Olive Juice

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            When Terrence and Gianna leave to go clothes shopping and I'm left alone with Wyatt, I get scared. Every night for the past two days, I've reread Nevaeh's story and just last night, I realized something. And I need Wyatt's help, but I don't know what he's going to do. I don't know how he'll react. This might even be too much for him.

"You look tense, Olive," Wyatt observes.

"Oh, I'm okay." I rest my back against the couch instead of sitting upright.

He continues to watch me. "We should probably fill out the Creation applications tonight. We only have two weeks."

I nod. His mention of the application sends me back to Nevaeh deciding to leave instead of going through with the reproduction. What if I had chosen to leave with Landon without knowing the information she gave me? Wyatt, Gianna, and Terrence would be dead.

"Listen, Olive. I know this is crazy. I don't want to do this either. But, once this whole reproduction process thing is over, it will be a normal Companionship again. Well, I mean, almost normal."

"Maybe for you, but I'll be pregnant. I have to carry a baby for nine months," I snap.

Wyatt's eyes bulk. "Yeah, that's true. But, it'll still be... Well, I guess I wouldn't know since... I didn't mean to offend you or anything. I'll be here for you the entire time. I'll make it as easy for you as I can."

"Wyatt, I need to tell you something."

"What?"

"I think Landon and Mia are in trouble."

"Why?"

"Landon and I met the Serf working in the store and she gave us some papers. They say there can never be an odd number. Landon's Companion is really sick. If he dies, they'll all be killed," I blurt.

He stares at me for a moment before speaking. "I want to see the papers."

I reach into my pants pocket and hand them to him. I've kept them on me at all times in case Kent shows up for a surprise visit and snoops around in our rooms.

Wyatt reads them quickly, then hurls them into the air. They flutter to the ground like forbidden snowflakes. "A Serf gave this to you the other day and you're just telling me now? You promised to tell me everything. Twice."

"I know I was wrong, but I wanted to take some time to digest the information myself. Please, ignore my mistake for now and think about what could happen to Landon and Mia."