Prologue
Inventions



Inventions are inventions. They are all around us and some we don’t even know about. From phones to microwaves, to cupboards and televisions. They are all different inventions. They have been used for communication, lighting, looks, weirdness, and logic. Most inventions have been created long ago. Many inventions we have just thought were simple pleasures, but they really aren’t. They are so complicated, because people had made them up from just about nothing and made it different in a way. Nothing has created people though. Nothing created a completely new person

What if an invention posed love? What if people could get what they want? Well, it did in Chicago.















Chapter One
Miscalculations




A train rode down and skidded across the track while people walked beneath getting to where they wanted to go. A few pigeons appeared on the tracks and flew away as the train went off. They were confident in the windy city. A far ways away there stood six small buildings in a semicircle around a tree. There were lines of people at each one. One side was guys and the other side was girls. This was the future and you could get exactly what you want. A large sign read: Matchmaker Self Check-Out by William Match. A convertible parked and a blond girl walked over and got into a line. She had a bright smile. She went to it every day. It was not the right thing to do. A young man walked over to the touch screen and pressed the randomize button. It randomized the girl’s body completely and she was short. He touched the hair and changed it to braids. He pressed the outfit button and many things appear. He picked a long dress that had a belt buckle and changed it to orange. He made her skin darker and added some sandals. The man pressed okay and a giant door opened. The same girl that he had made came walking out gracefully.

“Hi! Do you want to go out to eat?” he said.

“Hi, I’m Andrea. Can we go to a Greek restaurant?” she asked.

“Yes. Do you want to get married?”

“I’d like a nice wedding on the beach.” The two of them walked off. They were happy and together which was what the invention was made for. A woman looked through the options and added a muscle shirt to the man. The woman then changed the hair to very short. She pressed okay and the door opened.

“Hello. You look great!”

“Well, I’m Kevin and that just what I’m good at. Do you want to go to the beach? I have a feeling you will look great in a swimsuit!” he said.

“Yes. You will look incredible in a swimsuit!” The two of them walked off in the direction where the beach was. Some people just needed this because they were shallow and picky.

A few blocks down West Street, a young man came out from a small apartment duplex. His name was Larry Hamilton. Nothing ever seemed to go right for him. He lived alone in a small apartment that always was aloft with loud noises making it hard to concentrate on anything. He walked on down the sidewalk past many people that probably had great lives. He was 21 and an only child. His parents thought that work was more important. He looked past everything and walked straight across a crosswalk. There he saw the magnificent Matchmaker Self Check-Out with its gleaming glass walls. Everything inside of him hade replaced itself with happiness. Larry entered a screen and filled the girl he had always dreamed of seeing. She had a striped red dress with blond hair. He started jumping up and down as he pressed the DONE button. This was the moment when the doors opened. He waited and saw a girl walk out. She amazed him, but not in a good way. Her hair was black and she was wearing a bright purple dress with a bouree, but what amazed him the most was that her skin wasn’t a normal color. Her skin was blue! The girl stood in front of him and smiled. Larry smiled slightly. She looked at the screen.
“I’m Terintha. I suppose I’m not the right one. I’m not the one you want.” Terintha walked off. The man just stood there. He was so amazed that he wouldn’t move and at the same time, he was disappointed in the invention. There Terintha went with no man.















Chapter Two
New Face




Larry had went home because there was no use going to the Matchmaker Self Check-out again. He thought over how some silly girl could think that she was the girl of his dreams and she was blue!


Getting on a tram was Terintha, the girl that was released. She sat in the back of the car looking out the window. She was not like any other girl and for one thing. She hated love! As the tram stopped, a British woman came on.

“The tram is stopping at Millennium Park next stop.” A businessman walked onto the tram and smiled. Terintha smiled. She then turned and saw a dark haired woman sitting smiling back. She frowned. She so wanted to get off at the next stop! This was torture. She waited until the tram suddenly stopped and briskly walked off. “There is a delay. Another tram has moved west.”
“Lady!” a man yelled. Terintha suddenly fell out of the tram. She grabbed a pole almost falling onto cement. She looked terrified.

“Could someone help me here?” There was a creak and suddenly the tram began to move again. Her hat suddenly fell off. Terintha tried to climb up, but wind swept her right off. There she went straight down in the middle of a street. Something happened though as she fell. A man ran across in front of all of the cars and caught her. She smiled at him.

“You should probably watch when to get off. Too early I would say.” There was a honk.

“Put me down! That’s the last you will see of me.” The man released her and kept looking at her. She glared back at him even though he was her lifeline. She had commitment issues and it was all from one man. Terintha briskly walked past people and they all jumped back when they saw her. She looked so confused.

“Where are you from?!” a man yelled comically.

“What’s with the alien girl?” a woman said. Terintha just wanted to be alone. She turned the corner and sat. The weird thing about this day was that she was born, but she knew everything. Terintha knew all about what had happened in history. How could people still be this discriminating? Terintha got up and broke a glass monitor. Terintha walked proudly towards a hotel. She was alright and now she needed lodgings. She looked at the people who walked past her surprised. A man walked into a restaurant as Terintha walked to the desk.

“Hi. I’d like a room. It doesn’t need to be fancy.” She dug in her pocket and went through her wallet. The woman at the counter turned to a man behind her.

“Some weird girl came in.” Terintha frowned.

“I asked if I could have a room. Can you hear?” she looked at the woman straight in the face.

“Excuse me?!”

“I’d like a room and stop being oblivious to the fact that I’m standing right here.”

“Well, …you need a background check to see if you are worthy here.” Terintha looked confused. “We do it all the time.” Terintha walked into a small dining room and sat at a table.

“So, my name’s Terintha.”

“What is your last name?”

“…I don’t have one because ah-.”

“You don’t have one!” the lady started laughing.

“I would like it if you didn’t laugh at me. I was born from a box.” The lady laughed even more. “I’m telling you the truth! I am 20 years old, but I was born earlier today.” She just sat there and ate a piece of bread with butter.

“Where do you work?”

“I guess I haven’t figured that out.” A glass door suddenly opened and a bunch of people walked in.

“She was born in a box and she doesn’t have a last name!” Terintha threw the tray of bread on the ground.

“Not everything is as simple as it seems!” She walked out of the room.

“You aren’t welcomed here,” the woman said as she entered the foyer. Terintha sat on a wooden bench. A woman walked inside and walked up to the desk.

“I’d like a room.”

“You will have room 97. It will be $50 a night.” Terintha went to sleep feeling even worse than before. “I’m sorry miss, but it is not permitted to sleep on these benches. She walked out of that hotel and walked down the dark streets of Chicago. She looked over at another hotel and saw a couple eating in a restaurant. They probably were treated greatly. The only person who had helped her she had turned down and now her life was at its worst.















