OVERRIDE

Chapter 3 When I'm Behind Lia Coleman...

I was sitting in AP Environmental, completely minding my own business, when I was RUDELY interrupted by a goat belch.

"Jordan!" said the goat, and I looked up from my desk to see the goat glaring at me through its beady little eyes. The long patch of hair under his chin enforced his look as a goat too. Anything that came out of his mouth was total BS, just like a goat.

The only problem was that the metaphorical goat was actually a human.

"Yes?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"Please tell me you were paying attention to the lecture?"

Um, no.

"Yes, sir, I was." I lied. "I really enjoyed the part when-"

"I don't care." He said, getting closer to me. If looks could kill...

"I'm sorry?" I asked.

"Tell me," he began "how-"

Suddenly the goat's interruption was interrupted by a piercing ring. It was The Rounds alarm, and it went off so that people could take cover before the firing started.

"Jordan!" yelled some of my classmates, annoyed, and as if I had anything to do with The Rounds. Everyone walked over to the cabinets and stood by them, playing on their Palm Devices.

"Bye." I croaked, stepping out of the classroom. I made my way through the hall, when I noticed a small, dainty figure walking down the same hall, who I recognized as Lia Coleman, the orphan and love interest of a certain cockroach...Justin Stevens.

Lia and I had been in classes together before; all through elementary and middle school. We were...aquentences, for the most part. We had our conversations, but never communicated outside of school. She was always such a caring, nurturing person, and that was why I admired her so much.

"Lia!" I cried, not realizing what I just said until she turned to look at me. It had been a while since I had seen her bright, beautiful eyes.

"What's going on, Jordan?" she asked, with a small hint of nervousness in her tone.

"They're, we're, I'm-" I couldn't speak right. Something in my system was glitching.

"What?" she asked, cautiously, her green eyes getting bigger.

"Get down!" I cried, feeling the vibration codes of a nearby bomb.

"What? Why?" she asked. Suddenly, the glass of the window in the hallway shattered, and I lunged myself at Lia, pulling her to the ground.

"Oh my God!" she frantically cried, hugging me to death. "We're going to die!"

"Shh, no." I said, pinning myself against the lockers to keep her safe. "They won't hurt you."

I felt tears on my sleeve and saw her gripping my bicep. "No, not now, I have to be there for my sisters." she mumbled.

"Lia," I said, getting her to look up at me. I began to feel very warm on the inside. It felt...good.

Suddenly I heard the commander voice in my head yelling, "Alert! Alert!" I couldn't comprehend what it was talking about.

I closed my eyes and refused to look at Lia again until the noise was gone. When it died down, I opened my eyes.

She was curled up in my arms, tears stealing down her face.

"Hey, you're okay." I said, hoisting her back up.

"Why can't you find a way to stop this?" she asked, a bit angry. "Why do you of all people have to fight?"

I shook my head. "Lia, you've known me for how long? 12 years...and I still can never answer that question."

"But why?!" She asked, her eyes wide.

I shrugged. "I'm sorry I'm part of The Rounds. It's the one job I can hold down." It was true, in the sense that it was the only job I was allowed to have. That was why I was created. To shoot things.

I had to have a real purpose though. Like an actual human being. Right?

"Jordan, you're better than this." she said, crossing her arms and glaring, yes, glaring at me. "This isn't your fight!"

I shook my head. "But it is. I'm sorry, Lia, I really wish I didn't have to do this." And with that remark, I took off down the hall.

I felt the burning glare of Lia behind me though.