Hi people! So I wrote over twenty pages for this story. I might post the next part tomorrow depending on how much homework I will have. That's really what the problem is now. I can barely get half of my homework finished by twelve at night, let alone write another chapter for my stories. I am trying really hard to find some free time to get new chapters out to you guys, but it's really hard! I am hoping you can be patient for now and I will post some new news on what's going on on my profile every few days if you don't see an updated chapter. These take me a good three to five hours to write, type, edit, write more, edit again, and then upload… so keep that in mind. I am giving you all five hours or more of my free time every time I post something new for you to read. Okay, now that my little speech is over… Enjoy!

All rights to Kiera Cass, because she is awesome.

Chapter Ten

We arrived at the province square right on time. People were all over the streets holding signs, cheering, and having fun. I laughed for the first time in days watching them.

"Do they know how crazy they look?" I asked Sydney, squeezing his hand as the door of the limo was opened for us.

"May, trust me. This is normal in big provinces during the Selection. I remember watching the recap of all the ceremonies when I first got in the palace. Marlee Tames had her send off here and the crowd would not stop cheering for her." Natalie remarked smiling.

Thomas laughed at that, jumping up and down as he exited the car.

"Mailey! Mailey! They're all here for you! This is so awesome!" he yelled, punching his fist in the air. I couldn't help laughing. Thomas always found the perfect ways to make me happy. I rushed over to him and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, kissing him on the head. He giggled and squirmed out from under my arms.

"Stop it, May!" he laughed again.

Gosh, he was just the most adorable thing.

"Oh, okay Thomas. I won't hug you." I said, walking towards him with my arms stretched out, "Gwen will though!"

Out from behind Thomas came Gwen, as beautiful as ever. I couldn't help but think of what a wonderful queen she would have made.

She grabbed Thomas under his arms and yanked him up so that he was cradled like a baby in her arms.

"You like this better, baby boy?" she asked him, using a very endearing voice.

He giggled and writhed in her arms, trying to get free. Gwen was stronger than she looked, though, and for five minutes our whole family, including little Tommy, was crying because of how funny it was.

We were spending our final minutes together as a family, and I was grateful for that. Part of me was afraid, coming to the province center, that I would only have the past few awful days to remember my family by, and I was so relieved that I at least had one good memory to hold on to.

"I'm sorry, to interrupt. Lady Mailey?" a tall and muscular man in an Illean guard's uniform came up to me. "We need you on the stage for your send-off. Please, follow me." He said brusquely.

He must have seen the saddened look on my face when I looked back at my family because as we walked towards the podium, he spoke again.

"Do not worry. You will be allowed a few minutes to say your good-byes after the ceremony."

He pointed me in the direction of a small chair next to our governor and I walked over.

Just as I made it to me seat, the governor stood up.

"Good. You finally managed to get up the stairs. We're running behind schedule, so lets begin." He said in a sardonic tone of voice.

I could tell he wasn't enthusiastic about my being a Six, but if he wanted to treat me like I didn't belong, that was fine. I would just have to prove him wrong.

"Welcome, citizens of Kent, to Lady Mailey's send-off. I think that I speak for all of us in Kent when I say good luck Miss Reed! We all wish you well in your endeavors at the palace, and maybe, if Illea is lucky, you will be our new queen." He said eloquently, putting on a façade for the audience.

He turned towards me, murmuring out of the side of his mouth, "It is required that I ask you if you have anything you would like to say, but, we can just skip that part if you want. Wouldn't want to embarrass yourself with your lack of education, would we?" he started to laugh.

Whether he knew it or not, the microphone was still on and the crowd had heard his senile comment. Everyone went silent. I couldn't believe him. I looked out in to the crowd and shook my head. I turned my head back towards my horrible governor and took the microphone.

"Why don't we see who's embarrassed after I speak?" I asked, turning my back on him to face my fellow citizens. Everyone roared with laughter, and after a few seconds, I motioned for everyone to quiet down.

"As you all know I am a Six. The one thing you certainly do not know is my story. I grew up as a Two." The people on the ground gasped. "Yes, I know. You weren't expecting that; but it's true. I grew up with enough money to have a private tutor, enough time on my hands to learn different languages, to play sports, to do whatever I felt like doing. I also grew up with a dying father, a selfish mother, and careless maids. I, along with my brother, was abandoned as a child. I was left alone on the streets, forced to fend for the both of us. We spent years in an orphanage, trying to get noticed, trying to get people to look at us and realize that we were good kids—that we would behave for them, do whatever they needed us to do, if we could just have better shelter, more water, more food. It took three years of sitting on cold floors, of eating one good meal a week, for someone to find us. Natalie and Sydney saved my life—but more importantly, they saved my little brother. They took care of us. We received more love in a small home full of Sixes than we ever did in our large and empty house as twos. We, although you may not know this, are well educated. We tried hard to learn as much as we could using what we had around our house. Yes, we might not have had a formal education, but I am starting to believe that that is a good thing if a formal education teaches people to be prejudiced." I took a moment to look over at the governor. He flinched.

'Good. You deserve it.' I thought.

"So, no, I am not embarrassed; I am happy to speak up when someone says something that I know is untrue and ill-mannered. It felt so great to prove you wrong. I hope everyone here thinks about what I have said and will reflect upon it. Is it fair for anyone to judge me, or even another person, if you do not know them?" I stared out into the faces of awe-struck people. "Just because you believe something, doesn't mean it is true. I hope that you all can cheer me on as a fellow citizen of Kent, like you did with the past Selected girls from this province." I took a deep breath, "Because I could really use all of your support." I finished.

