Planet B

Operation Mega Makeover

(hi hello vote if u feel so inclined to do so :D )

I hated shopping.

No, that's too vague.

I hate shopping with other people.

No, more specifically: I hate shopping with other people against my will.

Not that anyone asked me. I would wear the same three outfits for the rest of my life if the world didn't deem it 'unsanitary'.

What? It's recycling. Aren't we trying to save the planet here? I should get bonus positive points for that, in fact. Look at my green thumbs, I'm practically a walking Save the Whales sign.

But, no one asked me, like I said.

Which is why when a long black hover vehicle was parked below the marble steps, the entire thing slick as oil, I immediately made a move to turn around. 

Theo caught my arm though. Like a jerk.

"Release me from thou hold," I said.

"That's not what 'thou' means."

"Thou is interpretive."

He snorted. I glared.

The vehicle floated a foot above the ground, rimmed with pulsating light. The front window was rolled down and Raj was waving at us. Her hair fell in curtains around her face, matching the car's color, and she grinned brightly, ringing her horn again. Because Raj, even with her newly re-invigorated bubbling and reconciled relationship with me, still seemed to have it out for me in one way or another.

"Let's go, let's go, Hunters!" she said. 

The window disappeared to show Cole and Kate in the middle seats. Cole whooped loudly and Kate pointed behind them with a dead face.

"We're wasting energy," she said. "Get in."

Theo waved, grinning as if this was something completely normal. Which made me remember that for him, it was. Which then made me wonder if he was wearing another brooch hidden beneath his clothing. Which in turn made me decide some things are just better left forgotten. I could only handle so much angst in one day.

We made our way towards the vehicle and the door lifted up. Theo scooted in and I sat next to him. Raj spun around, grinning.

"Are you excited?" she asked. "We're on operation Makeover Briar."

"Discharge me immediately," I said, reaching for the door handle. "This is more like Operation Mega Makeover No One Asked For Or Wanted."

The click of a lock made me groan. Cole turned in his seat as the car rumbled and Raj put in the destination.

"Ready, birdie?"

"Not a cat person," I snapped.

"I'll take that as an enthusiastic sí." He grinned. "See that?"

"You're white."

"There were white Spaniards."

"I'm Mexican."

"Totally, hermano."

I really hoped he pronounced the h as a joke.

Kate hit him on the back of his head and he cursed, spinning around to glare. She shook her head and sighed.