Chapter 12
Alexis and I went straight home that night. She was going to tell Mom she had gone over to Laurel's and lost track of time. She seemed really glad that Laurel, formal goody-goody, wasn't obeying her mom and letting Hardy watch over them all the time.
Around eleven o'clock that night, I got a weird craving for food. I looked under my bed first, but the only food there was a moldy hamburger and some melted lollipops Alexis had hidden under there.
So I crept down to the kitchen, thinking ice cream. I got a bowl, a spoon, and dug out some cookies n' cream.
Then I saw the light under the door of my dad's study. I could hear my parents talking about something.
I guess it was for fun. You know how when you're young, you play those spy games with your friends, only because you want to see if you're going to get caught? Well, that was kind of like what I was doing. I half wish I hadn't even eavesdropped that night, although I now know it was for the best. I just crept up to their door, being as quiet as possible, and started listening.
"Have they been caught yet?" It was the voice of my mother. Caught? Had who been caught?
"No, they haven't been caught yet. You know that. Visser Three is about to pitch a first-class fit."
My mom laughed. "He should know the Andalites are smarter than anyone. What has he been doing to help?"
"Telling us what to do, that's what. It's been four days, and not even a clue."
"They could be in human morph."
"True. After all, Visser Three has a human morph, but remember how much trouble he had walking?"
"The Andalites could have been mistaken for drunks."
"We checked into that already. No sightings of a group of drunks anywhere in the area."
"Think they could have built a ship and escaped? I think that has been done before."
My dad started laughing, and something about the laughter seemed awfully familiar. "My, you're a stupid Yeerk, aren't you?"
"It isn't my fault," my mom said softly. "My host doesn't know much about cars or anything like that."
"Ah. Well, never mind. There is one clue."
I heard somebody shift in a chair. Then my mom said excitedly. "Really? What is it?"
"Our hosts' daughter, the one they named Alexis, she was absent at the time of the crash."
"Yes, but so were all of the other human children."
"We located those. They were at a mall called The Falls. They left, apparently, right before the ship crashed. And five children would take a while to even get across the street. Besides, they aren't allowed to go where the ship crashed. But the one called Alexis. She has no excuse."
"So?"
"We bring her to the renewal. We need something to show the Visser that we are making progress."
"Perfect."
I heard more shifting, then the sound of someone stretching and my mom yawning.
"I hate these human hosts," she complained. "They always need food, they always need sleep, they need clothes, medication, homes. It's all just need, need, need."
"Oh, stop complaining. It's better than being in the pool, isn't it?"
"I suppose. This host needs sleep. Yours?"
"I guess mine could use some."
"Good."
I heard footsteps coming across the carpet. I looked behind me. Nothing but carpet for about twenty feet. Except the closet. I ran as quietly as I could, trying not to spill the ice cream slosh. Most of the ice cream had already melted.
I waited until I heard them pass and go upstairs until I went into the kitchen.
I didn't feel like ice cream anymore. I put the bowl in the sink and rinsed it out. So my parents were Controllers. They were possessed by Yeerks. They thought Alexis knew about the Andalites. They didn't know how wrong they were.
Cameron, Hardy, Laurel, Samantha, and I had left the mall right before the ship crashed. Hardy had wanted to watch a TV show. We probably would have talked, but we hadn't. We had broken the rules and gone into that area We were in the area by the time the ship crashed. We had seen everything. And we had been given the power to morph so we could fight.
Alexis had been searching for us. No one had seen her. She knew she would be in trouble if someone who recognized her and knew our parents saw her. And now she was being blamed for everything. Everything.
Chris? Hello?
At first I thought it was the alien, then I thought it was Hardy and Laurel again. Then I hoped, just for one brief second that it was Cameron. I saw a small robin on the windowsill of the kitchen. I went over and opened the window a bit.
Hey, it's Sam. We've got a clue. And some trouble.
"Tell me about it."
My grandparents are Controllers.
"Oh yeah? Well, my parents are Controllers."
