All Chapters of Four Against One: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"Lia, have you made up your mind about the tuition?" My father, Jason Conley, sat at the head of the dining table, cradling the same ceramic mug he'd used for the past ten years.I was wiping grease off the table with a rag. "I have."My mother, Meredith Conley, came out of the kitchen with a plate of sliced watermelon and set it on the coffee table. "Good."She let out a long breath of relief. "Dylan's startup is at a critical stage. He can't afford to have his funding dry up now."She picked out the reddest slice of watermelon and handed it to my brother, Dylan Conley, who was sitting on the couch playing a video game.Without even looking up, Dylan leaned over and took a bite. "Thanks, Mom."Then, his mouth still full, he said to me, "Once I get through this round of funding, I'll take you to pick out a new phone. That piece of junk you have is so slow that it takes you forever to answer my texts. It's a pain."I glanced down at the old phone sticking halfway out of my pocket

"Four to one." Dad's verdict was final. "Lia, go get the bracelet."I sat there, staring at the four hands raised in front of me.Just like countless times over the past eighteen years, whenever those four hands went up, I had to give up something that belonged to me.The money I'd saved for tutoring. My college choice.And now, the last thing Grandma had left me."Okay." I didn't argue. I didn't cry or make a scene. I got up and went to my room, pulling an old red velvet box from the storage bin beneath my bed.I gently traced the pattern on the lid with my fingertips.'Grandma, I'm sorry.'I carried the box back to the dining room and set it on the table.Mom snatched it up and opened it, her face immediately lighting up. "This is really good quality. I'll take it to a jewelry store this afternoon and sell it."Dylan let out a long breath of relief. "Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad. And thanks, Lia."They ate the rest of dinner with hearty appetites.Afterward, I was standing

"What... what is this?" Dad shot to his feet, nearly dropping the documents in his hand.Mom heard him from the kitchen and hurried out. "What's wrong?"She leaned over for a look and went rigid. "She changed her address? Why would Lia change her permanent address? Where did she change it to?"Dylan swallowed. "I looked through the paperwork. The new address is listed as... some classified government facility in the Northwest.""A classified facility?" Dad's brow furrowed deeply. "She just graduated from high school. What would she be doing at a classified government facility?"Tessa came out of the bathroom wearing a face mask. "Oh, what are you all freaking out about? She's probably afraid we'll make her go to the teachers college, so she made up some excuse and ran away."She's probably working some factory job somewhere. A classified facility? Like they'd ever take her."Tessa's words seemed to calm Dad down. He gave a cold laugh. "Tessa's right. She's throwing a tantrum and

Mom had no idea how she made it home.When she opened the door, Dad was sitting on the couch smoking, the living room hazy with cigarette smoke."Did you find her?" He didn't even turn around. His voice was edged with impatience.Mom said nothing. She walked woodenly over to the coffee table and set down the copy of the confirmation letter she'd gotten from Mr. Lewis."What's this?" Dad picked it up and skimmed the page. Ash fell onto his pants, but he didn't seem to notice."Northwest... classified federal research program?" He shot to his feet, his voice rising sharply. "How is that possible? How could she possibly qualify for something like this?"Tessa came out of her new "walk-in closet," holding a wrinkled dress. "Dad, Mom, what's going on? Did you find Lia? I need her to iron this dress.""Forget the damn dress! Your sister went to the Northwest. She's doing scientific research!" Mom suddenly exploded. She grabbed a throw pillow from the couch and hurled it to the floor.

I pulled on my heavy winter coat and followed the security officer toward the main gate.A tall security fence surrounded the facility, with a yellow restricted-area line beyond it. The wind whipped loose snow across the ground.From thirty feet away, I saw them.Dad was bundled in a thick down jacket, shivering from the cold.Mom's face was bright red from the wind, while Dylan hunched his shoulders and stamped his feet to keep warm.When they saw me, they froze.I was wearing an olive-green uniform, and I'd cut my hair short. Months of wind and sand had left my skin rougher than before.I was no longer the Lia Conley who kept her head down and wore her sister's hand-me-downs."Lia! Lia!" Mom was the first to recover. She rushed toward the fence, tears streaming down her face."I finally found you! How could you run off to a miserable place like this?" She was sobbing uncontrollably.I felt nothing."What are you doing here?" I stood inside the restricted area, my voice col