My Name Is Schedule

A Long Day

"Celeste!"

Kyran's voice was a pleasant change from the rude awakening of the alarm, but the fact that I had not awoken at the alarm startled me. I sat up quickly.

Kyran's hair was wet, but he could not have been in the shower for more than three minutes. He was drying it with a towel. 

"Did the alarms go off?"

"As they always do."

I looked at it pointedly. "But I didn't wake."

"You're tired. You've never stayed up quite that late before, have you?"

"No," I said slowly, "I suppose I haven't..."

The sight of seeing 12:04 on my watch thoughtfully unnerved me. For eighteen years, it had always been 12:00. For my whole life, it had been 12:00. My body was conditioned to do so. Not to mention it was the law. 

"Hurry, you've hardly got time to shower, and if we mess anything else up it may cost us out lives," he warned. 

I nodded. The shower was cold, so I did not mind the brevity of it. I was hardly late to make breakfast.

"Do you remember walking back?" Kyran asked, smiling a little. "You nearly fell asleep."

I vaguely remembered stumbling through the dark. "A little."

"You'll get used to it," he assured me. 

I smiled faintly. This was going to be a long day. 

I was to work in the field, that day, which was terrible work. As if walking through the dry dirt with the sun beating down on you as you repeatedly bent down to plant seeds in the hot dirt was not bad enough, women had to do it in a dress. I walked to my assigned row, wondering what would happen if I were to pass out.

"What are you doing here?"

I spun around instantly and almost fell over, startled.
Behind me was another girl. She couldn't have been much different in age than me, maybe a year or two younger. Her hair was a bit darker than typical--although not dark enough to be too noticeable--and she had huge hazel eyes, which looked out of proportion with how tall and thin she was.

I looked at her quizzically. "I'm sorry?"

"This is my row," she explained. "I'm responsible for this one."

I looked at her eyes more closely and realized her eyelids were dark. Stained dark.

"What is that?" I asked. "On your eyes?"

Her eyes widened. "Is it noticeable?!"

"It looks like you have something on them."

Her eyes grew huge. "Oh, no—no, no, you—you won't turn me in, will you?!" She lowered her voice and looked nervously at the officials. "Because I will fight you."

The idea of this scrawny girl trying to deliver punches was almost comical. I stared to speak, but she cut me off.

"I was just trying it...it's not even a...I just need to get it off. I didn't think anyone would notice..."

"I won't turn you in," I promised, "don't worry."

She gave a sigh of relief and her shoulder relaxed a bit, but her darting eyes revealed she was still tense.

I glanced toward the clouds. "The sky is quite blue today."

She followed my gaze. "Oh, uh...yeah, I guess."

I tried to hide my disappointment.

The girl rubbed at her eyes frantically. "I'm going to get killed...I've got this stuff on my eyes, and I don't know which row I'm supposed to be in..."