She leaped on fingers and kind of nuzzled them. I'm sorry.
"Oh, that isn't the end of it. My parents think that Alexis knows about the Andalites."
She stopped nuzzling my fingers and looked up at me. Then we have to stop them.
I shoved her onto the counter, more or less gently, and sank down beside her. I buried my head in my hands. "I don't know. I mean, Cameron, you know? We're best friends. We do everything together. And now that he isn't doing this, it just seems wrong, you know? And maybe he's right. I mean, we are just kids. We haven't even graduated yet." I buried my head in my hands even deeper.
Chris? Why don't we get Cameron back in the game?
"How the hell do you propose to do that?"
Bribery, blackmail, persuasion, threats, anything it takes. You in? I didn't say anything. Chris, come on. Don't give me all that trash about it seeming wrong when your best friend isn't there with you and then the chance finally comes up so you can get him back and you just sit there like an idiot?
"Thanks," I murmured. I think most of it was surprise. I mean, if it had been Laurel or Alexis, they would have told me to get over it. Hardy would have pretended to be hurt that he wasn't good enough. And I wouldn't have been able to admit it. You know, that I did actually need someone else. If you want to get really sentimental about it.
"Wait, you have a bird morph, but what am I supposed to do?"
Go as a dog.
"Okay."
A few minutes later, a dog ran on the streets. I hadn't been as freaked out by the changes as much this time, but they had happened in a different way. You know, this time I shrank first and was completely dog before the fur grew.
So, what method should we use first? Samantha asked.
Persuasion, I answered. We need to make him realize what's at stake. Emphasize on how my parents and your grandparents are Controllers and how they're trying to take Alexis.
You have no clue how leaderly you just sounded.
Well, I guess that's probably the reason why you guys made me the leader, huh? I meant to say it in a nicer way, but as it turned out, it came out like I was ticked off. Which I guess I kind of was.
You know, you think it's a bad thing that this happened to us. It isn't. I mean, we could help people. We could save lives.
Yeah, and get killed doing it, too. Last I checked, dead heroes didn't do much good after they're dead. There's Cameron's house.
Cameron didn't live in the best part of town. This was actually the section with the most gangs and robberies. Not the nicest place to live, if you ask me, and I don't know why he does actually live there, but oh well.
Cameron, you home?
I saw a window open and Cameron's head pop out. He said something that I won't repeat.
Now that isn't a very nice way to greet people, Samantha joked.
Cameron got dressed and came out into the back yard, where we were waiting for him. "What the hell are you doing?" he hissed.
Samantha, let me handle this. I took a breath, which came out sounding more like a pant, I guess. We need your help.
Cameron's eyebrows went up a bit. "I said no."
Yeah, well, we won't give up that easily. Listen, Cameron, I'm serious. My parents? They're these Yeerk things. They have Yeerks in their heads. And they think that Alexis knows something about the crash.
Cameron looked at me. "I don't know. I mean, I want to live long enough to drive a car."
I can already drive a truck, Samantha said. Unhelpfully.
Cameron rolled his eyes. "You have a death wish, don't you Samantha? I mean, from the start, you were really into this. But what about the serious side of it all, huh? Ever think about that? We could die. You could die."
We have the chance to help people. We can save Alexis for one thing. We could save the world. Ever think about that?
Cameron looked away.
Please Cameron, I begged. I know that it might be dangerous, but this is my family.
And mine, Samantha said quietly.
"Geez." Cameron shook his head. "Okay, I'll help. But just as long as it takes to get the families back or whatever. That's the deal."
I could tell he wasn't happy. But oh, well. He was stuck now. Thanks man.
We all went home and went to bed.
iTobias
I hate night. Owls are out, my eyesight isn't as good as it is in the day. Some people believe ghosts and goblins and vampires come out at night. There were too many reasons not to like the night, but that didn't stop me. No, I was a good little watchbird, doing as I was told and watching the boy Chris's house. I'd rather have been sleeping, but we all must make sacrifices, right?
