The Battle Begins Read Online Free PDF

enjoy it. She stared at the wall, waiting.
    â€œLeesa, the mayor isn’t going to help you get your dog back,” her mom said. She separated Leesa’s hair into two sections and took a deep breath. “That woman is the reason Pookie’s gone.”
    Leesa snapped her head around. “How could it be her fault?” That didn’t make any sense. “Pookie ran away. He slipped his collar like he’d done before—you always said I put it on too loose—and he went exploring and got lost on the streets and picked up by scouts and—”
    â€œHe didn’t get lost, sweetie,” her mom interrupted. “And the Unnaturals scouts didn’t find him.” Leesa caught a glimpse of the pain in her eyes before her mom signaled for her to turn back around. Her mom started to braid one of the sections of Leesa’s hair, winding the strands over one another in a tight line down her head. Finally, she said in a whisper, “Your dad gave Pookie to them.”
    â€œWhat?” Leesa squeaked. Her dad? No. Why would he do that? And how could her mom not tell her? Nothing made sense. Feeling the tug against her scalp, she didn’t dare turn back around, so she stared at a long, jagged crack on the wall as she said, “All those days Ispent walking around the streets at ground level, calling for him. And all those years after, hoping he’d come back . . .”
    The crack blurred.
    â€œI know, lovebug. I’m sorry.” She could hear that her mom was crying, too, and Leesa’s head bobbed as the braiding got clumsier. “I didn’t want you to hate your father. Your dad is a good man but a bad businessman. This all started because he wanted a better life for us. He didn’t want to see you grow up in darkness, underground, didn’t want to see his baby girl—” Her voice broke. “Living in a pit like this.”
    Leesa wiped her nose and made herself stop shaking so her mom would continue. She needed to know the whole story. “What does the mayor have to do with anything?”
    â€œDid you know Mayor Eris was the one who started the Sky Project?”
    â€œEveryone knows that.” When Leesa was little, there was no space anywhere, and everyone was living all smashed together. Eva Eris funded research to build higher than anyone thought possible, and soon Lion’s Head was thriving again—they said she’d saved the city. When she decided to run for mayor, she’d won in a landslide.
    â€œWell, we couldn’t really afford one of those fancy sky homes, but Eva told your dad we could get by on credit for a while. She had just bought this new virtual reality network, and if he offered up collateral . . .”
    â€œWait.” Leesa sat up straighter. “So Mayor Eris owns Mega Media? She started the Unnaturals?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
    â€œI think she wanted it mostly for ad propaganda. She never thought her little reality show project would take off, but when it did, she needed animals. And we were way overdue on rent.”
    â€œPookie was the collateral.” Leesa couldn’t hide the bitterness in her voice. “And Dad just handed him right over.”
    â€œNo, lovey.” Her mom tied off the second braid and finally let Leesa turn around. “He thought it was temporary, and he tried to fix it. He really did.” She took a long sip of tea and studied Leesa’s face, as if deciding whether to say more. Finally, she continued, “I’m not sure if you know this, Lees, but your dad likes to gamble.”
    Leesa looked away. Did she know her dad gambled? Everyone in the Drain knew. He was so pathetic that not even Vince would take his bets anymore. Leesa walked to the mirror and studied her braids, tugging some hair out of the top of one of them to show off the chunk she’ddyed blue. Careful to keep a straight face, she said, “I think I