Chapter 1

When I wake up, the sun blazed hot into my face forcing my eyes to open to begin the day's awful deeds in which I must wake up today and fulfill. I reach to pull off the rest of my blanket, still in sleep mode, and force myself to prop my body weight onto my elbows. I sigh, letting my tiredness consume me one more moment. I soak in the sun which, any day now, will be gone as America embarks into the winter season. My least favorite season.

My room is a mess. Light blue and brown paint consume the walls as a result of the time I was incredibly bored when Bill and Madison went to the Capital in the winter leaving my sister, Lauren, and I home alone. Though the paint is not visible from my bed because on the ceiling, is my wake up committee. Computers and information which is necessary to inquire in order to survive the rest of the day. Not everyone has one because most people can't afford seven thousand Depros which you need in order to have the iWaker 2000. Katherine Maze can only afford things in dollars which explains all she has in her room is all green walls and only iTime 1000. Not to mention the fact she only has the iPad 700, one of the oldest models still available it's unbelievable.

By a quick glance at my door I can already tell that my sister is up walking around the house. Like every other morning, she is fully dressed and bopping around the house before I can even put on my fuzzy boots. Madison says that is because she has Early education rather than Regular like myself. Early education is only for the more clever children whom already know the first two years of Regular without much training. And they move quicker because they can absorb more information than Regulars. So even though I am five years old than my sister, I am learning the same material as her currently.

Bill says I should be in Early education because I am much more clever than most of the other children who don't even comprehend tempus is not a specific type of compass, an instrument for determining directions, as by means of a freely rotating magnetized needle that indicates magnetic north, but the Latin's denotation for time. Though the RCCT results in which every child must complete by age 4, were deficient and substandard due my lack of thirst to be involved in Early education.

Although my sister is almost just as clever as I. She has short brown hair, like the Disney Princess, Rapunzel, and large circular glasses that are to big for her tinny face. If she didn't have such a huge nose, then they would most definitely fall to the floor the first she attempted to place it on her little face. I don't have much resemblance to her. I have long red hair, that reaches to my bum, and dark green eyes, that people claim they can see the ocean in. I am not considered pretty or at least in my own iris. I have too many freckles, too small of a nose, too skinny, too short.

I make my way throughout my bedroom and gather what I require to make my day somewhat eventful. Everyone is always on their phones and electrical devices. And though I must omit, it is very pleasurable for the first couple of hours, I wish there was more to life than watching television and texting your friend who is standing right beside you. It seems as though there must have been a greater purpose in life for one person to fulfill. Back in the olden days of the America, things were much different. Back then, there was something called "heroes". I remember crossing the word in the iPad's classic library, where it contained books dating back to the 1900s. The "heroes" would go around the world in tights helping other people randomly. Though most of these characters were fictional and unrealistic, most history books from back then used the word to describe people they considered to be famous. Like George Washington, America's first national president. He helped fight the war against England so America could become it's own independent country. The word "national hero" appeared in most every book written about the man and helped me raise a question of why there are no heroes today? Why doesn't anyone fulfill anything remotely significant? A hypothesis that has been bugging me for years now.

They teach you insignificant things in Education now. Not what the use to teach. We don't have a history class, nor a Science class. If you wish to learn about those things you must apply for a special Education, where they omit only several children in a lifetime to become Apple' next technology inventor superstar, what almost every child dreams to become, including myself. I have read that at one point, the dream jobs depended on the person. Most people wanted to become actors or singers, others wanted to become doctors or lawyers. All jobs today that take little skill and tinny unreasonable pay. Although, the decrease of want and dreaming of these jobs are clear evidence of how horribly cruel magazines were in the olden days of America's rescission. Now magazines remain to be informative information portioning aspects of our technology currently. Technology that most people today cannot live without.

My iPad 5000 rings to remind me about Regular. An app that has become obsolete over the years due to society's adaptation to an average person's common since of timing or in summary most people contain their agenda book inside their brains. But I go to my closet anyways and ignore the ring. My teacher can wait. Instead, I am excited to show off my new jacket that cost Bill and Madison a fortune. Finally, I grab my iPad and run into the transporter into my latest class.

"Oh My God, Kate!" was the first words that reached my ears after arriving into the room, "THAT JACKET!!! Where's did you get it!!?! It is like the CUTEST thing I have ever seen!!!!" Of course it is Jessica Fields, my best friend before we even took the RCCT Assessment. She is too cunning and finds little things like a dark red jacket that brings out my red hair, more exciting than history and science. Sometimes I do wish I was in Early education because there is rumor that the teach some classes on Science. But I still love Jessica and am glad she and I have Regular together. I smile at her, letting my bright red lips curve up to show my crooked teeth.

"Thanks, Jess! Madison and Bill went to Forever 21 yesterday to go Christmas shopping and saw the jacket. Told me they couldn't wait another two months," I reply to her excitement.

"You HAVE to come with me to get one too, so we can match!" she says as Miss Parker walks through the doorway with a new boy I have never seen before. He's our age, with dark brown hair, cut evenly and perfect. His eyes are a dark blue familiar to the night sky and his skin perfectly tan as if he grew up on the beach his whole childhood. He doesn't smile. Not once. Quickly he looks at me and shakes his head as if I am his disappointment. As if he expected more.

