Chapter 89: *chapter fifteen*

Happy Friday the Thirteenth!!!

I am so so so so SO SO SO SO sorry for missing Friday last week. Life has been and is continuing to be very tumultuous. I'm not going to get into any of it, because I don't want any pity or to seem like I'm making excuses, but some circumstances have been taking up my free time and writing took the back burner last week.

Please don't ever feel like I'm abandoning you or this story if I miss a week. Not posting last week made me feel so stressed out that it probably would've been more beneficial for me to have simply forgone sleep on Thursday night to get something out to you. I just never want any reader to think I'm not prioritizing this story and decide to leave.

Today's chapter, we're going to meet the new members. You'll notice a lot of the same names from past drafts because those named after incredible readers are still reading, and those named after my supportive friends are still supportive friends. There was no need to switch up a ton.

I already have so many plans for those of you who haven't become characters yet, so please don't worry! If you've been commenting on the last, like, three chapters, I know exactly who you are and I have your character drafted up. In fact, I'll make sure I'm following your account today (my indicator that you're gonna be a character) just so you know for sure.

All right, that's enough dwelling on all that for today. Let's get into the action. This is a longer chapter for you, to make up for missing.

PREVIOUSLY ON THE CLASSIX: In chapter thirteen we learned that the new Famoux members are HERE at Emeray's birthday party. In chapter fourteen we were in DEFED's perspective, and what did we learn? That they have planted a mole in this new group of members! And nobody knows about it but us and DEFED! Oh, the situational irony.

emeray

Over muted techno beats spilling out of Ace's front doors, my head is pulsing. They're here. The new members. Here, right now, without any care for our decision.

"But––but we haven't even made our choices," I stammer.

"There wasn't any need for a choice anymore," Carstan insists. "We already figured out the candidates that best fit what we're looking for."

My brain doesn't know how to process this. For the last few days I've been under the assumption that I had more time to think, more time to figure out which member I wanted. And even after the decision was made, I assumed there'd be some prep time. Some briefing of our picks before we ever actually met them face to face.

But then again, why would I ever think things would unfold the way I assumed they would, especially when Carstan is involved?

Beside me, Cartney scratches his head. "Are you about to parade those people in front of Emeray's party or something?"

"It was the plan," Carstan says.

Cartney glances over to Norax, an incredulous look on his face. "So let me get this straight: You scolded Buchan and I earlier for planting engagement rumors because, as you said, 'I was making the day about me and not Emeray.' And now you're using her birthday party as a place to introduce her replacement?"

"They are not replacements," Carstan says, stern. "They are mentees."

"Sure. Being mentored on how to replace the Famoux."

Growing frustrated, Carstan rifles through his suit pocket for a thin metal device. In his usual fashion, he pulls up a gaggle of charts to read from. "The Fanatix are serving a different role, Mr. Kirk. As you can see––"

"Wait, Fanatix?" I cut in. "They have a name?"

"Yes. Because they're not replacements. They're a subsection."

Cartney snorts. "So we're franchising the Famoux now?"

"We're spreading a new, positive message to our fans."

"By cherry-picking the attractive ones and making them celebrities?"

"You know what––"

As Cartney and Carstan bicker, I take a step back, feeling a little dizzy. There has been so much to take in today that it feels as though I've been nineteen for centuries. As if sensing my overwhelment, Norax puts a hand on my cheek.

"I know it's all jarring," she says. "But it would mean a lot to Carstan and I if you would help us introduce the world to this group."

"Why tonight?" I ask.

She looks at me so lovingly, strokes my cheek so gingerly, I feel as though I'm an ornate vase she's scared to drop and break.

"People see you as such a kind, selfless girl, my dear" she tells me. "Carstan has run the numbers in different cities, and it's unanimous. If there was ever right a way to reveal the Fanatix to assure people would accept them, it would be under your wing. You, graciously giving them the spotlight on a day that's supposed to be all about you."

I glance to the closed door behind her. "Who did you pick for me?"

Norax steps back, grabs the doorknob. A showy, cheerful smiles spreads across her face. "How about you meet everybody, and see for yourself?"

