I have strongly debated about writing another story simply because I cannot either finish a story or because I steer off track and everything becomes confusing. However, this story will be based off my favorite book, Uglies By Scott Westerfeld. Amazing book! Again, this is BASED off the book, so it will not be the same!
Need-To-Know: First off, this story is based off the future! There will be confusing references, but I will try my very best to simplify the story up so people will understand.
Firstly, the word 'Uglies" doesn't actually mean "Ugly." Uglies in this story means normal. The point till you pop into this world until your 16th Birthday, you are Ugly because you do not have any surgeries. Everything should be explain in the story, but PLEASE don't think Ugly actually mean Ugly!
I am doing 18th birthday instead of 16th!
I hope you all like the story and hope to read this book! Let me know what you think in the reviews!
The sky was beautiful. Pink, orange and yellow flowed together perfectly in the horizon. The sun continued to sink down, out of Sakura sight. She twisted her Interface ring around her finger as she patiently waited till dark.
An interface ring is a simple silver band around her finger that would do anything for you. With her ring, she would talk to her room and tell it to close her windows or shut off the lights. It would make the room spit out whatever she wanted. She could make it remind her of whatever she needed. It was like a robot friend. Unfortunately, the ring was also a tracker and an alarm. She could never leave her room without her ring alerting an adult.
Sakura turned her head towards New Pretty Town. It was on top of a hill, miles away, but she could see it from her dorm. Everyone could see it. Especially at night when the New Pretties set off fireworks at night to party. They would party every night. Every. Single. Night.
And Sakura envied that. She wanted that. She wanted to be pretty. Just like her best friend Ino right now.
She watched as the first firework exploded in beautiful colors in the air.
Sakura smirked, "Goodnight," She spoke as she took off her interface ring and placed it on the table.
"Goodnight, Sakura," the room replies.
She slipped open her window as she climbed over. and onto the ground. She was always so lucky to have a lower dorm room.
Before you turn 18, you must live in a dorm and continue in school. Once you turn 18, you were taken away. Doctors put you asleep and when you wake up, you become stunningly pretty. Once, you're pretty, you move to New Pretty Town.
That is where Ino is. Her best friend turned 18 a couple weeks ago and she hasn't seen her since. Uglies were never allowed to visit New Pretty Town, but Pretties were always allowed to visit Uglyville.
Ino never visited Sakura and she was going to confront her today!
Sakura glared as she continued forward. She snuck into the forest and headed towards a river that separated the two towns. Sakura and Ino both discovered a way across, back when Ino was an ugly like Sakura.
Sakura reached the river in darkness with the faint light of fireworks over head. She came across a bridge over the river. If she walked onto the river, the bridge would tattle on her and report her. She knew better and searched around for a rope under the bridge.
She gripped the rope with both hands as she let her feet drift off of the ground and over the water. She hung her feet lightly around until she found another rope at feet level. Her feet walked across the rope like she was on a tightrope and she balanced herself with the rope above her head, slowly proceeding across the river.
What seemed like forever, she leaned one foot over the touch the ground. She sighed in relief that she was across. She smiled as she continued to walk towards New Pretty Town.
She knew she was close. She walked faster. Suddenly she heard a noise and froze. She heard a moan and a giggle. She looked to her right and saw two dressed tangles legs. She let out a breathe as she realized she was in Pleasure Garden in New Pretty Town. They didn't even give her a glance. She continued on.
There were many Mansions in New Pretty Town and they all held parties every night. Sakura knew Ino would be in one. She pulled her hood over her head and hid her face from view. Hell would break lose if any pretty saw an ugly here to crash a party.
She walked to the closest mansion and observed faces around her. Her eyes widened as she noticed it was a mask party. She smirked as she lent down to grab a forgotten mask on the ground. It was a pig. A bright pink pig. She giggled to herself remembering she would always call herbiest friend 'Ino-pig.' She slipped on the mask and made her way into the mansion.
