by Patra, CS
“Well, it came in the mail, but it seems like it was printed out from online,” she said, reaching into her bag and handing it to him. “Here you go. What did you want that for?”
“Oh, I’ve got an idea.” The edges of Ash’s mouth curled up into a smile. “Do you mind if I borrow this? I’ll give it back to you tomorrow.”
“Uh, sure.” Carolina lowered her eyes. “What are you thinking of, Ashton Blackwell? I know that look on your face. You’re thinking of something evil.”
“Evil? No, I’m coming up with a plan, but it’s not evil,” he said. “In fact, you just gave me the one thing I needed to put this plan into action. Thank you so much.” He leaned across the table and kissed her. “I owe you one.”
Carolina could only nod in reply. She never liked it when Ash got that look on his face. It meant someone was bound to get hurt in the process. The only thing she could do was hope that he wouldn’t get himself into trouble. He had been keeping secrets from her lately, but she didn’t want him to get hurt.
That smile was not leaving his face and that worried her the most. Whatever he was planning, she could only hope that it didn’t lead to disaster.
Chapter 4 – Crystal
Ash called a meeting the next day for everyone. They were going to Nikhil’s apartment where he would lay out his big plan. Everyone was a little skeptical because it usually meant trouble. Ash sounded pretty smug on the phone and that alone was worrisome.
“All right, kid. What are you up to?” Nikhil asked.
“I spent all night making these so they looked exactly like the ones that were mailed out,” Ash handed her an invitation the next day. “This is our next stop to finding out the truth. I hope you are all ready to mingle and get bored at some fancy party.”
“Fancy party? This sounds right up my alley,” Misty said, looking at where the party was. “The Silver Oracle? Isn’t that the five-star hotel that all rich businessmen, famous athletes, and political figures stay in?”
“That’s the one. I’ve been there a few times before. Dad’s held a lot of business meetings with some of his partners in it.”
“Whoa!” She stared at the fancy invitation. “You want me to come to this?”
“I’m asking only because this might have something to do with Project 99. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered,” Ash said.
“Thanks. I feel honored.” She rolled her eyes. “In any case, I’m surprised they would hold something in a place like this.”
“I’m not. They seem to be the type of group who love lavish settings,” Doug said. “I guess I can come with you. I’ve passed by The Silver Oracle many times, but I’ve never seen the inside of it. This is the perfect opportunity to spy on them.”
“Now hold up! Who said anything about spying on these people?” Pam asked.
“Come on, Pam. You knew we’d have to sneak around to find answers. It’s inevitable,” Jackie said. “It’s pretty obvious we won’t get much from our families. I tried talking to my mother. She admits that she didn’t have an easy pregnancy, but that’s about it. Once again, I get told by her that I should not worry about this. It was in the past and it’s over.”
“That’s the problem. It’s not over,” Nikhil murmured. “Anyway, I think we can go to this party. We have invitations, after all.” He waved his in the air. “It will be fun.”
“Oh, yeah, it’ll be fun for all of you,” Ren muttered. “I have to work that night. Not only that, I have to cook everything because my restaurant is catering this event.” He rubbed his forehead. “I took one look at the menu and I wanted to die. We’re a fusion restaurant yet nothing they asked for is a fusion! To make matters worse, we can’t just cook the food and bring it over. We have to use their kitchens and cook it over there.”
“What?! That sounds like a lot of work!” Misty exclaimed.
“It is a lot of work. I asked my boss why we couldn’t just cook everything and bring it over. Just keep it warm until it’s time to feed them. Apparently, that’s not what they want. They want fresh cooked food that night. If I didn’t already hate these people, they certainly didn’t get on my good side with this,” he groaned, putting his head in his hands again. “You guys are going to have all the fun. I’ll be knee deep trying to make lamb chops and beef Wellington. I rarely make them as it is!”
“Try to cheer up, Ren. It’ll be over before you know it,” Pam said.
