Page 7

Chapter five

Forest

M y brother's hair clings to the sweat on his forehead. Max’s mane is pushed away from his face, only showcasing the Vega’s naturally enthralling looks. Max’s walk is energetic, but Kai drags behind him, looking physically beaten from their last class. Kai's blade pokes out from his bag. The detailed wrapping around his blade clashes with Max’s worn blade strapped to his leg. A few girls smile at Max, taking the time to observe his sweatier figure. I smile, giving him a thumbs up. His eyes only roll. Rae and I lean against the wall outside the art room, waiting for the boys as usual.

“Ladies,” Max mutters, standing closer than usual as he moves into an open space beside me. I mess with his blade, observing the small streak of red coating its edge.

“Hard day in class?”

“I may have had some fun with an Unfortunate,” Max says with a grin. Kai shifts uncomfortably, only tucking his blade deeper into his bag.

“Sounds like you had as much fun with them as Josh did with Forest,” Raegan mutters. I hit her arm, narrowing my eyes at her angrily as both men now look a little less relaxed.

“What did Josh do?” Max questions. The playful banter has left his voice.

“He wanted me to ask you about a Student Advocate position, and he might have taken a brash approach to convince me to ask you,” I say, staring down Raegan even more. Max’s eyebrows raise, showcasing his frustration as he looks to his twin for clarification.

“By digging his nails into your leg?” Raegan questions. I shake my head at her, ready to toss her into the nearest wall for getting them both so worked up. Max reaches down to my leg, pressing down on each of my upper thighs until I wince. I slap his hand away, biting my bottom lip as I rub away the pain that the pressure of his hand had left behind.

“There's no way in hell I am helping him with an advocate position-”

The art room door opens, leaving Max’s words floating between us. Fallan watches us all, keeping his hands buried deep in his pockets. I hadn't noticed till now how much taller he is than my brother. In most scenarios, Kai looks down on people, not the other way around. Fallan glances toward my brother, looking even further down at Max, whose chest is suddenly more pushed out than it was a few seconds ago. I keep my position on the wall, motioning for Fallan to move past us. With a gentle shove, I hold Max’s leg back with my own, stopping the kick meant to meet Fallan’s ankle. Fallan watches the motion, shaking his head at no one in particular, letting that familiar smirk line his face. His shirt still has stains. It’s now smudged, indicating he’d tried his best to eliminate the result of Josh’s malice during class as much as possible. He moves to leave, ignoring Max’s frustrated grunts at the feeling of my back pressing him against the wall. Eventually, he lets up, letting me stay leaned up against him.

“You can't stop me from beating his ass,” Max whispers, letting his arms rest around my neck from behind.

“Your hand is already destroyed,” I say, motioning to his cut knuckles, now raised in both of our lines of vision. “That's enough for today,” I whisper, leaning away from him, only to feel the accidental brush of Fallan’s arm on my lower stomach as he moves through the group.

Immediately, it felt like there was a fire scorching through me. Every defensive bone in my body burns hot, screaming and clinging to the brief touch. Every part of me heats, sending a fleet of fear and pain through me. I clutch my lower stomach, feeling my lungs make a sorry attempt at breathing in between a strained gasp. Fallan continues his relaxed walk, turning into nothing in our vision once he turns the first corner down the hallway. I grasp Max, feeling the sudden pain slowly slip away with each passing second. Max’s eyes explore me with nothing but worry. Kai and Raegan even pull away from their conversation to focus on my gasping figure.

“What's wrong?” Kai questions, as if I have an immediate answer.

The heat slowly fades away, starting from my core and ending at my fingertips. I take in a full breath, feeling a sudden emptiness as the fleet of emotions all leave me.

“I got dizzy,” I lie, pressing my hand to my head until everything is normal once more.

“Stop scaring us,” Raegan sighs, nudging my arm.

I smile at her, wrapping her into a hug as I stow away the longing to feel that fire burn through me again.

What was it?

Why did I feel it?

The heat warmed me, filling me with emotions I had not felt since I was a child. Everything all at once, only to dwindle to nothing.

It's a nothingness that follows me each day.

“Well, if you’re done scaring us all, we still have the rally in the event center. We’re all required to go,” Kai mutters, holding to his Student Advocate roots, spewing out their propaganda.

“Loyal man,” Max scoffs, slinging his arm around my shoulders. Kai only mocks the gesture with vulgar hand motions.

