Kate
Chapter 1
"Quick, get her," Ebony said chasing me down the street. 'The Malicia are gaining on me' was all I thought as I tried to out run them. It was getting hot in my jet black ninja outfit. I ran until I found an alley way. 'Yes' I thought. At the end of the alley-way I saw a fence; I climbed over the top of it losing the Malicia. Breathing heavily I saw a place of freedom a mall, 'could this be?' I thought, 'The mall, of the mall rats?' the pram out the front, the palm tree sign, 'yes. After all my searching, I have finally found it.' I took off my ski mask and pulled my hair in a ponytail tied with a yellow scrunchie that my uncle gave me. Then bravely I went to the door. As I entered I heard a voice, "Bray! Someone's here. Lock in or out?" Someone said. It sounded like a boy, not KC, Lex, Ryan so it must be… Jack! "It's okay Jack," I said. "I just came because the Malicia were chasing me. And I have heard a lot about you… and the mall rats,""You don't sound like you lived here," he said confused. 'He has the cutest eyes, I thought. "What do you want then?" He said as he was waiting for Brays orders. "Kate!" Bray yelled running down the stairs, embracing me into a bear hug. "Oh I missed you Uncle Bray!" I said giving him another hug. "Uncle…Bray?" Jack said fiddling with the metal crate switches. "Dani, Trudy Patsy, everyone…" Bray yelled starring at me as though I was a gift from heaven, tying it together with a one-of-a-kind Uncle Bray smile. 'Here they come,' I thought. "What is it Bray?" Patsy said. She has the same brown hair as me and was holding a leash to the cutest dog ever. "Who's that?" she said looking at me. "Everyone this is Kate, she is my Niece." "Great another mouth to feed," Jack said walking down the stairs. "Oh, no, I've got my ways and I bought a lot of food enough for all of us," I said felling confused.
"So where do you come from? Not from here of course you sound…well… different." Patsy said happily.
"That's right, I don't come from here. I am from Australia,"
"Might have known," Jack said looking at me as though I was a first prise science experiment.
"Why are you all in black?" Chloe said.
"Well, I'm a ninja and I am known in Australia as the Kat."
"Why," Jack and Chloe said.
"Because I am always wearing black and the only people who want me are the Malicia, and you Uncle Bray." That made every-one laugh. Except Jack.
"Well another girl is needed in this tribe, especially a smart one. Give Jack a run from his money." KC said emerging from the crowd.
"Welcome, to the Mall." Tai-San said happily.
"Thanks and Hello everyone." 'Yay a family' I thought.
"As much as I want you to join this tribe. We make decisions together. All those in favour of letting Kate join the Mall Rats…" 'Ten hands out of eleven, not bad'
"Is there a reason why you don't agree, Jack? Every-one else does"
"No. No reason except supplies and beds,"
"Scared that she'll be better than you," Lex said
"Shut up Lex. Welcome to the Mall Rats Kate," Uncle Bray said getting every-one to join in a hug.
When the hug was over Dani was the first to break the silence, "So, Kate is there any talent that you have besides being chased by the Malicia?" Dani said
"I am great at computer studies, cooking and I enjoy math,"
"You can't be serious?" Jack said.
"Sorry Jack. But you did say that you need help." Trudy said.
"I've got Dal," Jack said sternly.
"Yes but you still complain. Any way it is good to have a girl that knows technology, you can't learn it any-more." Dal said looking at me as though I was a well working robot.
"Hey guys, where's Tai-San?" Dani said.
"Don't know, Tai-San!" KC yelled.
"Don't worry, I'm here. Look I remembered the stamp." Tai-San said holding up a stamp that had a star inside a circle. The mall rats sign.
"What?" I said
"We stamp people who are part of the tribe."
Pu went the stamp on my hand. 'It's cold' I thought' "There now you are really a member."
After the celebration I saw Patsy and Chloe.
"Oh, No!" Patsy and Chloe said looking at a chart.
"What is it?" I said confused
"Lex and Ryan are cooking tonight."
"Well what's wrong with that?" I said looking at the chart.
"Their meals are either burnt or under cooked." Chloe said to me as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Well I could cook if you'd like."
"We would, but you have to check with Bray," Chloe said sounding upset
"And Lex and Ryan." Patsy said chiming in.
"Bray, I can handle but Lex and Ryan, I dunno." I said thinking how they would take it.
"Please try Kate," Patsy said
"Yes, please," Chloe said aswell.
"Okay, I'll try."
As I left the hall I bumped into Jack. "Sorry," He said.
"I beg your pardon?" I said not understanding.
"About being a jerk before." He said kicking his foot across the floor. I took his hand and said, "It's Okay." We looked at each other for a while then I realised that I had his hand. I let go. "So uh, what are you doing here; I mean um where are you going?"
