Our Hidden Secrets

Chapter 16

Author's note - Hey everyone! Sorry I've been gone so long, but I'm back now. Yay!!!

"Lilly. Lilly get up." I vaguely hear Sugar say. It's morning. This means Asher, Sugar, and I have to now tell Sage that we didn't get dinner last night, and see if we get breakfast. This should be interesting.

"Lilly, c'mon, it's like, 10 o'clock," she urges.

"First, you don't know that it's anywhere near 10, it could be a guess. Second, I'm up, I'm up."

"Well it's about freakin' time," Asher whisper-shouts, "we have anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 minutes before Mr. Moody gets out of the shower, and we still have to figure out a way to tell him that we didn't get dinner, and aren't getting breakfast."

"Wait wait wait. I slept through the fluctuating time we get breakfast?" I ask, mystified.

Sugar interjects, "We waited for a while, then Asher went to ask Barker and-"

"And he said we're not getting it today." Asher finishes.

"Well, I have no idea how to tell him, guys." I say

"Tell me what?" Sage says, while opening the bathroom door. How did we not hear the water shut off? He looks so peaceful without the worry creases and intense expression. The last thing I want to do is make him upset. Too bad I don't have a choice in the matter, because neither Sugar, nor Asher has said a word.

"C'mon guys, just tell me." When still no one responds, he looks to me. "Lills?"

"Okay, fine, I'll tell you. But only if you promise not to get all mad and go hide in a supply closet again."

"Fine. I promise. Now what is it?" He prompts.

"....... Apparently no one came with dinner last night, and same deal with breadfast this morning." I blurt out all in one breath.

"Why not just go down to the cafeteria then?" Sage questions. I guess we could do that. But Asher seems to read my thoughts when he says,

"Because they won't let us," Asher says, "I asked Barker this morning, he said they're not letting us leave the room."

"We're going to Ms. Dew, right?" Sage asks.

"That's the plan," Sugar responds.

"Alright then, let's go," I say

"Wait, we can't march into her office yet. We have no idea what to say," Asher reasons.

"I'll wing it." I say.

"Um, no. Last time you 'winged it', you got both of us beaten to a pulp. I think we should have Asher and Sugar do the talking." Sage argues.

"What?!" I exclaim.

"Lilly. Look at your hair," I do as Asher says, "good. Now look at Sage's hair," Again, I concede, "Now, you guys' hair is both red now isn't it?" Sage and I both nod, clearly not getting the point. "Yes. It is. Now don't get defensive, but it matches your temper. That's why we can't let either of you do the talking." He finishes.

"Lills," Sugar cuts in, "he's got a point."

"Fine. I won't say a word. I'll just stand there and look pretty.... I hate standing there and looking pretty." I say

"Come on now Lilly, you're so good at it though." Sage says.

"W-well, thanks I-I guess," I stutter. I never stutter. What's wrong with me? "Well I still hate it." Oh. Now I understand, as I feel heat spreading across my probably-blushing cheeks.

As we walk out the door, and wander the halls in search of Ms. Dew's office, Sage stays by my side. Which is probably meant to be soothing, but it's almost to the point of unnerving, because I've never been very good at keeping my mouth shut, and if I can barely do it in front of Sage, I don't see how I'm going to do it in front of that awful woman.

The sound of an unfamiliar, gruff voice, knocks me out of my thoughs and back to reality.

"What are you four doing here?" A buff man in a security suit, exactly like Barker's says. "You aren't supposed to be out of your room."

"May I ask why?" Sugar says.

"No you may not. Now you and the rest of your girl scout troop can go back to your quarters, or some of my friends and I, are going to have to escort you back, and trust me, that won't be pleasant."

Asher puts his hand on her shoulder, but that doesn't do a thing to stop her.

"We have followed all of your stupid rules. Haven't done a single thing wrong, and yet we didn't get dinner last night, nor breakfast this morning. Now I'm not whining, I can go for a while without eating, but I can't stand this place as it is, much less die here at 17. Now you can either tell me what's going on here yourself, or direct us to Ms. Dew's office, so she can."

Well. Look at that. The kitten grew claws. And as much as I'm proud of her, I think we may all might be beaten to a pulp now. The barker look-a-like, lookes like he's about to implode, as his face turns red and his breathing quickens.

"So that's it, then. You've made your choice. Now you leave me none." As he reaches for a two-way radio that I totally didn't see, now I really know we're in trouble.

"Subjects three through six, are out of their quarters and refuse to return peacefully. This is guard #1312 with access code 23255001118820 requesting backup."

Sage and I give each other a look that says "We're so, totally screwed.", I see Sugar and Asher exchanging a similar one.

"Guard #1312, backup's on their way. Good work."

As I hear the sound of boots pounding the surrounding hallways, I take one look and Asher and Sage's faces, and know that we're not going anywhere without a fight, no matter how much Sugar and I plead.

"Stay behind me, and don't get hurt." I hear Sage whisper in my ear.

"Not a chance," I respond, "you're not the only one here with an idea how defend yourself."

Before he get's a chance to argue, and I know he will, I crouch to my feet, spin a 180, kicking my leg out and sweeping the guard that was about to taze me, off his feet.

"Let the fun begin," I say to a somewhat startled Sage with a wink.

And the fun does begin. Sage and I fight back to back, just as I notice Asher and Sugar doing. Working like a well oiled machine. We're fighting as hard as we can, and even though we all know we're not getting out of here this second, and it's probably not going to make anyone like the four of us any more, it feels good to move, to stand up for ourselves and do something. Even if that something is probably going to get us punished. We didn't really think when we started fighting, though. This entire compound is filled with guards who can either protects us, or punish us. And there's no way we're going to beat the god-knows-how-many guards here. 

And then we're not beating anything. Or at least I'm not, because I feel what I imagine lightning would feel like and I'm on the ground. My vision is starting to black out, and the sounds of a losing battle sound miles away. I hear Sage call my name, and then, nothing.