The first thing I notice when I walk into the room is the floor. Deep, dark blue, almost black, gleaming beneath the glow of a crystalline chandelier. It catches my eye immediately, near hypnotically. For a moment, I wonder if I could fall right into the floor and drown.

Perhaps the thought comes from my nerves. It's odd to me how nervous I feel. It's as if I'm the new member all over again, meeting an established little group that has no idea who I really am. Whatever the reason, my gaze locks straight onto the glitter of blue granite, and refuses to let up until I feel Cartney's hand slip in mine, and I remember where we are.

When I finally glance up, I meet their gazes one by one. Different eyes, different hair, different colors. The only thing they seem to share in common is the completely and utterly starstruck look that's painted across each of their faces.

Our new members. The Fanatix.

They stand frozen, shoulder to shoulder, waiting intently for us to reach them as Cartney and I move down the line, handing out our greetings like complimentary fruit baskets. As we shake their hands, Norax announces their name and which member will be their mentor. It feels like an auction, and we're the highest bidder. By the looks on the new members' faces, and the way their eyes widen and blink like a rapture, I can imagine this is the way I must've looked when I first met the Famoux.

It's all eerily reminiscent to that day, really. It was one after the other, how they approached me––Chapter first, then, Kaytee, Foster, Till, Race. An assembly line of Delicatum's closest equivalent to gods and goddesses. They didn't have to so much as say one word for me to feel like passing out on the spot.

Cartney assumes his divine position among them like it's another leather jacket. Quick and careless. It's almost dazzling to me. The smug look on his face, the loftiness in his voice, the puffed up chest––I haven't seen this side of him in such force since the premieres and events before he found out about Race and Kaytee. Before he started pummeling more visibly with his self-doubt.

"So your name is Sam, huh?" he asks one of the members.

"Um, yeah," the boy squeaks out.

His full name is Sam Michaan––the brown haired, blue eyed boy who looks exactly like what Norax would consider to be a good fit for the Famoux. Strong bone structure, ideal height, the whole nine yards. Cartney didn't seem to have a problem with him at all until he was announced by Norax as Race's new member. At that, the animosity came out almost immediately, like the turn of a dime.

"Sam. How... creative a name for a Famoux member. I don't suppose they picked that name out for you, did they?"

The other members shift in their feet beyond us, perhaps envisioning their own interrogations; evaluating their own flaws Cartney could pick out. But just beyond their worry is a glimmer of excitement. To be surveyed by Cartney is somewhat of an honor. While he was still dating Kaytee became known for questioning interviewers just as much as they questioned him. The magazines and news channels always loved this about him––how he told it like it is. Perfect for the confessional pop hits he churns out.

Sam does something in between a cough and a laugh, unsure if he's just been told a joke or not. The look on his face, shifting from friendly to fearful, reminds me of the way Marlon York used to respond to Cartney's banter. I get a pang of missing him––of simply getting to be his friend. With the Marlon association, I put my hand on Sam's shoulder to calm him. But it seems as if contact with a Famoux member incites expressions that can only be defined as the exact opposite of calm. His immediate blush makes me smile.

"He's only kidding," I say gently. These members have probably seen this scene a thousand times over in interviews––Cartney says something sharp, and I swoop in as the voice of reason, the mediator. I can feel Norax beaming from behind me as I play it out, right here behind closed doors. "Famoux names don't have to be showy. After all, we have a Kaytee, and that's a pretty common name in Delicatum."

Sam's face softens as Cartney's hardens into a scowl. Bringing up Kaytee is the sure fire way to make him clam up.

"Of course, of course." Cartney feigns a humorous expression. "You could say I haven't been thinking too much about that name lately."

Everyone chuckles awkwardly as we move on to the next member. Her hand is already extended out for us––a girl with green eyes that are almost as striking as her bright purple hair. I recognize her immediately from Chapter's stack of polaroids. It all clicks together like building blocks in my mind just as Norax announces it behind us: This new member is his.

"My name is Ellison Rosemont," she introduces, her disposition more diplomatic than starstruck. In fact, I'm nearly taken aback by her confidence.

