Chasing Love~

"Yea.... The tests.... better go...uh...pass them." The principal's speech just made Mimi worry more about what was to come. Slowly, she was seeing her brothers reasoning for running away. With slow steps, she walked with the crowd and stepped in front of Landon.

Isabel searched the bus with her eyes when she stepped on, spotting Landon rather quickly. She'd had a few issues getting past everyone to get on, so she wasn't a bit surprised that he'd made it on first. What did surprise her was the fact he was speaking.... to a girl.

"I wouldn't worry too much about the tests," he was saying, rolling his eyes a little. "I heard its all rigged anyways."

"Spreading conspiracy theories again, Landon?" I interrupted, voice dripping with distaste. "Please tell me you aren't trying to drag this poor girl into your way of thinking."

"Please, if you're here I doubt I'll get out another word on them." Landon replied, scooting over so she could take the seat next to him. "You know Mimi, right?"

"Um... can't say I do."

"Nice to meet you," Mimi smiled to the other girl. She could hear the dislike in her voice and she couldn't tell if it was because she knew who Mimi was, just didn't like Mimi, or only knew her as the younger sister of the boy who ran. Or maybe she just didn't like what Landon was talking about with Mimi. "What's your name?"

"Isabel," she said, attempting to brighten her voice a little. "I apologize for the rude greeting. Landon just seems to let his mouth run away with him if I don't keep an eye on it."

"I'm just stating the t-"

"You're stating treason." she interrupted, shooting Mimi an apologetic look. "Now please, shut. Up."

"You know I never do..." he chuckled, giving her a small shove as the bus started up. "Oh goody, on our way to be brain washed...."

Mimi laughed lightly. "It's alright. I enjoyed his conversation. It was quite enlightening." She could finally see why her brother decided to leave. "Just talking about it can't be that bad, right? I mean.... It's not like any of us are planning on running."

Isabel sighed, eyes resting on Landon for a moment, silently. He refused to look at her, instead giving Mimi a light smile.

"Of course none of us are," he said easily, ignoring Isabel's look which had turned towards a glare. "But...I do have to agree with Izzy on one thing..."

He paused, giving Isabel a short nod then. She relaxed slightly, eyes flickering over the people around them. Absently she noticed that the girl sitting across the aisle from them was sitting alone, and was strangely quiet. She watched the girl for a moment, but the girl didn't seem to be listening to them.

"It's best not to talk like that."

Mimi sighed and looked out the window. "I guess you guys are right." She nodded and pulled her knee up to her chest, resting her heal against the front part of the bus seat. "Any idea how close we are?"

Landon grinned then, letting out a puff of air as he started to answer her.

"Well, Miss Mimi, being the excellent judge of direction that I am I say that we're only abo-"

"Please," Isabel uninterrupted, rolling her eyes a little, although keeping them on the girl across the aisle. "You have no clue where we are. Admit it."

"...Fine," Landon said with a dramatic sigh. "I am a hopeless flirt who wished to impress the lady with my unme-"

"Shut up. We're about ten minutes out."

"Manners, Isabel. Aren't you worried the teachers will tell on your language to the committee?" Landon asked, a teasing tone in his voice.

Isabel's fingers clinched in her lap, eyes flashing. To her that wasn't a joke, her dreams hanging in the balance. Isabel's eyes immediately flickered to where the teachers sat up front, engaged in other conversation.

Mimi stiffled a laugh at the conversation the two of them had. She could tell Isabel was worried about the conversation taking place, but she didn't really see why.

"Oh, a hopeless flirt? Hopefully they find you someone who doesn't mind that. and," she smiled at him, "You haven't impressed me yet." She joked with him.

"Yes," Landon sighed dramatically. "That is often the case." he paused, flashing a charming smile. "But then the ladies take a closer look at me and fall head over heels. After all, I'm the most handsome boy in Everf-"

"Try the second to last." Isabel interrupted, rolling her eyes. "And that's only because Wally Wart's got you beat."

Landon put a hand up to his chest, playing up a hurt look. "You really think that, Isabel?"

She rolled her eyes again, shoving him towards the aisle with one hand as she kept her eyes carefully on where the teachers were sitting. She didn't want to be seen acting inappropriately. After all, she'd worked most of her life to make sure she appeared to be the perfect student. That and her intelligence qualified her for a good match, or so her parents and teachers said.

Mimi laughed softly. "I dunno. I don't think he is that bad in the looks department. Definitely in the top fifty or so." She smiled a the other two and slumped back in her chair, glancing out the window. The closer they got to the tests, the more worried she became.

