I woke to the sounds of frantic yelling and argument outside the Can. 

"What the heck, Claire?" A very angry Kelly yelled. 

"Mm? What?" I asked groggily. 

"Don't you play dumb, Claire! You've messed everything up!"

"What? But I didn't do anything!" I sat up in bed, smoothing back my tangled hair and pushing away the sheets. 

"Oh, really? Then explain this!" Kelly pointed to a large poster. I squinted, brushing back my bangs back to read it. It was that PicCollage rant I had made the day of our first Glitchketball practice! 

"What? How..." I trailed off, blinking and looking at the poster again in shock. "I had nothing to do with this! I swear!" I stuttered.  

"Claire, that photo only existed in two places: the encrypted section of the CCD that no one can unlock and your phone's camera roll. You obviously had everything to do with this." 

"But...where was it?" 

"Stop your act! You hung these things on every single building and tree in the entire WGO complex last night!" Kelly screamed. "Even on Amanda's house! As much as I support you and love what you did, our core team, our division is doomed because you wanted to express your feelings." 

"What? Every single building?" I stood up, quickly stepping into the bathroom, putting on a standard Sloppie outfit, and pulling my hair into a ponytail. 

Slipping on some tennis shoes without even bothering to tie them, I ran out of the room and out of the Can, leaving the frustrated Kelly in our room. 

As soon as I stepped outside, shouts of 'there she is!' and 'It's CK!" rang through the air. CK? I had never been addressed by my initials before, but I liked it. It made me seem different, older, and stronger. 

"Someone's got guts!" Tracy, the Cookie girl who had shown me to my room on my first day at WGO, slapped me hard on the back. 

"I can't get over the fact that you just said what we've been thinking for years!" Tim, the Sloppie leader smiled. "And you didn't just say it, you yelled it." 

"Wait, but I didn't even-" 

"Look, I found one in Amanda's office!" Screamed an excited young reg waving yet another poster. Looking around, I found to my horror that they were indeed everywhere. On trees, buildings, lampposts, stop signs, and floating in the swimming pools of Cookietown." 

"Did you seriously not do it?" I heard Kelly's tiny voice behind me. 

"I seriously didn't!" I pleaded. 

"Do you promise?" 

"Yes!" I said with urgency. 

"I think you should go with the flow," she grinned. "Whoever actually did it, it doesn't look like they're going to admit it anytime soon. You're a hero now!" 

I'm a celebrity again! I thought with pleasure as the frenzied crowd of Glitches and regs alike bore me up, carrying me around the central square of WGO with a rhythmic chant of "CK! CK! CK!"

Just as I was getting caught up in the celebration, the hubbub was interrupted by a commanding voice. 

"By order of President Myers of WGO, Claire King of the Sloppie division is to be escorted to Level 50 of Government Building A!" Eva yelled in fury. The frightened yet determined WGO members put me down and stood in front of me in defiance. 

"Tell your President we don't take orders from her anymore!" Tracy bellowed, pumping her fist in the air. 

"Tell her we're sick and tired of being her slaves!" Ellie added. 

Oh no. This was turning into a all out revolt! It was going too far, too fast. Curse you, whoever put up the stupid posters, I thought, biting my lip in agitation. Curse you, whoever you are! 

"You are foolish to think that, because she hung posters on some trees, Claire King is capable of being your leader," Eva laughed dryly. "She was so very courageous in her antics last night, let's see if she can be as brave in the light of day. Come forth, Claire, if you are really the rebel you have claimed to be. Or, acknowledge our supremacy and stay hidden by your throngs of misguided followers."

I thought of the humiliation and disgrace I would face from the members of WGO if I stayed back, and decided I would risk it. As I began to walk forward, the kids cleared a path for me with respect and awe. 

"You said so many things about Government behind our backs," Jade smiled cruelly from her spot beside Eva. "Now say them in front of Eva and me," she taunted. "Go on, I dare you." 

What kind of things does a rebel say to supporters of the government they're fighting? I racked my mind for answers, but drew a blank. Dang it, I wish I paid more attention to the Hunger Games. 

"What happened to all that courage?" Jade mused. "Scared of us? Of our power?" 

"No," I said sharply, temporizing while I thought of a plan. "I'm just waiting." 

"For what?" Eva asked, a smile playing on her crimson lips. 

"I don't explain myself to lackeys," I spat. "Where's Amanda?" 

"She's very busy," Eva snarled. "Why should she waste her time on a worthless Sloppie like you?" 

"Be glad Claire's not cracking your skull like an egg, you leech!" Yelled Ellie. 

"Yeah, if CK took power today, you'd be her best friend tomorrow! We don't need to be wasting our time on greedy sycophants like you who have no real loyalty to anyone!"

