they would just burst into laughter. I laughed as I saw them sprawled on the floor laughing.
I got up and walked into the kitchen. “Hi, Mom…mmm…smells good.”
“Thank you, dear. What movie did you see?”
I wanted to say, Oh, we watched that movie I’ve been dying to see all week. But the words: Justin Bieber Never Say Never. Came out of my mouth.
“Oh, I’m sorry dear, I know your not a big fan like your friends.” She had her face in her work, but I knew she meant it. Moms were like that.
“Yeah, but I got a cool new watch. Look.” I held up the watch.
My mom turned around and turned pale when she saw it. Then she breathed deeply and said: “T-that’s nice dear. How about you take it off, so you can wash up?”
Something about my Mom’s reaction when I showed her the watch, made me not ask: why? I took it off, and I helped my Mom finish making dinner.
Just as I had finished making the salad, my Dad came into the door.
“Hellooooooo?” he called. He always did that, even though the front door wasn’t that far from the kitchen.
“Daddy! Daddy!” Lucy and Joshua came running past the kitchen. I wiped my hands on a towel and went to greet him.
“How was work today Dad?” I asked. He worked on Saturday’s but he got Monday and Tuesday off, which seemed fair.
“It was good, my little moon. Now, what’s the delicious smell coming from?” My name means moon, so that’s why he calls me that.
“Layzonia.” My Mom walked in to greet my Dad. Lucy and Joshua ran back to what they were doing.
“Mmmmm. Smells and sounds good.”
I giggled. My dad was too funny. We sat down for dinner. I told them about how I got talked into seeing Justin Beiber Never Say Never. My Dad said that life’s like that sometimes. He’s a English teacher (some kids have detention on Saterdays, so that’s why he was there.) So he always gave me some English teacher term.
I took a bite of my salad and remembered my watch. I got up and got it. I showed it to my dad.
“What do you think dad? Some Italian guy gave it to me.”
My Dad did the same thing my Mom did. Turn pale and then took a deep breath. “It’s great, Luna.” And he took a bite of his layzonia.
I didn’t know why my parents were so upset about the watch, I mean, it’s a watch.
“Oh! I forgot to ask you, When is Jonah coming home?” I asked.
My parents looked at each other. “Not for awhile honey, he…uh…got bad grades so he has to stay at collage longer.” My Mom said.
I looked down at my plate. I couldn’t believe my big brother wasn’t coming home yet. It had been a year since I’d seen him. “Collage must be pretty bad, huh?” I said.
“Yes, dear, it is.” My Mom said.
And we ate the rest of our dinner in silence after that.
That night, while I was watching TV, I heard my Mom and Dad talking about something. I went to their room where they were talking and listened:
“It can’t be happening yet!” my mom cried.
“Dear, we just have to go with it. She’s twelve now, probably sometime tomorrow they’ll come and get her.” My dad said.
Get who? I thought.
“I just wanted one more year.” My mom said.
“Honey, this is such a privlage. Not many people get picked.”
“But, I can’t bear to lose her. Jonah’s already been gone. For two years now.”
I pictured my big brother. He had red hair and freakles, like my dad. He had brown eyes and was at least two feet taller than me. I felt like crying, I missed him so much. I burst into their room. They looked startled when they saw me.
“What are you talking about?” I demanded.
“Nothing, honey. Oh! Look at the time, it’s bed time for little miss moon.” My dad said.
I walked to my room. I didn’t know who they were talking about, but I had a feeling it was me.
Chapter 3
The next morning I got up and got dressed. I went down the stairs. I had forgotten about what had happened the night before. So when I saw my Mom and Dad sitting at the table looking like they hadn’t slept well at all, I said: “Didn’t sleep well?”
My mom looked at me, she looked like she was going to cry right on the spot. “Yes, dear. We didn’t.” And she took a sip of her coffee.
My dad started reading the newspaper.
I sat down at the usual spot at the table and started eating the eggs that were there. “Thanks for making me breakfast, eggs on a Saturday. That’s new.” I smiled.
My Mom smiled, but I could tell it was forced. “Luna, we have to tell you something.—“
“Luna! Look at my drawing!” Joshua came running down the stairs.
“That’s cool, Joshua.” I said, I shoved my toast into my mouth and got up.
“Where are you going?” my mom asked.
“I said I would meet, Sondra and USeal at the mall today.” I said. I ran upstairs and got my purse. I shoved my cell phone in my pocket. (which I found to be a better place for it then my purse.)
“Honey.—“
“I gotta go. See you guys soon! Love you!” And I ran out the door.
I started walking down the side walk, enjoying the sunshine the birds, the mysterious white van…Mysterious white van?!
I pulled out my cell phone. I learned that if you act older and you have a cell phone, no one will try to kid nap you. But apparently the people in the white van didn’t care about acting or cell phones. They stopped the van and a bunch of people in white suits came out. They were all brunette, which I found strange.
But that didn’t stop me from running. I ran back down towards my house, they were fast, I mean really fast, scary fast. (If you didn’t get it before.) I turned a corner, I saw something flash, and I looked down at my watch. And the words: But, I can’t bear to lose her. Jonah’s already been gone ,for two years now. I quickened my pase. I tore off the watch and threw it across the alley. I looked behind me, bad idea, they were right behind me. I turned my head back and I ran into one of them. SMACK! CRASH! (It didn’t sound like that, but this book has to have some dramatic noises.)
I sat down, hard. “Geez, watch where you’re going!” I snapped.
“I meant to do that.” The person I had bumped into was one of the people in white, with had snow goggles on and it was a girl! How surprising is that? I mean, girls do get into fights with other girls, but this was totally weird.
The other white suited people came up behind me.
“Take her to the van! The Commander is waiting!” the girl barked at the other people.
“Whoa! You can’t just take me somewhere, I mean, like, I don’t even know who you are!” I protested. One of them pulled me to my feet.
“Oh, you’ll know soon enough.” The girl said. The smile on her face didn’t make me feel any better.
You would think that I did some awesome kung-fu thing on them, but I didn’t. I mean, I had taken karate and I knew how to take some one down, but at that moment I forgot all about my karate, they pushed me towards the van. It was kind of awkward because I was being kid napped by kids my age.
Just when we reached the van and they opened the door, something closed the door.
“The Commander was right! You Burnettes are up to something!” This time, a bunch or blondes came.
“Oh my gosh…I think that medicine I took last night wasn’t Advil…” I said.
All the Burnettes took out guns. I was feeling faint, so I can’t tell you what kind and all that, but I knew they were guns. The boy who had me pulled out his fun and did one of those: Don’t come any closer, or I’ll shoot her! Thing.
Then just as I was ready to pass out, I saw the blonde girl in front of me nod and then I felt the gun by me drop. And everything went black.
Chapter 4
I don’t know what happened in the past four hours, but when I woke up I wasn’t outside anymore and I wasn’t in a place I knew. I sat up and my head started to throb.
I groaned. Everything was white, I mean like blinding white. I sqinted, which made my head hurt even more.
I saw a bunch of hospital beds and I knew where I was, in a hospital place. Just then a nurse came in, all in white and she had blonde hair. That’s when I remembered.
Did those people get me afterall? Or am I dead?
After I thought about it, I knew I wasn’t dead, because in Heaven there’s no pain and in hell, there’s lots of that, but it was too white to be hell. So I went back to the first option.
“Who…are…you?” I asked the nurse.
“I am a nurse, honey. How are you feeling?” the lady answered.
“At the moment…horrible.” I groaned.
“That fall must have been harder then I heard. Here, I’ll get you some Advil for that.” The nurse walked over to a cabinet in the corner and pulled out a white box. (I told you everything was white!)
She brought over a glass of water and some Advil. I plopped the Advil in my mouth and drank some of the water. “Thanks.” I said, after I had swallowed.
“Your welcome, honey. Can you walk?” the nurse asked.
“Uh…I think so.” I mean if this had been a normal everyday nurse, I would have said, just I think so. But I mean, I didn’t even though were I was.
The nurse helped me to my feet, my head started to throb, I felt like throwing up. But I breathed in deep, and dug in my pockets for a piece of gum. (gum calms me down). The nurse helped me across the room. Then I said:
“Where are we going?”
“To see your fellow blondes, dear.” The nurse said.
Fellow blondes? I thought.
After awhile of walking down the white hallways, I told her I could walk on my own. I didn’t ask where we were, because that fellow blonde thing, kind of scared me. I mean, yes, I am a blonde. And don’t go thinking I’m a dim wit or anything, because, hey. Blondes aren’t dumb. Anyway, we walked down the hall and we stopped at a door. (I don’t have to say white in front of anything anymore because everything is white) The nurse punched in some letters in the key pad. And a camara came out.
“What do you want?” the camara asked. Or should I say the person controlling the camara.
“I have to girl you wanted to see.” The nurse reiplied.
“Oh. Send her in. They want to see her alone.”
“Of course.”
The camara went back into the wall and the door opened.
“Go on in, sweetie.” The nurse smiled. I felt a little better. I was starting to get really nervous though, because I took the pieace of gum out of my mouth and shoved it in my pocket. (It’s rude to talk to people with gum in your mouth.).
I walked into the doors. Not knowing that doing that, would change my life forever.
Chapter 5
When I got inside the room, there were three people sitting at a table in the middle of the room. A girl a boy and a women. The girl looked about my age and the boy looked about Jonah’s age. And the women well, looked like at women I guess. You could say like my mom if you wanted to.
“Come sit.” The women said. The boy was wearing a white jump suite the girl had on a skirt with a leggings and a top, and the women had on a white business suit.
I sat down in the chair next to her. The girl’s eyes bore into mine. I felt really uncofterlbe.
I kept thinking the same thing: Am I in trouble with the space police?
Finlley, after a long moment of silence, the lady next to me said: “Now, do you know why you are here?”
And me, being a young lady answered. “No ma’am.”
“Do you know who we are?”
“No ma’am.”
The women didn’t say anything for a second. “Do you know who, sold you this watch?” the women held up the watch that I had thrown on the ground earlier.
“A Italin man gave it to me.—“ I started.
“You just took it!?” The girl yelled.
“Well I didn’t know it would cause trouble.” I said.
“You should!” The girl went to get up. The boy pushed her back down.
“Dana! The girl did not know it would. She hasn’t been up here as long as you have; she doesn’t even though who she is.”
This was starting to freak me out. It was like a Percy Jackson moment. (that’s what I call moments when someone doesn’t know who they are or something important.)
“Go on.” The women nodded towards me.
“As I said, an Italion man gave it to me at the mall.” I said. Glancing nervously at Dana, She crossed her arms and sat back. The boy just sat there, looking at me.
“Can you describe him?” the women asked.
“Uh…He had black hair and a mustache, and he was wearing a read suit.” I said. “That’s all I can reamember.”
“Very good. You have helped us. Now, we know who you are, but you don’t know who we are. I am Angelica, the Head Officer of Blonde Headcounters.” Angelica said. “And this is Jason and Dana.” Dana made of humphed noise, and Jason nodded.
“Follow me.” The three of them got up, I followed Angelcia out the door, with Dana and Jason right behind us.
“How did you find me?” I asked.
“Here at Blonde Head Quarters. We are great at tracking people, by certain watches.”
I felt myself blush.
“And we went to pick you up, but apperntly we were too late, the Burrnetes had already gotten to you. They must of tracked the same signal.”
“I don’t think that they were true Burnettes though, because sometimes you can tell that their hair was dyed.” I said.
Angelica looked at Jason. At first I thought I had said something wrong.
“This is probably true. Now, let me tell you why you are here.”
Good, because I don’t. I thought.
“There are very few blondes that are chosen to come to Blonde Head Quarters. When we do choose someone then they are taken here, were they learn all the neccerity tasks to defend the world.”
“Wait, the world?” I said.
I heard a duh from Dana.
“Yes, we protect the world, along with the other Hair Color Forces. But sometimes, we have compactions…” Angelica said.
“Like with those “Brunettes”.” I said.
“Yes. Like that. Now…” Angelica led me into a huge room. And it was white (just in case you didn’t know before that everything was white) and a bunch of blondes were everywhere. And they were in white jump suites. Some of the girls had skirts though.
“Wow.” I breathed.
“Jason, how about you take Luna here to the resgerstaion house, I have something’s to do.” And with that, Angelica walked away. And I was alone, with Dana and Jason. I wanted to ask her if I was ever going to see my family ever again, or that I would be in this…place I guess…forever. But she was already gone.
Jason and Dana walked in front of me, which I found rude. I mean, I would like to talk to someone! They didn’t even say “hi” or anything.
We made it to the resigration house. There were some very confused looking boys and girls. I was glad I wasn’t the only one. Than a girl in a white suite came running up, her blonde pick tails bouncing.
“Jason! Is she here? I was so worried about her, I mean…” then she looked behind Jason and ran and gave me hug. Which was very akward.
“I’m so glad your not dead!” she said.
I looked pleadingly at Jason, he smiled. “Anne, chill. She’s fine.”
Thank you, Jason. I thought.
Anne let go of me. She didn’t seem emabarressed in the least bit, she was smiling…well…like a lunatic.
I was getting creeped out by her smiled so I said. “Hi, I’m Luna.”
“Anne, Anne Bellum. Which is almost Latin for, before the war. It’s actullay Ante Bellum, but that was a weird name for a girl. Or anyone at all for that matter.”
“So is Bellum your middle name or…?” I asked. Trying not to sound rude.
“Oh no. That’s my first name.” Anne Bellum started to jump up and down.
I took a step backward. Jason saw how uncofterble I was and said: “Anne, how about you go and get a bunk ready for, Luna.” Wow, he’s good.
Anne Bellum beamed at this and ran off, not even with a good-bye, which I was glad about.
“I gotta go check on something, Jason.” Dana said. Her arms crossed. (there had been like that the whole time, I had no idea how she did it. Her arms must have been tried.)
“Sure, Dana, go on ahead.” He smiled. And walked on. I followed him to a table with some paper work on it.
Now I know I told you that blondes aren’t dumb, but at that moment I felt dumb. I always made my mom or dad to do the paper work for me, because half the stuff I didn’t know. I tried filling out the sheets of paper but I was failing misberly. Also, my dyslexia was getting to me.
Jason leaned aginst the table waiting pationly for me to finish. Like I was going to, ever.
Finalley I said, “Hey, Jason, I’m too good at filling out paper work. Like I always have my mom do it for me.—“
“That’s fine, here.” He took the paper work out of my hands and started writing. When he gave it back everything was just the way it should be.
“Wow. But how did you know.—“
“I looked up your file earlier today.” He said.
“And you rembered, everything?” I asked.
“I have a photographic memory.” He said it as if it was no big deal, which it was, for me anyway.
He walked my paper work over to one of the people behind the desks there and walked back.
“While they process all of this, I’ll show you around.” He said.
“I was wondering, if there’s already a file on me, why didn’t they fill out the papers before?”
“Because they like the person fill them out, so they know that’s the real person but just between you and me, I didn’t fill out your paper work.”
“But you filled out mine, so it’s not really me.”
“I’m good at forging.” He said.
And he walked on. I followed him, he showed me where I was going to sleep and eat and take classes, and he showed me the Hall of Blondes.
There were a lot of people that were blonde that were famous. I was surprised how many there were, Jason said that some of the famous people really had blonde hair, but the other Hair Forces didn’t want to admit that blondes were smart. So they made there pictures have different color hair.
“I guess I should be mad at all those people who make blonde jokes, huh?” I said.
“No, you don’t have to be. But even the oldest people here still get mad about it.”
“So, Amelia Earhart was part of this? And they changed her hair? I think it’s cool just to be standing where she stood.” I said. Amelia Earhart was one of my biggest role models. I did a report on her once for school.
Jason smiled. “Yeah, she was my great, great, great, great grandmother.”
He looked as if it was something that was totally normal to say, but it wasn’t. “Wow. That is so cool!” I said.
Jason laughed. “I guess it is.”
I was about to say that it was awesome. (and a bunch of other cool words). When he put his hand to his ear, and listened for a second and then said. “I got her here.” Then he listened again and then said: “Sure, I’ll bring her.”
He looked up. “The Commander wants to see you.”
Chapter 6
Jason led me to a small office. By the look on his face, I don’t think seeing the Cammander was such a good thing. I knew he had an ear piece in because I’d seen Justice League and that’s how they talked to each other on missions.
Jason was a good foot on me and I was pretty sure he was 16 (I wasn’t sure how old he was) All the boys at me school always teased me, so I was surprised he didn’t.
When we got to the office, he opened the door and motioned for me to go inside.
“I’ll wait out here.” He smiled, but I could tell it was a forced one.
It was every other office I’d seen, like the principles. (I’m not saying I went there often!) With a desk and a chair behind it and a chair in front of it and book shelves, (And did I mention everything’s white?) Angelica was sitting behind the desk, looking very pretty, not that I think back.
“Have a seat, Luna.” She said.
I did.
She sat there a moment, probably trying to think of something to say. “You do you know that you cannot go home.”
That wasn’t the best thing to start out a conversation with. “No, but now that you told me.—“
“Even you want to go back, you can’t. All of the other Hair Color Forces are trying to get at you.”
“What do they want with me?”
“They think you’re the one who’s going to start the great Hair Forces War.”
War. That’s not good, right? “I’m not going to start any war.”
“I know you wouldn’t mean too, but they think that somehow, if they have you, then if you do start the war, then you’ll help them win.”
Having another Percy Jackson moment. “I don’t have anything special.”
“But they don’t know that, they think that somehow you’ll get super powers.”
I could tell that the other Hair Color Forces didn’t get along well with each other.
When she didn’t talk for sometime, I said: “So, what is the difference between the Hair Color Forces?”
Angelica brighten up at this, “Well, the Red Heads are good at well, war type things. The Brunettes are good at being graceful, like dancing and such, anything that requires pationts and grace. The Black Hair is good at like spying, very sneaky. And the Blondes,--even though no one likes to admit it--are the smartest. They can make such things as the first rocket ship.”
I pondered this for a second. “I’m not that great that doing that kind of thing, I like reading and writing.—“
“And those things help all Blondes get there smarts. I’m not saying that just Blondes are smart, I’m just saying that we can go things that the other Hair Color Forces have failed to do.” I tried to picture USeal trying to be sneaky. She couldn’t pull it off. And I tried to picture Sondra trying to kill someone. Then I said, “How do you choose people for this.”
“Each Hair Color Force watches each of their hair color around the world, and picks the ones that act promising for their Force.”
“But, how do they tell that their hair is nautral?”
Angelica’s face became dark. “Well, along time ago, a couple of, people who had dyed and ruined there hair, found out about the Hair Color Forces. And wanted to know why they couldn’t join. We told them that we only pick the ones that act promising and also that once you dye your hair, you have no chance of getting picked. They grew angry at this and swore revenge. A couple of times, they would…um…take out the people we would pick and pose as them, trying to get it and take their revenge. But we soon found out and now we analyze each of everyone’s hair, to make sure it is natural.”
“Are those people still out there?” I asked.
“No, we got rid of them long ago. Most of them got scattered across the world. They called themselves the Dyed Force.”
The name sound evil. “So, was like Hitler one of them?” I was trying to get this history thing down.
“Yes. His hair wasn’t natural so he started one of the Hair Forces War known as World War 1. There wasn’t just one though, there were many.”
I thought about what Hitler had wanted. He wanted everyone to have blonde hair and blue eyes. Probably because it would be easier to take out the Hair Color Forces if there were only Blondes left.
More silence, “Who started this?” I asked.
“I know, but you do not need to know that know.” Angelica said. “Now, you must get fitted for your outfit and go check out your room. Come and see me anytime.” She smiled.
I smiled back the best I could, but now I knew that I wasn’t safe, not even here, in who knows where. I wasn’t safe.
Chapter 7
When I got to where I was soupossed to be fitting for my outfit, Jason said he had something to do. So he left.
Anne Bellum was there, she kept talking away, which kept my mind off the people who wanted me.
“And did you know that Albert Einstein built the code breaker in room 7?” she rambled on.
After a machine scanned me if went and made my out fit. It didn’t take it long. When my out fit came, it was a white long sleeve shirt with a white skirt and white tites, with white boots. It looked just like Anne Bellum’s.
Next, Anne Bellum showed me where I would be sleeping, The room had bunk beds along the back wall.
“Bunk 12 is yours , it’s right next to mine!” Jason had told me that all they girls 12 through 17 slept in room 12 and any older slept in room 13. The same went for the boys except that their rooms were 14 and 15.
“The bathroom’s over here, so you can change!” Anne Bellum said.
I was getting tired of her talking. Her talking could start a war. That’s probbbaly why her parents named her Anne Bellum. Her talking was before the war started and that’s what started it.
