"You promise not to tell anyone?" She wrinkled her pointed nose.

"Of course."

Pia cupped her hand to Kaila's ear. "I'm pregnant."

"What!" Kaila shouted. She couldn't help herself, she was so surprised. People turned around to look.

"Shhh," Melissa said, frowning.

Kaila cupped her hands over Pia's ear. "Who is it? You never told me you had a boyfriend."

Pia recoiled, looking at her like she was a fool. "Kaila," she said softly. "I'm gay."

Kaila had suspected as much, seeing her with Antonia. She didn't seem to have any crushes. Kaila stared at Pia's heart-shaped face, the smattering of freckles on her cheeks.

"But," Kaila finally said. "You can't get pregnant by being with . . ."

"Duh!" Pia shouted, exasperated. More people turned to look at the three girls in the back seat of the bus.

"She missed her period and had this weird feeling down there," Melissa explained.

"I went to the clinic and they did the p.i.s.s and blood test. It was positive," Pia said, putting her head in her hands.

Kaila saw the fear on Melissa's tired and drawn face. "She's never been with a dude," Melissa said. "How is this possible?"

Kaila felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. The hairs on her body stood on end. She folded her arms across her chest, knowing something terrifying was happening.

"What the h.e.l.l is this?" Wade hollered soon as Kaila emerged from the school bus. He came running up to Kaila, Melissa, and Pia, his wide shoulders swaying.

He touched Kaila's skirt. She wore a black skirt with silver swirl appliques and a black short-sleeved blouse with a silver lariat chain and white camisole.

"I don't know if you're a scene girl, dancer, prep, hick, or emo. Or even an alien. Saw you hanging with them the other day." He pushed his ruddy face to hers. "What are you, little wannabe?"

Pia pushed Wade. "Get off her, a.s.swipe."

"Don't touch me, lesbo," Wade said, flinging Pia, who lost her footing and fell on her b.u.t.t.

"Get away from us!" Kaila shouted. She felt the terrible power rising. How she wanted to zap him. But she couldn't do that with the whole school watching.

"Lip gloss?" Wade taunted. He put his arms around Kaila. "Is it flavored?"

Kaila pushed him away. "Don't touch me-ever."

Unbidden, the power rose; she lifted her eyelids. She had to control herself. "You are a pathetic, failed loser!" Kaila shouted. "Don't come near us again."

She helped Pia up. They headed toward the back of the school.

"Think you're so smart, poser? That's what you are . . . a poser," Wade called, cupping his hands to his mouth. "Poser! Poser!"

Kaila felt her face go red as Wade mocked her in front of the whole school. Keeping cool, she said to Melissa and Pia, "Keep going, get away from that hole."

They rounded the turn to the back of the school.

"He sucks," Pia said.

"He has the hots for Kaila," Melissa said.

"Strange way of showing it," Kaila replied.

"This day is going to completely suck," Pia said.

They stood in the back of the school, the rising sun in their faces.

"They aren't coming," Kaila said, putting on her sungla.s.ses.

"How do you know?" Melissa asked.

"I just know."

"They weren't around yesterday or at lunch. What's up?" Pia asked.

"Don't know."

"Well, keep trying to find out what's up with what we talked about . . . okay?" Melissa beseeched, her long bangs covering her eye. "I got this ringing in my ears, this high pitched sound. It's making me crazy." Melissa held her head. "Ugh, my head hurts."

Pia grabbed Kaila's forearms. "Come on, Kaila, you gotta help us. People don't get pregnant when they're virgins. I'm not mother Mary!"

Again, guilt gripped Kaila for the knowledge she didn't share. Her friends had no clue of the night they'd partied together. Kaila knew she was being watched. She recalled the fourth dimension lesson; they could observe any time. If she told all, there'd be serious consequences.

The bell rang.

At lunch, when Kaila came outside, Wade called, "Here comes the poser!" When Kaila pa.s.sed, people stared, gossiping in cl.u.s.ters.

"Pay no attention to that douche," Pia said. "You can wear anything you want." A true friend, though overwhelmed with her own problems, Pia was still consoling.