"That's it! Core team, clear the square!" Eva ordered. Three other Codie Glitches stepped out from behind her and together, they managed to subjugate the regs. The Glitches, however, continued to put up a fight. 

I heard a screech from behind me as Amanda's Code-powered black Ferrari imprinted with the official seal of WGO made a sharp turn and parked in the middle of the square. 

Everyone seemed to fall silent as the door opened noiselessly and the President of WGO stepped out. She was as immaculate as usual, in a crisp white button up shirt, black tulle skirt, and pristine white pumps. 

The most surprising thing about her, though, was her face. She wore an expression of pure tranquility, even joy. She certainly didn't look like a tyrannous president who had woken up one morning to find her organization rebelling against her should. Her sick smile reeked of overconfidence as she reached into her pocket, pulling out the one object I hated and feared the most in this world. Her shiny pocketknife with the polished black hilt. She began to absentmindedly run her finger across the blunt edge as she looked up to face her supporters. This was giving me a really bad feeling. 

"Amanda?" Jade exclaimed, looking genuinely confused. "But...this wasn't part of the plan. We were supposed to meet up in the-" 

"I made the plan," Amanda laughed. "I'm allowed to make changes if necessary."

Stepping away from her car, she turned to face the crowd. "Members of WGO, I see that we have a little problem here."

Understatement of the century. 

"I'm sure this can all be resolved...peacefully," Amanda smiled. Somehow, her voice managed to silence everyone. Despite what they thought inside, Amanda talking=silence had been ingrained in their brains through their years at WGO. 

"There is far more to WGO than any of you have ever seen," she began. "The headquarters area where we live and work is only a small fraction of it, the central point. Surrounding us are the north, south, east, and west points, each far larger than the central and filled with WGO regs." 

Everyone's jaw dropped, including Eva and Jade. This was news even to them. 

"We are also, contrary to most of your beliefs, not technically in America." 

"Oops, forgot to get a visa," someone snorted from the back, but no one dared laugh at the joke. 

"WGO is an independently governed state that is, collectively, about the size of Texas," Amanda continued, ignoring the comment. "That makes me more than the President of an organization, that makes me the President of a country. It also means you are not just in a simple protest, you are participating in a rebellion against the established Government of a nation. Do you still wish to continue doing what you are doing?" She asked, already beaming victoriously. 

"I'm out," Tracy whispered fearfully, stepping away from the crowd and running back in the direction of Cookietown. Several other Cookies joined her, though Ellie held her ground. 

"Are you trying to scare us into submission again? Because it's not going to work!" A new voice was heard from behind Amanda as Megan jogged out into the square. "We've lived under you long enough, it's time for change!" 

Shouts of "yeah, Megan!" and "that's why she's CK's sister!" rang through the crowd. 

"I was hoping it wouldn't escalate to this point," Amanda bit her lip in frustration. She ever so slightly began to slide her thumb around her index finger in a complicated gesture and blue lines sprung up from the ground! So it was her making us lose all the time! Just one more reason for me to hate her. 

Two lines attached to each Glitch's head, calming them and making them walk away. 

I tried to counter her, summoning blue light to my right hand and attempting to hurl it, but it was too weak. The faint glow barely covered my hand. 

"No!" I yelled, without the other Glitches, I was completely at Amanda's mercy. I didn't understand, I had fought Amanda off with the blue lines before, why didn't it work now!

Silly little girl, a strange voice said in my head. You're newly Awakened, your Aura is very irregular. You could hurt yourself trying to use it. 

I looked around, confused as to where it was coming from. 

It's Amanda, the voice returned. No need to be so flustered, this is perfectly normal. It's just a ConnecTalk, or a CT. Sort of like telepathy, except only Awakened Lessaenites can use it. 

What? Awakened? Is that like being able to see the blue lines? And what's a Lessaenite? I thought, attempting to respond to Amanda. 

Wow, you can already CT and you've been Awakened for less than a week! You really are as powerful as the legends say...And yes, the "blue lines" are called Aura. Lessaenites are our kind, Aura-wielders. You are a very special Lessaenite, though, with a very powerful Aura. And really headstrong too, I must admit you've put on quite a show. 

That wasn't even me! I didn't do the posters! I frantically replied. 

I know it wasn't you, that's why you're still alive. 

Do you know who it was? 

Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. His name is Teren, probably the biggest troublemaker you'll ever meet. We have a bit of a...history back home. 

What? Who's that? And how did he get that picture? 

Meet me on Level 51 of Government Building A at exactly 2:00 P.M and I will explain everything. 

What? But there's nothing on Level 51...

Why does everyone assume that? Amanda asked mysteriously before disconnecting the CT.