The Forever Riot [book 1]

Chapter 1

Sirens snapped me out of my slumber.

"All fine women of society. Please rise from your beds and continue with your schedule." The microphone thunders.

The bittersweet voice of the mysterious woman wakes all of us up, every morning. No one knows who she is, we just listen to her instructions. Word for word.

I look around my room with heavy eyes, as though it were the first time. A bed a few steps on my left. Two nightstands. Two drawers. And a small hallway leading to the iron door.

I regard Cece—my best friend—as she slides on a simple gray dress over her beautiful dark skin. Her pink bonnet slides off, revealing her freshly, thin braided hair. She slips a simple white tie under the collar of her uniform. I slide my feet over the edge and sit there as my yawn finishes to awaken my body.

"Come on Fatima." Cece's sweet almost high pitched voice says as she throws a lump of clothing wrapped in a ball towards my direction. It strikes me in the face and I fall back on my bed. "You always take so long to dress."

I groan as I unbundle the uniform on my face before following every step with her.

Sliding our loafers on last, we head for the door. I tug on the handle but it won't budge. Another tug, no movement.

Cece leans against the wall, her arms crossed against her chest. "I think we still have another minute." She yawns.

I look at the clock that hangs above the door. "7:59. One more minute." I confirm.

A few seconds pass and its 8:00 am. The door clicks and I give it a tug. It opens heavily, blinding us with the light from the outside where a long hallway awaits.

Dorms are found across from ours and every pair of girls coordinates themselves to stand on the left and right side of their door.

A familiar guard who wears a black mask only revealing the blue of his eyes and a black bulletproof vest, with a heavy jacket and guns at his sides, counts each of us. Making sure not one girl is missing.

Our morning teacher—Mr. Kein—walks towards us. His footsteps cary a weight like a final verdict. He is a peculiar teacher, usually the men stay with the boys in their division but for some reason, they let him stay here with us. He walks with one hand to his hip, the other occupied with a radio. His suits are always pink with a touch of gold and his hair always looks so soft with the way his bangs fall just above his brow. Although this bothers him often, he tends to push them back.

"Ladies, good morning!" He says as he waves his hands in presentation, making sure that we knew exactly what kind of authority he held over us. "Today is a very special day."

Each of us stood very still. We're all emotionless although I am sure, just like me, they are very excited to hear the news. Mr. Kein's grin widens. His almond eyes hint the same excitement we share inside.

"Today," he begins. "You will all go to the cafeteria and eat your first breakfast with the boys!"

I see two girls, across from me, side-eye each other while trying to hold in their smiles. Their arms tighten, hugging the sides of their bodies.

But deep down I feel my disappointment. And I hope to God, it's not visible to others. This is no surprise at all. We all knew this day would come eventually. It came for the class before us last year. Now we are in their place.

"This is a perfect chance for you to start seeing who your forever partner will be!" Mr. Kein continues. His eyes wander to the security guard. They hold eye contact a second too long, but the guard looks away in frustration.