"Miss Fields, I would be excited to let you go if it wasn't 5:00 already but I believe our class has finally started so I would enjoy it very much if you took your seat now. You too Miss Laurence, I have a very special announcement to make to the class." Miss Parker and the boy make their way to the front. Most of the other girls in the class are giggling and pointing at the clearly unimpressed boy standing beside our teacher.

"Regulars," Miss Parker announces with a smile, "we got a new student in Regular. Mr. Cross, anything you would like to say to the class?"

"Umm... My name is Jackson. Not Jack, not sonny Jack, just Jackson. I came from Early education classes because Mrs. Benette thinks that I cannot comprehend complex information as well and that spending time with Regulars will make me think more. So, hey," he shrugged. All the girls sighed. Jess tapped me on the shouldered and smiled her queen bitch smile. In five minutes Jackson Cross had every Regular girl swooning over him except myself. And his unimpressed, carefree looked turned into his smile as he looked at me as if I was his one big challenge. I smiled back at him excepting his silent challenge.

"Ok Regulars! Let's start the class..."

Some vocab from the last chapter that is important

Depros - money that is more valuable than dollars. Years ago Apple founded a new element so valuable that they could make more money and increase the depmand on cool objects.

iWaker - a product made by Apple that tells you important information you need to know and wakes you up on time. It keeps information on the room owner until it knows you. Most people have them in their rooms

iTimer - it is a complex clock made by Apple. Like a iHome but better

RCCT - a test you have to take at four years old that places you into three education groups: Early education, Regular, and Laters. Stands for Regular Curriculum Course Test

<3 Kayla

So this is exactly what i have been looking for!! One thing though...! Maybe its a little too modern. Like its not exactly THAT far in the future. And also just something to thimk about there is usually a depression or recession or panic before wars. Which i am guessing it's going. Also idk if you were allready thinking this or not but just to help the capitol people will have to allready be seperated feom the others. Anyways i like it! Post soon!

@fireuser66 thanks for your advice! I reason why I chose to make it farther in the future is to show how technology consumes us and I enjoy being creative. And don't worry, there will be a clear cause for a war. I like the idea about the Capitol people. I didn't think about that before but I have an idea now! Thanks for your comment. I didn't think anyone would because it is Hunger Games and Percy Jackson have been taking over the site. So thanks

Chapter 2

The same thing, the same questions would repeat everyday. I would wake up, drag myself to my closest, put on whatever looked decent with my pale skin and red hair, then go to school for what seems like most of the day, then come home, eat dinner, watch television, program my iPad until I was bored, and go to sleep just to start the process all over. My life was a cycle, but a pointless one unlike the water cycle, that continued on until I got another pointless job only to start a new routine and a new cycle. That's what intrigues children to become Apple's next technology superstars. Because it's different.

I hate having the same face as them. As society. I tell Jess this all the time but she just laughs at me and replies that I don't look like anyone else she's ever met. Which is an exact example of how distort we are as people. Because society can't look beyond the denotation to find the connotation.

"Miss Laurence," Miss Parker's harmonizing voice rings through my ears breaking my concentration. I smile at her though I am positive she knows I was spacing her out to consider my new philosophy. We already had this conversation back when I was in year one of Regulars. At first Miss Parker always yelled at me, claiming that I never listened to her and I will never get a job. But when her first quiz came around, she was in shock to find I had not missed a single question, while most of the class had failed it. She was pretty much hopeless for awhile after that. She brought in Bill and Madison to talk about my "brains", or what one of my books called, a " photographic memory", meaning that I only need to see or hear things once and my brain can recall any memory at anytime, perfectly. Miss Parker was quite confused what to do. She heard never had a Regular whom could retain information better than herself. She ask me if I purposely failed the RCCT on purpose. I only smiled and said that I didn't care to be in Early education. She of course remained puzzled on the subject for several months until she finally agreed that I would remain in her class due to her hatred for the hundreds of paperwork that were required to be fill out in order for me to switch classes. Jess asked why Miss Parker always let me sleep in class or leave early, though unable to make up a good excuse, I left to speak to another one of the girls in the class. So I was quite surprised to find her disrupting my thought process right now before class had ended.

"Note's for you," she said placing a yellow sheet in my hand. Along the sheet was messy looking scribbles that ere almost impossible to read. Not many people had penmanship skills these days. Of course, I convinced Bill to let me take a class when I was seven. Normally, the class would take a month but I was out after a week with what the teacher said to be, "the greatest and neatest penmanship, I have seen since the 1700s!"

But it was clear that I would be leaving class early today. I packed up my things, waved goodbye to Jess, who was scrawling, and walked out the door. As I left, I noticed the new boy scrawling as well and reach for his phone. He seemed to know more about what was about to happen then anyone.

On the other side of the door was a reception's office with Bill and Madison waiting at one side of the seats and a pretty girl in a dark brown suit on the other. She smiled at me that left me in awe. Bill and Madison turned to greet me.

"Kate," the lady spoke in a voice even more soothing than her looks, "I'm Mrs. Rose but you can call me Megan."

