Chapter Summary: Abby is on a time-limit to stop her brain from being decommissioned. A near-impossible task while trapped in her own memories.

Heavy content warning here: This next chapter is the only one where I would consider the content *explicit* even for this story which has dark themes and violence. Please feel free to skip any and all sexual content if you find yourself uncomfortable with it.

Btw: Brownie points if you can guess the films/shows my episodes are parodying. Most are very easy but not all of them! :)

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Codename: [RESTRICTED]

Operation: M.E.M.O.R.I.E.S. (Part One)

Many

Emotional

Moments

Originate

Right

In

Everyone's

Subconscious

Written by OfficiallyWrong with properties owned by

Tom Warburton and Cartoon Network

*Trigger warning: See end chapter notes for content*

Episode 21

Abby didn't know whether or not to clench her eyes shut or stare at the static. She probably should have chosen to close her eyes, but the static was too alluring. She waited, remembering full-well what was in store for her. Mostly. She knew at any moment the plunger would leap out of the screen and in an instant her life would be sucked out of her. Yes, she would be able to breathe, to speak, to do anything a living person could do. But the person she knew was facing the guillotine. Whatever she knew of them. Perhaps it wasn't as much as she thought. Abigail Lincoln would survive, but Numbuh 5 was standing with a noose around her neck, waiting to meet the unknown darkness of death. Would it be eternal? Would she be rescued last minute? Would Nigel have a change of...

Her face soured.

She glared at the static, her breath getting short. It should've activated by now. She looked up as the member of the G:KND who had strapped her in the chair, re-entered the room. A technical malfunction maybe? They were walking strangely, casually, as though nothing was wrong. She tried calling out to them and they ignored her, approaching the chair in muttered conversation. Suddenly, the screen switched off. What? Abby sat back as one of the operatives leaned over her.

"It's completely painless," they said. "Blink and it'll be over."

Abby blinked. It wasn't over. That seemed familiar. Didn't they just—

The Operative pressed a button on the side of her chair. The cuffs holding her snapped open. Abby was more confused than ever. The long roots wrapped around her arm and dragged her out of the chair.

"You're letting me go?"

"Oh, I remember. You've done this before," they said.

Abby was confused.

"I wanna say it's easier the second time, but I don't know myself."

"T-The second time?"

Moving backwards out of the room, the Alien pulled her without even looking at her, grumbling about the same old things. She tried to ask them where they were going. What was going on? Did Nigel really have some sort of change of heart? Were they helping her escape because they felt bad for her? But they wouldn't answer her questions. In fact, the way they were talking sounded much like they were taking her to prison than giving her freedom. Down the hall, through the corridor, back into the QUARANTINE, she was dragged until she was thrown into a broken cell and abandoned. There with her, was Nigel, who looked no different than when she left him.

She huffed. "Here I thought you'd gone bananas." She lifted her brow. "You finally get a brain in that hot head'a yours?"

Nigel avoided her gaze. "I'm sorry, Abby."

"Yeah you better be—"

"You know what needs to be done." he interrupted.

"Actually, I don't!" She pointed out the window. "I have absolutely no idea what is goin' on!"

"I can't let you end the Quarantine. Too much is at risk."

She inhaled sharply. "You said that before."

Nigel turned to her, his face changing. "You and I can find a cure together. Don't you see? You don't have to suffer on Earth you can stay here. Stay. I promise we'll figure something—"

Abby backed away. "Nig—"

"Abby?"

Abby stiffened.

"What are you doing here?"

Suddenly, it all became clear. She bit her lip and backed away. "You're...you're not...This is..." Her breath grew shallow. "I'm still-"

Nigel tried to approach her. "Abby? What's wrong?"

But Abby was petrified. "I remember." This was how it began. The lights above her began to flicker out, the walls running like paint around her. The word echoed audially into the room.

Decommissioning.

Her heart-rate rose. Nigel attempted to touch her, but she stumbled backwards. No. This wasn't happening. Not again. No. She turned from him and sprinted as fast as she could out of the cell, down the hall. She kept running. She heard Nigel calling her name, but she couldn't listen. Tears of rage streamed down her face. It was his fault. It was all his fault. Her body hit something hard and soft at the same time, stopping her in her tracks. The figure braced itself.

"Abigail?"

Abby looked behind her but saw no one coming after her. She knew that darkness would soon follow. The tidal wave was unstoppable. But she could out-run it. She had to out-run it.

"Hey. Abigail. Are you okay?" she heard between her heavy breaths. "What is it?"

She looked up to see Hoagie's curious eyes. She grabbed his arm, yanking him out of the room. "We're leaving."

"Leaving?" he asked as she tugged him along. "But the miss—"

"There is no mission. We're done with the mission. We gotta find Wally and Kuki before..." Her mind started to spin again. "Just c'mon."

"What about Nigel Uno—"

"God!" she screamed. "Even in my brain you're always askin' stupid questions!"

"Abby!" she heard him call, his voice was getting quieter. "Numbuh 5! Where are we going?"

"Away from here!"

Finally, in the haze, she caught a glimpse of Wally and Kuki along with Rachel. With them, stood their ship parked exactly as she remembered. She let go of Hoagie and ran to them, scooping Wally and Kuki into her arms.

"Thank god you're okay..." she whispered into their ears as they looked at each other curiously. "There's still time." She pushed away from them. "Quick get on the ship!" But they stared at her, not moving. "What are you waitin' for?"

"It's time," Rachel said.

Abby bitterly turned around, but behind her saw nothing but blackness. Her chest lifted. She spun back around to face Rachel, clenching her fists angrily. "Bring him back!" She stopped, noticing Wally and Kuki also vanishing to the darkness. "No!"

Rachel remained, looking at her. "It's time, Abigail," she said again. "It's time to let go."

But Abby wasn't about to listen. She ran into the ship, at least she thought she did. The images around her were blurry, but she wasn't sure if it was her tears or the nature of her memories. She took off in the spaceship and flew out of range, flying and flying as far as she could, as fast as she could, things swirling around her as her heart rate increased. Without realizing it, she ran the ship into the ground, falling backwards. Shutting her eyes, she groaned before looking up into the glowing eyes of an Alien bug. She screamed, rolling over as a figure soared over the bug, striking it dead.

"Abby." Rachel said again. "You need to relax."

But Abby couldn't stop her mind from spinning. Relax? There was a giant bug over her! Something was happening. Nothing felt real. She recognized this feeling. Her eyes grew wide.

Am I being decommissioned?

No, that couldn't be right. However, the strange haze over everything gave her pause. Colors were a bit brighter, nothing felt connected, as though she were in a lucid dream. No. I'm asleep, she thought. But Abby didn't dream often. If she did, they were memories or realistic nightmares. But she couldn't remember how she got there or what was happening, just 'I gotta get out of here.' She looked up at the figure who saved her, who was wearing a mask.

Rachel approached her. "Abigail Lincoln?"

"Rachel?" Abby blinked.

The girl took off her mask. Brown human eyes shown with recognition and excitement. "Ha! I knew you'd make it out here one of these days! Take that, Taglor!"

"What is goin' on here!" Wally's voice echoed behind her. "Don't tell me you know this crazy lady too."

"Just how many sexy space blondes do you know?!"

Abby sat, startled at the face before her...overwhelmed with the strongest sense of déjà vu. Rachel started talking to her, but she couldn't really pay attention to what she was saying. This...all of this...it happened before. She tried to squint but couldn't see Rachel's features very well. She couldn't remember them.

Remember them.

Then Abby understood.

This wasn't real. It was a memory. That's why nothing made sense. But if this was a memory...

She looked around, watching the darkness envelop the scene. She couldn't understand the words anyone spoke anymore. They were shouting at her, pleading with her, but it was all a jumbled mess. She did hear one thing:

"Don't panic."