She paused when she reached in and wondered to herself if she would even notice Ino if it was her! Ino was 16 and had her operation! She was a pretty now.
Sakura shook her head, 'I know my best friend,' she thought determined.
She wondered around the building, listening to voices. Trying to hear Ino's voice. An hour had passed by and Sakura began to worry if she would ever find her best friend.
She made her way to the exit, excited to not have been caught. She made her way to the second mansion. She walked inside and deep into the mansion. People were staring at her. She became nervous as her palms began to sweat.
"What is that PIG doing here?" Someone shouted.
"Get her out of here!" Another screamed.
The place became loaded than before as people were pointing, screaming, whispering, staring at her!
She used away from everyone and headed towards open elevator doors. She soon realized a crowd of people were following her. She ran. Ran as fast as she could to the elevator. She jumped in and leaned against the walls, out of view.
"Close doors!" She screamed at the elevator. She could see the people come closer to her and stood in horror as the elevator didn't respond to her. "Close door!" She screamed louder.
She mentally slapped herself remembering she didn't have her interface ring. She was a nobody in the world without her ring. She closed her eyes waiting for people to discover she was an ugly, crashing a party. All she wanted was to find Ino and see her!
"Sakura?" a voice questioned.
Sakura opened her eyes and stared at the person in the elevator with her to see her best friend.
"Ino!" she said.
"Close door," Ino commanded.
"Closing door," the elevator responded as it closed the doors. Sakura watched as she saw people few feet away from her wanting to throw her out. The doors closed and it was silence with only Ino and Sakura in the elevator. "Command?" the door asked.
"Hold," Ino responded. "Sakura, What are you doing here?" Into asked. She didn't sound happy.
Sakura pulled her mask off to stare at her stunningly pretty best friend in front of her. She was beautiful. Sakura was lost in words as she continued to stare.
"You shouldn't be here! You could get in some serious trouble!" Into explained as she raised her voice.
Sakura snapped out of her trance as she shook her head. "Ino, I missed you! I'm all alone and wanted to see you." Sakura's eyes were wide.
Ino sighed, "You have three months until you are pretty, until then, you have to stay in your dorm and don't cause any trouble!"
"But, Ino," Sakura started, but was cut off by Ino.
"Promise me!" Ino shouted.
"Command?" The elevator asked again as it waited for a direction to go.
"Hold," Ino commanded. "Promise!" Ino yelled.
Sakura nodded her head with no expression on her face. She was sad her friend didn't want to see her for three months, happy to see her, mad that she wasn't a pretty with her best friend, and awe struck to be staring at the now beautiful Ino. "I promise, " and said to Ino.
Sakura ran to hug her best friend. "Sakura!" Into yelled.
Sakura stepped back and realized that Ino was in a white dress that was now covered in dirt from her outfit. The dirt she collected on the way up to New Pretty Town.
"Command?" The elevator asked.
"Roof!" Into commanded. Sakura raised a brow at Ino. "When we get to the roof, grab a bungee jacket and jump down the building. The jacket should carry you to the river. Don't get caught and stay home!" Into instructed.
Sakura nodded. She have seen bungee jackets before. They were at her school for emergencies. They wrapped themselves around you and would hover bunch before you hit the ground below.
"I'll see you in three months, Sakura. Stay out the trouble." Into smiled at her as the doors open.
Sakura's eyes were clouded with white everywhere on the roof. This party was a white tie event, that was why Ino was wearing white! Sakura groaned knowing she messed up her beautiful dress.
She didn't waste a second as she jumped out of the elevator and ran towards the rack of bungee jackets. She lifted on up and placed it on her back. The straps snaked around her arms and legs on their own as they secured her in place. A green light appeared in her view, telling her the jacket was ready. She ran to the edge of the building.
"Is that an UGLY?!" Someone yelled. Sakura heard people scream behind her. Below, people were pointing up at her.