“Perfect, you two can keep loving on each other, and I will go with Forest,” Raegan says, pulling me away from her twin, leaving the two boys alone to cling to one another.

“Sometimes I’m convinced your brother has a thing for Max,” Raegan says jokingly, pulling me down the hallway and away from our companion's earshot. The two boys grab each other's heads, shoving each other around and into the walls. Kai’s face is red, burning hot with frustration.

“Who am I kidding? Kai is too focused on academics to notice anyone,” she finally says after a few moments of silent observation.

Oh, the irony in that statement.

The event center is the epicenter of the school, housing rows of chairs and a grand stage, all lit by the school's natural lighting provided by the beautiful glass roof. The chairs are made of black satin, each individually hand-made by a skilled sewer in the Unfortunate sector. Students already begin occupying the seats, marveling at the spacious stage.

Gaggles of Officials linger off to the sides of the room, staring down the crowd—specifically the Unfortunates grouped in the back. Fallan takes up two seats, leaning into the whispers of a blonde nearly on his lap. Her hair is up in a tight braid. I can see the judgment in her eyes as she scans the room.

Her hand rests on his leg, showing they are more than familiar with one another. I stare at the sight, annoyed at her blatant show of affection in such a public setting. Rae and Kai join the other Student Advocates toward the front. I watch as many of the Student Advocates mingle with upper leadership, clinging to their words of encouragement as if they are deities. Even Max has dispersed, joining a few of the athletes in speaking to some of the younger Officials who have occupied themselves by reminiscing about their training.

I stay away from it all, leaning against the farthest wall, doing my best to avoid speaking to anyone. Fallan’s head turns my way, stopping his scan of the room once he notices my still figure. He cocks his head at me, narrowing his hate-filled eyes before being pulled away by the chin in the hand of the beautiful blonde. Her lips land on his jaw, kissing gently in soft motions. I narrow my eyes at him, feeling that increasingly familiar burn on my mark begin to grow.

“How insufferable is all of this to you?” a voice I hardly recognize questions.

I pull my hateful gaze away from Fallan, landing on a pair of unfamiliar blue eyes looking down at me. The black material of an Official uniform clings to the man's body. Unlike all of his comrade's slicked-back hair, he keeps his blonde curls in a wild frame around his face. Where Max’s hair is styled straighter, his stays curled. Bright blue eyes and a tall figure encapsulate the man. A bit of stubble lines the man's face, something often seen as out of regulation. His uniform is less put together too. It's as if he had thrown it on without care for the pristine nature of the Official’s clothing regulations.

“Because if you asked me, all I see is a bunch of pretentious assholes all having a reason to showcase their worst traits,” the man starts, pointing to Kai and Rae's group. “Overachievers.” His finger moves toward Max. “A bunch of idiots wanting to sign their life away to be a glorified hall monitor.” And then his finger finally points to the Unfortunates. “And people who never really had a chance at winning in this life,” he finishes. I hold onto his words, frantically looking around in a panic, waiting for someone to deliver him a new one for the first remotely kind words I have heard uttered from another soul regarding Unfortunates. “And then there's you, alone in the back of an event meant to show off the students. You couldn't be any more hidden from it all, so is it as insufferable to you as it is to me?” he questions, leaving me halfway dumbfounded by his words.

“You-you just spoke about Unfortunates like-”

“Like they are humans? I won't tell if you don’t,” the man mutters, looking over his nails as if what he said is the most casual thing one could say to another.

I feel my mouth curl into a smile at his blatant lack of care toward the numerous rules he has just broken in a single conversation. He leans his head into the wall behind him, crossing his arms, waiting for me to say something.

“I think we spend a great deal of time making people feel seen when that's so far from the case,” I finally say, crossing my arms to mimic his relaxed demeanor. He smiles.

“Do you not feel seen?”

“I feel like I don’t fit in. There's a difference. Maybe it’s because I am seen too much.”

“And what's wrong with not fitting in with all of what I just pointed out to you? You want to be stuck in one of those bubbles?” he questions, smiling like a giddy first year.

“Says the Official,” I say in a tone I would never dare use with anyone else wearing that uniform.

“An Official who knows how to utilize the good parts of my job.”

“And what good parts are there?” I question, watching his eyebrows furrow as he ponders the question.

