Specials

By Cheyenne Preston

Tally formulated a plan, one to escape from Special Circumstances. She was going to find Zane and leave, go find the Smokies, do whatever she needed until she was free. She would nab a hover board for Zane and grab a pack full of Padthai and whatever else she could get her hands on.

"Damn."

Tally creeping past a group of specials, and one stopped, looking in Tally's direction. She could feel the scales of her sneak suit coiling, making her blend in perfect with the walls. The special carried on after watching the wall for a moment looking for signs of it, yet finding none.

She could have just walked out of Special Circumstances but, not wanting to leave evidence she had left so that Dr. Cabel would not try and instantly track Tally down and bring Tally back.

Tally finally walked out the doors to Special Circumstance's headquarters. She hurriedly walked to the New Pretty Town hospital, avoiding bubble heads and crumblies alike. Tally didn't need them distracting her or alerting Special Circumstances. Tally crept into the open hospital doors. The doctors were so trusting, not expecting someone to attack them. Tally crept up behind the nurses desk and looked through the files for Zane's file.

Zane had apparently been made into a Special, so now Tally had to be cautious of Zane possibly turning on her. Zane would be in his second day of recuperating after the surgery. Tally snuck into his room which lacked decor. It was plain with graying walls, white floors and sky blue drapes.

He was laying on a metal table, metal straps holding Zane to the bed. Had they thought him too strong to break out of the hospital filled with mainly old crumblies? Tally gripped the bars and used her strength to pull apart the straps.

"Zane."

His eyelids fluttered open, showing brown, almost black, eyes. Zane hadn't changed much he had already looked like a special and a crim. His features were a bit sharper, though, and his eyes darker in color.

"Tally?" Zane whispered.

"Hey, I need you to wake up, we're going to break out of here."

He smiled at her and Tally felt her heart melt a bit. She had once again rewired herself for Zane. When she had first turned pretty and was a bogus bubble head Zane and Tally rewired themselves together but Tally and Zane had taken pills to finish the job.

Tally had gotten lucky, the pills were from Maddy, David's mother. She had just taken the bogus pill, while Zane had taken the nanos and they had given him headaches which really was the nanos eating away his brain. Apparently the doctors in the hospital had found a way to remove and repair the damaged brain tissue. The doctors had even turned Zane into a special.

Tally broke off the last bar and Zane was freed. Zane landed lightly on his feet still in the hospital gown. He swept her into his arms and they kissed. It wasn't like David's kiss, full of demanding, Zane's was like a fire, filled with passion.

"...wow..." Tally blinked.

"So what's the plan, Tally?" He asked.

Tally was taken aback. Plan? Well, she hadn't thought that far. She hadn't expected to get to Zane or even out of Special Circumstances. Tally thought they could just hover board into the New Smoke.

"You don't really have a plan do you ,Tally-wa?" Zane laughed.

"I have a plan, or had one."

She looked around for a sneak suit; she opened up a cabinet and found one. Tally tossed it to Zane and turned around.

"Thanks," Zane mumbled.

Tally could hear him changing, though, it didn't matter if she turned around or not. Tally heard the rustle of fabric and of the zipper to the sneak suit as Zane zipped it up.

"Tally?"

She spun around to face Zane who was now donning the new sneak suit the specials wore.

The coils of the suit contracted and for a split second Zane blended into the wall.

"Yeah, Zane, what's up?"

"You're planning on going to The Smoke, aren't you?"

Tally nodded her head. That had seemed like the most logical thing to do. She and Zane could help the Smokies overcome the bubble heads and Special Circumstances.

"I figured we could join and take down Dr. Cabel as a group, I want to talk to Shay before we go though." Tally added.

She didn't think Shay would take kind to being left behind. When Tally and Zane took the pills Shay had been beyond mad and Tally couldn't do something like that again.

"Tally, I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but what if Shay turns you in to Dr. Cabel?"

"Zane, the last time I chose you over Shay that led to Shay cutting and the cutters being formed. Now look where we're at, I have to let Shay in at least."