"How did she get here? Get her out!" People yelled even more. Sakura crouched her legs, ready to jump. A thought came to her head wondering if the jacket would work without her interface ring. The light was green so it had to work!
She didn't give it another though as she jumped off the edge. People screamed in horror. All sounds didn't seem to make it to her ears as she came closer and closer to the ground. She was a few feet away from the ground and Sakura felt her heart stop as the bungee jacket sprung back up in the air. It hurt to say the least, but she was alive.
She continue to bounce down the hill, towards the river. She came to a halt at her feet. She slipped the jacket off in a hurry to leave before a hover car arrived and she would be caught. She promised Ino.
The pulled the jacket off when she heard a snap of a stick. She frozed. Her eyes moved to across the river to see a figure. She couldn't see the face because of the dark, but the figured stayed still as well. Sakura did't dare move.
It seemed like forever. She was standing there and her muscled began to ache. She let out a pathetic, "I'm sorry," as she moved her body.
"Phew! I'm sorry too! I must have scared you too!" She yelled over. I moved back over the river to walk closer the the figure. She stepped towards me and I noticed, she was ugly too.
Her name was Tenten. She like to sneak across the river as well. She has brown hair in two buns on her head with right brown eyes.
We became close after we first met. We realized we both are the youngest in our group of friends and we had to wait to become pretty. The best part was that they would become pretty one after the other. Out birthdays were a day away.
Tenten was very athletic and loved to be outside. She taught Sakura many tricked of her own. They were currently hoverboarding. Well, actually Tenten was hoverboarding, while Sakura kept falling off.
Falling off a hoverboard was very painful. You had to wear a metal bracelet on each wrist. When you fell, the bracelet would catch her before you hit the ground. Bringing you arms to a halt in the air while you body fell down. It felt like you arms were being pulled out of you body. It was manageable, until you fell about 10 or more time off the board.
"Come on, Sakura! You almost got it! We've been practicing for a month now!" Tenten cheered on.
Tenten and Sakura met a little more than a month ago. A little more than a month since she last seen Ino and promised Ino to stay out of trouble. She kept her promise thus far. She has two more months and Tenten sure did help pass the town. She was an amazing friend. She couldn't picture losing her too. Luckily, She will have to go one day without Tenten. She will turn pretty a day after Tenten.
Sakura sighed as her hoverboard nuzzled her ankle like an obedient dog. She jumped back into the board while messaging her shoulders from the pain of being dropped. "I'm better than I was the first day."
Tenten visibly winced remembering the day, "you have to remember to keep you weight sensor in the middle and you'll do amazing!"
Sakura touched her sensor ring on her stomach. It was so the board knew where her center of weight was. She nodded as Tenten same closer on her board. They both leaned their boards forward as they hovered towards the edge of town. It was like people an animal. Only allowed to stay in a town. In one direction was New Pretty Town. The other was the Rusty Ruins. Were all the Rusties lived and dies. It was all metal now. No one were there besides a field trip from school.
They reached the line of the town, "First Warning. Restricted Area!" Her interface ring rang in her head. Her board began to wobble a bit as Tenten and her stopped. They looked out to the trees, both knowing further was the Rusty Ruins.
"I want…"Tenten began to say, but paused. Sakura raised her brown as she looked at her. Tenten's face was serious and looking past the tree line. "I want you to meet my friend."
"Who?" Sakura asked.
"Neji." Tenten answered after a couple of deep thoughts.
"Who is Neji," Sakura asked.
Tenten turned to Sakura with the same serious face. "We may have know each other that long Sakura, but I know I can trust you. And your hoverboarding is good enough to go with me."
Sakura raised her brow not understand, "Tenten, what are you talking about?" She asked, curious, yet not nervous. She trusted Tenten. She has become so close to her and she was all her had until she became pretty.
"Lets go to the Rusty Ruins. Tonight! And meet Neji." Tenten blurted out.
