"We are three days away from our escape, are you guys ready?", Tate asked the group. Everyone just nodded their head and laughed nervously except for Blythe, she's the guts of our group. "I just forgot something that is essential to this rebellion working!", I exclaimed. Screaming that out was probably one of the dumbest things I've ever done, mostly because we were in a lunchroom with the rest of the training groups. No one acknowledged me anyway so I was in the clear for anyone figuring out that we were rebelling. "What could we possibly be forgetting, I have checked everything", Gage said a little bit confused. Gage is the voice of reason in the group, the smart one who knows about everything and never forgets anything so I am pretty surprised he forgot this. "We need Ryker Fallon", I whispered. The whole group went silent, even Blythe which was a first. Ryker Fallon is President Fallon's son, We used to be in school together but because he is the president's son he was pulled out when he turned sixteen so he would not have to start war training. Isn't that sick? Every child having to go to war except for Ryker , If President Fallon doesn't want her own kid going to war how does she think all of the other mothers feel. Ryker is one of the most fortunate kids in Ashton and he is very hard to get in contact with, but good thing I still have his number from when we had a "fling" back in eighth grade. "How do you expect us to get in touch with Ryker Fallon, that is near to impossible", Gage said. "Well I guess it is a good thing I still have his number from when we went to school together". Gage and Tate shook their heads simultaneously, I knew what I was doing all they had to do was trust me. "I will give him a call right after school today". "I'm down with having Ryker we need his inside scoop", Blythe replied. Now that Ryker is out of school and he spends all of his time at headquarters with his mother he has probably overheard a thing or two about what is happening next in Ashton. He probably knows the codes to get out of this place and into the next city over, Blackstone. Apparently Blackstone is the hardest locked city to get into and I bet Ryker knows the code. "So if you get Ryker to join us then we have everything we need to escape?", Tate asked me. I looked over at Gage, I guess we had everything we needed but Gage takes care of those kinds of things I just lead the rebellion and come up with crazy ideas. Gage is the one who makes sure that the plans I come up with are full proof. "Technically but we still need to do our parts, like making sure we have everything packed and Finley needs to make sure she gives Ryker all of the right information", Gage replied to Tate. I cannot believe that he doesn't think I am going to give Ryker the correct information, how stupid does he think I am? I am the one who comes up with all the plans. I decided not to spark up an argument with Gage and turn the other cheek. He is a very smart, sweet guy but sometimes his way of saying things can be hurtful but I have just learned to ignore it and move on. "Its settled then, I will call Ryker tonight and get him to join and give us the inside scoop", I assured them. They all nodded and it seemed like they did not believe I could do this but I know I can, I'll show them. There was only one thing I had not thought about which could be a big deal breaker. "I do have one thing that concerns me about Ryker...", I whispered carefully. Everyone's eyes got really big especially Gages. I knew I was in for it when I saw the look on his face. He looked me dead in the eye and asked me politely, "What is it, Finley?". I didn't know how to go about telling him, he would freak out and blame me. "One question, how are we supposed to get Ryker to go against his mom, run away, and steal codes from the government?", I asked. Tate got up to throw her food away and put away her tray, she probably didn't want to hear Gage go on a big rant about being irresponsible. Surprisingly Gage didn't say anything, he did the exact same thing I did and turned the other cheek to avoid confrontation. "Well you should be able to get him to do anything, you guys did date and he seemed to still like you before he left", Blythe said with a bit of an attitude. Once I mentioned Ryker I knew this would happen im just surprised it didn't happen sooner. Blythe had a crush on Ryker in the third grade, she still does it has just dialed down a bit since then. She is still mad at me for dating him though. Me and Blythe were really good friends even before the training crew, but she never told me she liked Ryker. In eighth grade when Ryker asked me out she got so mad at me that she quit talking to me for the rest of eighth grade year and the summer. When ninth grade started Blythe started to talk to me again and she explained why she was mad and told me that she understood that I didn't know she had a crush on him. We got back to being friends and she expressed to me how much she liked him, and I felt really bad so I decided to break up with him to keep the peace. Ryker and I still talked after we broke up because we still had feelings for each other but we haven't spoken since he left. "Are you really bringing that up right now?", I said slightly louder than her. She stood up and pressed her hands down on the lunch table, I could feel myself getting more and more angry. Gage stepped away to go stand by Tate, they both watched in silence. "Well I am just saying that he would probably do anything for you, he did still have feelings for you when he left", Blythe shouted. I knew I should have never brought Ryker up in front of Blythe knowing how sensitive she was about him, but she needed to know who was going to be joining us. "Look, its not my fault Ryker doesn't like you", I exclaimed. I knew I should not have said that, how could I do that to her? I could see the rage in her eyes, her face getting more red by the second. "Why would you say that? Of course I know he doesn't like me, you don't have to remind me Finley! Did you think that I didn't know?", Blythe screamed. Before I could answer the question that she posed, she slapped me and walked away. Tate and Gage ran over to see if I was okay, of course I was it was just a little slap but I think I lost my best friend and I don't think I can get her back this time. Tate ran to go get an ice pack while Gage asked me a lot of questions I dint want to give him the answers to. "Just get Ryker but don't tell him that we have Blythe or he will not come, trust me", Gage whispered in my ear. He got up from the table and let Tate give me the ice pack and come speak to me. "You have to apologize, you know that right?", Tate asked. Of course I knew I had to apologize, im not dumb but I don't know how I am going to go about doing it because this is the second time I hurt her. "I know I have to apologize, but right now I just have to be alone". Tate got the message and left me alone with my thoughts. Before I knew it there was an announcement on the intercom to go back to our training simulation rooms for our last class. I grabbed my tray to throw my food away before going to my training room. As I walked down the hall to get to my room people were staring at me in silence because of the lunch room incident between me and Blythe. I started to speed up so I could try to skip the humiliation, when I finally got to my groups sim room I saw Blythe in the corner alone and Tate and Gage talking on the other side of the room. I walked over to them, "She needs to come talk to us, we need to keep the peace we are leaving in three days".
