NINE

I woke up to the sound of a shower. I looked around, wondering where I was. Then I remembered the night before and I grinned. I looked at the alarm clock on Lailah's bedside table and saw that it was only five thirty two. I groaned, why was it so early?!

Lailah got out of the shower, a towel wrapped around her, her hair dripping wet.

'Hey,' I sat up and looked at her.

'Hey,' she said, sitting on the bed.

I grabbed her waist and brought her close. 'Why are you up so early?'

'You heard me, I work for the government. I have to get up early.'

'This early?'

'Well, maybe you should go back to your room so people don't suspect anything.'

'Do I have to?'

'Well, you won't have much fun when I'm gone. Now, let me get dressed.'

I let her go and she got dressed into a pair of blue jeans, a black top and combat boots.

She walked out the door, leaving me in her bed, alone.

I got up and got dressed into my clothes from last night. I walked out the door and closed it behind me. I turned around to see Marina closing Eight's door behind her. Then I saw Six closing Sam's door behind her. They had both been someone else's room for the night. I grinned at the two red faced girls and walked back to my room. I slumped back into my bed and slept until seven.

When I woke up I could already hear people murmuring from outside. I had a quick shower and walked outside. I sat in a chair by the table and began eating some cereal.

'Where's Lailah?' John asked.

I shrugged.

Right on cue, Lailah came rushing in from outside, her back to the door.

She opened the door and screamed, 'I'm not Going to show you, you bastard!'

'I'm Going to get it from you, you crazy bitch!' A shrill voice screamed.

Lailah locked the door and chuckled. She had blood dripping from her mouth.

She looked up and smiled. 'Oh, hey.'

'You get called a bitch a lot,' Sarah said.

Lailah just shrugged and said, 'Occupational hazard.'

She walked to her room and came out a few minutes later, changed. She sat next to me and buttered a piece of toast.

'Who was that screaming at you?' John asked.

'Oh, one of the soldiers from the army. He was trying to get information so the general could let him into the experiment.'

'What experiment is it?'

'An experiment that's testing to see if you can add strength to the human mind. Like to make that person a superhuman. It's failing. Lots of people died from becoming the test dummies.'

'You knew one of them who died?' Marina asked though it was more of a statement than a question.

'Yeah, Tristan James. He was one the men from the army; his legs got amputated because of a bomb, that's why he volunteered. Died a day later,' I could see the sadness in her eyes. 'Whatever, he's gone now.'

She got up and walked to her room, leaving her piece of toast behind. I looked around at all of the people sitting around the table. They were all shocked.

'She's been through a lot. She's seen more people killed than any of us,' Six said, still startled.

We all nodded and agreed.

Sarah got up and walked to Lailah's room, everyone else trailing behind her. She knocked on the door, but when Lailah didn't answer she just opened the door.

Lailah was sitting on the floor, typing frantically on a laptop.

'Lailah-' Marina began but Lailah shushed her.

She carried on typing and after about three minutes she stopped and took something out of her ear.

'Hurry up, slow pokes! We have some Mogadorian guests coming!'