P L A N B E T A

Chapter Eight

July 28th, 2042

Cullen

The last fourteen days have been complete hell and I'm not sure what to do about it.

ACA has been ordering us to do things that we don't want to do, we are now double agents, against our will. At breakfast, Orren, Arabella, Maia and I stay silent. We've been doing this for a while now. Our parents don't say anything because they just think we're being teenagers. I glance up at Maia and she looks back at me, but we still say nothing. We don't complain much these days, in fear of something tragic happening to any of us or any of our families.

Every night we wander down to the file room and get instructions from the woman we met two weeks ago that we now call Austin. We're never sure if it's her real name, but we don't ask questions.

This night was nearly no different. We all walked down to the file room and waited for Austin to show up. We waited a while, and then longer, and longer until it was nearing three AM and she finally walked through the double doors.

"Okay kids," she says. "This will be your last mission, do it and we let you free, you don't get hurt." We nod her on, hoping that it will just be a little mission and we won't have to do anything extravagant or life-threatening. "I need you to give me your parents and siblings real names. Don't ask questions, just hand them over. It's simple, you don't have to do anything except give me your parent's and your sibling's names."

We stand in silence but Austin keeps urging us on. We do so until Austin's hands are nearing my neck but I refuse to say anything.

"No!" Maia exclaims like she is bursting. "No! No! No! This has gone too far, Austin. Normally I'm not allowed to speak for all of us but Jesus lord no. This is the end. We must burn all bridges with you before you harm any of us. And I order you to leave!" I look over at her in fear and watch the anger flood her body, she was completely and utterly done with everything that she had been putting up with, and I understood.

"Oh kiddy," Austin taunted. "Things will be very bad if you refuse to do as I ask."

"I don't really give a shit," Maia slurred. "Stay away from the people I—we love. Now go, or things are going to be really bad for you."

Austin smiled her biggest smile and showed off her yellowing teeth. She turned and walked right out of the door, not even flinching. Of course, we still had fears about what was coming next but at the same time, we were solidly cutting the line when it came to our families.

No one in our friend group thought we would ever be double agents for ACA and Plan Beta. But of course, we were loyal to Plan Beta and only Plan Beta. Arabella seemed to be frozen in time, for some reason, she was deathly afraid.

"Ara," Orren said, shaking her arm. "Ara, what's wrong?" She slowly looked over at him and smiled lightly.

"Nothing, O. Nothing's wrong. Can we just go back up to our rooms and never talk about any of this again?"

"Ara we need to tell our parents in case any of this gets out of hand—" Maia started to say before she was cut off Ara.

"No, Maia. No, we don't. Imagine what they'd do to us. We gave ACA access to the building, they have plans that we could never comprehend, and the fact that we already opened ourselves up and then denied them of their final request was ballsy. They're going to ruin us, Mai."

"They would have anyway," I say.

"Yeah," she agrees. "But now they can harm anyone they chose, and now we're opened to it."

"Then we should tell our parents to warn them," Maia argues. "Come on Arabella, we could be ruined if we don't tell them, don't do this—"

"Fine! Fine! Okay! You're right, we do need to tell them, we do. But we're going to get in so much trouble," Arabella finally gives.

The next morning we go down to breakfast and sit where we normally do, but this time, as soon as we sit down we ask our parents to lead Max, Paisley, Gwen, and Jameson out of the room so that we can talk to them privately.

My mom asks us what's going on, and after a few moments of silence, Shannon and Shauna do too.

"We were down in the file room one night," I started.

"When a very tall woman towered over me and demanded we all do whatever she asks and not tell anyone or we and our families would get hurt," Maia explained.

"And we abided," Orren continued. "So we've been going down there every night waiting for her. But there are no records on the security cameras of her... and she worked for ACA."

"She asked for your and our sibling's real names but we cut all ties then and there," I finished. "We didn't want to, but we thought if we declined at first then she'd tell you guys, and then we'd all be kicked from Plan Beta."

James stood up quickly and looked at all of us. "We will discuss the state of Plan Beta later, go to your rooms, if you attempt to disobey then I won't let you out for a week." We all stand up except for Arabella.

"Ara?" asks Shauna. "Do you have anything to say about this?"

"It's my fault," she cried. "I went down to the file room first and I—I told Jack Peter and Maia to come down with me! If I hadn't told them maybe then... maybe we wouldn't be in this situation."

"No, this is a group thing," I said. "Maia and I agreed, whether you think it's all your fault or not." I looked over at Maia and Orren and they nodded in agreement.

We all trudged up to our rooms and waited. But when we heard the ear-splitting sound of my sister, there was no way that we could just sit and watch the ceiling anymore. Orren and I raced out into the hall screaming her name. Arabella and Maia were racing after us trying to find her as well. It wasn't until we ran through many winding hallways that we found her, standing over Austin's dead body.

Without thinking, I run over and grab Gwendolyn under her arms and drag her back to the group. She buries her head in my stomach and I grip onto her. All of us are frozen in time and can barely move. It isn't until a couple minutes later that our parents walk up and see us standing very still above Austin's body.

"Who is this?" Shauna asks. "Who is this?!"

"This is Austin..." Arabella said quietly. We nodded and watched as Shannon and Cassie get on their phones and contact the medics downstairs. Gwen's tears were staining my shirt but I kept her face where it was.

"Go to Maia and Arabella's room... now!" Cassie commands we all do as told. Soon, Max, Paisley, and Jameson are shoved into the room with us.

"What the hell is going on?" Jameson asks, crossing his arms. "This is a load of pom bomb chon chang bubble gum bullshit."

"Watch your mouth, Jameson, you didn't even get a room in this hallway, you had to go stay with one of the nurse's sons down of floor five." Arabella sasses.

"Okay well he's cute so I think that it is just fine for me to say whatever I please—"

"Oh shut up, Jamie," Maia snarks. "It's not about you, we have children in here!" He plopped down on the ground and crossed his arms.

The day passed, most fell asleep eventually, but Maia, Arabella and I were not done yet, so we made a plan. An unbeatable plan, with no plan B.