I stand against a wall, quietly watching Jack do his lie detector thing.
"What do you think about the war?" Jack casually asks another person, the fourth he's walked up to so far.
"I'm excited! Time to use our powers for something!"
Jack nods and walks away to the next one. After a few seconds he walks away from them as well.
"Nothing?" I frown.
"Nothing at all," He looks discouraged. "There's got to be someone who's not going to do it! Right?"
"There's already ten of us. That's quite a bit," I try to sound reassuring.
"And eighteen of them. Eighteen super soldiers plus a whole army against nine teenagers who have no survival skills whatsoever. Great odds there," He says sarcastically.
"Maybe so, but you know, we're super soldiers too."
"I guess," Jack sighs. "I'll go ask the rest of them..."
"Good," I smile. "There must be some more! If you're not done by the time I'm finished lunch I'll come tag along."
"Sure," He replies.
*****************
"What's your opinion on the war and stuff?" I ask a girl cheerily. She's the second last one left. No one else is on our side so far.
"It's um... Exciting," She says absentmindedly.
"That's a lie!" Jack exclaims.
"What? It's the truth!" She panics.
"That's a lie too! You don't agree with killing innocent people, do you?"
"I-I– No... I don't," She looks defeated.
"Good," I whisper.
"What?"
"Neither do we, and many others," Jack answers for me.
"Tonight at ten, come to this room number if you want," I turn my phone around to show the number of the empty room that Nate and I found earlier today. We looked, and it has no cameras or any other types of surveillance.
She stares at me for a long time, playing with her long, very curly hair. "I'll be there... I guess."
"Okay," I nod, as Jack moves onto the very last person to ask. I talk with the girl, a Fifteen named Cara, about us not agreeing with the scientists and trying to find others like us.
"So what are we then?" She asks quietly. "Rebels? Super heros? Criminals?"
I pause before answering, "People doing the right thing?" I look up at Jack, who shakes his head after talking to the last kid. Who would've guessed that so many people just don't care about the injustices that this plan clearly entails.
****************
"So what do we do then?"
I look around the small, dim room at all the solemn faces, all seemed to be turned to me for answer.
"What?" I say in surprise. "I'm not much help to you all."
"I have an idea," Anna says after a long pause. "What if we just ask them what'll happen."
"Just ask them? Are you insane?" Cara scoffs, fear evident in her dark brown eyes.
"No, i'm brilliant. We act dumb, asking what would happen to someone not wanting to go along with their plan. If they tell the truth, great. Then we go from there. If they lie and say nothing will happen, Jack will know."
"That's perfect!" Shaun exclaims. "But who's going to ask?"
"Not Anna, she's too smart. And i'm too shy," Bree says. "Erik is too shy..."
"I'm too overconfident to let anyone know i'm confused about something," Jen smirks.
"I'll do it," Melody says as Jason opens his mouth to say something. "My excitement at things makes people think i'm an airhead..."
There really isn't a good way to respond to that statement. Sadly, it was true. Most people seemed to take her mental capacity for granted. She could be brilliant at times though.
"Okay," I nod. "So then, we have a plan?"
"I guess we do."
"Tomorrow afternoon, after we do it, we meet back here to discuss," Nate adds. "I think they said to come at one o'clock?"
"They did. Okay. Sleep well everyone, and stay safe," Anna stands up, and we all follow suit. One at a time to make our way back to our rooms so that if anyone is caught, it won't be the whole group of us. Eventually only Nate and I are left.
"Can I walk back with you?" He asks quietly.
"Won't that be dangerous if someone sees us?"
"There's only two of us now. They won't think anything major out of it..."
"Okay," I smile as he wraps an arm around me.
"Remember that day in my room? When I said... you know," He says shyly, and I know he's speaking of the time he told me he loved me.
"I remember," I bite my lip.
"I still do. Just to let you know. I don't think it's ever going away," He laughs humorlessly.
I don't say anything back, because I just don't know what to say. Instead I rest my head on his shoulder and sigh as I feel my heart beat faster. What does love feel like? Is this the feeling? I want to believe it is, because this feels absolutely amazing, but i'm scared that it won't be. I'm scared if I say it back, it'll be a lie. But I really, really want to say it back.
"I hope it doesn't ever," I whisper, causing him to look down at me in surprise.
"Why?" He bites his lip.
"Because," The words catch in my throat. "Someday I want to say it back."
He gasps and his eyes light up and he smiles so wide that I think maybe that's what love looks like. If love looks as happy as that, I think it would be the most wonderful thing in the universe.
******************
I haven't seen Nate since last night. After he left me at my door and walked over to his, I tried to sleep but I was tossing and turning all night, which i'm sure is clear from the purplish colour of the skin under my eyes and from the way I keep yawning. Entering the room where they'll be talking more about the war, I spot him standing with Jason and Jack. Shaun, Erik and Anna stand nearish to them, wrapped up in their own conversation. The others haven't got here yet I guess. I stride over to everyone feeling happy but also extremely nervous. I just hope our plan doesn't backfire on us...
"Good morning Aria," Nate says affectionately, making a slight blush rise onto my cheeks.
Jack raises his eyebrows in amusement and greets me as well. "Morning Hope."
"Good morning guys," I smile as Shaun, Erik and Anna join the conversation. "Excited?"
"Nervous," Erik says in his quiet manner.
"You can say that again," Anna leans casually on his arm. "I'm just hoping they don't see right through us and like, execute us or something."
"Geez, that's a bit dramatic isn't it?" Jason smirks, but you can see he is just as freaked out.
"Maybe so, but you never know with these people..."
"Anyway..."
Alex walks up onstage with two scientists and starts talking before anyone else can add to the conversation. Now the rest of the chosen have made their way to the room to listen attentively as they hear about the horrors of what will soon allegedly take place. If we have any say in this though, it won't be happening. I listen carefully to what he says, mentally planning out what to do next. Do we say that we're rebelling? Or keep it quiet? Finally a scientist tells us it's alright to start asking questions. Melody waits a while so it doesn't sound like she's had the question for a long time, and then raises her arm.
"Melody?"
"I was wondering like, what if people don't want to do it? Or like they try to sabotage it? Would we be in danger of those people?" She asks innocently.
Alex's eyes narrow as he answers the question, rather than the scientist. "Why would anyone do that?"
"I don't know, I was just thinking of safety issues," She twirls her pink hair around her finger and smiles, seeming unaffected by the cold glare.
"Nothing would happen, they would just go home," A scientist says quickly.
"That's a lie," Jack says a little too loudly.
"What's that?" The sharp reply comes.
Jack's eyes widen in terror, but he repeats his words anyway. "I said, 'that's a lie.'"
"Oh right, you're the kid we're using for interrogations," He says stiffly. "You're right. I lied. Only to keep the peace though."
"Anyone not obeying will be severely punished," Alex smiles sickeningly. "So I assume you don't know anyone who would do so?"
"No actually," Jack lies masterfully. "I asked everyone about it and they all were very enthusiastic. You have nothing to worry about!"
"Oh, that's why you asked!" One guy pipes up.
"Good," Is all Alex replies.
******************
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