“So Anne Bellum,” I said, stepping into a stall in the bathroom. “What do your parents do for a living?”
“Oh, my dad teaches Latin at a school and my mom is here actually.” She answered.
“Really? Your mom’s here? That is so cool, Anne.” I said.
“Not really, everyone thinks that I should be as good as her when I grow up. But my mom and I are so different.” Anne Bellum’s war starting talking stopped.
I decided to change the topic. “Well, my dad teaches English at a school and my mom stays at home. I have little sister named Lucy and a little brother named Jonah. I have a big brother too, named Joshua, but I never see him, he’s at collage all the time.”
“You mean, James St. James?” Anne Bellum perked up.
“Uh…yes.”
Anne Bellum started to say something but then stopped. “I’ve just heard of a…uh…famous guy by that name.”
“Oh, cool. My brother isn’t famous though.”
“Oh.”
There was silence for a long time so I asked Anne Bellum about the history of the Hair Color Forces and she started babbling.
When I came out of the stall. Anne said, “Wow, you look amazing, Luna!”
I looked down at my new outfit. “You think so?”
I was wearing a white trench coat with white boots and a white skirt, leggings and a long sleeve shirt.
“Defentily! Now come on, dinner is soon.”
As soon as she said that, I remembered that I’d had any thing since breakfast, and that was a long time ago. She pulled me along, down the hall way. She was running so fast, my glasses fell off. (Yes, I have glasses). When I went to pick them up, I saw someone standing in front of me. I picked up my glasses and stood up. And Dana was standing there.
“Walk much?” she asked.
“Excuse me? My glasses fell off.” I snapped.
“Well don’t go around dropping things. I’ll smash those the next time they fall. You hear?”
She shoved me as she walked by.
“She’s a really Tess.” I said. Cleaning off my glasses.
“Tess?” Anne Bellum asked.
“Oh, yeah. There’s this girl in this movie called Camp Rock and Tess is the mean girl. And she’s blonde, so yeah.”
“Oh, that makes sense.” Anne Bellum said.
“So, how old are you?” I asked, as we contuined down the hall way.
“I’m ten.” Anne said..
“Wow, I thought you were.—“
“Older? Yeah, people say that. They just can’t face the fact a ten-year-old girl can do algebra.”
“I just think its cool, that you can.” I said.
“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s just people always say that. Even my mom.”
We walked in silence until we got to the dining hall. Jason came walking up with something in his hand.
“Here’s.—“ he stopped and looked at me. “You look nice.” He said. And he handed me a file.
“What’s this?” I asked. Opening it up.
“That’s your ID and keys to the class rooms and such. The doors don’t open by themselves without clearance.”
“Cool. Very cool.” I said.
Just then Anne Bellum cried. “Uh…I gotta go…bye!” And she ran off. Angelica came up.
“Hello, Luna, Jason, how are you?” she asked.
“Good.” I said. Jason just nodded. “You just missed, Anne Bellum.” I said.
“Oh, we’ve met.” Angelica said.
I smiled. I didn’t know what else to talk about. Angelica wasn’t in her bussines like form. So I didn’t ask anything about the Hair Color War.
Just then, Dana walked by. She glared at me. I shivered. Definitely a Tess. I thought. Dana sat down at a table with a bunch of other girls.
“She’s just…Mean.” I said.
“Who?” Jason asked. Angelica had gone over to talk to the cook.
“Dana.” I said.
Jason laughed. “Yeah, you should see her on our dates.”
“You’re dating her?!” I said.
“What?” Jason asked.
“Oh, nothing. I just didn’t…you know…”
“Jason smiled, yeah, I understand.” He smiled. “Excuse me.” And he walked over to where Dana was sitting.
I went and sat down at a table where no one was sitting, and sighed.
“Why so glum?” someone asked.
I turned around and saw a girl with green eyes. (and blonde hair, but I don’t really need to say that.)
“Oh, um…Just sad.” I said.
“I saw you talking to Jason. And then he walked over to Dana. I see what’s wrong.”
“Um…how do you know?”
She sat down next to me. “It’s just how life goes, anyway, you new?”
“Yeah, I’m Luna. You?”
“Been here for two years, name’s Jessica.”
We went up to get some food. Anne Bellum came running up. “Sorry, about that. I just—“ She stopped when she saw Jessica.
“This is Jessica, Anne.—“
“I know.” She cut in between me and Jessica.
I sent an apologetic look towards Jessica. She just shrugged and got her food.
When we got back to the table, Anne Bellum sat as far away from Jessica as possible.
The pizza would have been good, if my two my new friends weren’t staring daggers at each other and the fact that anyone could be coming to get me at any minute.
I put down my pizza and took a deep breath and said: “Stop it you two.”
They looked up at me. “Sorry, Luna.” Anne Bellum said. She kept glancing mean looks at Jessica.
“Anne, if you were truly sorry, then you wouldn’t still be staring angrily at Jessica.” I said.
“I gotta go work on some homework anyway. See ya.” And Jessica left.
“Anne! Come on. What’s so bad about her?” I asked.
“Nothing you need to know. Anyway, if you ever need any help with your homework just ask me.”
“Ok.” I didn’t ask her again about why she hated Jessica so much. I figured I’d ask Jessica instead.
After dinner I walked back to room 12. Jason came running up behind me.
“Hey. Did I hurt your feelings or anything?” he asked.
“No, why would you think that?”
“Beucase you acted all sad when you went to sit down.” He answered.
Oh, he’s good. I thought. “I was just surprised that, no offence or anything, that you would be dating a mean girl. I mean, she so mean to me.”
“Dana just takes awhile to warm up to new comers. She’ll just used to you.”
I nodded, and we walked in silence. I decided to ask him about the Hair Color War. “So, Jason, Angelica told me that the other Hair Color Forces want be because of a war.”
Jason looked at me. “Yes, they do. But you don’t have to worry, Angelica has hired some body guards to go around with you. Better safe then sorry, you know.”
I smiled. “What kind of body guards?” When I thought of body guards, I thought of guys in black suits. I defitenty didn’t want them following me around.
“Just some of the older Blondes here, they will just take you to your classes and such, they won’t be with you all the time, they will stay outside the rooms and wait for you.”
I breathed a sigh of relif. “Cool, I’m sure I’ll be safe then.”
Jason smiled, “Yep.” Then he looked at his watch. “Oh I gotta run, Dana…”
“I understand, don’t want to keep her waiting.” I said.
He waved as he ran back down the hallway.
“Of course you hurt my feelings. Oh, I just can’t belive your dating a jerk! UGH! Why can’t I just say things?” I yelled. “And why is he dating in the first place? He’s only four-teen! I’m not allowed to date until I’m eighteen! I wish everyone would just wait! Your not going to get married next year are you? No your not!”
“Luna?” Anne Bellum came running up. “Who are you talking to?”
“Uh…um…no one…why do you ask?” Smooth, Luna, smooth.
“Well for one thing, people just don’t go around yelling to nothing, now do they?” Anne Bellum laughed.
I forced a laugh. “Yeah. So, tomorrow, after school, you want to help me with homework?”
Anne Bellum brighten. “Sure!”
“Oh, but I don’t know about what my body guards would say.” I said.
“Oh, I know how they work, I’ve had some, they just wait outside the room your in.”
“You’ve had body guards?” I asked.
“Yeah, my…uh…mom wanted them at first. But after awhile, she let me around by myself.” Anne Bellum said.
“Did you like have a code name?” I asked, we started walking towards room 12 again.
Anne Bellum laughed. “Yes! It was too funny! It was Braine.”
I laughed. “That is funny.” Then I sobered. “But I’m also scared, I don’t want someone getting me. They say I’m going to start the Hair Color War.”
Anne Bellum put her arm around my shoulder. “It’s ok, theses guys are trained for this, they will protect you.”
I smiled, but it was half hearted. We got to room 12 and I crawled into bed. (no need for pjs, our uniforms don’t need cleaning at all, and they’re very comfy.) I fell asleep right away, hoping that Anne Bellum was right, that they would protect me.
Chapter 8
When Anne Bellum woke me up, it was 6:00.
“Anne! I don’t even get up this early when I was at home!” I cried, I pulled my pillow over my head.
“Come on! You have to meet your body guards!” Anne Bellum said, she pulled the pillow off my head.
The sunshine through the windows shone. When Anne Bellum finally got me up, I looked outside the windows and gasped. We were in the air!
“Woah.” I said.
“I know! Isn’t it cool? Now come on, they’re waiting!” Anne Bellum pulled me out of the room.
“I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet!” I protested, anything to get me back into room 12.
“No need to, our food here brushes them for you! Cool huh?”
So much for that idea. I thought.
“How did you get so strong?” I asked. As she dragged me through the hallways.
“The food.” Anne Bellum replied.
I didn’t need anything then that. I wonder if the food could make me smarter? I wondered.
When Anne finally slowed down, we were by Angelica’s office. Jason came walking up, with Dana behind her.
“Tess at 12o’clock.” I whispered to Anne Bellum.
“Good luck, I uh…gotta go. Bye!” And she ran off.
“Hi, Luna.” Jason said. “Where’s Anne going?”
“I don’t know.” I said.
“Probbaly going to improve her smarts, like she needs it, it won’t help, she’s already dumb.” Dana said.
“She’s not dumb!” I snapped.
“Ha! Did she tell you that she was really smart? She’s so not though.” Dana looked at her nails.
I was waiting for Jason to tell his jerk for a girlfriend that she was being well, a jerk. But he didn’t seem to notice.
“Do you have your keys, Luna?” Jason asked.
“Yes, I do. Anne made sure I didn’t forget them.”
Jason smiled, “Anne is a very bright girl. Now, just slide the key into this slot…”
The keys were like the cards you use to get into a hotel room. I slid it through the slot. And the door opened. Inside there were two people in the chairs in front of Angelica’s desk.
“Hello, Luna, Come here.” Angelica said.
Jason gave me a smile, and Dana just flipped her hair.
I walked in to where Angelica was sitting.
“Luna, these are your protecters. Matt and Sam.”
The boys nodded. I forced a smile. “Nice to meet you.” (you still need manners even if you are in a building in the air!)
“They will follow you to all your classes, they will sit in the back of the class rooms. During meal times they will sit at the same table you are sitting, but they will not sit close. You still need your personal space.” Angelica said. “They are only two years older than you, so it looks like you are with your friends. They have classes but they will study even harder beucase they cannot be at their classes during the day. Any questions?”
“N-no.” I stammered.
“Good, now here’s your shecudle of classes. Don’t be late. Teachers here do not like students being late. Now go on.”
I walked towards the door, my hands in my pockets. Matt and Sam were not far behind.
I walked back down the hallways to room 12, Anne Bellum came running up. Matt and Sam looked like they were going to attack Anne. “No guys, it’s ok, she’s my friend.” I said hastily. Matt and Sam nodded. I let out a sigh of relif. “Hi, Anne.”
“Hi Luna! I see you got your body guards, now here’s your backpack, it has all the things you’ll need to class.” Anne handed me a white backpack.
“Thanks.” I said. We walked down the hall to my first class. “So, what do we learn in room…100?”
“Math, codes to crack and such. Easy.” Anne answered.
“Easy?” I said.
“Yep! Now come on!” She grabbed my hand. Matt started to walk forward.
“She’s fine.” I said, as Anne pulled me down the hall. Matt and Sam had to run to keep up.
When we got to room 100, people were going inside the room. I all of sudden felt really nervous. Even at my old school I was nervous, having dyslexia makes it hard for me to read.
“Here, you can sit by me.” Anne pulled out a chair at a desk (by the way, everything was white in here too.)
I sat down, I looked behind me and saw Matt and Sam take a seat by the door. Matt actually smiled at me. I smiled back and then turned to the white board. (yep, to chalk boards, just white boards…)
Then a lady in a white dress came out, she had blue eyes like me. “Hello, class. And special guests…” she gestured towards Matt and Sam. “And welcome, Luna St. James We are glad you have you here with us.” She smiled at me. “I am Miss. Susan. And this is math class.”
I’ve always stunk at math, even though my mom has said that I rock at it. I was so glad to have Anne Bellum to help me with it after class. We learned about Einstein’s eqasution thing. And other things that my brain couldn’t process.
When we finally got out of class, I had a headache.
“How do you like that stuff?” I asked Anne Bellum.
“I don’t know, I guess I just do.” Anne Bellum shrugged.
“I happen to like math.” Matt said.
That was the first time he’d said anything that whole morning. I turned around. “Really?”
He nodded.
Sam bumped him with his elbow. “He’s such a geek. PE is better.”
Matt just shrugged, I guess he was used to Sam’s teasing. I was glad because, boys always tried to beat each other up, it didn’t make any sense to me.
“So…Anne, what’s in room 101?” I asked.
“History! And then after that, PE, science and Language arts.” She answered.
“I’m good at history and language arts. So at least there’s an up side to things.”
Anne just laughed. In history, we just learned about all of the history of Amelia Earhart and her flight around the world. It so happens that the Red Heads shot her down, and then took her hostage in there base in the sky. That’s why no one can find her ship and her. I thought it was very cool. Mrs. Lotis was very nice too. In PE we learned karte. I was good at that. Then we had lunch. We had chicken noodle soup. One of my favotires. Anne said that it boosted your immune system even more that normal chicken noodle soup. In science, Anne almost blew me up. Matt had to save me from the explosion. And then we went to Language arts, in room 104.
By that time, I was tired, so I was glad that my last class was my easiest.
“Hello class!” the teacher skipped into the room. “Today we are going to learn how to write in French!”
I whispered to Anne: “I thought this was Language arts.”
“It is. Language arts.”
“Oh.” And then I laughed to myself. We were learning different languages and turning them into art.
By dinner, I was so tired, I could barely go to dinner.
“You ok, Luna?” Matt asked me.
“Yeah, just tired, really tired.”
“Let me hold your backpack.” Matt offered.
“Geez Matt, we’re only soupossed to protect her! Not carry her things.” Sam said.
“It’s the same thing, Sam. Sometimes the most dangerous things happen in your body.” Matt said.
“Nerd.” Sam said.
“Sciecntest.” Matt corrected.
“Guys. I’m fine, but if you don’t mind, Matt. I would like someone to hold my backpack.” I said.
Matt took my backpack as we went to dinner. When we got there, all of the kids in the room were trying to see over eachother’s heads.
“What’s going on?” I asked one of them.
“Cat fight!” he answered.
“Cat fight?” I looked at Matt and Sam.
“Girls.” Sam said. “Girls fighting. That’s what we call it.”
“Well that’s not good. I wonder who’s going to stop it?” I pushed through the crowd before Matt and Sam could stop me.
Jessica and Dana looked like they were going to kill each other.
“Aww, did you break a nail?” Jessica said.
“Shut up! You—“
Jessica kicked Dana in the mouth. Dana howled in pain.
“Jessica! What are you doing?!” I yelled. I didn’t like Dana, but that doesn’t mean we can hurt her because of it.
I started to walk up to Dana, to see if she was alright, but Matt had gotten through the crowd and he pulled me back. “We should let the pro’s handle this.” Matt said.
“But she’s hurt!” I protested. I tried to walk forward. But Matt had a strong grip on my shoulders. “And aren’t you one of the ‘pro’s’?”
“Yes but the Commander wanted us to keep you safe.” Matt said.
He was right, and I couldn’t aruge back. I let him pull me back though the crowd.
When we got through, I saw Jason coming up with some of the teachers. Our PE teacher Mr. Boris yelled: “Ok! Everyone move!” The crowd parted, like he was Moses from the Bible and they were the Red Sea.
Jason ran up to Dana.
“love.” Sam said. “It’s so overrated.”
“Actually.—“ Matt started.
“Stop, you two.” I snapped.
They nodded and went back to their quiet state.
Dana was crying as Jason walked her to the Medical House.
I walked up to them. “Are you ok, Dana?” I asked.
She opened her mouth up to say something. But all that came out was blood.
“She’ll be fine, once I get her to the Medical House.” Jason said.
I walked over to Jessica. “What were you thinking?!” I said.
“What? She’s a jerk, you have to teach them a lesson you know.” Jessica answered.
“No, I don’t know. She’s still a person, ‘you know’” I snapped back.
“Jessica, I want to see you in my office.” Angelica came walking up.
Jessica shrugged and did what she was told. Angelica went over to Matt and whispered something in his ear. Matt nodded. And walked towards me.
Great, she told him to make sure I was safe. I thought. And I was right.
“Come on, Luna. Angelica want’s you back in room 12.” Matt said.
“But.—“
“No buts. Come on.” He gave me a gentle shove towards the door. Sam was close behind.
I thought I would like the idea of having body guards. But now I know why kids in movies run away from them. They don’t let you do anything. I asked Matt if we could go back to dinner because I was hungry. He said no, and that I have to wait until Angelica said I could go back. I sat on my bunk dangling my feet off the side. (I got the top bunk!) It at least gave me a break from Matt and Sam.
Other kids started to come in the room. Looking as hungry as I was. Anne Bellum came running up and climbed the latter to my bed.
“Hi!” She said.
“Hi.” I said.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Well for one thing, I’m hungry. And they won’t let me go get some food.” I said. Pointing to Matt and Sam who were sitting by the door, talking.
“I know how you feel. I’m hungry too. My m—“ she stopped. “Angelica told everyone to go back to their rooms until they clean up the Dining Hall and Jessica and Dana are talked to.”
“I think Jessica started it.” I said.
“I told you that she was trouble.” Anne said.
“I didn’t say that.—“
Anne Bellum put her hand up. “I know what you meant.”
I laughed.
Then I heard over the speaker that everyone can go back to the Dinging House for dinner.
Anne jumped down from the bed, but before I could jump. Matt came up and insited that I need to be carried down. I let him, but it was really awkward.
As soon as I got down, I ran for the door, I caught up with Anne Bellum.
“I hope I lost them.” I said. Breathing hard. (I wasn’t in best of shape)
“Nope. You didn’t.” Anne said.
“Great.”
Matt came running up. “Don’t do that again!” He said.
“I’m just walking to the Dining House!” I said.
“She’s right, just let her go.” Sam said.
Matt glared at him, which gave me enough time to run down the hall and into the Dining Hall.
I saw Anne at a table and I quickly grabbed my food and sat down next to her.
“I didn’t ask for another older brother.” I said.
“You’ll get used to it.” Anne Bellum said, taking a bite of her salad.
“I don’t’ think I will. Why did you have body guards?” I asked.
“Oh…uh…my mom is a…very important teacher here…so…They were just like yours. Speaking of which, here they come.”
I groaned as Matt and Sam came up. “I told you don’t do that again!” Matt said. Sam just nodded.
“I’m fine. Now go do something besides bother me.” I said.
Like he didn’t hear me, Matt sat down at the table. Sam said: “The Commander said nerd here would need help, but he doesn’t. Have fun with her, Matt.” And he walked away.
“At least you got rid of one of them.” Whispered Anne.
I didn’t say anything. Just then, Jessica came walking up.
“Hi!” She sat down next to Anne Bellum.
Anne scooted closer to me.
Jessica looked at Matt. “Hello there, the name’s Jessica.” She held out her hand.
Matt just nodded.
“What’s up with him?” she asked me.
“He’s my body guard, he thinks I can’t walk here by myself. Now, why did you start that fight with Dana?” I said.
“Me? I didn’t, miss jerk did.” Jessica took bite of her spaghetti.
Before I could reply. Angelica came up. Anne said: “I need some more garlic bread.” And she got up. But she still had a whole untouched pieace on her plate.
“Luna, Sam tells me that you aren’t listening to them.” Angelica said.
“But they.—“ I started.
“No. You do what they say. I thought you wouldn’t make any trouble for them, but you did.” Angelica said “Now it is just Matt, because Sam quit. Now you only have one protector Miss. St. James. Make sure you don’t end up with none. Because then the enemy will get you. Think about that.” And she left.
Anne Bellum came back with another piece of garlic bread. She looked at me. “What’s wrong?”
“I-I’m not hungry anymore.” I pushed my plate away. “I’m going to go to room 12 now.” I got up and started towards the door, with Matt close behind me.
Chapter 9
For the next month the same old things happened. School for five days a week and then Saterday and Sunday off. Even on the weekend Matt followed me everywhere. I didn’t try to loose him. I couldn’t get what Angelica said out of my head. I didn’t want anyone to get me, but I didn’t want someone following me around all the time.
What was even worse was that Dana was even meaner because she had detension for a month. Also, her mouth was hit so hard that she can barely talk anymore. She everytime she saw me, she would give me the death look, like it was my fault her mouth was busted and she had been blamed for the start of the ‘cat fight’.
