Why Us?

By Evelyn Bitz and Samriddhi Basak

Four kids in a school in Orlando get pulled into a secret organization and they have no idea why they were the ones who got chosen to be in it. As they go to different places with rules they must follow, they find hidden secrets buried deep within people they thought they knew. Will they survive the time they have or die and never remember?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 26, 2020
• ISBN: 9781984580870

Evelyn Bitz

Evelyn Bitz, born in 2007 is a 7th grade student. This is her first book and she was so excited to have it published. The book genre was an important part to Evelyn because of all the fiction novels she reads, the genre was going horror but it turned out as a thriller/adventure as she kept writing. Evelyn’s hobbies besides writing are photography and reading, and she wishes to make a career of one of them one day. Samriddhi Basak, born in 2008 is a 7th grade student. This is her first book and she was always confident that she would get it published. The most important thing to Samriddhi in this book was that everything was perfect and there were no mistakes. She likes to be organized and neat. Samriddhi’s hobbies other than writing are doing art and reading. She hopes that one day, she will be a famous author and that her work will be known across the world.

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 by Samriddhi Basak/Evelyn Bitz.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 05/26/2020

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Contents

Author’s Note

EVE Chapter 1

SAM Chapter 2

EVE Chapter 3

SAM Chapter 4

EVE Chapter 5

SAM Chapter 6

EVE Chapter 7

SAM Chapter 8

EVE Chapter 9

SAM Chapter 10

EVE Chapter 11

SAM Chapter 12

EVE Chapter 13

SAM Chapter 14

EVE Chapter 15

SAM Chapter 16

EVE Chapter 17

SAM Chapter 18

EVE Chapter 19

SAM Chapter 20

EVE Chapter 21

SAM Chapter 22

EVE Chapter 23

SAM Chapter 24

EVE Chapter 25

SAM Chapter 26

EVE Chapter 27

SAM Chapter 28

EVE Chapter 29

SAM Chapter 30

EVE Chapter 31

SAM Chapter 32

EVE Chapter 33

SAM Chapter 34

EVE Chapter 35

SAM Chapter 36

EVE Chapter 37

SAM Chapter 38

EVE Chapter 39

About The Authors

AUTHOR’S NOTE

S AMRIDDHI AND I have sleepovers very often. One day, after watching a bunch of horror movies and eating candy, we went to bed and talked because we had nothing better to do. That’s when we came up with this story. It’s just that a lot of people (teachers and students) from our school had a really fictional personality that fit like Cinderella’s glass slipper into the story. Though, just a reminder, I just wanted to say that it’s not like any of the evil characters in the book are actually that way in real life. Now, to Sam (well, Samriddhi, but I call her Sam for short).

Hi. My name is Samriddhi. But you probably know that by now. This book was so much fun to work on! And being my first book, it wasn’t really what I would call… easy. But, it was fun, and for me, that’s all just matters. Well, kinda. I made sure that there were no mistakes by going over it 13 exact times. I remember when Evie (short for Evelyn) and I were in class, we would usually work on the book when we had nothing else to do. The teachers actually let us do it. We even added the names of our actual PE, Turkish and Math teachers. It was really fun making a book, but I must say that I had the most fun finishing it. Evie and I had to stay up all night Sunday night to finish it. And if you hadn’t noticed yet, the Sam in the story is inspired by me and Eve is inspired by Evie. When we first thought of it in our sleepover, we had started using our real names. And even when we made the rough draft, we used our actual names. But then we decided to change the name to Sam, which is short for Samriddhi, and Eve, which is short for Evie. Anyways, back to Evelyn.

We were planning to make the book in a horror book. But as we kept writing it slowly developed into a thriller and then adventure. The genre is very important to me. And Sam, on the other hand, she usually just cares about it being perfect and neat and organized and for there being no mistakes. I let Sam choose the fonts and stuff because she was really good at designing and she also designed the front cover. I wanted to make sure that everything in the book fit with the genre. And I must say that I’m very happy with the book. Back to Sam.

Like Eve said, in the story the genre was very important. We had both chosen it to be horror, but as we kept writing, it felt more like an adventure and/ or thriller. I was going to make it more disturbing and stuff, but then Eve stopped me (to be honest, I’m kinda glad she did). But, this being my first book, I’m very happy with it.

