Utopia

Chapter 10

     An uneventful week passes. Dahlia, Mason, Jared and I decided we would all train together. We meet up at the plaza and head to the training center at six in the morning. We attend the same stations at the same times and talk while we're not working at something. I guess I've got friends now. Yippee. I also run into Eric and Erica several times. Turns out they're not related or dating. They're barely even friends. They were scouting for possible recruits the night they found me. They were desperate to bring some recruits to Black (the leader of the Resistance in case you forgot) so they barely thought about pulling me out of the city and to the middle of nowhere. Erica is 23 years old, Eric is 25. They are older recruits so they occasionally help me out while training. One day while I was in the lab, I dropped my bag and some girl picked it up. When I looked at her she smiled. She had the curliest brown hair I'd ever seen, tanned skin despite being underground, and green eyes. Her name's Bandanna (I feel so sorry for her) and she and Dahlia are very alike. They both talk so much. I've befriended her. She's only 16 years old. We are in the same lab class, along with my three other friends.

     A few more updates on the situation: Mason still rarely speaks despite being more comfortable having two more people around rather than just Jared, his man-friend. Apparently they're man-friends, whatever the hell that means. I remember Dahlia looking confused.

"Man-friends?" She asked incredulously. Jared nodded like it was perfectly normal.

"Yes. BECAUSE WE'RE MEN!" He bellowed, beating his chest like a gorilla. Mason crossed his arms. He shook his head like he couldn't believe he was friends with that weirdo.

"So you gotta bromance?" I asked. Mason looked up and sighed.

"Bromance. There's no romance, just bro-ness." He said, his voice matter-of-fact. I nodded, biting my lip to keep from laughing.

     I like having friends. It's pretty fun. I haven't had real friends in so long. Anyways, moving on. I have FIVE WHOLE FRIENDS. We all hang out together and stuff. We just talk mostly, like people would in the outside world. We joke about things, we pretend to insult each other, blah blah blah. 

     I sigh and shut off my tablet. I just finished the new novel by my favorite author. I stare at my reflection.

"SO THAT'S IT?" I yell. Dahlia jumps.

"What? Oh...you finished your book. Bad ending?" She asks. I nod. I hear the sound of the intercom being switched on. I pay attention to the speaker on the wall.

"Attention, attention. All recruits who have arrived in the past two weeks please report to lecture hall D3 for an important assembly." The monotone voice says. I look at Dahlia. She's just as confused as I am.                            

     Me and Dahlia snag two seats in the third row, next to Jared, Mason, and Bandanna. God, I hate saying her name. Poor B...I call her B. Everyone does. She hates her name like it killed her family or something. I cross my legs and sigh as the assembly dude walks on to the stage.

"Good morning, new recruits. Apologies for waking you as early as we have." He stands tall, wearing the glares, eye-rolls, and groans like a freaking champ. "You have completed at least a full week of training, which gives you the right to take our test." I look at Dahlia. She shrugs. She doesn't know. I don't know. Nobody does except for that guy. I assume he'll explain, though. "Our test to become a full member of the Resistance. There are two parts to the test: one past is a written test." Almost everyone rolls their eyes or groans and whines to their neighbor. Regardless, he continues. "The second demonstrates your skills in the field. You choose what to show the...judges, if you may. For those of you who specialize in laboratory exercises such as computer hacking there will be computers and other sorts of electronics to show the judges." He says. I smile and glance at Jared. He looks relieved. It not really a fighter, he's more of a nerd. A cool nerd, but still a nerd. He can fight too, obviously, but it's not his strongest element. "Testing begins tomorrow. It will last around two days to get through all of you. We go in alphabetical order." I lean fully back in my chair. Shit. My last name is Watson, so I'll be almost last. Dahlia's last name is Bryant, Jared's is Elm, Bandanna's is Anderson (lucky), and Mason's is Zhang. He'll probably go last. I look at him for a second and notice how he looks grudgingly at the assembly dude. "You have today to train, and then you're on your own for the test. The members of the Resistance will give nothing away about the test, for the second they breathe a word about it to someone who has not taken the test they are members no longer. Do not ask about the test at all, or you too will be held responsible." The guy says. Everyone is speechless. Lesson learned. "Dismissed." He says, and he walks off. Everyone sits for a second before standing up and leaving the lecture hall.

We train all day.

This may come surprising to you, but at 5'3 and 16 years old Bandanna fights like a demon. I watched her beat the shit out of the trainer until I flung open the netted door and pin her arms behind her. I pull her out. She struggles, but I'm seven inches taller and stronger than her. I look at her. She sips some water. 

"What the hell did he do?" I ask after a few moments.

"He said I shouldn't fight him. He said I might get hurt." Bandanna grits her teeth. I glare at the trainer. 

"Misogynistic bastard." I grumble. I crack my knuckles and walk over. "Come with me, B. Let's teach him a lesson he needs to learn. We walk over and I look at the dude. "Man, that's just not cool. Every time you doubt a girl she kicks your ass." I say. He frowns at me and shrugs.

"Right, whatever." 

"So we're clear then? Next time you doubt a girl she'll break your balls."

     At 5:30 we all head to our dorms. After we shower and get changed, we all meet up (we as in Me, Dahlia, Bandanna, Eric, Erica, Jared, and Mason) at 6:00 to eat dinner in the cafeteria. I take an eight-minute shower and change into a pair of dark jeans, a light blue shirt, black leather combat boots, and a gray leather jacket (I like those.) Dahlia and I head down to the cafeteria and we eat for around a half-hour. (We like to take our time.) And we head back quickly after so we can sleep. Being well-rested will help us focus on the test. I probably won't go tomorrow, but Dahlia most definitely will and I'll help her by being soundly asleep. I hope. I really do. If she has to leave I'll lose my roommate and my friend, and despite how loud she is I really don't want that to happen.