P L A N B E T A

Chapter Six

July 5th, 2042

Wagner

"Toby Alva?" Jack Peter says. "Who the heck it that?" I pull out a HoloPod from my back pocket and turn it on. A large blue light shines and the hologram screen appears. The pod is placed on the ground and I look up Toby Alva on the internet. A woman with long black hair and brown eyes shows up.

"She's the leader of ACA. Her brother was Leonardo Alva, the first leader of ACA, but unfortunately, I had to kill him myself," Shannon says, looking down, which is something she never did when professional matters were at hand. "She told me that she'd avenge him someday, I guess time is coming upon that day."

"Mom," Arabella starts. "Who's the person who shot us?"

"Miss Alva, right there. A shame, too. I'd known her since she was little, we told her our idea when she came to the opening of our first outline for Gen Z.inc. She was always so excited, but then her brother got to her, and then he died," Shannon responds.

"What do you mean got to her?" I ask. "Like just mentally or..."

"No, not just mentally. But he made her believe that he was a god, and she should do anything to please him, physical and all. Toby was like a little sister to me, or like a daughter, but as soon as I figured out that she was the new leader of ACA, I lost all respect for her. She could've done better, she really could have." Shannon sniffed and looked up at the ceiling. She looked as though she was about to cry, which none of us had ever seen her do.

Jack Peter steps out of the square, closes the lasers, and walks to stand next to me. We all look at our parents, hoping that they'll explain something, anything, but they just nod and release us, telling us to get up to our rooms and we'll be called to the dining lounge for dinner.

Paisley walks with me up to the rooms. She has been silent for the entire time that we have been here. Rowan dying ht her the hardest, probably because she wanted to have a sibling that was close to her age and female that she could share a room with and play with whenever she pleased.

When we were near her room, she squeezed my waist tightly and let go with a swift movement, then disappearing in her room. I bit my tongue and looked at the white door that led inside of her room. I leaned against the opposite wall and kept looking at it. Eventually, I felt someone sit next to me. I look over and see Gwendolyn practically mirroring me.

"How are you doing, Gwen?" I ask. She pushes her lips together and lays her head on my arm.

"I'd rather be at home tackling P by surprise whenever I want," she sighs.

"I feel," I say. "I feel."

She takes her head from my arm and nods slowly. "Yeah, Maia. I know you do. But Arabella always does it first. Sometimes I just really hate her, you feel?" My eyes widen in surprise and I look at her.

"I'm sorry what?"

"Oh please, Maia. I know about you sneaking into his room when we stayed at your house before the Ireland trip."

"How?"

"The third floor is the darkest and smallest floor, I was sitting right by his door and you didn't even notice. You almost hit me, too." I look down at her in amusement until I sling my arm around her and squeeze.

"Go to bed you idiot," I sigh and watch as she gets up and walks into the room that she shares with paisley.

As I am about to enter Arabella and I's room, the feeling of a hand on my arm comes to my attention, I turn and see Jack Peter. "Goodnight Maia," he says.