She Needs Rock N' Roll (On/And The Wild Side)

The Final Chapter...

Pamela's POV

Valen half-glared at us, and I could definitely tell that she wasn't in the mood for anyone or anything. She really seemed like all she wanted to was to go home and sleep. A small smirk crept onto my face, and I looked at her brightly. The moment seemed more dramatic to me than it probably was, because when I whispered the words "Atomic Punk" as I had been instructed, I felt my heart practically skip a beat.

Something in Valen's eyes changed, and her rigid expression turned into a sweet smile. "Follow me!" she said happily, as if she were trying to contain a burst of energy. No one questioned the girl, but we all followed excitedly, wondering what she had to do with all of this. Valen led us to a back room near the customer service door and pulled out a small bronze key, that looked as if it were brand new. She unlocked the door quickly and motioned for everyone to go in. We practically shoved ourselves in, Valen being the last one in; she locked the door behind her.

We all stared at Valen, expecting her to start off the discussion. Awkwardly, she began with the on sentence that made Tommy want to cry with a personal sense of victory: "So, my father is Eddie Van Halen." "HAH!" Tommy exclaimed. "I TOLD YOU SO!" Valen gave a puzzled expression, and Bayley laughed, rolling her eyes. "He found it funny that your name was Valen. Claimed it had something to do with Van Halen, especially with the clue." Our new friend nodded, smiling a little. "It's pretty cool, actually."

Mick, not in the mood to have to hear Tommy, asked, "So how'd you end up here? What's your story?" Valen shrugged. "Grew up with an adoptive mom. She was into the whole hippie thing, so I had a pretty free childhood. She told me my dad had one request, that would lead to a string of events. She said, and I do quote, "Your father insists you get a job at the airport. You'll meet a group of people some day, and they'll tell you 'Atomic Punk.'"" She laughed at the memory. "And then she told me to sneak you all on a plane, to go with you, and that you'd have a map of where we're supposed to go."

As if on cue, Fai pulled out the map, and I heard Rain whisper with a laugh, "Looks like we won't need makeup after all." There was a little relief in her tone. Anyway, Valen rubbed her hand together in a sort of dramatic delight. Fai opened in on a table in front of us, and the nineteen of us all stared at it as if it were holy. Then again, to us, I guess, it was. Valen studied it, looking at the outline of the pen-circle as if it were a work of art. "We're gonna need some food, extra clothes, maybe some ammo in case anyone comes after us. Nikki cut her off. "Three days? Are you fucking with me?!" Valen nodded grimly. "I wish I was."

Saul entered the conversation as well. "Wait. That's going at an average speed. What if you sped it up?" Valen bit her lip and thought over the idea for a bit. "Then you'd have to stop a couple more times. But I suppose I could get it to under two days if you wanted..." "YES!" everyone, including me shouted, a cry of desperation in our voices. Sighing, Valen gave us a small smile of confidence and looked each of us in the eye. "We have to go to my house. We have stuff in bulk, just for this." "What're we waiting for then?" Steven asked, his voice chipper as always. No one answered, but Valen hastily unlocked the door, and we made a beeline for the quads. Valen hopped on with me out of pure rushed adrenaline, and she started directing us to the last real stop before we could go to our parents.

When we got there, Valen's house was clearly that of a sixties hippie. There were no doors, but beads marking the doorways to walk through. The whole place was psychedelic as a whole, and the scents of marijuana and incense were prominent. "Mom?" Valen asked when she walked in, the rest of us following in a single-file line. "Looks like it's time." Valen's adoptive mom had long, raven-black hair that went to almost her thighs. Her face showed much youth, and her loose, tie-dyed clothes enhanced it. She stood up calmly and smiled. It was one of the warmest, most loving smiles I'd ever seen. "Pack," she instructed quietly, the smile never leaving her face. "I want to go give you something, dear." Smiling happily, Valen complied, leading us to a back room, almost like a garage.