The Secrets of Paramount Hills. Kalayla Seehafer

      Dedication

       To all my favorite authors-

       Chris Colfer, Rick Riordan, Kate O’Hearn, Soman Chainini, Marissa Meyers, Jessica Lynn Barnes and so many more. You inspired me to write. You also kept me up hours past my bedtime, and had me crying, laughing, or ripping my hair out at the end of the ever book. Thanks for giving me something to look forward to with every page.

      Choo Choos and Boo Hoos

      It couldn’t be… we… we shoved him over!

      “Chris, someone’s following us! And… and… I think... it’s JORDAN!” I yelled. Kaylee looked up and saw what I saw. A person with blonde hair and wings strapped to his back. I gulped. It was Jordan. Somehow he lived. Somehow he had gotten to land… somehow.

      “Chris, speed up!!” I ordered as I kept my eye on Jordan. He was flying right above us. I quickly closed the top of the Corvette and kept my head out the window. Jordan seemed to keep his eyes straight ahead of him.

      “Um, Chloe,” Molly muttered.

      “Molly, not now,” I replied, but kept my eyes on Jordan.

      “Um, Chloe,” Chris said.

      “MY GOSH NOT NOW!” I yelled and turned to see what was wrong. The car… we were approaching a train station and about to crash right into the platform if we didn’t turn soon. I looked at the train speeding along the track. We wouldn’t be able to get on this train! Or could we?

      “Chris, use that ramp to jump into the open train cart!” I exclaimed. In about 30 seconds there’d be a train car with a door open and a ramp that would line up with it.

      “Chloe are you INSANE!” Molly screeched and practically jumped into Kaylee’s lap. The train car was almost about to line up.

      “Chris, wait,” I said. 10 seconds.

      “Um, Chloe, hurry this up!” Chris ordered, nervously. My heart pounded against my chest, anxious to give the signal.

      “NOW!” I yelled. Chris gunned the gas, and we sped to the ramp, up to ramp, and flew off smashing onto the bed of the train. The whole time Molly screamed her lungs out, and then when we crash landed, she froze into place, which was on top of Kaylee’s head. (I mean not literally, but you get the idea.)

      “Wow. Chris you did it!” I complimented in disbelief. (My disbelief was that I was complimenting him.) Chris smiled, and opened the car door and hopped out. I got out from the other side and looked around the train car. It looked like it hadn’t been used in over a century and had boxes pile up in the corners. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust and dirt. I noticed a big tarp on top of the boxes.

      “Hey, Kaylee we should cover up the car,” I suggested, expecting her to answer.

      “Kaylee?” I asked aloud and realized she hadn’t even made it out of the car. I opened the door to see Kaylee trying to pry a scared Molly off of her. I rolled my eyes, and grabbed Molly’s arm and tugged. Apparently, she wasn’t holding on that hard to Kaylee, because she fell right out of the car and onto the ground.

      “OH PRECIOUS GROUND, THE GROUN-!” she yelled, but Kaylee quickly covered her mouth.

      “Molly, you need to be quiet! There are probably 10 cars of people on this train who would gladly call the cops to have stowaways arrested!” Kaylee seethed. Molly gave a nervous laugh. I grabbed the tarp and Kaylee helped me cover the car.

      “Hey guys, come check this out!” Chris yelled excitedly. We all ran over to him to see a box full of fancy server outfits.

      “Wow! More dress up!” Kaylee and Molly squealed in unison. I rolled my eyes and inspected the clothes. I got an idea.

      “Guys, I know what to do! Kaylee, Molly you guys are going to wear the waiter outfits and Chris and I will wear the fancy ones,” I blurted. Kaylee and Molly’s happy smiles faded to horror.

      “Wear those RAGS! Uh, uh NO WAY!” Molly snapped. She folded her arms. I folded mine.

      She stared.

      I stared back. She kept staring until I stared her down. She groaned.

      “Gosh, fine!” she pouted. I smiled and handed Kaylee and Molly their outfits. Kaylee noticed Molly’s sad face.

      “Hey, they're not that bad! They’re sky blue, and these skirts are cute!” Kaylee exclaimed, trying to find something good about the dusty outfits. Molly managed a weak smile. I closed the huge sliding door and flicked on the light. The girls went to change behind the Corvette. Chris and I went through the boxes to find fancy outfits.

      “So why are we the fancy people?” he asked. I rolled my eyes.

      “Because I have a plan!” I snapped back. He huffed and pulled out a tuxedo.

      “How about this?” he asked. The tuxedo was black with a white dress shirt and a gold tie.

      “I mean I always look good, but this makes me look sharp!” he joked, loud enough for

      Kaylee to hear. I heard a giggle from behind the car. I rolled my eyes. I looked at the dresses trying to find a decent color. Light pink, pink, hot pink, dark pink, magenta, pink, pink, PINK!!! Why was there only PINK!!!! Did Pinkalsious and Barbie go on tour or something?! Chris chuckled, and I socked him in the arm.

      “Would you shut up?” I exclaimed and finally found a dress. Of course, it was PINK!! ARGH!!! I put on a wig that I found(red and shoulder-length).

      “Hey, Pinkolisous, you want some pink heels with that?” Chris laughed. And oh, if Kaylee wouldn’t have jumped on top of me I would’ve shoved him off that train right then and there! We were finally dressed (Molly was still complaining!) We opened the door to look down at a fast-moving train track. The other train car was about five feet away.

      “Okay guys we’re gonna have to jump,” I noted. Molly gulped. I took a deep breath and took a big leap. I almost snapped my ankle and fell backward. The rest of us made it across safely.

      “Okay, I think it’s safest if Molly and Kaylee go in and say that… I don’t know… some famous person’s kids are coming. And then we’ll make our grand entrance,” I suggested. Molly and Kaylee nodded.

      “Fine by me, as long as I can make a dramatic entrance,” Molly implied, and before I could protest she burst through the door.

      “EVERYONE ACT NORMAL!!!! Jason CRISP’S kids are here so DON’T FREAK OUT!!!! NOBODY FREAK OUT!!!!!!” she screamed. I rolled my eyes. Here we go. Great, I had to be the kid of an elite fashion designer. Woohoo, more PINK! Jason Crisp’s last line was called Pink!! I put on my act and shoved passed Chris through the door.

      “Would you MOVE it you big TROLL!” I exclaimed as I walked through the door. People whipped out their cameras and started to snap a buttload of pictures. Chris tumbled through the door. The ticket master walked up to Kaylee and Molly.

      “And vat are zee? Not in zee kitchen! Go go, shoo, shoo!” he snapped in his french accent and pushed them both out the door. Then he turned to us. He looked us up and down unapprovingly.

      “And who do you think you two are?!” he snapped. I dropped my jaw. Time to get into character.

      “Well excuse me! You don’t know who we are! Have you been under a rock your whole life? My dad is world-famous! He designed clothes for the most famous. Like the band Tidal Wave? You probably never even heard of them either have you!!? WELL HAVE YOU!!!” I yelled in his face. He stood there stunned.

      “Um… um… right this way, madame, sir, right this way to the finest seats,” he stuttered. I did an over dramatic eye roll, followed him. Chris laughed behind me. I slapped him, and he stopped laughing. The ticket master took us past three train cars to the one upfront. OMG WAS THAT TAYLOR SWIFT SITTING THERE!!!? Oh wait of course it’s just one of those normal people who look like famous people. Doppelganger was it? He took us to seats