After two days without teachers, I was ready to turn things over to the adults again. I was exhausted, and I was tired of everyone coming to me to ask impossible questions, as if I was all-knowing.

I looked around the room with the kids, wishing I was back in my own room, with my own bed, listening to my parents talking downstairs. Gosh, I missed them.

Florence came dashing into the room, very excited. "I'm finished! I've got a plan for the leadership thing. We obviously can't stay in this school forever, there's barely enough space for everyone. I think that what we should do is have each teen assigned to at least one child in elementary school. Forty-two teens will have to be assigned two kids. And, I figure that most kids have a brother or sister, if not two, so this won't really be a big problem.

"I think everyone should take up residence in a house soon. As in, within the next week or so. I was talking with Sam and Astrid last night, and they said that their FAYZ had a ten mile radius, so I took a map of Forester Area, and saw that it had an eleven mile radius, and so I drew a circle to make it ten miles, and came out with what our FAYZ looks like. I then divided it into ten factions. Each one starts and ends with the flow of housing communities. So, I figure these will be the leadership roles we will need to fill in the end:

A Boy and a girl from each of the ten Districts.

A person responsible for the Inner City- the inner circle, with a one mile radius. This person would also be head of the council.

The heads of the police, fire, medical, business and transportation departments.

A representative for the mutants.

A representative for the humans.

The head of the daycare and childcare department." She finished.

"That sounds fantastic. But, what are we going to do that will help us right now?"

"We will elect a Head of Council, who will basically handle things for a week or so until we organize everything, and then we're going to have a re-election, and elect each one of these things I said." she smiled.

I nodded. "Sounds good. What do you think about having the election in two days? Do you think we could prepare for it on time?"

"Definitely. We're going to need help spreading the news though." she frowned.

I nodded, and then a thought popped into my mind. "Wait, how do you know about the mutants?" I asked.

"Oh, everyone's talking about them. There are quite a few. Caela, you know the one in grade eight? Well, she can control metal- she can make it do whatever she wants! And I heard that Joey has X-ray vision!" she gushed.

I raised an eyebrow. "There are more than that?"

"Oh yes! I think I might be one too..." she whispered secretively.

Diana walked over, just at the right time. "One what?"

"A mutant." Florence exclaimed proudly.

"We'll see about that." Diana murmured, grabbing Florence's hand. She closed her eyes, and we all just stood there for a minute or two. Diana opened her eyes and chuckled. "You're a one bar, barely. Nothing to brag about."

Florence let out a dejected sigh. "Whatever."

I turned back to the task at hand. "Since everyone knows about the mutants, I'm going to have Brianna and Taylor get the message out that for kids in grade seven and up, there will be an election in two days. Anyone who wants to run must sign up today, and have a speech ready in two day's time. Only the first fifteen to sign up will be in the running." I stated, and the others agreed.

"Where's the list going to be?" Florence asked.

I picked up a piece of paper, writing 'Sign up for Election' on it, with the numbers 1-15 on the side, and wrote my name on it. I pasted it to the outside of the door to the office. "Right here."

I stood nervously backstage with the other fourteen candidates. We'd drawn from a hat yesterday to find out the order, and sadly, I'd picked number fourteen. The only person going after me was a girl I didn't even know, who seemed extremely rude, and not just a little self-centred.

When Caine went up to the front to start his speech, which was right before mine, I bit my lip, waiting to see what he had to say. "Hey." He smiled at everyone. "I'm Caine. Now, as a lot of you know, I actually come from the original FAYZ, and so, I know a lot about what we need to do to survive. Now, I'm not going to force you to do what you don't want- I'm not very big on rules, but one thing I'd enforce was the rations rule, so that everyone would always have something to eat..." I lost interest in his speech. By the end of it, I felt like he was trying to buy them with all of his 'experience' and knowledge.

I know of a lovely place I'd like to shove that knowledge... I thought darkly.

At the end of his speech, they all clapped, and I sucked in a deep, calming breath, and stepped out onto the stage. "I'm Kalea. I want to be the Head of the Council. Not because I want to rule over you guys, and not because I'm a power-starved child in need of acceptance. I want to help you guys- all of you. When my teacher disappeared I panicked. I'm sure most of you did. I don't ever want to feel that panic again.

"I want to set up a medical department, where we will teach kids CPR and standard first aid, and have more people able to help care for kids. I want to get a Daycare started, because poor Riley can't take care of the toddlers all by herself.