Chapter Three
Advice




The blond girl that had been at the Matchmaker Self Check-Out was on her way to the café with the man she made. Her name was Mandy Bauer. She really wasn’t good in the dating endeavor. She ordered a Taco Salad and looked at her man.

“So, what are your hobbies?” he asked.

“Well, Jake, I love to shop and like-.”

“Excuse me.” Jake pulled the chair up and walked away. Mandy sat there. She pulled a tissue out of her Coach purse which she bought ten years before. There were tears all over it.

“No. Don’t leave me!” Everyone turned to her.


Terintha had settled down in a bar. It was really the only place she could be herself in. There was no judging.

“Would you like a refill, miss?” the bartender asked.

“Sure. …I’ve noticed that you have respected me for who I am.” He made the drink over again.

“You look like your day wasn’t that great, so I could cheer you up.”

“Thank you.” She moved on her stool. “So, I’m like the only one here.”

“It’s about to close soon.” He handed her the drink she had got a refill on.

“Thanks.” She had a sip of it. “That’s good! Did you really think that if I was a blond with white skin, my day would be better?”

“Don’t say that. You are pretty, but people don’t see that because of your skin color. And you know what, blond isn’t the only good hair color. Brown and black look amazing!” Terintha smiled.

“I just feel like fighting for the rights of all of us who just look weird, colorwise.”

“Well, you do seem like a politician. Why don’t you go to Washington D.C.? Everyone will listen to you there and I can see it in your future.”

“Well, thank you so much for that. I’m going right to the airport right now!” She walked out of the bar and waved back at the bartender. She walked over to a small taxi and gave the money. She hadn’t told the bartender anything about how she was born, but he respected her and that was all that mattered. “I’d like to go to a Chicago airport.” The taxi drove off.

“So, you are blue.”

“Yes, but I’d like people to see past that.”

“Well, good luck with that!” Terintha frowned.


It was midnight and people were still in lines at the Matchmaker Self Check-Out. People had started setting up drink stands and ice cream stands around it. They were all excited still.

Larry had went to bed and tried to push the fact away that some invention didn’t work for him, but for others. He started to have a dream. In the dream, he walked up to the Matchmaker Self Check-Out and saw that it was flying away. It was a spaceship and it was going back to space! He watched a bunch of blue people inside. And then he looked down and saw a bunch of blond girls wearing red dresses coming out of the ground. A bunch of people were screaming. He flew up from his sleep. “I have the weirdest dreams!” He took a shower without knowing that it was still early morning. It was still dark outside!

As Terintha boarded on the plane, someone else got off a plane in Washington D.C.














Chapter Four
Winding Up



Terintha’s ears were hurting from going up. She tried to relax in the plastic chair, but it was hard. A flight attendant walked over.

“Sorry, miss but you are distracting everyone behind you. Why don’t you move to the back seat,” she said very cheerfully, but she had acted nothing like that.

“Excuse me?!”

“Miss.” She got up and grabbed her bag that had a book she had bought in a book store in Chicago. Terintha followed the woman down aisles of seats. She looked back and saw a man walk past the people and sit right where she was moved from. “You need to sit down. The plane is almost to Washington D.C.” Terintha slipped into a spot next to man who was sleeping.

“Yeah. You aren’t doing as bad as I am.” She was glad that the plane would be landing in a half an hour. Terintha took the book out that she bought. It was called Living the Life in True Colors. It was about prejudice and the life of a girl that had a terrible life, because of her skin color. She soon was falling asleep.

Mandy Bauer had went to a nail shop to get her nails done with her friend, Natalie.

“So, no good days?” Natalie asked.

“Well, your right. Nothing goes good for me.” Her friend looked confused.

“You need to stop going to that matchmaking service. It doesn’t work and- ooh!” Mandy’s friend was looking at a guy walking down the street.

“Natalie!” Natalie walked off towards him. Mandy sat on the edge of a crystal fountain. The water came out slowly.

Terintha walked out of the airport with her bag. She walked into a clothing store. She needed some clothes! She walked past a bunch of clothes. A woman walked over with a smile.

“May I help you?”

“Do you have any suits?”

“Yes. Right this way!” Terintha followed the woman. “So, you’re going to be a lawyer.”

“No. I just want to look my part and I’m going to the university to study Journalism.”

“Well, this isn’t the store for you.” Terintha opened up her billfold.

“I am not going to leave! I’ve had enough of this.” The woman jumped back. She walked away from the woman and looked at dresses and pants.

If you’ve had bad days, Mandy had even worse days. She went up the stairs and into the kitchen. Mandy opened the fridge and all of the pitchers of punch fell out right on her. She screamed. “Mom and her stupid parties!” The window was slightly opened, so people could hear outside.

“You had better clean that up before mom gets home,” her brother said.

“What does it mean to you!”

“She’s coming home in five minutes.” Her brother walked away from the window. Mandy threw a rug on the ground and grabbed a book. She sat down on the rug. The door opened.

“Hello, I’m home!” Lilly Bauer said. It was the name of her mother. She set down a bag of groceries. “Hi, Mandy. So, Eddie has guests over. Now what are you doing sitting there?” she asked.

“…This is a nice spot to read.”

“Did you get sprayed with the hose? You are soaking wet!” Lilly walked over to the refrigerator and slightly opened it.

“Aa!”

“Excuse me!”

“It was just a part in the book.” Mandy looked up as her mother looked in the fridge.

“So, I forgot to get sour cream.” Mandy breathed out slowly. “Where’s the punch for the party?”

“…Ah- Eddie used it for his party. Yes.” Lilly frowned. Suddenly, a jar of pickles fell down from on top of the fridge and crashed on Mandy’s mother’s head.

“You are in so much trouble, miss!” She lifted the rug from under Mandy’s feet and saw sticky read and green liquid on the floor.














Chapter Five
Connections



Terintha was carrying three shopping bags of clothes. She had shopped till she dropped and I mean she wasn’t able to go to those stores anymore. She sat down and looked at a menu to a café. There were many different kinds of sandwiches. There was a Turkey and Provolone Panini and Chipotle wrap. She looked through the sides. Suddenly there was a scoot and it sounded like someone had sat down at the same table.

“Hi, I like your dress. Do you mind if I sit with you?” a friendly girl’s voice came. Terintha put the menu down.

“Thanks. You can sit here.”

“You’re blue! How did that happen?”

“This was just the way I was born. I was born-.”

“You know, that was rude of me. I’m sorry. I’m Jenny Dickenson and I don’t care that you’re blue.”

“I’m Terintha. It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, but what is your last name?” Jenny asked.