"Hi, Megan," I said with uncertainty. Something was strange about the lady that was clear evident now. Bill and Madison's face were empty though, as if their brains weren't quite in the room at this minute.

"You can trust me sweetheart. I am here to help make you dream come true. Kate, I would recommend taking a seat. See Kate, when I was your age, Dr. Cruz, several other children, and myself were told that we would be training to work as the new generation for Apple. I was quite surprised to find myself on the list. Normally they pick students with extraordinary gifts, like yourself, Kate, and make them even more extraordinary. But you see, though I could realize it myself at the time, I was extraordinary. I had a knack for seeing things that others could not, which is an excellent skill in becoming an inventor. Of course not all of us could be famous, on buildboards, and in charge of the company. And as time pass they found that Dr. Cruz would be the best choice of this job."

"And was that difficult for you, Mrs. Rose. Would you rather have been, Mrs. Cruz?" I ask her smiling.

"Excuse me young lady! I believe that is none of your business. And for you smart-ass information MR. Rose is a fine man and jealousy is a lousy trait. You would do well to listen to your adviser!"

"Excuse, Megan, but I am confused what exactly is going. I am in Regular, not Early education. Besides my sister is more clever than I. If you are saying what I think you're saying, then you must be crazy," I responded. Normally Apple technology superstars were no surprise. Always best in the Early education classes, always overachieving and standing out. Although everyone dreamed to be one, Regulars and Late education students knew that their dream would never be beyond their brains. Which is why Bill was so disappointed to find I was in Regular. Megan smiled at me helping me make to possible assumptions on the lady; she was bipolar and/or had anger management issues.

"Yes sweetheart, we have picked you to become part of our crew, along with 20 other children. Rivers certain is pleased with you and is positive that you'll be an excellent addition to our team. Of course, I will be representing you and your family and yourself will have to move into Washington DC to meet Rivers, Dr. Cruz, and the President by the end of the month. We have a lot to teach you and so little time to do it! I am excited to have been issued you my little Regular dynamo."

Though her words didn't reach her face. It was clear she was not excited to have a dumb little Regular. She probably couldn't comprehend how I got here any more than myself. And suddenly my helpless dream for change was becoming a reality. Though I was less enthusiastic then I dreamed I would be. After we left, Bill and Madison had came to life again.

"We are so proud of you sweetheart!" Madison would say.

"Our little Regular dynamo!"

I liked the chapter! And i love the hunger games about the same as pj. This chapter was a lot more clear than the first so keep it up! Post soon!

This is great

Working on the next chapter now so I should be done by tommorow

Ok cool! I'll be waiting.

Sorry for taking so long and lying on the date. I had some difficulties writing this chapter because a lot of this is background information on Kate that needs to be said and it is slightly longer than the other chapters. But I will post quickly the next chapter and I hoe you like this one. It isn't completely editted so please don't judge me. If you find a mistake then please tell me so I can fix it. Hope you like the chapter

Chapter 3

It's surprising how one little event could change the course of someone's life forever. Despite my wish to remain to keep all my friends oblivious on my new job, Miss Parker had other plans. As we were leaving class the next day, she interrupted everyone to announce the "big news!"

"And Regulars! I am pleased to say that one of our every own will be joining a job that everyone dreams for, as a REGULAR! Miss Laurence will sadly be leaving our class today so she can become APPLE'S TECHNOLOGY SUPER STAR! You may all congratulate the talented girl and say your good-byes outside, as you leave!"

Before I knew it, everyone in the class stampeded towards me, throwing their questions and amazement at me. That is everyone in the class except two. Jess sat at her desk frowning. Jess had always had known I was a little bit different, a little bit smarter than everyone else. I still remember the day she asked me about it.

"Kate? Why aren't you in Early education?" she had asked me at the park we always went to after class. Of course I tried to laugh at her. I didn't want people to think I was some smart genesis freak, so I lied about my own inelegance a lot.

"Because I didn't ace the RCCT like those Early education freaks, Jess. Why do you even ask?"

"Because you always seem to know everything, even before Miss Parker says it. And you always are coming up with new 'hypothesis' and asking me things that I can't always understand," she said with her thick eyebrows bunched together in concentration. For the first time in the world, I thought it really had bothered Jess that I was like this. Of course, she still wanted to be my best friend and she still did everything with me, but she knew there was I reason why I slept in class every other day. And here was her OWN hypothesis staring her straight in the face.

The second person not willing to give me praise and hugs, was Jackson Cross. He looked at me as he shook his head with a cocky little smile on his lips. I stared back at him and for a moment our eyes lingered on each others, but Katherine Maze had pulled me out of the room so I could be with her when she posted the event on Facebook. I didn't get to say goodbye. To Miss Parker, the classroom, my childhood. For some reason, despite my excitement on my new "job", I knew would miss it. I wished I could have seen it all one last time.

As boring as I thought life was before, staying home doing nothing but watch iTV and fix my iPad more than normal was so dull and even more pointless than before. I heard that all of people did this for years before they could find their jobs after whatever education they finished but doing nothing all day was more overrated than anything that ever existed. That wasn't even remotely the worst part of that long month before I would be sent off to D.C and never think about any of this ever again.

