Desolate

Chapter 1

Ah... Peace and quiet. I'm finally alone. It's just me and my book.

"Hey! Lapis!" I growl at the voices I know all too well, but I still try to finish my paragraph before the buffoons reach me. Two of my good friends, Aspen and Aaron Hart, run towards me. I look up from my book to be met with the twin brothers' smiling faces and bright eyes.

"Hey guys. What's up?" I said as I stood and went to check out the novel in my hand while attempting to hide my annoyance. I tried to focus on what activities my friends most likely had planned for today after we meet up. We are currently in the library; the ever-crowded tables reflecting the light from the LED bulbs above our heads. I flashed the ID chip in my wrist at the scanner, and after hearing the beep, I punched in my library card number and placed the book under the scanning area.

The year is 3319, but most people don't remember that, so we go by 302 yis. (Years in space). After a nuclear war in the year 3017, humankind's previous home, Earth, had to be abandoned. The space station that the survivors boarded, the Archataben (Arch is said like 'ark') holds about 100 million people. They are the decendants of the only survivors. My family happens to live on the Archataben.

My name is Lapis Kart. I'm independant, sassy, rebellious, and you will fear me. I may not look like the strongest person, but I assure you that I am more than capable of beating someone to a pulp if they hurt my friends. People tell me that I'm smart, but I really don't think I'm any more intelligent than anyone else I know. I was born with platinum hair and eyes as blue as lapis lazuli; that's how I got my name. I'm of average height, and I prefer to think of myself as normal.
Most of my friends tell me I'm gorgeous, but I just don't see it.

"Ready to go." I said as I turned to face the twins. The three of us leave the cozy library and head to the picnic area that simulates a park to meet our friends.

Aaron, the older of the two twins, has brown hair and violet eyes. Aspen, also has brown hair, but he has blue eyes. That's really the only visible difference between the two. They look almost exactly the same, but they are polar opposites in personality.

Aaron is a tall, burly guy who is stubborn and hard to reason with. Although he is kind and patient, he is not a good person to upset. He's a handsome man who loves to play sports. Aspen on the other hand, is kind and he rarely shows his anger. He is irritated easily, but he prefers to stay quiet when he doesn't have anything encouraging to say. His escape from life, like myself, is reading. Aaron's is punching something... Aspen is also attractive, but in a way that eminates from both his physical form and his personality. He's muscular and tall, but he absolutely detests sports. That's another thing we have in common.

I've known the brothers since I was a month old. Our parents have been friends for as long as I can remember. Because of this, I've always been around the Hart family. That's not a bad thing; I love the twins to death, and I'd do anything to protect them. They're like family to me. I care about my friends more than anything else.

As we walk into the terrarium-like room, Tyler Phen, my best friend, jumps on my back and nearly knocks me over.

"Tyler! How've you been?" I gave her a big hug after she hopped off my back.

"I've been great! You look just as gorgeous as ever." I laugh and thank my friend for the compliment. Tyler has strawberry pink hair and brown eyes. Some of her family members call her the chocolate strawberry because of these traits. Well, those traits plus the fact that she always has rosy cheeks.

Tyler is an engineering student, so she goes to school on the opposite side of the Archataben; meaning I almost never see her in person. Aspen and I are science majors, so we're in the same classes.