The Choosing

Chapter 1//: The Form

[ E D I T E D ]

♕✿~♕✿~Chapter 1//: The Form♕✿~♕✿~

I was practicing my viola, preparing for a party that I had to play at tonight, when I felt the floor below me shake from someone running. Namely, my little sister who has too much energy.

She barges into my room with a piece of paper in her hand, and I groan internally. I already knew what that paper was: the form for the Choosing.

This year, Reds were granted permission to try out for the Choosing. I wish I wasn't eligible for it because I knew my family would want me to at least try out for it. But I didn't fancy the idea of spending time with Silvers.

"Madi! Madi! Look at this!" Sydney, my little sister, yelled. I winced as I grabbed the form from her hands.

"You don't need to yell, Sydney," I tell her as I glance at the form. The sheet of paper made me feel nauseous.

"Madi, please fill that form out. It sounds so magical!" Sydney pleads with me, her hands clasped together in front of her as she stares up at me with shining eyes. My eyes widen and I shake my head.

"No way I'll fill this out," I murmur.

"Yes, you will fill it out," a voice says by my door. I look up to see mom balancing a basket full of laundry.

"Why? I don't want to fill it out. I don't want to be in the Choosing!" My voice rises with my annoyance and desperation. My mom had been nagging me about entering this year's Choosing for the past week, and I was tired of hearing about the competition. I didn't want to spend time with the Silver competitors because I knew they would scare any Red away on purpose. And the prince was worse; He looks so stoic and boring on the Reports. If I was competing for the attention of someone, I would want the person to have a personality of some sort.

"Sweetie, we've talked about this. If you even stay for one month, it'll be enough payment for about 2 or 3 months! Add the money we get from performing, and we would have enough money to support the family for a good 5 months. Please, Madi, think about your family," mom says with an exasperated sigh while expertly folding my clothes and placing them in my dresser. I bite my bottom lip in thought. I would like to help my family financially, but throwing myself into this competition would surely destroy me.

I remember when I was younger, mom would tell me not to play with fire, since I played around with the stove a lot. Now, she was telling me to throw myself into this competition, to the Prince of Fire. Oh, the irony.

"Look. Just think about it today and if you decide to try out, which you should, fill out the form tomorrow and we'll go to the Services Office and turn it in," mom tells me. I nod my head in agreement, mostly to get mom and Sydney off my case. Thankfully, it works, and mom motions for Sydney to follow her as she leaves the room.

I sigh as I lay down in bed, staring at the form clutched in my hand. I knew it would be the right thing to do to jump at any opportunity to help make more money to help my family, but I couldn't find a reason that would make me want to willingly try out for the Choosing.

I flip through the stack of papers and read the letter attached to the dreaded form. Mom had read this aloud at the dining table today while I had slid lower and lower into my seat in embarrassment. I wish I had hid this stupid packet of papers before mom had found it.

To the House of Williams,

The recent census has confirmed that a single woman between the ages of sixteen and twenty currently resides in your home. We would like to make you aware of an upcoming opportunity to honor the great nation of Norta.