Everything Changes

Prologue

October 2015

The Sparticles had been traveling after another physically, mentally, and emotionally draining day. One of their Sparticles, Oryan, had been captured by Queen Kylie's bounty hunters, Fizzy and Brian. They had only just escaped themselves. They sat around a campfire, cooking some fish they had caught in the nearby stream.

"I managed to grab some supplies before we left. And we now have the trooper uniforms me and Ern nicked. They'll come in handy." Serena spoke aloud, trying to lift the mood of the group.

Serena was one of Holly's closest friends. They had met a few years prior when they had tried to prevent the parents coming back. But they had soon realised they were on the wrong side after all, and had joined the Sparticles on their mission.

"Nice work." Sadiq, their tribe leader, complimented her. No one else said a word. "Look. We have to put Oryan behind us. Get back on the road in the morning and try to figure out how to use this ley line chart to find more sensitives."

"We can't leave Oryan, he saved us." Reese looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Plus we need him to build an army to send back Kylie and all the other teen parents." Frankie, Sadiq's younger step sister, added.

"They're taking Oryan to the capital. We could use our uniforms and trick our way in." Serena suggested.

"The capital guards have special passes. We'll need intel." Ernesto put an arm around Holly, she could tell what was coming.

"I can see where this is going." So could Serena, apparently.

"We will need help from the Resistance." Ernesto didn't want to be reminded of his shame.

He had joined the Resistance, led by his teen dad named Rat, when the teen parents had first been transported to their dimension. He had loved his time there, fighting in the First Teen World War, trying to overthrow the Queen. The Resistance had been the ones to help him free the Sparticles from Kylie's prisons, and had helped hide him from her troopers. But recently he had failed to follow orders, instead following his heart. And Rat had kicked him out. It had broken Ernesto.

"So? You miss the Resistance! And your precious beret!" Serena reminded him. "This is your chance to build bridges with Rat."

He sighed. "Come on." He whispered to Holly, leading her away from the group.

"This capital mission, will you come with me?"

She looked at him, his usual brave demeanour had been washed away as he was reminded of his failure. She had missed him, but going back to the Resistance, leaving her tribe, that wasn't something she could do.

"No, I'm sorry." It was better to be truthful than delay the inevitable.

"It's because of Jenna isn't it? Look, I'm so sorry about that-"

"-I've forgiven you for that! It was a different time."

It was true. What's done is done, what matters now is the present. Holly had forgiven him for being with Jenna whilst she was in prison. They didn't know if they would ever see each other again, she couldn't blame him for that.

"Anyways, she's gone now. Reese and Aris sent her back to her dimension."

"So why won't you come with me?" He stopped walking, turning to face her.

"I want to stay with Kim." She looked longingly over to her teen mum, who had joined the Sparticles a few months ago. "It's the closest I've ever been to my mum, and I don't know how long she'll be here for."