It hurt to open my eyes.
I heard myself groan as my body turned to wake itself up. The pain in my head subsided to a dull ache, but it hurt to move my eyes. I wrestled my arm out from under myself and placed it over my face, opening my eyes and trying to adjust to the morning light. Just as I did so, I heard a nearby snore, and my heart skipped a beat.
Where am I?
I unsuccessfully forced the ache away and quickly sat up, smacking the side of Speck's face in the process with my other arm. She jumped, standing too fast and toppling over onto my legs. I yelped and she copied me, causing the snoring person to mumble in their sleep.
"Ten more minutes," a girl's voice droned before reverting to snoring.
"Shut up," another girl said before turning over.
I blinked a couple times despite the ache, trying to understand where I was.
It looked like a hotel room, mixed with a home-feel to it. The cream walls and muted carpet contrasted against the flat-screen on the wall, and the gray-patterned couch I was on was tattered at some edges. Speck held her hand to her chest and watched me as I checked as many details as I could. The large windows were covered by two layers of curtains, except for the middle where a little bit of sunlight peeked through and settled on the couch. I had to rub my eyes again from the bright light.
I finally settled my gaze on Speck, "Wha-" I froze when I heard that unfamiliar snore again.
I turned my attention to the two queen sized beds in the room, realizing there were people there. My heart began to drum, adding more stress on my headache. People? In the same room as us? But how? Why? Why didn't Speck wake me up? Who are they? What are they? How did I end up here? I thought I was going to sleep- no, I did. I did sleep; it just happened to be in the same room as other people. Oh god. Did these people even know Fang? What if I just crashed in somebody else's room and didn't even notice? What if-
"Amber."
I started as Speck snapped me out of my thoughts. I searched her face, which was calm and still groggy from sleeping.
"You're okay, you just woke up," she yawned. "You moved a lot last night."
"I-" I thought hard, trying to remember. Last thing that came to mind was the sound of her eating. I scrunched up my nose, "You ate without me?"
"You wanted to sleep," she whispered back, though annoyed. Somebody on the bed turned over and I froze on the spot. "You said I could eat."
"But-" My memories slowly crawled back to me. "Wait- what about Fang? Are we-?"
Her soft nod confirmed it, and my pulse relaxed a bit. But it wasn't enough to make me feel better, because I fell asleep next to strangers; strangers that had every opportunity to kill me and Speck in our sleep. But they didn't, so I guess that was fine, but their presence just made me antsy. What if they drugged us without us knowing? Sure, Speck was a great lookout, but even she needs sleep. What if they did something then?
"Are you hungry?" she asked, gingerly climbing off my now bruised legs. I curled forward to stretch my back.
"Starving," I exhaled, stretching my wings to the best of my ability. But the more I did, the more insecure I felt, especially with sleeping people next to me. I pulled them back in, ignoring the tight muscles, and stretched my shoulders.
Speck quietly walked towards the mini fridge under the TV and opened it. My ears twitched towards the people, expecting them to jump up from the sound, but they continued to sleep. Huh, maybe they aren't Erasers then…
"Here," Speck handed over a pizza box to me. "There's four pieces left, if that's okay."
"More than okay," I salivated as I quickly bit into the cheesy goodness. The taste was amazing, and the pepperoni complimented the sauce perfectly. I wanted to moan from the flavor but decided to keep the silence. It was cold, yet I finished within minutes and swallowed a light burp. It still wasn't enough, of course, but my body was used to the urges.
"Thanks," I smiled at Speck, who was unsuccessfully brushing her hair with her fingers. I glanced around, "Where's our bags?"
"In the closet," she pointed.
"You know we have a brush, right?" I lightly chuckled and stood up. But just as I did so, my world wobbled once more, and I stumbled into the bed. I didn't think much of it as I steadied myself when suddenly a dense object whacked me upside my face.
I gasped as I landed onto the floor, on my tail of all things, rubbing my now pounding head. My tail twitched furiously under my pants as I curled up and whimpered.
"Amber!" Speck cried. "What was that for?"
"She didn't have to sit on my foot," a girl's voice grunted.
"She didn't mean to!" Speck replied as the fuzziness returned to me. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to calm my racing heart. Stars danced behind my eyelids. "Don't you know she has a headache?" Speck's talking didn't help either. "Ams? Are you okay?"