"Fifty?" Landon repeated, adding an even more hurt look to his expression. "Please, at least top ten."

"One hundred at best," Isabel muttered, eyes settling on the building she could see in the distance. "You don't think..."

"Yeah," Landon answered, looking slightly rattled for once. "That's the testing center."

Mimi swallowed seeing the building. Her hand instinctively went up and started rubbing the mettal locket her brother gave her for her thirteenth birthday. Jus an old nervous habit that formed over the years.

"That's it... Huh?" she spoke softly. "What if I get paired with someone who won't be good for me? What if I fail the test?" she asked the others, extremely softly and rather worried.

"Well-, " Landon began, the girl across the aisle cutting him off.

"Then you're screwed." she said evenly. "Society no longer has room for those that it can't perfectly place how it likes. Don't worry, though," her voice turned bitter then. "There's always room for a pretty face."

Landon and Isabel simply stared at her in shock for a moment. Suddenly Landon shook his head, amazed.

"What sort of talk is that? Looking to get cuffed?"

"Looking for freedom, boy. Something you wouldn't understand."

Mimi looked away and pulled her knees up to her chest, bracing her heels against the bus seat. She didn't want this anymore. Why didn't she run when her brother offered to take her with him? Tear of fear started to well in her eyes and she put her head down against her knees. It was amazing how just being closer to the building made her this afraid of the future.

Landon glanced back at Mimi then scowled, giving the girl a hard look.
"See her-, "
"Everyone prepare to exit the bus. We'll be heading directly in the crimson doors upon stopping. "
"And so it begins..." the strange girl murmured, eyes locked out the window.
"Could you just shut up?" Isabel said nervously, dyeing the building as well as the his rolled to a stop.

Mimi held back a worried whimper and wiped her eyes clean. She was glad that she didn't wear makeup this morning, because it probably would have smudged and that was the last thing she needed.
She stood slowly and grabbed her board and bag, getting off the bus with the others. Her hand was clasped tightly around her necklace, her nerves getting the better of her. They wouldn't match her up with someone bad because of her brother, would they?

((Hey, I invited BB to join the chat with us. ^^ The more the better, right? lol. She'll probs put up her characters sometime later. ^^))

Name: Cale McGuire
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Looks:

Spoiler:

Personality: (optional) Very obedient. If he were to be in the relationship, he would let the ladies walk all over him. But that because he thinks he's chivalrous. And when some picks a fight with him--mostly guys though--he will become like an beast; and animal that cannot be tamed. So overall you could say he has his hot-tempered moments. But overall can be labeled "Nice Guy."
View on Love: (choose or be chosen for) Chosen For

Name: Olivia Kilas
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Looks:

Spoiler:

Personality: (optional) Rebellious girl, lives with the rebels and wants to fight for people's right to chose who they love. Reason being why is because their parents weren't the best of parents... Her personality can be explained like a firecracker. It's big a flashy for a quick moment, but will fade to show a broken and tattered being.
View on Love: (choose or be chosen for) Choose

Name: Peter Frealm
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Looks:

Spoiler:

Personality: (optional) Very narcissistic, can also seem like a snob. He wants to start his own rebel group to protect the right of choosing who you love so he does have some nice leadership qualities about him.
View on Love: (choose or be chosen for) Choose, duh.

((Awesome! So yeah, have them wherever you want. ^^ Like we discussed.))

Landon let Isabel out in-front of him, keeping his eyes on the building. It almost caused him to forget what the strange girl had said... almost.

"Come on, Is," he muttered, stepping off with her. "I guess this is it."

Isabel smiled, linking her arm in his as she gave the building another worried look, filing after the rest of the class.

"No, this isn't. This is just the test... we still have time before we're matched. Maybe whoever they choose won't mind us being friends..."

Landon held his tongue to keep from saying that he doubted it, following the teachers orders as Isabel led him in the large doors.

Mimi was left alone again, filing in behind the rest of the crowd. She kept her gaze on the ground, one hand at the necklace and the other on her board. This couldn't be all that bad. It was just another test. Right? Another test.... And she usually passed tests.

Cale
The bus had stopped, and people began to get off in calm single file lines. Cale was at the far back of the bus, so he didn't rush himself to get up for he knew that it would be a minute. It was a fairly quiet bus ride, except for a few mumbles and conversations that he didn't pay much attention to. He was just having anxiety over the biggest test of his life.