Silence. I could probably hear a pin drop if anyone actually had a pin. I didn't know what to do, so I just stood there. Suddenly someone, I don't know who, started clapping. It started off slow, but eventually everyone was joining in. Soon after, yells and cheers rippled throughout the square. I could barely think it was so loud. Eventually I started laughing and looked over at my family to see what their reactions were.

Sydney was smiling with watery eyes, and he gave me a big thumbs up; Natalie was beaming and crying her eyes out at the same time—it was kind of hard to watch; Thomas was dancing around on the asphalt, stomping his feet and screaming happily; and Gwen, unlike the others, was as still as a statue. Her eyes weren't focused on me at all, actually. They were trained on someone behind me. I followed her gaze and saw why she looked so scared. Rebels.

"Mailey, watch out!" someone screamed, and then everything turned to chaos.

Guns clicked, people fell, shouts echoed, and thoughts flew around in my mind.

'North or South, North or South?' I looked around, trying to figure out where these rebels were from.

'South. Run, run, run!' My thoughts screamed at me.

Before I second guess myself, I ran for the stairs, sprinting as fast as I could—and believe me when I say I am very fast. I didn't take time to look around. It was hide or get killed. I didn't have a weapon, so I was dead if I put up a fight. I ran for a small opening under the stage and hid myself in the darkness.

Gosh was I glad I was short! I wouldn't have fit if I were any taller.

The fighting went on and on, and after around thirty minutes, I decided to sit down. No use in trying to run again. If they found me, then they found me.

I sighed, "Can't one good thing happen to me?" I breathed out silently, shaking my head.

'My life is like a mixture of a bad action movie and a soap opera.' I thought, laughing.

The irony was that it was true.

"Mailey!" someone screamed, "Mailey!" it sounded strangled, like whoever was yelling was also sobbing.

I scrambled to my feet. How had I fallen asleep in the middle of a rebel attack? I hurried over to the side of the stage, but the entrance that was once there before was blocked by debris.

"I'm in here!" I yelled, coughing when dust flew at my mouth, "Help! I'm under the stage! Right-hand side. Near the steps!" I shouted, hoping they heard me.

It was becoming difficult to talk. Dust and chips of wood filled the air.

"Mailey!" they kept calling.

Did they not hear me?

"I'm here! Help!" I shrieked in my loudest voice.

The air was running out. I could tell. I pounded on the wall.

"Help!" I screamed, while trying to remove the wood blockading me in.

I covered my mouth. The air was too heavy—overused. I needed to get out, and soon.

Finally, I heard the distinct sound of a chainsaw turning on. A minute later, just as my vision was blurring and I was growing faint, I saw the light. I looked up into my savior's eyes and smiled, willing myself to stay conscious.

"Thank you." I said softly, wobbling out of the dark enclosure, "Thank you so much."

I extended my arms towards him and he helped me out. That was when I got a good look at him. I could tell by his demeanor that he was a soldier, possibly from the palace or from Kent's army base (we were home of the most secure government building after all—Fort Knox was still used and tended to after Gregory Illea took over). The soldier was tall, maybe six feet four inches, and looked to be around my age. He had caramel colored skin that was chiseled with defined muscles. His eyes were a hazel-brown color that made me think of the woods behind my house. Automatically, I felt comfortable around him.

"Are you okay, Lady Mailey?" he asked me, staring into my eyes.

I shivered, looking down. Was I okay? How had I made it out of there? I took a deep breath and whimpered. I could already tell what was about to happen. My heart rate sped up, and the tremors began.

They started at my knees this time and moved around my body. A blaring pain squeezed at my side and suddenly I was shaking uncontrollably.

"Lady Mailey!" the soldier was grabbing my arms and trying to steady me.

It wouldn't work. I wish I could have told him to stop, to just let go—that it was no use trying to help me. I wouldn't be able to control my body, and I would barely have control over my mind for the next few minutes. Talking was almost never possible.

"Lady Mailey! Please, tell me what's wrong!" he yelled at me.

I was crying inside. This wasn't his fault. He couldn't know that there was nothing to do but wait until it was over if we were lucky.

"Stop it!" I heard a voice—Gwen possibly—scream out, "Just set her down and get her medical help. You personally can't help her until this is over. It's a seizure."

Yes, it was Gwen, coming to my rescue like always.

The soldier set me down on the ground so I was lying on the concrete, and they both stopped talking for a while.

Usually the shaking went on for a few minutes, but this one continued for what seemed like an eternity. My body began writhing around at a faster and faster speed, and all I could do was panic.

"What's happening?!" Natalie's voice rang through the air, "Why hasn't it stopped yet?" she asked in a very loud and panicked voice. "Why hasn't it sto—"

My hearing tuned in and out and I could barely hold on the coherent thought. My heart rate sped up and I couldn't seem to breathe enough.

"Do somethi—" a voice cut in and then blurred out. Whoever it was was right to say that I needed help.

'Go figure this happens to me.' I thought as the world spun circles around my head and I dizzily sunk into oblivion.

That is the end of chapter TEN! WOWZERS! Ten chapters! I am so happy that you even let me get this far with this story. I know most of my readers enjoy The One more than this story, but I really like being able to make up my own characters and to really have the ability to do whatever I want with them, so thank you all so much for your support and awesome-ness. Keep reading. Oh! And I will give you a hint on what the next chapter is about. Look up 'Mephisto Waltz' by Liszt. If you do that, you will understand just how good Mailey is at piano. ;)

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Reread this story and find little hints here and there that will help you understand the story better.

Hasta pronto!

-Property of Illea