I was still sleeping Monday morning at 7:00. When I heard someone talking in the room. I woke up and grabbed a pillow to through that the people who forgot we get another hour of sleep before classes. But I froze, when I saw Jessica talking to someone, I didn’t know who because they were in the shadows. But I reconzided Jessica’s way of talking.
“Are you sure no one knows?” the voice said.
“Positive.” Jessica answered.
“And you blamed the fight on the girl?”
“Yes. Now no one knows that I started it.”
“Good. We wouldn’t want anyone finding out. The Commander will not be pleased.”
“I’m sure she wouldn’t be.”
Then the person disappeared. And Jessica turned around. I fell back on m pillows and didn’t move, until I heard her get into her bed.
I didn’t get that extra hour of sleep. I was too busy thinking about what I had heard. Should I tell Angelica? Or with Jessica deine it and then I would get in trouble for lying. She must have been pretty good at lying herself, for pinning the blame on Dana for the fight.
When everyone started to get up, I got up just like normal and tried to act as if nothing happened. I would talk to Jessica myself. When I had the chance too, but the time being I would not say anything about what I had heard. But Anne Bellum was good at knowing if something was wrong.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked, as I brushed my teeth.
I spit out into the sink. “Nothing.”
Anne put her hands on her hips. “Really? Then why are you looking as if you’ve seen a ghost?”
She’s too good. I said to myself.
“Alright! I’ll tell you!” I told her about what I had heard. When I was finished Anne stood there a moment.
“This either means that she’s working for one of the other Hair Color Forces, or she just likes to act sneaky.” Anne Bellum said.
“It’s the first one…duh…” I said.
Then I heard a knock on the bathroom door. “Luna, you can’t hide in there!” Matt called.
I sighed. “Coming!” Then I turned to Anne Bellum. “We’ll talk about his later, but promise that you won’t say anything!”
“Deal!” and we shook hands for affect.
I ran out the bathroom door and ran into Matt. “Oop, sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Matt brushed himself off. “Math starts in two minutes. We have to hurry if we’re going to make it.”
“You mean me.” I said, I walked to the door. And down the hall.
In math all we learned about dividing five numbers at once. (no one teaches that in schools now. It’s so much easier!) Then in PE I had Anne as a sparing partner.
I blocked her punch and through her on the mat. “Nice one, Luna!” she said, when I helped her up.
“Thanks. Now, we have to talk to Jessica about what I heard.”
“She has a late class tonight, if we can sneak out we could go and catch her as she get’s out…” Anne said. throwing me on the mat.
“No, Matt will catch me and I’ll get one of his lectures again.” I shivered at this. His lectures were so long and boring and if I didn’t listen he would have to start all over again. Anne helped me up.
The bell rang.
Anne and I walked to the door. We passed Dana who couldn’t do PE because of her mouth.
I looked at Anne Bellum. She looked at me. We nodded. This was perfect.
Chapter 10
At lunch, we had grilled cheese sandwiches with frenchfries.
“Are you sure about this?” Anne asked me.
“Positve. She’s so good at making people angry, so all we need is to tell Dana what we want to know, and then she’ll make Jessica spill it.” I answered.
“I don’t know, Dana already hates you, and she can’t even talk right.”
Just then, Jason and Dana came into the Dining House. They came over to our table.
“Hey, Luna, Anne.” Jason said.
“Hey, Jason, Dana.” We replied.
“Dana, how about you wait here and I’ll get us some food.” Jason said.
“Fine. But hurry.” Dana sounded almost normal.
I whispered to Anne Bellum: “Should we tell her now?”
“Yes, but let me do the talking.” Anne whispered back.
I nodded, and looked at where Matt was sitting, I didn’t want him to hear this, or I’d be in a lot of trouble. He was busy talking to Jessica, which was ironic.
“So Dana, we have a favor to ask you.” Anne said.
Dana looked at her. “Like I want to help you!”
“No, no, this is for revenge.” Anne answered.
Dana got a smug smile on her face. “Revenge on who?”
“Jessica.”
Dana listened while we told her about what I had heard and about what we wanted her to do. We told her she couldn’t tell anyone.
“Fine, but you owe me.” She said, Jason came over with his food. She winked at us as she walked away with Jason.
I let out a sigh. “Whew! Glad that’s over.”
“Me too. I’d been planning that speech for forever!” Anne Bellum exclaimed.
“Forever? Or just an hour?” I asked.
“Fine, just an hour.” Anne smiled.
After lunch we went to science, and along the way, I got a long lecture on how science is the most important subject ever, from Matt.
“Elbert.—“ Matt started.
“Enough, Matt. I get it.” I said.
Anne just giggled.
Matt glared at me. I shrugged.
We made it to room 103, and we walked in and took our seats.
“Today class, we are going to go outside the base and show you the world below.” My science teacher said.
There was murming around the class room.
Dana raised her hand.
“Yes, Miss. Evans?” my teacher said.
“Where actually are we going, down there?” Dana asked.
“We’re not shopping, if that’s what you mean, Miss. Evans.”
There was giggling around the room.
But that didn’t stop Dana from talking, “I want to know where.”
“Dana, just go with it. You’ll find out when we get down there.” Jason said.
Dana sat back aginst her chair and crossed her arms.
My science teacher (who is, Mr. Aqua) pulled a box out of his desk. “In here ladies and gentlemen is normal clothes that you will wear when we go down there. He pulled out another box. “This one is for the boys and the other one of the girls. Come get your boxes and go to your room and report back here in twenty mintues. Understood?”
A bunch of “yes sirs” came as we went to get our boxes.
Matt went to take me to my room, when Mr. Aqua said: “No, Mr. Jones. You will not be accompyning Ms. St. James today.”
Matt started to protest but Mr. Aqua was firm. “No, I’ve already talked to Angelica about it, you are staying here. I have a test for your grade. You better get on it, it’s due tomorrow.”
Matt sat down again.
“I’ll be fine, but get that test done.” I whispered as we passed by.
We went to room 12, it felt good not to have anyone following you all the time, but then, I didn’t feel as safe.
I picked a jacket, with a white T-Shirt and jeans to where. Anne Bellum picked a black dress with flats. Dana put on a white dress with a matching coat. And Jessica but on a purple jump suit.
“Really, Jessica?” I asked.
“Yep! It’s so good to be wearing something else for a change!” she answered.
Dana walked up to us. “When are we going to talk to her?” she whispered.
“What was that?” Jessica asked.
“Uh…oh…Oh Dana! You don’t have to wear that! We’re not going anywhere fancy!” I said hastily.
Jessica went to her bunk.
“Whew, I don’t know Dana, soon I hope.” I said.
When we all were in room 103 again, Mr. Aqua all had us file down the hall and out into the plat form where the ships are. I hadn’t been there before, it was awesome. That’s the only word I can think of to explain it. There was glass protecting us from the thin air in the sky, and everything was white and so was the ship we were taking.
We followed Mr. Aqua into the ship. We all took seats (there were a lot).
Jason sat by me, Dana was on his other side and Anne Bellum on my other side.
“You nervous?” Jason asked.
I shrugged, “A little.”
He smiled.
I turned to Anne, “What if someone tries to kidnap me?” I hissed.
“Relax, that’s what I’m for.” She answered. I stared at her. “What? Ok, ok, that’s why Mr. Aqua and Jason are for. Ok?”
I laughed.
“Ok, class, when we get down there you must act as normal students.”
I know how to do that. I thought.
“Since you are going to help the people of the world someday, we will start with small tascts.” He held up a paper bag to City Barbeque. “Recycling.”
I heard groans.
“This is just a small thing, this is probably the only chance you’ll get to do this is a long time, make the most of it.” He turned around and started the ship, it blasted off.
They ride was actullay really fun, Anne and I talked about what we would do if we had time to look around.
When we landed, everyone got out, talking and laughing, but then, I looked up and saw a sign, it read:
WELCOME TO LIGHTSVILLE, WHERE EVERYONE’S BRIGHT.
I froze. “What’s wrong?” Anne asked me.
“T-this is where I live…” I said.
Chapter 11
“Really? That’s so cool!” Anne Bellum said.
“No it’s not.” I said.
“Why?”
I turned to her. “Because, if someone I know asks me where I’ve been, what am I soupossed to tell them? What if Sondra and USeal see me?”
“Sondra and who?”
“Anne, your not getting the point.”
“Sorry, don’t worry, it’s the middle of a school day! Also we’re going to the part of town where the streets and bad and stuff, more trash to pick up.” She grabbed my hand and we ran to catch up with the others.
“Now class,” Mr. Aqua said “try to avoid contact with anyone No, don’t just try, do it. We can’t risk the world finding out about us. And anyone here could be part of the other Hair Color Forces.”
I shivered even though I wasn’t cold. I wanted to by back in Blonde Headquarters, where it was safe. I wanted Matt to protect me.
“Does everyone understand?” Mr. Aqua asked.
Dana raised her hand. “No Ms. Evans, there will be no shopping today.”
Dana put her hand down and crossed her arms.
“Do you understand?” he asked again.
“Yes, sir.” Everyone replied.
“Good, now here are your bags and your sticks. And remember, go have fun!”
Right, have fun while anyone here could jump out and kidnap you.
Everyone ran and grabbed their bags and walked down the streets laughing and talking. I wasn’t laughing and talking I picked up trash as slowly as I could, I wanted to keep a look out for anyone trying to kidnap me.
I got down to this one aperment building and looked up, I saw a mom inside the building yelling at her kids. Not just yelling like: ‘I told you to clean your room!’ yelling, but screaming as if they had murdered someone. I could hear her yelling. (I’m not going to repeat what she said.) I thought about how my mom would never do that. Then I remembered that I hadn’t told mom or dad where I was. I thought how maybe they were in the hospital, hysterical.
“Hey.” Someone said behind me.
I whirled around and I was face to face with a boy. This boy wasn’t like any boy that I ever seen. (and in my case, that was true, because I’d only seen blonde boys for a month)
“Uh…hi.” I said back. He had black hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a black hoddie with jeans. His hands were in his pockets.
“I haven’t seen you around before.” He said.
“Oh, I’m from out of town.” I turned back around.
“You must like to clean.” He pointed to my bag and stick.
“Oh, um…I do…” That was a lie. I hated to lie. Just thought I’d throw that out there.
“I don’t, takes too much time.” He looked down at the ground. “I’m John.”
“Luna.” Oh. My. Gosh. I was talking to someone when I wasn’t soupossed to! And I’d given him my name.
His eyes lit up, and then he said. “Cool.”
There was an akward silence for awhile and then he asked me. “Where you from?”
I opened my mouth to answer when I heard my name. “Luna!” and it wasn’t a happy greeting, who ever it was, they weren’t happy. I turned and saw Jason stomping towards me.
He grabbed me by the arm. “What are you doing?”
I started to answer when Jason remembered that John was standing there. “Sorry, but, we have to go.” He pulled me away. “What were you doing?”
“He said hi! What was I soupossed to do? Ingorne him?”
Jason gave me the ‘duh’ look.
I turned around and saw John walking away. Then I saw a pieace of paper in my pocket. I didn’t have time to look at it because Mr. Aqua looked pretty upset.
“Ms. St. James! What did I tell you to do?”
I yanked away from Jason’s grip. “Not to talk. But.—“
“No buts. I told you not to talk to anyone.”
“But it’s rude not to answer someone when they talk to you.”
“In other places yes, but here no.”
I thought I was toast when Dana came up. “She didn’t mean to, she just couldn’t resit talking to a cute boy.”
Thank you, Dana! I thought.
“And besides, she’s new. I mean, I’ve been doing this for years now. It takes a long time to avoid people.” Jessica walked up.
Wow, Jessica is helping me.
Mr. Aqua considered this. “Alright, but next time…”
“Ok.” I walked over to Anne and we finished picking up trash.
When we got back on the plane, everyone kept talking about how good it was to be on the ground again, but me, I just couldn’t stop thinking about John. Was he good? Or was he bad? I couldn’t figure it out. Then I remerber the piece of paper in my pocket…
Chapter 12
I was on my bed thinking. The note had said:
Call me if you want…my cell # is: 102-332-9097.
Did this mean that he wanted me to call him so he could track where I lived, and then kidnap me? Or does he want a girlfriend? Or does he want to know about me, and my life?
I didn’t want to do all three. (1 I don’t want to be kidnapped. (2 I’m not going to date until I’m eighteen. (3 and I could only tell him my life before I was brought to Blonde Headquarters, which wouldn’t be my whole life, and which I would have to lie and that’s wrong.
I sat up. “This is hopeless!”
“What’s hopeless?” Dana came walking up.
I hid the note and cell phone under my pillow (you can’t have cell phones, because someone could track the singal and find out where Head Quarters is)
“Uh…Nothing…” I stammered.
“Nothing, huh?” She sat down on my bed. “Then what’s…” She reached over me before I could stop her and pulled out the note and cell phone. “This?”
“Dana! Give them back!” I tried to grab them out of her hands.
She held them up high. “What are these anyway?”
“Dana!”
“oh, come on…What are they?”
“That’s a cell phone.”
“I know that, but what’s the other thing?” she held it up to her face to read it. I snatched it out of her hands.
“None of your business, that’s what.” I snapped.
“Hey, just wondering. I won’t tell on you.” Dana put up her hands.
“Fine, it’s a note from that boy.”
“Oooh! Really? Can’t I read it?”
I gave her the note. “That is so cute! You should call him!”
“You think so?”
“I know so.”
“All right, but don’t tell on me.”
“Cross my heart and hope to die.”
I smiled. “I guess I’ll call him tonight. But I don’t date, so there’s no reason to call him.”
“Talk to him now, and when your ready to date, date. It’s simple.”
It didn’t sound simple to me, but I said I would call him tonight.
Just then, Jason came in with Matt behind him.
“Hey you two, what are you doing?” Jason asked.
“Talking, none of your business, Jason.” Dana pulled him out the door.
And it was just Matt and I in the room.
“It’s dinner time, you hungry?” Matt asked.
“A little, you?” I said.
“I guess.” He stood there a rubbed his head as if he was thinking. “Hey, I heard about that boy today…”
“Oh, you did? Well it was nothing, he didn’t kidnap me.” I smiled.
Matt stood there and then he said “So…Luna…I was wondering…”
He didn’t get to finish because Anne Bellum came running into the room. “Come on slow pokes! Dinner!” She grabbed my hand and we ran down the halls. Matt was close behind.
I took a bite of my crock pot spegtti and I remerbered that Matt had tried to say something.
“Hey, Matt, what were you going to tell me today in room 12?” I asked.
He looked up from his food. “Oh…Nothing…”
I eyed him for a moment and then contuined eating. Dana came up. “When are we going to do the speech?” she asked. (that was code for, ‘when can I make Jessica spill it?’)
“Soon I hope, have you been practicing?” I replied. (that was code for, ‘It better be soon, I don’t want to get kidnapped by her!’)
“Sure been.” Dana said (that was code for, ‘Don’t worry, you won’t. I’ll make sure of that.’)
I had to admit, just a month in Blonde Force classes and I can already talk code. Who knew?
Dana left to sit with Jason.
“What were you guys talking about?” Matt was reading his Nook Color.
“Nothing, just something we’ve been working on.”
He nodded. I knew he wasn’t listening, because uselly he would grill me.
That night, while I was sneaking out to call John, I heard someone coming down the hallway. Make that two people.
“When are we going to kidnap the, brat?” Someone said impaitontly.
“Don’t worry. We have a agent working on it.” Jessica said.
I jumped inside a closet just in time, as they passed.
“Good, the Commander likes things to be on time. We need her.”
Those last words freaked me out. I kept telling myself that they weren’t as bad as: ‘We want her’, or, ‘We want to kill her.’
When they had passed. I tried to think of who would be that other person, it was a man I knew that much, but who was it?
I stood there in the closet, thinking, when I rembered what I was going to do.
I took out the slip of paper, and shakily dialed the number.
It rang. Just when I was sure he wasn’t going to pick up and I was going to hang up, or something like that. He answered.
“Speak to me.”
I had to control myself from laughing. Only agents talked like that.
“Uh…hi…John…this is Luna…”
There was a pause.
“Oh! Hey. I thought you wouldn’t call.”
I forced a laugh. “Yeah right, of course I was going to!”
“So, I was wondering, I never got to know where you were from.”
Oh boy…What do I say? I hate lying!
“Oh…I used to live in Lampville, but then we moved…Now I live somewhere far away…”
“Cool! I like mysteries.” He laughed.
I smiled.
“I know this is going to sound random but, what’s your favorite food?”
I told him that I LOVED speggitti and all other things that I hadn’t told even Anne Bellum.
It was twelve o’clock by the time we stopped talking. I stepped out of the closet, smiling to myself.
Then the hand clamped over my mouth hands went behind my back and a hit on the head that made everything go black.
My eyes opened slowly. My head was throbbing. I sat up, I didn’t know what had happened, when everything started to come back in fast, painful flashes in my mind. I griped my head. I tried not to cry. It had happened, Matt wasn’t there to protect me, I had been kidnapped. I didn’t’ know who had kidnapped me and I didn’t know what they were going to do to me, but I didn’t want to think about that.
Then I noticed that my white coat was covered in blood, I touched my head and for the first time, I felt a bandage around it.
“Well at least they know first aid.” I said, I stood up I fell back down from the pain. I was in a dark red room with metal walls, (with a pinch of orange) I could tell where a door was, but there wasn’t a window in the whole room. Just red and orange wall. But then I noticed, a camara, moving at my every move.
“Who ever you are! Show yourself!” I yelled at it.
The camara seemed to hear me, and it turned off and a hole opened up into the wall, and the camra slid into it.
“I scared it. Great.” I started pushing at the outline of the door. There was no knob no anything.
I leaned against the door.
I held back my tears and prayed that somehow, God would help me out of this. Then the door opened behind me and I fell back aginst the ground.
I looked up.
“Hey, sis.”
Chapter 13
In other circumstances, I would jumped up and hugged my brother. But I didn’t. For two reasons: (1 He was one of my kidnappers and (2 He was wearing and red jumpsuit with gloves and everything we had, but in a different color.
He reached out his hand to help me up, I ignored it and stood up myself.
Jonah reached out towards my head where the bandage was, “How’s the old noggin?” he asked.
I hit his hand aside, a little harder than I intended.
“Ow.” He rubbed his hand.
“It didn’t hurt.” I snapped.
“Hey, what did I do to you?” he smiled his way of: I’m teasing you, I dare you to yell at me.
But I wasn’t in the mood for teasing. “Well, you kidnapped me. Duh.”
Jonah stood there for a moment. “Not on purpose, the Commander wants you for.—“
“Stop! It doesn’t matter who wants me for anything, you still did it!” I yelled.
“Luna, calm down.” He went to put his hands on my shoulders, I stepped back. “Luna, I care about you, I’m still your brother.”
Those words stopped me. “If you cared, you would of c.—“
“St. James!” Someone yelled.
Both Jonah and I turned around and snapped. “What?”
A girl in the (same outfit as me, except in red) came stomping down the hall. “The Commander told you to get the girl, not talk to her!” The girl came so close to me, I stepping back, hitting the wall with my injured head.
“Ow.” I rubbed it.
“Get used to pain, your.—“
“Shut up, Darline.” Jonah said. “That’s my sister you’re talking to.”
The girl stood there for a moment, hand on her hip. “So?”
Wow, another Tess in my life. Great. I thought.
“Darline, I said, shut up.” Jonah snapped.
“I don’t care even if you are the Commander’s favorite, she wants her.” Danline pointed at me. “In her office, now.”
“Darline.—“ James started.
“If you won’t take her, I will.”
I looked at my big brother, he glanced at me. “I don’t care who takes me, let’s just get it for with!” I threw my hands in the air.
Darline smiled an evil smile. “Alright, Jonah, you take her, she doesn’t care.”
“I.—“ Jonah said.
“Jonah, you don’t care about me, so go ahead, this is stupid to aruge about.” I said.
James grabbed me by my arm and pushed me down the hall. “Luna, I can’t just take you nicely, it’s how the Red Heads work. That’s why I didn’t want to do it.”
“It’s fine, I mean, if you cared, you would of.—“ I was intercepted again.
“Jonah! Are you coming?” A boy about James age, (which is 16) came running up. Then he looked at me. “Great, you got her. And she’s very pretty…” the boy reached out to touch my face. I slapped his hand away.
“Marcus, leave her alone.” James sighed.
My arm was starting to hurt, I knew James wasn’t doing it on perpuse, but it hurt.
“Ow.” I said.
“There will be a lot more pain waiting for you.” Marcus laughed evilly.