“I don’t have a last name. The truth is, I was born from a box called the Matchmaker Self Check-Out in Chicago and I was supposed to marry today. Jenny had a stricken look on her face.

“So, then what are you doing in these parts?”

“You believe me?” Terintha asked.

“Yes, but answer my question. Why are you here?”

“I’m going to the university to study Journalism!” Jenny dropped the bag of chips on the table.

“I can show you around! Maybe I could help you with life’s little goal!” Terintha smiled and walked off with her new friend, Jenny Dickenson. But Jenny didn’t mean what Terintha thought she meant.


Mandy had dust all over her clothes from cleaning up the house. Her mother walked back inside the room.

“You should be ashamed, you silly girl. I will be going out to dinner with some friends. No trouble, all right?!” she said almost yelling. Her mother was stern. Mandy nodded. As her mother walked out the door and got inside the SUV, she couldn’t hold herself inside the clean rooms that she had cleaned.

“I hate her so much!” Eddie opened the glass door to the inside.

“Where is mom? I’m still so glad you are the maid of the house.” He laughed.

“Thank you. I mean stop being such a jerk! Okay, I’m going out. If mom asks, tell her I’m going to church.” Eddie smiled.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Mandy turned around and saw he was holding up a pitcher of punch. She stormed out the door and jumped inside her convertible. You would’ve thought that if she had a convertible and a nice bedroom, she had a great life; but no, it was far from that! She put the keys in and drove out of the driveway. Suddenly a car came rapidly down the road and crashed right into the car as she pulled out. The airbags went up. The curtains rolled away from the window and Eddie’s face appeared laughing.

“It is just my luck!!”

As Larry climbed out of a cab, he realized that his life seemed to never get better under one condition. He didn’t have blue skin or some odd color. That girl would have loved him and he would be so lucky! He walked into the lobby of his apartment duplex and got on the elevator. He missed that blue girl. She probably didn’t have to fight for anything. It made sense, because she was pretty and smart. Larry walked out of the elevator as the doors opened and walked down the hall.

“Larry, I never meant to hurt you,” a woman said down the hall. Larry turned and saw a woman with dark hair who was his co-worker that had not went to dinner with him.

“Francesca, you don’t have to feel sorry. I’ll just-.”

“I want to try this again,” she said.

“Out of pity. No!” He slammed the door closed. Larry opened up a bottle of wine and sat on the balcony. “Where is that girl!”













Chapter Six
Rude-abaga



Terintha walked with Jenny down a long hallway with many rooms.

“You are in room 203 with Mr. Standford.” Terintha stopped walking.

“So, you aren’t going in the same class as me?”

“No. I’m going to a different building. I’m more into art.” Terintha opened the door and got into an empty seat. She slipped her notebook and pencil out of her bag. A girl turned around.

“Hi, I’m Sara. This class really gets hard-core into history.”

“Thanks, but I already knew that. The class is called Journalism Through the Years. I’m Terintha.”

“You are a pretty different-looking girl, but you look fit for this class.” Terintha smiled. A few people had turned around and laughed at her. An elder teacher walked in right as a small bell rang.

“Okay, whoever doesn’t arrive now has a detention.” The door opened and three people bustled in. “Detentions!”

“I would say the teacher is hard-core also!” The people walked out of the room. “I am standing up for myself and anyone else who is like me.” Mr. Standford pulled a map down.

“Since the early ages there has always been news, but it hasn’t always been true. And today we want our stories to tell the truth don’t we?”

“Yes!” everyone yelled except Terintha. She didn’t think the truth was any good because people always discriminated people like her as being aliens.

“You will have an assignment to write a page about articles on Egypt.” A guy raised his hand. “Kevin?”

“Where did Egypt come from?” he asked.

“It is the telling of news on tablets. Magnificent, isn’t it?” he said. Mr. Standford was rolling the map back up. Terintha suddenly had her hand up. He turned around.

“Hey! Blue girl.”

“And old, white man.” Everyone looked surprised. “Aren’t we going to write our own articles?”

“Well, if you would get out of my class, you would!!” He sat in a chair.

“Well maybe I will! This class is a joke and don’t call me ‘blue girl’!” Terintha put her notebook in her bag and walked down the stairs. She walked out the door. Sara was smiling.

Mandy walked down a sort of garage. She sat down and put her hands up to her face. She had no car, no friends, and no one who cared for her.

“Miss, we are so sorry for not being able to fix your car, but for all the hassle we bought you another car!” She jumped up and hugged the man.

“Do you want to go out to dinner? What is your name?” she asked.

“I’m married, sorry. My name is Will. Just I’ll give you some advice. I know you will find someone, but you must change something about yourself.” He walked off.

“Change what?!” She sat there and then walked back outside to look at the car. It looked nothing like the convertible she had before!

Jenny had a small sandwich at the cafeteria after her art class in the East Building. She sat next to some people that she didn’t know.
“Who are you?” a guy asked.
“I’m Jenny from the art class at 2:30.” She took a sip of soda.
“Oh, well you didn’t see what this blue girl did.”
“You were at the Journalism building, weren’t you? Where is she?” Jenny asked.
“She probably isn’t here. She stormed off.” Jenny frowned. She walked out of the cafeteria and grabbed her jacket. She then opened the big doors and saw strong rain coming down. Jenny grabbed a newspaper from a newsstand and walked through the campus.

Larry was searching all over the internet for a girl named Terintha. He went into a people search website. He typed in her name and got a girl in Texas and a girl in Ukraine. The computer couldn’t even find her! He got up and ran out of his apartment towards the bottom. He was going to the Matchmaker Self Check-Out. He wanted to get inside.

Terintha had sat inside a restaurant for a long time and she already had written four articles that she was going to send to the newspaper if they liked it or not. The place was about to close soon, so she was packing up her bags.

“This is not a place for writing! You should know that.”

“Well, put it on my bill. See if I care.” Terintha walked out of the restaurant and through the pouring rain. She hid her bag in her coat so nothing could get wet. She smiled at some people, but they turned away. It was so gloomy. She walked into a random building and found herself in a lounge area. People were sitting around reading or watching the TV. Jenny looked up and walked over to Terintha.

“I was waiting for you. What happened in your class? Some people said you stormed off. I am worried.”

“The professor called me ‘blue girl’ and it just made me mad so I called him what he was.”

“That’s horrible! I’ll help you pick another class.”

“Don’t feel sorry for me, because you don’t know what it is like to be humiliated,” Terintha said surprising Jenny.

“Well, let’s go up to my room. I would rather see you sleeping somewhere comfortable and I’m not feeling sorry for you, I’m being your friend.” The two of them walked up the stairs and down a hallway. “My boyfriend’s friend came here from Chicago and my roommate finished her classes here.”