Sam did most of the revising and stuff. We did read the book a few times together at first when we first started the book. We thought it would be no more than 100 pages or something but it turned out to be 250! We tried to make it more meaningful to add a lot of our opinions in it and for it to be more like how we are in real life. Anyways, Sam will tell you more.

Thank you, Evie. Anyways, I remember when Eve and I were in class, we always thought that the story would magically become real or something. We were always waiting to get called downstairs. But, of course, that never happened. Anyways, we made it more meaningful by adding what we would do if we were in that situation. And I must say, it was super fun adding that extra little detail.

Writing this story helped me grow as a writer because now I have more experience with writing. I hope to write or even publish more books and I hope Sam wants the same so we can write more amazing books together.

Last, but certainly not least, this story helped me grow a lot as a writer. At first I actually despised writing. But that was because I usually wrote for essays and stuff. And I’m not really into essays (and, to be honest, anything that is non-fiction). But, when I wrote this story, I had more fun than I had ever had. It went from being something that Evie and I would talk about at sleepovers, to something we would just write in Google docs and then finally a book that we were actually going to publish. Writing this book helped me improve my writing skills and creativity. And I am very thankful for Evie and the other people who helped me achieve this.

EVE

Chapter 1

W HEN YOU THINK about middle school, you think drama and all that other crap. Well, not in this story!

My name is Eve and these are a series of occurrences that include me, Sam (my only friend from school), Isaac (Sam’s all time enemy), Tanner (kid who always stares at me for no apparent reason) and a few other people who come in later. Anyways, on with the story.

_ _ _

_ _ _

It was a normal day at school, when my friend, Sam, and I were at Turkish class (3rd period). That is when the phone rang.

I like to call this event ‘The Phone Call’ (I mean, what else would I call it?). Mr. Koç, our Turkish teacher, turned to us and said that we had to go downstairs for a very important reason (usually, when teachers say ‘very important reason’, it usually doesn’t end well).

We walk out of the Turkish room. Sam was walking in front of me. I look back and see Alex (a guy from class who has monkey-like features) staring back at me. He turns around as soon as he sees me. Weird. Well, everyone in class is weird, so I can’t complain.

Come on, Eve! I hear Sam.

Coming, I reply.

Sam and I walk to the end of the hallway until the intersection between the stairs and another hallway leading to PE class. Sam and I turn as we start walking towards the stairs.

Oh, hey Sam. Hey, Eve. I hear.

I turn around and see our math teacher, Mr. Thomas. He was wearing a tie with pictures of a bunch of math equations and stuff. It was really bright compared to the rest of his suit.

Uh, hi, Sam says.

I don’t say anything.

Where are you two off to? Mr. Thomas asks.

Um, we were called downstairs. Sam answers.

I let Sam do all the talking. I just wanted to go downstairs and see why we were called. It was either something really important, or something that is a waste of time.

Oh. Ok. I was just going back to class. I just had to go and talk to Ms. Boulila about something. Mr. Thomas said.

Ms. Boulila was our PE teacher.

Cool. We must get going, now. See you in seventh period. Sam says.

Yeah. See you in seventh period. Mr. Thomas said.

He had a weird, kind of worried smile on his face.

Sam and I continue walking.

Well, that was weird. I say.

Ya think? Sam replies.

Anyways, why do you think we were called down? I ask Sam, who was looking down at the stairs, her medium sized hair covering most of her face.

I don’t know. Do you think our parents planned a surprise sleepover for us? With a bunch of candy and horror movies? Did you get any really good grades or something? Sam asks.

First off, no, I didn’t get any really good grades. And also, I don’t know about the sleepover thing, but probably not. I mean, in the middle of class? And we didn’t even have lunch yet. It just sounds too good to be true. I say.

And I was right.

I notice Sam looking at her watch. She was doing that back in class, too.

Why do you keep looking at your watch? I ask.

Sam shrugs.

I just feel like it is necessary. Sam says.

Oh. Well, what time is it? I ask.

9:12, Sam answers.

We were walking downstairs, when I noticed that it was quiet. Too quiet.

See, our school is a very noisy one. It is the kind of school where you can hear people argue and bang on walls from classes (I’m not kidding!).

The school being this quiet can only mean trouble.

I think Sam had also noticed it.

