A little luck, a lot of hope.


A couple days later, I was still trying to think of what to do. I was carefully mapping what kids became controllers and was happy to see they wouldn't come to me for at least a week.
A week. That wasn't much time.
Later that week, Saturday evening, I was taking a stroll through the woods, when I heard a noise. I quickly climbed a tall tree and hid in the branches. From up there, I was able to see two birds of prey land on the forest floor. An osprey and a falcon, I think.
Suddenly, the osprey started to grow. So did the falcon! The osprey grew and grew until it was about three feet tall. It's feathers slurped back into it's skin, and the beak turned into a human nose and mouth. The falcon looked gross, because it had human feet and human arms but a bird's body. Finally The osprey was completely human, and so was the falcon. But they weren't birds anymore. The former-falcon was now a boy I didn't recognize. And the osprey was Marco! My friend Marco!
Marco had just changed from a bird to a human! He had morphed!
It suddenly hit me. Marco was an Andalite!
"Well, Jake, this will be interesting. When we get in there, what are we going to do, huh? I mean, all Erek knows is that the number of controllers here has doubled. SO what do we do?"
"We talk to the other android, and then take a look around. Check out the Sharing, if it's meeting. Erek said that the controllers here aren't worried about Andalites at all. So it'll be a cinch. My worry is that we'll get caught by an adult. If we get caught, what'll our excuse be?"
"We're here to see Jacqueline."
"Who?"
"Jacqueline. She's this little girl, eleven, twelve years old. She thinks that we're friends, sort of. When I found out about the mission, I started hanging with her more. So, if we get caught, then we have a nice visit with Jackie and try again next week."
Jake started talking about how it wasn't right to use someone like that, but they were walking away as they spoke.
Don't worry. I wasn't upset. Nothing ever upsets me. I may be excited, or worried, but never majorly worried. I didn't care if Marco used me. I cared that someone else fought the Yeerks.
I climbed down the tree and ran back to the Center. I had taken a shortcut, so I had a few minutes before Marco and Jake arrived.
That's why Marco always came out of the woods! He morphed to get here!
Android? Erek was an android? Another ally!
Little girl! Eleven or twelve! Marco was 14, but still. Little! Ha. I can morph the same size animal you can, buddy.
The front door opened. I heard Marco's voice.
"Hey Marco! I'm glad you could visit today!" I said cheerfully. I was trying to appear normal.
"Oh. Hi, Jackie." Marco looked annoyed. "Jake, this is Jackie. Jackie, my main man, Jake."
" Hello, Jake! Listen, Marco, I got a new game I want you to see. Come on up to my room! I'll show it to you."
Marco looked disappointed, Jake looked kind of sick. I led the way up to my room.
On the way up, I heard Marco and Jake whispering. I knew what they were whispering about, and I didn't care.
I closed the door.
"Jackie, we can't stay long. Where is your new game?"
I looked at Marco.
FLASH!
Five kids, reaching their hands out to touch a blue cube.
FLASH!
"Marco, I don't have a new game, but I do have something to give you."
I went to my close, and pulled out my box of junk. I dumped it out, and opened a secret compartment in the bottom. Jake looked at me funny, and Marco looked angry. But both looks changed when I held out…
"Marco, this is my Dracon gun. I almost died getting that thing out of the Yeerk Pool Area. You can use it, but I'd like to keep it. And this is My Hork-Bajir claw. I found it at the Yeerk Pool area too. And this, this is a picture of the Yeerk Pool Area. Sorry it's only a Polaroid, but I didn't want to risk having the film developed. An this is the map I made of Hork-Bajir and Taxxon Patrols down in the Pool Area. And this, this is the blue box that my father, the Worthy Andalite Warrior, gave to me. I want to keep that too, but you can have the rest. They might help you! I saw you guys morphing in the woods, and I'm glad I did, because now you two can help me fight the Yeerks."
Jake and Marco stared at me. I gave them a condescending smile.
"Listen, Marco, if you didn't understand everything this little eleven or twelve year old girl said, I'd be happy to repeat it slowly for you. I'm not blaming you, though, because if pretending to be friends with a 10 year old would help me fight the Yeerks, I'd do it, too. But I'd at least feel bad about it."
Jake and Marco stared at me some more. Finally, Jake said,
" You… you fight the Yeerks?"
"Yes, and I can morph."
"Ok." He still looked kind of shocked. "Jacqueline, we'll come back tomorrow. There will be seven of us, so be ready. We might come in many different forms, so…"
"Jake, I can morph too. I understand. But first answer one question. Are you humans or Andalites?"
"Human."
"Ah. Good."
Jake left. Marco stared at me some more. Finally he said,
"I thought you were a controller!"
"I thought you were too."
"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Jacqueline. Bye"
"Bye"