Chapter Ten

"You can have this room, Mademoiselle Baker. It's a private suite, just like you earned." The maid smiled at her. "Are you here alone?"

"Just for now. I've to write to my guardian tonight, and tell him to meet me." Carla lied. Well, she was going to write the cyborgs, but no way in hell would she tell them to meet her. It could be too risky. She just wanted to let Joe know that she was on the run again.

"I see. Well, then I will let you get settled. The seminar starts in two hours." With that the stocky maid left.

It had taken the better part of a month to get to the school. It wasn't in Paris, but another French city. Now that she was finally there, Carla could relax, and not have to worry about Black Ghost for a while. Being there made her feel like she was on top of the world. This was her time to shine, and that's what she intended to do.

"Lunch is served at twelve o'clock sharp. It will last until twelve thirty, and no later. Supper and recreational time starts at six thirty. A light snack and then Dorm time follow this. At this time, you will be required to study and complete all assignments for school the next day. My advice, girls, is to start your homework before dinner. There will be a lot of it, and little time to do it. That is all. Please report to your dorms in preparation for tomorrow's first class."

As Carla stood up to return to her suite, a tall girl bumped into her. "Hey!"

"Excuse me." The girl smiled down at her kindly. "I didn't see you."

"It's alright. No one ever does. My name's Carla."

"I'm Frances. It's nice to meet you."

"You too." Carla smiled. "Do you want to walk back with me?"

"Uh…sure. My dorm is on Parlor Hall. What about you?"

"I'm here on scholarship. Mine is on Brecken Hall. It's really more of a suite."

"Cool! Do you think I can come see it?" Frances' eyes lit up in excitement.

"Sure. Come on." Carla let out a contented sigh. Her first night there

and she already had a new friend. "Have you been dancing long?"

"Since I was three. My mother was a prima ballerina." Frances replied softly.

"I've been dancing for five years. I'm eleven now." Carla opened the door to the suite. "I'm still organizing it, but here it is. "

"Wow! This is really neat. You have a playroom and everything!" Frances was in her seventh heaven.

"Do you like Chopin? Some friends of mine got a record of his music for me. We can listen to it."

"Sure. But don't forget. Lights out at nine tonight." Frances reminded her.

"Don't worry, I won't forget. It was the same at my old school." Carla stated, as she fiddled with the record player. "I used to go to a science academy. I had to leave though."

"Why? Did you get into trouble or something?"

"Sort of." Carla replied, not wanting to get into it. "I noticed that there are middle school, and high school kids here."

"Oh yeah. They mix the ballet class, but we'll have different levels of academic classes." Frances told her. "What's your favorite ballet?"

"Hmm….Swan Lake. The costumes are always so beautiful." Carla twirled to the music on the record player.

"Mine's Coppelia. It's something like Pinnochio, without the fairy and long nose."

"Sounds cool!" Carla smiled. "Maybe we'll get to be in one of our favorite ballets."

"That would be cool. " Frances gasped then, looking at the clock. "Oh no! It's almost lights out. Listen, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright. Good night, Frances."

" 'night Carla." The girl left the room, silently.

Back at the Science Academy, Melissa and Jordan were gawking at Carla's old notebooks. She'd been writing all about nine cyborgs. The same nine that these people from Black Ghost wanted. Jordan wanted to report it to Black Ghost immediately, but Melissa was firm. "No. We can't sell out best friend out. Besides, maybe Black Ghost isn't as good as we think. " Melissa was reading the notebook entries. "001 seemed to be one of her best friends. He's a baby cyborg."

"A baby cyborg? How cruel!" Jordan scowled. "If Black Ghost did create those, he IS vile. Is there an address?"

"An address for where?" Melissa asked, as she read over and entry about cyborg 006's tuna surprise.

"To where the cyborgs live. This would probably be safer in their hands, since we don't know where Carla went."

"We do know. Carla went to her new school."

"Shh! Not so loud. Black Ghost has spies everywhere." Jordan looked around. "Then we should find her, before Black Ghost does." The two friends headed out of the school, but were stopped by two suited men.

"Where do you two think you're going?"

"Out for lunch. It IS allowed."

"What is this?" One of the men snatched the notebooks, and began to flip through them. "Hmm….interesting lunch topic you two were planning." He handed the books to his partner,grabbing Jordan's arm. "You're both going to have to come with us." The other man grabbed Melissa.

"Hey! Let go of us!" Jordan protested.

"Sorry, kid. You did this to yourselves. " They were then forced to inhale chloroform, and taken to a base in central Paris.