Jasmine crossed her arms, tapping her finger against her sleeve as she glanced between Mavis and me.
She snickered, "You're kidding right?"
Mavis grabbed the shoulders of her friend, "Jas don't be like that, think of what this could do for this base."
Jasmine's eyes glanced to me in her peripheral, then focusing back on Mavis.
"If I start allowing everyone to have little trips then what if the point of the night watch?" Jasmine's tone was harsh and she pulled away from Mavis' grasp.
"To keep people out who aren't supposed to be here," I added. They both looked to me but I refused to falter. "That is the point but still... somehow my parents' corpses found a way in. Pretty sure they didn't walk here themselves." I shrugged.
Mavis smirked.
Jasmine dropped her arms, staring down at me. My heartbeat quickened as she walked closer to me, her breath hitting my face. "Fine. I'll allow it."
"Really?" Oops.
She looked to Mavis and nodded, "I didn't put those rules in place and I certainly don't give a damn about what the Headmistress thinks." She opened her closet door, "Take whatever, the only use I'll get out of these clothes would be burning them anyways."
I gulped and stood beside Mavis as she shuffled through the hangers. She pulled out a black dress, short and silky with a layered skirt that reminded me of a fairy's dress. The back was exposed, connected with a couple pieces of black string going across either side.
"To pull this off you'll need to blend in, Ayla. Can you do that."
I took a deep breath and took the hanger from her. "This thing took my friend, I'll do whatever it takes."
One half of Jasmine's mouth curled upwards, "More backbone than I thought. And you'll certainly make Jack squeamish-"
"You'll draw a lot of attention to yourself, people and Insurgents alike... Maybe even the stray." Mavis took a piece of paper out of her back pocket, revealing the triangle hierarchy we were going over before. "We will go over each of the powers briefly in the car but you need to know you're going to leave an impression and rebels showing up to this part of town means trouble but also gives us a chance to assert ourselves. I want you to play a character, Ayla Gordon and play her to perfection and stay close but far from us so no one gets an idea that you're with us."
"And don't eat or drink anything," Jasmine added, no emotion detected in her voice but helpful nonetheless.
I gulped but nodded. Ive seen plenty of movies and shows with this same plot before. When in doubt I know Jack will hear my cries for help. I realized this time that I will have a slight power and edge over some powerful people and I was going to own it if it meant my friend could finally be avenged.
"I can do it," I said confidently. I was determined to reinvent myself as someone stronger, no longer the damsel or victim. I had to do something with my grief, with all the pain I've endured because of this world. It starts with the training but it'll end with keeping this base alive.
Mavis sucked in a deep breath, worry visible in her eyes. "Alright. Let's go get changed."
~
It took me a minute to tune out the world and my internal screaming and walk back into Mavis' room from the bathroom. The dress fit like a glove while the black boots I borrowed from Mavis admittedly were already killing me.
There was a part of me that was cowering- but a bigger part was very much aware of how pretty I felt.
Mavis lit up as I walked back in, "Oh Dios mio Ayla!" She stood up and looked me up and down, "Respectfully as your friend I would lose my shit if I saw you walk into a room."
YOU ARE READING
The Insurgence: Bleeding Silver
Ficção AdolescenteAyla Gordon is seventeen years old when she has her first encounter outside her house in nearly a decade. After a tragic unexplained accident, she is thrust back into a world that rejects her and stuck between one that shouldn't exist that desires h...