“I hope so. What about the rest of you? Have you ever been in that hotel before?”
Crystal had seen The Silver Oracle Hotel from the outside, but never dreamed she would make her way through those doors. She saw how much it cost to spend one night in the cheapest room. Her tuition didn’t even cost that much. She was glad that Ash and Ren were going to get them into the hotel. If anyone recognized her, at least she would have an invitation to prove she belonged here.
“It’s nothing special. I’m only going because my girlfriend is in town and wants me to go,” Ash said. “That’s the only reason I’m stepping foot in it.”
Crystal blinked upon hearing that. “You have a girlfriend?”
Ash nodded. “Yes? Did I never mention her?”
“You probably did, but we thought you were making it up!” Misty exclaimed. “I don’t know, you seem too...particular to have a girlfriend.”
“Particular?” Ash repeated. “What am I particular about, Misty?”
“Hey, I’m trying to put this in the nicest way possible. I thought you were a loner. You didn’t seem like you had many friends. You seem to be the type who doesn’t like…well, anyone.”
Ash smirked at that. “Well, that’s also true. I admit I haven’t found anyone that I can relate to. Until you guys came along, I didn’t make friends easily. My girlfriend is real though. You’ll get to meet her next weekend. I haven’t told her about Project 99 because I don’t think she’s ready for that yet. She can sense that I’m worried about something. She just doesn’t know what it is.”
“For the time being, you probably shouldn’t tell her anything,” Jackie suggested. “If too many people know, Project 99 could come after them next.”
“Exactly. It’s hard to keep this a secret. I don’t want her to worry about me but I want to keep her safe.” He bit down on his bottom lip. “Promise me that you won’t do anything to embarrass me, okay? I’ll introduce you guys but don’t make fun of me or anything of that sort.”
“Don’t worry. We won’t make fun of anything...except for the fact that you make really loud noises when you chew,” Ren teased. “Seriously, everyone can hear you when you eat chips and crackers.”
“Let’s not forget about your elephant collection,” Nikhil added. “I don’t think I’ve seen so many elephants in one person’s room before.”
“And the fact that you blush whenever anyone compliments you,” Pam joked. “You lose your composure at that point, honey. I’ve seen it happen. You get all flustered and you don’t know what to say!”
Ash turned bright red at that. “I don’t do either of those things! So what if I have an elephant collection? Elephants are better than some people out there.”
“Right.” Misty tried hard to hide her laughter. “Anyway, it’s great you’re able to get us into the hotel. The hard part is going to find out what the Bradley Institute is doing there.”
“Oh, yeah, you guys get all the adventures. I’m stuck making scallops and lamb chops for everyone. Then I have to serve all that stuff,” Ren muttered. “I don’t suppose that any of you want to take over for me that night, do you?”
“As tempting as it is, I’m afraid I can’t make scallops,” Doug said. “We’ll try to keep you in the loop though.”
“Hooray.” An unenthused Ren threw his hands up in the air. “Anyway, I hope they don’t cause any problems in the hotel.”
“I don’t think they are going to do that. The Bradley Institute may have some shady practices, but I don’t think they’d cause trouble in public.”
“I should ho
pe they don’t,” Pam murmured. “Anyway, I should get going. I’ve got to get my kids and take them out to dinner. We’re going out for pizza and games. I’m going to be beat when I get back.”
“Yeah, let’s call the meeting to an end,” Crystal agreed. “I need to study.”
Although they ended the meeting, Crystal’s mind was still on the upcoming event. She didn’t know if she even had a dress for this party. Most of the ones that she wore would not suffice. She also didn’t have enough money to buy or rent one for the evening. The only option she had right now was to make one of her own. She had some sewing skills, but it had been a long time since she had made anything. She had to go to an art store and find a pattern that she liked. In addition, she needed to dig up her old sewing machine to make sure it still worked. The worst case scenario was that she would have to sew everything by hand or let her mother sew it. Since her mother lived too far away, this was going to be all on her.
