HOMEPAGE LIBRARY

The next day was pretty much the same. Breakfast, train, lunch, train, dinner, run, free time, bed. Actually, this went on for 2 weeks. I met una and Jada, who is a robot, and I’m kind of glad they’ll be on our team. They seem like way better fighters than us. And I already know Rosie, who is on our team.

Luna is nice, but she doesn’t talk much. Jada… well, she's a robot. I can't say much about her.

Anyway, on December 4, at lunch, Chloe and I sat at a table. Then Rosie sat down across from me. 

“Hey guys,” she said. “I figured since we're going on a mission together, we might as well start getting to know each other.”

“Oh, yeah.” I said. “Don't know why I didn't think of that.”

“Luna and Jada are coming soon. Jada needed a virus check, just in case there's a virus during the mission.

“What do you mean?” said Chloe.

“Oh. Edith didn't tell you?” she asked. “She said we’re going next week.”

I almost choked on my carrots. “What?” I coughed. “We’re not ready!”

“Dude. You have been training for weeks.” said Rosie. “Even Chloe is good at parkour!”

Chloe scowled.

“What?” said Rosie. “You did kinda suck at it.”

“Oh yeah… good point.” said Chloe.

“Anyway,” said Rosie. “We’re going to start preparing on Monday, so you have two more days of not facing danger everywhere you go. We leave Tuesday.”

“I thought you said next week!” I moaned.

“Well, it's Saturday. You know what I mean.” she said.

I made a hill of apple sauce and watched it collapse. It reminded me of how things were currently going; starting a new life in the fire clan, training to be a super awesome fighter, becoming friends with the girl I like, (yes I like Chloe) and then this.

Who knew applesauce could be so depressing. I started patting it down with my fork until I was slapping it. Stupid insesitive applesauce. I wiggled my knife around in it, getting yellowish goop everywhere in the process. I let my knife sit in the applesauce and I looked at Chloe. She looked like she was hyperventilating.

There was a long silence.

“Well, on a brighter note,” said Rosie. “Luna and Jada are here!” They walked over. Jada looked at us.

“Those two are sad,” she said.

“What's tier deal?” asked Luna.

“I told them about the mission,” said Rosie.

“Oh…” Luna said.

“Well, you know what always cheers me up?” said Rosie

“What?” asked Chloe.

“A good, dirty game of…”

“Oh dear.” said Luna.

“TRUTH OR DARE!”

Luna groaned.

“Let’s do this while we're NOT eating.” she said.

After lunch, we went to our room for truth or dare.I can't lie, I really like truth or dare, but not when my crush is there. But I’ll do it.

Chloe and I sat on my bed, and Luna, Jada, and Rosie sat on Chloe’s/

“ALEX!” said Rosie. “T or D”

“Um… truth.” I immediately regretted saying that. Too late though.

She asked the question I dreaded.

“Do you like Chloe?”

“Uh, no. I don't” I said quickly.

Jada looked me over.

“You're playing with your hair, your pupils are widened, and your legs are crossed towards her. You are lying, and therefore breaking the rules of the game.” she said.

“Who cares if he’s breaking the rules?” said Rosie, leaning off the bed. “He loves Chloe!!”

My face turned red.

“Rosie, please move on-”

“Alex and Chloe sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-”

“Oh my god shut up please…” I moaned, probably still blushing.

“Mkay.” she said, smirking. “Time to seal the deal. Chloe do you-”

Chloe jumped up and locked herself in the bathroom.

“O-kay then! Said Rosie. “Then that means…”

“She probably likes you too.” siad Luna. “Rosie, get over it.”

Rosie looked like she was about to explode, and then implode into an amoeba. She was grinning like a maniac. 

“See what I mean?” she said. “This always cheers me up!”

I sighed.

“This is not helping, Rosie.” I groaned.

“Oh.” she said. “Let’s get ice cream or something.”

We went to change into normal clothes. We went up the wobbly elevator and walked through the park, which was now covered in snow. The clouded sky made it dark. We soon reached the town. I never realized how big it was. Rosie luckily seemed to know where we were going. She led us down a few blocks to a little cafe. It looked nice.

I got chocolate ice cream, Chloe got mint, Rosie got confetti, Luna got coffee, and Jada…

Jada is a robot. She didn't get any.

Rosie paid. (She has my approval.) Then we sat at a table in the park.

As Rosie started eating the cone, she broke the silence.

“You guys wanna hear a story?” she asked with her mouth half full. Without waiting for a reply, she started.

“This is the tale of Pump and Scoop. Once there was a shop called pump and scoop, where they pumped and scooped the guts out of pumpkins. The one day, there was an evil jack-o-lantern and because of that, it started possessing the workers and pumpkins. Because of that, they started barfing purple goo. Then finally, everyone died.”

Rosie chomped the last bite of her ice cream cone. 

“And ever since,” she said. “Pump and scoop has been run by purple goo. The end.”

We stared at Rosie. Chloe clapped a couple times.

“Did you like it?” asked Rosie, swallowing the rest of the cone.

“Uh, yeah.” I said. “Let’s get going.”