DESTINY

CHAPTER FIVE

 CHAPTER FIVE

 Dad is out of his office. He sits on the couch watching the news. Kitty and I exchange glances, wondering what has his attention. The TV is rarely on in this house. Mom walks into the living room to meet us, but when she notices we don't hold shopping bags, she looks confused.

 "Didn't find anything?" Mom asks. I open my mouth to tell her we ran into jerks, but it was Kitty's incident as well as mine. I'll let her decide what to tell.

 "No, and plus, we have those outfits that are stuffed in the back of our closets that we never wore. Those will do." Kitty says. She isn't really lying, just not telling everything. 

 "Well did the two of you have a good time?"

 "Oh sure, fine." I answer. I reach into my purse to get out the money she gave me, Kitty does the same. Something from the TV catches my attention, though, and I look up with my hands still in the purse. Kitty, on the other hand, continues to give mom the money.

 "Oh no, keep it." She says. I keep watching the TV, my eyes glued to it like Dad's must be.

 The anchorwoman on the TV talks with a split screen dividing her from a man on the other side. Words scan the bottom of the screen, saying Have You Had Enough? Enough of what? I decide to straighten up and listen to what the two people are talking about. I lean against the back of the couch where Dad sits.

 The man shakes his head after the woman speaks, saying, "I do not agree. Though they are both similar in what they believe, I think they are hiding their inner bitterness."

 "I disagree." The woman shakes sher head. "Graceland and Papillon Division admit to having peace with others, as all the other divisions do, but they edify that rule. They embrace it like a principle of their life. I don't think they are planning anything, and a rebellion is the last thing on anyone's mind."

 I stare in shock at what I am hearing. A rebellion? I study the man and woman- the woman is a States occupant, but until now I didn't realize the man was a Colombian occupant. Why would he be talking bad about Graceland and Papillon division? If there was at least one division that didn't harass a different division, it would deffinitely be Colombian; they are the sole government leaders. They just don't do that sort of thing.

 "No one ever said anything about a rebellion-"

 "That's what you were insinuating." The woman interrupts. The man frowns as he goes on.

 "I merely said that they could be building up to it, but I'm not saying they want a rebellion. All I said was even though they weren't really 'doing it', it looked like they were protesting. That is a challlenge to everyone's safety and well being." Both of them are quiet for a few seconds before he adds, "Just ask yourself what you think they were doing there."

 The woman doesn't answer, probably someone talking to her in her earpeace. Then she looks at the camera like she is talking to us instead of the man. "Alright, thanks for your time, Edward from Colombian Division. Now let's take a look at the footage. What everyone wants to know is, what are they really doing? And what, exactly, are they doing it for?"

 The woman fades away and then a bright light, I realize is sunlight, pops up on the screen. The video has men and women dressed in white and other people in loose, colorful clothes on a sidewalk in the city, the biggest city around that is in Colombian Division. Papillon occupants hold hands with one another, sort of, by joining arms but not touching the other person. Just like their symbol of the rings; they don't touch, but they are together. 

 Graceland Division occupants lock arms as well. What are they doing? This is too strange. What is going on? Before it can go on any further, the Fed's come into view and take them into custody. The video ends. They didn't even start  anything, they just stood there with their arms locked. 

 Or maybe they just didn't have enough time to start anything.

 Dad hrmph's and turns the TV off. "Darn hippies." He mutters under his breath as he stands.  Did he really just say that? How could he be mad at them? They didn't do anything, yet, except be there. Even if they were going to do something, they were stopped before it happened. 

 "What did you say?" Kitty asks.

 "Those hippies are nothing but trouble. I always knew they would end up rebelling." Dad says. I open my mouth to tell him otherwise, but I am beat to the challenge.

 "They are not rebels!" Kitty yells. I stare at her with my mouth open, eyes wide.

 "Don't you dare defend them. You know nothing of them." He waves his hands in the air. I watch as Kitty's face turns red.

 "They are not rebels." Her voice brings chills to my body. I dind't know she had this in her.

 "You know nothing of what has been going on! What those people were doing were showing that they could stand up to Colombian Division, when in fact no one can. If they hadn't had been stopped, there would be even more reasons to hate them! Don't you dare defend them. They should all be destroyed."

 Kitty stands taller. "How dare you say something like that!"

 "Are you still going to defend them?" His deep, chilling voice almost brings me to tears. How could he talk to her like that? How could he talk about them like that?

 "Yes, and you may as well call me one of those suck- up hippies while your at it."

 I can't breathe. What did she just say? She's switfching to one of them? "Kitty Tagliano, I forbid you to say those things in my home!"

 "Fine! You won't have to talk to me or hear me speak from one of those divisions!" She stomps off to the stairs, up to her room. Dad's angry face has faded to a bitter sad one. His body turns toward me.

 "You must not listen to her... she won't really change." His hand moves to cup my arm, but I swiftly move away from him. A pained expression crosses his face. "Serendipity-"

 I back away from him and turn towards the stairs. I am too shocked to even take my shoes off. Sitting on my bed and then bringing my feet up underneath me, I lay my head down on my pillow and close my eyes. No. No, no, no. They didn't mean what they said to each other, right? I know my dad loves us, and he didn't mean to offend Kitty. But is what she said real?

 A knock on my doors makes my eyes open. Kitty stands there. Now that I look at her, I know the answer to the question I just asked. She meant it.