First, she made her stop at the art store and began looking through all the Simplicity patterns that were there. There were a lot of simple dresses but not too many fancy ones. Everything that she liked turned out to be very complicated. She scanned the rows of these patterns until she found one. It was a simple golden dress that was tied at the waist with a silk sash. The dress wasn’t too long, going down to her knees, and it was strapless. She had the perfect shoes to go with it as well as the jewelry. All she needed to do was make the dress.
I can’t believe I’m going through all this just to sneak into someone’s dinner party. She thought. I just hope my dress comes out exactly as it looks on the packet or else I’m screwed.
Her mother called her an hour later to see how she was doing. Ever since Crystal had found out the truth, she wasn’t talking much with her parents. She would text them a few times to let them know that she was still alive. They would text back to say that everything was fine. They would want to know how school was going and she would reply that things were okay. That was what their lives were like now. She hadn’t been able to confront them about The Bradley Institute or Project 99 yet. She didn’t have the heart to ask them these questions.
“How have you been?” Her mother asked her. “We haven’t talked in so long.”
“Well, not much has been going on lately,” Crystal said. “I’m in the middle of exams and I’ve got tons of papers to write. It’s pretty much the typical college life.”
“I know you have been busy. Your father and I trying to redecorate the house and that’s taking up our time.” Her mother sighed. “Anyway, you sound exhausted. Have you been studying all night long?”
“Pretty much. I’ve got so much work piled on me.” That wasn’t a lie. Crystal did find herself studying for long hours into the night. When she would wake up, she would feel like a zombie. The problem was that she now had Project 99 to worry about. If someone could just give her some clear answers, she would be fine. “I wish I could get some rest but I can’t. I’m so exhausted.”
“Well, you should try to sleep as much as possible. When you get back from class, go ahead and take a nap. Do you have that work study job this semester?”
“Yeah, I do but it’s only for three days of the week. I work from twelve to five on those days and it’s not a whole lot of money. All I do is answer phones, answer questions, file things, make copies, open mail, and get the other secretaries their snacks and drinks,” Crystal murmured. “Still, if it helps pay for my education, it’s good enough for me.”
“That’s nice. Anyway, I was just calling to see how you were doing and when you planned to come home. Your next break is Thanksgiving, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is. I can’t guarantee that I am coming for sure though. I’m going to work hard, finish up everything I need to, and then I’ll come,” she said. “I also have to look for plane tickets and I haven’t even done that yet.”
“Well, you should do it soon.” Her mother pointed out. “Prices go up every day. I’ve been checking different websites and it’s amazing how quickly the price changes on these trips. Some of them changed within an hour.”
“I know, I know.” Crystal wondered if this was the time to ask her mother about Project 99. “Mom, can I ask a weird question?”
“Most of your questions tend to be weird, Crystal.” Her mother joked. “Go ahead.”
“Have I ever seemed different to you? Have you noticed any changes in me when I was growing up?” Crystal asked. “Do you feel like I’m not what I’m supposed to be?”
There was a pause. “You were right. Those are some strange questions.”
“Do you have any answers for them?”
“First off, no, you never seemed different from other kids. You got along with everyone back in the day. I don’t know what happened to you when you became an adult. I guess you decided that you hated people as a whole or something.”
“I don’t hate people as a whole, Mom. I just hate the ignorant, stubborn, horrible ones.” Crystal sighed. She knew that this was going to lead into an argument. Her mother had always told Crystal to treat everyone with respect. However, Crystal didn’t feel that everyone deserved it. She gave respect to those who respected her and others the same way. If they didn’t, she didn’t bother with them. As a result, she had no problem cutting off ties with people. She had cut off talking to a lot of family members and former friends. Maybe she was a loner, but she was better off without them.
“The only thing I can tell you, Crystal, you were born like any other child. You had a normal childhood. That’s all there is to it. We’ve given you everything you wanted and needed.”
