Collective

Hadley

Since the day at the river, Will had been in very slightly better spirits. Hadley was relieved to see parts of her friend coming back, and took it as a sign that maybe everything would be okay.

But that didn't mean she had stopped musing about what she could do about what she now saw as a very large problem.

There had to be other people out there who felt the same way she did. There just had to be. She felt like she could even sense a few of her classmates feeling the way she did about their Powers. If she could just reach them, she felt like she could do something about this. But she was beginning to realize that reaching her classmates might be more difficult than she'd have thought. Everyone was so busy, that most students slid into class moments before it started, if not late. At the end of the day, she barely had time to get her backpack before half the class was gone. And during class, of course, was completely out.

She needed some excuse to get them all to stay late or come early. But she could hardly just announce what she really wanted to talk them about. "Hey guys! Why don't you all stay after so we can plot how not to give up our Powers, after being taught for our entire lives that not giving our Powers up would result in world chaos. I'll bring snacks, who's one drink duty?"

Yeah right, for one thing, her teacher would never allow it. But that was on the first level. On a larger level, Hadley felt sure that a meeting like that could be seen as treason against the Queen, after all, it was the law that all citizens must relinquish their Power's at age eighteen. Hadley knew if the wrong people found out what she was thinking, she could be locked up for life. Then she'd definitely be saying 'sayonara' to her Power.

No, she needed to think of something more subtle. More tricky. Something that would interest everyone just enough that they would stay, but that her teacher would think was completely harmless. And then she could twist the meeting into serving her real purpose.

Hadley was so distracted by her thoughts, she didn't even notice her teacher approaching her desk until she was directly in front of her.

"Hadley! Why don't you remind us about why the Offering age is 18?"

"I, uh, well...the Offering age is 18 so that we can exert control over our Powers before giving them up." Luckily, this was something that had been hammered into their heads for as long as they could remember so, even though she hadn't been paying attention, she could parrot back the correct answer to the question easily.

"That's right! And do you think that is the right time to do the Offering?"

Hadley was taken aback. The teacher did not usually ask their opinion on...well on anything.

"I, well, er..." Hadley tried to stall for time when she realized this was the perfect time and opportunity to solve the very problem she'd been contemplating.

"Well actually," her voice took on sudden certainty and Hadley fought to make herself sound more unsure, "I've been having some doubts lately-"

"Oh really?" their teacher interrupted almost too quickly and Hadley looked up, slightly startled.

"Well yes, it's just, I want to make sure I'm really, really ready when I donate my power to the Queen..."

Ms. Hadworth smiled knowingly but before she could speak Hadley went on in a rush, "I was actually thinking, maybe it would help if a group of us," she looked around the room at her classmates "met after school a few times a month and helped each other practice really exerting control over our Powers. That way, when we Offer them, we know they'll be in the best possible shape for our beautiful Queen to absorb!" Hadley looked at Ms. Hadworth, monitoring her expression carefully, did she buy it?