Complications

Decisions

As Clessa got out of the bathroom, she saw Giselle, sprawled out on the couch. She stopped.
"Giselle?"
Clessa heard snoring.
I should go...
Why?
Wait...this time...why didn't I feel a tugging?
Because, I choose when you know or nahhh.
But you are me!
Anyways, you should go. The Professor needs yah!
Since when did you start talking like....
You?
Yes. Us.
I'm slowly learning how to act like you. Anyways, why do you care wether or not I sound like you? You'll be dead in seven days.
I do care. It's a week with you.
Us. I thought we've been over this! I am you, you are me. Sometimes you should listen.
Clessa snapped out of her brain.
The decision was made, she was going to go out of the bedroom window. With a deep breath, and some courage, she stalked over to the door. Clessa turned around and looked at Giselle.
"I'll be back," whispered Clessa.
She smiled at Giselle, and jogged the rest of the way to the bathroom. All Clessa could hear was her own heartbeat, and racing thoughts. She reached for the door, and slowly opened it.
Even more slowly, Clessa walked across the shiny glass tiles. Her boots clicked as she walked over.
"You can do this."
Clessa stopped, and sucked in a deep breath. She stared at the window.
"Okay, right now, in my insane and crummy life, all that's standing between saving the Professor is a window. I can do this. I can do this. One window won't stop me.... I hope. Come on Clessa."
Clessa brushed her hair back behind her ears. Slowly, she reached her hand up, and opened the window.
A cold blast of air met her face. She saw stars. It was beautiful.
"I'm coming Professor," whispered Clessa as she jumped up to the window.
Clessa quietly went through the window. Expecting a roof, Clessa reached up, but felt nothing.
"What the..."
Clessa crawled back into the bathroom, and pulled a stool to the window. She stood on her tiptoes, and peered out of the window. It was a room, a dome shaped room. The ceiling looked like space. Clessa looked down at the floor, which was also starry.
"Optical illusion much?"
The room looked as though it actually was space. Being the curios girl she is, Clessa climbed back through the window.
Clessa landed on the ground with an echoey thud.
"Hello," called Clessa. Her voice echoed...eerily.
With each step, her boots echoed against the floor.
"Anyone here?"
Clessa walked to the edge of the room and touched the wall. It was like a force field.
"Weird," whispered Clessa.
As she was making her way to the middle, the room went dark.
What?
I don't know. You should know.
Shut up.
Make me.
Clessa crawled her way back to reality, and groped through the darkness. Soon, all of the lights came on.
"Hello," asked Clessa weakly.
A girl, who looked about Clessa's age, was standing in the middle of the room. Her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail. The girl had bangs pulled back behind her ear, and black frame glasses. She had freckles around her nose. The girl was wearing a futuristic sparkly jumpsuit and black combat boots.
"Welcome to the Gateway Games," she had a futuristic and robotic voice.
Clessa whimpered under her breath.
"I am Emily Jay, your host. Just call me Emily, host, etcetera.This game is broadcasting live over channel 10,719 and is located on Starship 4,000."
"Hi," is all Clessa managed to say.
"This game focuses on your interstellar knowledge. You will be tested using a series of questions. Get all of them right, an you can go home. Get one wrong, and you will be deleted."
"Deleted? What does that mean?"
Emily ignored her.
"Please take your stand at the podium," said Emily with a gesture towards a shiny silver podium.
With a snap of her fingers, Emily had changed the lights in the room to only focus on herself and Clessa. The rest of the room was dark.
"Listen cupcake. Take me back to the Machine right now or else."
Again, Emily ignored her.
"First question."
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Back in the room, Giselle had just woken up. She rubbed her eyes, stretched, and yawned.
"Clessa, can you grab me some water?"
Giselle opened her eyes and looked around.
"Clessa?"
Giselle stood up and looked around.
"This is not funny!"
Giselle speed walked around the room, looking for Clessa.
"Come out, right now!"
Giselle looked in the corners, in the wardrobes, and under beds. No Clessa in sight.
"Come on out!"
Giselle jogged to the bathroom, and opened the wooden door. She slowly walked in, and saw the open window.
"Oh Clessa," said Giselle.
Giselle looked out into (real) space. Nothing was there.
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"On the common planet know as earth, what is the white thing called that is located in the sky?"
Clessa, still not believing what was happening around her, decided to answer the question.
"Clouds?"
"Correct."
An applause from nowhere showed up, which made Clessa jump.
"Question two."
Clessa nodded.
"What is the court named after the fourth second queen of Selliak called?"
"Umm....Shelly?"
"Correct."
Clessa smiled at her guessing skills, and got ready for the next question.
"Question three. What is the name of the traveling man from the Shadow Searcher cult?"
Clessa grinned.
"Professor."
"Correct."
Clessa grinned. Truly, the only reason she was still trying in the game was the Professor, Giselle, and Xander. But she was mainly fighting for her dad.
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Giselle closed the window and walked out of the bathroom. Suddenly, she got a ring on her phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey Gis."
"Hey Cher!"
"Me too!"
"Hey Nikki!"
Giselle laughed at her friends. It felt good to hear familiar voices. And although Cher and Nikki were six years younger than her, they were still good friends. Best friends.
"What you up to," asked Cher cheerily.
"I'm with the Professor and Zandy."
"Nice. Still with Cless?"
"She ran off."
Giselle had been emailed Cher an Nikki before going into the room, and told her everything that had happened.
"So, can we come to the Machine?"
"Sure! Let me send you the coordinates of the room. Ttyl!"
Giselle hung up, and excitingly hung up the phone. It felt great for Giselle to finally see a supportive face. Cher Beaux's and Nikki Gordon's supportive faces.
Cher had brown eyes that were behind black glasses with little designs at the sides. She had long, warm brown hair.
Nikki had icy blue eyes, but no glasses. She also had dirty blonde, almost brown hair that was about the length of Cher's.
After sending the coordinates, Giselle ran over to turn off the security shield so Cher and Nikki could teleport in.
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"Question four," said Emily in her smooth robotic voice.
Clessa gulped, partially dulling her confidence.
"Fill in the blanks. To blank or not to blank."
"Be?"
"Correct. Question five. What is the most common name for the moons of Delta?"
Clessa gulped. Her guessing skills weren't really coming into par now.
"You have one minute," said Emily impatiently.
Uh oh.
Yes.
Do you know?
I'm turning more into you....so no.
We'll be deleted.
Technically only you. I can live one trough a ghost. You are on your own.
"Thirty seconds," said Emily.
Clessa bit her lip, nervously.
"The answer is now required."
Clessa sucked in a nervous breath.
"Um...er...Deltians?"
Clessa hoped for the best.
"Incorrect. You will be deleted."