Chapter 7

Tally's POV

I didn't look anything like my "special" self once I was done getting prettified. It was weird because I looked like my old "pretty" self. I was a day behind the rest of the pretties because it took me some time to get ready, but that didn't matter because my special skills would make it fairly easy to find them. My plan was to stay a little bit behind the others so I wouldn't get caught, but if I did I would blend in because I would look pretty. Although I was sure some, who were actually specials and had known me back in my pretty days, meaning Zane, would be able to recognize me. It was night when I left and the cool air brushed against my face as I rode the hover board. I thought of Zane, the dark swirling tattoo on his face perfectly matched his ink-dyed hair. I smiled faintly and thought back to the old days when we were both pretties. Life was so simple then just being crims… well then we tried to run away to the smoke and were thrown in to the crazy world of Special Circumstance and the Specials. Why had things become so confusing? I wondered absentmindedly. The wind was becoming stronger whipping against my face but suddenly I was filled with an urge to get to Zane… I wasn't quite sure why but I just had to see him again and we had to talk. I urged the board forward and balanced myself as it sped up. These boards could go faster then any other but if they were over accelerated they would become wobbly and it would be impossible to balance. Unfortunately I was not thinking of this as I pushed it faster. I closed my eyes trying to relax. I could see Zane in my mind, his beautiful face and his perfect smile. I rode in this way for quite a while constantly speeding up just a mega bit, I was still picturing Zane's perfect face when all of the sudden his icy eyes shot into my mind. My eyes opened and in one sudden motion I was thrown from my board watching it smash in to a tree as I fell. The ground was a good thirty feet below me and the night was dark so it felt as though I was entering a dark abyss. There was a backbreaking crack and a pain hit me like a brick wall. I was extremely strong, thanks to my enhanced abilities, but this hurt like hell. I tried to move but I couldn't. I breathed in deeply and continued to attempt to pull myself to my feet. I couldn't get off my back, I couldn't even get up. I was in more pain then I had been in a long while. Usually when something like this happened I had injections to help me heal, but I had lost my backpack during the fall. After what felt like forever I heard a single pair of footsteps and something thin and cold touch my neck. There was a slight pressure and I knew I was being injected with something but wasn't sure what. I attempted to struggle but I couldn't move. Someone picked me up, there arms strong but I couldn't see anything and I realized it was because my eyes were shut. I felt myself feeling drowsy but I forced myself to open my eyes. I opened them and wasn't surprised at all by who I saw.

Zane's POV

Our plan was to stay a few miles behind the pretties far enough that they suspected nothing, but close enough that we could move in when we had to. We had pretty spray just incase we accidentally slipped up but I didn't think that was likely. Things became slightly more complicated when Tally showed up. I knew director Cable had informed me to allow her to come along but who did she think I was. I was the freaking strongest special and there was no way I was seriously taking ALL my orders from that woman. I had a feeling Tally would follow us but had no idea she would catch up so quickly. Fortunately it was just the specials so I was able to take her out without arousing suspicion. I injected her with a drug to knock her out and carried her to the camp we had set up three miles south of the pretties. I knew she would be out for sometime but I had to talk to her. Couldn't she get over me and move on with her life. She was a special and all she cared about was… me… yeah that sounds pretty stuck up but I am just tired of it. I know I'm good looking, I know we use to have a thing… but the truth is she needed to live her special life. I'm perfect, but ever since seeing Tally in my room I keep getting a nagging feeling, and I am not sure why. I hated the look of pity she had once given me. I couldn't stand to think of that look. I wasn't angry because I was to good at controlling my emotions, but I had a task to do. I was a special and I was ready to kill every one of the smokies so they would never be a problem again. The only problem was I really use to love her, and maybe… just maybe I still did. To be honest, I wanted to talk to her about everything.

Tally's POV

My head was pounding and my eyes were too heavy to open. I wasn't sure where I was and couldn't remember anything. What happened? I struggled to pull my eyes open when all of the sudden visions from the night before came flooding in!

Hover boarding, there was a crash, a lot of pain, a shot… and Zane… I yanked my eyes open and was blinded by the morning light. I blinked and my special body kicked in. I sat up and found that I wasn't very soar, probably due to my enhanced special healing.

"Morning." I looked to my left and saw Zane sitting on the ground with his elbows resting on his knees. He looked more normal then he had since that first night I saw him several days before. I groaned and looked away from him.

"Tally what the hell?" He shocked me when an angry whisper escaped his lips. I made a split decision, I was mad at him and I wasn't going to get lost in his perfect looks, or anything of that sort. I had a right to be mad and I wasn't going to just do what ever he said or answer all his questions.

"Tally you're not supposed to be here and what… you just want to compromise our mission?" I still didn't reply as he spoke. How my being there compromise THEIR mission? Wasn't I a special too? Wasn't it my mission as well?

"Can't you just get over me?" He asked, which really struck a nerve. I took a deep breath and attempted to control myself.

"Listen Zane!" I started slowly but with the same "Tally fire" I always had. "You think, just cause you're some freaking high and mighty special, that life is all about you. Let me tell you something, I got over you a long time ago and I am just here to help with the missions. Don't let you're feelings for me get in the way of the mission, got it?" I had gotten pretty loud over the course of my unplanned speech and he was just looking at me with disbelief.

"If you want to help, then help but you better not screw it up and you better do everything you're told." I scoffed as he said the last part but I nodded.

"So what was up with last night? You injected me… with what?"

"It was just a knock out drug to stop you from your incessant struggling, I know what a pain you can be." He growled in annoyance and helped me to my feet. I was a bit wobbly but it wasn't too much of a problem.

"We leave in ten minutes, I saw your board got smashed." He gave a rude laugh.

"Shay." He yelled and then my former best friend walked through the bushes.

"Tally rides with you." He said and brushed swiftly passed her. He was so different, he seemed emotionless now. He had been changed in more then just a physical way but I knew they didn't put lesions in the specials brains, so I wasn't sure why he had changed. We looked at each other and I examined her oh so familiar features. I had missed her I really had, and it was great seeing her again although I had a feeling she wasn't happy to see me.

"Tally." She said in a stern voice. I stared at her.

"Shay, I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" She asked, "I'm glad they changed me. I see now I was wrong. By the way you better listen to Zane, just help with the mission and don't mess things up. You're better off with us." She said this in such a strange voice but I just continued staring at her not speaking.

Ten minutes later Shay and I hopped on a board and everyone took off.

"Shay you hate me?" I asked.

"No Tally I don't." Her tone was softer then it had been before. "But I don't need you."

"I know none of us need ANYONE." I spoke truthfully. Specials didn't need one another, but just like any other normal person we enjoyed having people around.

"I missed you though." She said staring straight ahead.

"I missed you too," was all I said in reply. I knew this wasn't meant to be some mushy make up scene where we realized how we use to be best of friends and how dumb we were to hate each other. I was just happy to know she had at least missed me… unlike some people, I looked over at Zane and he met my gaze. It was oddly softer then it had been earlier. He made me feel like he was bi polar. One second he was a total jerk, and the next second his eyes showed my something softer.