Expired

Chapter 35

This is Natan⬆️

I open my eyes and I'm in my bed. I get up and open my door and I see Ben's room. He must've gotten up. He usually sleeps in so I must've slept in late. What time is it? I walk downstairs and Ben, Dani, and Elspeth are making breakfast. "Good morning." "Good morning Sky how'd you sleep?" Ben asks. "I slept fine what about you?" I ask. "I slept pretty good." "Can I help with anything?" I ask. "Actually you can. Here sit on the couch and I'll bring it to you." Elspeth says. I do as she told me to and sit on the couch. I put a blanket over me and cuddle on the couch. Elspeth brings in a couple ice packs and puts them on my wounds. You can relax on the couch and hold these against all of your bruises, and scratches, and scars oh my!" She says and I start to laugh.

"Okay, but you're sure there's nothing I could do to help?" "Nope just relax my darling." "Hey Ben could you come here?" I ask. We need to talk about stopping the government. If we don't Dani might stop us and so will Elspeth. I just feel like I only have those weird dreams over important things. Like having that dream of my mom, that was important. We just need to get to it right away like Sabrina said. "Sure!" He says and sits next to me on the couch. "What's up?" "We need to talk." "Oh no I think I know what's coming." "What?" "Your breaking up with me aren't you?" "No! No no no no no no no! We're not breaking up." "Okay phew......so you were saying?" I grab his hand and we run upstairs into his bedroom.

"We need to start a plan if we're going to stop the government." "Wait we are?" "Yeah remember? But we need to do it fast and soon because if Dani and Elspeth find out then they'll try to stop us because they're afraid that we'll get hurt." "Sky?" "I know you don't want to keep it a secret. Well we have to because they're going to stop us." "Sky?" "Ben stop. I know seriously though we just have to keep it a secret." "Sky?!" "What?!" "We're not going to do it." "Why not?" "Because your going to get yourself hurt!" "Well I don't care it's for everyone else!" "No your not going to." "Ben I can do what I want! I thought we were in this together." "We were but I care about you to much to let you go out there and pretty much kill yourself!" There's a moment of silence.

"So your saying I can't do it?" "I'm not saying that.....I just don't want you to.....you'll get hurt maybe even get killed and I'm not going to live in world without you in it." That really sweet. But, I need to do this. For all of those children and families and babies being born and people don't know about the cruel government. We can't just let this happen while we hide our "expired" secrets. Life will be hard to have to hide our dates everywhere we go. "Ben I'm sorry but I have to stop this. People can't just die because the government if just killing them off. They can't be so cruel and just get away with it." "Then......just why can't you stay here why can't someone else do it!" "Because no one else knows Ben! I want to be a hero I want to save everyone! I want to save all of those sad families that are mourning over their child or someone they loved that "expired" because it was their date! That's not the truth and everyone needs to know that!" The door opens.

"You two okay in here?" A voice says behind me. I swerve around and see its Elspeth standing in the doorway. "Yes.....we're fine" Ben says. "Alright you sure? Is there anything I can get you two?" "No we're okay but thanks so much El." "No problem." She says and walks out. "What if I give you a day to think about it and then if you don't want to still then I'll go by myself but if you do then we'll do it together?" "Fine. But I guarantee I will say no by tomorrow." "Oh we'll see about that." I say smiling. "I'm very convincing." I say. He frowns. "Yeah well we'll see about that." He says and walks out of the room.

I sit on the bed and think for a minute. Am I willing to risk my life for everyone else. People I don't even know. I do. I think I am willing to.

Later that day, we all go on a picnic at a park around the block from Elspeth's house. It's a pretty nice day actually. The sun is out its about seventy five degrees Fahrenheit but there's a small breeze making it not too hot but not too cold. It's the perfect day. Children everywhere gather at the playground playing games together like tag and, hide and go seek. Some children are riding their bikes around on the sidewalk. I am just enjoying the perfect day eating the perfect sandwich with the perfect people. It makes me think though, if I am going to risk my life and die trying to stop the government....I'll never see a perfect day again. At least not with the perfect people, or watching happy children playing together in peace.

I watch Ava and she is playing tag with some new friends she just made that live around here. She looks so happy and careless about what's around her. I remember when I was her age and I was the same way. I just never cared or worried about anything. I miss it dearly. I am startled by Ben when he puts his arm around me and I gasp. "What's wrong?" "Sorry you just startled me a little bit. I wasn't really paying attention." "Haha it's okay. Plus I'm sure nothing bad could happen here like its the perfect day. And it's even more perfect with all of us here together. And watching these cute kids playing tag. Nothing could go wrong." "No nothing really could." I say smiling. "This is why you shouldn't do it Skylar you'll never get another one of these days." Ben says.
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The next day I open my eyes and I wake up in my bed. I smile as I see a teddy bear on my nightstand with a note in his hand. The teddy has a big pink heart over his stomach and on the heart it says "I love you." I start to read the card.

"Dear Skylar,
I hope you know how much you mean to me. You're my whole world. My moon, my sun, my stars. I need you in my life otherwise without all those things I couldn't survive. I couldn't stop you from going on that mission but I realized when we were at the park yesterday that this world needs Skylar Peterson to be in it. It was cute the way you smiled when you saw those happy kids. This world needs you in it. I realized I couldn't stop you from going on the mission but I could go on it before you could. I love you. Always remember me.
Love, Ben"

As soon as I finish reading the letter my jaw drops. He went to stop the government. Without me.

Authors note: Hope you liked this chapter! Remember I'm still working on the 30 day writing challenge so please vote and comment what you think. I'll be doing a question of the day for every chapter. So question of the day do you think Ben is going to survive the mission? Comment below what you think and explain why you think it. Also be sure to check out my other book "The 95th Hunger Games" and be sure to vote, read, and comment on that one too. Please help for the writing challenge so we can get Expired to the top. Thanks readers!