Finally, a small robin flew to a window. I perked up. Finally, some action. Robins aren't out during the day. Not if they're normal robins, at least. I watched as the robin fluttered around nervously- I wondered if it knew I was around, or if the person posing as the robin was nervous. Then a dog joined it. They started off together. I followed them.
I didn't like the looks of this neighborhood. Marco had lived a few blocks away. The robin and dog had a talk with a boy who lived at a house with nothing but weeds growing in the yard. Then they all separated. The boy went back inside. The dog and the robin went their separate ways. I followed the robin to a house in on of the better neighborhoods and watched it fly into a window. Two more down, I thought to myself. Better than we were yesterday./i
Chapter 13
"Any ideas?" I asked.
Once again, we were all sitting at the mall, in the Food Court. Alexis was at home, grounded. This time Cameron was with us, though. He was fidgeting, but besides that, he was okay.
Laurel answered. "Spy."
"Why?"
"Well, this renewal thing? We need to know when it is, don't we? We have to spy on them, and find an entrance. We find out when it is, and then get in there and take Alexis, your parents, and then grandma and grandpa."
Samantha shrugged. "I'm free tonight. My grandparents are going out somewhere. They're taking some sort of special dinner for just the two of them.
"Same here. My parents are going out too. They're taking Alexis out for some sort of surprise." I started slowing down and Samantha and I just kind of looked at each other.
"We don't even have to bother to go on a spy mission," Samantha smiled.
I got up and threw away our stuff in a hurry.
"Hey! I wasn't through with that! What are you doing?" Laurel cried as I tossed out her nachos. "I wasn't through," she said again.
"We have to get to the zoo. When are your grandparents leaving?" I asked Samantha.
"Eight. The zoo?"
"Yeah. We all have to acquire some things that can slide into places easily, and some animals that can do damage."
Samantha grinned widely. "Cool."
Hardy smiled. "Superheroes away," he said. Laurel laughed a bit nervously. Cameron groaned. I bit my lip and tried to figure out how to get to the zoo.
Copyright 2001
Alexis and I went straight home that night. She was going to tell Mom she had gone over to Laurel's and lost track of time. She seemed really glad that Laurel, formal goody-goody, wasn't obeying her mom and letting Hardy watch over them all the time.
Around eleven o'clock that night, I got a weird craving for food. I looked under my bed first, but the only food there was a moldy hamburger and some melted lollipops Alexis had hidden under there.
So I crept down to the kitchen, thinking ice cream. I got a bowl, a spoon, and dug out some cookies n' cream.
Then I saw the light under the door of my dad's study. I could hear my parents talking about something.
I guess it was for fun. You know how when you're young, you play those spy games with your friends, only because you want to see if you're going to get caught? Well, that was kind of like what I was doing. I half wish I hadn't even eavesdropped that night, although I now know it was for the best. I just crept up to their door, being as quiet as possible, and started listening.
"Have they been caught yet?" It was the voice of my mother. Caught? Had who been caught?
"No, they haven't been caught yet. You know that. Visser Three is about to pitch a first-class fit."
My mom laughed. "He should know the Andalites are smarter than anyone. What has he been doing to help?"
"Telling us what to do, that's what. It's been four days, and not even a clue."
"They could be in human morph."
"True. After all, Visser Three has a human morph, but remember how much trouble he had walking?"
"The Andalites could have been mistaken for drunks."
"We checked into that already. No sightings of a group of drunks anywhere in the area."
"Think they could have built a ship and escaped? I think that has been done before."
My dad started laughing, and something about the laughter seemed awfully familiar. "My, you're a stupid Yeerk, aren't you?"
"It isn't my fault," my mom said softly. "My host doesn't know much about cars or anything like that."
"Ah. Well, never mind. There is one clue."
I heard somebody shift in a chair. Then my mom said excitedly. "Really? What is it?"
"Our hosts' daughter, the one they named Alexis, she was absent at the time of the crash."
"Yes, but so were all of the other human children."