My eyes got wide, I looked up at James, he looked sad and heartbroken, I knew if they hurt me, he would do something he would regret, I had to get out of there to avoid that. I grabbed Jonah’s arm, and used his weight to throw him against Marcus and they landed in a heap, dazed. “Sorry Jonah!” I called back as I ran down the hall, avoiding, or knocking down anyone in my path.
I came to a deadend. “Shoot!” I grumbled. I looked up and down. No exit. “Wait…” I climbed the latter on the wall and found a vent, I opened it up and climbed inside.
It was a tight fit. “I really need to get out more!” I whispered to myself.
I climbed around, until I couldn’t here the sounds of people running and barking orders. I leaned against the side of the wall. I took off my glove on my left hand and hit a button on my watch, I talked into it: “Hello? Can anyone hear me?”
Static “Who…Is….This…?” someone said back.
“Luna St. James. I’ve been kidnapped and being held at the Red Head Head Quarters.” I answered.
“Thank…you…right…! This…Jason…”
I wasn’t getting good respetion. “Jason! I am so scared right now.” A tear slid down my cheek.
“Don’t…Luna…We’ll…you…” which I think meant Don’t worry, Luna, we’ll get you.
“O-ok…My brother is here…” I stammered.
“Luna…Stay…are…We’re…Coming…” Static.
“Jason? Jason?!” He was gone
I wrapped my arms around my knees and cried.
After I had finished crying, I started to think about other things, besides what was happening at the very moment. I thought about dolphins…home…TV…John…
“Wait! Maybe I could call John?” then I thought better of it.
Then I heard something, someone…climbing through the vents. I braced myself for the worse. A girl seemed to jump out of nowhere. “Hold it right there!” she yelled. She pointed her hand at me, and a laser was at my chest.
She was wearing a black suit with gloves, and matching boots. Her black hair was in a bob. And she had dark sunglasses on. Then the girl put down her hand and stared at me.
“Well, if your going to kill me or something, do it already!” I snapped. Holding back more tears.
“Luna?” the girl took off her sunglasses and it was USeal!
Chapter 14
We stared at eachother for the longest time, then I ran to her (or how fast you can when you can barely sit up) wrapped my arms around her, and we hugged.
“Oh Luna! I thought I’d never see you again!” USeal cried.
We stopped hugged and just held hands. “How did you get here?” I asked.
“When you didn’t show up on Sunday, Sondra and I started to get worried, we split up, I went to go to your house and Sondra went to look around the mall for you. But on the way, a bunch of people with black hair came out and kidnapped me and then they said all this stuff about.—“
“I know! I was almost kidnapped by people with dyed hair.” I said.
USeal’s eyes got big. “Really?”
“Well, I’m not sure, but I think they were. They had that look that there hair didn’t go with there eyes, you know?”
“I totally understand! Wow, that was freaky. We want this girl.—“
She looked at me. “What’s wrong?”
“They want me, USeal, I’m that girl.”
There was silence. “Oh, I’m sorry, Luna.”
“It’s fine. So why are you here?”
“Do I have to say it?”
I laughed. “I guess not, heard a rumor about me being here?”
“Yep.”
“Did you come alone?”
“Actully…no…”
“Well, if I’m going to get out this, we have to wait until Jason comes to save me.”
“Who’s Jason?”
I told her the whole story start to finish, when I was done. She sat there for a moment, then she said, “Is John cute?”
“USeal!”
“Sorry. Hey, I’ll create a divorson and then you can find a way out.—“
“USeal, they’ll catch you.”
She smiled a sly smile. “I’m a Black Hair; I know how to not be noticed.”
I wanted to belive USeal that everything would go ok, but I doubted it, we were both inexperienced in what are Hair Color Forces have been doing for a more then a hundred years, and we hadn’t had any field work practice yet. (that’s for once you’ve been in the Force for a year) or has USeal been trained in protecting someone. And me, I hadn’t had any practice in sister lessons in over a year, so if I faced my brother I think I would take him down, hard, because I am mad at him.
So when we started to crawl through the vents I had thought about turning myself in.
“USeal! This is crazy.” I hissed.
“It’ll be fine we just have to…AHHHH!”
Then she fell as the metal in the vent gave away.
“USEAL!” I screamed.
I looked down the hole where she had fallen and she was on the ground shaking her head. Then I saw a bunch of Red Heads advancing on her.
“USeal! Look out!” I yelled.
The Red Heads looked up.
Oops.
“Go Luna! I can handle this. I think.” I barely heard the last part as I started to climb over the hole and kept going.
I heard people yelling, sirens were screaming: EXAPEE! EXAPEE!
“Great, now I’m famous.” Then my watch started to vibrate. I hit the ‘talk’ button and said. “What?!”
“Luna! We are coming, are you ok?” Matt called back, I could tell he was on a plane because of the wind blowing by.
“I’m fine at the moment.” I screamed, as a dart shot through the vent and right in front of me.
“What happened?” I heard Matt say, I heard people asking him questions.
“The natives are getting restless, hurry!”
“We’re almost there, we have a least twenty Blondes with us now. Hang tight.” Then he hung up, leaving static.
“I don’t think I can ‘hang tight’ I have to move to not get caught!” I said to myself.
I kept crawling hoping that this long cave of metal would end soon, then I heard a hissing sound, I looked behind me and I saw little holes letting in some kind of gas.
Oh no! I thought. I took a deep breath and closed my mouth trying to get as much clean air in my lungs as long as I could.
I kept crawling as fast as I could and just when I was running out of air and all I could see where black dots in my vison the floor gave away and I fell down at least ten feet.
Lucky for us, all that food we have bursted our immune sytems and we can take harder blows then everyday humans. But it still hurt, a lot.
“Finally! I knew that gas and weak vent shafts would pay off!” I turned around and saw Marcus standing there holding a dart gun in his hands. “How long can it take to capture a stupid Blonde?”
“We’re not stupid.” I said, trying to get to my feet. Marcus pushed me down again.
“Maybe you aren’t, but right now, I’m feeling a lot smarter than you.” He took off the bandage that was still on my head. I felt where it had been and I felt a big bump.
“Give that back!” I snapped.
“Why? No one can tell you have a bump on your head, all they can see is how big your brain is.” He laughed.
“Shut up!” I yelled.
He put up his hands. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I hurt your feelings?”
“Nope, but I’m pretty sure you hurt their’s.” I pointed to in the doorway stood at least four Blondes looking pretty angry.
I saw a flicker of doubt in Marcus’ eyes. Then he pointed the gun at me and fired, the dart hit me right in the arm. I screamed in pain.
I saw Matt push through the crowd of Blondes, running towards me. I saw the other Blondes surround Marcus.
“Luna. Hang in there.” I heard Matt say, but I could barely hear him, all I heard was a loud thumping in my ears.
“That dart was full of poison, it won’t kill her, but it will disable her for maybe a month or so, if not treated right away.” I heard Marcus say. He didn’t sound sorry.
I felt Matt’s thin arms around me as he carried me across the room, then everything started to fade, and then…black.
Chapter 15
As I faded in and out of a coma, I heard people talking:
“We can’t take her back to Headquarters, she won’t make it in time!” I was pretty sure that was Matt.
“We have to find the meds now. Spread out and find some! Do whatever it takes, do you hear?” I knew Jason’s voice anywhere, he sounded different though, he sounded, scared.
I heard sobbing. I had focused enough to see Anne Bellum crying.
Then I whispered. “Jonah…”
“What did she say?” I heard someone ask.
“I don’t know, Luna. Hang in there, hang in there.”
While I was asleep, I dreamed that I was at home with Mom, Dad, Johsua, Lucy and James, everything was the way it was soupossed to be. We were eating lunch talking about normal things, school, friends…But then, all the windows started to be covered in metal doors and people in all kinds of different color jump suits came running in and they said: We want, Luna St. James.
I woke up suddendy breathing hard, I was in a room with orange and red walls, I was in a hospital bed, I had a cast on my right arm and I hurt everywhere. I groaned.
Then I heard a door opening and Jason walked in.
“How ya doing?” he asked, he didn’t’ sound like the Jason I heard when was I fading in and out. He sounded like Jason.
“Ok.” My voice was grogaly and my throat hurt when I spoke.
“Well, ok’s better than anything.” He forced a smile.
“Yeah, I guess.” We sat in silence. Then I built up enough courage to say. “I want to see Jonah.”
Jason looked at me. “I’m sorry Luna, you can’t.”
“Why not?” I started to sit up.
“Luna, you just don’t understand, we have forced all the Red Heads to not come into this room in case they try to hurt you, if we let even one of them in.—“
“I don’t care! I want to see my brother!”
“Alright.” He got up and walked back through the doors. But he was hesataint.
I lay there waiting, when I heard something being unscrewed I looked up at the vent, someone was coming though! The screws fell, but whoever was unscrewing them grabbed the vent before it fell then they jumped in landing right by my bed.
“Whew, I thought I’d never get in!” USeal stood there, smiling.
“Hey, USeal.” I looked up again.
“No one’s coming, I lost them. I think.”
“You think?”
“Hey, chill, it’ll be fine.” She sat down at the end of my bed, I noticed that she had a black eye.
“Sorry, just…scared.”
“I know.”
“Did they beat you up?” I asked. Smiling.
“Haha, yeah. They were harder than I thought.”
“You didn’t kill my brother did you?” I asked.
“Nope.” She laughed. “Actually I skoured all the rooms, and I didn’t’ see him.”
And just on cue, Jason came in, alone. He saw USeal.
“It’s fine, Jason. She’s my friend.” I said. Sighing.
USeal hurrided off the bed, “there probably hot on my trail, I better go. We’ll be heading back to Black Hair Head Quarters.” She shot a rope up into the vent and climbed.
When she was gone, Jason said. “I couldn’t find him, Luna. No one has seen him.”
“Where could he have gone? I haven’t seen him in over a year and the time I see him is when I flip him on the ground.” I cried.
“Hey, it’s going to be fine, we’re going to get you out of here and safe and sound at.—“
The doors burst open. “Yes, your quite right, safe and sound at Black Hair Head Quarters.” A women said.
Chapter 16
I could see through the door that the other Black Hair’s were holding back Red Heads and Blonde alike.
“Jamie.” Jason said.
“Oh, you remember my name. That’s great!” she said in a mocking voice.
“It’s not great to see you again.” Jason growled.
“The last time I saw you, we were having tea or something? And your mother and I.—“
“I remember. You don’t’ have to tell me.” Jason snapped.
Just then Anne Bellum burst past the guards and past Jamie and over to Jason and I.
“Oh! How touching, both the brats are here too, you two look so much like your mother.”
I was freaking out. I forced myself to sit up. “Y-your brother and sister?” I asked.
Anne and Jason looked back at me.
“You haven’t told the most wanted girl in all the world that you too were brother and sister? Now, what kind of friendship is this?” Jamie mocked.
“Shut up, Jamie.” Anne snapped.
“That’s aunt Jamie, dear.”
Ok, I was dreaming, this wasn’t happening. “That’s your aunt?”
“Goodness! You don’t tell anyone anything anymore. Just like your friend here…”
Two Black Hairs came in, dragging USeal with them. “The poor dear took it so hard on herself, if she would of just told us where you were right away, she probably won’t be in so much pain right now.” She brushed USeal’s face.
USeal didn’t snap back, she didn’t’ talk, she didn’t do anything. “What did you do to her?!” I yelled.
“Calm down, she’s not dead, yet.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “Jason! Do something!”
“Yes, Jason, do something.” Jamie smiled an evil smile.
Jason and Anne stood there, staring daggers at their soubbosely aunt. Before they could attack her, there were cries from people and a bunch of Blondes ran into the room surrounding Jamie.
“Another time then.” Jamie threw something on the ground and a bunch of smoke came out. When it cleared, Jamie was gone. And so was all the other Black Hairs including USeal.
Chapter 17
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me! How could you not of told me?!” I was sitting in Angelica’s office where Jason, Anne and I had just told her what had happened, and she had just told me that Jason and Anne Bellum were her children. And that all the Commanders of the other Hair Color Forces were her sisters.
“Luna, calm down.—“ Angelica said.
“No! I will not!” I yelled. I started to get up, Matt pushed me back down.
“I know your upset.—“
“But how could of you not told me? I mean, the only reason the others want me is because they think that I will start a war and because of a family feud? I’m not releavtied to any of you! Why do they want be because of a feud?!”
“Luna, you are releaaited to the first leader of the Dyed Hair Force.” Angelica said planliy.
I was about to say more when those words stopped me. “What?”
“Your great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother was the person who started to Dyed Hair Force.”
This shocked me. “But, but.—“
“Luna, I know this is hard to take in, but it’s true. She was angry at us so she started the Dyed Hair Force.”
I sat there, I felt Jason’s and Anne Bellum’s eyes on me. I didn’t know what to say, I just got up and walked out the door.
“Luna!” I heard Jason running after me.
I saw Dana walking my way. “Luna, are you ok?” she asked.
I shook my head and managed to whisper. “No.” and a tear slid down my cheek.
“Luna!” Jason had caught up with me. “Luna, I.—“
“Jason, I think Luna wants to be left alone.” Dana said sternly. Dana wrapped her arm around my shoulders and we walked to room 12 togther.
Matt had stayed behind, so it felt good to just have Dana there with me. “Dana, I’m so confused…”
“Shhhh…It’s going to be fine, you’ve had a long day, your sore, and your arm is broken, you need to rest.” Dana was four years older then me, but she never acted it since now.
I didn’t say anything, she walked me to the room and I climbed right into bed and slept, for what seemed for forever.
I had a dream that those people in the muiticolor jump suits had came and gotten me, someone I was close with had told them where I was. And I almost saw who, but then someone woke me up.
“Luna?”
I jumped up, Anne was sitting on my bed. I glared at her. “What do you want?”
“Luna, I just want to tell you.—“
“Your sorry? I should of told you the moment I meant you? I don’t want to hear it.”
I jumped down on off my bed.
“Luna wait!” Anne Bellum called after me.
I put my hand up.
She stopped.
I walked out the door, I slept all that night and it was now lunch. And I was hungry, but when I got my food, I didn’t eat.
“Are you ok, Luna?” Matt asked.
“No, I’m hungry, but I can’t eat.”
“You better eat, you’ll need your streghnth.”
I didn’t know what he meant, but I didn’t have time to ask because Jason came up.
“Luna.—“
“I don’t want to talk about it.” I snapped.
He stepped back.
“Come on, Matt. Let’s go to class.”
That night, I snuck back out of the room and went to the closet, I didn’t hear anything or anyone, I called John.
“Hi, Luna, I haven’t heard from you in awhile, are you ok?” John asked.
“I-I’m not ok.”
“What happened?”
I told him everything (well, not everything, just things that wouldn’t give away everything about the Hair Color Forces)
“I’m sorry, Luna. Do you want to come over to my house tomorrow after school?” John asked when I had finished.
“I don’t know, John…”
“It’ll be fine, we can meet in the park, where no one will see us.”
It was a good idea, and I did want to get away from, well, everything. I knew getting away from Matt would be hard but I said. “Sure, what time?”
“Ten, tomorrow night.”
“Perfect. I’ll be there.”
“Great.” Somehow, I could feel him smiling.
When I had finished talking, I walked out the door, and looked around, making sure no one was going to kidnap me. When I was sure the coast was clear, I walked back to room and climbed into bed and went to sleep.
Chapter 18
The next day was like anyother day, just that there were a lot more guards and camaras for my safety. After classes that day I went back to room 12 with Matt.
“Hey, Luna…I was thinking…” Matt said.
“What, Matt?” I asked.
“Would you like to…you…know, see each other…like not when I’m protecing you?”
I stopped walking. “Like, just hang out?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
I looked at him for a moment. “I guess, but it’s is not a date.”
He laughed. “Fine.”
We contuined down the hall. “So what time?” I asked.
“How about ten tonight after everything goes to sleep.”
“Great.” I said. But after I said that out of the blue, I had forgotten I was going to meet John.
So at ten that night, I didn’t know what to do, this was probably the only time to hang with John, Matt wouldn’t care. Right? But he would come looking for me. But I was stupid and went to see John anyway.
I snuck out of Head Quarters and took a hover board down to the ground. (we had learning about hover boards in science class)
I had changed my clothes, I was wearing that blue coat with a white t-shirt with jeans. My hair had been cut that day, it was a bob now then down to my shoulders. I still had glasses, I was nervous. What if John didn’t reconnize me? But when I landed I barely had enough time to hide my board before John came.
“Hey.”
“Hi.” I said.
We stood for a second, thinking about what to say next.
“So, how did you sneak out?” I finally asked.
“Climbed out a window.”
I laughed.
“So how did you get out?”
“Went out my front door.”
It was his turn to laugh.
We walked over to a bench and sat down. “Nice hair.” He brushed his hand through the back of my head. “Boingy.”
I smiled. Then I scooted a little away from him. “Just got it cut today.”
“Cool.”
“So, you got me here, what do you want to talk about?” I asked.
“Just to talk. I mean, this is my first date. I don’t really know what to say.”
I didn’t even hear the word date, I was too lost in his eyes. (if this is getting too gross for you, you can skip it. I know some people think this is gross, go ahead and skip it, I won’t care.)
I told him about what homework I had. (just the normal stuff about it) He said he had so much homework that it filled his entire room. I laughed at that.
“Really?”
“Yeah.” He smiled.
When we got up to leave, he said. “Wait.” He went picked a daisy from the flower beds. “Here.”
I took it. “Th-Thanks.” I managed to say.
I could tell he was blushing. Then I said good bye and watched him go. When he was gone I pulled out the hover board, but just when I went to get on it, hands cupped over my mouth, and a strong arm went around my waist and carried me towards the trees.
When we got to the trees, I hit the person so hard I hurt a grunt, I did a kick almost hitting him in the face, but he grabbed it with his hand. I fell down.
“Who ever you are.—“ I started.
“Shhh!” I turned and saw Dana and Matt.
“What are you two doing here?” I hissed.
“Well. When you didn’t show up for our…” he looked at Dana. “Hang out time, I went looking for you, and Dana found me and she gave me a hint.”
I scoffed.
“Or two, maybe three.”
“Dana!” I cried. “How could you? I told you not to tell anyone about this! You crossed your heart!”
“I didn’t cross my heart so you could get hurt! I crossed my heart just about telling him you had his number and you called him.—“
“You have a cell phone!” Matt said.
I glared at Dana. she whispered. “Sorry.”
“Yes,” I got up. “So?”
“So? That’s aginst the rules!”
Hot tears came down my cheeks. “I don’t’ care! I want to be a normal twelve year old girl!”
“You can’t be! You are in danger, you need to not break the rules or something will happen to you!” Matt stepped closer. I stepped back. “That is my job, I am your procter, and right now, your not safe where you are.”
“I don’t care!” I felt my broken arm swell up, it wasn’t soupossed to have been fallen on.
Matt grabbed my shoulders, “Luna, he just a boy, he is not as important as your life.” He looked me in the eyes, I looked back. “We are going home.”
I pulled away.
“I’ll go home be myself.” And I ran away, tears dropping to the ground, and the daisy that John gave me, fell to the ground.
Chapter 19
The next morning I lay in bed, even after everyone went to breakfast. I heard Matt by my bed, but he didn’t’ say anything. I didn’t say anything. When I did get up, I felt sick. My arm hurt like crazy. I walked to the bath room went into a stall and breathed deep. (I hated getting sick, so I tried to avoid it as much as possible.)
Then I heard a knock on the door. “Matt, I’m busy.” I called through deep breathes.
“Luna, I just want to talk about last night.”
“Well I don’t.” I snapped.
“Luna.” I heard the door open.
“Matt! This is a girls bathroom!”
“Just come on out of there, I need to talk to you.”
“No.”
I heard a sigh and then I heard him picking the lock.
“Matt!”
“I didn’t want to do this.”
The door swung open and I jumped on to the side of the stall where the next stall is.
“Luna, I just want to talk.” Matt said.
I jumped from each side until I reached the door. I opened it and ran out. I hid behind my bed. I laughed a little, this was fun.
“Luna!” He was having fun too, I could tell from his tone of voice.
When I thought he had left the room I started to back up to see what was happening when arms went around my waist.
I screamed as I was pulled back. “Matt!”
“What? Can’t I have some fun?”
He was right, I needed some fun, I hadn’t had a good time with my brother in a long time, and this was probably how close I was going to get.
“Careful of the arm!” I yelled.
Then the door swung open and Angelica walked in. She cleared her throat. Matt let go of me and stepped back, looking like a procter again.
“Luna, you weren’t at breakfast, you weren’t at lunch and now it’s time for science and you seem well enough to go, am I right?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I said. I walked to the door.
“When your done with classes, come to my office.”
I nodded and walked out the door. Feeling as sick as when I went into the bathroom.
