Chapter 3: Where Ya Think You're Going?

"So," Selena drawled from her position on the bed, "uh, what are we gonna do now?"

Marlene shrugged and replaced the brush of a nail polish bottle. "I dunno." She blew on the newly painted nails. "What do you wanna do?"

Selena sighed. "I'm just going to ignore that cliché and say, we're going out."

Marlene was about to reply when her eye caught something. She blinked and shook her head, looking down at her hands. "Um…"

Selena sat up and tilted her head at her friend, eyeing her sharply, even when the girl looked up at her.

"I forgot about the tour…"

"Tour?" Selena repeated, a little confused at the other's words and actions. It wasn't like Marlene to fidget and be all nervous. There was something not right here.

"With the boys? I told him I'd give them a tour after school."

"Ah." Selena nodded and dropped back on her bed, closing her eyes. "Good luck then."

"Wait," the panic was present in her voice, "you can't leave me alone with him." Selena's eyes popped open and she frowned.

"Him? I thought it was a whole group. Oh…" A huge grin slowly grew on her face as Marlene blinked and looked at her.

"'Oh'? What 'oh'? Why'd you say 'oh'?"

Selena bit down on the grin and shrugged. "Nothing."

"Oh."

"Now," Selena turned her body so that she was facing Marlene, "why'd you say 'oh'?"

"Is it a crime to say it?"

"I'd say it is. Do you like him?"

"Huh?"

"Don't play dumb with me. Do you like the guy?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. What guy?"

"Now that's just contradictory."

"Would you at least accompany me? I, really don't want to do this alone this time."

"Have I told you how much I loathe the Kowalski guy?"

"For the past few hours I've been with you? A thousand times."

"Then you know how I feel about this trip."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"I said no. Shut up already."

Marlene made a huffing sound before getting to her feet and marching over to Selena's bed.

"You're coming with me," she jumped on the bed and tackled Selena, "whether you like it or not! You're leaving this room!"

"NOOOOOO!"

The two girls were so busy wrestling each other that they didn't notice that the door had swung open, letting in five kids.

"What's going on?" The stern voice called to the two, though the comical tone it in made them notice the newcomers. The two girls, stuck in a position where it looked like they were trying to kill each other, stared at Skipper, who stared back at them with a hint of a grin. "Bad time?"

Selena's features turned dark and she glared at Marlene before pushing the brunette off her.

"Oof!" The girl fell to the carpeted ground with a thump. Groaning, she sat up holding her head and glared back at the Asian. "What the heck, Sel?"

"You told them to come here?"

"Huh?" Selena's eyebrows just furrowed even more and her eyes briefly looked behind Marlene. The Californian looked behind too and dropped her hand. "Oh yeah. Kinda. What's your problem again?"

"Nothing. I got no problem. Why'd I got a problem? Maybe you got a problem with me?" Marlene rolled her eyes at that and got to her feet.

"Then come on."

"I'm not going with you."

"Come awn, Selena! Give me a break here and just do something for once!"

"No." She got under her covers and pulled them over her head. "Leave me alone already." She mumbled through the cloth before snuggling into it.

"Hey," the blonde of the group walked into the room, "Marlene, is it?"

"Yes…wait, Barbie?"

"Don't know how you know me, but yeah. Want me to call daddy?"

"Who?"

Barbie glanced over at Selena, pulled out her phone and turned back to Marlene.

"I said," Barbie raised her voice and glanced over at Selena again, "do you want me to call daddy?"

Selena sat up and glowered at Barbie, gritting her teeth.

"You wouldn't." The Asian murmured in a low, dark voice.

The girl simply raised her chin and shook the phone, her other hand on her hip. "I will."

"Humph." The Asian rolled her eyes and turned around, running a hand under her pillow.

"Oh-kay..." Barbie flipped the phone open and was about to place a finger on the keypad when Selena called out, or growled more like it.

"Jacket! I was looking for my jacket!"

"Hellow?"

"Let me get my bag, stupid! Can't you wait?"

"Excuse me? I'm so calling him." The book Selena was about to stuff into her bag paused in its passage before getting shoved in.

"Do that and say goodbye to your entire future here." She jumped up, threw the blankets back to the bed, ignored the clutter on the wooded floor and marched over to Barbie. "They'll find out what you really did in Europe."