"It's nice to meet you, Ellison," I say.

"You can call me Elle. Like the letter."

"I think you beckon many letters with hair like that," says Cartney. "The whole keyboard smashed together, really. A one-letter title doesn't do you justice."

She smirks. "That makes me an element of surprise. Don't you just love it when people don't turn out to be how they seem?"

Something about the way she says this makes my stomach flip for a moment. Is it some kind of a threat? Some kind of veiled message? Or am I just being paranoid?

Either way, Cartney doesn't share the sentiment. He grins down at Elle. "Keep them on their toes... I like it. You're a natural celebrity."

Elle's smirk widens. She appears to already know this––to have had this established in her mind long before she showed up today. It occurs to me that even after a trip to the Fissarex to make me virtually perfect, I still don't have even half of the confidence I see in Ellison Rosemont. She bears us a wink as we shift to the girl standing a few feet away.

"I like her," Cartney whispers. "Can you believe that she's a Chapter fan?"

I don't get to answer him before a pair of thin, pale arms wrap ardently around my stomach. I nearly get a mouthful of arctic white hair as she pulls me in tightly, squeezing me like a long lost friend. With a quick glance as we part, I eye the tantalizingly high platform heels she's wearing. All that added height, just for her head to reach my chin.

When I look up at her face, my mouth falls open.

Norax's voice is jovial. "Lumerpa, this is Lexington Bukow. She's––"

"My member," I finish.

Lexington Bukow. A name to the face on a polaroid. I feel like I've been looking at her for centuries––the blue eyes and blonde hair, the high cheekbones and ruddy lips. I hadn't made my choice for which member I wanted, but she was far from out of the running before Norax came back to the Metropolix. To see her standing before me, and not the boy who looked like Dalton, makes her arrival all the more relieving.

"You have no idea how wonderful it is to finally see you in person," I tell her.

Her eyes, big as they already are, widen like saucers. I'm not sure if it's even possible for eyes to get that large. "You––you recognize me?"

"We've been staring at you for weeks now," says Cartney.

ex clutches a hand to her chest. "Oh––" She pauses, unable to finish her sentence. "I––I just can't believe this is happening to me. Give me a few seconds to calm down. I am definitely embarrassing myself right now."

Her voice is so unique. I can't help but equate it to the nectars I see getting substituted for honey at Wes Tegg's. The nectar is always as sweet as regular honey, but a different taste of sweet. In Lex's voice there is something inherently different from the regular sweet voices I hear; something unlike the expected saccharine, high-pitched twang. It's deeper, clearer. When she expresses her happiness, it actually sounds honest.

Till's new member Sarah is all smiles and red hair. It hangs in big, gossamer curls, like the black and white pictures I used to see in museums––from the world before Delicatum. I think back to an instance when Foster told me how he used to have red hair before the Fissarex made him blond. Looking at Sarah for too long, I a pang of nostalgia for someone I never even saw in person. Scott Fare, with the red hair and the freckles.

"Can I just say that I'm absolutely loving your new style?" Sarah asks me. She pinches the sleeve of Cartney's leather jacket. "This is the best direction you could've ever gone. I've been admiring your all-black outfits for months now."

The sides of my eyes crinkle smiling at her. It seems exactly like something Foster would say if he was here.

The last in line is yet another girl: Kind eyes, with brownish-blondish hair in tight, natural ringlets. Norax introduces her as Lacey Dean, the new member for Kaytee.

"Even better, she comes bearing gifts," she notes playfully.

I tilt my head at Lacey, and she explains, "I have two kids. Mikayla and Hadley. Norax said I could bring them along with me."

My eyes dart over to Norax, whose face is turned up with amusement. This surprises me. I mean, if there's anything I'd assume she'd consider a deal-breaker for a potential Famoux member, it's––as she's so gloriously called them in the past––liabilities. But apparently not in this particular case.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Norax asks me. I believe I used to think this voice she's using was genuine, but today it seems to be dripping in fake excitement. "I think they're going to make a beautiful addition to the Famoux family––a true family."