Don't panic? She stood to her feet, breaking away from Rachel who eventually vanished. Wally and Kuki looked at each other, concerned.

"Abby!" Kuki ran to her friend's side. "Are you okay? You look sick—"

Abby backed away from her. She turned to start running again but every time she turned around, she found herself in a different scene. Or at least, that was as much as she knew. She eventually stumbled upon her room on the ship. Exhausted, she sat down on the edge of it. It was a thick, firm mattress with minimal bedding. She felt as though she were on a military cot.

Decommissioning. She started to laugh, a little at first, then hysterically, as more tears began flooding down her cheeks. She couldn't stop. No matter how hard she tried, her grief was overbearing.

"I'll uh..." she heard a nasally voice say. "I can leave if you'd rather be alone."

Two desperate hands reached forward, grabbing the collar of a cotton shirt. Abby stood to her feet, almost getting nose to nose with the boy in front of her. "Don't. You. Dare," she hissed.

Hoagie swallowed.

She felt something wet seep into the sides of her shoes. She looked down, watching the floor fill up with water. "That's not right..." she whispered. "We missed a part." She pushed Hoagie off and dove into the growing puddle.

"Your brain is probably making associations," he said.

"If it's gonna fuck with me the least it can do is do it in chronological order!" she snapped. She didn't hear a response from him. "No! Stop! This is my brain I order you to stop!" she shouted into the water as she thrashed around.

Hoagie tried to pull her up. "Abby...Abby-Abby-Abby—"he tried. "It's okay."

The water rose up more. Abby shot up. "Will you cut it out? I'm tryin' to save you!"

His voice was cold. "I never asked you to do that."

"You wanna disappear?!"

"That's not really a fair question," he said. "And I won't disappear. We're in your memor—"

"I know where we are! You don' t think I know where we are?"

"Abigail...calm-"

"You know, just cause you're okay with you dying don't mean I'm okay with it! Tellin' me to calm down..." she laughed sarcastically. "They're killing you and you don't even care!" Her hands shoved him back as hard as her muscles would let her.

Hoagie grabbed her shoulders. "Numbuh 5!" he shouted. The water was up to their knees now. "I am not going to die."

Abby's lip trembled as she looked into his serious eyes. "Yes, you are," she confessed. She felt his grip relax. "Numbuh 2, Numbuh 3, Numbuh 4...I'm the one keepin' them alive. Me. I know them. I'm the only one who still knows them! Without me remembering them, they'll disappear! I won't let them disappear! Not after everything I did to keep them alive!"

"Ab-"

"No!" She screamed, slamming her pointer finger into the water. "That is not how this is gonna end!" She stopped, catching her breath. Taking a moment to breathe, she felt the water rise up even more. "Please tell me..." she quieted. "That's not how it ends..."

Abby stopped, feeling a cool pressure surround her entire body. Every inch of her skin was burning.

"I'm sorry, Abby," he said, his voice cracking quietly as he pulled her close to him. "I'm so sorry."

Abby let his words sink into her as the water moved to her waist. His words that she now knew were just her own reflected back to her. Her arms twitched, her tense raised shoulders dropping. She found her hands opening and her arms moving upward trying to move around him. They couldn't reach enough to raise past her elbows, though, and she hesitantly felt the air moving against her action.

She lowered her forehead into Hoagie's shoulder as she felt his embrace.

"I tried so hard and it didn't even matter," she said.

"It mattered."

The fabric she held onto vanished then. The lights in the room flickered off as she found herself in the escape pod, the rising water waiting to engulf her. She shivered, realizing she was alone. Swimming up to the top of the pod, she pounded on the metal. The glint from the A.X. caught her eye as she swam down to grab it. With a mighty swing, she broke through the top, the water crashing in and throwing her down the bottom. She swam up to the top again, breaking through the surface. Everywhere she looked there were toilet paper rolls. She could hear Kuki calling her, watching Wally and the Toiletnator's banter as they flipped over her head. Associations, she thought. Suddenly, her body grew heavier. She felt her body sinking below the water's surface. However, she didn't struggle. Instead, she allowed herself to sink to the bottom finding herself on her knees, her wrists cuffed together, staring at a metal door. She looked at it, blankly, getting up to stand before it. She didn't speak, but simply rested her forehead on the cool surface. She wasn't wet anymore, although she didn't know why she would be. Wet was the only thing she could remember about the last memory. Last memory. What was it? She sighed.

It didn't matter.

"I'm getting you out of here," Maurice's voice broke her thoughts. But Abby didn't give him any attention. "Abby?"

"I'm being decommissioned, Maurice," she spoke gruffly. "It's over. I lost."

He was silent, but she could feel him there.

"It happened once before. Long time ago. I never told you. Never told anyone." She looked down at the cuffs, then back at the door. "It ain't like rippin' off a band aid." She sighed. "You're lucky, Maurice."

"I don't always feel lucky."

Her nose flared. "I should'a gone with you."

"You would never have done that. You wouldn't have left them."

"Only good thing I ever did for them was finally riddin' myself from their lives."

"Do you really believe that?"

Abby smiled. "You should know better than anyone what we believe don't matter." The smile faded as quickly as it came.

She opened her mouth and let out a melody, hot tears still trickling down her cheeks one at a time. She could see her memories flicker by her like a collage, all happy ones. All gone the instant they flashed before her.

"Why you wanna fly, Blackbird?

You ain't ever gonna fly

Why you wanna fly, Blackbird?

You ain't ever gonna fly

Ain't no room enough for holdin'

All those tears you gonna cry"

"I forget you sang," Wally said, his head lying in the sand.

Abby tried to turn her head, but it was so heavy she had trouble. "I forget too sometimes."

There was a pause. "You gonna forget this too?"

"Yeah."

"Bummer."

She paused for a long time. "Past and present are an illusion. The only things that are real are in this moment, and in this moment, there's only one question that needs to be answered," she said, almost in a trance.

"Huh?"

"Somebody told me that once."

"What's the question?"

"I can't remember."

"Must not've been that important then."

"Guess not."

Abby felt the warm sand in her hair, the hot sun on her skin. The sky was so blue like a gemstone. The particles in the air formed geometric shapes that flowed in and out of each other like an animal breathing. Like the sky was breathing. She lifted her hand, the vibrations giving her the illusion of brushing fingers against atoms and molecules, the very fabric of the universal tapestry. Her other hand felt the sand, every grain molding around her. Laid to rest, she thought. Encased in gold. A proper burial.

"You know what?" Wally said after a while, his words slurring more than usual. "I think I finally understand the Beatles."

Abby slapped her hand over her palm, laughing.

"What?"

She didn't stop laughing.

As they settled into what would've been silence, an ear-piercing scream shattered the sky like glass, breaking the tapestry as the blue poured and puddled like rain. She heard the scream again and leapt to her feet, trying to cover herself from the incoming rain. This, though. This wasn't rain. It was thick and oily.

Paint.

Kuki.

She left Wally, who faded into the blue storm as she meandered through the landscape. High trees, thick grass, rough rocks, she had to get there. Where was Kuki? What was she doing? She couldn't let this happen. She searched and searched but could not find Kuki. She could only hear her calling her name. Calling for her to fight by her side. And where was she? She didn't know.

The blue filled her vision, soon followed by greens and reds, primary secondary, every color of the rainbow fell onto her like Jackson Pollack splatters on canvas. Over the land, onto her skin, she started to feel sick. In the distance, she heard the thudding of heavy footsteps. They shook the earth, a giant. Where was Kuki? Abby ran toward the sound of the thuds, hoping to find Kuki wherever the noise was coming from. She found herself in a white room, face to waist with a giant Rainbow Monkey. She looked up and gulped as it swung at her. Quickly, she bolted the opposite direction, finding herself on a barren-looking planet. If it was the moon, there was no base. It was just grey rock. She looked above, what should have been stars were encased in a grey fog.

