Feather Bound

Chapter 3

"Yes," you answered, and the voice on the other end of the line chuckled.

"Good, this is Jiro, the Vice President of the Commission. I was just calling to see if you would be available today to come in and review your match's profile."

"Oh! Yes, um, I could be there by..." you trailed off, checking your watch. "Like 5:30? It'll take a bit for the train-"

"No need for that," the Vice President responded quickly. "We will provide transportation. I'll just give you a text so you have my cellphone number, and you can text me the address and the time you need to be picked up."

"Oh, um, thank you," you murmured back, and he chuckled again.

"It's my absolute pleasure. After all, I have a feeling you'll be doing us a huge favor," he said, the amusement obvious in his voice, and you couldn't help the anxiety that suddenly twisted your gut. What was that supposed to mean?

Before you could even ask, the line clicked, the dial tone ringing in your ear. You pulled the phone away from your face, a text message lighting up the screen. You glanced down, quickly reading it and letting out a long sigh. When they say the Commission is efficient, they mean it.

You swiftly texted back, providing the Vice President with the cafe's address and the time you'd finish your shift. Then you took a deep breath. Whatever he meant by his statement would have to wait; for now, work was more important. There would be time for questions at this meeting.

The rest of your shift went by fairly quickly. The cafe seemed to be decently busy today, a welcome change of pace from the usual lackluster crowd. You hardly had time to fix your hair and change out of your uniform before the Commission car pulled up to your job. Your coworker glanced at you in confusion, her mouth opening, and you took that as your cue. The last thing you needed was to answer her questions about this now. It would be better to fill her in on everything once you had all the information yourself.

Dashing out the door, you gave her a swift wave goodbye, ignoring the angry stare she gave you in return. You were certain you'd have several nasty messages from her later, but that was a later problem. You climbed into the car, the driver silent as you were driven away from the cafe. You sighed, leaning your head against the window as you drove through the city, trying to ease your nerves. This was a good thing; this was your only chance now. If this didn't work, then you would lose everything forever.

It didn't take long for the car to pull up at the back of the building. A worker opened the car door and assisted you out, which left you blinking in confusion. Why were they treating you as if you were someone important? You opened your mouth to ask but were quickly silenced by the worker walking away, gesturing for you to follow. They led you into the building and into an elevator. It dinged as you reached the top floor, the worker holding out his hands to allow you to go first. You nodded in thanks before entering the private conference room.

The room wasn't large, but it was undeniably breathtaking. The wall that housed the elevator was painted a pale blue, while the other three walls of the room were made of glass, allowing you to see right out into the open sky. It was an awe-inspiring sight, and you walked toward one of the glass walls, leaning forward to press yourself against it. You were sure that if you could reach outside, you'd be able to touch the clouds. What must that feel like?

"Enjoying yourself?" A stern, feminine voice broke the silence, making you jump. You turned around, blinking in surprise at the sight of both the President and Vice President seated at the round table before you. How had you missed them when you walked into the room?

"I-I'm sorry," you stammered, quickly bowing before straightening up. Your fingers fidgeted as you looked at them, your face flushed with embarrassment, until the Vice President suddenly chuckled, breaking the tense atmosphere.