When I got into science class, I slid into my seat and everyone kept looking at me, Dana walked in and noticed this, and she said: “Don’t you people have better things to do besides stare?”
Everyone looked away, Dana was a respected and sometimes mean person so they thought they’d listen.
Dana sat behind me and Jason next to her. “You ok.” She asked.
“Truth? No.” I said. I was leaning as far back as possible in my seat. My arms were around my stomach. “I don’t feel good.”
“Come to Room 13 after class, I know what’s going on.” She gave me a reassuring smile.
I turned back to the white board, where Mr. Aqua had just come in. “Today we are going to learn how Amelia knew really how much gas to use on her flight across the world. And after, I will be handing out tests, you have two weeks to study and do them. Now back to Ameila Earhart!”
He started to write somethings on the white board but my mind wasn’t on Ameila Earhart, it was on John.
After science I gripped my test and walked to Room 104 where Lanague Arts was.
Matt was behind me we hadn’t said to word to each other since what happened in the room.
“Hey!” Jessica came running up, I kept walking but Matt stopped and Jessica whispered in his ear, I saw him smile an evil smile, and I got an uneasy feeling. Then I remembered my dream where someone I knew would betray me.
I quickened my pace and made it to the room before Matt and took my seat next to Anne Bellum.
“Hey.” She said.
“Hi, we need to talk after class. Something’s not right.” I blurted.
And just like a best friend should, she said, “Sure.” And she smiled.
Langauge Arts went fast and then Anne and I were walking down the hall.
“You said he smiled evilly?” Anne asked.
Matt had gone to see Jessica for some reason.
“Y-yes.” Then I told her about my dream.
She stopped and looked me in the eyes. “This isn’t right, Luna. We need to tell, my Mom.”
“Tell her what?” Jason asked, he was walking up.
“Matt and Jessica were acting strange today, Luna said.”
I excepted Jason to say something about how we weren’t talking to each other anymore. But instead he said: “What’s wrong?”
I told them everything, starting with last night, they listened paitonly and didn’t say anything until I had finished.
“Something isn’t right.” Jason said, when I had finished. “You can’t go and see that boy anymore, Luna. With Matt acting strange, I don’t know if it’s safe to even have him around.”
“I agree with Jason. We have to tell my Mom.” Anne said.
“No, we can’t do that, I’m already in trouble with her, speaking of which, I have to go to her office.” I started to jog down the hall.
“Let us come with you!” Jason called after me.
“No, I’ll be fine.”
If only that statement had been true, when I had said it.
Chapter 20
When I got to Angelica’s office, I opened the door. And Matt and Jessica came out. He bumped into me.
He didn’t even say sorry, which I found strange, but before I could recat, Angelica said.
“Come in, Luna.”
I walked in and sat down.
“Where were you last night?”
I couldn’t lie, that would be wrong. “Out.”
“Out where?”
“Just down in LampVille.”
“Luna, why did you do that?”
“Because, I wanted to see…someone…”
“Who?”
“Just someone.”
She eyed me. “Who?” she repeated.
“Just a boy that I met.”
“And how did you get to know about his boy?”
“I met him when we went down to that science thing a couple weeks ago.”
“But how did you make plans with him to meet?”
I looked up. “You already know, just say it.”
Angelica stood up. “Luna, we are doing this for you. And yes, Matt just told me everything.” She walked over to where I was sitting. “I don’t want you talking to this boy, you need to stay up here where it’s safe.”
I wanted to blurt out that Matt might be the one that could hurt me. But she didn’t give me the chance.
“And has the Commander, I have to punish you for what you have done. You are not aloud to go on anymore sience trips for a month. Understood?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Now get along, I’m sure you have other things to do.” She waved her hand to the door. And I walked out.
I walked down the hall, until I ran into Matt.
“Hey,”
“Um…hi, so I was thinking, tonight we could hang out.” I said.
“Well, I was thinking we could do it…now.” He corned me into the wall.
“Matt…your freaking me out.” I said.
“Why am I freaking you out?” he asked.
“Well, for one, your too close to me, even for procter mode. Now second, you have a weird look in your eyes…”
He got really close to my face. And I was freaking out, just when I was going to kick him where it hurt most. Dana came running up.
“Luna! I thought you were coming to my room to talk?” Dana asked.
“Yeah, I was coming, but Matt.—“
“I don’t see Matt.” Dana said. And she was right, he was nowhere to be seen. But I had an uneasy feeling that he was watching me.
“Anyway, let’s go. Do you have any food? I’m starving.” And we went on chatting. We talked about what Angelica had said and about what happened the other night.
“What your feeling is boy withdraw.” Dana said.
“Boy withdraw?”
“Yes, you’ve not seen this boy in longer than you want, and now your feeling sick and not yourself. Boy withdraw.”
“That does make sense…” I said.
“Anyway, you better get back to the room, Matt maybe dying of proctee withdraw.”
I laughed. “Yeah.”
I waved her good bye as I went into Room 12. Anne Bellum was on bed with her laptop out.
“What are you doing, Anne?” I asked her. “Where’s Matt?”
“No idea.” She was absorbed in what she was doing.
I climbed up and looked at what she was working on. And I saw John.
“Anne! What are you doing?”
“Just something I do, I hacked into the sat alights that view the land below on Head Quarters and now I can zoom in and see what people are doing in their normal lives.”
“But why, John?”
“Oh, so this is the boy.”
“Anne, I can never see him ever again, so don’t talk like that.” I looked at the screen for a second. “What does his bedroom look like?”
Anne laughed. “Your obessesed, Luna St. James!”
We sat there for about an hour, when Jessica and Matt came in.
“Great.” I whispered.
“What?” Anne Bellum asked. I didn’t get a chance to answer.
“What are you guys doing?” Jessica was fourteen and so was Matt so when she talked in a tone that we were breaking the rules (which we were) What I mean is, I hate when people act older than they are.
“Nothing, what about you guys?” I asked. Anne closed the lap top.
“Just walking around.” Jessica answered.
“Where were you Matt?” I asked. “You were soupossed to be with me. Not on a date.” When being talked to as if three, then you must talk back the same way.
“Just walking around, but I’m back now. How about you come down now, and I can take you to dinner.”
“You mean, to where everyone else is going to eat, don’t talk as if it’s a date. That creeps me out.” I got down. “Come on Anne.”
Anne climbed down with me, and gave Jessica the death look, and bumped into her. “Oops. Sorry.” And she scooted up to where I was.
When we got out of Room 12, Jessica said something to Matt and Matt did that evil smiled again. I shivered.
“Something isn’t right.” I whispered to Anne Bellum.
“I know! Why is dinner so early?”
“Anne…” I said.
“What?”
“Run.”
“What?—“
“Just run!”
She ran on down the hall, I knew now would betray me, and I knew who else they wanted, besides me, they wanted Anne Bellum. And I wasn’t going to let them get her.
Chapter 21
Matt and Jessica turned when they heard Anne’s steps echoing through the hall.
“Why did she run for?” Matt asked. That smile was still on his face.
“Must have been hungry.” Jessica yawned.
Then I ran, but I ran down an oppiste way.
I heard Jessica yelling at Matt to catch someone, but I wasn’t sure who. I just had to get to someone…
“OW!” I ran into Jason, I knocked him clean to the floor.
“Woah! In a hurry?” he asked.
I scrambled off him. “Sorry. Yeah, I guess…”
“Dinner isn’t for awhile, but if your hungry now.—“
“Jason.” I blurted.
He looked at me. “What’s wrong?” I guessed my expression looked frantic
“Matt and Jessica, they’re.—“
“There you are!” I heard Matt’s voice and then I saw Matt.
Jason still looked at me, he looked worried.
“Don’t run like that! I not in such great shape.” Matt breathed hard. But I knew he was faking it, I’d seen him run. And he can run fast. That day when those kids were trying to get to me, that very first day I came to Blonde Head Quarters. I now remember him there.
Jessica came up behind him. She had an angry look on her face she opened her mouth to say something, but then she saw Jason. And stopped.
Then I saw Anne came running up she had a chair with her. She dropped it when I shook my head.
“Oops, I thought…uh…Luna fainted and I…um…needed to get her a chair.” She said hastily.
Jason eyed the both of us. “How about we all go to dinner, I’m sure it’s almost time.” He kept his eyes on Jessica and Matt as we walked. I heard Jessica mumbling, Matt just acted like nothing was wrong.
When we got to the dining hall, people were already coming in for dinner.
I grabbed Anne’s hand and pulled her to a table that was really far away from Jessica and Matt.
“Why did you tell me to run?” Anne Bellum asked. Once we had sat down.
“Because…” I was sweating now. “They are the ones that want to get me.”
“That’s silly.” Then she saw how much I was sweating. “Are you serious?”
“Yes! I am! They want both of us. I don’t know why. I just…do.”
“Luna, your not feeling well, you haven’t gotten over, John.—“
“No! This is serious! I don’t know why they want you too. But your mom isn’t telling you and Jason something, they might try to get Jason too.”
“Luna.” She put her hand on my shoulder. “Just breathe, we’ll go tell my mom and.—“
“Anne, listen to me, your mom won’t tell you anything, if she would wanted to, then she would of a long time ago.” I snapped.
Anne snack back, as if she’d been slapped. “You really mean that? You think that she would.—“
“She would Anne, I have a normal mom, and I know that sometimes, they don’t tell us something because we’re better off not knowing.” I said soothingly. “I know these things.” I leaned to her ear and whispered. “That’s why I sneak up and listen to her phone convosations.”
Anne giggled.
“Don’t you two, lovely young ladies want some dinner?” Matt walked up, he was carrying two trays of maccoronni and cheese.
I mouthed the words. Don’t eat the food.
Anne nodded. “We’re actulley not hungry right now, Matt. But thank you.”
“You guys sure? I mean it’s really good.” He had that smile on again.
“We said no, Matt.” I said.
He put down the trays on the table. “Alright, but just in case.” He sat right next to me, a little too close.
Jessica came up and sat next to Anne. They thought we were dumb and wouldn’t think that they were up to something.
I flipped my hair, to show that I was relaxed. (and that the sweat on my neck was really soaking my shirt)
“Do you guys want to, hang out tonight? I mean just the four of us?” Jessica asked. They were laying it on a little too thick.
“No, I have a science test to study for, but thanks.” I said.
Anne nodded. “Me too.”
“Maybe so other time then, I have to go check on something. Do you want to come, Matt?”
“Sure.”
And they both got up and walked away, Anne Bellum and I let out a sigh of relief.
For the next week or so, we tried to avoid Matt and Jessica as much as we could, and we never went anywhere alone. We told Jason about what we thought was going on. And he agreed that telling Angelica wouldn’t help, she wouldn’t do anything about it unless something happened for sure, which, by then, we would probably be dead. Or worse.
Everything went well for about a week, until that day…
“Hey, Luna.” Matt came walked down the hall, he hadn’t been protecting me for awhile, and I was hoping that he would completely stop. And I was alone, and he was coming. I quickned my pace.
“Woah! Where are you going?”
“Away from you.” I said simply.
“Why?” He ran up to me, and blocked my path to the safety to Room 12.
“Because, that’s why.” I snapped.
He held up his hands for defence. “Hey, I didn’t’ do anything.”
Yet. I wanted to say. I tried to go around him, he sidestepped, blocking me again. I tried the other way, blocked. I turned around and started to walk the other way, he caught up with me, and blocked me again.
“I just want to talk.” He said. He backed me up into the wall.
All I was thinking was. Please, please, please don’t do anything!
“Matt, I don’t.—“ I started.
“Shhh. I just want to talk.” He got really close to me that time. And I dropped my books when he went forward and kissed me! On the lips! It was the most gross, and creepy thing I had ever felt. (And I had felt a lot of creepy things)
I tried to push away, but he didn’t’ let me. I tried to tell him to stop, but it came out as, wup!
Then I heard someone else’s books fall and a gasp. Matt stopped kissing me and I slid down unto the floor. Dazed.
“Luna!” I heard Anne’s voice. She ran up. “Matt! Why did you do that?!” Anne yelled.
“What? Can’t I have some fun?” I heard Matt said.
“FUN? YOU CALL KISSING FUN?” Anne took a deep breath. “And that your kissing the girl you want to kidnap, and did you let her say no? Did you let go when she said so?”
I looked up and looked into the brown eyes of my best friend. “I-I…”
“Luna!” It was Jason this time. I saw Matt’s legs back up, he looked scared. Jason was older and had had more experience in hurting someone.
“Anne! What happened?” Then there was silence, and later I found out that Jason was giving Matt a horrible glare. “What did you do?”
“Me?” Matt asked.
“Jason, just hurt him in someway.” Anne said.
I could barely hear her, something was wrong, terriblely wrong. “A-Anne…” I said.
“Your so pale! Matt! W.—“
But she didn’t finish. Then I heard it, I heard the glass roof break, Anne covered me, as the glass came down.
Then she turned and she screamed. “Jason!”
I couldn’t see what was wrong, but Anne was terribly upset. I wanted to tell her that she could leave me and take care of Jason, but I couldn’t talk. It hurt too much.
“Luna! Your eyes aren’t blue anymore!” Anne was freaking out. “There black!”
“The venom does that, no worries.” I heard Matt say.
“You poisned her?!”
Sure I’ve been poisned before, but this was horrible! I opened my mouth up to say something, but nothing came out. Then I heard helicopter blades.
“W-what’s going on?” Anne said.
“I told them I’d get the package ready; they just had to come get it.” Matt said.
Anne put her arms around me. Then something pulled her away.
“LUNA!” She screamed.
I reached out my arms. But all I felt was air, I couldn’t see anymore. What’s happening?! I thought.
Chapter 22
I can only remember parts of what happened, I couldn’t see, so I had to use my other senses. I knew that Matt and Jessica were there, I could hear their voices. I heard Anne screaming and Jason’s moaning. He was hurt.
I had part of my voice back so I kept screaming: “Anne! Jason!”
Then I heard: “The venom’s wearing off! We need to get her back before it goes away completely!” I didn’t know who was saying it. But they didn’t sound nice.
I kept being pulled around, and seated. I knew we were on a helicopter. I kept praying that we would all get out of this alive. Yes, that would be nice.
Then after what seemed like hours, the helicopter landed, and I was carried out, I kicked and screamed a lot, so much that they had to set me down, then I felt something cold and metal go around my wrist, then I felt it, the pain.
I screamed. My broken arm (which wasn’t really broken, thanks to chicken noodle soup) wasn’t the only arm in pain now.
I could see shapes of things, but no color. And when I saw something that didn’t seem to be anyone I knew and trusted I kicked at it, I saw it double over and then I felt more pain in my arm. Imagine a shock you get on a slide, and times that by a million, that’s what I was feeling.
“STOP IT! YOU’RE HURTING HER!” I heard Anne scream.
“She’ll be fine! So zip it!” I heard someone snap back.
Not being able to see was hard, I now knew how blind people felt. And I didn’t want to feel it again.
“LET GO OF ME!” I screamed. I knew it wouldn’t work, but what else was I supposed to do? Let them take me?
I felt even more pain. I knew it was the bracelet, and I had to get it off. Except with a broken arm, you can’t really do anything. And now I practicly had two.
I made it hard as I could to drag me. Maybe if I was hard to drag, they would let me go. That was a pretty high hope though.
I was starting to see color now, but everything still looked like blobs. I kicked at what I thought was Matt.
“GOSH! EASY!” He yelled.
“EASY? I DON’T THINK SO!” I yelled back. My vision was coming back, and I could see him. And he didn’t look happy.
“Don’t do that again.” He said, his face was really close to mine.
I struggled against the arms that held me. “If you hurt my friends, I will personally kick you somewhere where it hurts even more.”
He stepped back. I had scared him. “I hope you enjoy your stay, Ms. St. James.” He said.
I gave him a glare, as I was pushed towards the huge purple building. Dyed Head Quarters.
Chapter 23
Any other day I would loved to take a tour of the huge purple building (with tons of body guards) But I didn’t ‘enjoy my stay’ I didn’t even enjoy going in.
When my sight was fully restored, I looked behind me and saw Anne. She now had her hands cuffed behind her back and a gag in her mouth. Her blonde hair had blood in it. I didn’t even want to know how it got there.
Jason didn’t look any better. They were dragging him across the ground, he was unconscious.
We stopped, and I saw them take Jason and Anne away. I tried to pry away from them.
“Sweetie, fighting us won’t work.” Jessica came walking up, her hair wasn’t blonde anymore, it was black. Her outfit was black too, she looked just like a Black Hair.
“I should I least try, you jerk.” I snapped.
“If you having nothing nice to say, then say nothing at all.” She said.
“You.—“ I felt a gag in my mouth.
Jessica winked at me. “Take her to a cell. We won’t be taking her to the Commander in this, conduction.” She made it sound like I had the chicken pox or something. I didn’t get to snap back. I wish I could of.
They pulled me through halls and halls of horrible things. Like wars. They must have had fun making 3-D images of those. They would have been kinda cool, just that I was being dragged to my doom.
The whole hall was just covered in horrible things. I wanted to ask them if they had cuased those things to happen, but with a gag in your mouth, you can’t talk. That’s kinda the point.
We passed a door that said: Prisoners That Need Special Treatment
I knew that the ‘treatment’ wasn’t for sickness. It was for torture, I was glad we passed it. I didn’t want to go in there, I heard screams. I hoped that they hadn’t taken Anne Bellum and Jason in there. In there state they wouldn’t of lasted a second.
We went down the hall some more and we stopped at door that said: Cell 1209
They must of had a lot of cells. This place was worse than Red Head Head Quarters. I figured that all the Dyed just copied off the other Hair Color Forces.
The pushed me inside, but before they went, the tore the gag off.
“Ow!” I said.
“That’s the point.” They said, and they left. I heard them lock the doors. And I was left in the cell.
In the cell were 3-D pictures, I didn’t want to look at them, but they were everywhere. And I wondered why they had taken Anne and Jason too. I knew that one day they were trying to get Anne too. But maybe since they were there and then didn’t want anyone telling what happened to me they took them.
I heard screams down the hall. I felt sick. I was still dizzy from the venom. I heard my watch buzz.
“Hello?” I said into it.
“Luna! Thank God you’re alright! Where are you?” it was USeal.
“USeal! Where are you?”
“I.—“ then I heard her scream. And we were cut off.
Something was wrong, and she was in pain. In worse pain then I was at the moment.
I tried to conact Anne or Jason but I got no reply. Then I heard people coming down the hall, I couldn’t see who, because there wasn’t any windows. Just a little hole that let in air of something.
I heard Jessica’s and someone else’s voice that I had heard before, but I couldn’t tell who. The door was being unlocked. I couldn’t stand up. I tried to pull and pry the braclet off, before they came in, they would electrocute me until I talked. And I wasn’t planning on talking, and that was probably going to hurt.
The door burst open and Jessica and Marcus walked in. My left arm was already hurting.
“I thought I heard a faimler rat.” I said.
“I see your arm is still broken. That dart must of gone in deep.” Marcus said.
“It did, but my arm isn’t broken anymore.”
“Is that so?” Marcus said. He came towards me. I regretted saying anything at all. “Then you wouldn’t mind me pulling this off then?”
I shook my head.
He pulled it off, it did hurt, but not from my bone, but from the force of his pull. When you take off a cast, you cut it with a special mecine thing. Jonah had had a broken arm once. And I got to watch it be taken off.
“Hurt?” he asked.
“Yes, but that’s becucase you took it off wrong!” I snapped.
“Oh sorry.” And he tossed the cast aside. And got up. Jessica hadn’t said anything since they came in. Her hair was purple now, and so was her outfit.
“You must change fast.” I said. I tried to get to my feet. But I was still dizzy.
“Oh, you mean the suit? Whatever color I push on this panel,” She showed me the panel on her wrist, it had a bunch of colored buttons on it. “Whatever button I push, that’s the color my suit and hair changes. Cool huh?”
“Acutlly, no. Because your hurting you hair everytime to dye it.” I said.
“You’ve been hanging out with your blonde friends too much. My hair is fine.” She looked at her fingernails. Which were probably the same color as her hair.
“You think blondes are dumb, don’t you?” I asked. I had gotten to my feet, but I had to lean against the wall.
“Hmmm, let me think…” Jessica said, she seemed to be consulting her nails. “Yes. I do think you blondes are dumb.”
“Well I have some news for you,” I stopped leaning against the wall. I was determinded to do this. “we’re not as dumb as we look.” And I ran right into Marcus and Jessica knocking them down. I ran out of the room.
I heard Jessica screaming at Marcus, behind me. At least her voice was bigger than her ego.
I ran past the ‘treatment’ room, and I heard my name being called.
I stopped.