She could hear the faint sound of singing around her.

Rainbow Monkey

Rainbow Monkey

Oh so very round and super chunky

As she walked, she could see the stuffed animals lying down on the ground, face down. She noticed a few of them were old, their stitching coming undone. Some had lost limbs, their stuffing bleeding into the earth.

Spreading love wherever they go

Every one is made of a big rainbow

Red and Orange and Green and Blue

A bright red monkey caught her attention, practically glowing. The only red one. Walking towards it, she flipped it over, its smiling face freshly stitched. She felt like crying again, but she didn't know why. The other monkeys were melting around her, their colors seeping into the ground creating a colorful mural of saturated hues. The monkey in her own arms looked at her horrified as it too began to melt, leaving a skeleton behind. She dropped it, backing up, feeling the paint splattering all over her shoes. The paint turned to black tar, sticking her to the ground. She yanked and pulled but could not escape it. The world dissolved into a dull neutral. Then, to one grey slate. Her hands slammed over her eyes. She preferred black nothingness to this. She just wanted it to be over.

Please, let it be over soon.

"It's blurbleberry," she heard a voice say, a small eleven-year-old boy with no hair in a bright red shirt stood out against the color-devoid landscape. Holding a lollypop out to his friend, he smiled innocently.

"Nigel," she said.

The boy's grinned widened.

"Why?" she whispered with a grimace. Looking up, she could see the boy showing tears in his eyes as the lollypop transformed into a pair of tiny round sunglasses. "I never asked for any of this. Why did you do this to me?"

"I knew you could do it," he said. "You were always the leader, Abby. Not me."

"You never even asked if I wanted to be," she replied. "And then you left and decommissioned everyone. Well, congratulations, Nigel. You got your wish. There ain' t gonna be a Kids Next Door," she spoke with derision. "Not for me."

"I wanted to protect you—"

"I don't care."

"Abby—"

"For god sakes, Nigel! When will you just leave me alone!" she snapped.

"I just—"

"This is because of you, isn't it?" She continued, not heeding him. "You did this to me just like you did it to Earth just like you're gonna do it to everyone else because you have no idea what the fuck you're doing!" She shook her head. "Those aliens are not your friends. We were your friends! Are...were...ugh!"

Abby turned from him. Floating in front of her was the red rainbow monkey, seemingly back from the dead. She glared at it.

"You know...they think they own it. Childhood. The adults who make these damn things..." She kicked the rainbow monkey and it sank into oblivion. "And we don't know no better. Cause they told us they did. And we believed them. We believed in rainbow monkeys. We bought them, and they bought us. And now whenever we look at'em, we feel like childhood ain' t that far away." Her nose was stuffed again. "But it's a lie, isn't it?" she choked. "I want it back, Nigel."

"Only kids can be in the Kids Next Door," she heard him say. "You know that."

"I don't wanna go back to the Kids Next Door," Abby stated bitterly. She turned to the child with fiery eyes. "I want a revolution."

Nigel looked at her, stunned, not sure what to say.

"And I don't want you in it," she snarled. "The only good thing about any of this is that I never have to see you again."

"You don't mean that."

"Get out!" she screamed, throwing her hat at him. "Get out of my head and get out of my life!"

"Abby." It was a new voice this time. Abby turned, a bright green snaking around her as metal walls encased the set. The floor hardened and she could walk again. Her eyes met a woman's. "I'm taking you home," the woman said. Abby felt the tears returning.

"Oh Cree," she stumbled toward her sister, whose eyes quickly turned from defensiveness to compassion. "What do I do? I'm gonna lose everything."

Cree accepted her blubbering sister into her arms as Abby buried her nose into her chest. "Abby."

"It wasn't supposed to be this way..." she whimpered.

"It isn't supposed to be this way," Cree corrected gently.

Abby gripped her sister's shoulders, a new kind of desperation falling on her face. "How do I stop it?"

Cree was silent.

"Tell me how to stop it!"

"Oh, sweet baby sister." Cree stepped back.

Abby saw her bittersweet look and wilted.

"You can't."

The floor shook, the broccoli spreading over the base walls. The images started to flash again. Abby started to let go, but Cree's strong arms held her firm. "Abby listen," Cree continued. "Listen to me. You need to relax."

"Relax?! Why do y'all keep sayin' that?"

"The more you panic, the faster the memories will go. You'll lose control and the more you lose it the more memories the machine'll take."

"What does that mean?!" Abby was clearly not relaxing.

"Remember the first time."

"The first time?"

The scene began to change again, Cree beginning losing her form.

"Cree!"

She could still hear her voice.

"The more you fight it, the worse it will be! You have to relax and let it happen!"

"Cree!" Abby screamed again. "Cree! Don't leave me!"

"Just breathe! Live in the moment!"

Her memories continued to surround her, as though hitting the rewind button. She couldn't register them save for the faces and the themes. As quickly as they came, they disappeared.

"Cree!"

The images moved faster and faster, large chunks skipped over. They moved around her, but she couldn't touch them. She couldn't talk to them. They were slipping away too fast. No. She wanted to say goodbye. Not yet. Please.

At least let me say goodbye!

She grabbed her hat.

Okay, Numbuh 5. Relax. You can do this. Just breathe.

But it was easier said than done. She closed her eyes, hearing the words of her memories once again. Sentences, smiles, laughs, tears...

"Never. Again."

Abby inhaled, quieting her mind.

Live in the moment. Live in the moment. Live in the moment.

Everything stopped.

On that early morning, Abby awoke at the sound of her alarm. Her long black hair snaked around her, messy and banded. She groaned, stretching her arm over to the nightstand where her phone played an upbeat, but simple song. She thumbed around the wood, trying to find the device. She was beginning to regret not having set an actual alarm clock. Annoyed, she finally grabbed the phone from the desk and held it up over her head. Her eyebrows flattened. 6:00am. Her finger swiped the screen, disarming the alarm with her security code. She plopped the phone back down on the bed, not even wanting to think about school that day. After staring at the ceiling for a few minutes she finally resolved that there was no choice. Pushing herself off the bed, she tossed her legs over the edge, her black shorts sticking to her thighs. She ran her fingers through her hair, feeling the knots which twisted with its frizzy texture. She slid off the edge of the bed, grabbing a towel for her shower.

When she returned, there was a message on her cell phone. She looked at it with dismay. Twisting the towel over her hair, she listened to the message, hoping it wasn't urgent. She re-dialed the number, sitting down at the mirror. The phone sat between her ear and her shoulder. It rang twice before a boy picked up on the other end.

"Talk to me."

Location: GKND Headquarters QUARANTINE

Nigel Uno paced back and forth, his mind riddled with guilt. No, he thought. He did the right thing. Abby would thank him once they found the cure, wouldn't she? But deep down he knew that wasn't the case. In fact, for the first time in a long while, he was beginning to feel uneasy about his plan. He clutched his head, groaning. Perhaps he himself should return to Earth with Vine? Yes. Perhaps...no, no! What was he saying? Earth was a diseased planet and he was one of the diseased! If he didn't stay, what would become of Chad? What would become of his planet? Would the G:KND really have the capability to destroy his home if a cure could not be found? He needed to keep his wits about him. This was just temporary, anyway. A temporary fix so he could find a better solution. Abby would understand. She would.

He stared down at the tiny sunglasses on the floor, seeing his own reflection in the lenses.

She would.