“That’s where I’m from! I probably don’t know them, though.”

“You can meet him.” Jenny took out a key and opened up a door. She walked in followed by Terintha and Jenny looked surprised. There were candles all around that were lit. “I guess it will be a romantic evening!”














Chapter Seven
Misjudgment




Terintha sat on a chair in the living room. Jenny had turned on some music when she was in the kitchen. Terintha listened and it was Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About. “Let’s not talk about love!” Jenny walked out.

“What’s wrong, Terintha?”

“I’m just not into romance. It’s-.”

“What do you think?” Jenny asked. She was dancing around in a white dress.

“It’s nice, but I don’t think it would look good on me.” She frowned.

“Maybe I can show you that there is someone out there. You just have to accept who you are.” There was a knock on the door. “Come in!” There was a voice.

“What’s with these shoes? They don’t look like Emma’s,” a man said. He walked into the room and hugged Jenny.

“Emma finished her classes and I have become friends with a girl named Terintha. She is in the Journalism department.” He looked over.

“Hey.” Jenny’s boyfriend walked over to her.

“I like girls that don’t care what they look like. I’m Tom Wells.”

“Tom! Be nice!” she said.

“Jenny. It is alright. It was actually a compliment. I’m from Chicago and I don’t have a last name.”

“But everyone has a last name!” Tom said.

“Well, I was born a different way.”

“She was born from some kind of Matchmaking service thing.” Tom turned astonished.

“I don’t have a last name, because I was supposed to have some other guy’s, but I think I’m fine without one.” She walked out of the room.

“Is it all right if we have the apartment to ourselves tonight?” Jenny asked.

“It’s fine. I don’t even want to know what you are doing.” The door closed. Tom looked at Jenny a little confused.

“You’ll get used to her.” Terintha didn’t think her friend was so romantic, because when she first saw her she just looked like a girl that was into art. She sat down in the lounge area and took out her articles.

“Hello. I’m the editor for our newspaper. Would you like me to take those?” a man asked that had been sitting reading a book.

“Sure. I hope you like them.” Terintha slipped two of the articles in her pocket and gave the rest to the man. He looked at them. Then she snuck into another room and put the two articles in mailboxes for publishers. While Jenny and her boyfriend were having fun, Terintha was starting her career.

Larry walked past a few girls that were giggling for some odd reason. He walked into the fields of the Matchmaker Self Check-Out. Larry watched a girl walk off with a guy who looked plastic. Then he watched a few other people walk past with people. He slowly crept behind a line of people. Larry could hear the beeping very loudly as people chose what they wanted. He climbed behind a curtain and a red-haired girl popped out of nowhere.

“Hi, I’m Quinn!”

“I’m not your soul mate. Go outside!” The weird girl turned around and opened a glass door. He looked down and saw that she had lost a shoe. There was a brown high-heeled shoe sitting on the ground. Larry picked it up and walked past a few more curtains. He must have gotten pretty close to where they were made. It was very dark where he was and he slowly could see arms and legs going around on conveyer belts. There was something else that was shocking. There were glass chambers with normal looking people inside. There was a girl with pink hair that was standing in front of all of the other people. Suddenly the head turned and the girl saw him. Suddenly, a bunch of alarms went off and red lights were blinking. Larry found an exit door and suddenly found himself going headfirst down a slide. He kept yelling. Where was he going? Suddenly, he heard a yell from above and then he flew into something soft. Larry looked around and found that he was in a dumpster full of food. “Ugh!” He jumped out of the dumpster and tried to wipe off all of the trash. A giant black back suddenly came down and flew open and trash fell on Larry. This was not his lucky day. Actually, he never had a lucky day!

Mandy was still examining her car. She kept thinking of what the stranger had said to her. She put the keys in and drove past a few cars and out of the parking lot. She opened her wallet and took out a ten dollar bill. “He deserves it.” She slipped the dollar under a door and then drove away from the car place. She was scared, because her mother was going to come back from work and find that she had a different car, so she decided to go to a lot of places before going to her house. She should have rented an apartment, but she didn’t have the money. After about five minutes, she parked in a mall parking lot and walked out. She walked inside the giant foyer and saw what the stores were on the directory. She didn’t go shopping very much.

“Are you from like Beverly Hills?” a girl said. The girl was sitting in front of a burger place. Mandy turned.

“No and you are probably more glamorous than I am.” The girl looked confused. “Don’t judge by what I look like.” She walked past a few stores and then into a dollar store. She looked at little trinkets.

“Don’t you have somewhere else you should be, miss?”

“…No!” The clerk pointed to a dress boutique.

“Stop feeling sorry for us,” the man said. He slipped some coins into the cash register.

“I am one of you and you don’t know my story. This is all I can afford right now! Harassment is not the right way to go.” The clerk straightened the register not even caring that she was there. Mandy walked out of the store and sat on a bench by a fountain. She took a broken cell-phone out of her purse and dialed a number. “Hey, Sara. What happened to going to the movie tonight? …You know what?! I am better without you.” She hung up the phone and she sat there.














Chapter Eight
Up the Ladder



Terintha was still sleeping. There was suddenly loud music coming from the kitchen. She fell off the bed. “Jenny!” She could hear her singing. Terintha got up and there was a loud crack. “Ouch!” She yawned and then kicked the door opened. She walked across the wood floor of the dining room. It made a squeaky sound. She saw that there were some new magazines sitting on the table. Terintha pushed the kitchen door open and saw Jenny was cooking a cake. She walked over and turned the music off.

“What the heck! …Oh, hi Terintha. You slept pretty late.”

“Where’s Tom?”

“He had to go to work, but that was a great night!”

“Why are you cooking that?”

“Well, it’s Paul’s birthday, so I made it!”

“Who’s Paul?”

“He’s Tom’s friend that was in Chicago. That was kind of the reason he came. It’s going to be a surprise!” Terintha smiled. “You two will go good together.”

“Again, I’m not into love. Can you stop?” Jenny frowned. She took out a dish and set the cake on it and then put sprinkles on top. Terintha walked into the other room and looked at a painting of a rose under a candle’s light.

“What do you think of my art?”

“Well, it’s vivid and too into romance. You need to have more interests than this.” The door opened.

“Excuse me?” Jenny had icing on her fingers. “I have multiple interests. I like music and movies. Don’t think you know someone from one picture.”

“All of those things probably are romantic and I would say the same for you. Don’t think you know me by what I look like.” Terintha sat on the couch and then looked at her watch.

“Well, I do know you. You are into journalism.”

“But do you know what I’ve been through? What I put up with?!” Jenny paused and then shook her head. “Well, I have a class to go to for the newspaper!”

