Normal, (for me, anyway) happy life
The next day, we arranged it for me to be in school. It was harder than you would think, getting the teachers and principal to believe that it was my dad calling, and not Jake half-morphed into a wolf. Anyway, school was great. I hadn't been to a real school since I was nine. I got to meet new kids, and have homework, and reports assigned. I loved it.
Every two hours, I would demorph.
After school, Marco and I did homework together, because we were in the same classes, then headed over to the mall. We met Jake and Rachel there, and Rachel dragged me into the Gap.
I got two pairs of jeans, four new shirts and canvas shoes. I badly needed them, because the only clothes I had were the ones I'd worn out of the Center.
I promised to Rachel that I'd pay her back somehow. She said to forget it.
Everyone was soooo nice to me!
We went to the movies together, and to the mall!
About a week after that, I realised something.
We hadn't had any missions yet! Which meant, the Animorphs, the other Animorphs I should say, were spending time with me because they liked me!
But it bothered me that we hadn't done anything about the Center, and the stuff going on there. I mean, that used to be my home. I wanted to protect it. So, next meeting, I brought it up.
We were in Cassie's barn. It was Friday, after school. Ax was talking about a TV show that he had seen, and he got half of what he said wrong. Marco was making fun of Ax, and Rachel was whispering to Cassie. Jake was listening to Ax, and trying not to laugh. I finally said,
"Excuse me? Um, I don't mean to be rude, but I do want to talk about something important. What are we going to do about the controllers at the Center?"
After a few minutes, when Jake had gotten everyone to calm down, we started discussing it like we discuss everything else that's important.
When finally everyone stopped laughing again, I put my hand over Marco's mouth and asked again, "What are we going to do about the situation in the Center?"
"I don't know. We don't know why they want all those kids there to be controllers. They want people in positions of power, not kids." Jake said.
"Maybe... never mind." Cassie got quiet. Then she started again. "Maybe they want the Center for something, and they need to get rid of all the kids there."
"Want it for something? Like what?"
"Well, like maybe they want to mine something that is under the Center, or maybe…" Cassie broke off and started thinking.
I thought a moment. Then I thought some more. Then I thought real hard.
Nothing. I couldn't think of any reason the Yeerks would want the Center empty.
Jake said something about spying out the Yeerk pool there.
Rachel started talking about how we should just go in and destroy everything related to the Yeerks there.
I thought about it a lot.
The Center. Hmmm. Why would they want the Center? What was there at the Center that they'd want?
The Center.
The Center was a place not very high in the mountains, but still, it was pretty far up. It was a four story building, not counting the underground Yeerk Pool Area. It was surrounded by forest and mountains. Wait! Wasn't there something going on, something they had talked about…
I thought some more. I remembered something that a controller had said. Something about a project, going on about a mile or two away. Something important.
"Listen, I remember a controller talking about something going on a mile or two away. A little ways from the truck accident, where we found those eggs. Should we check it out?"
Jake looked around.
It was cool watching Jake. He probably hated being the leader of this little army. But, he took the role so naturally, I guess the Animorphs had no choice but to appoint him leader. He always made the really tough decisions, the ones we couldn't vote on. He set the plans. I couldn't ever imagine this team working without him.
"Ok, we might check it out. Tomorrow Ok?"
Marco shook his head. "Not me, man, tomorrow my Dad and I are going somewhere."
"Tomorrow, my Mom got plane tickets for me to visit my Dad. Sorry, I won't be back until Monday."
"Ok then. Tuesday, after school, we fly up there? Until then, Tobias, could you take a look around up there? Maybe with Ax and Jackie?"
Hold on, let me check my day-planner. Hmm. I can schedule you in right between killing a mouse and killing a rat.
Marco smiled, and I laughed. Marco and I seem to find the same things funny.
After everyone left, Tobias told me he was going to grab a mouse. Could I wait in the barn for a few minutes?
I said sure, and he and Ax left. I scrambled up to my hay loft.
I was always grateful for some time to think. That day, I thought about Marco.
Marco was funny. He was always making jokes, always keeping the Animorphs from realising exactly how hopeless their situation was.
He was also really vain. He thought all the girls in the world thought he was cute.
He was. He was totally, outrageously cute. But that didn't mean I liked him. I just thought, yes, he is cute.
He was kind of ruthless. Kind of mean. Angry. But cool.
I felt really sorry for him, knowing his mother was Visser One, most powerful of the Yeerks. It must be really weird, knowing your Mom is a controller.
Jake. Quieter, calmer, smarter than Marco. Cassie and him seemed to be together, but it was hard to tell.
Tobias. I didn't know him very well, but Marco had made it clear with his many jokes and comments that Rachel and Tobias were together.
Tobias came back, and Ax was with him. Ax morphed a harrier. Tobias was himself.