Kaila overheard a guy, who previously declared that she was hot when Jordyn put a mind-screen on him in the hall, saying, "Wade is right. She's a poser."

Were the mind-screens temporary? Why was the mind-screen of the hive being from New Mexico permanent? And had they injected that mind-screen over the whole town?

Kaila sipped her smoothie, enduring the scathing looks of fellow cla.s.smates who had judged and condemned her.

"I hate this school," Melissa said.

Pia said, "I told you this day was going to suck."

"I am absolutely livid," Mrs. Bourg fumed in advanced physics. "Trust me, I am not as quick as some in here, but information does come my way.

"I have been informed that some of our cla.s.smates have been engaging in undesirable behavior." Mrs. Bourg threw up her hands. "How can we rule the world when we are getting drunk?"

"Is this not hypocritical?" Viktor asked.

"Silence, young man! Don't you dare put those eyes on me," Mrs. Bourg said, detecting the slit in his eyes. "Your Master has informed me."

Viktor ceased mocking and lowered his eyes.

"I am just livid. And more so, I am ashamed." She wrung her plump hands. "Viktor. Come up here and hand out a pamphlet. Full pamphlet, please. Immediately. No nonsense."

Viktor strode to the front of the cla.s.s. He didn't lean over each student to mind-stare individually. His pupils split his eyes in half, looking like a lethal black mamba snake's below a shock of red hair. He stood still, aware of his emanating hypnotic power. Brandy, Tara, Phyllis, and Douglas instantly lost their confused expressions and dropped their heads on their desks. They weren't even semi-conscious in a trance; they went completely unconscious. Kaila kept her head lowered, gazing down at her desk. She realized Viktor had not directed his energy toward her, that she was allowed consciousness.

Then, energy invaded the cla.s.sroom. Kaila grew frightened as she noted that even Viktor lost his composure and hurried to his seat. Something thick, dark, and powerful pervaded the room. An amber light, like twilight before a thunderstorm. She stole a peep at Jordyn. His eyes lowered in submission. She felt a vibration, a rumbling, a hint of power stronger than a hundred nuclear bombs.

Mrs. Bourg dropped to her knees and folded her hands. "We beg your mercy. I am your humble servant, Master."

The energy intensified. A power so strong, with a thousand eyes to see inside of every thought, action, intention she ever had or will have before even she, herself, was aware. The probing eyes reached inside her skull deep into her brain. The thickness engulfed the cla.s.sroom; Kaila could no longer see Mrs. Bourg.

Thick smoke obscured vision; yet something loomed inside the smoke. A terrible odor of burning sulfur, or rotting eggs. Kaila's throat closed. Her mouth went dry. She prayed she wouldn't have an asthma attack and draw attention to herself. She sensed it in front of her, considering her. She kept her head lowered, her gaze straight to just beyond her desk, trying not to blink or breathe. It was already creeping inside her. She caught a glimpse. Whatever lurked in the smoke had red glittery eyes. She held her breath. She felt it observing her, invading her. She smelled its hot sulfurous breath. Next to her ear, she heard a guttural growl. Her instinct was to jump up and run, but she knew to hold still, to not reveal a trace of fear.

Images of people being sacrificed ignited in her mind. She saw people bound on their backs on stone slabs. Knives sliced open their chests. Others thrust their fists inside the chest cavern then ripped out their beating hearts, holding them up to the blazing sun. Blood dripped down their arms. A sacrifice to appease the G.o.ds. That G.o.d with glowing eyes hid in the smoke just in front of her desk. He was hungry, and his hunger required blood and fear. Kaila tried to keep her eyes open to hide from the visions. But the visions rolled before her eyes, or in her head, regardless.

She saw dark caverns lit with fires, the rock black with soot. Past the fires, deep in the caverns, people were locked in cages. They'd been placed into permanent hypnotic states. Yet, as creatures surgically experimented on them doing G.o.d knew what with their blood and limbs, they moaned and pleaded for mercy. Some crouched at the back of those cages, staring upward, clutching their heads, slipping into insanity.

Children were jerked from their night beds and carried into the caves; their fear visible as a red emanation. Darkness surrounded that energy as if inhaling a red wind. Later, that soft flesh ripped from their bones by ravenous jagged teeth as shrill shrieks echoed in the cavern. Silence came only in death.

