Triple Power

Chapter Ten: Addison Allens

I hold the locket in my hands. I turn it over and over, inspecting it. My presents were awesome, I know that, but why did Mackenzie give me a locket?

I stand up and exit the bathroom. It's Mackenzie's turn to take a shower. I grab my clothes: kind of showy, racy, etc. This is the only thing that fits me, though. I slip a Santa hat over my head, my short red dress already on. White fuzz covers the bottoms of my sleeves and skirt. I slip on red sandals and stick a knife in my bra. Just in case. I put mascara on and grab bright red lip gloss. I put the locket around my neck and shiver as the cold metal touches my skin.

Rosalie peeks her head out from under the bed. I feel sorry for insulting Hope. She really is a good person; it's just that, at first she can seem mean. "I'm sorry. Don't be mad at me," I say.

Rosalie just nods. She wears a dark green dress that stops just below her knees with straps. Her shoes have bows on them. I smile, because it fits her.

Mackenzie walks out from the bathroom with a purple sweater and jeans on. Her combat boots reach to her knees. That fits her perfectly, too. We stare at her. "What?" she asks, perplexed. We just smile and walk towards the Christmas Dance. Today I might be able to kiss Garrett, finally.

I nervously shake my hands. Tonight could go amazing, or it will suck. Rosalie accidentally knocks me aside, and I feel the knife shift. I keep walking. When I enter the ballroom, I immediately find Garrett and walk over to him. He smiles.

"Hey, I'm sorry I've been ditching you lately. I just... I'm nervous, scared that any moment I'll be attacked," I say. I hold his hand and lead him out of the ballroom.

A few seconds later I find myself hidden in a closet with Garrett. He stares at me intently. He pulls in close, pulling my hips toward his. I smile a small smile. I suck my breath in. I realize this will be the first kiss, that I've gone along with, anyway.

His hands are on the small of my back. I grab his hands and pull them to my neck, somewhere safe. His luscious, full lips push on mine and I want to crumple to the floor. My entire body tingles with fear, love, happiness. I feel weak and my entire body wants more.

It feels so nice to be loved. He pulls back, and I stare at him questioningly. Why did he stop? I pull his shirt in my knuckles and pull him in closer. My lips make contact with his and I hold on for as long as I can before I let go to breathe.

His eyes meet mine hungrily, wanting to devour the sight of me. He leans his head in and his hand reaches my thigh, where he pulls up the dress at the bottom. I shiver nervously and let go. I take a step backward. I slap him and pull my knife out. I point it at him.

He steps back, cowering. I hope this doesn't ruin things between us. "Touch me like that again when we're this young and this touches you." I shake the knife. Then I walk out. "Are you coming? This doesn't change anything. Now you just know how far to go at what pace."

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I head back to the dorm room. There I find Mackenzie and Rosalie already sitting cross-legged on the ground, playing Spin-the-Bottle with their dates. I was planning maybe Garrett and I would, you know, hang. We decide to play with them instead.

I watch Mackenzie's boyfriend kiss Rosalie. He has dark hair and sea green eyes. It looks awkward on him, but it works. He looks.. strange. Suspicious. Then I spot a gun in his back pocket. It's hidden well enough that no one would notice it, except I'm an expert on the shapes of guns and I know it's a gun.

He reaches in his pocket for it while his lips are still against Rosalie's. It's small enough to fit into his palm, but I know what it is. Right at the last moment, I realize he might shoot Rosalie and I lunge myself forward. I hit myself right in between their bodies and the gun clatters to the floor.

Rosalie sits back, appalled, and the boy reaches for his gun, but I attack him. I knee him in the gut and he lies on the floor, motionless other than his side faintly breathing. I scramble towards Rosalie.

She looks fine, although I might have thrown her against the wall while I was beating the boy. She moans and says she's alright.

I walk over to the boy, stick his gun under my bed, and he sits up, better. I grab his ear and he immediately says, "Ah, I love you," and slumps down against the dresser.

"Aww, thanks, I love you too."

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"The Christmas Dance was a complete rip-off, so we know you didn't go to that. So, what'd you do? Hmm?" Rosalie asks. Her eyes stretch to the size of saucers.

I frown. "Um, we kissed once or twice. That's all."

"Although, he did try to, you know, and I pulled a knife on him. It was kind of funny."

Both Rosalie and Mackenzie stare at me, mouths wide open. We'd decided earlier that we were going to watch a movie, but then we started talking.

"Close your mouths or you'll catch flies," I say. "Hey, I know it's Christmas and all, but we need to look for doors in the hallway. It's our only chance to save the world and all that mumbo jumbo."

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I jiggle a door with a key, and it opens. This is the only one that has worked in the past few hours. I get giddy inside, then walk in, Rosalie and Mackenzie hot on my tail. I see nothing, and then plants surround me. It's humid.

I glance down, and I see a path leading towards a small village. I grin. New adventures, new attitude.

We walk towards the village and someone greets us, telling us we need a pass to get through. I stare at him, and the gate opens. He smiles.

"Is there some way I can help you? You look lost," he says.

"Actually, yes. Can you tell us where we are?"

"You're in Mwawamba the Mighty Village."

"No, I mean, like what.. planet do you call this?"

"Mid Earth."