I prepared to morph the osprey that I had acquired.
The other Animorphs tell me that Cassie is good at morphing. They also tell me that I am too. I wouldn't know, really.
My fingers turned into long, feathers, that stretched and stretched. Feathers seemed to travel down my arms and legs. My toes slurped into my feet, and three of them became talons. My feet turned scaly, My eyes became osprey eyes.
Then, and only then, when I was totally osprey, did I start to shrink.
When I was done, I saw Tobias and Ax staring at me.
Wow. You are good at morphing. Well, ready to fly?
Of course. I'm always ready to fly! I laughed!
I flapped my wings as hard as I could, and sort of jumped, sort of leaped, into the air. I flapped harder, and rose higher, higher, higher! I rose by myself, without planes or helicopters or anything besides my own wings!
Nothing, nothing in the world is as good as flying with your own wings.
We soared into the air. Flapping your wings like that was hard work, but it was worth it.
I suddenly felt a warmth underneath me and up I rose! Up on a thermal! Like an invisible elevator!
Ok, Jackie, remember a couple of things. Stay as far away from me as you can while still thought-speaking to me, OK? And ride the thermal as high as possible, because you can turn height into distance.
Sure! This is so, so great! I can't really believe how great this is! I mean, with the owl, you only noticed the senses. But flying like this in the daytime! Wow! I mean, Wow! I can see everything! We're, what, a mile up and I can read that book that girl is reading down there! Wow!
Yeah. It's great, I know. But, let's get focused here. We need to start heading toward that spot where the trucks crashed.
We have all day. Let's just go a little higher, please?
Jacqueline, we only have forty-three of your minutes left to stay in morph.
Yeah, I know. I can keep time too, Ax. It's ten twenty-seven and fifteen seconds.
Cool! Tobias said! You can keep time in your head? Like Ax can!
Yeah. Everyone can, can't they?
Of course not. Why do you think watches had to be invented!
Oh. Cool! By the way, it's ten twenty-eight and thirty seconds.
Correct. Tobias, I believe we are approaching the location of the accident.
Yeah. Jackie, do you see it?
No. Where is it?
It's about two miles north-west of you.
That's fine. But I think I have something over here. Look about north-east, then look up at the mountain about a mile.
I think he looked.
AX! WHAT IN THE HECK ARE THEY DOING OVER THERE! AND HOW COME NO ONE HAS NOTICED!
The next day, we arranged it for me to be in school. It was harder than you would think, getting the teachers and principal to believe that it was my dad calling, and not Jake half-morphed into a wolf. Anyway, school was great. I hadn't been to a real school since I was nine. I got to meet new kids, and have homework, and reports assigned. I loved it.
Every two hours, I would demorph.
After school, Marco and I did homework together, because we were in the same classes, then headed over to the mall. We met Jake and Rachel there, and Rachel dragged me into the Gap.
I got two pairs of jeans, four new shirts and canvas shoes. I badly needed them, because the only clothes I had were the ones I'd worn out of the Center.
I promised to Rachel that I'd pay her back somehow. She said to forget it.
Everyone was soooo nice to me!
We went to the movies together, and to the mall!
About a week after that, I realised something.
We hadn't had any missions yet! Which meant, the Animorphs, the other Animorphs I should say, were spending time with me because they liked me!
But it bothered me that we hadn't done anything about the Center, and the stuff going on there. I mean, that used to be my home. I wanted to protect it. So, next meeting, I brought it up.
We were in Cassie's barn. It was Friday, after school. Ax was talking about a TV show that he had seen, and he got half of what he said wrong. Marco was making fun of Ax, and Rachel was whispering to Cassie. Jake was listening to Ax, and trying not to laugh. I finally said,
"Excuse me? Um, I don't mean to be rude, but I do want to talk about something important. What are we going to do about the controllers at the Center?"
After a few minutes, when Jake had gotten everyone to calm down, we started discussing it like we discuss everything else that's important.
When finally everyone stopped laughing again, I put my hand over Marco's mouth and asked again, "What are we going to do about the situation in the Center?"
"I don't know. We don't know why they want all those kids there to be controllers. They want people in positions of power, not kids." Jake said.
"Maybe... never mind." Cassie got quiet. Then she started again. "Maybe they want the Center for something, and they need to get rid of all the kids there."
"Want it for something? Like what?"
"Well, like maybe they want to mine something that is under the Center, or maybe…" Cassie broke off and started thinking.
I thought a moment. Then I thought some more. Then I thought real hard.
Nothing. I couldn't think of any reason the Yeerks would want the Center empty.
Jake said something about spying out the Yeerk pool there.
Rachel started talking about how we should just go in and destroy everything related to the Yeerks there.
I thought about it a lot.