“Oh, okay.” Crystal didn’t know what else to say after that. Her mother clearly wasn’t going to open up. “Thanks anyway, Mom. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
She hung up and went back to making her dress. It was tough not to be close to her family. It would be better if she was at home. Then she could ask them deeper questions. She needed to know what happened to her. She wanted to know about her life. She had a past that she had no answers to.
What am I? She asked herself. What am I supposed to be? Who am I really?
It hurt not to have answers to these questions. She hoped that someone would clear things up for her. Project 99 was full of mystery and she wanted to know what it was. If she didn’t find out soon, it would change everything for the worst.
She was sure of that.
Chapter 5 – Jackie
Jackie was a little envious of all the people who had dates tonight. She felt completely out of place compared to everyone else. Even Ash, the prickliest one in their group, had a date. Not only that, she was a very cute girl. Her arm was linked through Ash’s and he was blushing hard. It was funny to see him like this. He normally kept a very stoic expression but now his eyes were on her. According to him, Carolina was Mexican-American and they had met two years ago. She also had ties to Argentina and Venezuela. Because of her, Ash had learned Spanish very quickly and was fluent in it. They were talking to each other in it when everyone else arrived. He was so deep into the conversation that he almost didn’t realize that there were other people around him.
“Carolina, these are some of my father’s friends and kids of his colleagues.” He introduced each of them to her. “Everyone, this is Carolina Maldonado. We’ve known each other for a long time.”
“Oh, you weren’t kidding about the girlfriend,” Nikhil smirked.
“You told them about me, Ash?” Carolina asked.
“Yes, but no one believed me,” Ash frowned at the group. “Did you really think I’d lie to you?”
“We know you’re honest, Ash. We just wanted to meet the lovely lady in person.” Doug shook Carolina’s hand. “It’s a pleasure, Carolina.”
“Likewise. I haven’t been back here in a long time and I’m so glad I get to see Ash twice this month.” She squeezed Ash who turned a brighter shade of red at this. “I know he’s been hard at work with his secret project.”
“Hey, we don’
t even know what the secret project is,” Misty shrugged. “Anyway, you’re from California, right? How do you like it there?”
“It’s pretty nice. The only downside is that I live too far away from Ash.” She noticed that her boyfriend was blushing hard. “Are you okay? You look like a tomato.”
“I’m fine. I’m just...captivated by you,” he smiled at her. “You’re making this whole night worthwhile.”
Jackie couldn’t help but grin at that. Every word out of his mouth was the truth. He couldn’t help but keep his eyes on her. It was clear that he cared a lot about her. Jackie wished that she could find someone that would look at her the same way. She wanted a girl that was as old as she was with a great sense of humor and a tolerance for anything. She hated that she was jealous of a sixteen year old right now. She wanted that kind of love and hadn’t found it yet.
Carolina left them to get something to eat while Ash watched her walk off. The smile on his face hadn’t disappeared. Pam gently poked his shoulder. “You’re still blushing, honey.”
“What? No, I’m not!” Ash shook his head and glowered at them. “None of you saw that!”
“Sure,” Crystal laughed. “She’s a nice girl, Ash.”
“I’m glad you found someone and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Doug said. “I was your age when I first started dating. I know what it’s like to be in that stage. She seems like a perfect fit for you.”
“She’s great. I wish she lived closer because it’s hard to keep dating when you’re on different ends of the country. We make it work though,” he grinned, his dimples appearing on his cheeks. “She’s very special.”
“Ah, look, his dimples!” Crystal squealed, poking Ash’s cheeks. “I didn’t even know you had those!”
“Seriously, you are always so stuck up and snooty at times,” Misty pointed out. “I’m glad to see you know how to smile.”
“Leave my face alone!” Ash snapped, pulling away. “If anyone thinks of poking my dimples again, I’m taking your finger off!”