"I also want to set up school again for kids in grade eight and under. You guys need to learn things that will help you guys help everyone around you. If you guys learn things, we can teach you stuff that will help everyone around you. And I'm not talking six hour school. I'm talking about three hours a day, maybe.

"The gist of what I'm trying to say is, I want to make this place a place where we not only have to live but want to live." I smiled, and everyone clapped loudly. I stepped backstage and Caine gave me a look that I couldn't decipher.

"Good job."

"Thanks. You too."

He flashed his teeth and walked away. I couldn't help but feel like I was on Caine's hit list after this. It was as if now, it had just gotten personal.

And I didn't like it one bit.

I looked around in the cafeteria/ auditorium, trying to locate a certain someone who knew Caine better than anyone.

I spotted her brown head at the back, talking with a tall, blonde girl that I hadn't seen before. I hurried over to them, and they smiled at me before continuing their conversation.

"He's so hot. But he's stupid. I'm not voting for him." the blonde girl said, her deep blue eyes mischievous.

Diana rolled her eyes. "If you'd been around him for as long as I had, you'd know that that hotness is replaced by psychosis after about two weeks in the FAYZ."

"He who?" I asked.

"Caine." They both responded.

"He's one fine sixteen year old. What a waste. I'm Jaya, by the way." she smiled.

"Kalea." I returned the smile.

"Now, it's great that you came Kalea, but I have a feeling that it wasn't to enjoy our company. What's up?" Diana asked, in a less than kind manner, pushing her brown hair out of her face.

"I feel like Caine is up to something. Something that's going to be bad. I need your help to find out what it is. He won't let me near him long enough to read him, so what I need you to do is distract him long enough for me to see what he's up to. You said yourself you've known him longer than anyone." I bit my lip to see her answer. If not, I'd have to get her to not tell anyone that I'd asked. If yes, I had to make sure that she wouldn't betray me, which sounded melodramatic in and of itself.

"I'll do it."

I turned to Jaya, "Are you in? We'll need you, if we go through with my first plan."

"What's your first plan?" Diana asked in a hushed voice.

I looked around, and made sure that no one was near enough to overhear what we were saying. "Well, who does Caine have a crush on?" I asked.

Diana looked away. "In the other FAYZ he had a crush on me, but it fizzled out near the end, and I'm pretty sure he's over it now. But, I think that if we got Jaya dressed up in... provocative, clothes, Caine would definitely be distracted more than long enough for you to have a look-see." she was smiling evilly now.

"Perfect." I smiled.

"Go!" I hissed at Jaya, who was hesitantly standing in the closet with me. She refused to leave, and go distract Caine.

The only reason I was in there was because it was easier to get close to him if he couldn't see me. Jaya would bring Caine close, I'd get the information and then she'd leave him.

"You need to go! We'll miss him if you don't!" I hissed and pushed her once more.

She was wearing an extremely low-cut top, and a short, tight skirt. All her assets were accentuated to their fullest, and Diana had given Jaya over an hour of coaching on how to seduce Caine.

Jaya reluctantly left the closet, and shut the door, once again leaving the room in darkness. I sat down, put my hands on my knees, and closed my eyes. I concentrated all of my energy on the thoughts outside the room.

I sifted through thoughts of parents, and older siblings, and worries and fears. I finally found the thoughts I was looking for.

I had to keep myself from regurgitating my meal at hearing his disgusting thoughts. Thoughts I would never deem appropriate to repeat.

I sifted through, trying to ignore some terrible things, and some things that tugged at my heartstrings.

Finally I found what I was looking for. His thoughts when we were backstage together.

What I found was surprising.

"She's hot, and her ideas are good. I'm screwed. But if I find a way to get on her good side I could definitely get a place on the Council... Kalea's got herself a new boyfriend."

I scowled. He was stupid if he thought that was going to work. But if I could pretend like I didn't know, and I had some backup when the time came to tell the world – and him – that I knew what he was doing, and why he was doing it.

I grinned as a new plan formed in my mind. A plan that I needed the help and support of a special group of friends.

Jaya, you can leave him now. I've got all I need. I said in her mind. I could feel her relief before I exited, and heard her decision to say something to scare him off.

"I just realized, I need to go treat my herpes. Bye." Jaya exited as fast as she possibly could.

I bit my hand to cover up my laugh. I heard Caine quickly leave, and heard his footsteps slowly get quieter and quieter. I waited until she opened the door a crack, before leaving the closet.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"I found out something interesting. I need you to meet me with Diana in room 315." I smiled, and left quickly.