“Well, try to not screw this up!” Jenny put a cover over the cake. The door closed behind Terintha. Jenny picked up the remote and turned the music back on just like it was never off.

Mandy thought it was pointless to keep going around places when she felt like she was being watched. As she drove down a few blocks, she saw the Matchmaker Self Check-Out with its gleaming glass walls. She couldn’t help but park the car and walk over to it. It just made her want more when she looked at it. She had to stop somehow from going here so daily, because there was no use. No one liked her. Mandy got into a line. A young woman appeared next to her.

“Girl, why are you here? Like you need any more boyfriends!” Mandy turned her head. Her face was locked in a scornful expression.

“I might seem that way, but- Just stop!” She stood there until she could finally see the screen. The black young woman still looked like she was about to say something else.

“I’m sorry. I judged you, but you are just so beautiful. Gosh I feel like an idiot.”

“Thank you. Thank you for not being like the other people,” Mandy said starting to smile.

“Tell me. What were the ‘other people’ like?” the young woman asked.

Larry was walking with a cup of coffee. He walked into his office and sat at the desk. He worked for a company that made appliances. He looked at his e-mail very quickly and then closed out of it. The phone began to ring. “Hello. Hopkins Appliance Mart. How may I help you?” he said. He took out a chocolate chip cookie out of a drawer and began to eat.

“I would like you to know that I will be sending a microwave over to sell.”

“Oh, well you will get whatever is the price. I think it will be some big bucks! Thank you for shopping!”

“And another thing, man. Since you are so experienced, how do I get my wife to love me? You would have advice for us guys.” Larry hang up the phone. He put his head down on his desk. That was what everyone thought. That he was experienced. No, he wasn’t at all!


Terintha had listened to many critiques of articles, but many weren’t that appealing. She hadn’t stormed out of this class and she had begun to like it. The professor talked with her a lot about being persuasive. When her second class ended, she put her things away like usual. She slipped her bag over her shoulder.

“You know, these articles you sent me and my staff were great!”

“I didn’t send them to you.” The professor walked over to Terintha.

“Yes you did. I work for Washington Times.”

“I didn’t think you would like them, because it is racial and the evidence-.”

“Are you with someone?” the professor asked.

“I’m not having a committed relationship and I won’t date you!” She got up.

“That wasn’t why I asked. You deserve better and these articles show. Maybe you aren’t ready, but we are.” Terintha ripped a page off of her notebook.

“I wrote this during class yesterday. I’d be glad if you showed the world what I had to say. Thank you so much!” She hugged the professor.

“I thought you weren’t having a committed relationship!” Terintha frowned.

Mandy had went through a whole day away from her house. Now she had to go back. She slipped inside a window that had been opened. She could hear her brother talking with someone in his room. She looked around and was relieved to see that the kitchen light was off. That meant that her mother wasn’t there. She relaxed on the couch.
“Amanda! Where have you been?!” her mother scowled.















Chapter Nine
Cover Story




“Mother! I can explain!” Mandy said.

“You were gone for at least ten hours! How long were you out?”

“Twenty-four hours.”

“And what’s with the car in the driveway?!” She really wished her mother wasn’t going to say that.

“Umm. My friend and I switched cars. She has mine and I have hers!” She started to eat an apple trying to look casual. Lilly walked out of the room and she breathed a sigh of relief. It was over!


Larry walked down the sidewalk with a hotdog. He had gone to the Chicago Theater with a friend. It was fun and he saw a play about a fantasy world that only certain people recognized. It was called “Fantasy Check!”. He got on a bus and threw the wrapper away for the hotdog. A man appeared sitting behind Larry.

“Hey. There you are! Did you check the appliances in the warehouse? It will be great to look back.” He was surprised.

“Hi, Ron! Yes, I checked.” Ron was his boss and always sounded so relaxed, but he never was. Larry had said the wrong thing, because the warehouse was loaded with items that hadn’t been checked! At least someone else could do it. He got off the bus and walked through Grant Park.


Terintha sat on the couch waiting for her friend to come back from her class. She looked at a magazine that was two months before the month she was in. It was July. She listened and then heard the phone ring. Terintha walked over and picked it up. “Hello. Dickenson residence.” There was giggling.

“Hi, Terintha. You sound so professional! Oh my gosh! One of your articles is the cover story on the Washington Times! I am proud!”

“Are you serious?!” Terintha said.

“Yes! I’m looking right at it. It says ‘The Crimes of Colors by Terintha Dickenson’? He wrote my last name.”

“But it doesn’t matter. I am happy!” she said.

“I’m glad to know that. I guess we could be sisters. …Well, I called because I was going to stay in the studio a lot longer and I won’t get back until tonight. So, I’ll see you later, Terintha Dickenson!” She laughed. Then she hung up the phone. Now people really knew. She decided to walk around the area since she really hadn’t. Terintha walked out of the lounge area and down the street. Suddenly a giant ice cream cone came flying and hit her in the face. A man laughed.

“The Press doesn’t like what you’ve done,” the man said. She was very shocked and then frustrated. She walked back inside and cleaned herself off. Terintha pushed the memory away with the ice cream. Why would the press not like what she wrote? That guy was probably some rude racist. She had put a different outfit on. She walked down to the lower parts of the campus and got on a bus. It was a sightseeing bus.

“So, we will drive past the monuments and if you want to get off, you can.” Terintha watched as the university campus disappeared.

“So, you are doing a little sightseeing?” Terintha turned around.

“Yes. Why do you ask? I don’t live here, or I mean I wasn’t born here.”

“You were born somewhere in space, weren’t you?” Terintha watched as the bus stopped and got off. She walked towards the Lincoln Memorial. Terintha slipped her camera out and started taking pictures.

Mandy watched TV and saw Eddie in the backyard. “What are you doing?”

“Well, you don’t seem to tell the truth. Why would you care?!”

“Eddie, can you just stop about the thing with the car? I’m sick of you!” she yelled. She turned the volume up on the television.

“Well, I do care. I care that she steals your money and that you have to work.” Mandy got up, but then heard the door open.

“Amanda! There’s a price tag stuck inside the window to the car! I called all of your friends and they didn’t know what you meant. You had better explain!” Lilly yelled.

“Aaaa! It is what you think, but-!” Her mother came over and grabbed her money. “I got into a car crash when I drove out too early and they gave me a free car to replace the damage.”

“I’m not giving this back to you! You are going to have to work for money.”

“You know, you’d think a mother would love her daughter. You have not even made any remarks to Eddie and he has gotten in way more trouble. You know what? I can’t stand you and your ridiculous parties. I’m leaving!” She walked out of the room and got back inside her car. Where was she going to go? No one loved her!