"We located those. They were at a mall called The Falls. They left, apparently, right before the ship crashed. And five children would take a while to even get across the street. Besides, they aren't allowed to go where the ship crashed. But the one called Alexis. She has no excuse."
"So?"
"We bring her to the renewal. We need something to show the Visser that we are making progress."
"Perfect."
I heard more shifting, then the sound of someone stretching and my mom yawning.
"I hate these human hosts," she complained. "They always need food, they always need sleep, they need clothes, medication, homes. It's all just need, need, need."
"Oh, stop complaining. It's better than being in the pool, isn't it?"
"I suppose. This host needs sleep. Yours?"
"I guess mine could use some."
"Good."
I heard footsteps coming across the carpet. I looked behind me. Nothing but carpet for about twenty feet. Except the closet. I ran as quietly as I could, trying not to spill the ice cream slosh. Most of the ice cream had already melted.
I waited until I heard them pass and go upstairs until I went into the kitchen.
I didn't feel like ice cream anymore. I put the bowl in the sink and rinsed it out. So my parents were Controllers. They were possessed by Yeerks. They thought Alexis knew about the Andalites. They didn't know how wrong they were.
Cameron, Hardy, Laurel, Samantha, and I had left the mall right before the ship crashed. Hardy had wanted to watch a TV show. We probably would have talked, but we hadn't. We had broken the rules and gone into that area We were in the area by the time the ship crashed. We had seen everything. And we had been given the power to morph so we could fight.
Alexis had been searching for us. No one had seen her. She knew she would be in trouble if someone who recognized her and knew our parents saw her. And now she was being blamed for everything. Everything.
Chris? Hello?
At first I thought it was the alien, then I thought it was Hardy and Laurel again. Then I hoped, just for one brief second that it was Cameron. I saw a small robin on the windowsill of the kitchen. I went over and opened the window a bit.
Hey, it's Sam. We've got a clue. And some trouble.
"Tell me about it."
My grandparents are Controllers.
"Oh yeah? Well, my parents are Controllers."
She leaped on fingers and kind of nuzzled them. I'm sorry.
"Oh, that isn't the end of it. My parents think that Alexis knows about the Andalites."
She stopped nuzzling my fingers and looked up at me. Then we have to stop them.
I shoved her onto the counter, more or less gently, and sank down beside her. I buried my head in my hands. "I don't know. I mean, Cameron, you know? We're best friends. We do everything together. And now that he isn't doing this, it just seems wrong, you know? And maybe he's right. I mean, we are just kids. We haven't even graduated yet." I buried my head in my hands even deeper.
Chris? Why don't we get Cameron back in the game?
"How the hell do you propose to do that?"
Bribery, blackmail, persuasion, threats, anything it takes. You in? I didn't say anything. Chris, come on. Don't give me all that trash about it seeming wrong when your best friend isn't there with you and then the chance finally comes up so you can get him back and you just sit there like an idiot?
"Thanks," I murmured. I think most of it was surprise. I mean, if it had been Laurel or Alexis, they would have told me to get over it. Hardy would have pretended to be hurt that he wasn't good enough. And I wouldn't have been able to admit it. You know, that I did actually need someone else. If you want to get really sentimental about it.
"Wait, you have a bird morph, but what am I supposed to do?"
Go as a dog.
"Okay."
A few minutes later, a dog ran on the streets. I hadn't been as freaked out by the changes as much this time, but they had happened in a different way. You know, this time I shrank first and was completely dog before the fur grew.
So, what method should we use first? Samantha asked.
Persuasion, I answered. We need to make him realize what's at stake. Emphasize on how my parents and your grandparents are Controllers and how they're trying to take Alexis.
You have no clue how leaderly you just sounded.
Well, I guess that's probably the reason why you guys made me the leader, huh? I meant to say it in a nicer way, but as it turned out, it came out like I was ticked off. Which I guess I kind of was.
You know, you think it's a bad thing that this happened to us. It isn't. I mean, we could help people. We could save lives.