Sakura's eyes widened and stayed silent for a couple minuted. Tenten was determined and you could see it in her eyes. "Why is he in the Rusty Ruins? I don't know, is it safe?"
"Do you trust me?" Tenets asked.
Sakura nodded without hesitation. "Of course, but-" Sakura started, but Tenten interrupted.
"Please," She begged.
Sakura smiled at her friend, "Alright," She answered as Tenten cheered. Sakura tried to calm her nerves, but she had a bad feeling. She trusted Tenten, but didn't understand why some guy was out in the Ruins.
It wasn't close to dark, so Tenten and Sakura headed back to Sakura's dorm. Sakura was showing Tenten her wall faces. Wall faces was a projected face on the wall of Sakura where could edit her face to look pretty. No one truly knew what they would look like when they turn pretty, but this would give you an idea.
"What do you wall faces look like, Tenten?" Sakura asked.
Tenten shrugged, "Never made one."
"WHAT?!" Sakura yelled. "Well lets start one!"
"No way!" Tenten declined. "I don't like this stuff!"
"Come on! I'm going with you tonight, so you owe me!"Sakura pouted.
Tenten looked her Sakura and sigh, "Fine."
Sakura cheered as she told the wall to tak a picture of Tenten's face. The wall did as instructed and a picture of Tenten's face appears in front of her on the wall. "Lets do you right side first!"
"Ew no! I hate my right side!" Tenten protested.
"What? I love your right side." Tenten glared at her, "Fine the left side it is," Sakura gave in. Sakura went to edit Tenten's face on the wall and stopped. "I don't know what to do…"
"What does that mean? You make them all the time!" Tenten said.
"No. No. I mean, your face doesn't really need to be changed.. I don't know what to be fixed." Sakura explained.
"Thats because I don't need to be fixed." Tenten said with a slight annoyance.
"No! Thats not what I meant! I just don't know what you will look like when you have your operation." Sakura said, puzzled.
"The operation is bogus." Tenten muttered.
"WHAT?!" Sakura yelled. "How could you say that? Everyone is always excited for their 18th Birthday!"
"Not everyone." Tenets muttered angrily. Sakura froze, not sure what to say. What did she mean? Everyone wanted to be pretty! To be a somebody! "Sakura, what if I told you, not everyone became pretty?" Tenten asked serious
"I'd say that bogus and crazy! Are you okay, Tenten?" Sakura asked tilting her head to the side.
Tenten avoided her eyes as she look towards her window. "It's getting dark, can we go?" She asked as she changed the subject.
Sakura waited a few seconds, but then nodded. She turned off her wall face and dressed in her black attire.
They headed towards the river that separated New Pretty Town and Uglyville. They took off their rings and were on their hover boards. As they approached, Sakura continued to wonder how they would hover board when they were off the grid.
The grid was metal underneath the ground that allowed thing to hover, like buildings, boards, bridges, etc.
No metal, then they would fall.
Tenten continued towards the river and hovered above it. Sakura's eyes widened. "How?" she asked.
"Do you remember in school they taught us how Rusties would gold mine? and they would search for gold in rivers?" Tenten asked.
Sakura's eyes widened. There was metal in the river that allowed just enough for the boards to hover! She couldn't believe she missed this. Sakura followed Tenten up the river towards the Rusty Ruins. Every so often a tree branch would scratch her or the water would get rough and splash her, but the whole time her heart was pounding.
Tenten started to slow down in front of her as she did the same. They dropped to their feet and carried the boards, away from the river. "We have to carry these a little ways until we reach metal." Tenten explained.
Sakura nodded as they walked on. As they continued to walk, she realized the hover board wasn't as light as a feather anymore as it grew heavier and heavier with every step. Boy, were they heavy! Sakura struggled for a bit. She watched Tenten carry her board easily. She knew Tenten has done this many time.
Eventually, her board became a father again and they rode their boards to the ruins.
