The World Which Is

Chapter 18

"Leave the door open?" Josie says with a chuckle as she sits on my bed. "What does your dad think we'll get up to if it's closed?"

A flash of an image, and shove that way in the back of my mind before it resolves itself completely. Her dark skin against mine and—

Nope. Definitely not the time, so I shrug.

"How are you handling your... imprisonment?"

I shrug again. "Been using the time to work on my build."

"Must be discouraging; all those abilities that have nothing to do with protecting the town."

I almost tell her there's enough there, but the house's small and dad might hear. This is definitely not how I want him to find out.

So, I shrug again. "I have skills."

"Are you going to have time to train them? Farming is a lot of work, from what I hear. Harry's always complaining about not having time to have fun. My cousin," she adds at my frown. "I don't think you met him. His mother sent to him to Willowburry's farm."

"Didn't he know what he was getting into when he picked his class?"

"He wasn't planning on that. Like both of us, he wanted to be a guard, but Mister Willowburry did a favor to his mom a while back, and that's how he collected. Hey, maybe you'll be at a farm close to his and you two can share in your misery."

She sounds too happy about that. How angry will dad be if I ask base to close my door? Angrier than I want to deal with, that's for sure. "Dad only sent out letters to a few of them today. Don't remember which ones."

She nods. "It's going to suck not having you around." Does she sound sad?

"I am going to be around."

"You know what I mean." She looks at me, then away. "We won't get to hang out and train. We'll be lucky if you're in town once a month."

"Don't worry, I'm sure I can talk some sense..." yeah, finishing that isn't going to get him on my side. "I'm sure my dad will be reasonable. After all, he's among those who keep telling me that my class doesn't define me."

"I hope so."

The silence stretches.

"When's your choosing day?" I ask to fill it and her disbelieving look makes my face burn. I know it's in three days, I just... "Sorry."

"You think your dad will let you come?"

"Of course. He knows how important it is." How much I want to be there with you.

Where did that come from?

"You ever wonder what the future's going to be like?" I ask, because I want something safer to talk about.

"Protecting the town, holding back the monster waves. A family." She has a dreamy expression.

"Any thought on who you'll build that with?" wasn't this supposed to be a safe subject?

"A guard, of course," she replies without hesitation. "We're going to have strong kids who'll be guards just like us."

Oh. Does she mean he's going to have to have a guard class? Or... come on, Dennis... you're the one who brought this up. "I... hope it's not Kyle."

Way to go.

She snorts, at least. "Him? No way. For one thing, I doubt he'd able to tell no to any girl who bats her eyes at him. My guy will be able to resist the advances of anyone who isn't me."

Unlike me, who said yes to an asshole just because he breathed in my ear and I thought he'd promised me...

I didn't have anyone then; I was allowed to...