RACHEL
Mondays, like Visser Three, are evil.
They just are.
I climbed out of bed Monday morning feeling like I had just crawled into it. My head was swarming with bad dreams, all of which seemed to linger with me as I went downstairs for breakfast.
Mom was still working on her big case and didn't even hear me come down. I sighed and put a pop tart in the toaster.
"Oh, hi, honey! Listen, can you take your sisters to school today? I'm running late- thanks."
I stared at her in disbelief. She didn't even wait for me to say yes.
I was relieved when I finally got out of the stupid house. I patted my car affectionately as I grabbed my keys. "Let's get out of here before Mom blows a casket," I said to my sisters. "Get in the back." Jordan ignored my request and sat up front, looking at herself in the mirror. I glared at her until she quietly got up and moved into the back with Sara. I put the key in and cranked up the volume on the radio. Mom ran outside, screaming at me to turn it down, but I pretended like I couldn't hear her.
"Rach!"
I jerked my head up. I had just walked into the building and- Wait that wasn't Cassie, running to say hello. It was-
"Hey Alanna."
She grinned at me. Where was Cassie? I didn't feel like I could deal with Alanna alone right now, not after what I knew about her. My only comfort was that she didn't know that I was one of the 'Andalites'.
Did she?
Don't be stupid. Of course she didn't.
"Damn, you look tired," Alanna was saying.
"I had a bad weekend."
"You should have called me. I was bored out of my skull."
Really.
I just shrugged, and Alanna gave me a look. "You okay, Rachel? You look like someone shot your dog."
"I don't have a dog."
"It's an expression."
"I know. It's a dumb one."
"Ouch." Alanna clucked her tongue at me. "You must have had a really bad weekend."
I just nodded, still scanning the crowds for Cassie. Where was she?
"Do you think I should ask Marco to the dance?"
I almost fell over. What?!?
She frowned. "Well, that is, if you're not interested in him or anything…"
"Ug! No, I'm not interested in Marco! I've got a- friend."
"Tobias."
It was my turn to give her a strange look. How…
Alanna shrugged. "Come on Rach. It was so obvious at the mall. At least, he's totally into you."
I couldn't stop the smug smile. It just came, really. "Well, maybe…"
She elbowed me in the ribs gently and I felt my face get hot. Stupid! I was blushing. This was so strange. She was acting so normal.
And it was probably just an act. That thought brought me back down to earth. She still might betray us to Visser Three. That was the Yeerk's biggest weapon- they always acted normal.
"I thought you didn't like Marco," I said.
"He's kind of cute," Alanna said with a vague shrug. "So, do you think I should?"
"It's up to you," I said.
"You're a lot a help. Where's Cassie when you need her? She's the one who can practically read minds."
If only she could read yours, I thought. I regarded her now in a new light. This was someone who very smart, and possibly very dangerous. I had to keep my guard up.
"Relax, Rachel," Alanna said, still smiling at me. "You seem tense." She turned to go to class.
"What did you do this weekend?" I said before she could go. I couldn't stop myself. I wanted to hear her lie. I wanted to hear her tell an outright lie with a smile on her face. Then I would know for sure that she was conning me, if I could just hear her lie to me.
"Me? I went to a Sharing meeting." Her eyes lit up. "Didn't you read the papers? I was there the night of that big fire."
BRRRIIINNNGGG!!
"Fuck, I'm late!" she cried, and ran off.
I felt sick. So she didn't lie after all. But that didn't mean anything- we still couldn't trust her, could we?
I ran into Cassie during lunch and told her what had happened.
"Yeah," Cassie said. "I talked to her during third period. It was weird. I mean, I know she could be a Controller, but she feels like our friend still."
"Do you trust her?" I asked.
Cassie thought about it for a second.
"Ow! Son of a- hello Mr. Chapman."
Mr. Chapman glared at Alanna, who had tripped on the stairs. Alanna smiled disarmingly at him.
Cassie and I looked at each other. "Yeah, actually. I think I do."
