Chapter 1

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Chapter 1

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!


My alarm clock blares into my ears at eight in the morning.

I scramble out of bed, tripping on my blanket and smashing my body onto the cold, hard oak flooring of my room. I groan in pain and lay there until I feel just a small ache in my body. I hear a soft knock on my door and I just continue to lay there on the floor.

"Scarlett! Are you okay?" Reed yells through the door and over my freakin' loud alarm that's still blaring in my ears.

"Yeah! Just Peachy." I shout back to him. I hear him chuckle. "I love mornings!" I yell sounding utterly horrible.

"Well I'm making breakfast and there we're going to that meeting with NASA and if that doesn't work out, you know where." He yells and I hear his footsteps recede down the hallway. I groan in frustration and push myself up from the floor. I turn off the alarm which is getting louder by the second.

I walk into the bathroom and look into the mirror and at my morning reflection. I have bags under my emerald green eyes, my hair has a whole bunch of knots in it. I can tell I'm going to lose a lot of hair today, just by brushing through the mess.

I slide out of my pajamas and into the shower. I shiver from the cold and turn it on full heat. I shave my legs and arm pits and step out of the shower and onto the little carpet outside of it, soaking it with the water dripping off my thin body.

I begin walking to out of the bathroom that connects to my room and once I step off the carpet I slip and land on my butt. I groan louder in frustration, stand up and wrap the towel around me tighter. I walk through the room and to my closet. I pull out my nicest suit which is tan and I slip it on. I fix my dirty blonde almost brown colored hair into and French braid knowing it'll look gorgeous tomorrow when I take it out.

I walk out of my room and down the corridor following the scent of cooked bacon. I spot Reed at the stove and I sit at the table watching my brother make us breakfast.

"Do you think that either company is going to accept?" I ask him feeling nervous because we have bills that need paid and don't have any cash to pay them. Reed stays silent for a minute watching the bacon cook. He turns off the stove and turns around to me leaning against it.

"I don't know." He rubs his face with his hand and lets out a loud sigh. "Let's just hope so. We need to pay this mortgage off and so much more." He sets down plates of food on the table. One in front of me and the other in front of him as he takes a seat.

"I really hope so." I whisper and dig into the delicious food.

/(. , .)/ Whoot Whoot! Walking in the DOOM building after NASA failure! \(. , .)\

We pick up Ben and arrive at the Von Doom building.

"He really needs a statue of himself?" I mutter mainly to myself and I shake my head at the selfishness I see. Reed hears my comment and answers with his scientific mind.

"High open space, exposed structural elements. Obviously aimed at first time visitors to create feelings of smallness and inadequacy." I glance over at him and roll my eyes. I may be smart and close to Reed, but my brother is alot smarter than me.

"Well he sure has me shaking in my boots." I mutter and pretend to make my body shake in fear.

"Good thing it ain't working... Reed, what are we doing here? This guy's fast-food, strip mall science." Ben says

"You're wearing heels, Scarlett and Ben, this wasn't out first stop, in case you forgot, NASA." Reed says and I let out a laugh at his reply to me. Even in the worst he can come up with a little humor.

"That I am." I say to him as we walk past the thirty foot statue and continue into the building.

I watch as Reed shows Victor Von Doom his presentation but I zone out until I hear him to shut it down. I watch as he throws a magazine on his shiny glass table with Reed and my face in the middle of it.

Richards Bankrupt, Grant Cutbacks.

Once I see what it says I want to rip it to shreds with my hands. I hate how our life is broadcast all over to the public and how it shows success and failures of people who want normal lives or at least some of them.

I try my hardest not to groan and I accomplish it. Lucky Me!

"He's right, Ben." I hear a voice behind me. Dang I zoned out again. I turn around to see Susan Storm start walking up to us.

"Hey Sue!" I squeal and run up to her, hugging her. "I missed you so much!" I pull back from the hug and look her up and down.

"Hey Scar! I missed you too!" She smiles genuinely at me and I move out of her way so she can greet Ben and Reed. This is gonna be awkward I can feel it.

"Hey Susie!" Ben says and hugs her. "One more thing he's got." He mouths over to Reed and I smirk, but also feel bad for Reed. He really liked Sue.

"Ben, it's been too long." She hugs him back. She walks to Reed and holds out her hand for a formal hand shake instead of giving him a hug. Reed really messed up the relationship between them.

"You're, you've, I mean, how have you bee-"she cuts him off and answers him.

"Never better." She answers and I notice Victor eyeing Reed and Susan's conversation.

"This won't be a problem, right?" Victor asks and I can feel him asking for a glare, but I don't want to give him that privilege. I resist with everything I'm worth and that's alot. Have you seen the bills?

"Not at all." Reed says not taking his eyes off Sue. I fight off a chuckle and stare at them both as they stare at each other. They are both still attracted to each other so very much.

"Ancient History." Sue mumbles not taking her eyes off Reed and this time I really have to hold it in. They both have feelings for each other, they are both so good but they are both so blind of their affection towards on another.

Reed turns to Victor. "You back this mission and I'll sign over a fair percentage of any applications or-"he gets cut off.

"The number's seventy five. And it's applications and patents." He says his voice flat and smug. You smug...

"What you want his first born too?" I snort and Reed looks over at me and I shrug. Why should I not make a comment? I mean it's not like we don't have money. Oh wait we don't.

"Who might you be?" he says and I feel him scan his eyes over me.

"Scarlett Richards. Reeds Sister. Nice to meet you." I hold out my hand, but he doesn't reach his out to shake mine. He just ignores it and I feel like trash. Why should I let him make me feel that way?

"Well Miss Richards, money isn't important. We could save lives." I hold back a snort. "Hopefully get rid of yours" I think to myself I smile at the comment. Victor continues to Reed.

"Twenty-five percent of a billion is enough to keep the lights on isn't it? Maybe pay off your fourth mortgage on the Baxter Building." He smirks and I just want to slap him. I look at Reed secretly hoping he'd turn it down, but we need the money and it could help save a child's life in the process. "Deal?" he asks

Reed reaches his hand out and they shake. I zone out again thinking of what it would be like to go to space. It kinda gets me sad because I just came here to make Reed and Ben look formal. I zone back in and walk to the elevator with Ben and Reed struggling to keep up in these dang heels.

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