“Well, today I was supposed to be scanning the Unfortunate sector for contraband. Instead, I got to weasel my way into a conversation with you simply because of how awkward you looked pressed against this wall.”

“Is that humor I am sensing in your tone?” I question, nearly laughing at his expression of offense.

“You seriously said that as if I am incapable of humor,” the man mutters, shaking his head at me in disbelief.

“You're the one who only speaks to me because of how awkward I look,” I say, quoting him in a deeper voice, making him laugh.

“There might have been other motivating factors….”

He winces as his voice trails off, a few of his comrades motioning him over. The school's upper leadership stands shoulder to shoulder on stage, directing the wave of bodies to take a seat as groups dissipate. The man moves to follow his companion's waves. I grab his sleeve, stopping him from getting too far.

“What's your name?” I question, watching his eyes fill with sudden amusement.

“Xavier,” he mutters, smiling as I lower my hand.

“My name is Forest-”

“I know,” is all he says before pulling away.

I stand baffled, still absorbing the interaction with a wide grin I can't seem to shake. Raegan’s cold palm closes around my wrist, dragging me along with her as she mumbles about an exuberant amount of useless information she had just learned while speaking to upper leadership.

Xavier moves onto the stage, joining the other Officials with small, playful shoves. His eyes land on mine, giving me a wink before pulling his gaze in the direction of the wall of maroon-colored pant suits clinging to each upper leadership member. Without wanting to, I force my head to look back to the Unfortunates, expecting to see Fallan’s hate-filled eyes still on me. Instead, he’s looking toward the front, keeping his eyes on the wave of figures moving on and off the stage. The blonde woman continues pestering him. His hand holds her leg, preventing her from getting herself halfway strung across his front. Raegan pulls me down in a seat next to her. Kai quickly follows, seizing Max’s opportunity to sit beside me.

“Can all of the students please take a seat?” Mr. Pavlecheck, the school's headmaster, politely gestures to each of us. He stands in the center of the group on stage. Unlike all the others, a streak of gold coats his uniform, signifying his place in New Haven’s government. Gold is stitched onto some part of each higher-up's clothing. Even the Officials have cuffs stitched with gold thread.

“Why is dad here?” Kai questions.

My father's familiar figure makes his way onto the stage, clasping hands with Mr. Pavlecheck while acknowledging all of the Officials. Xavier shakes my dad's hand, smiling ear to ear as the man cracks a silent joke. In this lighting, I now see what Xavier truly looks like. His hair is a wild frame around his face. His eyes are blue like the streams that once coated the ground of the Earth.

“He oversees most of the Official’s day-to-day tasks. I’m assuming that has something to do with it,” Max responds, looking more interested.

Mr. Pavlecheck claps his hands, silencing the whispers spreading around the room. Something itches at me to turn to face Fallan’s angry stare again. Still, I ignore the feeling.

“As you all know by now, we would like to recognize those amongst you reaching their final year here at the Academy, but we also need to address more serious matters plaguing our community.” He pauses. Extending his arm behind him, “Andrew, I think you should take it from here.”

My father walks up to the mic, clearing his throat with a few grunts. I look to Xavier, who is already raising his shoulders at my confused expression. Even he seems lost.

“Over the past few months, we have begun to see an influx of Unfortunate crimes rising in our community. Theft, burglaries, and battery are only a few ways these deviants have managed to wreck the tranquility of our community. That being said, we have brought it upon ourselves to begin upping security measures. That includes more severe de-regulation tactics than just light sensor prods alone-”

My dad's body tenses up, losing his relaxed posture almost immediately. His hand clutches the mic, his lungs taking shallow breaths that do him no good. I lean forward, readying myself to stand. He swallows slowly, pulling his attention toward the back of the room and then back to the audience.

“We will begin implementing on-site punishments for crimes committed inside this sector. This includes more extreme shows of force if any Unfortunate chooses to resist punishment.” My father pulls out a leather scourge from behind him. “These are generally only utilized within the Unfortunate sector but are now permitted within the Untouchable sector of New Haven. For every crime committed, 20 lashings are permitted at any time by any Official, regardless of rank. This has been decided,” my father finishes, staring back at the crowd with lowered eyes.

My mind flashes to the countless scars coating Fallan’s lower back.

“We did that?” I whisper silently to myself, finally allowing my head to turn to observe the raven-haired man.

