Tina Chan - imperfect

“That would be great. You can use the bathroom sink. I’m going to find Ghost and make sure he’s all right.”

After rinsing the utensils and leaving them besides the sink to dry, Kristi returned to the main room to find Chelsa typing something on her electro-slate.

“That was fast,” Chelsa said. She exited the message she was typing on her slate.

“Is Ghost still upset about me?”

“Nah. He’s fine.” Chelsa prodded Ghost, who was curled up at the foot of the cot, with her foot. “You’re not used to visitors, are you?” she asked the leopard.

“I should get going. My parents are probably having a heart attack right now since I’ve never been out after curfew. Do you want to come with me? I’m sure Don and Maria would be more than happy to meet you.”

“Thanks, but I’m afraid I’ll have to decline your offer.”

Kristi masked her disappointment. Perhaps Chelsa doesn’t want to attract any unnecessary attention to herself, she thought.

“You won’t tell anyone about me and my rooms, will you?” Chelsa asked right before Kristi stepped outside.

“Of course not.”

“Good. I knew I could trust you.”

With that, Kristi stepped back into the alley and ran home as fast as her legs allowed. The sky seemed to be just a little bit bluer than usual and the sun seemed to shine just a bit brighter.

I think I’ve found a potential friend . Aside from Jaiden, there was really no one in the city she trusted. Not even Don and Maria. As much as she appreciated her adoptive parents for taking her in, they never established a close relationship with her.

Kristi pounded up the driveway to the mansion, then skidded to a stop. She took a double-take; none of the lights were on. Not even the porch lights. Maria and Don’s solar-car was still parked outside though, so her parents should be home.

She pressed her thumb onto the scanner to unlock the front doors, but it rejected the thumbprint. Frowning, she tried again. Same results.

What the heck?! Is the scanner malfunctioning?

Kristi resorted to old-fashion pounding on the door. She waited for someone to let her into the house, but nobody responded to her knocking.

“Jaiden!” she shouted. “Maria, Don! Can someone unlock the door for me?”

No reply.

Kristi stepped down from the front door. Something small and white peeked out from the corner of a sculpture of a frog. She squatted and tipped the ceramic statue over to retrieve the object. It was a note written on a piece of paper. That was strange; who’d use paper when they could just leave an electro-note or send an instafication? Paper kills trees and therefore, the Earth.

Kristi had to squint to read the barely legible handwriting scrawled across the index card:

Find Jaiden and locate the others.

She reread the note once, and then twice, making sure she didn’t misread it. “Find Jaiden and locate the others.”

“Ha-ha. Real funny joke Jaiden. Stop messing around with me.” Kristi stood up, brushing the dirt from her jeans. “That was a really lame prank. What did you want me to do? Run around screaming?” She waited, hoping to lure Jaiden out from wherever he was hiding.

A branch above her shook and a plump, black-capped chickadee angled its head at Kristi. “Chicka-dee-dee-dee,” the bird whistled. On the last “dee” it flapped away.

“Jaiden, this isn’t funny anymore! I admit you scared me, okay? Are you happy now? Please let me into the house.” Her voice sounded painfully small.

A silence settled over the area; no Jaiden, Don or Maria appeared. Kristi’s mind began jumping to conclusions. Wilson’s gang wouldn’t dare harm my family, would he?

“The stables,” she said. “Why didn’t I think of that?” But Kristi did know why she hadn’t thought to check the stables for her family; Maria and Don never rode droid-horses and Jaiden should be assisting Professor Smetana at this time of the day.

Kristi dashed to the barn, praying that the horses were still in their stalls and unharmed. She briefly crossed her fingers then unlatched the barn door.

The droid-horses were gone. She was the only person in the building. Or so she thought. Two shadows loomed over her. Kristi tensed her muscles, ready to sprint in an instant if it was Wilson’s gang.

“Are you ready to go?”

She relaxed, recognizing Chelsa’s voice. Ghost padded to Kristi’s right shoulder and nuzzled her. She squirmed, the droid-cat’s inch-long fang grazing her earlobes.

“You followed me?”

Chelsa nodded. “I’m too curious for my own good. I guess something bad happened from the looks of it.” She handed Kristi the paper note she had dropped.

“Thanks.” Kristi crumpled the paper and shoved it deep inside her pocket. “I think that— ”

Chelsa cut her off, “No, I highly doubt Wilson’s crew kidnapped your family. This doesn’t seem like gang work. Trust me, if it was Wilson’s crew that caused this mess, they would’ve already sent you a message asking for a ransom.”

Kristi didn’t bother to ask Chelsa how she knew this. “What do you think happened? I can’t think of any other reason why my family would suddenly disappear.”

Chelsa thought for a minute, then said, “Why don’t we try locating your brother—er, Jaiden? I think he might have an idea of what is going on, judging from the note.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Kristi stood up and left the empty stable. Chelsa seemed to be a very smart and logical person—exactly the type of girl she needed to be around right now. “Let’s go check the learning center. Jaiden might be there.”

Kristi had Chelsa and Ghost wait outside while she went inside the learning center in search of Jaiden. What she hadn’t thought through with her plan was that she didn’t have her electro-slate anymore. Without the electro-slate, she didn’t have her electronic ID card. The actual, physical ID card was locked inside her bedroom.

“Can’t I just give you my name and have you can look up my ID?” Kristi asked the receptionist.

“Nope,” she said. The receptionist’s long, sleek hair was pulled into a flawless French twist. Diamond studs glittered in her ear and an expensive ring adorned each of her fingers. She was Glenn’s girlfriend and was taking great pleasure in aggravating Kristi.

“I really need entry into the learning center. Is there any way I could get in? Please, this is very urgent.”

“Can’t do. Go buy a new slate I’m sure the retailer could give a discount to someone like you .”

“I don’t have time to do that.”

The girl giggled, like Kristi had just said something hilarious. “No time? Why would you have no time? It’s not like—Glenn!” She abruptly broke off.

“Veronica, I got you the rest of the day off. Let’s go have lunch somewhere more pleasant than this dump.” Glenn strolled over to the two of them. “I got Michel to take your shift.”

“What’d you do, Glenn? Bribe him?” Kristi said.

“No, more like blackmailed him,” Glenn shot back, knowing she couldn’t do anything about it.

Kristi restrained herself from slapping his oh-so-perfect face. He’ll look better with a bruise on his cheek, she thought. One that I am more than happy to give.

Glenn turned his attention back to Veronica. “Let’s go. I’m going to have my father promote you to somewhere where you don’t have to encounter it .” He threw Kristi a pointed look. Veronica tittered and Glenn sauntered off with Veronica sashaying next to him.

Chelsa poked her head into the reception room shortly after the couple left. “Is Jaiden here?”