Glitches (Book 1)

Chapter 40: Claire/Amanda

YAY!!! THIS BOOK HAS REACHED 1K VOTES!!! I'm revealing the cover for the sequel, Codes, as a little thank you present to all of you awesome readers :D Please let me know what you think.

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Claire POV

"Guys, the game's about to start!" Lucy said cheerily, poking her head through the door.

"Okay guys, it's showtime!" I cheered, leading my team out of the locker room.

Today was our second game of the season, Team Sloppie vs. Team Cookie. Our last chance. We would either win or have no shot at the championship.

"Hey Claire!" Kelly called, jogging up to join me as we walked to the Glitching box. "Let's get some hot chocolate from the cafe block after the game to cheer us up."

"We're not going to need cheering up," I grinned. "The Cookies are the ones who'll be getting hot chocolate. They're going to be losing to the 'worst' division!"

"I'm not even going to try to tell you to be realistic anymore," Kelly sighed.

"But promise me you'll try?" I asked.

"Okay, I'll try," she rolled her eyes. "But we're still gonna lose."

"Ready, set, go!" Lucy blew her whistle and one of Ellie's regs took possession of the ball. I struggled to get it back with two of my own regs, but he easily dodged them, sinking the ball into the basket with a swoosh.

The Cookies in the stands cheered as a holographic 1 went up under "Cookie" on the Code scoreboard. Oh great, the other team had a point and it wasn't even a minute into the game yet. Already, some of the spectators were leaving, not bothering to see the Sloppies get swept once again.

One of my regs caught the rebound, and I desperately tried to move the ball up the court. When the reg crossed half court, I began to feel a weird tingly sensation between my eyes. I blinked, trying to stay focused on the game, but the feeling was overwhelming.

It intensified into a throbbing headache, and my eyes began to water, clouding my vision. For a second, I thought I could see weird blue smudges across the court.

The headache only got worse from there, until it sent sparks of blinding pain across my vision. Then, suddenly, everything was still. Except, something was wrong.

Lines of blue vapor filled the court, lines that most definitely weren't there before. And get this, the lines were helping Team Cookie.

They surrounded the Cookie regs, lifting them up and supporting them, giving them extra speed and faster reflexes. More were stationed by the baskets, flicking Sloppie shots out and pushing Cookie shots in. So this was why the Sloppies lost all the games. We weren't the worst team after all!

But what were these weird lines, and why couldn't I see them before. Why didn't anyone else notice?

"Hey Kelly!" I whispered. "Do you see those things on the court?"

"What things?" She narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"The blue fog things! The ones that are making us lose!"

"Are you okay, Claire?" She asked, giving me a weird look. "Because there's nothing there but regs, baskets, and a ball.

What had happened to me?

I watched furiously as the lines thwarted all of my attempts get a hold of the ball. Being able to see them certainly didn't give me the ability to stop them. Or did it? The lines weren't Code, but maybe they worked like it!

Reaching out and focusing on a line that curled around the basket, ready to make my reg's shot bounce off the rim, I twisted my hand to control it as if it was Code. There was a slight resistant force, but soon, the line obeyed and uncoiled itself from the basket, giving my reg the opportunity to score!

I smiled triumphantly as a point appeared under "Sloppie" on the scoreboard.

When I casually looked down at my lap, I found to my surprise that I glowed blue like the lines! Tentatively, I raised my luminous arm and pointed it at a random Sloppie reg. A coil of blue light shot from my outstretched fingertips and wrapped around the reg. He instantly sped up, grabbing the ball and going for another shot.

Yes! Now we could finally get to the finals! I ignored the Glitching aspect of the game, allowing Kelly to control all eight regs, and began to focus completely on the lines. I pulled away the existing lines and put in more of my own, slowly shifting the advantage to my team.

My lines were darker than the others, a nearly purplish shade, so it was easy to tell them apart. However, as I worked, I felt something resisting me, destroying my lines and putting in more of the light blue ones. There was another blue line controller (whatever they're called) in the area, and they wanted the Cookies to win.

Suddenly, something clicked and I felt impossible blue power rush through me. The score was tied at 4-4 with thirty seconds left, and my desperation to win kicked in.

I let the blue lines loose several at a time, propelling my reg forward with the ball and tearing down the other lines with everything I had. Finally, I heard the satisfying swoosh of the ball entering the basket.

"OH MY GOSH WE WON!" Kelly screamed, pulling me into a tight hug.

"I know!" I giggled. "Told you so."

"Scrap the cheer up hot chocolate plan," Kelly grinned. "We're getting a victory cheese pizza."

Amanda POV

I slid my hands into the familiar straps of the LDCF, preparing to boost the Cookies to yet another victory over the Sloppies. 

"Amanda! Is the objective clear?" Jade asked from the Coded control desk. 

"A few degrees to the right!" I responded, and she adjusted the knobs. Soon, my vision came into focus. "Okay, that's good," I gave her a thumbs up and she locked the setting. 

I let my Aura inflate the bags under the LDCF to activate it, then sent it in lines of blue vapor across the court as the game began, giving the Cookies an edge. 

Everything went as planned until the beginning of the second half, when I felt the sudden presence of another Aura in the area! I whipped around, scanning the area, and sure enough, Claire King was clutching her head in pain! 

Sorry Princess Viviana, the Awakening can be quite painful. 

Suddenly, her head snapped up, and her eyes glowed the bright blue of a newly-Awoken three year old Lessaenite! Then, I realized now that she was Awoken, she'd see my Aura manipulating the game. She wasn't a threat though, her Aura was still a baby, and I was the future Warrior Chief trained by Queen Saralee herself. 

I couldn't have been more wrong. Her eyes narrowed with furious determination and coils of Aura shot from her hand, so blue they were almost purple! 

There was only one person in all of the Lessaenite Empire with an Aura of that color, and that was Queen Saralee. 

I gasped, stumbling backwards in pain and shock as she severed my connections, pushing my Aura back into me with impossible force. 

What was wrong with me? Was I out of practice? No, I practiced every day on the 51st floor!

I watched in awe as the Princess's Aura blossomed into being around her, glowing with an almost blinding intensity, tinged silver at the edges like all royal Auras were.

It was only then that the enormity of what I had seen hit me. 

The White Hot Flame's rumors were true. Against all odds, Princess Viviana Sonaway Arystenn was alive, and she had inherited the most powerful Aura in the universe.