Deya stepped into the I.F. car, and instantly the car began to move. "Where
am I going?" she asked quietly.
The I.F. officer who accompanied her spoke. "Where all the other Battleschool children first go - to the testing room."
"I - I've already gotten tested though. Is this for illnesses, weight, height, etc.?"
"I'm Seth, by the way. I'll also be at Battleschool. In fact, I teach one of the classes."
Deya sighed. "When will I be able to see my family again?"
"Probably soon," he said, winking at her from the rear mirror.
"What. what's that supposed to mean?" she asked, perturbed by his friendliness.
"Your sister. Jane." That was all he needed to say.
"Jane?" exclaimed Deya. "No! Not her?"
"Yes."
"She's too young! Only five!"
"Well, things have changed. The Battleschool you're going to is an all girls Battleschool."
"Why?!" she cried. She'd never heard of an all girls Battleschool. Battleschool was just referred to as.. well, Battleschool.
"You'll find out why soon enough. You're leaving tonight. You're not to eat anything, by the way."
iJane./i she thought. iHer sister Jane? Was Jane even qualified to go to Battleschool?/i She'd never thought her sister Jane would be smart enough. Her parents had always praised her of her achievements, and pushed aside the notion of Jane achieving them as well.
Her dark brown eyes glanced over Seth. Then she remembered what he had said. "What class do you teach?" she asked.
"Health."
"Really," she said, not in a questioning tone.
"Yes, really," he said, the car turning onto a narrow street. "We're almost there."
The car soon reached what looked like to be an abandoned building. It was tiled, and had little windows. Double-doors were in the front, and a vast parking lot was behind it. They drove into the parking lot.
Deya gazed at it. "This is where the testing is?"
"Yep," he said. "Don't worry, you're not alone. There are many other girls around your age who will be tested."
"O.. kay."
They got out of the blue I.F. car and entered the building. Deya looked around. Practically everything was white. There was a registration desk, where a nice-looking woman about thirty years old that had on a nurse's uniform sat. She had a clipboard in one hand and a phone in another, checking in on the other girls that were due to arrive. She hung up, then looked at Deya and Seth.
"Hello," she said. "What is your I.D. number?"
"85321," replied Seth.
How did Seth know her number? He was probably her handler, or something like that.
"All right," she said. She scribbled in something on her clipboard. "You can go to the waiting room and wait for your turn. You are number twenty- two in line. Count yourself lucky, there's going to be a iton/i of other girls arriving." She smiled up at Deya. She wore a nametag - her name was Christina. "Feel free to talk to me if you need anything."
Deya nodded, looking around the halls to find the waiting room.
"I'm leaving now," said Seth. "You'll be picked up along with everyone else in I.F. cars. They're high security, so you don't need to worry. The I.F. officers will give you instructions. See you at Battleschool!" he said, and without a backwards glance, left.
She was all alone now. "Where's the waiting room?" she asked Christina, in a tiny voice. Now that Seth left, she was lost.
"Just go down the hall to your right and turn left. There should be a door marked 'Waiting room.'"
"Oh! Okay, thanks," said Deya. She went down the hall and soon found the clearly marked door. iStupid/i, she thought. iI could've just found it myself. Oh well./i
She entered the room. Twenty-one other girls were sitting on chairs, all in a row. Feeling shaky, she sat down on a chair marked 'Twenty-two.' Deya looked at the girl next to her. She looked to be Chinese - she was short and had long black hair, shiny and well taken care of. The girl was wearing a red plaid dress and black dress shoes. She had small eyes, and had a long, oval face, with high cheekbones and slender, red lips.
"Hi." said Deya hesitantly.
"Hello," said the girl.
"I'm Deya. Seven."
"I'm Minn. Seven, too."
"Oh. Where are you from?"
"Maryland. You?"
"Rhode Island."
"Oh, you're pretty near where I am. How is it at Rhode Island?"
"Good. nice beaches," said Deya, feeling very boring. "I'm sorry, I must be boring you."
"It's okay, there's not much to talk about anyway. We're going to wait for a long time, too, so talk is always good," said Minn, smiling.
There was an awkard silence. Deya smiled back. She was beginning to like her a lot. "What family do you come from?" she asked, trying to fill up the big gap in their conversation.
"Umm." Minn looked hesitant.
"My last name is Glaines. We're kind of poor, so going to Battleschool really is an honor, I guess."
Minn still said nothing. Finally, she said, "I come from the family of Chai."
"Chai?!" exclaimed Deya.
"Yes, Chai."
"Wow! Your family.. must be rich!"
The Chai family practically owned the I.F. They came to own it from investments, and good thinking, for the Chai family was well known for the genius kids they had raised up.
Minn looked embarrassed. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about!" said Deya. "Boy, I wish I was from a family like that."
"Well, see, I'm worried. that I'll be treated differently because of my father, who owns the Battleschool. And kids wouldn't like me."
"iI/i like you," said Deya indignantly.
Minn shrugged, and looked away.
Just then, a nurse opened the door. "Minn Chai, number twenty-one?"
"I thought we were going in order," said Minn, looking at the girls that had arrived a lot earlier than she had.
"It's all right, we're doing it by last name," said the nurse.
"Oh.. okay,' said Minn. She got up, then looked at Deya. "See you after a while, I guess," she said.
