Omniscient

Chapter 2

After getting in my only dress I look around my room for my new invention. I picked up my inventions and counted each of them making sure they all are still applicable for the lab. If I can't reach the lab in time I might as well show the inventions to the people at the quest. The inventions rested in the worn out brown bag I had found in the attic approximately three years ago on my 12th birthday. I go down the three flights of stairs that I travel on a daily basis. On the second floor my brother, Grady, who is fourteen and has his birthday one day after mine. Sort of ironic, huh? We're twins, but we act nothing alike. Also on the second floor is my mom's room. It's not really my Dad's room anymore because he is gone forever. He was convicted and is in jail for the rest of his days. Anyway, my brother likes to do this parkour thing and spends all of his time with Bash, my boyfriend. They're workout buddies or whatever. On the first floor is my 15-year-old sister, Layla, who is about 11 months and 15 days older than me. She missed last year's quest by approximately 16 days, so she'll be one of the older people at the quest.
When I got to the bottom floor my sister stunned me. She was wearing her best dress that she wore at her red carpet appearance for her movie, Happy. Layla had a ton of makeup on and she did not look like herself. When I saw what my mom was making I squealed with joy. Her famous key lime cheesecake!!! With the technology I made and modified to our house you can make the most delicious foods. When I looked at the dining room table I saw a small present wrapped in a green and blue polka-dotted pattern. The bow was the same pink bow used on my first present I ever got, which was on my third birthday. In the Magnanimity caucus you can't celebrate birthdays until the child understands what is actually happening. Overall the present looked like an ugly cross-dresser. The thought, however, was extremely thoughtful and it showed me how much my family cared about me. This will just make me feel even more contrite when I leave my family's caucus.
"Thanks, mom, Grady and Layla," I say with a nervous tone. "But... I just don't know if I want to open it." Layla steps towards me.
"All of us know how hard it is for you. Especially Grady and I for we both will have an extra year. This means nothing; you are whom you are so laugh a little. Just open it." Her singsong voice almost takes control of me as I decide to open the present. I look at my brother and find a tear forming in his little green eyes. He quickly wipes his face as the tear trickles down his face. I open the present and find three items. The first is a blue porcelain elephant that my Dad and Mom must've made.
"It was carved thirteen years ago by your father." My mom said trying to keep her jovial tone. I continued going through the box and found a pink princess statue with a note on the back of her hat. The note said, Be yourself and do what you want to. Don't worry about your caucus, you'll be accepted into the one you are meant to be in. Laugh a little! Lovingly, Layla.
"That is so you, Layla." I try to smile, but I break into tears. Even though Layla and I will be leaving home the same year I know we won't be in the same caucus. We are nothing alike. I sob and I fall to the ground, but Grady catches me and pulls me to a chair. My face is covered in tears and they trickle down my face as they send shivers down my spine. The hair I styled comes undone and I punch the chair that I am sitting on. In that minute there is a knock at the door. I jump up and walk to the door wiping the tears from my face. Our rusty old door creaks open and is slammed against the wall behind it. A Vitality army guards face appears. His brutish face pictures a fake, dopey grin, as he was probably ordered to do.
Tears still find their way down my cheek as he starts to speak. "I am here to escort Helen Lotus and her two children, Layla and Jemma to the Facilitation Arena." My mom walks to the front door with Layla.
"We don't need an escort. Thanks for the offer, though. Tell the president that I thank her for the... consideration." Helena says with a jovial tone as always. She looks a bit off when she talks about the president, which strikes a bit of curiosity in my heart.
"I will tell her," says the guard with his blank stare, "Have a nice day!" As the guard left, my mom closed the door almost silently.
"Go get your things. We leave in two minutes." She says this like we were going to leave Earth and it almost felt that way to me.