I pulled myself up onto the deck of the ship. Liam grabbed my wrist and helped me up as I climbed the side of the boat. Nathan then jumped off the boat, and then Carter. "What the heck did you start?" Liam asked me as he pulled me up.
"We were swimming in some disgusting water, I dont feel like smelling like a cow field when I go meet the beach bums," I laughed as my knees hit the deck. I stood up and wrung the water out of my ponytail. I looked at Liam who was looking pretty disgusted at me. He had medium brown hair similar to Nathan's but it was shorter. Liam also has more defined facial features compared to Nathan and Liam is also a good five inches taller than Nathan and Carter. Carter and Nathan are both a head taller than me so you can tell how tall Liam is compared to me. My head doesn't even make it to his shoulder.
Kathy came over and looked me up and down, "I'm surprised how much came off just by jumping into the water."
"Me too," I laughed as I looked down at my clean self. Somehow I didnt smell like a cow field.
Kathy copied my laugh and then directed her eye contact to my hair.
"Do you want me to braid it?" She asked.
"Please," I cheerily answered.
Kathy sat me down infront of her and she started to fishtail braid it. It was one long braid going right down the center of my head.
A few minutes later she tied the end off, "All done, it's kinda messy but it looks fine."
"Thank you," I said as I turned around and gave her a light hug, I was still soaked and didnt want to soak her too.
"No problem," she smiled.
I smiled back and looked over at Liam who was pulling Carter and Nathan out of the water.
As soon as Nathan got on the deck the first thing to come out of his mouth was, "That was not worth swimming in cow poo."
"The moo moos are safe and we still have enough to create a farm," Carter argued, "Therefore it was worth it."
"Moo moos?" Liam laughed, "Are you five?"
"Absolutely," Carter laughed back as he flicked water at Liam, "Lemme be a five year old."
Liam wiped the water off his face and smiled at Carter while shaking his head.
I turned to look at the group of our people who were now grouped at the front of the ship. They were looking at the group on the beach. I stood up on the platform at the back and started talking loudly:
"Okay," I started, "I need everyone's attention." Man I highly dislike talking infront of people... Everyone started to turn and walk towards me. "I can tell that you all are confused."
"Yeah, who are they?" Gordon called out.
"We dont know," I answered.
"What do you mean?" Leah asked.
"We dont know who they are, or what they want, or if they're friendly." I answered.
Carter, Liam, Madelyn, Kathy, and Nathan all looked up at me. Carter seemed surprised that I was talking infront of everyone.
Murmurs started to erupt from the group of adults.
"We have it under control though," I added, "A select few are going to get on a smaller boat and row over there to see if they're hostile."
"Are we seriously going to listen to a kid?" Gordon asked the person next to him.
"Yes," I answered, "Unless someone has a different idea that makes more sense."
"We're putting the lives of everyone in the hands of a 16 year old," Gordon added. He was outraged to the point his face was red.
"Gordon please explain whose hands your life has been in for the past few days?" Jack, Liam and Madelyn's dad, interrupted.
"We've been trusting these teenagers with our lives since we left the island. They made the boat. They got the animals. They got us on the boat. And they've been sailing it. They're in charge and you're going to listen to them," Morris ordered, "Go on Carla, who's going on the little boat?"
"Thank you Morris," I said, "Whoever would like to go with us over there. Only a few are needed though."
"I think the teens should go," Leah suggested, "You guys have worked so hard, I think you guys should be the first of us to step off onto the mainland."
I nodded and then looked over at the rest of the teens. They nodded back at me. "You guys up for an adventure?"
"Isnt our whole life one?" Madelyn laughed.
I smiled at them as they nodded at my question.
Liam added, "We need people to hold the cows by their halters to keep them from jumping off the boat."
Morris and Gordon raised their hands accompanied by my mom and Dave, Carter's and Nathan's dad.
Sophie, Morris's fiance started talking, "You teens are a blessing. You've done so much."
We all looked at her and simultaneously said "Thank you."
She nodded and turned to grab ahold of the bull calf by his halter. I smiled and slowly stepped off of the platform and to the other teens.
"I need to stay on the boat," Nathan said, "I cant control the Nanobots from that far away."
"Okay," I answered with a nod of my head.
"And I'm staying on the boat too," Madelyn added.
"Okay that's fine," I answered, "Anyone else too afraid to row to shore?" I asked.
Madelyn and Nathan looked down at their feet. I'm not stupid, I knew why they wanted to stay.
"I dont really think I've done enough for them to feel comfortable being who Morris was talking about. I'm not a hero," Paige mumbled.