The Center. Hmmm. Why would they want the Center? What was there at the Center that they'd want?
The Center.
The Center was a place not very high in the mountains, but still, it was pretty far up. It was a four story building, not counting the underground Yeerk Pool Area. It was surrounded by forest and mountains. Wait! Wasn't there something going on, something they had talked about…
I thought some more. I remembered something that a controller had said. Something about a project, going on about a mile or two away. Something important.
"Listen, I remember a controller talking about something going on a mile or two away. A little ways from the truck accident, where we found those eggs. Should we check it out?"
Jake looked around.
It was cool watching Jake. He probably hated being the leader of this little army. But, he took the role so naturally, I guess the Animorphs had no choice but to appoint him leader. He always made the really tough decisions, the ones we couldn't vote on. He set the plans. I couldn't ever imagine this team working without him.
"Ok, we might check it out. Tomorrow Ok?"
Marco shook his head. "Not me, man, tomorrow my Dad and I are going somewhere."
"Tomorrow, my Mom got plane tickets for me to visit my Dad. Sorry, I won't be back until Monday."
"Ok then. Tuesday, after school, we fly up there? Until then, Tobias, could you take a look around up there? Maybe with Ax and Jackie?"
Hold on, let me check my day-planner. Hmm. I can schedule you in right between killing a mouse and killing a rat.
Marco smiled, and I laughed. Marco and I seem to find the same things funny.
After everyone left, Tobias told me he was going to grab a mouse. Could I wait in the barn for a few minutes?
I said sure, and he and Ax left. I scrambled up to my hay loft.
I was always grateful for some time to think. That day, I thought about Marco.
Marco was funny. He was always making jokes, always keeping the Animorphs from realising exactly how hopeless their situation was.
He was also really vain. He thought all the girls in the world thought he was cute.
He was. He was totally, outrageously cute. But that didn't mean I liked him. I just thought, yes, he is cute.
He was kind of ruthless. Kind of mean. Angry. But cool.
I felt really sorry for him, knowing his mother was Visser One, most powerful of the Yeerks. It must be really weird, knowing your Mom is a controller.
Jake. Quieter, calmer, smarter than Marco. Cassie and him seemed to be together, but it was hard to tell.
Tobias. I didn't know him very well, but Marco had made it clear with his many jokes and comments that Rachel and Tobias were together.
Tobias came back, and Ax was with him. Ax morphed a harrier. Tobias was himself.
I prepared to morph the osprey that I had acquired.
The other Animorphs tell me that Cassie is good at morphing. They also tell me that I am too. I wouldn't know, really.
My fingers turned into long, feathers, that stretched and stretched. Feathers seemed to travel down my arms and legs. My toes slurped into my feet, and three of them became talons. My feet turned scaly, My eyes became osprey eyes.
Then, and only then, when I was totally osprey, did I start to shrink.
When I was done, I saw Tobias and Ax staring at me.
Wow. You are good at morphing. Well, ready to fly?
Of course. I'm always ready to fly! I laughed!
I flapped my wings as hard as I could, and sort of jumped, sort of leaped, into the air. I flapped harder, and rose higher, higher, higher! I rose by myself, without planes or helicopters or anything besides my own wings!
Nothing, nothing in the world is as good as flying with your own wings.
We soared into the air. Flapping your wings like that was hard work, but it was worth it.
I suddenly felt a warmth underneath me and up I rose! Up on a thermal! Like an invisible elevator!
Ok, Jackie, remember a couple of things. Stay as far away from me as you can while still thought-speaking to me, OK? And ride the thermal as high as possible, because you can turn height into distance.
Sure! This is so, so great! I can't really believe how great this is! I mean, with the owl, you only noticed the senses. But flying like this in the daytime! Wow! I mean, Wow! I can see everything! We're, what, a mile up and I can read that book that girl is reading down there! Wow!
Yeah. It's great, I know. But, let's get focused here. We need to start heading toward that spot where the trucks crashed.
We have all day. Let's just go a little higher, please?
Jacqueline, we only have forty-three of your minutes left to stay in morph.
Yeah, I know. I can keep time too, Ax. It's ten twenty-seven and fifteen seconds.
Cool! Tobias said! You can keep time in your head? Like Ax can!
Yeah. Everyone can, can't they?
Of course not. Why do you think watches had to be invented!
Oh. Cool! By the way, it's ten twenty-eight and thirty seconds.
Correct. Tobias, I believe we are approaching the location of the accident.
Yeah. Jackie, do you see it?
No. Where is it?
It's about two miles north-west of you.
That's fine. But I think I have something over here. Look about north-east, then look up at the mountain about a mile.
I think he looked.
AX! WHAT IN THE HECK ARE THEY DOING OVER THERE! AND HOW COME NO ONE HAS NOTICED!