Zane looked at Tally and he could tell she meant what she'd said. It was true, Tally and Shay had been best friends before they were pretties. Tally owed Shay after everything that had happened to them both. Tally hoped Shay wouldn't turn her and Zane into Dr. Cabel because that would end Tally and Zane's last bid at freedom.

"Alright Tally, but if Shay gets Dr. Cabel, I will use force to take her out."

She could only hope Shay would either go with them or help them escape. Tally tossed Zane a hover board and they both jumped out the window and used their grip gloves of their sneak suits to climb down the hospital's walls. Tally and Zane got on their boards and Tally turned on the city's interface.

"Shay," Tally pinged.

Tally listened for a return ping, and getting it, she opened the connection.

"Tally?" came Shay's voice through the ping.

"Hey, can you meet me in twenty minutes, Shay? At the river where we first met, alone?"

She heard Shay sigh but she'd agreed to meet Tally anyhow. Tally and Zane boarded over to where she had first met Shay. Tally vaguely remembered her ugly days; she had been changed into a pretty then into a crim and was finally a special.

Now Tally and Zane waited for Tally blending into the bushes with their sneak suits. Shay came into view a few minutes later; she hopped off her board and landed effortlessly. Tally walked out and Zane stood hidden.

"Tally, why did you want to meet here of all places?"

"Shay, I'm leaving, leaving new Pretty town and I wanted to know if you wanted to come…"

She had obviously stunned Shay, for her eyes were wide and her mouth agape.

"You can't be serious!" Shay hissed.

"What kind of life do we have here? We can't even leave or do as we please. this is about as bad as being a bubble head!"

"What are you talking about…?"

Tally looked at Shay and thought weather or not to tell her. Tally jerked her head and slowly Zane came out of the shadows.

"They aren't telling you what they do, Shay, they are going to eventually dispose of us. Why would Dr. Cabel keep the Cutters around when we're so dangerous?"

"So how did you find out about Zane…."

She narrowed her eyes, Dr. Cabel hadn't been telling Shay much of anything had she? Tally looked over at Shay and Zane and saw they were studying eachother.

"Dr. Cabel hides a lot of things, Shay, we're planning on going to help the Smoke. Are you in or out?"

Tally watched, Shay, as she could see her thinking it over. Tally looked over at Zane and saw him nod, they were both waiting for her decision. before they did anything. Tally hoped Shay decided to come; otherwise Tally and Zane would have to fight her. Zane wouldn't be much help, though, because he was a new cutter.

"Why not. I'm tired of being lied to, screw Cabel." Shay grinned at Tally.

"Thanks, Shay-la."

Tally was happy. She had her boyfriend and best friend with her now.

"Zane, how long have you been a special?" Shay asked.

"Maybe a day or a week. I don't know I was out when Tally found me at the hospital."

Shay sighed, Tally knew what Shay was thinking. That would mean they would have to go slower. Zane may or may not be adjusted to his new body yet.

"Alright, let's go," Shay smirked. Tally laughed.

Tally and Shay hopped on their boards as Zane stepped onto his and they were off. They all had special boards that went much faster than the other couldn't help but grin, showing off her pointed teeth. For once, they were doing what they had set out to do. Soon New Pretty Town would fall and the bubble head's lesions would be removed with Maddy's pill. She and Shay would be together as friends and she could be with Zane in peace. Tally felt the air blowing her hair and as she glanced at Zane and Shay she knew they'd make it somehow or another, they would be free.

I chose to rewrite the ending because I didn't like how Tally left with David in the other ending of 'Specials.' I wanted Tally to be with Shay, her longtime friend, and be free not under any control. I was highly upset with how Zane died in Diego, I thought after all that they would be together and I cried. I was so mad I decided to rewrite the ending and made Zane live. I thought that the bridge where Tally and Shay met in Uglies was their beginning so I made that their end. I hope you enjoyed my little ending and look for more.

-Saissister