Audacious

Chapter 5: Crash Landing

I sigh and take a seat on the back wall of his jet. My back freezes and I wiggle around, uncomfortably.
"No, no, no. The first one to jump on a jet sits with the pilot, missy." I stare at him, amazed. Is he just letting me sit up front because I look uncomfortable or because he's telling the truth and I should be proud of myself? I don't care anymore. I slide my back up the wall and walk through a steel entrance that leads to a woman with black short hair to her chin, wearing headphones, with an oddly large wad of thick wound rope next to her. I sit down in the leather seat next to her and try to not look awkward.
She turns and looks at me.
"Hello. First one to get on?" I nod. "Nice to meet you. I'm Arianna. Lances sister. I'm sure you've met him already." I nod again. I'm so used to people holding out their hand to shake mine, without thinking, I offer my hand to her. She looks at it. Stunned. Sector 10 people are known to be shy, not welcoming. She shakes anyways. I look out the front glass window of the jet and watch one by one, the rest of Lance's little lab rats pile into the small back. Lacey peeks her head through the entrance and tells me that Lance is handing out bottles of water. I object. I feel like being alone after making the biggest decision of my life. Well, almost alone, but Arianna isn't much company. Once everyone is in and settled, Lance gives Arianna a thumbs up and she starts to higher up the jet. I have never had a fear of heights, but that's just me.
"Kiera...is there...any room...up here?" Lacey says between breaths. I stand up and let her sit in my seat. Her face is bright green and sweat is dripping down her forehead. Without taking her eyes off of the sky, Arianna hands Lacey a paper bag. "Thank you, Kiera and...I'm sorry. What's your name?"
"My names is Arianna. Are you okay? I haven't seen someone this pale since Lance was first told to jump out of my jet. What a wimp."
"Wait. This is your jet? I thought the letters on the front of it standed for Lance Tarrings Jet?"
"They do. I got this bad boy for my 19th birthday," she explains, patting the window gently."But then Lance got a job promotion for coach of the transfers. Every coach needs to have a jet to be accepted. I didn't want to give my jet to him because I knew this was what he would do but my mom forced me to. Said it was 'a great opportunity.'" Arianna's eyebrows crease in. I can tell she isn't very fond of Lance and if I had to live with him for 20 some years, I wouldn't be either.
I don't answer, knowing that was probably all she would say about it. Anna, still looking like she's traumatized, shudders. I rub my arms, feeling goosebumps all over.
"You know, Kiera. You must be awfully uncomfortable in that dress. I have an extra pair of pants and a shirt in the duffle bag over there that you can wear," offers Arianna.
"Oh, thank you so much Arianna!" I gleefully leap over to the bag, grateful to finally have a chance to remove this dreadful dress. I open the bag and find a pair of dark blue, loose Sector 5 pants, a grey t-shirt, and a nice pair of brown combat boots.
As I slip on my boots overtop of my baggy pants, I hear Arianna whisper ever so softly, just clear enough so that I can hear, "Oh no."
I hear a sharp cracking sound and finish tying my laces as I run out to the rear end of the helicopter where the other transfers are sitting. A frail girl with blond hair and pale skin, lays on the ground, her arm covered with blood.
"What happened?!" I scream at Lance. He stares at the girl laying on the floor as a stronger male transfer helps her up. His eyebrows crease inwards and his lips press into a hard line. "Lance!" I yell again. He finally turns to me.
"Come with me," he says, breathing very slowly. I follow him even farther through the jet, not expecting it's huge volume. "Sit," he says when we reach two leather chairs similar to the ones in the pilots room. "Another Fortitude transfer..." He pauses, not knowing where to continue," He um...he gave in."
"What do you mean 'gave in'? He gave up?"
"Well yes, but not exactly. You see, Kiera. When put under the pressure of having to be at your best ability, while everyone watches you, it makes it much easier for you to believe yourself to fail." He turns his head and looks me straight in the eyes. I never noticed how soft his brown eyes were. They are like milk chocolate, smooth and light. "He uh, broke the air conditioner and smashed the jet window. When doing so, he pushed our smallest transfer, Galaxy, down while jumping out of the smashed window."
I break the eye contact and look at my nails, already with dirt underneath.
"Is...uh, Galaxy gonna be okay?" I look back up at him. His blond hair is disheveled and he has sleep marks under his eyes. He looks like he aged 9 years in only 10 seconds.
"Well. No." His beautiful light brown eyes darken until they are coal black. "Kiera, he didn't just break the air conditioner."
"What?" I squint my eyes and rub my arms. My teeth start to chatter.
"He also broke the engine." No. No. No. "None of us will be okay."