Location: It's complicated

Happy memories move by fast, just as time moves faster in joy than it does in sorrow. The relativity of it all can be overlooked by those unaware of how to master it. This was true for Abby as she re-lived her memories. For she was surprised at how few happy ones she was able to recall. Tragedy seemed to be much more appealing to her subconscious attention. Perhaps there were more happy moments in Abby's teenage years that she would have liked to remember. But she had been obsessed with the happiness of her past for so long, that happiness felt translucent, a mist of memory unappreciated in its true moment. Then again, all life is this way to a degree. The nature of the moment is, indeed, its passing.

The picture on the screen was cutting in and out. Despite all their technology, the G:KND still failed at creating a useful and consistent mode of communication that accommodated for the Earth's specific atmosphere. Abby wondered how they had spies on Earth at all with how difficult running the devices was. Nigel didn't seem to notice the audio cutting in and out, since he was on some rampage about the cafeteria running out of pudding cups before he could get any. It turned out Kids ate the same thing no matter where in the Universe they were, and that sweets and sugars were an alien invention. Made sense, because Adults could never digest the stuff. Abby fiddled with the pen in her hand, only half-listening.

And eventually, Nigel caught on. "Numbuh 5? Are you still there? Did I lose you?"

"I'm still here," She said. Though, she wasn't truly.

"So anyway I said this is ridiculous! Every Kid has a right to a pudding cup no matter who they are—"

"You know, Numbuh 1 I'm really tired. Yeah. I think." She held her forehead. "Can we do this some other time?"

Over the line there was nothing but static for a while. "You rescheduled twice, we haven't spoken in months and I can't get away all that often. It isn't like you to cancel. Something is wrong."

"I'm fine."

"You can talk to me if you need."

Abby pushed her nose up with her palm. "I would love to talk about it, Nigel. But I can't talk about it with the G:KND listenin' in on every conversation makin' sure Abby don't break the rules."

"It's for protection. The virus—"

"I get that, Nigel. But—"

"So just don't talk about Teenager stuff."

"And how am I supposed to do that? That's my life."

She could hear his voice getting defensive. "No, Abby. Stop it. It is not your life. It's an illusion. You know that."

"Come on."

"You are not one of them! The more you give in to their world, the more the virus will take hold." He sighed. "Have you gone on any more candy expeditions?"

"I have too much homework. And softball. On top of the TND, which is a full-time job."

"I see." He thought. "How about we—"

"I don't care about pudding cups."

Nigel was quiet. "O-Okay. What do you want to—"

"I want to share my life with you!" she said, startling herself. "Do you realize how hard it is havin' a life that you can't tell your best friend about? I lie to my sister. I lie to my so-called friends. And now that I'm in high school I gotta lie to you too?"

"No one is asking you to lie..."

"What do you think bein' a Teenager is like, Nigel? Really? What do you think Adults do?" Her heart-rate was rising. She was feeling...angry. Angry at him. She had never been so angry at him. "Because if I told you they'd never let me talk to you again."

"This is the single most important mission in the history of the Universe," he said. "I cannot compromise it. Not for anything!"

"I know that." she said. She reached for her hat. "I can't believe childhood is over."

"Don't say that. Abby. You don't mean that." He gave her a reassuring smile. "I am going to find the cure and then all of this will be over. Childhood will be back forever, you'll see!"

"You're not comin' back, are you?" she said.

And Nigel gave his usual flustered response. "I will. When the cure is found."

"And then all this will go away."

"All this will go away."

Abby shook her head. "But it won't. I might for you, but it won't for me."

"That's not true."

"It is." She glared at him. Her words pointed. "Because I will remember it." And then with one last inhale, the words unraveled themselves like yarn. "I can't do this anymore."

Nigel's voice was tense, his eyes wide. "What do you mean by that?"

"I want nothin' more than to be together, Nigel. To keep what we've had and not just because we lost so much, though I can't say that ain't part of it." Abby said with a pitiful smile. "But the older we get the clearer it is that this...this isn't gonna work. At first, I thought it was just the distance, but it ain't that at all. There will always be a part of me I gotta keep away. And I don't want that. It's too hard. It has to end."

"Is that really what you want?" his voice was small.

"I can't have what I want," Abby replied. "You gotta do your work, and I gotta do mine. And this is the only way it's gonna get done."

"You said you would wait for me."

"And I will," she reassured him. "As long as it takes. I want you to win." She couldn't stop the tears from forming in her eyes. "I love you. But it has to end."

He flushed. "What do you...you love me?"

"Goodbye, Numbuh 1."

"H-hold on!"

"End transmission."

"Wait, Abby I don't understand—"

The screen turned off with Nigel in mid-sentence. She didn't want to hear what he had to say. It was much better she never knew. Her and found its way over to her mouth as she sat in silence. Choking up tears, she leaned over herself and sobbed. She must have sobbed for hours.

"It's really a miracle," Vicki said, leaning over the railing. She and Abby had snuck up to the top of the bleachers away from the other TEENZ and TND secret agents to gaze at the field. They watched a horse head bobble around from one end to another, the faint cheering of an over-enthusiastic number one fan echoing in the background.

The horse took off her mascot head and went to her fan, who picked her up and swung her around, kissing her on her neck.

"The odds of operatives finding each other after decommissioning is low as it is," Vicki continued. "But so soon? And to have a relationship as long as they've had. I don't think anyone in our generation has seen anything like it. Not since Numbuh 0." She grinned. "It's kind of gross."

Abby leaned against her cheek. "They're the one hope I got left," she said.

"What about Nigel?" Vicki asked.

"Oh, no. Can't talk about that." She sighed. "Wouldn't wanna ruin his innocence." Her voice groveled sardonically.

"Wow. Who put the bitter in your cocoa?"

Abby tried to smile, focusing on Wally and Kuki's interactions. "Guess there really is a such thing as meant to be, huh?"

"Says the friendly neighborhood stalker."

"Hey. I'm just tryin'na keep the peace, okay?" Abby defended. "Numbuh 1's got all his fancy space friends to protect him, but somebody's gotta look after us Earth folks."

Vicki shrugged in agreement.

"It's amazing. Their relationship."

"Definite goals."

"As long as they got each other," she said under her breath. "They'll be okay. Long as they're not alone." She readjusted her cheek to hand position, gazing off. "I hope Numbuh 2 finds someone soon."

Vicki laughed. "Please. That's the last thing you want."

Abby smacked her with her hat. "Buzz off."

"Hey, I get it." Vicki pulled out a chocolate cupcake, unwrapping it on her cheer skirt. "You guys went through a lot that last year. That shit bonds you for life."

Abby looked at the cake. "You are a true-blue chocolate person."

"Don't change the subject."

"I owe them."

Vicki rolled her eyes. "Yeah. That's what it is."

She felt the follicles of her hair. "What we did wasn't cool, Vicki."

Vicki leaned back, licking the side of the frosting, her words garbled in the process. "Yeah but think of it this way. At least we know the system works."

"That's a good thing?"

"If you want them to survive." Vicki stiffened, her voice melancholic. "We do what we need to do. To get the job done." But as quickly as she darkened, she brightened up again. "Besides. Now you have Maurice to deal with. A full-time job in itself."

"That's done."

Vicki sat back. "Actually 'done' or are you just saying that now to avoid your feelings?"

Abby shook her head. "I ended it. Couldn't do it anymore," she confessed. "Not with Cree the way she is."

"Probably for the best," Vicki said. "Now you can spend more time stalking."

"You never did that with your old teammates?"

Vicki was blunt. "I was the last to be decommissioned. By the time I was accepted to the TND, it was too late for me to do anything for them. I guess that's why I want to help you." She offered Abby a second cupcake she had tucked away in her lunchbox, also chocolate.

"You n' your chocolate."

"It's the universal language of love," Vicki said.

Abby raised a brow.

"Just eat it."

And Abby did.