Going into town was worse than anything. Word of what had happened to me spread quicker than I had expected. The children in my class had went home to tell their family and friends, who told their family and friends etc. So it only took a day to turn the odd quiet little girl, into the town's new celebrity. People surrounded me with their iPhones, taking pictures and post the next Superstar on Facebook, so not only did my whole town know, but the whole world in less than a week. People started to treat me different than before. They were always watching me, as if they were excepting me to do something amazing, something only an Apple Superstar would do. Most gave up with disappointment of watching me straight for two weeks. They thought that maybe only July Apple could see the extent of my genesis, and gave up trying to find something special in the quiet Regular girl. Of course, some didn't give up that easy. Those who thought they had a better chance at it than most, Early education students and alumni whom were the cream of the crop of all their class, whose brilliancy didn't even scratch the surface of this town, were determined to discover what made Apple pick me over them. I felt their devious and anguished eyes on me at most times in the town. It didn't take long for my tolerance for lack of personal space went over the edge and crashed straight into the ground, shattering into a thousand pieces. So I was forced to stay out of town as much a possible.

Jessica refused to speak to me, too. I would go knocking on her door, making sure the time was right after Miss Parker always released the class, but Mrs. Fields would say that Jess has to finish a ton of homework, or is too tired, or even she simply doesn't want to see me. As a person who Jess once deemed "the girl with all the answers" I could not get why she was so upset about me becoming an Apple crew member. And neither could my parents.

Lauren's little temper tantrum was also making the month horrible. She insisted that I was a ugly little liar who paid Apple to make me part of the team, it was the only reason Apple would ever pick a Regular to be part of their crew.

"How exactly would I do that?" I had asked her when she accused me of bribery, "we have the same parents and I don't receive any more money a month than the average child. Bribing is such an unreasonable hypothesis. I am sorry if you wanted to work for Apple but your 'Regular' sister got the job instead, but stop being such a brat about it and deal with the fact that they didn't pick you. Be glad for me, not jealous. It makes you break out, Laur."

Of course after she slapped me, she refused to say a word to me for I was "selfish and conceded". So hell followed me everywhere, at home, with Jess and in the town, the only place I felt like myself was the lake.

I found the lake when I was eight playing hid-and-seek with Jess one day. She was counting and I, eager to find a hiding spot better than another before, ran as far and hard as I could. I must have been running for an hour before passing it. I almost ran past it at first. The lake was surrounded by trees thicker than I could stretch both of my arms out wide and spin around myself until I became too dizzy to spin anymore. But as I was running, I looked towards the trees and a wonderful thought appeared inside my head that no one would ever find me in there. So I snuck inside, dodging branches and fallen trees. Despite my perception of the place for outside, it was unlike anything I have ever seen. Fore inside the trees was the most peaceful quite little lake I have ever seen. Of course I have seen several lakes in my lifetime. There is a large one at the center point of the next town that sends gallons freshwater over everyday for showering, washing, and drinking. Also Bill and Madison took Lauren and I to the Great Lakes when I was six. They were large but surprisingly, not that great for their names. The color of the water was a dark greenish color, trash was everywhere, and there was this faint smell of doggie do-do that had been sitting out in the sun for too long.

My lake was unlike any of those other lakes. It was a rich blue color, clearer than the water in bottle on my leg, so clear that the fish inside's colors shined brighter than the sun with bright oranges, pinks, reds, and yellows and deep greens, blues, and purples. They were all swimming, just swimming, no one attacking another, each one fulfilling a different purpose. The plants swayed back and forth, the green darker and green than an evergreen or light and more elegant than newly grown grass. First time I saw the lake,I smiled. Large and wider than I have ever done before. I sat on a nearby rock and just watched, just thought.

After hours I came back, excepting to see my parents waiting for me, to yell at me. Instead, Lauren had been rushed to the hospital because she popped open a blood vessel above her eyebrow. I had walked into an empty house, with no one there and fell asleep on the couch, alone. The next day, Bill, Madison, and Lauren came back with no knowledge of my absence, no knowledge I was even there.

That was when I starting going to the lake. All I would take was my iPad. I would sit of the rocks and read, every Saturday. It was a place where I was alone, where no one could hurt me, no one could tell who I am and who I am supposed to be. Though I loved Jess more than anyone else, I couldn't tell her about it. I couldn't tell anyone.

So that summer I lived at the lake, coming home only to sleep and eat. Now that I was "famous" Bill and Madison started to take more of a notice to my absence. When I came home late they asked me where I was.

"I was outside of town, Maddy. I like to read in the hills, looking over town. Marylinn was there with me. We lose track of time too quickly. I am sorry."

It wasn't totally a lie. I was outside of town, I did like reading on the hills with Marylinn, a girl who loved to read more than anything else in the world. She is in Early education but I meet her before RCCT. She, Jess, and I were "best friends for life" we had said. Mrs. Fields had called us the Three Musketeers, fighting crime with imagination, but as she took on Early education, they only connection I had left with Marylinn was reading. We read for hours on the hills until Marylinn's mom yells at her for being out so long and not doing homework. I never showed her my lake either. Though I did kind of lied, I was okay with my dishonesty, for if Madison truly cared, she would have gotten out a jacket and a flashlight, and go looking for me.