I looked around the room, into the faces of the people I trusted the most in the FAYZ. Well, them, and two who were undecided at the moment, but had so far proven trustworthy- Jaya and Diana.

Sam, Astrid, Brianna, Taylor, Dekka, Lana, Dahra, Ellen and Edilio were sitting on one side of the room. On the other were Diana, Jaya, Ellaine, Florence, Warren and Mace.

"So guys, I need your help. I have a situation. As most of you know, Caine is a power-hungry, very, very, inconsiderate and harsh leader. He wants in again. He's going to try and seduce me to make it happen. He is going to try and use me to get himself a higher standing. I'm going to let him do it, but I need your help to make sure that no one gets fooled by him. He's going to think his plan is working, and then, at the end, when he's not elected into the council at all, we're going to tell him about what we knew, and he's going to learn his place." I finished.

"You can't let him do that to you!" Warren exclaimed and then looked away. "Sorry. I just, don't think you should let him play around with you like that."

I sighed. "I won't be letting him. I'll be letting him think that he's playing around with me."

"I think you should meet up with us regularly during this, though. It'll be at least a few weeks and we don't want you getting reeled in." Astrid said. She pushed her blonde hair out of her face and smiled at me. "We need to be here for you now. What do you guys say to meeting every Saturday at three, in the new houses that were being built while the FAYZ hit. Go to number 66. That's where I've been going to think and nobody goes there."

I nodded. "Everyone in?"

Everyone said yes, and I smiled. It felt good to have that much support.

I left the room and was followed quickly by Warren. My head only came two-thirds of the way up his chest, he was so tall.

"Kalea you can't do this." he stated.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because you're going to get hurt." his eyes searched mine.

"I'll be fine. You'll see. Don't worry about me." I smiled. "I'm a big girl."

He shook his head, and looked away, clenching his fists together. "You know what he can do, don't you?" I could feel his anger and worry even through my mind barriers.

"Yes. I know exactly what he's capable of. I saw into his mind Warren. It'll be fine. You need to calm down. I can feel you even through the barriers I've put up." For some reason I wanted to listen to him, but I needed to do this. I bit my lip and walked away from him. I needed to 'accidentally' bump into Caine and get him to ask me out.

,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

"We need Albert. If he were here we'd be able to organize things much better." Edilio commented, unhelpfully.

Sam shook his head and sighed, pacing in the forest behind LHHS. "I know we need him, but there's not much that we can do right now."

"Florence is good. She would do better than Albert, I believe." Astrid was sitting on a rock, writing out things, and scratching them out again.

"I agree. I heard Diana say that she was a one bar, too. Not much now but Jack developed a power later on, maybe she will too... She is an asset that we need to keep on our side. I feel like there's insecurity under the surface that will make her easily sway able. We just need to get her on our side and make sure that she'll stay here." Sam sighed, "Do we even know that Caine is going to make a huge play for power again?"

Dekka shook her head at me. "You're smart, Sam. Do you really think that since we're in a different place he's changed?"

"She's right. For now we just need to protect our assets, and think of what is the best for ourselves and the people here. They're our people now too, even if there's about 3000 more in this district alone than in the whole of Perdido Beach." Lana crossed her legs. "We just need to figure out what our assets are now."

"Kalea." It was a general consensus.

"We need her. The people trust her. She knows them, and she practically led this entire gathering. She's the reason why it didn't turn to chaos." Edilio stated. He was picking at the grass on the ground.

"We need to protect her from Caine. We also need to watch Diana and Jaya; they are becoming too close and if I know Diana she will never be able to stay away from Caine. She never has been able to, no matter how hard she tries." Brianna piped up. She'd uncharacteristically silent the entire time up until then. "She's nice, and she can read minds. We will need her, even if it turns out she's not the perfect leader."

I looked up and nodded. I didn't normally participate in these matters. I was just Taylor, the girl who could get the information. "We should scout for more of us. Find out who's who, who we can use, who is willing to help us, who is willing to work high up in the council. Then we convert all the others who aren't."

People seemed almost shocked that I'd put some input into what we were discussing. I think they'd all forgotten that I wasn't just a gossip. I could keep a secret, and I could be helpful if I wanted to be.

"All I'm saying is that we need to tell Kalea, so she can start checking people out. She can see into their minds, and may even be able to give little pushes to the ones who aren't as helpful." I finished. "I'm sure she can handle Operation Fool Caine and this."

"Well then it's settled. Let's go gather ourselves some loyal groupies." Lana winked.