She shivered in the cold, the wind picking up. Ohio wasn't cold, not in the spring. But the thick rain beat down on her head and chilled her bones. It reminded her of something, but she couldn't recall what it was. Déjà vu. She stared at the wooden door and waited. She remembered waiting, the clock ticking in her head as time's relativity was in full-force. Finally, the door unlatched and creaked open. Big brown eyes looked at her and quickly opened the door. He spoke with concern, but she waited until he quieted down before she replied. Her chapped lips broke apart as she muttered:

"I quit."

She didn't pay attention to how she got inside the house, only that she was there now, with Maurice startled and confused trying to comfort her. She felt bad about it, but she couldn't stop herself from coming off as cold. She just kept saying it again and again, vinyl scratched beyond use.

"I quit."

"Okay," Maurice said, leading her to the couch. "Let's talk about this."

"Nothin' to talk about. I quit. I thought I could do this, but I can't. I ain't cut out for it. I quit."

He exhaled. "What happened with Vicki was bad. I know. Unfortunately, these things—"

"Nuh-uh," Abby barked. "Do not say 'these things happen' as if it ain' t a big deal."

"I didn't mean—"

"It's a big deal, Maurice," she snipped.

She walked to the corner, her arms still crossed. She could hardly look at him.

"Why didn't you tell me about the science fair?"

Maurice inhaled sharply. "Abby. It's not re-"

"It ain't real until someone loses, you mean," she grumbled. "And 'acourse that someone has to be my friend. What if something happens to him? How you gonna live with that?"

"Don't make this about that."

"That's exactly what it's about."

"Is it?" he said. "Is this actually about him? Or is it about you?"

She stopped. "What does that mean?"

"The line between love and pity is thin."

His words were a snake wrapping around her stomach. "You jealous, Maurice? Is that why you're actin' like a dick?"

Maurice groaned. "Maybe I didn't tell you because I knew you would react like this!" He walked toward her. "Two years is enough time for most people to let go."

"You mean like you let go of Cree?" she snarled.

"Cree is my job," he reminded her. "Sector V is not yours."

"Oh, don't you use that bullshit on me!" she spoke through her teeth, finally turning on her heels to get nose to nose with him. Her finger dug into his chest. "At least you got to be with her! Was it hard, Maurice? Eatin' lunch together? Goin' to prom? The sex?"

Maurice swallowed.

"I so much as look their direction I get in trouble so don't you put a timeline on my grief." She shook her head rapidly, biting her lower lip. "I can't do it."

Her tears were everywhere now. She was unable to wipe them all. She was hyperventilating, unable to speak in full sentences. Maurice put his hands on her shoulders to comfort her, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. It didn't matter what he said.

She kept repeating "I can't" over and over again.

Maurice lead her to the couch, sitting down with her. "It's okay."

But Abby shook her head. "N-no...no it's not okay. It's not okay, Maurice." She stumbled through her sobs. "It's not okay..."

"Abby," he said, stroking her head. "You're going off of the lead of one guy. A guy who was probably just trying to..." he couldn't finish his sentence.

But Abby buried her head into his chest. "I'm gonna lose..." she said, muffled. "I'm gonna lose everything...I'm-I'm gonna lose him...H-he's gonna disappear and there's nothin' I can do..."

"Shh...Abby, calm down," Maurice said as her breath scratched against her throat. "No one is going to disappear..."

"I can't..." she started again. "I can't watch it happen, Maurice...I won't...I can't take it...I quit!"

"You did everything you could do. What happens next isn't your fault. You can't keep torturing yourself over this kid."

She pushed off of him, finding her breath. She wiped her tears. "It's not just that." She distanced herself from him a bit. "I can't eat what I want, I can't be friends with who I want, I can't save who I-" She bit her lip before she started crying again. "I'm losing...I'm losing control of my life!"

"Hey," Maurice reached for her again. "Don't cry. It'll be okay."

"I can't do this anymore, Maurice. I can't live like this...I want out! I want this to stop! I wanna go back..." She sniffed. "I just want to be a kid again." she said. "It ain't worth it! I quit!" She exhaled, staring down at the floor. "I quit..."

Maurice's face was dark. "You can't."

"It doesn't matter what you say. I ain't goin' back there! I can't-" Two rough hands grabbed her shoulders, pulling her in.

Maurice's voice shook as he held her. "What about Nigel? Huh? You said you would wait for him, right? If you quit, you'll lose your memories and you'll lose him forever-"

"Why should I care? Nigel isn't coming back!" she shrieked, her eyes ablaze. "Why would he? We're teenagers. Selfish, disgusting, ugly, fat, lazy, horny, mean teenagers. He wants nothin' to do with us!"

"That's not true. You know that's not true!"

"I thought I could do it. I thought if I remembered them it would be enough. But it ain't enough. It'll never be enough-"

"What about your current team, huh? Have you even stopped to consider how they would feel if you just up and quit? How I would feel?" He yelled at her, his hands squeezing her arms in a death grip.

"Lemmie go!"

"I won't let you! I won't let you throw this away! This is the life you wanted! This was what you signed up for! You know that, Abby! You've always known that!" Abby continued to struggle to get away from him, but he was too strong for her. "One bad day and you're ready to throw in the towel? That's not the Numbuh 5 I remember."

Abby shook her head. "Shut up! Shut up and let me go!"

Maurice released his hands as Abby turned away from him. He was quiet for a moment while he waited for her to catch her breath. "I see. That's it then," his voice was cold. "You're going to leave just like Cree did."

Abby stopped. "Maurice..."

"It's my own fault," he said. "I couldn't stop her from going, and I can't stop you." He turned back to her. "But I can ask. I can beg. Please..." He took her hand. "Stay. Stay with me." He leaned in, his body on a pendulum. Abby didn't realize what he was doing until it was too late. His lips pressed against hers, his body leaning closer and closer into her. His mouth tasted strange.

She broke off. Her stare told him everything.

"Abby."

"I'm going home, Maurice." Her feet headed for the door.

"Abby..." she didn't stop. "Abby, I'm sorry!"

SLAM! The door rattled the house, almost breaking off the hinges. Abby touched her lips, her feet carrying her down the street. It was still pouring down rain. Appropriate. But now the rain was warm to her. She had wanted that kiss for so long, since she could remember. But not this way. Not like this. She felt desperate, gross, pathetic. He had Cree. He broke up with Cree. He chose that. She wasn't his Cree, but he had her. It wasn't fair. None of this was right.

"Abby." A voice. Familiar. Unwanted.

"Go away."

"Abby."

"Abby ain't talkin' to you."

Silence.

But not long.

"Abby."

"I'm forgetting you and I'm happy." She felt the words fall out of her mouth. Déjà vu.

"Abby. Wait up!"

She turned, annoyed. "Nig—"

But he wasn't there. Instead, she was back at Maurice's door. She looked at it dully. It opened.

"You're back."

She stepped through the entry. "I don't wanna forget," she almost murmured. "I don't wanna be alone."

He walked up to her, his breath on hers. Slightly taller, he felt like a tower. He kissed her again.

Gently, she pushed him off of her. "Maurice...we can't do this...Cree-"

But Maurice brought her chin back, kissing her again.

She pulled away again. "Maurice wait-"

He brushed her hair back, kissing her more forcefully. The force knocked to the wall as his mouth pried her open like a crow bar. When he released, she thought it was over, but his body didn't move. His hand brushed her cheek gently.

"Stay with me," he said again.

Abby just looked at him.

"Okay."

She was on his bed now. She blinked, and she was there. She gasped as he pressed his lips against her chest, her fingers gripping the locks of his hair. She didn't know whether to cry out or to squeeze tighter, to pull him close or to push him away. No. She finally turned into him. She couldn't afford to push anyone else away. Moving underneath him, she locked her lips into his. They tasted like salt. Maurice kissed her forcefully, the weight baring down on Abby, the skin of his teeth scraping her tongue. Abby melted into the sheets, grabbing him tightly before finally releasing the tension she had been building up for so many years. His hand pushed her arm upwards, slowly. His fingers spread out over hers, much larger than she ever imagined them. He lowered down, kissing her neck, then chest, then stomach. His hands slid their way down further before catching themselves on the top of her shorts, and then with her boxers.

