A huge thank you to @ExpressCookies for the amazing cover you created for The Cusp of a Star!
2- The Un-Bangable Girl
The feeling of cold chipped away at my fingertips, then lips, and all the way up to my eyes. It remained stagnant in those places regardless of my efforts in the beginning to bring back warmth, blood flow, anything to make me feel whole again.
But as time ventured on over mountains and within sewers, I accepted the ache that pulled at my heart. The oppression of my past life made it dwindled in my head until it become a distant memory, nearly forgotten. Similar to how I used to push old toys aside as a kid when I was gifted with new ones. Only for the torn teddy bear to collect dusk until someone took pity on it and threw it away.
Poor Beary.
But dwelling on the past only made it more difficult to continuing moving, pushing, excelling at this new world.
I was about to hack into the CIA's database when two men dressed in all black came into the room. I hid in the corner, peering over the screen. Usually when men dressed in black came for a visit to see someone, that person never came back.
Slowly, throughout the months, the group decreased, little by little. Leaving the strongest, quickest, and smartest to fend for ourselves amongst each other.
There was no team player. Only opponent which made this prison more lonely.
When it came to training, there was never an off day or easy day. And best believe the training never dared to get easier. The intensity only amplified once the men in black narrowed its option down. There were only five of us in the computer room, where the other 6 were outside doing military styled intervals.
"Sage Richards," The only man to hold a clipboard said. All heads snapped back to me. There was no sneaking my way out of this one.
I stared down at my computer and back up to the officials. "Do you want to come after I crack into the Central Intelligence Agency, or-"
"Now." The man who had called my name said. I got the sense he was straightforward before even having a conversation with him.
Shutting off my computer, I got up from my chair and smoothed out my black leggings. A blonde girl with two braids down to her waist was closest to the door and wore a smug look on her face as if to say 'Bye Bitch.'
I bucked at her with my chin as I existed the room, following the men.
I knew this meeting with them was nothing close to good, so I tried to pitch myself as a great candidate for whatever they were planning, hoping they wouldn't kill me when the time comes.
"I have the best physical performance out of all the girls, and I am the fastest at hacking any network thrown my way." Although I worked out everyday, I seemed to be out of breath trying to keep up with their quick pace. "I just don't understand what I did wrong?"
Panic was at the back of my brain, but quickly making it's way known, and felt. The lack of responses did not make me feel anymore at ease.
Soon we stopped in front of two large doors made of fine wood. I hadn't realized until a mumble came out that my mouth had been open in awe. Of course, everyone had seen these doors before. It was the thing held behind the doors that no one was fortunate or unfortunate to see.
One of the men spoke into his comms unit saying we had arrived. If my jaw wasn't already, it now was surely on the ground. The wooden doors automatically opened, holding a ballroom with the largest, most sparkly chandelier I had ever seen.
Not that I had seen a lot in my day.
Members of the group and I had taken bets as to what was behind the door. Easy to say, no one would be taking anyone's five dollars.
Our footsteps echoed through the huge room. At the other end of it, stood a woman with vibrant red hair in a pencil skirt. Her heels click-clacked to meet us in the middle where a rectangular table was placed with two chairs. She walked with her shoulders back and her chin held high with a smirk marking her face. "I'll take her from here, boys."
Just the way she referred to the men made me want to be just like her. Hold authority. One of the men handed her the file he had held, and she dismissed them with the flicked of her finger. I watched as they left the ballroom like soldiers walking to war, leaving me with a woman much more dangerous than she looked.
"Sage Richards, I am Miranda Cullury." She held her hand out and gave a firm shake. Then, she gestured for us to take a seat.
Even sitting down, her posture remained sharp and ready to kill. Realistically and figuratively. Miranda flipped though the pages of the file and gave tiny nods at points. Shortly after, she closed it and put it down between us.
My eyes flickered to the flimsy file. "Go ahead," she encouraged, "look for yourself."
Quickly without thinking, I picked up the papers and began to read them. Although it was only several pages, the information held in this flimsy folder was my old life. Documents of my old English essays and photos of me walking home.
One in particular that drew my attention was when I had gotten bangs that I so desperately wanted. The downside was that I have naturally curly hair and the bangs sprang up making me look like Beyonce when she did the same mistake I made.
I should have thought if it didn't work on Beyonce, it was definitely not going to turn in my favor. The boys nicknamed me "The Un-Bangable Girl" of sophomore class. That was until I cried to Hudson and he made every stop.
A felt a ghost of a smile on my face of the memory of him until I realized these people had been watching me since sophomore year. Two whole years they planned to take me. The smile flipped into a frown as I looked at Miranda. "Y-you planned this?"
"Yes." She replied matter-of-fact. She intwined her fingers above the table and leaned forward as if to tell me a secret. "It was either take you or kill your parents then take you. We decided on the easier method."
My heart picked up a fast rhythm as I asked, "Why?"
She gave a curt laugh. "Now that's simple, your I.Q is above average, you're physically applicable, and your appearance makes you perfect for blending into various locations around the world."
I looked down at my hand as a reminder that I was biracial. "I never said I wanted-"
"We never asked." Miranda cut me off. "Which is something you need to learn quickly if you want to survive in this world." I opened my mouth to reply, but before I could say anything she quickly said, "It doesn't matter that you didn't pick this world. It chose you. That is how the world works, Sage. The top dog's call the shot, and if you're lucky..." she paused to let a grin form. "You get to work for them directly."
My eyebrows raised in amazement. "So you're one of the top dogs?"
The grin that formed on Miranda's face completely spread into a smile. "The Top Dog, Sage. And I am going to train you to become one."
Quickly the amazement turned into dissatisfaction, "So, I'm going to be your Bitch?"
"Just until you can prove to me, you can fetch sticks and return them."
My head nodded before I could get the words out, "Anything, I'll do it."
"I want you to kill Carter Galington." She opened the file that remained in the middle of the table and flipped through to the last piece, a photo. Of a man with blonde hair and brown eyes. Just like his son.
Miranda wanted me to kill Hudson's father.
A/N:
#bitchbeforetopdog #goinghome #byeCarterGalington #helloHudson
-You decide how your life turns out and make your own fate (can change destiny)
-Your life plan is already written out for you and everything you do leads you toward your destiny (cannot change destiny)
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-eliza