Do you notice how quiet it is? she asks.

Then, suddenly, I see Sam fall.

And, being as stupid as I am, I didn’t look back and- Guess what?- the same happened to me.

_ _ _

I woke up in a van (or at least it looked and felt like one), next to Sam, who was looking out the window, her straight, really dark brown hair (usually mistaken with black) tucked neatly behind her ear.

Across from me is Tanner (a person who I have spotted staring at me for no apparent reason). And guess what? He was still staring now. His light grey eyes (which at first, I thought were blue) shimmering in the sunlight. Dude, how creepy can you be?

Across from Sam is Isaac (Sam’s all time enemy). He was asleep (or passed out; I can’t tell). His crinkly, sandy brown hair was messy.

Hey, dude! Wake up! I hear Tanner whisper to Isaac.

Suddenly, Isaac’s eyes abruptly open. He starts breathing heavily.

Chocolate-chip mint ice cream! EW! Isaac yells out of nowhere, Wait… where am I? Why are you here? Why’s Sam here? he asks.

Sam gives him a frightening glare, her black eyes so dark that you can’t even tell them apart from her pupils.

I’m here cuz I can be, now deal with it, Sam says.

Isaac whimpers.

Okay, okay, you don’t have to be so creepy! Isaac yells.

Sam smiles with satisfaction.

But seriously, where are we? The last thing I remember is swimming in a pool filled with ice cream and donuts and cake and tiramisu and then a big glob of chocolate-chip mint ice cream falls on top of me. And everyone knows that chocolate-chip mint ice cream is the grossest type of ice cream that exists. Isaac says.

No, it’s not! I yell, it’s one of the best!

Isaac stares at me like I’m some crazy maniac.

What? It’s my opinion. I say.

You’re weird. Isaac says.

You say it like you’re not. Sam says.

Isaac gives Sam an angry look.

I sigh, then, look back in front of me. Tanner was staring at me (does he ever stop?!).

Then, I look at Sam. She was, now, glaring at Isaac. Isaac was glaring back (why am I not surprised?).

It was quiet. Too qui— You know what? Let’s just skip this part; it’s corny. The point is, I decided to start a conversation. And if it was a good idea or not- you will find out later.

So are we just going to sit here, saying nothing, or are we actually gonna talk? I ask.

No one says anything. Until Sam.

"Let me guess. Did you guys get called down from your class for a ‘very important reason’?" she asked the boys.

Tanner nods. Isaac says nothing. But not for long (and I am really not surprised; Isaac talks a lot).

"Hey, Sam, you know that you are really nerdy right?" Isaac asks in a sheepish tone.

Sam says nothing.

I don’t know why Isaac has to bring this up right when we are probably getting kidnapped from school.

Anyways, Sam was probably waiting for things to get worse (like always) (I just found out a few days ago that Sam does that because then she has a reason to be really mad at someone) (And I mean REALLY mad!). But I couldn’t.

Isaac, you can’t be talking, I start, And at least she gets better grades than you.

Isaac gives me an angry look and his face turns red.

Thank you, Eve. Sam said.

I could see it was forceful. Probably a sign I should stop. But did I? Never! (I’m so proud of myself).

Then I see Tanner look at me and open his mouth to say something. But before he could say anything, I did.

"Don’t even get me started with you." I say.

Eve, just be quiet. Sam says.

Well, Sam- I start.

Stop bossing us around, Sam! Isaac cuts me off.

Never, I repeat never, interrupt me, I say, Anyways, as I was saying before you rudely interrupted me, well, Sam, I just want- I start again.

I see the three others looking at each other and then smiling and nodding. I have a bad feeling about this.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO IF WE DO INTERRUPT YOU, HUH?! the 3 others interrupt (even Sam! I can’t believe that she just ditched me for the boys like that) (JK. This isn’t the first time that she did that).

I grit my teeth. Well, there isn’t much I can do! Ugh, When will these people ever change?

_ _ _

Suddenly, the van that we were in, stopped.

I decided on getting off because I wanted to get some fresh air. Sam followed. When we get off, I see Sam looking around the place. Almost scanning.

I decided to do my own ‘scanning’. I look around the place. Pretty dark. That’s all I can say (I know, I am very descriptive).

Eve! Eve! Watch out! I hear suddenly.

Was that person Sam? I mean