Abby sat up slightly, her body tensing up again, but Maurice must have said something like 'It's okay' or 'just relax' because it wasn't long before she was lying back on the bed, feeling her second skin tugged off of her body. The shorts and boxers tumbled off, drifting into the unknown. Her knees bent, Maurice pushing them out before crawling back over her, his mouth closing over hers once more. His waist lowered down over her pelvis, moving up and down. Her arms found their way to his chest, her fingers entwining into his shirt. He pulled away from her for just a moment, the first time their eyes had met since they came upstairs. They looked at her desperately, searching as though to find some secret hidden in her face, the answer to an impossible riddle.

And when he couldn't find it, he kept going.

Perhaps it was the fear and pain in his eyes, or perhaps it was her own that she saw reflected in them, but Abby couldn't tear herself away. And when he left her sight to bite her ear, in her head she continued to stare into them. Maurice tore off his shirt, letting it fly over his head. Now only his boxers remained. He pinned Abby's arms to the bed, putting most of his weight over her. And as he collapsed, his arms caressing her head, her neck, her breast, her waist, Abby could no longer move. Her arms fell over her head. She didn't see Maurice slip off his boxers, but she felt the heat of his skin touch hers. She lay limp, a marionette whose puppeteer had dropped their controller mid-performance. Was she supposed to do something? She didn't know. No one had taught her how to do this.

She stared at the ceiling, white and plain. She thought Maurice made a comment about her boxers, but she wasn't listening anymore. Everything had stopped for her. She noted how her leg moved up and down without her directing it. It was like a tightness and expansion at the same time, the pleasure erupting sounds she had never heard come out of her mouth as though they were lying in a dormant volcano. And then, she erupted. An explosion of feeling and sound. She couldn't tell if she liked it or not in her mind, although her body was screaming for more. The world blurred, yet her eyes remained on the ceiling. She looked at it for answers, and when she couldn't find them, she finally closed her eyes and gave into the sensation. Everything he thrust into her was a new thought, a frustration, a trauma, and as they got faster, Abby could see her own pains and agonies flashing before her.

The second Abby stepped through the door, she immediately wanted to leave. The music was loud, blaring a kind of dub-step electronica as it shook the floor. It didn't look like much anything was happening. TEENZ sitting on couches talking, a few making out, one man with his shirt off just screaming at the top of his lungs. Abby thought parties were supposed to be where all the TEENZ discussed their most important procedures. She remembered the TEEN Ninja party she and her team crashed in the 4th grade at the Delightful Children's mansion. Root beer flowing, rock music, people hanging from the ceiling. This was tame compared to that, but...she shuddered. For some reason, it was worse.

Alcohol. At a TEEN party? She always thought beer and all of that was for Adults. Of course, high schoolers thought they were Adults, so she supposed it made sense. Her mind went back to 4th grade. Maurice was at that party, she remembered. He immediately snuck off with Cree, thinking it was some mission. Turns out, she just wanted to make out with him. Numbuh 1 stayed on the roof, missing the whole thing watching the Delightful Children. Numbuh 3 told her how she danced with Numbuh 4 across the floor to get past the TEEN couples. She chuckled to herself, remembering. She teased Numbuh 4 for weeks for that one. All the mashed potatoes, Cree's embarrassing B.O., Numbuh 2 flirting with all the older girls he had absolutely no chance with.

Numbuh 2.

What was she doing? She had to find out information. This time, she wasn't trying to stop the party. No, she wanted it to go on as long as it possibly could. She snuck around, trying to listen in on conversations. She would hover for a moment, waiting for something interesting, but the discussions were dry. This happened over and over again throughout the night. Abby was starting to feel annoyed. She would check on Vicki every once in a while, who seemed to be making progress with Matt who was her "date" for the evening. That was good at least. A party. A senior party at Kent Little's house, the captain of the football team. She kept waiting for something to happen, for the music to shut off, and for some TEEN to get on a microphone and say 'okay, enough nonsense, let's get down to business.' Perhaps Nigel had rubbed off on her a little too much. It probably wasn't a meeting at all.

Abby clutched her fists, determined. That was fine. Even if she had to do the work herself, she wasn't going to let this invitation go to waste. She thought she would touch base with Vicki, though, seeing as she was going to be going in deeper than she had initially planned. However, when she searched the party, Vicki was nowhere to be seen. That was strange. They weren't allowed to go into any private rooms. She must have been in the bathroom. Abby pulled out her cell phone and dialed her number.

No answer.

Abby didn't leave a message. Instead, she sent her a cryptic text, being sure not to state anything that could be used against her.

Gonna grab some soda. Meet me by the table when ur done.

That should do it. Just then, she saw Toby, their sector leader, laughing as though he were drunk off his ass. He was a really good actor.

"Hey. Toby," she asked him. "Have you seen Vicki?"

But his glare was unforgiving. "Uh, do I know you?"

Right. Of course. "Oh. You're not Tony," she said, thinking on her feet, hoping they caught the slip. "My bad."

"Yeah. Get lost," he spat. He even slurred his words like he was drunk.

Dedication.

Abby decided it would be best just to wait for Vicki by the hors-d'oeuvre table like she promised. This was her favorite place to hang out at parties. She actually quite liked parties when she was little. Not the crazy ones, but the ones where she got to hang out, dance, and eat. She and Numbuh 2 would always crowd the hors-d'oeuvres so that they could try every last one before they ran out. Numbuh 1 hated parties. He didn't like dancing except on rare occasions and he thought hanging out with no specific purpose was a waste of time. Birthday parties were different because to him that meant there was a reason behind the celebrating. More than going to them, he liked planning them. Something like this would have made his ears bleed. But he would have done it for a mission. He would do anything for a mission.

She leaned against the wall, checking her phone.

No response.

She put it down.

It looked like she was skunked after all.

"Hey," a voice beside her said. Abby turned to see a boy, dark black hair, tall but not lanky. He had a handsome face, a strong chin and high cheek bones. He was looking at her intently.

"Yo," she said casually.

"You come here alone?" he asked.

"No, my friend is here with me," she explained. "Somewhere."

The boy huffed. "You don't look like you belong here, that's all." He scanned her up and down. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen," she said. Her age could be an interesting entry point of conversation.

"Damn," the boy leaned his shoulder against the wall, tucking his arm beneath his pit. "How'd you even get into this party?"

Abby propped her foot against the door. Act like you don't belong, she told herself. Don't cause any need for suspicion. "Friend of a friend," she said. But the boy didn't look convinced. "Friend of a boyfriend."

"There you go."

"No offense," Abby said. "But you don't seem like you belong here either."

"Oh, I belong here," he said. "It's my fuckin' house."

Abby's jaw dropped. "Th-this is your house?!" She blushed. "So this is your party."

"Bingo," he said.

"Wait...so you're..."

"Kent."

"Shit..." she whispered. "Well you sho' ain't little,"

Kent pulled out a box from his pocket, getting out a cigarette and sticking it in between his teeth. Abby wanted to protest, but seeing as this was his house, she wasn't sure what the etiquette was. He lit the cigarette with his lighter, inhaling a large amount of smoke before puffing it out. Abby could already start to smell it in the air.

"Cool guy still smokes cigarettes?"

"Tree lingers."

She tried to find a way around this. The quarterback? How the hell did this happen? She thought he would be...bigger. Certainly, he was muscular, and his shoulders were broad enough, but...