Chapter Ten
Slaughter



Larry had a great deal of stress in his mind. He went back to his office to do a few errands. He walked inside the elevator down to the warehouse. Larry listened to the tools that the construction workers were working with. They were building another storage house a few blocks down. It made his work seem like it never ended. He got off the elevator and walked past a few people. “Hi, guys.”

“Well, you decided to not look at these appliances.”

“That was actually why I came down here. Where are they?” Larry asked. The woman pointed to another door. He walked through it and kept walking down a hallway. He opened a metal door and then saw a bunch of crates full of appliances. Many were in piles everywhere. No one had looked at any of them! He saw that many of them looked like they were broken, so he threw them away. The door opened and Larry turned around. To his relief, it was just a janitor. He looked at a red microwave that was extremely shiny. Larry picked it up and enjoyed the beauty. He was going to go to his apartment with a new microwave. There were footsteps suddenly and they weren’t coming from the janitor who was walking into another room of the warehouse.

“Larry, you’re done here. You’re fired.” He knew that it was going to happen. He had told his boss a lie.

“It’s all right. It’s my punishment for lying to you.”

“No, that’s not why you’re fired. Actually no one usually looks at these appliances in here. You were fired because people are sending complaints about you hanging up the phone. I just wouldn’t like my customers to be unhappy.” Larry walked up the stairs with the microwave. “And you know what, you can take as much junk out of here as you want. Now Larry was okay for getting fired because he didn’t do a task, but getting fired for not telling the truth to a customer about his love life was just wrong. He just wanted to find that blue girl if it was the last thing he did!


Terintha read the Emancipation Proclamation. It said about how everyone is equal. She stood there. There were so many people walking around and sightseeing. There were many people taking pictures.

“Weird girl, why are you standing there?! I want to take a picture!” a boy said. He was standing there with his family.

“Don’t you see it?!” Terintha said. She pointed to the part she was standing by. She started to walk away “I’m moving, but you should know that-.”

“I’m sorry. I see now. Do you want to go out with me?” the boy asked. His mother was making a face.

“No, because you feel sorry for me!” She walked away from part of the Emancipation Proclamation. She had her pictures, now she was leaving. Terintha smiled back at the giant statue of Abraham Lincoln. He was the only person that had made things right, and he’s dead like everyone else who helped. She walked past the giant pillars and started down a flight of stairs. She kept walking and then heard cheering. She was a little confused. Terintha walked down farther and then saw people with signs protesting. She guessed it was about outdoor music and movies daily for festivals. Terintha kept walking and then she heard a bunch of people yelling and it was angry. She suddenly saw what the signs said and she stopped dead.

“No weird people! Demolish all Blues! This is not a sad place! There is no equality in aliens!” She read the signs and one said Blue in blue letters and was crossed out. A bunch had spaceships or giant boxes. They all knew where she was from. The news was a horrible thing. She ran down the dirt road past all of the people towards the pond.


Larry had been on a train, sitting.

“So, when are you going to get off?” a woman asked.

“I’ll just have to see where the road takes me.” The woman was laughing loudly. “Get off the train.”

“Are you serious?!” the lady said still laughing.

“Don’t mock me!”

“You are ridiculous.” The train stopped and Larry pushed the woman out. As the train went by, the woman was glaring. She had thought that his life was ridiculous. Larry soon was asleep. He didn’t know where to go and soon was asleep. He didn’t know that the train was on a long delay.

Mandy still hadn’t decided where her future laid. She parked her car and looked up. It was Shawni. She was the young woman she had met at the Matchmaker Self Check-Out.

“There you are again! Would you like to go out for dinner?”

“Sure, I’d really like to forget about things.” The two of them walked past the shops. They were looking for something to eat and nothing was going to tear them down!














Chapter Eleven
Liftoff



Jenny had said bye to her classmates and was walking down sidewalks in the dark. She looked at text messages on her phone while she was walking. “I can’t believe he would do that!” she said. Jenny said that because there was a message that said that John went to a bar and slept. She closed her cell-phone and kept walking. It was starting to get a little foggy. She passed a window and waved to a few friends that were watching a movie. Jenny didn’t like walking alone back to her room. She was usually with someone else like Emma. Jenny kept walking and then finally opened the door to her dorm building. She walked past a few people that were sitting, reading. Jenny walked up the stairs and ran into a janitor. “Sorry!”
“That’s alright. At least I wasn’t aiming towards the stairs!” She walked down the hall and put the key in the door. Jenny saw that it was dark everywhere.
“Terintha, it was so funny when I-. Terintha?” She threw a bag of chips out that was sitting on the ground. Suddenly, she could hear weeping. Jenny opened the door to the kitchen and saw Terintha sitting on the step up to the dining room, crying. Jenny sat down.
“I’m not strong,” Terintha said.
“Gosh! I stay late at the studio and then I come home and my friend is crying. You need me here, don’t you? Tell me what happened.” Terintha turned.
“I feel like I’m writing to a dead person! These articles aren’t working. I was just exploring and people were protesting like they usually do, but they were protesting for me! I couldn’t say anything. It just kind of broke my heart.”
“These people are horrible! That is completely horrendous! You just need to ignore all of this. It will just gets in your way. I don’t know, but I think we should sleep on this one.” Jenny helped Terintha up.
“Thanks for the advice.” She walked back down the hall. Terintha slept peacefully, because she knew she had a helper. On the other hand, Jenny could not sleep. She couldn’t get it out of her head that her friend was being treated this way, but she had something planned the next day that will throw Terintha’s mind away from this all.

Mandy was happy that Shawni was here with her. She didn’t really know who else to go to. “Can I stay at your place?” she asked.

“I would love for you to come. You would be sleeping on the couch.” Mandy smiled.

“Anything would be better than my old home!”

“Maybe a dream to be a lucky person might not be that far off after all.”

“Thanks for saying that, but I am just unlucky!” The two kept walking. Mandy got inside her car and Shawni sat next to her. They drove off, but maybe the apartment needed many repairs.


Larry was very alert, because he had woken up and had ate three candy bars. He saw that it had stopped at the airport. He slipped off the train just as the doors closed. He was getting on a plane, wherever it went! He went into a terminal and got in a line. He had got the boarding pass and went through security. The only part that was left was to get on the plane. As he gave his pass to the woman, he realized that he would start his life over. Larry disappeared down the tunnel with many businesspeople to an unknown destination. This was the liftoff to start fresh!

Terintha had lunch and read the newspaper. “I see another one of my articles is in the paper. It doesn’t matter. No one sees,” she said sipping her coffee.

“It’s Paul’s birthday. Can we just forget about it?” There was a knock on the door. Jenny set the pen down and walked over to the door fixing her hair. She slid the door open. “Hello. Did you like my art?”