I never expected to see where his gaze had landed.

He stares down my father, gripping the armrests of his seat as his blonde friend keeps his leg down, stopping him from getting up. My father's stare was not just at anyone earlier, as his eyes swept the back of the room, it was toward Fallan, and he was dishing it right back. The two men hold each other's eyes, each look filled with something more profound than what is lingering on the surface. Fallan looks livid, only turning his head slightly once he notices me staring at him.

“For the glory and grace of the New World Order!” a rambunctious student advocate yells, cheering on my dad's speech with a reiteration of our community’s saying.

Just like the mind-numbing voices of the devices in our home, those around me repeat the saying, each smiling ear to ear. I hold my tongue, letting Fallan maintain eye contact, hoping the question in my gaze is obvious. His hate quickly returns, backed up by a nasty expression from his blonde friend, now joining his hateful stare toward me. I turn away, meeting Kai’s confused look at my utter silence.

“Why didn’t you say it? You always love that part?” he starts, scrunching his brows with confusion.

I pull away from the chair, watching the other students begin to file away as the upper leadership leaves the stage. I weave down the row Rae had dragged me down, feeling that familiar pressure on my chest I get each time Fallan stares at me with that hate. My body works past others, almost crashing into an Official holding out their light sensor prod at the end of the row. People meander, conversing quietly, reluctantly moving back to their last classes of the day.

“Forest, Kai!” my dad says in a cheerful tone. His hand draws Xavier closer, clapping his upper back with gentle pats. Max and Rae join us. Max’s arm finds its way around my shoulder much quicker than it has before. I shoot him a questioning look, but his eyes only stare forward.

“This is Xavier Hayes, one of our youngest and most talented Officials I’ve had the honor of overseeing,” my dad chirps. He admires the man like he is a prized trophy.

“The pleasure is mine. I have heard many good things about the Vega twins,” Xavier says, shaking Raegan’s gentle hand before eyeing Max up and down. I move Max forward, feeling his hand drop away from me. He accepts Xavier’s handshake, doing his best to observe the man up and down similarly. The two men hold each other's hands longer than most would consider comfortable. Even my father looks confused at the brief exchange.

“And, of course, these are my two kids, Kai,” Kai shakes the man's hand with glee. “And my dear daughter, Forest.”

“We've met, but I don’t mind introducing myself again,” Xavier says, grabbing my hand and letting his lips meet the soft skin at the top of my hand. The brief touch warms me, filling my cheeks with heat, my pulse picking up rapidly.

I wish his lips would explore more than just my hand. I silently whisper in my mind.

It’s a brief thought I shove away, only adding to the red hue of my cheeks once I notice his smirk at my sudden fluster.

I see how Xavier watches me. Unlike Fallan’s hate and my family's disapproval, he shows only curiosity when he looks at me. He watches me as if I’m the only person in the room. Everything I do sparks his interest. Even as my father speaks, he keeps his eyes on me as much as he can, and I do the same to him. It's as if I expect him to change at any moment and be an entirely different person. He watches me as if I am someone worth figuring out.

“So, where is this new Commander everyone has been talking about?” Kai questions eagerly.

Not too long ago, New Haven's Elder Commander stepped down to enjoy his restful years peacefully. Rumors spread that a young and very strategic Commander was appointed, taking on many responsibilities governing our people that used to take multiple Council members. As far as we know, things have only been better since they stepped up, but they hardly show face due to their strenuous schedule. Markets that once struggled to support New Haven now have full shelves. High crime rates in the Unfortunate sector dwindled to nothing after their first month in leadership. They have spoken once and only once, using mediators like my father to communicate his words. Even my father has never seen the Commander in person. Only people with ranks a peg below the man, like Josh’s Father, have been invited to the Commander's private meetings.

“I can’t say I care enough to keep track of them,” Xavier blurts.

Kai’s mouth drops, hanging open at the Official’s blunt statement. My father clears his throat, awkwardly adjusting his collar, glancing around to his mutuals, who may have heard the crude comment. I cover my mouth, hiding the massive smile working its way across my face.

“But who cares what I think,” Xavier finishes.

In this fleeting moment, I realize why my smile has not left my face. Xavier’s thoughts are entirely his own, filled with defiance and challenge in ways I’ve never seen anyone dare to express.

At that moment, for the first time in a long time, my defiant mind suddenly felt a little less lonely.