“Luna!” the voice sounded urgent. It soundn’t like someone was in lots of pain.
I went up to the room. I heard the voice scream.
“I’ll get you out of there!” I yelled. I didn’t’ know who it was, but they needed me, and I didn’t them.
The door was protected by a scanner. If I scanned my hand, then an alarm would probably go off. I had to think this one out, but I didn’t have time to think.
“LUNA!” I heard the voice scream again.
Then I heard foot steps coming towards me. “I’ll come back for you, I promise!” I called to the voice, and I kept running. I turned a corner and I ran into someone.
“What.—“ the person started. I backed up and I saw who it was. It was a women who looked exactly like me. The blue eyes, the blonde hair, the same surprised face, everything. Execpt the she had no glasses, she probably had contacts in. If your having trouble picturing her, just think of me, and then age me twenty years.
She was wearing the same thing Angelica wore. I backed up.
We kept staring at eachother, I was surprised that she didn’t try to hurt me, that’s what everyone else did.
“I think she went this way!” I heard Matt’s voice.
I couldn’t go forward and I couldn’t go back. I was trapped.
Chapter 24
I was still staring at the women when Matt ran up. He grabbed me from behind. I kicked at him. He blocked it.
“I told you not to do that again.” He said. Then he looked up and saw the women. “Commander! Sorry, sorry. We’ll have her back in her cell.—“
“Shut up.” The women said, she put up her hand.
Matt shut up. Wow, I should have done that a long time ago.
“Who is she?” she women asked.
“It’s the girl that you wanted.—“ Matt started.
“Shut up! I didn’t ask who I wanted and who I didn’t. What’s her name?”
“Luna St. James, ma’am.” Matt said. I remembered when he called Angelica that.
The women walked up to me. “And this is the girl I said I wanted?”
“Yes ma’am.” Matt said, he gulped.
I was breathing fast. This women was like my evil twin.
Every time Matt was snapped at, his grip on my arms got tighter, and it hurt.
I wanted the women to go away; I would rather take ten electric shocks then face her.
She touched my face. “I don’t think you locked her up good enough. You know what that means, don’t you?”
Matt swallowed—hard. “Yes, but.—“
“You are acting like a blonde again, Mr. O’Bryn.” The women snapped. “I don’t like that.”
“Sorry, ma’am.” He said, I had never seen him this scared before, and I didn’t like it. Even though Matt was a jerk, he was still human.
“Don’t you know that you’re blonde to?” I asked. “Or are you too dumb?”
“Luna!” Matt hissed.
The women stood up straighter, her eyes seemed to glow. She laughed. “My hair is dyed, you stupid little girl. I’m a Black Hair at heart.”
“Still.” I mumbled to the ground.
“Tell me, how did you escape?” the women asked me.
I didn’t look up. I felt Matt’s arm let go of my arm and he reached into his pocket.
“Are you going to answer me? Or are you too stupid?” the women asked.
Then I heard the click. And then the pain shot up through my arm. I screamed. It felt worse then the others I had gotten.
The women pushed my face up to hers. “Are you going to answer me now?”
“Never.” I said.
“I see she’s too strong willed, and I don’t like that. Go on, Mr. O’Bryn. You know what to do.”
Matt seemed reluctant to go.
“I don’t like to repeat myself.” She women said. “Go!”
Matt turned me around and he pushed me back down the hall.
“Luna! You should have answered!” Matt said. His voice was choked up., like he was going to cry or something.
“Why should I? That women looks just like me! And she’s evil! I don’t talk to my evil twin!” I said.
“Well, you should of. Now she wants you to have the Special Treatment.”
I stopped. “W-what?”
“I told you, you should have listened!” He kept pushing me.
“But, t-that’s.—“
“Luna.” He turned me to face him. “I don’t want to do this, but she’ll.—“
“Who is she anyway? Why are you so afraid of her?” I interrupted.
Matt looked away for a moment. “I don’t think you want to know.—“
“Matt!”
“Fine! She’s your mom alright! Happy?”
“She’s my what? I have a mom already.—“
“Those aren’t your real parents, Luna.”
“Then who are they? You mean my whole life, I’ve been called someone else, mom, who wasn’t my mom for twelve years?!”
“It’s a long story.—“
“I want to hear it, now.”
Matt looked around, then he pushed me towards a closet, and we went in.
“If you kiss me I’ll kick you.” I said when we were inside.
He got that a smile I hadn’t seen in awhile on his face. “Ok, sorry about that, but I didn’t want to hurt you in another way, the others would of hurt. A lot.”
“Well, thank you for caring.” I said.
“No problem.”
We stood there in uncofterble silence. Then Matt said.
“Now, I’ll tell you. When you were born, your mom and dad were already working for the Dyed. But of course, the Commander wouldn’t allow you to stay. But your dad put up a fight. But the Commander…”
“Killed him?” I said.
“No, she stuck him into the Special Treatment room, and he never came out.”
I stood t here for a moment. “What happened to my mom?”
“She was forced to get rid of you. And soon, she became the Commander, and she forgot about you and your dad. The End.”
“So now she’s evil, huh?” I said. “You know, it’s kinda of freaky that you know so much about me.”
“I know, but it’s in the history classes, but she doesn’t know about it though. And whoever dares to mention the story to her. You’d be pretty much dead.”
I laughed. “I can’t believe my mom is, evil.” I said the last word in a sigh.
“I’m sorry, Luna, but there’s nothing I can do about it.” Matt said, he went for the door.
“Sure I can.” I said.
“Um, no you can’t because I’m not going to let you.”
“Why not?” I whined.
“Because, it’s too dangouras, if she see’s you again, I’m as good as dead, and you’ll end up like your dad.”
“Matt, I need to do this.”
“Luna, I’m not going to let you.”
“Where are my friends?” I asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Matt! Where are they?”
“Ms. St. James. You need to be quiet now.” He put his gloved fingers over my mouth. I hadn’t noticed before, but his hair was brown now. And he was sounding like the Matt who had kissed me, and I didn’t like it.
I looked at his wrist; he was wearing that same panel that Jessica had shown me. I reached up and hit the blue button. His hair and outfit turned blue.
“Woah. You don’t l.—“ I said.
“Don’t say it.” He put up his hand. He hit the blonde button. And his hair turned to blonde and his outfit to white.
“That’s better.” I said. “Not it’s getting stuffy in here, and I need to find my friends, save my mom and get out of here.” I pushed passed Matt. And went out the door.
“Luna! No!” Matt said.
I looked back at him. “Matt! Yes!”
And I ran down the hall. Off to save the world. (not really, but I’ve always wanted to say that)
I heard Matt behind me, but I didn’t turn around, I was going to find my friends if it took all day. But I didn’t have all day.
I came up to the Special Treatment room and I went to touch the scanner, when I felt the pain in my arm.
“Matt! Not cool!” I yelled.
“Oh, that wasn’t Matt, sweetie,” Jessica came walking up, her hair was green now, which matched her attuide just fine. She pushed the button again.
“Stop!” I said. I backed up against the wall.
“The Commander told me that you were supposed to be in the Special Treatment room, but I guess Matt didn’t obey.” She smiled evilly. “I’m glad I’m such a great tattle tale.” She hit the button again.
“Stop, Jessica.” I said. Trying to keep my voice even.
“Aww, am I hurting you?”
“Yes! I mean, yes. But stop! Seriously.” I said.
“You know, I can’t believe that your mom is so mean to you.” Jessica flipped her hair. She hit the button again. I tried to keep from falling.
“Jessica! I’m serious. Stop.”
But she just ignored me and kept talking. “You would think she would welcome you with open arms.” She sighed dramticly.
“Jessica!”
She hit the button everytime she had finished talking. And I had fallen on the floor. I couldn’t feel my arm anymore.
“I’ll stop, if you go into the room right now.” He pointed to the torture room.
“Never.” I said.
She turned a knob on the panel. “Poor, Luna.” And she hit the button.
I screamed. It was even more painful then the one Matt had given me awhile ago. And she kept hitting it over and over.
“St-stop.” I was shivering.
She picked me up by my the collor of my shirt, and banged me against the wall. “You blondes are dumb, no matter how many times you say your not.” She put her hand on the scanner and it said: Jessica Jones, Dyed Personal. Access Granted.
The door opened. “Bye, bye.” Jessica said, and she pushed me in. And the last thing I saw was Jessica’s sly smile.
Chapter 25
My arm was still numb, so I had to push it aginst my body, with my other arm.
It was pitch black in the room. And then a sign lit up behind me. It was really bright, I narrowed my eyes and turned to read it. It said: Don’t think about your worst fear, because it’ll come true
Of course I thought of it, that was the point of the sign. I saw Jason and Anne, and they were bloodied and I saw Matt and Jessica hurting them. I covered my eyes with my hands. But gloved hands pulled them away.
“Look at your worst fear…” it said. I tried to turn around, but the person wouldn’t let me. I closed my eyes, but bright light made when hurt and I had to open them back up.
It was all in 3-D and it seemed so real. I started to cry. Jonah and Joshua and Lucy…mom and dad. Were all in pain. It was all the Dyed people’s fault.
I started to loose it. And I knew that was what they wanted.
“Luna!” I heard my name. I tried to pull away. But I was getting weak.
“GO AWAY!” I screamed. Then the room became light and I fell to the floor, on my back. Everything was blurry.
I tried to stand up, but something pushed me back down.
“You alright?” it was Matt.
“I’m fine, but let me get up!” I tried again, and again, I was pushed back down.
“No, we need to talk.”
“Talk about what? I already know that the Commander is my mom and she’s evil and.—“
“No! I mean, no, that’s not what I want to talk about.”
“Then what is it?” I was getting impaitiontent.
“I’m.—“ then he yelled and he fell to the floor.
“MATT!” I knew he was going to tell me something important, really important.
“Oops.” Jessica was standing right over me now.
I stood up before she could do anything.
“Matt just doesn’t obey, I’ve already told the Commander, and when he wakes up he’s going to have her to deal with.” Jessica’s laugh rang out across the empty room.
“Shut up, Jessica.” I said. “I don’t want to here how great you are.”
“Ooh, jealous?”
“Not in the least bit. I’m not jealous of a jerk like you.”
That really pushed her button, which made her push the button on the panel.
I started to back up to the door, hoping it would magicly open. But when I turned around, Jessica grabbed me by the collor of my shirt and held me up aginst the wall. I had no idea she was so strong.
“Jess.—“ she was choking me.
“Luna, sweetie, it’s over.” Jessica put on a puppy dog face, which I knew was fake.
She turned the knob up as far as it could go, I had only felt one of those, but I didn’t know how many she was going to do, and how many of them I would last.
Then I had an idea, just as she hit the button I put the bracellete arm on her arm so the bracelette was touching her and then the shock went through her. She screamed and fell to the floor. I fell and landed on my feet. PE had come in handy.
I checked to make sure Jessica wasn’t going to get back up for awhile, and then I smashed the panel.
I ran over to Matt.
“Matt, speak to me!” I pleaded.
His eyes started to open a little bit.
“Matt!” I said again.
“Luna?” he said.
I was so happy and hugged him.
“Woah!” he said, he gently pried my arms off his neck and he stood up.
“Your alright!” I cried.
“Yes, I am. Now I have to tell you something.”
“Not right now, we have to get out of.—“
I didn’t get to finished, Matt pushed me against the wall.
“Matt, this is not cool.” I said.
“I need you to listen to me. I mean really listen.”
“O-ok. Shoot.”
“Do you know how I was so terrified of the Commander?”
“Yes.”
“Well, that’s—that’s…”
“What? Tell me!”
“It’s because she’s my mom.”
I stared at him.
Then he continued, “And you know Jonah? He’s not your real brother. The same thing happened to his parents, so he came and lived with you and your adopted family. I was around way before you were born, but mom and dad hid me until mom became the Commander, but she couldn’t hide you, that’s why they had to send you away. Do you understand?”
I was freaking out. “Stop lying to me, Matt!”
“I’m not lying! I’m.—“
“Stop! I don’t want to hear it anymore!” I pried my hands away from his, and covered my ears. “NO! You’ve been lying to me this whole time! She’s not my mom! Your just lying! I knew it! Your as bad as Jessica! Except she shows it more!”
“Luna.—“
“NO! GO AWAY!” And I ran with my eyes closed, hands over ears. Towards the door, but I ran into someone. I looked up.
“Hey sis.” It was Jonah. I was never so happy to see him.
I burst into tears and he picked me up, just like every big brother was soupossed to do. I cried into his shoulder. I heard other people come in. Jonah put me back down, he pushed me behind him.
“So this is, Matt. Huh?” he said.
I saw Matt back up.
Then I noticed that Anne and Jason, and even USeal were in the room too.
“Yep, that’s him.” Anne said. She ran over to me. And hugged me. “Are you alright?”
“I-I’m fine.”
I saw Jason and USeal grab Matt. Matt gave me a look. And it wasn’t a nice one. I glared back at him. He was lying, I knew it. He was claiming to be my brother. I should of known about him! It’s been twelve years, twelve! And he expects me to believe him?
We all walked out of the door, but we didn’t get far when I felt the pain in my arm.
“AHHHHHHHH!” I screamed. I fell to the floor.
“Luna!” Jason pulled Matt’s hand behind his back, I saw that Matt’s face was twisted in pain. “Stop that!”
“I’m…not….doing…anything!” Matt said through clenched teeth.
“Then who’s.—“ Jason started. Then he yelled out in pain. I noticed that we all had those bracelettes on.
“Guys…take…those…off…” I said.
But it was too late, everyone was yelling in pain and dropping to the ground.
“Goodness! He has a tight grip.” I heard Matt say. I didn’t look up, my arm was in tons of pain. I heard him walking this way.
“Leave…me…alone!” I yelled, as he started to pick me up.
“Luna, I’m not lying!”
“You are too!” He had me on my feet now, and I was trying to sink back to the floor.
“Why would I lie about something like this?” he asked. He looked into my blue eyes
“Because! You lied to me about wanting to keep me safe! And look what you did! I’m not safe anymore!” I held back tears.
“Luna, I care about you.—“
“Really?” but before I could say anything else, I heard footsteps down the hall.
“You wanted to save mom, well here’s your chance,” he had one hand on my arm, which I was trying to get off.
“Matt! We should, you know, run now!” I said.
“Why? You wanted to save her.”
“Matt! I’m serious!”
“Yeah Matt, she’s serious.”
We stopped arguing and we turned and saw Marcus, with Jessica and the Commander.
“Matt!” I hissed.
“Mr. O’Bryn, Ms. James tells me you didn’t do what I told you to do. And I see it’s true.”
“But.—“ Matt started.
“Shut up. Jessica, grab the girl. I’ll deal with her later.” The Commander said.
“Matt! Snap out of it! RUN!” I yelled.
I heard the other’s stirring behind me, if they would only wake up…I deicded that Matt was going to be no help, brother or not, so I elbowed him in the side, and he let go, and I ran down the halls.
Then there was a deafening crash, and it threw we aginast the wall. I hit my head so hard, I thought for sure I was going to black out. Then I saw a familer ship, and I saw Angelica.
I would of taken off my glasses. (But I didn’t have any, because I lost them somewhere, and I didn’t need them anymore anyway.) Because Angelica was wearing a white jump suit gloves, everything! She looked just like every other Blonde.
“Ah, Luna,” she flipped her blonde hair. Everything was in place, I couldn’t believe she could keep everything so, in order, I mean, she just blew up a wall, for pete’s sake! “I see your still in one piece.”
“Yes, ma’am. But I can’t say for the others. We have to go get them!” I said, getting to my feet, she held out a hand, I took it.
“Is Jason, and Anne Bellum alright?” she asked. Worry was in her eyes. I had never seen her worry, usually she acted like there was nothing to worry about, when there was.
“They rescued me, but then…You just have to come help!” I pleaded.
“Alright, alright.” She said. She turned around. “BLONDES! ASEMBLE!”
A bunch of kids I’d seen at Head Quarters, came out of the ship, there was at least twenty of them.
“Where are they?” Angelica asked.
“Down this way.” I ran down the hall way, the Blondes at my heels. Then I skidded to a stop. Anne, Jason, USeal and Jonah were just now getting up.
“What happened?” I asked. Running to help them. “Where’s Matt?”
“That jerk? I don’t’ know, and don’t care, let’s go.” Anne ran to her mother, who gave her a hug.
“But we have to help him! He’s.—“
“He’s what? A jerk? Yeah, we know.” USeal said.
“No! Can we just help him?”
“Luna, we have to go back, you’re all safe, that’s all that matters.” Angelica said, in her Its-alright-no-need-to-worry voice.
“Fine, if you don’t want to help, then I’ll do it myself!” And I ran down the hall.
“Luna, no!” I heard Jason yell.
But I didn’t look back. I just kept running.
Chapter 26
I ran until I couldn’t run anymore. I stopped and leaned forward, breathing hard. I was never good at track and field.
Then I heard the Commanders voice.
I stood up, leaning aginst the wall, breathing hard still.
“You brat! You could never do anything right!” The Commander’s harsh voice rang through the halls.
I followed it, still breathing hard. I was hoping that it wouldn’t give me away.
And then it got really loud. It wasn’t that I was getting close, it was because she was raising her voice.
“YOU COULD NEVER DO ANYTHING RIGHT!”
“I’m sorry.—“ I heard Matt’s voice, which was timid and quiet compared to his mom’s.
Our mom’s.
“No, snap out of it. Matt was lying.” I whispered to myself.
I crept through the halls staying close to the walls. Then when it got really, really loud, I knew I had made it to them.
I slowly opened the door. I saw Jessica and Marcus standing off to the side. Jessica was admiring her nails. Marcus was punching the palm of his hand with his other hand.
I opened the door a little more, and I saw the Commander. Her face was red with rage and then I saw Matt. He was in a metal chair and his wrists were handcuffed to it, by the cuffs coming out of the arms of the chairs. His face was looking at the floor, like he was hiding.
Then I saw why, the Commander lifted her hand and slapped him!
I saw a shiver go through Matt’s back.
“JESSICA!” The Commander yelled.
Jessica walked up, hands at her sides. “Yes, Commander?”
“Put this on him,” the Commander handed, Jessica the same bracelette I was wearing.
Jessica smiled a sly smile. “Yes, ma’am.” And she put it on Matt. Matt looked up, his face was bloodied and bruised.
“MARCUS!”
“Yes?” Marcus said, still punching his hand.
“Do it!”
Marcus took the panel, and an evil smile came on his face. And he hit the button.
Matt yelled.
“Turn it up!”
Marcus did, and hit the button.
“TURN IT UP! ALL THE WAY!”
Marcus did. And hit the button.
And Matt screamed.
I was so mad; I opened the door completely and started to run in.
But someone cuffed their hand on my mouth and pulled me back.
“What are you doing?” Jason hissed.
“Saving Matt!” I hissed back. I saw Anne close the door.
“Guys! I know he’s a jerk, but.—“
“That’s not why were here.” USeal interpreted. “We came to apologize.”
“Yeah, we were not being good friends,” Jonah said. “And I wasn’t being a good big brother.”
Brother.
“Ok, I accept your apology, now we have to.—“
“We need to plan this better.” Jason interpreted.
“No, we can just.—“
“Jason’s right.” USeal said.
“Stop intercepting me!” I exploded.
Everyone stared at me.
I took a deep breath. “Ok, sorry. Now, where’s Angelica?”
“She said she would give us twenty minutes to do this. That’s it.” Anne Bellum said.
“Ok. Now what can we do to save him? We can’t just run in there! We still have these bracelltes on. She can still hurt us.” I said.
“I have an idea…” USeal said.
We all gathered into a circle.
When we had figured out a plan, I turned around. “This is awesome.”
USeal took a deep breath and walked into the room, Jason and Jonah went down the hall.
Anne and I watched USeal. She ran into the room, right in front of them all, and said:
“Hi! And welcome to…”
Then Anne and I ran in and yelled together: “Catch Me If You Can!”
“The rules are…” USeal said.
“You try to catch us! Fun, fun!” Anne and I yelled. And we all started to run.
Matt looked so confused, it would have been funny, if his life wasn’t on the line.
The Commander yelled at Marcus and Jessica to catch us. While she kept yelling at Matt.
Marcus was about to grab me when I did a back flip in mid air. And when I landed, I kicked his feet, causing him to fall down.
“Aw, sorry, it is, Catch Me If You Can!” And I ran the other way.
I heard Marcus say some words I won’t repeat. And he ran after me.
I saw USeal trying to get the Commander’s attion, but the Commander kept kicking and punching at her. While yelling at Matt. She was a real multitasker.
Then I looked over to Anne. I froze. Anne was on the ground, in a ball.
“ANNE!” I ran after her, tripping Marcus.