“I haven’t seen it, but I’m here for Terintha Dickenson,” Mr. Williams said. He was the professor in the class Terintha went to occasionally. She walked over to the door. Jenny walked away from the door disgusted.

“Professor, do you know what you did?!”

“Terintha, I never thought this would happen, but the news team is starting something valuable. Please, just act like you are dying when the President comes over. It will only-.”

“Oh my god! The President is coming to this place. Get out!” Mr. Williams turned away. “I don’t mean leave, but are you serious?”

“Actually, I positively am! President Fields is coming to this building to see what the complaint was.” Terintha was jumping around. Jenny turned around as she entered the door. She was also excited. What if the President loved her art and wanted it in his place?! Jenny stood there looking in the mirror. The door closed and Terintha sat on the couch. She didn’t understand why she had to act like she was dying. The complaint was big and she needed to be truthful!














Chapter Twelve
Forgiveness



Mandy followed Shawni towards her place. “My car crashed, but it wasn’t my fault and the people tried to repair it. It didn’t work and I got the car I’m driving now. My mom was crazy! She stole my wallet. How would you say that’s luck?!”

“Well, it sure isn’t, but that is a big story. So people have been judging you all your life?” Shawni asked. She put the key in the white wood door. It creaked open.

“Yes. People just think I have a lot of money or I’m successful.” Shawni walked inside and went up a staircase. Mandy looked over at a table and saw a moldy pizza box.

“Yuck!” Shawni walked down a small hallway and into a room. Mandy followed and looked at the mistreated black-striped wallpaper that was peeling in many spots. “Well, this needs many of repairs!”

“You will get used to it.” Shawni opened the door to her room and sat on a couch that was covered in dust. There was a ceiling fan that looked like it was about to fall off. Mandy looked over at the window and saw that the screen had fallen off its hinges.

“Shawni! You live here?!”

“What? I’m as desperate as you are.”

“I can’t sleep in this place. The floor will probably snap!” Mandy looked at the toilet and saw a bunch of flies. She opened the window and grabbed a bag. She scooped out a bunch of green water and threw it out the window.

“What was that?” Shawni asked. She got up from the couch.

“This bathroom! …I have a plan. Let’s sneak out of here and find one of those luxury hotels. I have a credit card I can use against my mother!”

“You know, I really thought you were a nice person when I saw you, but you just judged me.” Mandy turned.

“Shawni. No one can live in a place like this. Not even the unluckiest.”

“Well then go without me. It was probably your plan all along. I know you will see me again, though.”

“Shawni!”

“Just go.” Shawni walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Mandy walked out of the room and saw a window crash into another window down the hall. She made a face. She felt sick. Not even her only friend could go with her where she wanted to go. If no one was going to care for her, than no one will. She would just go to the hotel and just pretend that her world was good.


Jenny was insanely cleaning the house, because the President was coming over the next day. Terintha sat on the couch with a glass of wine. “Terintha! Did you forget about the president?!”

“I’m just up for a birthday party.” Jenny turned the vacuum cleaner off and smiled. This day was played off pretty well. She washed a few dishes. Terintha looked over at the birthday cake that was sitting on the dining table. There were decorations all over the small wood space and the stereo was sitting on an end table. The door was suddenly open. Jenny perked up and turned around. Tom walked in with someone behind him.

“Hey, Jenny!” He looked over into the other room. “Hey, Terintha! There’s wine?!”

“Yes. In the cupboard,” Terintha said. She had not turned around quite yet.

“And happy birthday to you, Paul!” Paul walked inside looking somewhat familiar. He was smiling. Jenny looked over into the other room. “Terintha, he’s here!” Paul walked into the room. Terintha took a sip of wine and then turned around. She almost dropped her wine in shock. It was the same man who had rescued her from falling to her death from the tram. Jenny looked confused.

“Paul! I know you and I am so sorry for saying those things. I was so harsh.”

“Okay, I guess you two know each other!” Jenny said. She walked over and turned the music on.

“So your name is Terintha. It is a pretty name. I felt so strange when I rescued you. Have you met my friend, Tom?” Paul asked. He sat down with Terintha.

“Yes. They had a romantic evening before and I guess I wasn’t invited.” Paul frowned.

“So, here’s some cake!” Jenny said. She was a little confused how Terintha was talking to Tom’s friend. There was something she hadn’t told her. The four of them walked over to the table.

“And thank you all for helping contribute!” Paul said.

“I brought the wine!” Tom said. Jenny laughed. They enjoyed their cake. Terintha kept looking up. She still didn’t know what to think of Paul coming. She still hadn’t got over the hotel incident. She listened to the music and it was like an old-fashioned slow dance song. “That was delicious cake! May I have this dance?” Tom asked.

“Definitely!” Tom walked with Jenny into the center of the dance floor and they began to dance. Jenny looked over. “Aren’t you two going to dance?”

“No. I’m not really into that sort of thing.” Terintha moved the table so she could just watch the two dance.

“So, you aren’t mad at me?”

“No, Paul. It’s just a surprise to see you,” Terintha said. She took another sip of wine. “Look at them. They are so perfect for each other. And at first I really thought she was an independent girl.” Paul smiled. He was staring into space mostly listening to the music. He moved his chair closer to Terintha’s. She turned. “Why did you rescue me? I don’t understand. I looked weird to everyone else. You didn’t even know me.”

“I just loved how you were so courageous.” Paul turned to her.

“It was a fluke. They said the tram was stopping. Little did I know.”

“I’ve been meaning to tell you this, but I love you. Do you want to dance?” he said. Terintha looked astonished, but not the way you would want her to be.

“No, because you feel sorry for me and think that my world is horrible! It is, but I don’t want that kind of treatment.” Jenny turned the music off.

“Terintha?” Terintha got up from the chair and slammed the door to her room. “Well, happy birthday?” Paul looked sad.


Mandy sat in the waiting room to a glamorous hotel. A man walked over to her with refreshments. “No! Maybe I want a room!” The man turned around. She walked up to the desk.

“Lady, we know you have lots of money, but there are other customers that are less fortunate than you and you are making a fuss,” the woman said.

“How dare you pull that on me like everyone else! I’m even less fortunate than the poor. I don’t have any money. I also don’t have any friends.

“Then why are you here if you say you are poor?”

“My mother, Lilly Bauer has a Rewards Card. She lives on Chestnut Street. 342.” The woman tapped around on the keyboard to find the house.

“I’m sorry, miss, but that is a business accountant and isn’t used for anyone else. The account is just for Lilly Bauer. I can’t get into it.”

“I need somewhere to stay!” Mandy said. She was becoming demanding.