He noticed figures outside the bus. Shifting, moving in the shadows, were they the rebels he had heard about in the papers? He shook off the thought, though he couldn't help but continue to stare out the window, keeping a lookout for any suspicious movements.

Olivia
"I'm in my place, Pete."

Olivia pulled a strand of her sleek black/brown hair away from her eyes as she spoke into the walkie and as the bus drove passed her. Though she was focused, she couldn't helped that Peter didn't respond.

"Pete!" she exclaimed harshly but quietly, trying to get his attention. "--Christ, Petey will you pay attention?!"

Peter
He stared over the horizon, he could see the large vehicle coming towards the ambush spot, all he had to do was wait for the brat's signal and--

"Pete!" screamed the brats voice over his walkie, he almost fell off the branch he was on. Luckily for him he had great coordination.

"What, brat?" he muttered lowly into the walkie, "--Well next time you should say over when you are going to say something! And it's Peter!"

Peter then let out a small sigh, knowing that he needed to be calm and focused for this plan to work. "--Nevermind, follow the bus, when they get to the crimson doors knock out the guards and we'll take the people with us. Remember, don't hurt the people, but you can get a little violet to the guards."

((Sorry, I'm going to post in a moment. I've been busy. ^^;;; ))

Isabel and Landon followed the crowd towards the door, hands clasped together as if it would keep them anchored. Both of their hearts were beating so fast, Isabel figuring her’s might just jump out of her chest. This was the moment, she just knew it. The moment when everything would change. Walking out of this place she just wouldn't be her anymore… she’d be promised. Soon she’d hear his name… but what if it wasn’t anything close to what she wanted?
No, she wouldn't think about that. She’d always trusted the system, she would trust it now.

Alia paused at the door of the buses, her eyes scanning the area around them. She knew the plan… but that didn't mean there wasn't a chance that it could get screwed up. So many people… it’d be impossible to take them all. She sure hoped that things were going as they should be.
Carefully keeping her face neutral, she set a brisk pace as she began walking, easily catching up with the others. When the began filing in the doors she silently counted down, hoping they were ready… if they weren’t and she entered this place…
Her name wasn't on the class roster. She would be screwed.

Peter
"Brat, get your group and ambush the bus! We got the guards almost taken cared of," Peter whispered into his walkie, just before he had to knock another guard out who was charging towards him.

"--Now!" he replied, his voice louder as he went over the the control panel inside the facility and opened the doors. "And stop calling me Petey!"

Cale
Cale couldn't stand it anymore, there was too much rustling in the bushes, but he had to keep moving in the line or he would've been run over. But then he looked out the bus' windows and--

"--Rebels?" he whispered lowly, there he saw a group of people, dressed in black. They were fighting the guards...then a dark haired girl threw a projectile (a smoke bomb) at the window and it broke through the glass and landed on an empty bus seat.

"Get down! Rebels!" he hollered, but then his vision turned white. And just like the others he began to panic.

Olivia
Olivia loved the thrill of combat. Fighting against a mass of guards with only a handful of backup was giving her a high. She blew powerful blows to those damnable supporters of this--unmoral cause.

She finally made her way to the bus, knocking out a couple blinded guards coming at her. She then hollered at the top of her lungs:

"Come with me if you want to have a choice in your life again!"

Landon's breath caught in his chest, panic swelling up for a moment before he heard the call. Everyone else was freaking out but he could feel a cold knowing settle in his heart. This was what he'd been waiting for, a chance to escape this. He'd never wanted to have his life chosen for him, and he was his chance at escape.
He could feel Isabel's panic grow when he stopped moving, her eyes moving to meet his as she frantically shook her head.
"I can't, Izzy..." he said, fighting to be heard above the panic, tugging her towards where he'd heard the voice come from. "I can't allow it..."
"Landon," she said, he could hear her voice catch as fear contorted her face. "They're rebels, they could kill us. They will kill us, I can't-"
He didn't give her any more chance, instead firmly clamping his hand around her wrist and stepping forward, sweeping his other hand towards the small of her back. Surprised she didn't have the chance to protest before finding herself in his arms as he darted throughout he chaos. She felt a cough tear through her chest as they crossed a cloud of smoke, her eyes tearing up.

Alia felt her stress fly away when the attack began. Her fingers nimbly whipped her dagger from its hidden spot, eyes darting around for any way to be of use. She'd make sure this plan went off without a hitch, she had to, for everyone's sake.