"Yeah," I blinked a couple of times, my vision coming back to me.
"Thank god," she sighed, helping me up to a sitting position. I rubbed my eyes and did a double take at the pillow on the floor.
"Sorry about that." I followed the voice up to see a supermodel looking at me. My mouth almost dropped open; she was beautiful, even with her hair all frizzy around her head. She had a defined face, and as soon as she patted down her hair it was fine. Very supermodel-esque.
"It's… okay," I closed my eyes again, feeling the pain settle behind them. If she did throw the pillow at me, then she had one heck of a throwing arm. My face still stung a little from the impact. A part of me wanted to react instinctually, but the other part, the human part, was still adjusting from waking up.
"So, you're Amber?" she queried, eyeing me up and down. As she did so, the more self-conscious I felt compared to her. I probably looked horrible, with my stained clothes, tattered hems, and unkempt hair. But I was used to it. She, on the other hand, looked like she just stepped out of a fashion show.
"Er- yeah," I replied, my face reddening. I looked down at Speck, wondering what they knew about me already. "And this is Speck."
"We met last night," Speck clarified, making me feel even more embarrassed.
"I'm Kate," supermodel girl replied. Her face softened a bit, mimicking Fang's demeanor making her hard to read. "This is Star," she jabbed her thumb to the sleeping girl next to her. She was covered in a mess of blonde hair. "And Maya said you already met?" she redirected her thumb to the other bed.
"Yeah, when we met Fang," Speck replied nonchalantly.
Kate nodded and yawned, which still didn't degrade her pretty face. "I'll try to wake Star up, if I can, at least," she then proceeded to poke the hell out of the bundle of blonde. Star turned over and continued snoring. Kate frowned and continued, now calling her name and attempting to shake her awake.
"Hey, you alright?"
I spun my head around, my vision blurring once again, to see Maya sitting up and leaning on her elbows. Her hair was the messiest, but she didn't care as she yawned widely, "Fang said you weren't feeling well."
"Y-Yeah," I stammered, thinking fast. "Must've been the flight, sorry about that." I lightly chuckled, trying to play it all off. But Speck's hand brushing mine reminded me of how serious it was. It was serious enough to keep me from eating, that's for sure.
"Speck and I tried to save some pizza for you," she snatched a brush off the nightstand between the beds. "But Star and Ratchet kept hogging it all. There's some left in the fridge."
"Oh- thanks," I blushed. I didn't want to admit I already ate it; I already felt insecure enough.
I glanced at Speck again, who gave me a tired smile. It was overwhelming to talk casually with people we just met, but Speck was accepting it like usual. She had more pride in herself, and whether it was my affirmation of letting her join the group or not, it made me proud to see her coming into her own.
Me on the other hand?
Not so much.
A soft knock on the door made me jump and both Maya and I turned towards it. Kate was wrestling with Star to wake up, who kept batting Kate's hands away. The knocking stopped but my eyes glued to the hotel door, and my heart rate increased at all the thoughts swarming my mind.
"Hey, breakfast's in ten," I heard Fang say from the other side.
"Alright!" Maya called back, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and standing. "Breakfast's in ten," she reiterated to Kate and Star.
Star suddenly sat up and stood on the side of the bed, allowing me a better glance at her. She was skinny, very skinny, and had blue eyes that were a little deeper than mine. When her gaze settled on me, her nose scrunched up just the slightest and a shiver ran down my spine. She didn't have the same looks as Kate, who's angled eyes accented her cheekbones perfectly, but her disposition already would've suited a supermodel's career.
"Are you her?" Star asked, eyeing me just as Kate did.
"Yeah," I slowly replied, trying to understand why she was being snippy. Sure, I just met her, but she already made me want to burn my clothes in a campfire.
She kept her eyes on me before looking at Kate and Maya, "She really does look like him."
My blood ran cold. They did talk about me last night. I would've hoped that Speck would defend me or at least change the subject, but with this many teens there was no way to stifle the gossip. I just hoped Speck didn't get wrapped up into it. She was too young, even if she had better handling of a knife than I did.
I subconsciously rubbed my scaled arm.