Mondays, like Visser Three, are evil.
They just are.
I climbed out of bed Monday morning feeling like I had just crawled into it. My head was swarming with bad dreams, all of which seemed to linger with me as I went downstairs for breakfast.
Mom was still working on her big case and didn't even hear me come down. I sighed and put a pop tart in the toaster.
"Oh, hi, honey! Listen, can you take your sisters to school today? I'm running late- thanks."
I stared at her in disbelief. She didn't even wait for me to say yes.
I was relieved when I finally got out of the stupid house. I patted my car affectionately as I grabbed my keys. "Let's get out of here before Mom blows a casket," I said to my sisters. "Get in the back." Jordan ignored my request and sat up front, looking at herself in the mirror. I glared at her until she quietly got up and moved into the back with Sara. I put the key in and cranked up the volume on the radio. Mom ran outside, screaming at me to turn it down, but I pretended like I couldn't hear her.
"Rach!"
I jerked my head up. I had just walked into the building and- Wait that wasn't Cassie, running to say hello. It was-
"Hey Alanna."
She grinned at me. Where was Cassie? I didn't feel like I could deal with Alanna alone right now, not after what I knew about her. My only comfort was that she didn't know that I was one of the 'Andalites'.
Did she?
Don't be stupid. Of course she didn't.
"Damn, you look tired," Alanna was saying.
"I had a bad weekend."
"You should have called me. I was bored out of my skull."
Really.
I just shrugged, and Alanna gave me a look. "You okay, Rachel? You look like someone shot your dog."
"I don't have a dog."
"It's an expression."
"I know. It's a dumb one."
"Ouch." Alanna clucked her tongue at me. "You must have had a really bad weekend."
I just nodded, still scanning the crowds for Cassie. Where was she?
"Do you think I should ask Marco to the dance?"
I almost fell over. What?!?
She frowned. "Well, that is, if you're not interested in him or anything…"
"Ug! No, I'm not interested in Marco! I've got a- friend."
"Tobias."
It was my turn to give her a strange look. How…
Alanna shrugged. "Come on Rach. It was so obvious at the mall. At least, he's totally into you."
I couldn't stop the smug smile. It just came, really. "Well, maybe…"
She elbowed me in the ribs gently and I felt my face get hot. Stupid! I was blushing. This was so strange. She was acting so normal.
And it was probably just an act. That thought brought me back down to earth. She still might betray us to Visser Three. That was the Yeerk's biggest weapon- they always acted normal.
"I thought you didn't like Marco," I said.
"He's kind of cute," Alanna said with a vague shrug. "So, do you think I should?"
"It's up to you," I said.
"You're a lot a help. Where's Cassie when you need her? She's the one who can practically read minds."
If only she could read yours, I thought. I regarded her now in a new light. This was someone who very smart, and possibly very dangerous. I had to keep my guard up.
"Relax, Rachel," Alanna said, still smiling at me. "You seem tense." She turned to go to class.
"What did you do this weekend?" I said before she could go. I couldn't stop myself. I wanted to hear her lie. I wanted to hear her tell an outright lie with a smile on her face. Then I would know for sure that she was conning me, if I could just hear her lie to me.
"Me? I went to a Sharing meeting." Her eyes lit up. "Didn't you read the papers? I was there the night of that big fire."
BRRRIIINNNGGG!!
"Fuck, I'm late!" she cried, and ran off.
I felt sick. So she didn't lie after all. But that didn't mean anything- we still couldn't trust her, could we?
I ran into Cassie during lunch and told her what had happened.
"Yeah," Cassie said. "I talked to her during third period. It was weird. I mean, I know she could be a Controller, but she feels like our friend still."
"Do you trust her?" I asked.
Cassie thought about it for a second.
"Ow! Son of a- hello Mr. Chapman."
Mr. Chapman glared at Alanna, who had tripped on the stairs. Alanna smiled disarmingly at him.
Cassie and I looked at each other. "Yeah, actually. I think I do."