I love spending time at the lake, but I wasn't alone...

In case you didn't know, I hope you do,

Denotation means the literally meaning of things

And

Connotation means the metorphorical meaning

Good words to use.
They are in the second chapter by the way. Tell me if you don't know any of the words and I will post the meaning of the them on here. Thanks

<3 Kayla

That was great. I love that lake scene... The lake seems almost... Familiar! Lol

Chapter 4

"Wake up, Sam! A Regular girl won't be chosen. You have trained me since I was two and you were only five. This girl doesn't know half the things I do, she doesn't think like us," a young girls voice boomed throughout the lake from nowhere. I had been reading later than normally due to the fact that training was beginning in two week and Bill was getting impatient with me refusing to study like the other chosen few, and the voice came from nowhere. It was so unexpected I dropped my iPad on rock cracking two thousand Depros. I left it there to run behind a tree, though I didn't know exactly why I did. Acting on impulse is something Madison said I always do best.

"Hope, she is unlike the rest of them, even you. She doesn't think facts and information that isn't helpful in demanding situations. I met her when I went into town, she problem solves, a skill I couldn't teach because you have to be born with it, Hope. I wish I could just put you into the program and KNOW that you would get the job, but this girl is the wild card in a deck where everything in normal, a wild card that I won't let my enemies get first. You have to understand that the world doesn't..."

"I am NOT letting some stupid red-head REGULAR TAKE MY SPOT! I have been planning for this since I was born and my mother died so I could stop this and save the world. I have been stressing about this for years, not able to sleep well my whole life and now you're telling me it doesn't matter because this red-head idiot has pretty green eyes and helped you out the one day you finally decide to visit town and we are all gone! If you think I am okay with this then you can go..."

"SHUT UP! Both of you!!!" a familiar voice boomed throughout my ears. I had looked over to find myself staring at three children, not much older than myself, standing by the lake, letting it's waters reach the bottom of their feet, soaking their shoes into a muddy mess. The girl was beautiful with long black hair that reached her bum, dark olive skin without one blemish in site, hazel eyes that glowed in the darkness giving her a since of mystery. She wasn't as skinny as me, where there seemed to be nothing but skin and bones that made up my body, she was muscular and strong, yet nothing that took away from her appearance. Without a doubt, she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, with a single flaw. There was two boys, one clearly taller than the other, making me believe that he was slightly older than the other two. He had blonde hair, thick and curly that was in desperate need of a good hair cut. He wasn't as pretty as the girl whom I guessed was Hope, but what drawled me in to him was his thick blue eyes, the color of the sky at every time of day. Those eyes said everything, making is face as clear as an empty book. Yet pain was clearly written inside of them. I had recognized his face then. It was the same blue eyes that I had look into around a year ago. I hadn't thought much of him then. He was lost, hungry, and out on the streets. Originally, I pictured him as a bum without a job or education expecting for people to vouch for him. I don't know what made me get up and help him that day. Was it his eyes, or something more?

The finally boy was Jackson Cross, the boy who had seemed unimpressed with me since the beginning. Yet he seemed so different here than the classroom. His face was cut and dirty, filled with bruises, rather than squeaky clean and perfect like in town. He made no effort to look nice, wearing just a plain black t-shirt and a pair of Levi's. His cooky look had changed to a look of wisdom out here, and he was looking straight towards my iPad, smashed into pieces. He smiled, letting the edge of his lips curl up slightly. He turned back to his friends to reassure them.

"I have met the girl. After Sam ran into the girl, he forced me to go into town and apply for the same Regular class as her. It was difficult convincing the teacher, that I had been in Early education before because she 'had seen you in town' but after Mr. Mendoza vouched for me, she finally agreed. I had thought that she had better been the freaking smartest and best child I will ever meet or I would punch Sam in the face for making me do all this for nothing. And I wanted to. After the first day, she didn't raise her hand once, speak about anything, or was even engaged into Miss Parker's lesson. Instead she laid her head on the desk and slept throughout the whole class. I immediately thought she was a slacker. What student falls asleep in the first five minutes and misses the best part of the class? Then I started noticing things about her. One day, another stupid Regular boy fell asleep as well on his desk and within seconds, Miss Parker had woken him up. And the teacher had turned away from him after asking why she could sleep and he couldn't. I had come up with two hypothesis at that point. One, Miss Parker LET her sleep because she knew everything in the class before, or that she had fallen asleep so many times before that she stopped trying to wake her up. I was hoping it was the first option. Then, one day, she was awake. Throughout the whole class her eyes were open in awe. I looked at her in amazement. What could have caused her change in behavior. I looked at the board and started paying attention to the lesson. Miss Parker was teaching us history. And throughout the whole lesson, she nodded her head in agreement. One time she shook her head and her hand shot up into the air.
'Miss Parker, I believe that is incorrect information. I believe that Christopher Columbus wasn't the first man to discover America because he believed that he had landed on India which explains why the Native Americans were called Indians. Amerigo Vespucci came to America and was the first to realize that this land was not India but a whole different continent. America. He is the reason why we are here. Why countries like England, Spain, and France came to the Americas in search of new lands and wealth. And it blew up in all their faces. So you're wrong when you say the Christopher Columbus found America because he was a idiot. And if he did, this would be called the Columbuses, which I find to be just awkward.' the class was completely quiet as some people took time to process what she had said, although the teacher had frowned and shook her head, trying to find a way to continue without making a big deal of the whole situation. I knew then, Hope. Sam's right. This girl is special. She knows things and is strong-willed enough to stand up in front of the class filled with all her peers and speak her mind. She doesn't pay attention to remote things but the second the teacher spoke about history and her attention popped open. She is our wild card, and also, by the way eavesdropping on our very conversation right now."