Help me, Kaila thought. Help me!

There is no help for you. You have no choice. You must turn your allegiance. Choose to rule or choose to be a slave.

Kaila did not move, pretending to be in a trance.

But she had heard. She knew that the hive had seen and heard too.

"We beg your pardon," Mrs. Bourg implored through the shroud of smoke. "It will never happen again. As your servant, you have my word. They know they have transgressed. We will make corrections and serve the mission."

After a low "hiss," the thickness evaporated. Nothing. Only the fluorescent light above buzzing, emitting a cold white hue.

Everyone sat still, recovering.

"So," Mrs. Bourg said, fetching a handkerchief from her purse and blotting her forehead. "Though you like to play games and manipulate me, realize that I am a servant of the Master who is also your Master. You may fool me, but you cannot fool him.

"Viktor, wake the sleepers. Then I shall mete out punishment."

Viktor walked to the front of the cla.s.s, head lowered. He stared out into the cla.s.sroom, his fire quenched. Brandy, Tara, Phyllis, and Douglas lifted their heads, returning to consciousness.

"As I was saying," Mrs. Bourg said. "A little birdie whispered in my ear about students becoming inebriated. Liquor impairs minds. We need our minds sharp. So for the rest of this week, we are going to be educated on the terrible ills of drugs and alcohol."

She wheeled over a television set. Turned out the lights. Put in a DVD.

"When I am convinced you are serious about advancing yourselves, we will have physics cla.s.s. But until then, you will be educated on the consequences of drugs and alcohol. Just like little high school babies."

The DVD played with a police officer relating problems caused by alcohol consumption.

The cla.s.s groaned.

"Silence!" Mrs. Bourg shouted.

"More high school students are killed due to alcohol-related car wrecks than any other means," intoned the officer from the television set.

Kaila glanced at Jordyn. He wouldn't look at her. She could not hear or feel him.

When the wretched film finally ended, everyone bolted out of their seats.

"Hey," Kaila said to the hive. Somehow, she had to return to normal. Had to pretend what had just happened had not. She felt foolish as she uttered, "Don't forget my birthday party is next Sat.u.r.day."

Their large eyes stared.

"Something fun to look forward to?"

Jordyn took her arm. "Let's get the h.e.l.l out of here."

Here is proof that Kaila Guidry is a poser, Wade posted as his Facebook status. He posted pictures of Kaila in her different looks: t-shirt and jeans; prep skirt and blouse; black jeans, black shirt; and black appliqued skirt and camisole. Cast your vote: hick, prep, emo, scene girl, alien or poser.

Kaila's hand flew to her tiny mouth, as she absorbed the photos that he, or someone else, must have taken with their cell phone. There she was in line in the cafeteria, coming in to English, outside during lunch. And the comments! She sank low in her chair.

She is a poser wanting to be an alien, Brandy wrote. Hangs with alien freakoids in physics.

She's a wannabe lesbo, hanging with Pia, Derek Mendoza commented. Like to get a pic of that.

Kaila Guidry is an alien wannabe, Tara wrote. Her big head and eyes are just like those monsters. And don't forget the wicked claw monster hand.

Definitely not from this planet. Loser.

There were twenty-two more comments, all with numerous likes. As Kaila's eyes filled with tears, the screen blurred.

YOU are the losers! Melissa commented. Just because she's new, she doesn't deserve this. She is nice.

Kaila choked when she read that Melissa was similarly attacked.

Shut up, Cyclops. If you could see straight out that eye, you'd agree.

The Valdyr Lawless person commented, This is plain mean. Stop!

Kaila realized then that Valdyr Lawless had to be Jordyn. Only he, Melissa, or Pia would defend her.

Pia had logged on. Pia would counter attack. This would get worse. And Pia had enough of her own problems being pregnant.

Kaila logged offline; she couldn't handle a chat attack from the hyenas. Plus, she didn't want to advertise that she'd seen this. She was at an utter loss for what to do.

As she considered her options of defend or attack, she knew she didn't want to wage war. Why were they so d.a.m.n mean, so many haters?