"And to do that you need to apologize to her, the fate of our rebellion is in your hands, now go!", Tate replied. She has a way of getting you excited to do scary or dangerous things, Tate is the optimistic, cheerful one in the group. As I walked over to Blythe to apologize I practiced what I was going to say. Getting closer and closer I just got more anxious because I felt bad that it was my second time saying sorry because of this situation an I am tired of this happening. "Can we talk?", I asked her. She turned around and looked me dead in the face, a blank stare. "You know what's funny, its funny that I am hearing those words for a second time from you. Isn't that just hilarious"
"Bythe come on we really need to talk about this, I am so sorry that I brought Ryker up in front of you and said all of those things"
"I don't care that your sorry, because if you were really sorry you wouldn't let it keep happening over and over again".
"Please accept my apology and know that I am genuinely sorry for this mistake I made, come on we need you in the group to rebel your the only one with enough courage to do the things I think of".
"Whatever, I accept your apology but we will never be friends like we were before, you messed that up hun", Blythe said finishing the conversation. She walked over to Tate and Gage to talk to them like nothing ever happened but I know things wouldn't be like that between us. I don't think this fight was my fault though, she was the one who brought up my relationship with Ryker and said it in that nasty tone of voice. I walked over to them and as I walked over the room got dark, that was our queue that a simulation was about to start. Thank goodness it is the last simulation of the day, I'm ready to get home and get this phone call with Ryker over with and I need some space from Blythe and the whole group in general. The last sim of the day was the easy bow and arrow sim, for this simulation we have to shoot three sim people in the heart and we are finished. After I finished my last training class I went straight to my locker and decided not to wait for the group to get on the shuttle to go home. The humiliation from lunch still had not died down so I tried to be as subtle as I could and get to the bus as fast as possible. When I got on the bus I went all the way to the back so I wouldn't have to sit by the group. The bus leaves fifteen minutes after the school bell ring and as usual Tate, Gage, and Blythe ran on the bus with thirty seconds to spare. When they stepped on the bus and saw I wasn't sitting in my usual seat Blythe sat in the very first seat and Tate and Gage sat smack dab in the middle of the bus so they wont have to be any part of the fight between Blythe and I. It takes me forty-five minutes to get home and this was the worst bus ride I have had all year. When it was time for me to get off the bus I looked back at Blythe and she just rolled her eyes and I knew this was going to be a long process trying to get back to where we were. I got off of the bus and took the tunnel into my house, the tunnels are used to keep us from getting sick from the outside air. I walked into my house and my frail, shaky mother came to the door to greet me as usual. My mom is still messed up from seeing how things got bad when the war started. "How was your day", my mom asked in a whisper as she usually does, She is very soft spoken. "The usual all work and no play, but I got into another fight with Blythe".
"Oh honey is it over the same thing from eighth grade?"
"Yes and this fight keeps happening and im not sure if I want to fix it".
"Well sweetie if you don't want to be her friend anymore you don't have to, are you trying to keep the peace with her for some reason?", mom asked. I knew this type of question was going to come up, I have no idea how to answer this. How was I supposed to tell my mother that I need to keep being friends with Blythe so our escape isn't the most miserable thing in the world? "I just need to keep the peace between us, I cant risk her gossiping there is too much history there", I replied back to my mom as subtle as I could. She shook her head and walked away as she always does when I choose not to take her advice. Blythe and I cannot be fighting when we are trying to escape, she could leave us and tell president Fallon about our escape but I don't think she would do something that conniving. At least I don't think she would. I tried to push those thoughts about Blythe turning against us out of my mind and tried to get myself mentally and emotionally ready to speak to Ryker. The thing about Ryker is that he can be arrogant at times, mostly because he's the presidents son. I understand why he is the way he is, its because he's privileged but it just makes him harder to talk to. I will just call him in thirty minutes, so I have time to prepare myself.