At that moment they had all turned to look straight at me. Sam smiled at me, his blue eyes twinkling at me in encouragement. Hope had rolled her eyes at me, looking me from top to bottom as if she was looking for something that was to reason for everyone being in awe with me. And Jackson just shrugged and winked at me. I wondered how long he knew I was there. Standing in the trees, listening. Did he want me to know all this about them? That Hope already had disliked me before I had even met her yet. That Sam wanted me to become his wild card, whatever it was. The really thing that had me pondering, was why they were talking about me. What did they want? And who did they not want to get me first?

We had just stood there for awhile, staring at each other. I was becoming stiff and tired like there should be something I should be doing right now, and I should know what it was. But nothing came to me.

It was Jackson who spoke, finally. "Hello, Kate. Want to know something nobody else in town does?"

Ok! Sorry that I haven't posted in 12 days. I realize that is a long time. I have been super busy lately and life hasn't seemed to be getting easier. But I am on break right now so I will post more. This chapter is what I am calling my plot chapter! Yay for plot! I I like plot! Yes, I realize how long Sam's monologue is and that Hope is kind of a bitch. But as Kate says "life isn't perfect!"

Chapter 5

"Okay, before you speak let me ask a few questions," let out before anyone could say another word, "What the hell? Why were you guys talking about we like I was the most important issue alive right now? I am just a Regular and Megan hates me already and wishes that she had a different person to represent. I am normal. Second question is how did you trick the system into believing that you had taken Early education before? One look at the files and they would know you never existed in the system. Trust me. Jess tried to change to Early education with a fake name and they sent her away saying that her name didn't exist. It doesn't, add up. Third, who the hell are you guys and why are you acting like you're the good guys and the city is the bad guys?"

"Good questions, Kaitlyn Laurence. May I call you Kate? I hear that's what everyone calls you," Sam said. Hope rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed with Sam's egger and welcoming attitude.

"Kate's fine," I said crossing my arms waiting for my answers. Jackson laughed at me until Hope stomped on his toe causing an awkward silence that Sam felt was necessary to fill.

"Good, so... Kate. You're sixteen, right. Of course you are, my apologies. You asks good questions that lead to a bigger one. Doesn't surprise me. Since I saw back there two months ago, I knew you were capable of so much more than most of them. That is why we were talking about you. Because you're capable of seeing beyond what you know to be true and question it, and you would take "because it is", like all those other people. It makes you a perfect candidate for Apple because you can see beyond the typical technology today and discover something new. It also makes you the perfect candidate for us. Have you noticed, Kate, how absorbed the world is with technology. Apple controls the world, making every life pointless and disjointed. In the words, Apple took away the purpose of living life, of meeting others, of relationships. Can tell me something about the world beyond us? Name another country besides America? Don't worry, most can't including Jackson here. That is what they want from us. Apple thinks that if everyone is so indulged with ourselves, then war and conflict will be avoid forever. Apple thinks they have the perfect formula to a utopian society. Although, the cease to realize that an utopia is completely impossible due everyone's completely different opinions. So what does Apple do? They turn everyone into robot-like- cultures, so dependent on technology and without feeling beyond one day. No more hatred, anger, or murdering rages. Just robots. My parents had told me all of this in a letter, though they had difficulty discovering how. As I started to take in their hypothesis I was eggar to rib myself of Apple products all together. I had traveled into the forest and found this place, a little piece of heaven. As I spent more time here, I discovered the answer that my parents could never find. Apple products contain a drug stronger than anything you can buy in the stores. They have an ad, well it looks like an ad, that keeps you in front of the screen, not thinking about problems in your head. It's a hypnosis devise that avoids conflict. It's in everything. I am surprised you can think an actual thought by the look of your little iPad crushed to pieces. As I discovered this, I knew I must do something. Something to stop this poison. But being only four at the time and any one who would talk to me would laugh in my faces. I was quite worried. I had felt helpless now and when I tried to apply for schools I hadn't taken the RCCT so I couldn't prevent the infection in schools either. Then I knew what to do. I had to stop Apple from the inside. Pick the next the next super star. The one who would lead the incorporation in the future but instead of giving out the poison, they would stop it all together. It was hard. I had sat puzzled about this every day. I had to pick correctly. In the end, the daughter of the family that took me in originally came into my mind. Hope. I was mad at myself for not thinking about her earlier. From her name to her brains, she would be a clear pick for Apple to make their star. That night, I went to Hope's family and spoke, told them my story, about what they feed their brains. Hope, nearly one at that point, had went over to her iPad and smashed it to pieces. I smiled at that point, pleased with with my choice. Although, Hope's dad was not and tired to kill me to prevent me for stealing his daughter and 'turning life into chaos'. But Hope's mother was different. She had already dealt with conflict and help contain her husband in order for me to take Hope and train her. I never saw them again. Hope tells me that she went back to the house and another family lived there and she discovered her mother dead. We still have no idea whether her dad made it or not or where he is. Things got more difficult when Hope turned two. I had to put her back into the city so she could take the RCCT and join Early education so she can start the process. I had to find a family the would except the idea. Mr. and Mrs. Cross are excellent people. They were young at the time and had a son Hope's age whom had grown up without technology. Jackson. They called him Jackie at the time but he dropped all nicknames when Hope teased him about it when he they were eight. It was perfect. They were so eggar to help and willing to stop the corporation at no end. Though the child count became a problem. Hope couldn't join their family without looking like we were up to something so the Cross' came up with a brilliant plan: Hope would live with them while I would take care of Jackson for them. They switch places often to visit but other than that, they were both cut of from the world they knew. Everything was set up perfectly. I would train Hope to bring down Apple and Jackson was helping me. Until one day, I had sent him into the city to find milk for free. I hadn't been in town for years at that point and started to freak out when it had been two hours ago, Jackson had left and still nothing had happened or changed. I knew then I would break my rule. I choice to go looking into the city to look for him when, I ran into you. Young and beautiful, you stood out like a sore thumb in their, most likely like myself. You had asked if you could help me. Out of all those people there, you helped me and you didn't have to. It wouldn't have effected you if you just kept walking. Apple had programmed you to. Yet you reached out and guided me to the Cross' home, including a conversation that made me even think. Which convinced me that Hope's odds weren't as good as I had expected. So I sent Jackson to look out for you and make sure you got into the program. You didn't disappoint, Kate. We're proud of you.