“Luna…don’t…” Anne said.
Then Jessica turned around, she had the panel. And I was sure it worked on all braceltess. I froze. Marcus grabbed me.
“Your ‘game’ didn’t work, sweetie.” Jessica said, with mock sympathy.
“Stop!” I yelled.
“This little girl is useless. There’s no need for her, we only got her and her stupid brother just because we were bored.” She hit the button.
Anne screamed.
“STOP!” I struggled aginst Marcus.
I looked behind at USeal, she was on the ground to.
“We knew that you would give up, when your friends were hurting,” Jessica said. Hitting the button.
“You—you—you.” I stammered.
“Jessica! Stop!” The Commander, well, commanded.
Jessica stared at her leader.
“I said stop.” The Commander repeated.
Jessica stopped hitting the button. I heard Anne start to breathe normally again.
I looked at Matt. He didn’t meet my eyes.
“Let go of her, Marcus.” The Commander ordered.
Marcus let go of me, and he stepped back, not completely going away.
I looked at Matt again, I was scared. He nodded, telling me it was ok.
The Commander came towards me. I stepped back, bumping into Marcus.
“Who are you?” the Commander asked.
“Luna St. James.” I said.
The Commander seemed to think for a second.
“What is your mother’s name?”
I didn’t know how I was soupossed to respond. “Um…someone…” I looked at Matt. “Told me,” I cleared my throat. “It was you.”
The Commander’s eyes got wide. She turned to Matt. “You told her?”
“Well, yes, mother, of course.”
“Don’t call me mother! You address me as ma’am or Commander. Understood?” Snapped the Commander.
“No, actually, I don’t.” his green eyes sparked.
“How dare you!” the Commander picked up the panel and hit the button. Matt did his best to not show that is hurt, but she kept hitting the button.
“NO!” I charged her, and knocked her to the ground. I heard Jason and Jonah takle Marcus and Jessica, smashing the panel in the prosses.
“You stupid girl!” the Commander roared.
I broke my barcellte off, when I tackled her, I picked it up and snapped it onto her wrist, and I grabbed the panel and turned the switch that said: Only for older tortuees, and I hit the button, she fell to the floor screaming. And then, she didn’t move.
Chapter 27
We stood there for a long time, the only noise was Jessica’s muffles through Jason’s hand.
We all stared at the Commander’s still body. Then Matt said,
“Well, that was interesting.”
I knew he was trying to joke around, but it wasn’t funny. I went over, and uncuffed his hands. He rubbed his wrists.
“Thanks,” he said. He cleared his throat. “I just want you to know, that I wasn’t lying.—“
“I know.” I said.
He put his hands on my shoulders, “I want you to know, that I’ll always be there for you.” He smiled, but it was forced.
I smiled back, but then I looked away. “Now what do you we do? She won’t listen to us!”
Matt went to say something when someone said, “We go home now.” Angelica stood in the doorway, hand on hip.
I felt Matt get tense, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. He squeezed back.
“Mr. O’Bryn, wasn’t it?” Angelica walked towards us.
Matt didn’t even seem to blink. “Yes, ma’am.”
She looked down at me. “And I see you have found each other after, what? Twelve years?”
“Y-yes.” I stammered.
“Wait,” Anne walked up. “What do you mean ‘they’ve found eachother’?”
“They’re brother and sister, Anne Bellum.” Angelica said it as if it was the most normal thing to say, about two kids who haven’t known about eachother for twelve years.
There were gasps. I wanted to tell, Jonah myself, but now it was too late.
“Now wait a second!” Jason said. “You have been mean to Luna this whole time!”
“Not the whole time,” Matt said flatly. “But if I was ever going to get a chance to tell her, it was alone, you always seemed to be around.”
“So you pretened to proctect her, and you got rid of Sam on purposse?” Anne asked.
Matt, nodded. “Yes.”
“Mother! This isn’t right! You can’t.—“
Angelica held up her hand. “If Matt wishes to come back with us, he may. But he has to promise to never, never come back here, unless I say so.”
I looked up at Matt, he stammered, “I-I promise.”
“Good. Now, what should we do with these two nice children?” he pointed to Jonah and USeal, who ever standing there, mouths open.
USeal was first to recover herself. “I have my own place to go back to, ma’am. I’m sure, my Commander is mad at me be this time.”
“Wait? You mean Jamie? But she was going to.—“ I started.
“That wasn’t, her.” USeal pointed to the Commander’s still body. “The Dyed are in places you least suspect.”
“There good at blending in.” Jason added.
“Yes, and sometimes they.—“ Anne said.
“Enough, Anne.” Angelica interpreted her daughter. “What about you, young man?” he asked, Jonah.
“I-I have a place to go too, ma’am.” And with that, Jonah walked out the door.
“Jonah! Wait!” I called after him.
He didn’t stop. I ran out the door behind him. I grabbed his arm. “Stop!”
He turned around. “You don’t need me anymore, Luna.”
“I do! Matt and I aren’t as close as we are! Come on!” I protested.
“Luna, he can be with you, I can’t.”
“Still, we can.—“
“Luna, it’s over, I probably will never see you again. But if I do, I just want you to know, that we’re just friends now.” He started walking.
“Jonah! No, I love you like a brother! I.—“
“It’s over Luna.” He kept walking.
I leaned aginast the wall, and fought back tears.
I just couldn’t loose Jonah! He was the only person in the world that understood me. He…
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
I looked up and saw Matt.
“Nothing.” I said.
“There is something. Where’s that guy? Josh? Joshua?”
“Jonah.”
“Oh yeah, right.”
“He’s gone, Matt. Gone! Just because he thinks you’ll take his place.” A tear broke past my eye.
“I’m sure he’s just kidding.—“
“He’s not!”
“Alirght,” Matt sqeezed my shoulder. “It’s going to be fine, I’ll talk to him.”
And with that, he jogged after Jonah.
I leaned against the wall. Everything was messed up. I heard Angelica telling Jason and USeal to take Marcus and Jessica to the ship, so they could question them. Now, I couldn’t trust anyone, to matter how much they say I can. I didn’t even trust Matt yet, he had done so many terrible things to me. I didn’t even know he was telling the truth, but something inside me told me he was. I got up and walked to the room again.
I let Jason and USeal pass with Jessica and Marcus. Jessica gave me a nasty look, as she passed. But she didn’t say anything. I walked in, I wanted to ask Angelica something, when I heard a loud crash.
“What was that?” Anne cried, the floor was shaking.
“I don’t know!” I cried back, I could barely hear myself think.
“Follow me!” Angelica yelled.
She ran with more speed that I had seen anyone do when the ground is shaking beneath you.
We followed her, Anne and I joined hands, so it would be easier to stand.
We ran down the hall, then I saw someone fly agnaist the wall, from the other hall way.
“MATT!” I ran up to him. I kneeled to the ground.
“The building isn’t going to stay up much longer; we need to get out of here.” Angelica said, acting calm.
But I wasn’t calm. “Where’s Jonah!?”
“Calm down.—“
“No! Where is he?”
“Luna, we can’t go looking for him, we have to get back.”
“No! I won’t leave without him! He’s still part of my family!” Tears streamed down my face.
Angelica got down beside me. “Alright, but we’ve already spent too much time here.” She got up again, and yelled at the Blondes that had come back from scouting the building. There weren’t anymore Dyed in the place, it’s like they vanished.
Matt moved in my arms.
“We need to get him out of here. I’ll take Anne and—“
Then the building suddenly tilted to the right, we all slid down. We all screamed. Even Angelica let a little yelp come out.
I held on to Matt. Who on the way down, woke up and grabbed onto my neck. Choking me.
“Matt!” I yelled. “Let—“ I tried to breathe.
“Oh, sorry!” he yelled. He let go and grabbed on my shoulder and I onto his.
I knew if we hit the buttom, we would probably be hurt badly. Not enough to kill us, just give us a sprain or maybe a broken limb. The chicken noodle soup isn’t magic ya’ know.
A door fell off it’s hinges a couple of yards ahead of us, I grabbed onto the door frame with one hand. (it was painful, by the way)
“Matt!” I yelled. “Let go of my shoulder! I need both hands! Tell Angelica and Anne to grab hold of you, and you of me!”
He nodded. And he yelled up to where, Angelica and Anne where rushing towards us.
I felt the weight of all my friends on my leg. If I was normal, then it probably would of fallen off.
“Can you still move your leg!” Angelica yelled up to me, to where she was hanging off Matt’s arm. Anne was white with fear, she was holding onto her mom with both arms. Like a baby monkey.
I bent my knee, but it took all the strength I had to do it.
“Yes! I can!” I yelled down
“Good! You don’t want to ingure your leg!” Angelica called up.
My arms were starting to hurt though, if only I could climb up into the door…
“Anne! Climb up to the door, using us as a ladder!” I yelled down to them.
Anne didn’t move.
“Anne! Please!”
I saw her take a deep breath and she starting to climb up Angelica and onto Matt, and then finally me.
Then Angelica climbed up and then Matt.
“Come on Luna!” he yelled. The creaking of the building was just covering up his voice.
He took my right hand by the wrist and started to pull me up. But then the building tilted to the left, and he fell.
“Matt!” I screamed. Over the roar of breaking metal.
I heard him scream my name. I was fine just for a few more seconds, just my arms felt like fire. And my leg would probably be sore tomorrow. If I lived that long. I tried to pull myself up, but someone pulled on my leg. I looked down. It was Jason! He was hanging from my leg. This was getting awkward.
“Jason! You’re alright!”
“We’re fine! Where’s everyone else?”
“Up here, climb up me—“
“No, we need to go.” I heard USeal say. She didn’t sound like herself.
“Did you catch a cold in the past twenty mintues?” I shouted. “Because you don’t sound right.”
“Duh. No.” That didn’t sound like USeal at all.
“Come on, Luna. There not as important as you are.” Jason said.
He didn’t sound like Jason. Something was wrong.
“Are you guys…ya’ know…ok?” I asked. I tried to pull myself up. Jason pulled harder.
“Yes. Now come down!” Jason said.
“Your not Jason, and your not USeal. Where are they?”
“She’s smarter then she looks.” USeal said. This time, I knew who it was. It was Jessica.
“She is.” The pretend Jason said. He smiled slyly. It was Marcus.
I was in big trouble.
Chapter 28
Marcus hit a button on his panel, his hair went back to the way it was. Jessica didn’t, she kept the Black Hair look.
I saw Jessica drop down to the ground. It was only a few yards down. I tried to pull myself up. But Marcus was Red Head strong, he pulled so hard. I had to let go, I fell down, I landed like, Askoa, from Star Wars the Clone Wars. I felt proud of myself. But then, Marcus landed, and he landed perfectly on his feet.
“Show off.” I murmered. I looked up. I couldn’t climb the stupid wall, even if USeal and Co. weren’t there.
Marcus grabbed my arms and banged me aginsat the wall, so hard, I thought I’d black out.
Jessica pulled out one of those bracelettes.
“No! I won’t put that on!” I yelled.
“Aw, come one, sweetie.” Jessica said.
“Stop…calling….me…sweetie!” I said through clenched teeth. I tried to push away Marcus with my feet, but he didn’t even seem to notice me kicking him.
He had his fingers wrapped around the top of my arms, so I hid my wrist and my rest of my arms behind my back, I didn’t want that bracellte on me.
“Marcus!” Jessica yelled.
“What do you want me to do? I’m already holding her down!” Marcus snapped. He looked behind him. I took the advantage and pulled my arms out from behind me and I punched at his face. He whirled around before I could make contact. He caught my hands with his. And pushed me back against the wall. I kicked again, but Marcus just seemed to think nothing was kicking him.
He pulled out my right hand so Jessica could put the bracellte on. I pulled it back, but he just pulled it out again.
I closed my eyes. I felt the cold metal against my skin. There wasn’t a shock. I opened my eyes.
“See, that wasn’t so bad now was it?” Jessica asked.
I didn’t even bother to shake my head.
Jessica looked up. “By the looks of things, we have to climb up this wall to get out. Marcus.—“
“Whatever.” Marcus grabbed me by the arm.
“Good, I knew you would catch up sometime.” Jessica said. She shot a rope from her panel and I heard it snap shut around something. Jessica pulled at it. “Should be safe enough, come on.”
I wasn’t in the mood to climb, but at least I wasn’t the one that was being hanged on. Marcus grabbed the rope with his free hand and started to climb. I guessed that Red Heads were strong too. Not just stupid war loving freaks. Not that I was calling Jonah one or anything.
Jonah! Where was he?
“Where’s Jonah, you jerk!” I yelled down at Jessica. I knew Marcus wasn’t the ring leader, so I thought I would just yell at Jessica from now on.
“He’s fine. Someone came and picked him up earlier. You’ll see him soon.”
Why did they want Jonah? He wasn’t my blood brother. Matt was. “Why don’t you just take Matt instead?” Oops. Didn’t mean to say what I was thinking. But it was too late.
“I don’t know! Ask mother dear when you see her!” Jessica snapped. The building started to shake. I grabbed on to Marcus’s arm. Not that I didn’t trust his streghth and all, I just felt better knowing that I was holding on too.
We weren’t that high, if only I could jump back down…
I started to kick at the rope, it started to shake.
“Stop, stupid! Your going to get us killed!” Jessica yelled at me. “Marcus.—“
“Whatever.” He said again. He pulled his arm up like I was the weight he was lifting at some gym. And when I was high enough, he let go. I yelped. Then he grabbed back onto me, he put his whole arm around my waist. This day couldn’t get any more awkward.
“Thank you!” Jessica said. She didn’t sound like she meant it though.
The rope stopped shaking, and we contuined up. I kept thinking of ways to get away, but Jessica’s ‘Marcus’s’ weren’t helping.
When we finalley got to the top. I had my plan all figured out, once Marcus hauled me up there, I would make a run for it down the other end, find Matt and the others and get out of there. But when Marcus did haul me up there, I almost fell down the other side of the hall. It was millions of feet down to the ocean. I backed up slowly.
“Woah.” Marcus said. Then he said, “You comin’ Jess?”
“Don’t call me Jess! I don’t care if you are my.—“ But the creaking of the building covered what she was going to say. I had a feeling it was something even more awkward.
Then the building completely fell from it’s place. I screamed, as I slid towards the giant hole and the million’s of feet drop into the ocean.
I closed my eyes, then I felt a arm around my waist. I looked back and I saw Marcus, practicly hanging from the frame of the door. I saw Jessica trying to regain blalance as the builing fell.
“We’re going to die!” she screetched.
“We’re not going to die!” Marcus yelled. He was trying to pull me up. But he was having a hard time. “Help me! Don’t just stand there!”
I had never heard Marcus or anyone else (besides the Commander) talk like that to Jessica.
Jessica seemed paralyzed.
“Come on!” I yelled. I was freaking out too.
Jessica went closer to the ledge, but she going to slowly, and the ocean wasn’t going to wait forever.
“JESSICA! MOVE!” I screamed at her.
That got her attention. “Shut up! I’m going!”
“Pull, Luna up.” Marcus commanded. Wow, did he just call me Luna?
I reached out a hand and Jessica grabbed it. I pushed against the wall of the building as she pulled me up. When I was up, Jessica pulled me close to her and said into my ear. “Just becase I saved you life, doesn’t mean I don’t’ like you now.”
Yeah right, you so do.
I helped Jessica pull up Marcus and then we just stood there, looking at the ocean as it came closer to us. Only a couple thousand feet and we were dead.
“Now what?” I shrugged. Trying to act relaxed.
“I don’t know!” Jessica turned to Marcus. “WE ARE GONNA DIE!”
Marcus shrugged. Then he looked over and his eyes got wide. “Woah.”
A huge purple ship flew in our direction. I stopped feeling happy. I started to back up. But I felt that wonderful pain in my arm.
“Gosh!” I snapped.
“Come on.” Jessica said.
Marcus did his, ‘whatever’ and grabbed me by the arm. “Just between you and me,” he said into my ear. “Jessica’s got issues.”
I forced back a laugh. But he smiled at me. I knew this guy wasn’t all bad.
Chapter 29
As the ship flew closer, I started to feel sick. I didn’t want to see that women who was soupossedly my mom. She was evil. And I hated her for it. She stunk at being a parent to Matt, why would she suddenly jump up and treat me like I mattered?
Marcus seemed to read my mind beccuase he gave my arm a cofterble sqeeze. Which if you were a Red Head, then it probably would have been, but it hurt on me. I didn’t say that it hurt though. Marcus was starting to act nice, and I wanted it to stay that way.
The purple ship tossed out a ladder. And I gulped. I took a step back.
“It’s going to be fine.” Marcus said.
Jessica turned on him. “It’s not going to be ‘fine’ if we die! Now come on!” Jessica jumped onto the ladder. And then Marcus pushed me in front of him.
“Ladies first?”
I knew he was trying to be funny, but I wasn’t in the mood to laugh. I haven’t been for the past weeks. It seemed like everyone else was though.
I glared at him, and I jumped onto the ladder, and started to climb. Marcus jumped on just as the building crashed into the water.
I flipped my hair when I got to the top. But then I stopped, in mid flip. There was Jonah, hands tide behind his back, gag in mouth. Two Dyed had their hands on his arms. He was standing. That was good at least.
I felt the pain in my arm.
“Move!” Jessica yelled.
“No.—“ I started. But then the pain was in my arm again.
“I said.—“
“Ok! Cool it!” I snapped.
Jessica pushed me through a door on the roof. And I looked behind me.
“Now, now sweetie. You’ll see him soon. Don’t worry.” Jessica said.
“Shut up.” I mumbled.
“What was that?”
“Nothing!”
She hit the button. I turned and glared at her.
“What?” she put up her hands.
I rolled my eyes. And she said I was the dumb one.
She pushed me through another door and I saw some really horrible looking mechiences.
“W-what are those?” I asked.
“Torture Devices. Duh.” I didn’t have to look at Jessica to know she was rolling her eyes.
“The Commander will probably put you in one of those things later. But for now, your going in a cell.”
“Where’s Matt?” I asked, I turned to face her.
“I don’t.—“
“Where is he?!”
“He’s probably in the ocean! I don’t know!”
“You are such a jerk! You only care about yourself!” I yelled at her. She backed up.
“I’m not.—“
“Yes you are! You pretended to be my friend! You hurt Dana! You lied! You hurt me! That’s more than a jerk. You were a mean jerk!”
Jessica stood here, staring at me. I was breathing hard. I had needed to get that out of my system for awhile, and I thought I would make me feel better. But now I just felt like I had hurt someone. And I felt like crying.
And I did. I broke down right in front of Jessica. The person who had hurt me so many times.
I cried for a long time before she did anything. She wrapped her arms around me, but I could tell it was awkward for her. I hugged her back, which probably made it even more awkward.
“I-It’s ok.” She kept saying. But she didn’t mean it. I could tell, so I didn’t stop crying. Not that I was trying to make her feel bad or anything. I was just so stressed. So when someone didn’t mean what they said, I was just going to keep on crying.
“Luna! Stop! It’s ok.” Jessica said. I knew then that she meant it and I looked up still crying a little bit. “I know that I was a jerk and I’m sorry, you see, it’s hard to not be a jerk when you work for one.” She glanced behind her. “Your mom isn’t so sweet either.”
That got me crying again.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to make you cry! I.—“
“No, no it’s alright. Your right, she isn’t nice…It’s just, I don’t think I can live with the thought of having to one out there to help me.” I took a deep breath. “Matt, Anne, Jason, Angelica. There all gone! And I don’t think I could live without them.”
“Hey, don’t worry, you have me.”
I pulled away from her. “You mean that?”
“Well…I guess…”
That didn’t make me feel any better. “So you just lied to get me to stop?”
“No! no! I didn’t it’s just…”
“What?”
“It’s just…I haven’t been nice to anyone in a long time, and I don’t know how to…ya know…”
I laughed. “It’s not that hard, you just start with the basics like saying that your ‘sorry’ or ‘thank you’ but you have to mean it. Like my mom always said: ‘Don’t say your sorry, unless you mean it.”
She smiled. “That makes sense. Now! As my first act of niceness, I will take this off!” she pulled out a key out of her pocket and took off my braceelte.
“Thanks.” I rubbed my wrist.
“Now, let’s go rescue, Jonah. That’s my second act of niceness!” Jessica said.
I started to run after her, but then I stopped. This was too easy, could you really turn someone like this? I mean, she was really mean. Could you turn someone to nice with like, tears and a speech? It didn’t seem like it. Or maybe Jessica was just waiting for a chance to be nice. I mean, she was trying to not be beaten up by her Commander. And the only way she was going to do that, was by being mean. And I also turned Matt too.
It made sense, so I just went with it. I followed her to the door where I had last seen Jonah.
