Unbecoming Humans

Chapter 21

"It's breakfast time. We've only been asleep for half an hour or so."

"Oh, goodness," she murmured through a yawn as she stood up and stretched. "I feel like I've been asleep for years."

Once she had finished stretching, she offered her hands to help me stand up. I took them and let her pull me up. As I stood up, I let my momentum pull me into Nima's arms. I planted a quick peck on her cheek, and skipped away playfully. I looked back to make sure she was following, and her cheeks were flushed above a flirtatious smile.

"Thank you for the nap," she said quietly as she caught up to me. "I feel much better."

"Me too." I meant it. For a short time, I had almost forgot that death was looming over us, almost.

However, as we lined up for breakfast, Justine was there with a smug look on her face that reminded me of the world we lived in. She didn't say a word, and she didn't need to. She just let that smug look simmer on her face to let me know that she was going to win.

Every once in awhile, I would risk a glance at Nima, seated next to my mother. She wore a sober expression that told me she was worried as well. My mother excused herself before everyone else, which was peculiar. Usually, she waited for everyone else to leave so that she could maintain a commanding presence during meals. When Justine followed her out without excusing herself, I knew she was up to no good.

I excused myself politely, and tiptoed out of the dining room. I listened intently for any sound that might tell me which way they had gone. I could hear murmuring down the hallway that led deeper into the compound. I followed the voices, until I was close enough to hear what they were saying. Now that I could hear them clearly, I could tell that it was definitely Justine and my mother.

"But I saw them!" Justine whined like a 5-year-old.

"Justine," my mother warned, "I will say no more on this. My word is final. Now, you will drop this matter. Do you understand?"

Justine said nothing, but growled in her throat and started to storm off in my direction. I ducked into the supply closet next to me, and waited for her stomping to fade away down the corridor.

What had I just heard? Was Justine talking about the incident from the night before? Had my mother just dismissed it? It must have been so. What else could they have been talking about?

Once I was sure they were both gone I cracked the closet door and peeked out, opening it slowly in case someone besides me was still lurking about. I hurried back to my room so I wouldn't be late for class. I wanted to tell Nima what I had overheard, but I didn't have time. That conversation would have to wait.

In fact, between class, meals, and evening study time, I didn't get a chance to talk to Nima until we went out together for our morning run on Tuesday. I told her exactly what I had overheard in the hallway.

"Does that mean we're safe?" Nima asked, once I had finished.

"I think so, for now. But, we should probably be a little more cautious from now on. We don't want to push our luck."

"Oh fine. Take all of the fun out of it," she teased.

"I am not!" I exclaimed in mock protest. "I happen to think you are much more fun alive than dead." I finished melodramatically. She let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Always the voice of reason," she tutted.

Without a Damocles' sword hanging over our heads, life was immensely more enjoyable. The days - which had dragged on before - seemed to pass a little too quickly now. I wanted to savor every moment with Nima, every smile, every stolen glance, every bit of laughter. I felt like I was living in a dream.

On Thursday, Blake pulled me aside between morning class and lunch.

"We need to talk," he said sternly, pulling me away from the group and into a side hallway.

"Okay," I said a little impatiently.

"Look, Aria, I know what's going on with you and Nima, and I-"

"I don't-" I started to interrupt, but he held up his hand to stop me.

"Please, don't insult my intelligence. I have eyes, and I can see that you two have a thing going on."

"So what? You're jealous?" The volume of my voice started to raise with my temper.

"No, Aria. Please, just let me speak," he replied calmly, refusing to let me get a rise out of him. "I know that you don't...can't care for me the way I do for you. But I do care for you, and we're stuck with each other, whether you like it or not. So, I'm asking you this for both our sakes. Please, please, be careful with this girl. I know you like her, but you need to decide if this infatuation is worth it. I remember Róisín, too. You weren't the only one hurt by that fiasco-" he trailed off.

Instead of responding, I looked down at the floor. I wasn't sure what to say, because he was right, and I knew it. I just wasn't sure if I cared.

"Just think about what you're doing." He sounded like the king he had been bred to become his whole life, and he walked away without waiting for me to respond. I stood there, alone in the empty corridor, unsure of what to do.

Blake was right, my feelings for Nima were dangerous for both of us. But, I didn't know how to stop having those feelings. Was that even possible? I certainly didn't want to stop. My time with Nima was the happiest I'd had since before my family had locked me away here. My head began to spin with the flurry of conflicting thoughts racing through my mind.

I couldn't come to any conclusions right then and there. I needed time to let my brain slow down and process what was happening. I set off in the same direction as Blake had gone to meet the others for lunch.