Deya nodded, then looked at the ground. The famous Chai family! Who would've guessed?
The I.F. officer who accompanied her spoke. "Where all the other Battleschool children first go - to the testing room."
"I - I've already gotten tested though. Is this for illnesses, weight, height, etc.?"
"I'm Seth, by the way. I'll also be at Battleschool. In fact, I teach one of the classes."
Deya sighed. "When will I be able to see my family again?"
"Probably soon," he said, winking at her from the rear mirror.
"What. what's that supposed to mean?" she asked, perturbed by his friendliness.
"Your sister. Jane." That was all he needed to say.
"Jane?" exclaimed Deya. "No! Not her?"
"Yes."
"She's too young! Only five!"
"Well, things have changed. The Battleschool you're going to is an all girls Battleschool."
"Why?!" she cried. She'd never heard of an all girls Battleschool. Battleschool was just referred to as.. well, Battleschool.
"You'll find out why soon enough. You're leaving tonight. You're not to eat anything, by the way."
iJane./i she thought. iHer sister Jane? Was Jane even qualified to go to Battleschool?/i She'd never thought her sister Jane would be smart enough. Her parents had always praised her of her achievements, and pushed aside the notion of Jane achieving them as well.
Her dark brown eyes glanced over Seth. Then she remembered what he had said. "What class do you teach?" she asked.
"Health."
"Really," she said, not in a questioning tone.
"Yes, really," he said, the car turning onto a narrow street. "We're almost there."
The car soon reached what looked like to be an abandoned building. It was tiled, and had little windows. Double-doors were in the front, and a vast parking lot was behind it. They drove into the parking lot.
Deya gazed at it. "This is where the testing is?"
"Yep," he said. "Don't worry, you're not alone. There are many other girls around your age who will be tested."
"O.. kay."
They got out of the blue I.F. car and entered the building. Deya looked around. Practically everything was white. There was a registration desk, where a nice-looking woman about thirty years old that had on a nurse's uniform sat. She had a clipboard in one hand and a phone in another, checking in on the other girls that were due to arrive. She hung up, then looked at Deya and Seth.
"Hello," she said. "What is your I.D. number?"
"85321," replied Seth.
How did Seth know her number? He was probably her handler, or something like that.
"All right," she said. She scribbled in something on her clipboard. "You can go to the waiting room and wait for your turn. You are number twenty- two in line. Count yourself lucky, there's going to be a iton/i of other girls arriving." She smiled up at Deya. She wore a nametag - her name was Christina. "Feel free to talk to me if you need anything."
Deya nodded, looking around the halls to find the waiting room.
"I'm leaving now," said Seth. "You'll be picked up along with everyone else in I.F. cars. They're high security, so you don't need to worry. The I.F. officers will give you instructions. See you at Battleschool!" he said, and without a backwards glance, left.
She was all alone now. "Where's the waiting room?" she asked Christina, in a tiny voice. Now that Seth left, she was lost.
"Just go down the hall to your right and turn left. There should be a door marked 'Waiting room.'"
"Oh! Okay, thanks," said Deya. She went down the hall and soon found the clearly marked door. iStupid/i, she thought. iI could've just found it myself. Oh well./i
She entered the room. Twenty-one other girls were sitting on chairs, all in a row. Feeling shaky, she sat down on a chair marked 'Twenty-two.' Deya looked at the girl next to her. She looked to be Chinese - she was short and had long black hair, shiny and well taken care of. The girl was wearing a red plaid dress and black dress shoes. She had small eyes, and had a long, oval face, with high cheekbones and slender, red lips.
"Hi." said Deya hesitantly.
"Hello," said the girl.
"I'm Deya. Seven."
"I'm Minn. Seven, too."
"Oh. Where are you from?"
"Maryland. You?"
"Rhode Island."
"Oh, you're pretty near where I am. How is it at Rhode Island?"
"Good. nice beaches," said Deya, feeling very boring. "I'm sorry, I must be boring you."
"It's okay, there's not much to talk about anyway. We're going to wait for a long time, too, so talk is always good," said Minn, smiling.
There was an awkard silence. Deya smiled back. She was beginning to like her a lot. "What family do you come from?" she asked, trying to fill up the big gap in their conversation.
"Umm." Minn looked hesitant.
"My last name is Glaines. We're kind of poor, so going to Battleschool really is an honor, I guess."
Minn still said nothing. Finally, she said, "I come from the family of Chai."
"Chai?!" exclaimed Deya.
"Yes, Chai."
"Wow! Your family.. must be rich!"
The Chai family practically owned the I.F. They came to own it from investments, and good thinking, for the Chai family was well known for the genius kids they had raised up.
Minn looked embarrassed. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about!" said Deya. "Boy, I wish I was from a family like that."
"Well, see, I'm worried. that I'll be treated differently because of my father, who owns the Battleschool. And kids wouldn't like me."
"iI/i like you," said Deya indignantly.
Minn shrugged, and looked away.
Just then, a nurse opened the door. "Minn Chai, number twenty-one?"
"I thought we were going in order," said Minn, looking at the girls that had arrived a lot earlier than she had.
"It's all right, we're doing it by last name," said the nurse.
"Oh.. okay,' said Minn. She got up, then looked at Deya. "See you after a while, I guess," she said.
Deya nodded, then looked at the ground. The famous Chai family! Who would've guessed?