"Let's get going, guys," Maya said as she adjusted her windbreaker. I blinked at her wings folding against her back, remembering both Kate and Star were mutants too. I peered at them as they changed clothes and brushed their hair, wondering what mutations they had. But I didn't see any animal-like features and my heart sank a little. But didn't Maya say Speck and I were the only ones like them that survived this long? Did that mean Kate and Star were part of that new generation thing Fang was blabbing about on his blog?
Star noticed me peeking and huffed. Grabbing her clothes, she zipped to the bathroom to change, nearly slamming the door behind her. Her movements were swift and quick, causing me to blink a couple times to realize where she went. It was like she teleported. I looked towards Speck for confirmation and she just shrugged, also confused.
I didn't have any fresh clothes to change into, so I quietly brushed my hair while everybody else got ready for breakfast. I subtly moved our backpacks to the couch we claimed and whispered to Speck that we should keep our things all together. She said I was overthinking stuff, but I couldn't help it. Being out on the streets for so long and having to fend for yourself really screws up your mindset. Speck was being a little naïve as well, but she was a kid, so she had a proper excuse.
"You two ready?" Maya asked as Star dashed out the main door so fast, I couldn't see her. The wind she briefly kicked up made Speck and I gape while Kate rolled her eyes.
"I'll stop her before she eats the entire menu," Kate groaned, jogging out after her. I wondered if she and Star were friends, despite their opposing behaviors. Kate was wearing what looked like a school-dress shirt and skirt with leggings, and I thought I saw a blur of the same colors from Star as she sped out. It just made me more and more curious.
Also, what the hell is Star?
I took note of what Maya wore, which was the same from yesterday, but the color of the shirt underneath her windbreaker was different. Her messy hair fitted her well, unlike me where a brush was sometimes impossible to go through it.
"I'm ready," Speck stood from sitting.
I wasn't, as I anxiously combed out the tangles in my hair. I hoped we could get new clothes soon, since our main ones were still stained with blood. The best we could do was roll up sleeves and hems to hide how damaged they were. It didn't help that my tail was still hiding in my pants, and my ears struggled underneath the extra bandana I had. I kept scratching at them because of the fabric.
I still nodded though, since I was still hungry and kept thinking about what breakfast would entail.
Maya held the door open for us. I followed Speck through into the hallway, remembering what transpired last night. It was odd to see it not swaying like I was on a boat. Now I had a headache to remind me of it. Great.
"Follow me," Maya waved towards the elevator and I immediately stiffened. That? I'd rather take the stairs like the claustrophobic person I am. Huh, maybe that's what caused last night? Was it the stairwell that freaked me out? Or was it something else? Either way, both options made me question Fang's decision to choose the top floor.
"Amber? You okay?" Speck blinked up at me.
"We can take the stairs if you-"
"No, elevators' fine," I cut Maya off. I had to avoid the stairs, just in case it triggered whatever that was last night. Even if it meant cramming myself in an elevator. I gently squeezed Speck's hand as we walked to the elevator and Maya pressed the down button. My skin began to jump at my decision despite telling myself I would be fine.
As it arrived and we stepped in, it instantly felt warm and somewhat constricting. I quickly leaned against the furthest wall and grabbed the railing. Stairs, elevators, what next? Escalators? Speck joined me and instantly gripped my shirt. Crap, I almost forgot she must have claustrophobia too. This was a horrible decision. Great job, Amber, you just triggered every horrible memory in both you and Speck.
Maya on the other hand didn't seem that bothered. She casually leaned against one of the walls as the elevator beeped past each floor. I could feel that uncomfortable warmth hug me tighter and tighter the longer we were in there, and Speck gripped my shirt with all her might.
"We can get off on the next fl-"
"We're fine," I bit back, cutting Maya off once again. We weren't fine, but I just had to see if this would cause that terrible moment from last night. But when the door slid open and we stepped out into the lobby, the tightness subsided. Speck let out a shuddering breath and I subtly rubbed her back. "Sorry," I whispered to her. "We should've taken the stairs."
"It's fine," she whispered back as we followed Maya to the breakfast area. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah…" my mind wandered. What was it then? What could've caused last night?