No Regular girl had ever made it in before and we don't want any wild cards. So will you help stop the poison, Kate?"

"Ok, slow down. If Apple is feeding us poison, then how can I feel this way. How can I feel pain and hate and anger? Because these past couple of months have been hell and I didn't think I could just sit there and smile anymore. I read on my iPad all the time, yet I have never changed emotions," I said.

"We are trying to figure that out," responded Jackson in a quick mutter. I looked at him. He wasn't as handsome here as in the city. Or maybe that's because I had never taken thought to others negative features before. I don't know if that is due to Apple or not but maybe that is a good thing. But I remembered how I would always ponder why nothing has a purpose. Why there seems to be no reason to why I am alive and living my life. Why we all spend hours in front of a computer screen instead of running out into a lake and seeing the world beyond what Apple feeds us.

I looked over to Sam. His thick smile was no longer smothered across his face. It was clear that he had expected me to respond yes right after his long speech. I wondered how long it took him to come up with the whole thing. Just waiting for the right person to tell it to. It almost wanted to make me laugh. Here was boy, older and clever than all of us, acting like a three year-old trying to impress his mommy. I guess even people who were forced to grow-up quickly still have a childish moment now and then. It gave me a smile. Hope.

Then there was Hope, herself. I had know her for ten minutes yet it was written all over her face the loathing for me. I was puzzled with why this all had bugged her so much. Why Sam had lost his faith in her? Why she rolled her eyes every time Jackson muttered something? And then I realized how it felt like to care. How Hope was given a purpose in life from the beginning and here was a redhead Regular taking away her meaning with one simple answer. It was worse to have meaning at one point then taken away from you, than never having meaning at all. Because having purpose made you bubbly inside and gave you the impression that you could do anything if you believed you could. And the feeling that was creeping up, seeping inside my heart, should have been in everyone's heart and one point or another. But Apple took away that hope, creating a meaningless land filled meaningless technology and meaningless faces. And what could have been Hope's only chance to be bubbly in life and fight the nearly impossible odds that Apple feeds us, I had the chance to take away with one simple word. I felt bad for her. I felt bad for everyone because Apple didn't just take away conflict, they took away life as well. What life should have been. And what I have always know that life should be. And it was not involving a computer screen.

"Yes," I whispered, "yes..."

I have posted because I feel like no one even cares anyway. But I like to plot I just haven't had much time to write anything lately. But there's the next chapter where we start to connect the Hunger Games some more.

Chapter 6

Sam spent the last two weeks before moving to the capitol training Hope and I with information that he felt like Apple would be impressed by. Surprisingly, Sam knew more about this stuff anyone she had ever met. He had a presence that made him seem so much older and wiser than myself. Even Megan, had the ignorant feel to her, which made it so easy to mess with her head. I remember the second day we had met. It was the day after I had said yes to Sam and the crew. When I walked through that door and saw her dark beady eyes stare at me, I felt like she knew what I was doing, that I no longer belonged to her.

"Mrs. Rose," I said trying to cover up my fear of the woman. I smiled at her, letting her think that I had nothing to hide, "What are you doing here, Megan?"