“I’m sorry, miss. There is a motel a few blocks from here that is three bucks a night.” She walked out the door. Nothing even helped! She kept walking across the road and then saw the same woman she was talking to inside the hotel. She ran over to her. “There’s a receipt.” Mandy smiled as she got closer to the motel.














Chapter Thirteen
Patience, Please!




The next day had come so fast. Terintha ate a ham and cheese sandwich in the kitchen. Jenny was sitting reading the newspaper.

“What went on yesterday at Paul’s birthday? Why did you storm off? There’s something you aren’t telling me.” Terintha looked up.

“He rescued me and he really was a different person than I thought he was.”

“You were so harsh to him, weren’t you?”

“He felt sorry for me and you know what. You have no control over me, because this is where I stand. My life is miserable and the only good thing that has really happened is people feeling sorry for me. They don’t know!” Jenny folded the newspaper up. Suddenly there were footsteps. She looked around.

“I heard that and I want you to know that we will try our best. You are silly.” Terintha fake coughed. She fell on the ground and looked like she was dying. “You will get something special since you are very sick and might die.” Jenny frowned. How could the president be so superstitious? “I will be off. This is what he was talking about.” Jenny got up and walked in front of the president.

“Here, would you like to look at my art?” Jenny sounded desperate to get approval. “I made a painting of roses. She started picking them up and showing them to President Fields.

“Those are nice, Miss Dickenson. Thank you.” He ran out the door. Jenny stood there.

“He didn’t like my paintings, did he?” She looked sad.

“I can’t believe you. You’re sad about someone to not like paintings that you made. At least he liked you and gave you some time!” Jenny looked up not saying a word. Terintha picked up the newspaper.

“I’m guessing you don’t like what I do either.”

“You know. I’d rather have me like me as a person than what I do, but that will never happen.” Terintha looked through the main page. She scrolled down the many articles. She saw a funny one about how people never go to see Santa in the winter but love the scenery of Washington DC. She kept going down and then saw something horrible. It said The World in a Mask of Prejudice by Blue Girl. BLUE GIRL! BLUE GIRL! Terintha ran into her room and packed her clothes in her bag. She kept throwing them inside.

“Terintha, what are you doing?!” Jenny was shaking. Terintha zipped her bag up and walked out of her room. “You can’t be leaving! I won’t have anyone to stay with and you were a great friend! Please don’t turn me down!”

“I am, because someone who values what someone does more than themselves is a poser. That is so ridiculous!” Terintha kicked the door open and stormed down the hall. Jenny tore one of her art pieces in half. Was that really what she was like? Terintha was getting out of this town. She needed to leave and go back home. She missed it way too much!


Mandy walked inside a room and sat on a bed. The walls were very dark and gloomy. She felt that way also. She had lost a friend all because she judged her and that was what she hated most. No one should judge someone for what they look like because Mandy had proved to be the opposite of what she looked like. She just turned on the TV and imagined that the motel she was staying at was luxurious and that her mother did love her. And then she was back to reality once again.

It hadn’t been a very long drive to the airport, because the campus was pretty close. Terintha walked off of the small bus and walked inside the building. It was a giant airport and there were cars everywhere picking people up and restaurants everywhere. She walked over to the line for security and then stopped. She turned around to see someone who looked like someone she knew walking past a bunch of people. The man turned and she saw that it was him! It was the man that had let her out of the Matchmaker Self Check-Out! She ran over to the man. “Hey!” Larry turned around with his luggage and almost fell over.

“I’ve been looking all over for you. Just let me stay with you.” Terintha looked astonished. He barely knew her and he already wanted to live with her.

“I barely know you, but I know that you’d like a blond. I saw on the screen and I didn’t mean to be rude.” Larry looked down.

“I will never have someone who doesn’t feel sorry for me or doesn’t like me.” Terintha put an arm around Larry.

“My life is not all roses either. Actually it’s probably worse than yours. I had to act like I was sick for the president to do something about people just being rascist of how I look! What is your name?”

“Larry Hamilton. Why are you here at the airport and why are you here?”

“This is where I thought I could fit in but they just call me Blue Girl. What a stereotypical thing to say!”

“I feel your pain, but I was fired because I hadn’t told people about love advice. How would I have anything.”

“Well, I really thought you were married by now. You know what? If I ever somehow get a chance to speak my word, I will tell everyone that you deserve better. I’ll see you later. I’m going back to Chicago!” Terintha walked back into the security line. Larry smiled. He turned and then walked out of the airport. He was going to explore the area and now that he knew that the girl that he had released was just as unlucky as he was, he was happy.

Jenny wasn’t happy. She was alone in the giant apartment. Her boyfriend and Paul were both at a baseball game at the stadium. She had nothing better to do than paint. Jenny painted a blue face. She added black hair to it. Then she put in the background many skyscrapers. Jenny painted Terintha wearing a ripped black dress and there was a tear running down her cheek. Jenny added a frame and walked away. Without even knowing it, she had painted the masterpiece that many would enjoy. There was a knock on the door. Jenny opened the door and saw it was the same man who had come on Paul’s birthday. “Terintha isn’t here. She left for Chicago.”

“Jenny. I believe you were a great friend to her, but something must have happened. I love that painting of her.”

“Oh, that was nothing. I just painted that.” Mr. Williams stepped back.

“The president has scheduled something big, but if you guys aren’t even friends anymore I don’t know.”


A ways away, the President sat inside the White House. “That Terintha was definitely something.” He looked out the window as many people were setting up chairs. He opened the window. “This won’t do. We need a big crowd! Go to the fields of the Monument!” The President had a slight smile.


















Chapter Fourteen
Reconstruction



Terintha was ready for the landing of the plane. She was glad that no flight attendant had told her that she was distracting the other people. She was reading a magazine about D.C. news. She looked at the pictures of protesting. That was what those people were doing and that just made her want to tear the magazine.

“Vicious little creatures shouldn’t be allowed on here,” a woman said half-heartedly. Terintha turned around and glared.

“You watch your mouth!” A man poked her arm.

“Stay focused. The plane is landing,” he said.

“I can do what I want.” A bunch of people turned around in the row ahead of her. She just sat there and waited for it to land. Her ears started to pop as it landed and she felt great! After a long time everyone grabbed their bags and went. Terintha walked off the plane and into the other airport. She waved to a few people she had seen before.

“What’s with that weirdo, Krissy?” Terintha frowned. She couldn’t even count how many people that had insulted her, limited her, criticized her, or made her feel uncomfortable. She was just sick of it all. Terintha kept walking down the street.


Jenny was working at a restaurant as a waitress. The restaurant had loud music and there were many people inside. There was art on