The Forgotten

Just Like Reality TV

Will drives Shain's car to the White House, which he tells us is Brace's new base. The whole drive I keep wondering about his motives. Why is Will helping us? Has he really had a change of heart? Is this just for me? Or is he, as Shain suggests, playing us?

I run my fingers through my hair. I can't believe I might die today. Sooner or later, Brace will give up on the idea that I'm going to kill my mark, and my parents. When that happens, he isn't going to leave any loose ends.

"So?" Shain asks quietly as we get out of the car. "What exactly happened to or with Lance?"

"He may have killed Raven," I state.

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted him."

"I'm not so sure," I admit. Shain raises an eyebrow.

"Why would you think he's trustworthy if you think he killed your sister?" Shain asks. She almost sounds accusatory.

I reply, "I'm not entirely sure he did. He never said he did."

"Well someone did," Shain says irritably. "You saw the picture." The image of my sister's body comes unwelcome into my mind. I shiver. It was like seeing myself dead.

"My point is, he helped us. Is it possible he didn't kill her, just made them think he did?"

Shain says, "If that's the case, then who did kill her?" I shrug.

"I don't know, but it's not my main concern right now."

"You'll admit Lance is bad news if you see him in here, right?" Shain asks, her fingertips closing on the doorknob.

"Depends," I reply. I'm not being stubborn. His being in a certain location doesn't make him guilty. Lance helped us before. He might still be on our side. I'm starting to realize there's no reasoning with Shain. The same goes for Mr. Bristill. He's not even here right now.

Will might understand though. As crazy as it sounds, he's the one I should talk to about Lance.

Not that I am. Not until the situation arises at lease. Now is hardly the time to borrow trouble.

Shain, Will, and I do our best to sneak into the crowd of Forgotten inside the lobby unnoticed. I overhear people discussing personal information. Who their marks and parents might be... Whether or not they're going to side with Brace...

Good. Some of them aren't entirely convinced of this coup and new regime.

Within a few minutes of our arrival, naturally people start gossiping about Shain and me. They must have heard I'm not Raven. That would explain the weird and curious looks I'm receiving.

I don't like the dirty looks people are throwing Shain. In a way, I understand how they're feeling. The President and his "perfect" children symbolize the system.

"Where is Brace?' I whisper to Will. It's occurred to me multiple times that he might actually be turning us over. I'm trying not to get too suspicious of him. That would make his temper skyrocket, which, seeing as our lives are in his hands, would suck tremendously.

"He'll show up," Will assures me. "You see, it's always impossible to find him, but he can always find you."

"Figures," Shain mutters. She's been getting more and more bitter. I'm betting she's thinking about Jess and how Will killed him. I think that because I can't stop thinking about it too. I don't think I could kill someone no matter how much I hated them. It'd be too painful. As crazy as it sounds, I'm kind of pro-life.

Suddenly a voice booms across the lobby, "Shain Crest at last." It's not Lieutenant Brace. It's the woman who accompanied him to the party. "What a pleasure!"

Shain cowers slightly. Part of me wonders if the woman is here to cue Shain's killer. We don't know who she replaced. It could be anyone in this crowd.

Will calls out, "I brought you Eris-6-11 and Shain." The woman looks pleased.

"Good," she states. "Commander Brace will like this." At the look on my face, she says, "You didn't expect the new leader of the United States to stick with the title of lieutenant, did you?' I don't reply, so she smiles and gestures for Will to escort us after her. She enlists Jersey to help him.

Part of me wonders if Jersey and York were the original Shain and Rubin. Parents don't have to adopt a child immediately when they turn theirs in. They could wait. Or they could get an older child. The age difference is easily explained.

We find Brace sitting at the President's desk in the oval office. His lips curl into a grin (or a snarl, they both look the same) at the sight of us.

"Why, Will," he says. 'I'm glad to see your surgery was successful." Will shoves me towards him.

"No thanks to her," he snaps.

"Ah, good, you're not so lovesick anymore. It was beginning to get rather annoying." I scowl at Brace.

"So, let me guess, you're going to kill me?" I say. He shakes his head.

"Who then would kill your mark?" he inquires.

"Not me," I retort, "although I'm tempted to kill you." He snickers.

"Foolish girl," he remarks. "You won't feel so kind towards your replacement when you find out what you missed."

"Don't bet on it," I snap.

Shain says, "Who's going to kill me, huh? You?" Brace snickers.

"You never were that clever, Miss Crest. It's no surprise. You came from bad blood. You might have been virtually perfect, but your real parents were filth." Shain clenches her fists.

"No, my parents, the ones who raised me, wanted me, were the Crests, the President."

"Ah, yes, I forgot about him," Brace says. He presses a button and a door opens in the wall. Two older Forgotten, older than Will even, drag in Mr. Crest. I don't see Rubin. Does that mean he's already dead?

As if reading my mind, Shain exclaims, "Rubin! Where is my brother?" Brace smiles smugly.

"He is not your brother," Brace reminds her. "But he is the President's son." Even Will seems surprised.

"That's impossible," Will says. Brace gives him a sympathetic look.

"I didn't believe it at first either, but it's true. The President and his wife intentionally cheated the system by checking their son's gene results so they would know what requirements would give him to them. That little hole was patched before they had their second child. Or should I say children.

"See, Tabitha did not replace someone her own age. The Crests had 'child credit' because they four years previously had had twins. They only replaced one, for if they couldn't have their children, they didn't want to replace both of them quite yet."

"Twin girls or boys?" I ask. An idea is forming in my mind. It's crazy, but the craziest ones are always the ones that are true, right? Look at Will and Jess. I never thought that possible, but I thought it.

"Girls," Brace states smugly, confirming, or partially confirming my theory.

"Me and Raven." I say this not looking at Brace but Will. "It's me and Raven. That's why you didn't want me to know."

It is Brace that replies. "Yes, Eris Crest. You are the President's real daughter."

That makes Shain my mark.