A chilly gust of wind hit Scarlett's bare arms as she watched the sliding doors in front of her part open. Benno led the way out of the brightly lit complex building and onto a railed pathway that stretched over the choppy waters. The path shielded walkers from harsh weather with an overhead canopy that left an open space between the rails to let in a breeze.

Scarlett followed Benno and her team through the sliding doors and onto the elevated walkway, feeling the cold floor panels on her bare feet. She trod lightly and quickly behind everyone else and tried to keep her eyes upward so she could take in the view of this new planet, including the vast alabaster-colored sky and the eternal blue sea.

Now that they were out of the small, dark room and away from the horrible Galdavue counselor, she was curious as to how the whole competition, celebration, kidnapping thing would turn out and her fear had mostly dissolved. For some reason, it felt more like a trip to Disney World than an abduction to her now.

Scarlett took in a deep breath and filled her lungs with Latster's chilly, salty air. The smell of the ocean walkway reminded her of a trip to the aquarium. As she took in the unique beauty of the place, she was oblivious to her teammates' reactions and for a moment she even forgot that they were there, possibly judging her.

Benno led the five of them down a few turns and side paths of the walkway before they reached an open platform with several different types of vehicles sitting idly by, most of them appearing to be vehicles using hover technology. Scarlett saw trams, personal cabs, animal-drawn chariots, and even a few hoverbikes. Benno stopped at the end of the tunnel like pathway and pulled his hood over his head, glancing briefly at the pale sky, then turning to the teenagers.

"Now we will travel to the campus. It is about four-twenty-eight P.M. so I will take you to your apartment space so that you may get acquainted with it. At five-thirty the cafeteria below the apartments will hold dinner for an hour and a half. You have until then to clean up using the apartment's washroom and finish choosing which bedroom will suit the boys and which will suit the girls. Once I drop you off, I will see you all once again at dinner time." Benno explained.

"Where will you be for that next hour?" Scarlett asked, tilting her head.

"I have to explain this all to the last two groups. One of them just arrived and they should wake soon enough." Benno replied, waving for them to follow as he stepped out from the canopy and headed towards a small humming tram.

Benno stood by the tram door, his thick robes dancing in the whipping wind while he waited for the door to slide open. Once it did, the Lauhuae greeted the driver and then guided each teenager up the stairs. Scarlett made sure she was the last aboard so she could watch where everyone else sat. The twins sat together one row back from the front and Sage picked a seat on the same row but on the other side. Chrissy began to amble forward, but she crossed her arms and glanced over her shoulder expectantly at Scarlett.

"I'm coming," Scarlett encouraged her cousin, climbing the stairs and briefly glimpsing Benno following her up.

Chrissy stood in the aisle, waiting, her face somber and tired looking. Scarlett trotted up to her cousin and rested her hand on Chrissy's shoulder.

"So where are we sitting?" Scarlett asked softly, glancing around the empty seats in the dim tram.

Chrissy shrugged. Scarlett lifted her eyebrow giving her cousin a look.

"How about behind Sage?" Scarlett suggested finally, pushing past her cousin and plopping down behind Sage's seat.

"Why not the Gunnarsen's?" Chrissy wondered softly, sending sad puppy dog eyes to where the blonde twins were quietly whispering.

"You mean the twins that are trying to privately converse over there? Hey, I'm not your boss, sit where you like." Scarlett shrugged, getting comfy in her new chair.

Chrissy sighed and gave the twins a wistful look. Scarlett briefly followed her eyes to see both boys leaned in close exchanging gentle whispers. Chrissy slowly took the seat next to her cousin and drew her arms in close. Scarlett watched her, feeling bad that everyone except herself felt miserable.

As Scarlett watched towering Benno take the front row seat, tucking his dark robes around him carefully as the tram began to ease off the ground, she pondered ways to get her teammates to warm up to her and this planet. She leaned toward the window, resting her arm on the lip and gazing out to the shrinking white complex.

I better not mess this up, Scarlett kept repeating to herself as she placed her chin on her hand. This could be my only chance to befriend these boys. I have to figure this out.

Scarlett felt the seat begin to shake gently. She furrowed her brow and turned to see her younger cousin, crying softly into her folded arms.

"Aw, Chrissy," Scarlett breathed, frowning. She scooted closer to her cousin and slipped her hand onto Chrissy's arm. "Don't cry, please. Think about how much fun this could be."

Scarlett wiped her tears with her finger. Chrissy's mouth curved into a little smile. Scarlett pulled her cousin into a hug. When the two drew back with smiles on their faces Scarlett lowered her voice, "Now how should I start up a convo with Sagey boy?"

Chrissy gave her cousin a chuckle and silently mouthed, "Sagey boy?" With a grin.

"Come on, Chris," Scarlett urged.

Chrissy laughed again and shook her head, "Girl, just act chill and ask him if he's okay. Talking to guys isn't that much different than talking to girls."

"Chill?" Scarlett repeated.

"If you can handle that." Chrissy cocked an eyebrow.

Scarlett wrinkled her nose and scoffed before shifting her position and leaning over to Sage's seat in front of her. She gave her cousin one last glance over her shoulder as if to say, "Here goes nothing,"

Scarlett felt the smooth leather on her bare arms as she leaned forward, mind racing, to talk with the lonely brunette.

"Hey, Sage," Scarlett gently greeted, keeping her eyes shifting around the tram, afraid to meet his. "You okay?"

