Miriam waited until five minutes after the to-go text to actually start. She was so petrified something might go wrong, that she would be caught.
She was glued to her desk, looking out of the window into the bright sunlight. The window's curtains were cyan. Directly under it was her cyan bed with green pillows. On the wall to the right of that was her dresser and closet.
But eventually she forced herself up from her desk and into the hallway. Her feet touched the cool hardwood and it felt as if it pierced into her bones.
Despite the fact that no one but her dog was home with her, she still snuck forwards, cringing at the slightest creaks from the floorboards.
Keep on breathing, she thought to herself.
She opened the door to Matthew's room and it felt as loud as a shriek. She spun around to make sure no one had heard it and let out a sigh as she realized no one had.
"I'm good, I'm good," she muttered as she closed the door behind her.
She looked around her brothers room, a place where she didn't spend much time in except to scold him for leaving the toilet seat up because their dog drank from the toilet. The walls were a light grey with posters of action movies such as Star Wars pasted to them. Similar to Asher's room, glowing stars adorned the ceiling.
His bed was against the far right wall with a closet opening up just a couple of inches from the foot of the bed. On the other side of the room was a tall wardrobe next to a desk. To the right of the desk was a trash can because he was often too lazy to go downstairs and dispose of his trash during a long gaming session.
To the left of the wardrobe was a bookshelf containing any Star Wars book ever published. On one of the shelves there was a crooked book. Miriam crossed the floor to read the spine, "DNA in you".
Miriam frowned. Why would he care about that subject? Astronomy was more of his scientific type. He wouldn't care… unless he had the device. But how would he figure out how to use it anyways?
She pried around the room for a couple more minutes. She felt intensely guilty that she was invading his privacy, but it had to be done.
Miriam spun around as she heard a creak of the stairs. Could it be him? Her heart pounded. She didn't know if to scream or shout, to flee or stay put. Instead, she went back to the door and slowly drew it open to reveal the furry face of her dog, Lucky.
"It's just you," she sighed as she pat the golden retriever's head. "Still better get out of here before he comes back."
She sat in her room, looking at the computer and staring blankly at the screen, until Matthew came home. She heard the front door slam open and swore she felt the rattle of it from all the way up there.
He stampeded up the stairs, and raced past his own room and burst into hers.
"What were you doing in my room?" Matthew demanded.
Miriam looked away. "I wasn't in your room," she lied.
"Uh-huh? Well, explain this!" Her little brother spat, shoving his phone into her face.
A video was playing from a vantage point of Miriam searching around the room. There must be a camera on top of the wardrobe! She thought, suddenly remembering the gift that was given to him at christmas.
"I said I'd figure out what you're doing, and now I'm even moooore determined!" Matthew exclaimed.
Miriam tried to keep her face straight. That revealed a lot of information. Such as he didn't actually know what she was hiding.
She gave a slip of a relieved face and he said, "Don't underestimate me."
Then, walking backwards, he exited the room and Miriam could hear him as he slammed his back into the wall.
Miriam sighed and texted Adah, "I don't think Matthew stole it"
Adah took just a second to respond, "Rlly? Y?"
"He has a security camera in her room and caught me and said he would learn my secrets. If he had the device then he'd already know my secret," Miriam tapped.
"Ohhh. That makes sense," Adah replied. "Don't forget - meet up is later today."
"I'll be sure to be there ;)," Miriam typed back, still blushing as she set the phone down.
"You know whats really unfair? The fact that the Lake Kids have a name and we don't. I mean, we're the ones with a space ship!" Adah exclaimed, her chair spinning at least 7 miles an hour as Cain had gotten an adrenaline rush and started pushing it.
They were back in the spaceship. Miriam had just told them about the revelation that her brother was innocent, and now they were just talking about anything.
"You're right," Miriam said through a mouthful of almonds.
"Let's have another contest then. It has to stick to the theme though," Asher said.
"I have an idea, the Sins," Adah announced, and Miriam spit out her mouthful of almonds. She apologized briefly before cleaning it up with a napkin.
"No, no!" Cain guffawed. "I can't say that with a straight face."
'You can't do anything straight," Adah quipped.
"Children of Eden," Miriam recommended.
"Sounds like a cult," PJ grumbled from her back corner.
Adah shot back, "Well I'd like you to say something better."
"Apples," PJ bluntly said in a monotone voice surprisingly deep for herself. That made everyone start laughing again.
"That's actually pretty clever. That way, everyone will think 'oh, its just those darn teenagers talking about those newfangled electronics'!" Adah said, imitating an old woman in some of the parts.
"I agree," Asher voiced.
Cain smiled. "I guess that's a vote. We are now the Apples. That makes sense, because we are from the trees."
"And I like trees," Asher muttered, but the reference to Mary Jane seemed to slip over the Apples' heads.
Asher cleared his throat. "So, uh, anyways. Today I think it'd be a good day to vote. We need more protection from others. I think you should vote for PJ."
"I think you should vote for me," Adah declared, standing up.
Oh, not again, Asher thought. Luckily, he had a card that would deter people.
"Adah, you just got sick," Asher said. "Your immune system can't handle it."
It was true. Two days ago Adah had a tiny bit of a stomach bug and thrown up.
Miriam gave Adah an apologetic look. "Adah, I don't want you to hurt yourself. I'm voting for PJ."
"Me too," Cain said. "I vote for PJ."
"Alright, let's do it right now," PJ said.
Soon enough, she was staring at the variety of DNA samples in front of her. Some of them were new, and she had her eyes on one.
"I want to choose the fox. Hope it gives me some smarts," PJ said.
"I don't think you need to be any more smart," Cain told her. "You can already run miles around me."
After a minute, they had it all set up. She would be staying at Asher's house along with Cain who would help her. She had the two devices around her wrists.
Asher put the switches up to one, and PJ yelped in shock as she felt a needle-like sensation under her skin. She grit her teeth and slowly let off air.
"Welcome to the club!" Cain exclaimed, high fiving her.
They stayed there a tiny bit more until they went to Asher's house. Asher and her were the first to be there.
Asher grinned at her. "You know, its perfect timing that you got your device when you did. Now we can do this together."
PJ's eyes widened as he tugged down the collar of his shirt to reveal the shine of metal.