She put up her hand to stop me. “Shhh…the Commander’s out there. And she’s talking to Marcus…I hope he’s still smart and he won’t tell her where we went.”
I hoped that too. I didn’t think I could turn Ms. Evil Mommy from being mean to nice with tears and a speech.
“When I say go. We run. K?” She hissed.
I nodded. “K.”
The Commander wasn’t really talking. She was, yelling. She a lot of things that would of made my pastor flinch. It made me flinch too. I hated it when people used God’s name in vain. It was wrong. Anyway, as she was yelling, I looked at the rest of her. She was wearing a light blue business suit and skirt. Her hair was down on her shoulders. She looked like my second grade teacher. She always said that second grade was as important as a business meeting. I didn’t’ think so though. Second grade was just as boring as a bussniess meeting.
My Evil Mom’s face was red, it was either from yelling so much, or from rage. It was probably both.
“You mean you let him die?!” she yelled at Marcus.
“Yes, but.—“
“He’s dead! You should of done something!”
“We thought you didn’t care.—“
“Do I look like a person who doesn’t care about her own children, Mr. James?!”
Yep, you do.
Then I saw Jessica flinch. Then I knew. Marcus was Jessica’s brother.
I touched her arm. “It’ll be ok.” I whispered.
She nodded. Then she looked back at the sceance. Then her eyes got wide. “Run!”
She started to run, I ran after her. The Commander didn’t even notice, but Marcus did. And he looked over at us. I shook my head at him. I wanted him to look away.
“Mr. James! Look at me when I’ve talking to you!” The Commander shouted.
“I.—Sorry.”
Then the Commander looked. And I saw her face soften for a fration of a second. Then it harden again.
“Get them!” she screamed at Marcus.
But Marcus didn’t move.
“Are you all turning into Blondes?!” The Commander screamed. Practically in Marcus’ face. Then she turned to the other Dyed and screamed at them instead.
“MARCUS! FOLLOW US!” I yelled at him.
He came running after us. Apparently I was running too slow for him. And Jessica, she was yelling at me to hurry. Hey! I have shorter legs then them! Marcus ran up to me. And picked me up and practically threw me on his back.
“HANG ON!” He yelled.
“You don’t have to yell! I’m right here!”
“WHAT?!”
Never mind.
I grabbed onto his shoulders with both hands and I wrapped my legs around his waist.
“PIGGE BACK MUCH?!” He yelled.
“Some.” I used to on Jonah. We would do it around the yard…
Jessica interrupted my thoughts, “Enough day dreaming! What do you we now?!”
“Jessica, there are a lot of types of mean.—“
“Luna! This isn’t the time to teach me!”
“Whatever.” She clearly got mean when she was freaking out. And right now, she was doing exactly that.
Marcus put me down. “Ok, we need a plan…”
“There isn’t any time for plan making!” Jessica schreeched at me.
“Shut up, Jess! Luna’s right.” Marcus said.
I’m glad someone agrees with me.
“Ok, by now she’s probably told the whole ship about us, so…”
“Ok! Start running again!” Jessica yelled.
“Wha.—“ Marcus and I turned and we were tackled to the ground.
Purple hair was in my face. And then, everything went black.
Chapter 30
“Luna!” someone hissed. Someone I knew…
“Luna!” it hissed a little louder.
I woke with a start and sat up so hard that I ran into whoever was hissing my name.
“Woah!” The person said.
I scooted back in fear and then I saw who it was. It was John! And he was wearing a black suit! And…and…
“Woah! What’s wrong?” We sounded like it wasn’t strange to see me like this. In this place. And any other weird things that were happening at the moment.
“What.—Why are you here?” I finalley got out.
The last time I had seen John was when he had given me a daisy and then after that night, everything went wrong…
“Can’t Black Hairs show up here too?” he asked.
Ok, that was weird.
“What?! You were spying on me?” I stood up.
“No, I-I wasn’t.”
“Really? Because you’re a terrible lair.” I crossed my arms.
He stood up and uncrossed them for me. He had me against a wall, and I was freaking out.
“Go away! I can’t belive you were spying on me!”
Then I heard laughing. Horrible cruel laughing. And John dispeared.
“I love doing that.” And Ms. Evil Mom came out. I took a step back.
“This room is so…tourtuing.” She laughed some more. It made me want to throw up.
“You know, you took quite a risk running from me, uselly people would just do what I say. But…You are just to dumb to do that.”
“I-I’m n-not d-dumb.” I stammered.
“Really?” this whole time, she’d been talking towards me and now she was really close.
“You turned my own son, against me!” She screamed into my face. “and you turned two of my most important Dyed against me as well! You are dumb! No one would do that! Your going to have to pay for it now!”
I knew how mom’s worked. I have plenty of fights with my other mom. And I knew how to fight with this one.
“You did that yourself! If you weren’t such a jerk, we wouldn’t have this problem, now would we?” I put as much sarcasim in my voice as possible.
“You stupid little girl,” she said. “Why did I even try to hide you? You would of just hurt yourself by doing something stupid the first day you tried to do anything!”
Ow. That hurt me. I felt the tears coming now. My other mom wouldn’t of said that to me.
“Are you a jerk! And if you weren’t you would care about me! If you really cared about Matt, then you would care about me too!” I screamed into her face this time.
She seemed stunned. She kept opening her mouth and then shutting it. Then the doors in the room and Matt, USeal, Angelica, Jason and Anne Bellum ran into the room.
But we didn’t’ notice, we just kept staring at each other.
“Luna! Your alright! Thank goodness!” Matt cried. He ran up and wrapped his arms around me in a hug. Pulling me back. “Did she hurt you?”
“I-I’m fine.” I said.
I’m just probably scared for life.
The Commander recovered from her stun and looked over at Angelica.
“Well, well, sister, no time no see.” She snapped.
“Ok, I am officially freaked out.” I mumbled. “How many long lost relations do I have?”
“A lot.” Jason answered for me.
“Probably more. Mostly all of them are Blondes. So you don’t have to worry about another Hair Color forces taking a visit.” Anne supplied.
“That doesn’t help.” I said.
Matt’s arms sqeezed harder around me. “We need to get out of here now. Are you sure your ok?” Matt asked. He looked worried.
“I’m fine!” I snapped. Prying his arms off of me. “Where’s Jonah?”
“Don’t start that again, Luna.—“ Anne sighed.
“Anne, you don’t know anything about family do you?” I snapped.
Anne recoiled. “Yes I do.”
“No. You don’t! We look out for each other, that’s what family does. Now, name one time any of you, not including Matt. Came and saved a family member. Even though it meant not getting what you wanted.” I looked around at all of them. They all had there heads bowed. “I knew it! You don’t even care! The only reason any of you came and rescued me, was because of this stupid war! And I now know why I’m going to start a war,”
“How are you starting it?” Jason asked. His face looked dark.
“Because, everyone kept trying to take me, which started a war between to Hair Color Forces and so on. You see that now?” I had tears in my eyes.
“I do, Luna. I understand now. We were all wrong. We should of listened in the first place.” Angelica stepped forward. She wrapped her arm around my shoulder. She eyed her sister.
“Are you going to care about your family members, Becky?” she asked.
Becky? Wow, I didn’t know that my mom could have such a cheesy name.
“I’d love to, but.—“
“But what, mother?” Matt snapped. “But, that you can’t because your evil and only care about yourself? But, that all you want is to toutrue us, just because you can?” He pulled out a slick sliver gun. “Your going to let us go now.”
“Why you stupid little boy, I never know why I even cared to yell at Luna about your.—“
“You said, cared, Becky.” Angelica said. “That’s a first.”
That made Becky mad.
“Dyed! In here right now!” she screamed into her watch. “LOCK DOWN!”
The doors and the windows were covered by metal boards.
“Matt!” I couldn’t see anymore, the boards had blocked out the sun. And there weren’t any lights.
“I’m right here, Luna! Follow my voice.” Matt sounded so calm. I miss I could be that calm. I guess I took after Commander Becky.
He kept talking and I followed it, I didn’t know where Angelica and the rest had gone.
Then I felt a hand on my arm. I yelped in pain.
“Let go!” I shouted.
“Now dear, there’s no reason to yell at mommy.” Becky said. she grabbed my other arm.
“Let me go!” I screamed. She started to pull me. I kicked and screamed.
“Luna!” Becky yelled. “Shut up!”
“No! I won’t! Let me go!” I hated being the target of torture and dragging. I felt a gag in my mouth. I went to pry it out of my mouth with my hands, but then they were shoved behind my back. Then I heard Becky yell, and a loud thump.
A dim light came on, and I could see, Marcus and Jessica standing there.
“I’ve always wanted to do that.” Jessica said. Wiping her hands, the noise made a slight echo in the room.
I took off the gag, and breathed again. “Thanks.” I said.
“No problem. Let’s hope this is over now.” Jessica said. We all looked down at the body of the Dyed Commander.
“So…what do we do with her now?” I asked.
“We could take her back to Head Quarters.” Jessica suggested.
“I don’t think we’re going to be able to…” Marcus said.
“Why--?” We all turned and a bunch of Dyed came.
“Will this ever end!” I said.
“I don’t think so.” Matt was behind me, and so was, Angelica, Jason, Anne and USeal
“STEP AWAY FROM THE COMMANDER!” One of the Dyed shouted at us.
“We don’t intend to.” Angelica said.
“Then you’ll have to say good bye to the boy…” Another Dyed said.
I knew they meant Jonah. I was freaking. Matt put his hands on my shoulders.
“It’ll be fine.” He whispered.
I didn’t say anything. I didn’t’ even nod. I knew he was just trying to make me feel better. But it wasn’t’ working.
Then a tall Dyed came out behind the rest. He had black hair, but I couldn’t see his eyes, he had dark sunglasses on. I didn’t understand why he was wearing them. I could barely see a foot in front of me!
“We really don’t want to do this.” He said. I knew that voice.
“Guys, run.” I whispered to them.
“Why?” the all hissed at me.
“They want me, so just run!”
“No, we’re are not leaving you!” Matt hissed.
“Go! This is serious! I can handle this, just take mom with you. They want me.”
I didn’t know why I was telling them this. I just knew that they would hurt us all if I didn’t do something.
Matt looked at me for one second longer. Then he nodded, and he turned to the rest.
“Run!” he yelled. They grabbed the Commander and pulled her out, the Dyed jumped into action but I jumped in front of them.
“Hold it, I know who you want. And it isn’t them.” I said.
They all stopped. I didn’t move until I heard the doors shut behind me.
“Now, Jonah. How about you quit the act now?” I said.
Chapter 31
I couldn’t belive that Jonah would work with the Dyed.
Jonah quit the act, but he wasn’t the person who had stepped up. That person took off the sunglasses. And Luna wasn’t surprised to see John.
“You?” Luna said. “No, wait. I’m not surprised to see you here.”
“Of course your not. Your getting used to people betraying you.” John said. A sly smile came on his face.
“And you actullay thought I would like you?” I snapped.
“What’s not to like?”
Oooh! He did not just say that.
“Shut up. Where’s Jonah?”
“Oh, you mean agent X? Yes, he’s been talking about you.”
“Your creeping me out.” I said.
“That’s why I’m soupossed to do.” John said, stepping closer.
“Where’s Jonah?” I said again.
“Busy. Since you took away our Commander, he’s the next in line as Commander.” He took another step closer.
“You know what? I don’t think you like him as Commander. Your jealous. You have that look in your eyes that Matt gets.”
I’d been with Matt long enough to know which looks meant what.
“Wow, your actullay smart. That’s amazing for a Blonde.”
“That’s what people tell me.”
He took another step closer and he was right on top of me. He had a longer stride then I thought.
“But not smart enough.” He said. his breath smelled like something I had smelled before. It was on, Marcus, Jessica, Matt and Becky. Something I had smelled on my other mom once too.
“Hair dye.” I said.
“What was that?” I saw his hand reach for my wrist. I pulled it away.
“You really think you can just do that?” I asked.
Apperntly he had, because he didn’t answer.
“Now, I want to talk to Jonah. Busy or not.” I hissed.
“Why?”
“Because! That’s why!”
“John, stand down.” I heard someone say.
John obeyed and stepped back.
And there was Jonah. His hair wasn’t red anymore, it was black and so was his outfit. His eyes were piercing and I took a step back.
“How could you?!” I yelled at him. “Your just as bad as the rest of them!”
“Luna.—“
“No!” I thought I had gotten over being betrayed. But I had lived my entire life with him. He wasn’t as bad as Matt.
“I joined a long time ago, and.—“
“And what?” I snapped.
“I couldn’t just leave. They.—“
“Don’t tell me they needed you! Did they really?!”
Jonah didn’t move. He didn’t say anything.
“I’m leaving! This is stupid! You’re a jerk! You’re the biggest jerk that ever, ever lived! Your worse than, Mom! Your worse than Matt! Your worse than anyone who said they cared about me and then poof! They just turned against me!” I turned to leave. He firm hand grabbed my shoulder.
I stopped. I was so done with this.
I grabbed the arm and I kicked the person in the stochmace and I threw him down on the ground.
Jonah stared at me in horror.
“You didn’t think I was smart too huh? Well guess what? Us Blondes are smarter than we look.” That was the second time I had said that, and I liked the line. Because it was true.
“I can’t let you leave.” Jonah said, as I turned to go again.
I didn’t turn around. “Why? Because your fellow jerks.—“
“Luna. Stop.”
I wasn’t in the mood to stop. But he didn’t know that.
“I have know intension of staying, Jonah. I’m leaving.” I took another step to the door.
“Well, tell Matt that his brother is missing him.” John said.
Brother? What was he talking about, I turned around, bad idea.
He was pointing a silver gun at me. I saw the needle of the dart inside it.
“What are you talking about?” I said.
“Did you really think that the Commander only had one son?” John said.
Actullay, I never really thought about it.
“No.” I said.
“the boy was right, you have a lot of long lost reletives.”
“That boy’s name is Jason.” I snapped.
“And that ‘boy’ just left you? Some friend he turned out to be.”
I looked at Jonah. I didn’t want to talk to John, I just wanted to leave. But he looked away.
“He left, because I told him to. Because you didn’t want them.” I took a step back.
He leveled his gun. “Smart girl. Your right, we just want you.”
My eye’s got wide, and I took another step back. I had another brother that was going to hurt me. And I couldn’t belive that John had tried to go out with me, and he was my brother!
“Luna, we just want to.—“ Jonah said.
“Shut up, Jonah! I can take care of this!” John snapped. He looked behind him and nodded, and a bunch of Dyed advanced on Jonah.
“Leave him alone!” I cried. John advanced on me. He was taller than Matt,and I was pretty sure he was older, like Jonah’s age.
I saw Jonah being dragged away, but he wasn’t going without a fight. And I had John to myself, and I wasn’t sure I wanted him there.
“L-leave me alone.” I stammered.
“Darling, we just want you for a little while. And it’ll only hurt a little bit.” He said. Getting closer, I looked behind me. And I decided to run for it.
I took one tiny step backwards and than I turned around and ran for it.
“That’s not smart, sweetie.” He called after me.
“Don’t call me sweetie!” I yelled.
Then I heard a whistling noise by my ear. It was a dart.
I stopped.
“Now your acting smart.” John was right behind me. And I did a mistake by stepping backwards. I bumped into him. He grabbed both my arms and whispered into my ear,
“Don’t try anything funny, darling. Because I don’t want this to get any harder than it has to be.”
I hissed back at him, “I’m not scared of you.” But I was, but I had to say something back to hide my fear.
He laughed, the same cold laugh the Commander has. “You should be.” I guessed that John had gotten all of mom’s evilness and Matt had gotten dad’s niceness and I got the mix of both of them.
For the second time, he reached down to grab my wrist, and I elbowed him in the ribs. His other hand’s grip got tighter, on my other arm, and I tried not to cry out, because it hurt.
“I told you not to make this harder.” He said. He got his other hand back on my other arm and he squeezed harder on that one too.
I bit my lip. “That hurts.”
“It’s soupossed to.” He said. And he dragged me towards the door at the end.
“Let me go!” I yelled at him.
He didn’t say anything.
“What did you do with Jonah?!” I yelled at him. When we got through the door.
“He’s busy, darling.” He replied.
“Don’t call me that!” I screamed. I dug my heels of my shoes into the floor. Completely stopping us from moving. Mr. Aqua said that there super shoes would come in handy someday.
He turned me to face him, “All we want is a little sample of your DNA, that’s it.” He said. “And then we might let you go.”
“Might? Really?” I snapped.
“Yes, might.” He said, he got that smile that Matt had gotten when he went forward to kiss me. And I hoped that John didn’t have the same idea.
“This isn’t the way to treat your younger sister.” I said.
“Is it? Well, I didn’t know that. Maybe after we’re done you can show me what’s the right way.” He tried to push me. But I kept my heels in the floor.
I knew how older brothers worked and I knew how to make them mad.
“You know, your not as tough as Matt said you would be.”
John narrowed his eyes. “Matt’s a whimp.”
“He’s nicer than you.” I said smiling a sly smile.
“And he’s a idiot for even telling you about himself!”
I was making him mad.
“Actullay, I was glad he told me.”
“Why are you happy about that? Your family is just a bunch of jerks.” It was his turn to smile.
“Well, I can forgive jerks like you. But first.--” he didn’t let me finish. He was smarter than he looked.
“Don’t remember how, Jonah just left you?”
He didn’t give me a chance to answer.
“Or when Matt lied to you? Or when Mom screamed at you? How will you ever forgive them?”
“Because,” I said, looking him in the eye. “Jesus will help me, he forgave me, and he died on the cross for me. So I think I can forgive them.” I kicked him in the stomach. He doubled over.
“You stupid little girl!” he screeched.
“That’s what people call me.” I turned to go. And I felt a shot in my arm. And then pain.
I screamed. And I looked over and saw a dart.
I yanked it out. Creating more pain.
“AHHHHH!” I fell to my knees.
John towered over me. “I guess I’m the smarter one here, huh, darling?”
“Don’t…call…me…that…” I said, trying to breathe.
“JOHN!” I heard someone scream. John looked behind him, eyes filled with annoyance. Then his eyes got wide.
“What are you doing here, stupid?!” he yelled behind him.
I clutched my stomach. I had felt this before. It was the same venom that Matt had given to me, when he kissed me. But this felt more painful. I cried out.
“LEAVE HER ALONE!” Matt’s calm voice sounded far away.
“Matt…” I said.
“Why did you even come back here for her?!” I heard John scream.
“Because! She’s my sister, and I care about her!”
And those were the last words I heard, before everything went black.
Chapter 32
When I was out cold, I kept having visions of John, Mom and Jonah. They kept hurting me, not fisicley, but mently.
I remember once, I cried out and heard Matt’s voice, telling me it was ok. I didn’t feel ok. I think once, I threw up. But I’m not going to go into details about that.
When I did wake up, everything was blurry.
“I think…I…need my…glasses…again.” I moaned.
“No, no. It’s just the venom, it’ll wear off in a little bit.” I heard Matt say.
“Where…are…we?” It hurt to talk, but I wanted to know.
“Shhhh, we’re in a safe place.”
“Matt, seriously. Where?”
I saw him smile through the blurriness. “We’re back in Head Quarters.”
I smiled too. “That’s…good.”
“Yes, it is. Now you need to rest.”
“No, no, I’m fine.” I seemed like every other sentence I could talk without forcing the words out.
“Luna, you need to rest. It’s the only way the antadoite with kick in. Ok?” His voice was still calm. I wish I could do that.
“But…when I close…my eyes…I see…mom and…John…and…”
Jonah!
“Where’s Jonah?” I sat up in bed. Regretting it. My head exploded in pain. And I felt like throwing up.
Matt gently pushed me back down. “I don’t know, but don’t worry, we have mom here and John is harmless. He’s all talk.”
“He didn’t…seem that….way…to me…” I said.
I could see Matt’s face grow grim.
“It’s fine. We will resuce him, Luna. I promise.”
That made me feel better. It was the second most awesome thing I had heard all day.
Matt went to get up. I grabbed his hand. “Hey, I just want to know, that I care about you too. As a brother.”
He smiled. “Sweet dreams.”
“Your cheesy.”
He laughed, and he bent down and kissed me on the forhead.
All through the night, I knew that everything would be ok. And I didn’t have to worry. I had, Matt, Anne, Jason, Angelica and I had Jesus. I was going to be ok. And so was Jonah. I knew that Matt would never break that promise. I knew that God would take care of him, and everything would be ok.
Everything will be ok, Luna.
I heard the voice in my head, the voice I knew was God’s. And I fell into a deep and wonderful sleep. I swore that I had a smile on my face the whole night.
THE END