"So..." she stopped her own thoughts. "I bet you're pretty sore that a freshman's at yo' party, huh?"

"Not really," he said. He puffed again. Abby couldn't help but cough this time. "This bothering you?"

She cleared her throat. "Not at all," she said, though her lungs were screeching at her because of it. "If this is yo' party, how come you're hangin' over here alone then?" She blinked. "Ain't you the star quarterback for the McClintock Chargers?"

"Yeah, what of it?" His voice was so deep, it made Abby shake. He was attractive, for sure.

"Nothin' of it," she said. "It just ain't what I pictured is all."

"I fuckin' hate parties," he said. "But it's our last year, so the team insisted I have one final blowout while my parents are in San Juan. They'll all get shit-faced and leave and I'll have to clean up the mess," he spat. He puffed again. "Bunch of retards." He came closer to her, leaning back against the wall, this time with his arm propped up. "You look familiar."

Abby tensed a bit before she remembered. "Oh, yeah, my sistah used to go here. Cree Lincoln. She was in the TEEN Ninjas...back when they were still Ninjas." A stray hair fell into her face and she brushed it back. "I look a lot like her."

But Kent shook his head. "No, I've seen you. On the diamond. You've been hanging with the pitcher, number 27, right?"

27 was the number on one of her teammate's jersey. "Oh, you mean Seth?"

"Yeah, he your brother or something?" Kent asked.

Abby blinked. "N-no. He's not my brother. I mean, he's my brotha, but not my brother. You know?"

"So some girl dragged you to a party where you don't know anyone," he continued. "And then ditched you to go fuck some dude, is that right?"

"What makes you think I didn't wanna come to this party?" Abby said, avoiding the other part of his comment entirely.

"Doesn't seem like your scene."

"I think it should be my choice, what is and ain't my scene," she said, realizing now that whatever she said, it probably didn't matter to this guy anyway. "You don't know me, so you don't know."

"So you just...came to a party, with your friend, knowing you were going to be ditched, so you could hang out by the food all night?" Kent asked. "That's pretty weird, Freshman."

"I got invited," she continued. "Didn't think I would run into the host. I'd leave, but you said you didn't care."

"No, you can stay," he said. "If you really want." He looked her up and down again. "How come you didn't bring your boyfriend?"

"Don't got one."

"What, you swing for the other team?"

"If I did, would that be a crime?"

"Only to men everywhere," he said.

Abby's cheeks grew hotter. Was he-? No. That was the stupidest thing she thought all night. "You know that metaphor don't make a lick'a sense," she said. "I thought maybe something interesting would happen. But it looks like it's just another dud."

Kent smirked, his first smile all night. "What qualifies as interesting?"

"Oh," Abby couldn't contain her excitement. "I dunno. Somethin' productive," she said. "Actually..." This was it. Now was her chance. "I heard a rumor."

"A rumor?"

"Yeah."

Kent's smile widened. "What kind of rumor?"

"Well, that I shouldn't say," Abby said, acting coy. Look at the floor, Toby's words reminded her. She did this. "I'm not really s'posed'ta know anything about it."

Suddenly, a shadow passed over her body, two large feet were right in her line of vision as the smell of smoke got stronger. "Let me get you a drink," he finally said as Abby felt her hook sink in. He lifted her chin up.

Under no circumstances are you to get intoxicated.

"No thanks," she said, her eyes not leaving his for a second. "I don't go for this cheap shit."

"My parents have a cupboard in the kitchen, it's where they keep the good stuff, none of this hick fuel," he said, his breath streaming over her. She had almost gotten used to the tobacco smell. It didn't matter anymore.

She had him.

"That's very kind," she said in a husky voice. "But I'd kinda like to remember tonight."

He pulled out his box of cigarettes. "We could go out for a smoke."

"I don't smoke," Abby told him. "And I don't see why I should go anywhere with you."

"You're in my house," Kent reminded her. "You should be grateful to your host."

"How bout you cut the pretense, and let's talk shop," she said.

Kent leaned over further, his forearm now his main support against the wall. "Now what would a sweet little freshman girl like you wanna talk shop about?"

"Let's start with that rumor." Abby relaxed into the wall. Her arms folded over themselves.

"Hey! Kent! Bro!" a boy called across the room, clearly wasted. "C'mon! Larson's gonna jump off the roof! It's gonna be lit, bruh!"

"Fuck off, Brett!" Kent shouted back. "I'm doin' business. Fucking sophomores..."

"Oh, I know, they're the worst," Abby teased. "That rumor."

"Pointed questions," he bent down lower. "You're not a spy, are you?"

"That depends," Abby lifted her brow. "What do you do to spies?"

Kent made a loud, grunting noise. Like he was taking a shit, but for forgot to open his butt cheeks. Abby had never heard anything like it, but assumed it was good because of what followed. He inhaled his cigarette, blowing it in her face and then putting it out on the wall.

"There are lots of rumors floating around," he said. "If you mean the one about my girlfriend, we're sort of on the rocks right now."

Abby huffed, incredulously. "You wish that's why Abby was here."

"So why are you here?"

Abby grinned. "I wanna be Valedictorian."

He gave a slight nod. "Ah."

"First in my class, full-ride to Yale. The first black female President of the United States of America," she said. "Good little model minority."

"And what would you do once in Office, Miss President?"

"Child tax," she said without thinking. "Each parent who has a child under thirteen has to pay a tax, or else they'll be confiscated by the government. Until they're of legal age, of course. Less and less parents will wanna have kids, but the stubborn ones will, so we'll be able to control them better. Like China, but without the population pretense. Progress," Kent's eyes didn't leave hers as she continued to speak. "See, when I joined the TEENZ, I thought we'd be making the world better for Adults. But all I've seen is a bunch of lil' spoiled white rich bitches runnin' around like chickens."

"Maybe you're just not where the action is," he said.

"That's why I came here," she said. "I've been bidin' my time with a group'a bimbos, but I finally got my in and I ain't lettin' it go to waste."

Kent's hand, now cigarette free, reached down and brushed Abby's hair back, tracing it down her neck. "You're a little spitfire, you know that?"

"I get results," she said back to him. "I don't like it when things are in my way. I heard a rumor...some kinda program..." She shrugged. "Might help me get where I'm goin'."

Kent's interest was now completely glued onto Abby. She could feel his eyes snaking around her body, but she didn't care. Like she said, she got results. "And, uh," he breathed. "What exactly have you heard?"

"Bits and pieces," she egged on. "Some girl from the science club goes missing. Next day, nobody remembers her. Nobody can track her. It's like she never even existed." She titled her head. "Now, how do you suppose that happened?"

"People disappear all the time."

But Abby shook her head. "I heard...Father's got somethin' cookin'. Somethin' like a new project. Then this happens. At first there are thirteen names on a brochure, then twelve. And nobody says a word."

"This is deep water you're swimming in," Kent warned her. "You may not like what you find."

"I'm certain I'll like what I find," Abby stated.

Kent sighed, not of exasperation, but of a delighted exhaustion. "The world's got a lot of people in it," he finally said. "Some of those people, they do well in school and in their little cubical but get them out in the real world and they're total hacks. They ain't got social graces. But, they're brilliantly smart. So what Father does is provide those people an opportunity. He gives them an environment they can thrive in, one cut off from civilization, where they can work all day and never worry about anything else. Of course, as payment, all of their work goes to the company who runs this organization."

"The Adults..." Abby whispered.

"And the TEENZ too, of course. We get the best part of the deal." He gave a fake empathetic sigh. "Sadly, not all the underlings want to leave the social world. So every once-in-a-while we have to give them a little nudge."

Abby's heart was beating faster.

"It's hard to tell a retard they're retarded," Kent explained. "Most of the time they just won't believe you."

"So you cut off the fat," Abby said. "But you use it to make soap."