"To see my uncle Bray, Lex, and Ryan." I said cheerfully.
"Bray I understand Lex and Ryan?" Jack said half confused.
"To arrange something for dinner. I am first going to see my Uncle Bray to see I fit is okay If I take over Lex, and Ryan's dinner shift, then I am going to see if they will swap." I said a little too fast.
"Oh okay, can I uh, come with…you?" He said shyly
"Sure. You're really cool and well…I like you…a lot."
"Heh," He said, "I like you too, well from what I've seen. And, you're cute."
"You've got great eyes, I mean your cute too," God that was embarrassing. "Hey Jack,"
"Yes?"
"Did you, why didn't you pull back when I had your hand?"
"I liked it, it was warm and well I never mind."
"Let's go before they start dinner." So Jack took me to see my Uncle Bray, who would have guessed that he sleeps in a hat store?.
"Here you go, this is where you'll find your Uncle Bray."
"Thanks Jack, see you at dinner," I said kissing him on the cheek then skipping into Uncle Brays hat room.
"Kate! What brings you here?" He said putting his book down.
"I want to take over Lex and Ryan's dinner shift tonight. Jack, Patsy and Chloe complained and I don't want burned nor under cooked baked beans for dinner, please can I swap please Uncle Bray." I said in my best voice.
"You are a whiz in the kitchen and I love your cooking so yes. That is only if Lex and Ryan will swap with you." He said before telling me where they would be right now. He gave me a hug and off I went.
When I got to the room I saw Lex and Ryan. Funny Lex doesn't look as scary as everyone makes him to be. Still I don't want to get on his bad side. "Well looky here," Lex said. Staring at me.
"What brings you here Kate?" Ryan said helpfully.
"I heard that you guys are making dinner tonight, and since I got here I was wondering could I make it instead." Oh god I hope that I can do this.
"Would ya, I hate making dinner, those good for nothing rats don't even say thank you." Lex said, is he drunk?
"Sure I'd love to." I said happily.
"Good it's settled, see you at dinner," Lex said.
What should I make? They have a range of ingredients.
"Bon appetite every one.' I said handing out the plates with baked beans.
"Here let me help Dal said taking some plates. Wasn't Lex and Ryan meant to make dinner tonight?"
"I made a deal, and ,thanks, for helping Dal I really appreciate it."
Once we handed out every body's dinner I snuck into the kitchen to check on the cake. 15 MINS to go. Not long now
"Wow it's delicious," Patsy said.
"Not under cooked or over cooked," Chloe said in the same tone as Patsy.
"Knowing that face Bray said, "There is something else. Isn't there Kate?"
"Yes But you will have to wait till you smell it or wait till everyone finishes. But for now enjoy. And thank you, everyone. It is the least I can do," I said before eating, it was, good.
13 MINS later…
"We are all done so what's the surprise?" KC said.
"Jack can you help me please?" I said dragging him form his seat, into the kitchen.
"Uh, okay." He said confused. I showed him the cup-cakes.
"Whoa, you made these from scratch!" He said ecstatically
"Yep and the reason I took you is to be the taste tester. Strawberry or chocolate?" I said eying the cup-cakes.
"Chocolate" He said without hesitation.
"Here,," I gave him the one with the most chocolate. He took a big bite.
"That's great! Where'd you learn to cook this well."
"Well my mum, Lyssa, Brays older sister, and I made cup-cakes all the time. And I remember all the best recipes. And I could tell that everyone here needed a mood boost. What better way than this."
"So how'd you cook them? I mean the oven was broken, and I don't think that you could cook these in a frying pan,"
"No, I fixed it there was a missing wire, so used the one out of my scrunchie. And 'wallah' it's fixed. Anyway enough chatting how does it taste?"
"You already asked that," He said half laughing,
"Sorry, let's go." So jack and I carried out the trays of cupcakes, me strawberry and Jack chocolate, "Wait Jack not yet," I said wiping chocolate, icing off his face, "Now let's go."
"Ah here she is," Uncle Bray said.
"Wow, cupcakes," Ryan said. I never heard his voice so exited.
"Strawberry ones!" Salene said happily,
"Chocolate, impressive" Tai-San said.
"Here every-body, dig in there is enough, for every-one." There were lots of happy faces and laughing from around all the tables.
"Thank you," Dani said, "It's just what we needed, and they are very delicious."
When all the cup-cakes were gone and all the mess cleaned up it was time for bed. "Where do I sleep?" I asked Uncle Bray.
"There is a spare bed with Trudy, Another in the kids' room or one in Jacks," He said sarcastically. "I'll go with the kids' one," I said, "Nice to see you Uncle Bray, and good night." It really was. After all the travelling it was time to Rest and Relax.