"The tragedy of life is not death ... but what we let die inside of us while we still live."
Adalynn Stanton is accepted into one of the highest competitive schools in her state, the Greenhouse Academy. At first, all she thinks she will have to do...
"We are heroes Heroes in the darkest times When there is no light We are heroes Heroes in the darkest times But we'll rise above."
~ Heroes by Zayde Wolf
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A cool crisp autumn breeze fluttered around Adalynn's face and teased the loose strands of her hair as she waited in the open doorway of the Academy.
"Hey Stanton, you ready to roll?" Leo queried as he sauntered through the lobby to join her.
Adalynn cracked a smile. "Why are you always calling me by my last name, Leo?"
Leo shrugged. "That's just what I do ... Stanton."
Adalynn rolled her eyes and huffed in annoyance.
Just then, a pitter-patter of footsteps reached her ears and she turned around to see Emma scampering across the floor towards her and Leo.
"Hi," Emma greeted them shyly as she held out a packet of cookies. "I - I thought you might like these to eat on the way. I made them myself."
"Aww, cookies!" Adalynn rubbed her stomach as she accepted the packet from Emma's hand. "Thank you."
"I'm so jealous right now," Emma groaned. "I wish I was going to the launch."
"Do you want my ticket?" Adalynn asked.
"NO!" Jason's voice boomed out as he emerged from the school hall. "You and Leo have been chosen to attend the launch and it's gonna stay that way."
"This is going to be a nightmare," Adalynn sighed.
Tugging on his jacket and tucking a briefcase under his arm, Jason brushed past Adalynn and Leo and said, "Let's go."
It was a very uncomfortably silent drive to the NASA building. A chauffeur was hired to drive them there in a specially prepared limo. Jason bagged the front seat and Adalynn and Leo were in the back. No one spoke a word. There was nothing to say, nothing to talk about. Adalynn just fiddled with her hands in her lap, glancing up at Jason every now and then. She noticed that he was going through the contents of his briefcase, but from her vantage point, she couldn't see WHAT he was looking at. It made her nervous and scared and all tingly inside. She wished she HADN'T been chosen to attend the launch; there were THAT many students who would've LOVED to go in her stead, Max and Emma for example.
Something bad was going to happen, she just knew it.
Finally, the limo pulled up before some huge ivory gates. A buzzer sounded and two security guards unlocked the gates, admitting the vehicle after checking the driver's I.D. The car crawled up the gravel driveway, passing by an impressive water fountain and an overload of flower-filled gardens. A massive, silver-themed building rose up in front of them. A large plaque with the words, "NASA's SPACE DEPARTMENT" hung over the double glass doors gracing the front of the building. Adalynn stared at the place in awe. She had never been somewhere quite so magnificent.