Barbie crossed her arms and glared back at the other female standing directly in front of her.

"I dare you."

Selena was about to reply when Marlene stepped into the circle.

"Guys, enough. This is not the way to settle things."

Barbie turned her attention back to Selena with a disgusted look. "Why would I want to make peace with her? She's a freak."

"And you're an oversized plastic toy." The girl fired back with anger playing over her features.

"Guys," Marlene sighed heavily and gently but firmly pushed the two away from each other, "stop it already. Have you no shame?"

Selena sneered and tilted her head at Barbie, calmly crossing her arms. "I'm looking at it. It's such a disgusting little thing."

"Why you." Barbie grabbed hold of Selena's shirt and pulled her close, snarling in the other's face. Selena was shocked at first, but she continued to look at her in indifference.

"Okay, this is getting way too far!" Marlene took hold of Barbie's arm and tried to pull her away. "We-"

Barbie let out a cry and she released Selena, stepping away from the two. The best friends looked back at her in surprise and the blonde just turned around, keeping her arm, the one that Marlene held, out of their sight. Exactly where Marlene had held her wrist was a burned mark in the shape of fingers.

"Barbie? Are you alright?" The blonde took a step away from the Californian, trying hard to keep her fear and shock out of her face. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh whoopie." Selena twirled a finger unenthusiastically. "The drama queen strikes again. Your boyfriend not enough for you, sweetheart?"

Marlene frowned at her friend's behavior. "Selena. What is wrong with you?"

"I'm the problem now?"

Barbie gritted her teeth at the pain and narrowed her eyes at Skipper, Rico, Kowalski and Private, who were staring back at her. They were just as confused as she was, but she needed to them without any witnesses around. Aka, her pesky and annoying cousin and her best friend. She felt the pain go away and took in a deep breath, still not looking at the other two.

"I need to go."

"Barbie, wait-"

"Don't touch me!" Marlene blinked, clearly hurt, and retracted her hand. "I, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I mean, I-"

"Really, sweetheart? You're sorry?" This time, Marlene didn't even correct the girl and continued staring blankly at Barbie. "I'm surprised you have emotions."

Barbie frowned and turned to glare at Selena, who was acting oddly different, and well, more boisterous, which wasn't like her.

"You're the emotionless bitch here."

"Gladly take that as a compliment. Now shoo. We've got better things to do then to entertain you." The girl went back to packing things in her bag and Marlene, who finally got out of her stupor, went to get her things. Barbie stared at the two, unsure what she should do at the moment.

"Hey," Selena's irritated voice echoed in her ear as the Asian roughly took hold of Barbie's arm, "if you wanted me to show my true colors, you should've just said so." With that, she pulled Barbie out of the room and locked the door after Marlene was out. She turned to face the surprised but still angry Barbie, and crossed her arms."I don't care if you're dying, come back in here, I will disown you. You got that?"

"I hate you. I hate you so much."

Selena merely tilted her head again, eyes going slowly over her cousin's angry form.

I knew it.

Knew what? A different, child-like voice echoed.

That's not Barbie.

And you're not Selena, the voice chuckled but the tone was tossed aside, si? You're just a crazy girl who talks to herself a lot and has no friends. The voice mocked her, but the girl was already used to it.

Believe what you want. She's not who she is. Something happened to my cousin, and brought back this.

A new voice entered, this one slightly more matured then the other two and wiser. The master's right, child. Listen and remember; the blonde is having changes that even normal teenagers don't go through. And her reaction with the light earlier on...was not normal.

Stop calling me a child! I wasn't born yesterday! And duh, 'cause she's obviously a-

"What?" Barbie snarled, probably getting irritated with her cousin's probing stare. Selena brought her eyes up to the blonde's seemingly blue ones, contact lenses obviously, and tilted her head back slowly to meet her head on. "What the hell are you looking at?" Selena merely leaned her head forward and tilted it so that her mouth was level with her ear.

"Believe me not, my dear," Barbie flinched at the closeness but didn't show any other emotion on her face, "but be careful. Things are just not what they seem." Selena leaned back on her feet and stared at Barbie, who blinked in confusion and looked back at Selena. The Asian turned on her heel and walked away, but not before a grin could make its way to her mouth.