"Over here," Fang snapped me from my thoughts. He beckoned his head and we strolled over to the booth he grabbed. Kate and Maya were already there, eating away, while Star left with her plate. I rose an eyebrow as she went back to the buffet line and began throwing heaps of eggs on it.
"It's a buffet, so go ahead and get what you want," Fang informed.
Speck's eyes widened and I lightly smiled, muttered a thanks, and joined Speck in the line.
We came back with two plates of food each. Speck grabbed mostly waffles and I had to stop her from taking the entire platter. I dedicated one plate to proteins and the other with carbs, and I was planning on going back for seconds.
When we sat down, nobody questioned the amount of food we got, and I felt a little less out of place. But it was still strange. I felt confused on how to feel. I was used to people staring or making me uncomfortable about the caloric intake I needed each day. With them it was the opposite, even though I still felt embarrassed.
"Holden, I swear to God-" Star sneered towards a scrawny sandy-haired boy next to her. He must've been the other boy Speck told me about in line. They didn't talk much at first, but both began conversing quickly last night over little things. He wore round glasses and looked about ten years old to me. What stood out the most where the multitude of scars over his skin. My heart sank at the amount of experiments he had to go through to get all of those.
Holden grinned devilishly at Star and took a large bite of toast. Star scoffed and stood up again, to get even more food. She couldn't be that hungry, she was as skinny as a stick!
"So Speck," Fang said. Speck looked at him and I spun my head around to listen. "You're seven years old, right?"
"I'm eight," Speck replied with her mouth full.
"Eight?" I choked, coughing on a bite of eggs. I coughed again and Maya rose a concerned brow at me. I quickly grabbed my orange juice and downed it all, pushing the blockade down my esophagus. "When did you turn eight?" I exclaimed while stifling the cough.
"Like, a couple months ago," Speck admitted while hesitantly poking her eggs.
"What- why didn't you tell me?" I covered my mouth with my hand, coughing.
Speck shrugged, "I dunno, it didn't seem important."
"Of course, it's important," I insisted, holding her hand. "It's your birthday we're talking about. When was it?"
"August 10th," she shyly admitted.
"Oh, Speck," I pulled her into a hug. No wonder she didn't want to celebrate it. That was the day we started school, officially. And that was the same day that everything went to hell within minutes. I nearly died, and she had to throw everything away in one swing. And it just had to be her birthday. "I'm sorry."
"How do you know your birthdate?" Fang asked, his brow pinching in confusion.
My body shivered instantly, realizing what she just admitted. How would she know her birthdate unless she had unlimited access and knowledge of ITex's core systems? I couldn't blame her for finding it out, but saying it just unveiled our entire personas of being regular runaways.
I stumbled on my words, "Well, you see, uh-" Come on Amber, think! "Wh- When I was searching for my- my real parents, we found some files and-"
"Real parents?" Maya almost dropped the biscuit in her hand. "What do you mean by that? I thought your parents worked for ITex?"
Shit.
"I mean-… well the thing is-… it's… it's just-" I stammered, my face going red the more I tried to lie.
"We found files on her real parents because she wanted to find them," Speck answered for me. I went even more, if possible, red and bore my eyes at her. She continued despite my glare, "Her first parents worked for them. They kidnapped her as a baby and raised her for ITex."
By that point everybody else at the table was listening. Holden dropped his food onto his plate and Star and Kate stole a glance at each other. Ratchet didn't react much except for a slight tilt to his head. Maya was fuming mad, and Fang seemed more disappointed I didn't tell him the full truth.
"Seriously? What kind of sicko does that?" Star asked under her breath. I didn't even realize how loud we had gotten, because several other people there had already left or were staring. That unsettling claustrophobic-feeling was crawling over my skin again, and I wanted to run and hide. I instead slid in my seat a little in a feeble attempt to get smaller.
"ITex does that," Fang responded, turning his gaze towards me. The look in his eyes made me want to curl up in a ball and close my eyes. Was he going to call me out? Kick me to the curb? Refuse to help me find my brother? I wouldn't blame him, I deliberately lied to his face. I just wished it would've ended a different way; different as in not in front of the group.
"Who are your real parents Amber?" Fang asked again, his voice low and commanding.
I gulped and looked somewhere else, "I uh- well…" No, I had to tell him. He needed to trust me to help me find Iggy. I had to trust him