CHAPTER 1

My name is Felicia.

I can't tell you my last name. Why? The Simoans are here. Now you're probably thinking i'm whack. I'm not. This is real. Not some fantasy story you hear before you go to bed. Real.

You're probably wondering. Well, then, what are these freakos anyway? I'm about to answer that, and you won't like it.

Simoans have been invading earth for years upon years. Maybe even before you were born. Anybody could be a Simoan. Your mom, your dad, the kids at school, even you could be one. Now your scared. Don't be, because there are heroes. Who, you ask. Me and a couple of my friends. Depressed, aren't you? I sometimes think I can't do it. But I keep going.

I set my lunch down on the cafeteria table and poked at it with my fork. I finally put the fork down and pushed the tray away. There was too much on my mind for me eat. I wasn't hungry any more.

''You been reading #35 lately?'' It was Tasha.

I don't know how she could be so cheerful while being our leader.

''I don't have to read it, I'm living it,'' I reminded her.

She continued, ignoring me, ''Marco is so hilarious,''

She pointed her fork, with broccoli on it, toward me. I sighed.

''Oh! And I totally have a crush on Tobias!'' she added

''Speak for yourself,'' I mumbled.

'Ugh!' I thought, 'How can she like that guy!'

''I mean, you've got it easy. You having a crush on Jake, and all, and I gotta have a crush on the hard to get one. Why do you like Jake anywa--'' I stopped her there.

''Do you really want to annouce to the whole school which Animorph I like?'' I whispered.

She shook her head.

''No. So, BE QUIET!'' I yelled.

Everyone looked at me and I felt the urge to say, ''WHAT!'' like the wolf in Shrek. They all went back to their meals.

''As I was saying--'' she jabbered on about Animorphs, like I wasn't there. Just thinking out loud.

As for me, I wasn't really in the mood to talk about Animorphs. Usually, I would be the one jabbering, but right now, well, I don't know, I just wasn't.

She finally directed a statement towards me.

''You should really read #33,'' she recommended.

I sighed again.

''Already read that one,'' I muttered.

''I'm outta here,'' I told her, but she kept on talking.

''Girls!'' I said to myself, ''And i'm one of them,''

When I got home, I heard the phone ringing so I answered it.

''I know you don't know me, but I don't have alot of time to explain. We need you right now. A planet has been incinerated. We're on a Galactic ship trapped in the Sun's orbit. If you don't hurry, the last of us will be destroyed.'' the person hurriedly said.

''Last of who? Who?'' I asked.

I heard the phone hang up. I hung up mine as I was carried away by a flurry of thoughts. Mixed feelings, all formed into one. Horror.

How was I going to get to the Sun's orbit? I had morphs, but none that could get that far. That only meant one thing: I would have to steal a ship.

I slowly approached the guard.

''May I borrow these keys?-Look over there!-Thank you.'' I raced over to the ship.

''So long. Ba-bye.'' I yelled out and took off.

The destroying of the planet was probably done by the Simoans. But who was the person who called? Why did they want me to help them? Were they Simoans, too? I couldn't be sure until I met them, and that would be soon.

I looked at the time.

''Approaching Sun's orbit now.'' the ship informed.

''Good. Now I just have to find them.'' I said and put it in hyper-drive.

I finally found the stranded ship and went in.

''Jake...Tobias...Oh! and...Let me guess...Marco?'' I pointed at the silouettes.

''Yep,'' Jake said.

Got that right, Tobias looked at me.

''Uh-huh. Now your officially a member of insanity. CONGRATULATIONS!'' Marco came up to me.

''I already am.'' I pointed out. ''See?''

I started morphing a catterpillar.

For a minute I just sat there, a huge worm with a human head.

I heard Tobias laugh. Never seen that before.

That's why you're so annoying. I accidently thought-spoke.

Oh. So you ha- Tobias paused as he morphed human. ''-te me?'' he continued.

Not exactly. I demorphed.

''Back to your old self.''

This was the first time Jake had spoken since he had said ''Yep.''

I looked over at Tobias in his human morph.

''Showing of, eh buddy? A monkey could do better than that.'' Marco remarked.

''Aha-aha-hahaha! Not funny.'' I stared directly at him.

''Man! You have no sense of humor.'' he complained.

I went over to Jake. ''Your a lil silent. What's up?''

''Just don't feel like conversing much.'' he said.

''Wait a minute! Your the one that called. Your the one that called!'' I cheered.

''Look who woke up.'' Tobias insulted.

I shot a look at him. ''I still can't believe your actually here.'' I kept looking at all of them. ''My friend is gonna be so freaked out! She loves your books!''

''Wait! Did you just say books? Talk about freaky.'' Jake, suprisingly. ''People write about us?''

''Basically, yes.'' I responded.

''Shut. Up!'' Tobias said, amazed.

''Where's Ax?'' I asked.

''Ah-Uh...I-Ja-is...'' They looked up. ''If still alive, i'd guess with Visser Three. See, shortly after...what was the last book?'' Jake looked up.

''#54.'' I answered.

''Shortly after book fifty four he disappeared, for good.'' he continued.

''OMG! No!'' I cried. ''I'm kicking some Visser butt!'' I screamed.

''You go girl!'' Marco spat out.

I didn't think of it as funny.

Jake hugged me, ''I know how you feel. I'm still dealing with it.'' he told me.

''Too bad Cassie isn't here to stop me.'' I mumbled.

''Well, she's not dead, exactly.'' Tobias commented.

''Kind of.'' Marco added. ''She was captured by the Simoans and made one.'' he explained.

''Your kidding?'' I said, doubting. ''Then Cassie really is gone. I've dealt with these...things. They're monsters. My brother was one for years. You can't talk, think, hear, or taste without their permission.''

Marco interruppted me, ''You mean they're kinda like slugs who enter through your ear and control you're every move?''

''Yes, but much worse. Once they get in they don't come out. They're a part of you, they're you. They're you're memories, your thoughts, your words, actions...EVERYTHING. And the worst thing is that you can't talk to them. You're not there anymore, your pure Simoan.'' I was stone serious.

''Oooookay! I've heard everything.'' Marco lightened up the conversation.

''Your friends aren't friends anymore. They're Simoans, permanently.''

We all gathered in a circle.

''Let's do it!'' I yelled. ''And just because I can't believe we're doing this, I repeat, LET'S DO IT!''

''For Cassie.'' Jake stuck his hand out.

''For Rachel.'' Tobias put his hand on top.

''For Ax!''

We all stared at Marco.

''Well, somebody's gotta save him!''