"Why Miss Laurence, I AM your mentor. And I don't believe you know the first thing about being in Apple. I believe your questions distracted me that I couldn't explain everything."

"Explain?"

"Yes. Apple is different. From the second you walk into the door you'll feel... different than you ever have been before. More... bubbly. Trust me. I remember my first day in Apple they already got me working on new ideas. Cruz already had his ideas planned out for him. Although I didn't realize it then, at that point Apple had already had their eyes out for him."

"And you're telling me this why?" she looked at me a smiled, shaking her head. I hated Megan. She was slutty, impulsive, and super ignorant. Her helpfulness was a mask that she needed to put on to keep her job but her loathing inside for me was evident to anyone with a mind that could see conflict. I knew why. She was jealous. Jealous of me. Although I was a Regular with little chance of getting Apple's attention, it was clear that she would give anything to be in my shoes one more time. And her selfishness only strived me to prove her wrong.

She let out a long big sigh, then took out a piece of paper. "The first address is where you'll be staying. The second is where you must be at the stroke of dawn by the end of the month. Don't be late! And if I were you, I would have an idea of what you're willing to show them."

And she left.

The next day Sam starting drilling me. He told me the basics of engineering and gave me blue prints to draw on.

"If Megan Rose says you need an idea, you're going to have the best damn idea that anyone has ever had," he told me. I sat on the beach of the lake, letting my legs touch the water. It was freezing and from the feeling of it, I found it quite surprising that the top of the lake wasn't frozen yet. Winter had technically began three weeks before.

"So you got something to show me?" Sam asked me. He had been bugging me all week to get the blue print done. Mainly because Apple's training started next week and I still had nothing to show for my work with Sam and the others. And Sam wasn't the only one getting impatient. I could tell that even Jackson started to question my intelligence now. I had never invented anything before or became remotely close to it. And I was frustrated.

"I don't know. I was sketching a little last night and I came up with this. It's not perfect but-" at that moment, Jackson had took the blueprint from my hands and started looking at what I drew.

"I device that teaches you how to draw blueprints? Are you serious?"

"Well I have been having such a hard time at this inventing thing because I believe that there is nothing else in the world I truly need. Why invent something that takes away more work from the already lazy human race? But I knew I couldn't refuse inventing or Apple would kick me out of the building before I could say another word, so I thought of my latest issue. What did I need most this moment? To invent something! An invention that makes new inventions," I whispered the last part as Jackson laughed at me.

"An invention that invents new inventions? Why in hell-"

“I like it," Sam interrupted Jackson, "and so will Apple. It's a clever idea and could be extremely useful for everybody but you have to think about it. This would be an excellent idea for use. Apple would no longer need to invent anything ever again which would clearly weaken the company, leaving a clear opening for us to attack. But would Apple go for it?" he pondered.

"Of course not, Sam! Apple's not that incredibly stupid! They'll realize her idea to be more destructive than helpful and you know it!"

"Shut up, Hope! It's way better than your flame resistant house idea. At least it serves a purpose!" Jackson snapped.

"Shut up both of you! Stop being such idiots! I know Apple isn't as stupid as it looks, Hope. Just some creative thinking and we can disguise it as more helpful for Apple than destructive. Kate, do you think you can do that?"

"Shouldn't be that hard. Just some tweaking and good advertising, I can sell it in a heart beat."

"Good. Get right on that please. You only have three more days until the plane comes for you and at this point you're pretty much screwed. And Hope, your idea does kind of suck. Just saying. Maybe you could take a book for Kaitlyn here and come up with something, I don't know, USEFUL!" Sam said while loosing his temper.

"Excuse me but I wouldn't want my house to catch on fire," Hope whispered back in response.

"At least you have one to burn down," Jackson whispered.

And that's how it seemed to go for that whole week. I had modified the system to focuses on creating a generic equations in order to come up with what most Americans want but most importantly, need. Within those short days, I could tell Sam was excited. He had started to see something, my smarts, that had put me into this predicament. And more importantly, he loved my blueprint.

"You'd have every eye of Apple's production team on you from that point on with this! It's brilliant! No would even expect it to be more of a weapon than helpful for them!"

"You really think it's that good?" I said quickly reading over everything to make sure it was as perfect as it should be. I had looked over my notes over and over again. It was only one more day until Hope and I would be in the capital and I would be all alone once more. It was twelve o'clock in the morning. I had to sneak out or I would have never left. My mother had been getting worse and worse, wanting to know where and when I was at all times. Within those couple of weeks she went from careless and ignoring mother to one who worried more than any other one. Sam insisted that I spent the whole day working through everything.

"You'll be spectacular. I got to say, I was worried I might have been wrong about you at first but even years of me training my ass off, I could not be more calculating, more clever, more amazing than you." It was difficult not to blush. But I saw Jackson staring at me and suddenly I felt like there should be another I should be blushing.

"Why is Jackson always with you? He isn't part of the the group. He doesn't seem too clever, too out of the box. Yet you remain with him all this time? Why?"

"Is it not obvious? Jackson sticks around because he feels like he needs to. He adoptive family kicked him out for skipping school too much. He found me almost a week later. Jackson stays, he is with me all the time because we are brothers. The Hawthorn brothers."