"I guess you could say that."

"And then you sell that soap to make a profit," she continued.

"Now you're catchin' on," Kent jeered.

"So..." Abby adjusted her body, unfolding her arms. "Say I wanted...to make someone disappear..." She gazed at him intently. "You could do that?"

Kent's smile morphed into a wicked grin. "Just who do you want to have disappear?" Abby froze. "Give me a name, and I'll make it happen."

"How?" Abby jumped too quickly. Dammit.

"You don't really need to know that," Kent said. "I'll take care of everything. Just tell me who it is."

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Abby said. "I'm not even sure it's what I want yet. I just like to have a few weapons in my arsenal." She thought for a moment. "But say I did," she said. "Just where exactly...would they disappear to? People don't just disappear. They gotta disappear to someplace."

"There's a place," Kent reassured her. His hand was slithering down to her waist. "But it's a place a pretty girl like you shouldn't concern herself with."

"What happens there?"

"Just a little nudge," he said. "It's still in development. Even I'm not entirely sure what really goes on in there. I try not to concern myself with losers." He grinned wider. "All I know is, thanks to Father's new ideas, we'll no longer have to deal with those freaks who stink up our hallways. They get what they want, and we get what we want. Really, the ones who oppose it are the ones who will make society unstable. It's those people the program is best for."

"This facility. Is there more than one?"

"I can't answer that," he said.

"What, you don't know?"

"It's not my division."

"Where is it?"

"Why would you need to know that?" he asked.

"I wanna see it," she said simply. "You've sparked my curiosity."

Kent leaned back a bit, pushing off the wall. His tone shifted slightly. "How bout we get outta here."

Abby blinked. "I-Isn't this...your house?"

"Yeah, so I got the keys," he said. His thumb moved across her lips and down to her chin. "Let's go somewhere a bit more quiet so we can talk."

"I don't think I trust you," she said, flirtatiously, even though she was being completely honest. "You probably don't even know where that facility is." She started to move past him. "Guess I barked up the wrong tree."

But his hand pushed her back up against the wall. "Oh, I don't know a thing about it. You're absolutely right about that." He jeered. "But I know a guy."

Abby's brows raised. "That's not good enough."

"He can answer all of your questions. About the program, the participants, its location, everything."

"Who is he?"

"I'll take you to him."

"How bout a name?"

"How bout I take you to him."

Abby felt her body's tension increase. Kent Little, star quarterback. Of all the people in the world to run into. If she left now, he might get suspicious. She couldn't have that. All she had was confirmation that there was, indeed, a program and that it was targeting teenagers. Teenagers who Father saw as freaks. Cut off the fat and sell it as soap. Abby felt sick to her stomach, but alongside that was a tinge of excitement. It was a lead. A real lead. If she could just get a name, a face, something. In her body, her fear had made it almost impossible for her to move.

Do not go off into a room with a boy alone.

She couldn't go. The others would have her head.

Really, the ones who oppose it are the ones who will make society unstable. It's those people the program is best for...

Why even take the risk?

But then again...why take the risk?

Of course there were rules.

There were always rules.

Her eyes locked with Kent's. Her lips curving upward.

"Lead the way."

Suddenly, Abby felt a hand reach in hand grab her wrist, yanking her away from Kent Little. She didn't even have time to think as the figure dragged her across the house. Her grip was tight, her hands sweating. Abby squirmed.

"Vicki!"

"I'm taking you home," she said. "Now."

She didn't even look back.

"Whoa!" They heard a voice in front of them. A tall muscular man stood between Vicki and the door. She halted. "Vicki. What the hell do you think you're doing?" His words were slurred as he leaned over the door. "The party's not over yet. We got a lot to do..."

"Are you drunk?!" She gasped. "Are you seriously fucking drunk?"

"Y-you gotta stay so you can drive me home..." Toby said.

She turned to Abby, her face enflamed. Abby winced, having never seen such anger in her eyes. "You take your orders from me now. Understand?" she spat. Abby noticed Vicki's hair was ruffled, her makeup smeared. She looked as though she had gotten into a fight. "You do not do a single thing without my go ahead."

"But..."

She turned around and pushed through the crowd out the door.

"Fuck, Vicki!" Toby called. "You fucking bitch! Where are you goin'? Where...where are you goin? You fuckin'...bitch...C'n I get a ride?"

Abby tugged on her arm. "Vicki..." she tried. "Vicki! We can't leave! We gotta go back!"

"Get in the car, Abby." Vicki released Abby's arm and went over to the driver's side.

"You don't understand! I was this close to-"

"Get in the car or you're fired!"

Abby stopped. Grimacing, she got in the passenger seat, slamming the door. Vicki started the car, but Abby was still adamant. "There's a guy, Vicki! A guy! A guy who knows about the disappearances! Kent Little was just about to take me to him! I gotta go back!"

"Seatbelt."

"This isn't fair!" Abby whined. "Just a little longer and I would'a had him!"

"Abigail!" Vicki snapped. "Shut. Up." She unset the parking break and backed into the street. Abby put on her seatbelt. She opened her mouth to say something else, but the look on Vicki's face stopped her dead in her tracks. It was staring straight ahead, hard as stone. Teeth clenched, chest rising and falling. Abby sat back in her seat. She didn't say anything to her the entire car ride. Vicki didn't say anything back, which was odd. She thought that she had taken Abby out of the conversation because she knew she was acting solo, but there was no scolding, no, 'what did I just say'. When Vicki pulled into Abby's driveway, it was 11:15 at night. After about two minutes of silence, Vicki spoke.

"Do you have your cell phone?"

"Yes."

"Everything from your pockets?"

"Yeah, but-"

"You are never to speak of this to anyone," she said, her voice stern and authoritative. "Not a word. Everything you learn you will report to me and me alone. You will not follow any leads, you will not do anything without my permission."

"But if we don't follow the leads, we won't be able to stop Father's plan!" Abby protested.

"Abigail, this is not up for negotiation."

"But what if-"

"Enough!" She snapped. "That is my decision and it is final." She sighed. "I'll see you at school."

Abby didn't know whether to be angry or terrified, so she left the car in a silent simmer. She was up the driveway, on her front patio, looking at the door. This was so stupid. Why did everything have to be so difficult with these people? She turned around. She had to go back. She would make her go back. But when she got to the end of the stairs, she found that the car hadn't even started yet. Vicki's hands were over her face, her head resting against the steering wheel. She wasn't just crying. No. Abby had seen people cry.

Vicki was screaming, like she was in a horror film, muffled only by the skin of her palms. Her hands moved away from her face on occasion, pulling her clothes over her body. Abby could hear the faint echo of her sobs from outside the car. Vicki wiped her eyes, but it didn't seem to stop anything. Abby backed away, the scene disappearing from her view. Her hand touched the doorknob. It didn't matter what she said now.

They weren't going back to that party.

It ended, Maurice huffing and puffing as he practically fell onto her. Abby supposed she was puffing too. Her chest was moving up and down, her body was covered with sweat. He leaned up and kissed her on the cheek before rolling over to the other side of the bed. Abby's hair fell all around her. Her arms finally dragged themselves around to her chest where she noticed a sheet had fallen. Did Maurice put it there? She couldn't remember. Her mind was still hazy. She touched the sheet, pulling it up over herself to cover her breasts. As she moved, she could feel the skin of her legs rubbing together. Her arms crossed over her chest as she realized that there was nothing but skin underneath the sheet.

She looked at the ceiling, Maurice getting up to go to the bathroom. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that he had shorts on again. Her focus was still glued to the ceiling: stucco, white. Suddenly, her mind began to clear, the haze dispersing. Abby licked her lips, her mouth curving subtly downwards.

TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED...

TRIGGER WARNING: Implied sexual assault, sexual content