Sage shrugged slowly, folding his arms across his chest and lifting his eyes to stare blankly at the windshield. Scarlett wasn't sure how to continue a conversation from a simple shrug. She tried anyway.

"You missing anything at home? I know I'm probably gonna miss my favorite band's newest album release." Scarlett offered, frowning.

"Yeah, I'm sure I'll miss a bunch of stuff," he replied softly. Something in his voice sounded painful.

Scarlett watched his face carefully. She placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled sympathetically.

"We'll get through this," she told him strongly, hesitantly adding, "I promise."

Sage let out a shaky sigh, shutting his eyes momentarily. Scarlett smiled and let her eyes linger on his face for another moment, glad she could talk for just a moment with him. She began to pull away and sit down once more.

"So, uh, what's your favorite band?" Sage asked.

Scarlett stopped short. He cared? About her favorite band?!

"Oh no," Chrissy playfully growled. "You just had to ask, didn't you Sage?"

Scarlett glanced backward and saw her cousin rolling her eyes. Scarlett plopped down in her seat again and elbowed her cousin, both snickering softly. Sage got up on his knees and turned to lean against the back of his seat to listen.

"Pentatonix," Scarlett finally replied, lifting her eyes to Sage's face.

"Sounds familiar," he mused, narrowing his beautiful eyes.

"It should. They're the best band ever." Scarlett joked. Chrissy rolled her eyes again while Sage grinned half-heartedly. "But seriously, Sage, you danced for two of their members. Mitch and Scott have their own music as a duo aside from the band. Does Superfruit sound familiar?"

Something lit up on Sage's face when he remembered, "Oh yeah! The dance. . .with the dress!"

"Yup and Kaycee Rice." Scarlett nodded with a smile, glad that they found a topic and were conversing. But then she suddenly stopped and glanced at Chrissy with wide eyes. "I wonder if she'll be here, Kaycee I mean."

Chrissy shrugged, uninterested, and moved her eyes off to the twins again.

"Beats me," Chrissy said. "I don't even know who she is."

Scarlett was about to call her a loser and shove Chrissy out of her seat jokingly, but something growing in the windshield caught her attention.

"Guys, look!" Scarlett called out before she even realized she'd opened her mouth.

There was a circular patch of emerald green, dotted with bland colored buildings and surrounded by an overgrown dark forest. Amidst the bland colored structure was something that looked like a landing pad with little dark specks gathered around it. Scarlett assumed the specks were the other teams.

Benno straightened his posture and gazed out at the sight, affirming Scarlett's assumption that this patch of green was the campus where they would stay.

As they neared the campus, everyone stopped talking and the tram made a steep descent to the gray landing pad. The quick decent made Scarlett feel like she'd lost her stomach.

Once the tram had landed, level and still, Benno lifted his towering self gracefully from his seat and turned to the scattered teens idly sitting by.

"Come. Let me show you to your apartment so I can be on my way." Counselor Benno said, nodding and moving forward through the door.

Scarlett jumped up and hurried past her still seated cousin as fast as she could. She darted quickly to the front, eager to explore the campus and her new living quarters.

"Scarlett! Wait up!" Chrissy exclaimed.

Scarlett ignored her cousin and bounded down the stairs behind Benno, hearing two sets of rushed footsteps behind her. She leaped down and sprinted towards the grass, landing gently on the soft, spongy ground and lifting her eyes to see scattered teenagers clustered in small groups around the tram. She didn't pay them much mind but instead hastily followed Benno towards one of the squarish gray buildings.

"Come on, y'all! Hurry up!" Scarlett Grace called over her shoulder. "You buncha slowpokes!"

Scarlett skipped ahead and almost plowed into Benno when she returned her eyes forward. She skidded to a stop and tettered for a moment, barely catching her balance. She looked up at the majestic counselor wondering why he'd stopped.

"What does 'y'all' mean?" Benno asked, tilting his head like a bird as he towered over her.

"Uh. . ." Scarlett gave him a confused look. "It's a contraction of 'you all', I think. Mostly Southern Americans use it."

"Fascinating. I've never heard it before." Benno explained, wide-eyed.

Scarlett blinked at him. Chrissy rushed up to her side and gave a few huffs before placing her hand on Scarlett's shoulder and leaning on her to stable herself. Sage rushed up on her other side and the twins were soon there, too.

"I won't keep you waiting. Let's go," Benno smiled.

Scarlett stood for a moment, staring at Benno before following the alien counselor the rest of the way to the building.

Benno led them around the back of a large gray building with glass windows on all first floor walls except the back one. At the rear, there was a door that the alien held open for them that led to a set of stairs to the top floor. The five of them slowly climbed the bland stairway, followed by the towering counselor.

Past the next door was a hotel looking hallway with six white doors and little wall lamps lighting the way. Benno crested the top of the stairs and glanced around at the silent team before taking them to one of the doors.

The counselor knocked on the door. Silence.

"Go on in," Benno said with a smile, sweeping his arm over the door. "Choose which bedroom will suit who and don't forget dinner. There are. . .what's the word. . ." Benno snapped his fingers. "Trundle beds! There is a trundle bed under every bed, so one of you boys will have to use one of those but I'm sure you'll work it out."

Scarlett glanced at the closed door, sturdy and stark white. Benno left them in silence, slipping out the way they had come.

"Well?" Scarlett said, turning to face her idle new friends. She looked each of them in the eye as she placed her hands on her hips and shrugged. "Let's go in!"