I threw my arms down and looked at my friends. "Everyone is getting on that boat. Everyone here has done something to put us where we are. We have superpowers and the beach bumps dont, so you shouldn't be afraid of them," I looked over at Madelyn and then looked at Nathan, "And there is nothing your Nanobots are doing that alters the survival of anyone on the boat." I looked over at Paige, "And if it wasnt for you being rude to me then I wouldn't have ever been inspired to not be the wimp you told me I was. Everyone is getting on that boat because everyone here deserves to be the first few people to set foot on the mainland from Hatutu."
Carter and Liam were the only two people still looking at me at this point.
"Seriously guys, do a few humans scare you so much that you dont want to go and do the one thing we've been fighting for since we started this journey?" I added.
"Theres fifty plus of them." Madelyn added, "and who knows what kind of weapons they have."
"We beat a team of superhuman adults that contained twice as many people as there are right here," I argued, "We have a speedster, a muscle man, a energy blaster, a genius, a flight girl, a tech guy, and someone who can literally change the form of anything with atoms. We're going up against humans who have never seen our kind and will probably just think we're humans too."
"What shes trying to say is that just one of us could take down all those humans single handedly so we shouldn't be afraid with it being the 6 of us," Carter explained.
Kathy slowly looked at me, then Madelyn, then Nathan, and then finally Paige.
"Fine I'll go," Nathan said as he crossed his arms.
"I'll go too," Madelyn added.
"Me too," Kathy said.
"Me three," Paige finally added.
"Good, now let's get going," Liam declared. He walked over to the fence and pulled a horizontal beam out of it. He gently put it in my hands.
I held it in my hands for a few seconds before making it into a small row boat that can hold the six of us. Liam lowered it into the water and then helped us into it.
"Remember," I reminded as Liam hopped down into the boat and grabbed the oars, "No powers."
"Okie dokie," Carter said.
Everyone's nerves seemed to have calmed down. Nobody seemed like they wanted to rip my head off anymore. I was probably too harsh with my speech. I'm not really sure how this leader thing is going to effect my friendships.
"Carla?" Paige called out from a few seats infront of me.
I pulled myself from my thoughts and focused on her.
"You make a good leader, you're powerful, you need to work on your inspiration speeches though," She laughed.
I faked a smile and managed to make Carter smile from that one. I've got to practice my smiles. I was honestly terrified on this, but it was the only plan we have. Hopefully they're not bad.
The group of people rotated to be directly where we will pull into shore. The hair on my neck stood up and I got an uneasy feeling as we got closer. Something didnt seem right.
I stood up and waved while smiling, "Hello!"
Nobody moved. Nobody changed their expressions. Nobody reacted. Nobody waved back.
Suddenly my whole body felt numb with fear. I just made my friend row to their death.
"Liam, stop," I ordered. He stopped rowing. We were a few meters away still. Far enough to get out of there if they charged.
"Do you speak english?" I called out.
Nobody answered.
"Habla usted Inglés?" I called out again.
"When did you learn spanish?" Kathy asked.
"Avery taught me last year," I responded.
I looked back at the group. Then at my friends, "Stay here." I walked to the side and stepped off the boat. Carter grabbed the sleeve to my shirt.
"I am coming with you," Carter insisted.
"Me too," Madelyn added.
"You're not going without me," Liam demanded.
"Me neither," Kathy added.
"Or me," Paige said.
"You're not going without all of us. Until the end, remember?" Nathan insisted.
I looked at my friends and Carter pulled me back into the boat. They all looked to me.
"Keep rowing," I softly ordered.
"Yes ma'am," Liam laughed.
"Please, please stop calling me that," I laughed back.
Liam shrugged and started rowing.
The group of humans moved out of the way as we rowed up to the shore. They pulled the boat onto shore and we stepped out.
"Hello," I said with a fake smile.
No answer.
"We come from Hatutu Island. Its south of Hawaii," I explained, "Our leader was corrupt so we sailed over here. Where are we?"
"Cali," one of the tall men said. I looked at them, most were tall men, they all had black hair with tattoos on their faces and down their necks.
"Cali?" I asked, I had never heard if a place called Cali.
"California," the tall man explained, "United States."
"Our leader wishes to speak with yours to find out your punishment," another tall man butted in.
"Excuse us, we dont mean to trespass, we actually didnt know that anyone was even alive after the nuclear war," I apologized.
"Where is your leader?" The man insisted.
"We don't hav-" I started.
"You're speaking to her now have some respect," Carter growled.
I looked over at him and then back at the man I was speaking with.
A tall, brown haired woman, about Carter's height, pushes throught the group of guys and stands infront of me.
"This is your leader? A child?" She laughed.
"I'd watch your tone," Kathy growled.
"I dont speak to bodyguards sweetie, sorry," She laughed at Kathy's attempt to be menacing.
"I'd watch your attitude if I was you," I lashed out in a deeper tone than I usually speak with.
"You're on my territory child. I think you underestimate the fact that I have crosshairs on you and your friends," she laughed.
"I think you underestimate just how bulletproof we are," I growled as I got in her face.