Yeah, and get killed doing it, too. Last I checked, dead heroes didn't do much good after they're dead. There's Cameron's house.
Cameron didn't live in the best part of town. This was actually the section with the most gangs and robberies. Not the nicest place to live, if you ask me, and I don't know why he does actually live there, but oh well.
Cameron, you home?
I saw a window open and Cameron's head pop out. He said something that I won't repeat.
Now that isn't a very nice way to greet people, Samantha joked.
Cameron got dressed and came out into the back yard, where we were waiting for him. "What the hell are you doing?" he hissed.
Samantha, let me handle this. I took a breath, which came out sounding more like a pant, I guess. We need your help.
Cameron's eyebrows went up a bit. "I said no."
Yeah, well, we won't give up that easily. Listen, Cameron, I'm serious. My parents? They're these Yeerk things. They have Yeerks in their heads. And they think that Alexis knows something about the crash.
Cameron looked at me. "I don't know. I mean, I want to live long enough to drive a car."
I can already drive a truck, Samantha said. Unhelpfully.
Cameron rolled his eyes. "You have a death wish, don't you Samantha? I mean, from the start, you were really into this. But what about the serious side of it all, huh? Ever think about that? We could die. You could die."
We have the chance to help people. We can save Alexis for one thing. We could save the world. Ever think about that?
Cameron looked away.
Please Cameron, I begged. I know that it might be dangerous, but this is my family.
And mine, Samantha said quietly.
"Geez." Cameron shook his head. "Okay, I'll help. But just as long as it takes to get the families back or whatever. That's the deal."
I could tell he wasn't happy. But oh, well. He was stuck now. Thanks man.
We all went home and went to bed.
iTobias
I hate night. Owls are out, my eyesight isn't as good as it is in the day. Some people believe ghosts and goblins and vampires come out at night. There were too many reasons not to like the night, but that didn't stop me. No, I was a good little watchbird, doing as I was told and watching the boy Chris's house. I'd rather have been sleeping, but we all must make sacrifices, right?
Finally, a small robin flew to a window. I perked up. Finally, some action. Robins aren't out during the day. Not if they're normal robins, at least. I watched as the robin fluttered around nervously- I wondered if it knew I was around, or if the person posing as the robin was nervous. Then a dog joined it. They started off together. I followed them.
I didn't like the looks of this neighborhood. Marco had lived a few blocks away. The robin and dog had a talk with a boy who lived at a house with nothing but weeds growing in the yard. Then they all separated. The boy went back inside. The dog and the robin went their separate ways. I followed the robin to a house in on of the better neighborhoods and watched it fly into a window. Two more down, I thought to myself. Better than we were yesterday./i
Chapter 13
"Any ideas?" I asked.
Once again, we were all sitting at the mall, in the Food Court. Alexis was at home, grounded. This time Cameron was with us, though. He was fidgeting, but besides that, he was okay.
Laurel answered. "Spy."
"Why?"
"Well, this renewal thing? We need to know when it is, don't we? We have to spy on them, and find an entrance. We find out when it is, and then get in there and take Alexis, your parents, and then grandma and grandpa."
Samantha shrugged. "I'm free tonight. My grandparents are going out somewhere. They're taking some sort of special dinner for just the two of them.
"Same here. My parents are going out too. They're taking Alexis out for some sort of surprise." I started slowing down and Samantha and I just kind of looked at each other.
"We don't even have to bother to go on a spy mission," Samantha smiled.
I got up and threw away our stuff in a hurry.
"Hey! I wasn't through with that! What are you doing?" Laurel cried as I tossed out her nachos. "I wasn't through," she said again.
"We have to get to the zoo. When are your grandparents leaving?" I asked Samantha.
"Eight. The zoo?"
"Yeah. We all have to acquire some things that can slide into places easily, and some animals that can do damage."
Samantha grinned widely. "Cool."
Hardy smiled. "Superheroes away," he said. Laurel laughed a bit nervously. Cameron groaned. I bit my lip and tried to figure out how to get to the zoo.
Copyright 2001