Zero

15 : The Seventeen

P A R T 1 5

Everything is so... grand here, especially the guests' clothes. Even the food seems classy.

In his black tux and mask that matches with mine, minus the rhinestones, Jarren is looking super hot. But of course I don't tell him so.

I think I heard him murmuring the word 'beautiful' just now, but he wouldn't repeat it, so I let it go.

He is now at the extravagant banquet table, looking around.

A hand lands on my shoulder and I look up. "Hey, hotness," Jet compliments, smiling at me.

He's in a white tuxedo, with a white gold-rimmed mask on his face. "Hi," I say, giving a half-grin.

"So where's my present?" He teases playfully.

Present? I mentally slap my palm to my face. It's a birthday party, how can I have forgotten to get a present?

Jet sees the expression on my face and immediately knows. "Never mind," he continues easily, shrugging. "You're a Zero. How could I have expected a present? Well, how about a birthday kiss, then?"

What? Before I can react, he leans in towards my lips and I barely have time to react by turning my head so he ends up kissing my cheek.

"Well... happy birthday," I cheerfully exclaim.

He starts to smile when we hear footsteps approaching. I turn around to see Jarren with two wine glasses in his hands.

"Sorry, was I interrupting something?" He mutters, not sounding apologetic at all.

"Yeah, actually," Jet replies, then turns to me. "This is your plus one?"

I nod and he waggles his eyebrows at me and Jarren. "Are you both... together?"

"No," we both reply at the same time, me awkwardly, him indignantly.

"Great," Jet grins.

Just then, Fleur, the girl from Eight, appears. She's wearing a baby pink taffeta minidress, along with a matching shimmery shawl that is wound around her neck. Her white stiletto boots clomp along the marble floor as she makes her way towards us.

"Hey Jet," she purrs. "I've been looking for you everywhere. You shouldn't be ditching your date on your birthday!"

I look from Jet to Fleur, then realise as they hook arms that Fleur is Jet's date. Huh. I must admit, they complement each other.

"Sorry, babe. Gotta welcome the guests," he explains to Fleur. "Enjoy the party," he tells me, giving a host's smile and walking away with Fleur.

"What was that all about?" Jarren asks.

"Dunno," I reply, then hurry to change the subject. "Found anyone yet?"

He hesitates before answering. "Nope. Thing is, only the girls have their collarbones exposed, so I was hoping you could help out."

I don't get it. "What's wrong?"

He shrugs. "Nothing. Just help me look out, okay?"

I nod. Almost a few minutes later, I spot someone with a fine line beside their number on their neck.

I look at the person and realise it is a Seven, or rather, a Seventeen, and it is a she.

She's got long blonde hair, dip-dyed in peach pink. Her eyes are amber, half hidden by the golden mask that covers the top half of her face. She is wearing a white halterneck gown which blends into pink from the waist onwards.

I sip from the wine glass while watching the girl slip past us. "What is this drink, by the way? It tastes pretty good," I tell Jarren.

"Champagne," he answers, looking at me weirdly, wondering why I'm suddenly making conversation.

My eyes dart to the girl and I think he gets it. We walk towards her, weaving our way through the crowd as she heads for the back doors.

Suddenly, she is gone and all we see are the doors swinging.

We quickly step out in the night atmosphere, into a huge, flower-filled garden.

I catch sight of the girl running away, glancing back at us as she does so. Unfortunately, her long gown and high heels trip her and she falls to the grassy ground.

Jarren is by her side in a flash and helps her up, but does not let go of her arm.

"Why are you both following me?" She hisses. "Let me go!"

"Calm down," Jarren soothes her. "We're not from the government and we're not here to harm you."

"How did you even know what I was thinking?!" The girl snarls, but stops struggling.

"Jarren has psychic abilities," I explain to her, then turn to him. "I think you should let her go."

The girl narrows her eyes at me as Jarren releases his grip on her arm. "You're really not from the government?" She asks.

"Yes," I assure her. "What's your name?"

She looks at both me and Jarren suspiciously, then lowers her guard a little. "Linnet Kimble."

"From Seven," I say, raising an eyebrow at her collarbone.

"Who ARE you people?" She questions, looking like she's getting ready to bolt again.

"We are just like you - teenagers with enhanced abilities," I reply, removing my mask to show I'm not threatening.

Then, I introduce myself and proceed to tell her most of what we know about A Hundred Numbers and our mission.

I think we manage to gain her trust after telling her all this because she reveals that when she was young, she discovered she can run unnaturally fast. She learned to hide it after realising it is something nobody else can do.

"I never imagined there would be people like me," she mumbles. "I didn't even know how I was born with this ability. But now I do. It's because I'm a Seventeen, isn't it?"

Glad that she has worked it out after everything we told her, Jarren and I nod.

"I can help out with your mission, if you like," she offers, unsure but no longer wary.

"We need all the help we can get," I beam at her.

After a few minutes of quick discussion we decide to rendezvous in school, after lunch, at a room where generators are placed. It is the best point to meet as nobody ever goes there.

I put my mask back on and we return to the party inside the house, going our separate ways. Throughout the whole thing, Jarren has barely said two sentences. I get the feeling he likes to keep silent.

So I am surprised when he nods in the direction where the girl, Linnet, went and says, "She's got a boyfriend."

He has obviously searched her mind. "So?" I ask.

"You didn't tell her to keep quiet about the whole thing, did you?" He murmurs.

"She kept the secret about her ability for years without anyone telling her to," I reply. "I'm pretty sure she'll know to keep something as important as this under wraps."

"She'll tell him," Jarren states.

"I hope not. It's too late to stop her now," I sigh. She has just left the estate with a guy I assume is her boyfriend.

The party continues on unfruitful, but at least we have found the Seventeen.

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Do support by commenting and voting, I appreciate it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!