"A true family," I echo.

"That's what we've been needing lately, don't you think? Little Mikayla and Hadley are going to be the perfect companions for my boy."

My mind muddles for an instant. "Carstan?"

"Callan," she completes with a hinting smile. "My youngest."

Hearing her say the name of Chapter's son out loud in front of these people makes my heart skip a beat. But then I realize, she hasn't revealed any truth. While this should comfort me, it instead sends a sting ricochetting through my spine. Norax probably thinks she's helping out by making an excuse for Callan's existence. But for as long as these members are here, Callan is now never going to truly be Chapter's. He's going to be another prop, another lie. Chapter will have to play along if he ever wants to watch his son grow up.

As I consider this, Cartney, who's heard about Callan before, can't help but contain his own look of confusion.

"But that's Ch..." His sentence fades off as he absorbs Norax's look of warning. He realizes her plan, and swerves. "...That's, um, challenging, raising two kids and being a celebrity, right?"

"They are going to be in good hands with us," Norax says. "We have all the best facilities to assure no challenges ever arise."

With Lacey, we've reached the end of the line. A member for every member. I look to Norax, nodding to the door. "Are we going to be bringing them out now?" I ask.

But she's not looking back at me. Eyes dropped to a device in her hand, confusion splayed across her face, she paces across the room.

"We're missing a member" she says. She looks to a guard by the door. "Can you fetch Carstan and ask him if we've gotten him yet?"

I glance to the Fanatix, then furrow my brow.

"There are five of them already here," I say. "That's everyone."

"An honorary member for Foster?" Cartney guesses.

"No, not one for Foster," Norax interjects, distracted. "We had it all planned out. Another one for Emeray."

My jaw drops. "What?"

"You had so many big fans, we couldn't choose between two of them."

Before I can even start to consider all this, Carstan's head pokes out of the door.

"He came from further away. Just got in," he explains.

Norax's tense shoulders drop, relieved. "Better late than never!"

In my peripheral view I can see the Fanatix members shifting on their feet, obviously a tad jealous of this new member's late arrival. Lex looks especially troubled by the idea of having to share me as a mentor.

Carstan opens the door a little wider, addressing me with such formality, I feel a wave of fear under the eye contact. "Emeray, meet your new friend."

He walks in with his head down, taking in the gleam of the blue granite floors. It makes it so all I see of him is bright white hair, and my blood goes cold.

He dresses nothing like my brother did. His crisp white shirt and black dress pants are formal, nondescript. Dalton always wore bright colors to make up for the lack of color in his age group's appearance. Even so, it's like I'm looking at a picture of him. The hair, the skin, even the eyes when he looks up and meets mine.

It's the boy who looks like Dalton.

xxx

Similarities and differences. Tell me your thoughts on it all!!

What do you think about the members? Which do you think is the DEFED plant? Or do you think there even is a DEFED plant? There are so many ways this could go.

Thank you again for being patient with me. I don't take you for granted for even a moment, and I'm so happy you're here and reading these chapters!!!

Please comment your name if you haven't already. At this point I feel like I know most people reading so well, but if you've been a silent reader, I want to know you!!! Please comment me your name and your.... favorite tea. That's fun and different. Mine is: Kassandra and earl grey.

What are your plans for the weekend? Mine include doing a mountain of work for school and then doing another mountain of work for all the deadlines I have. There is much going on!! I'm trying to be my Leslie-Knope-best and get it all done! If you're busy too, we got this! We can do this! We'll get through this!!!

Whenever I'm not posting, you should absolutely be reading THE AROTTIR by the magnificent and incredible hannahgrowe. She is not only a consistent poster, but she's consistently posting PURE ART with this story!!

I hope you're doing well, and I hope you're enjoying your spooky Friday the 13th. Have one of those pumpkin cold brews from Starbucks for me! They're my favorite right now!!!

Have a wonderful weekend, Wattpad. See you again next Friday!! (And during the week in the comment section!!) And in the meantime, remember:

Sticks and Stones may break your bones, but haters make you famoux. Stay classy, stay classix.