Sakura could see it from afar. There was metal everywhere. The skeleton of the buildings, the cars underneath their boards. There were hundreds and all were pushing against each other. Sakura knew, whatever killed them off, they were all in a hurry to get out. They all relied on these ground cars, but they turned to be their failure. "So stupid," Sakura commented as Tenten nodded. Sakura could only imagine how many skeletons were in the cars below, but she didn't want to find out.
"You want to see something fun?" Tenten asked excited. Sakura nodded as she followed Tenten.
They came across a metal rail that went in the air and did turns and loops, "They use to call these a roller coaster, I think," Tenten commented.
"What were they for?" Sakura asked.
"The Rusties use to use these for fun." Tenten commented.
"They had fun?! Who knew… How do you know all this?" Sakura asked, looking at Tenten.
"Neji. He knows a lot about Rusties," Sakura nodded deciding not to say anything.
"They use to put ground cars on these and they would ride around on it. Give it a try! Get on and tip you board forward. Let the coaster lead you!" Tenten said excited.
"You first!" Sakura said.
Tenten giggled, but agreed. She jumped on her board and rode on the coasted with a smile on her face. Sakura followed after. She could help herself, she smiled and screamed. It was actually fun. Who knew the Rusties has fun!
Sakura was going in loops and upside down, going up big hills and falling fast. They were reaching a tall hill when she heard Tenten shout, "Speed up for this part!"
Sakura did as told and Tenten and her went soaring up the hill. Suddenly, Tenten vanished disappeared after going over the hill. Sakuras eyes widened looking where she went, until she realized too late that the coaster was broken. There was a huge gap!
Sakura found herself falling. She screamed as loud as she could before she could was pulled up be her arms from the wrist bracelets. She groaned in pain as she looked over to see Tenten laughing at her.
Sakura glared, "You could have told me there was a gap!" Sakura yelled.
"That wouldn't have been much fun," Tenten explained continuing to laugh.
Sakura continued to glare at her as she was lowered. She was breathing heavily from the fall and her heart was pounding.
"Come on, Sakura! No more fooling around, I promise. Lets go see Neji." Tenets said.
"Get me a minute to get my heart back!" Sakura shouted back with her hand on her chest trying to catch her breath.
Finally, when Sakura caught her breath, she followed Tenten to the tallest building in the Ruins. They climbed up the skeleton of the building to to roof. They stood on the roof and Tenten searched through her bag.
"Where is Neji?" Sakura asked.
Tenten pulled out a flare out of her bag, "We have to summon him," Tenten explain.
Sakura nodded, but watched Tenten set off the flare. Bright red light lit up the sir above them. Tenten look off the edge of the building, looking for Neji. Sakura Stayed still and watch Tenten. Seeing her so excited to see this guy. Would he actually come?
A couple hours went by before Tenten's eyes began to turn sad.
"We should head back, Tenten," Sakura said for the first time in two hours.
Tenten sighed in disappointment, but nodded and turned towards Sakura. "I don't understand why he isn't here."
Sakura didn't know what to say. What is there to say? She didn't know this guy or why he would be out here in the Rusty Ruins. It was restricted area in the first place and no one was suppose to be here.
They road back to the edge of the Ruins. They started to carry their boards when Sakura took one last look at the Rusty Ruins. She looked at the tower Tenten and her waited on for two hours.
Sakura didn't know if she was imagining things or in the light light of the sunrise, there was a black figure on the top of the building. Sakura shook her head telling herself she was imaginging things.
"Come on, Sakura! Or You'll be left behind!" Tenten shouted in front of her.
Sakura looked at her wanting to tell her, she saw SOMETHING, but she knew Tenten would want to get back. But every bone in Sakura's body was crying out. She need to sleep.
She ran to catch up to Tenten, not taking another look back.
That is it for now.
Sasuke will make an appearance soon, I hope, and we will have lots of SasuSaku moments! Yay!
So hold on tight while we build up to the climax!