how we got here

duo.

I had been writing for days on end. How exactly was I going to set the peace that was needed for the revolution in motion? So far, I had met no like-minded people so I couldn't have anyone proofread my doctrine. Not yet.

I had a following, whether I liked it or not. As Jules's best friend and rumored lover - something that my friends and I used to always joke about, Jules included, long before the revolution - I was always being met with condolences and prayers and best wishes. Sometimes they were genuine little speeches from light-hearted classmates with weapons pointed at the ground, others were nods and smiles in my direction from the quiet, more stoic fans of mine.

Full disclosure, I hated the attention I got. But I wanted to use it for good, for something other than ruthless executions and crazed riots against nobody at all anymore. Ironically, the last rule on the wordy document I chose to create was in revision when I got some startling news from a classmate of mine

"You're not supposed to be here," I remember saying, almost out of reflex from back when ODSIS wasn't a kill zone.

A pudgy girl stood in front of me, panic in here wide green eyes, pale despite her skin being so tan. I recognized her and Carlie, probably from an old science project or a proofreader for an essay in some class. She was holding a blanket and a journal, her formerly out-of-commission backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Fire," she muttered before slinking past me and into my cluttered room. I was one of the few students who used to stay full-time at the school in the dorms, but now they were practically overrun every day by the Third Class. I followed Carlie briskly, stuffing the paper I was busy writing into a desk drawer as nonchalantly as I could.

"Fire," Carlie repeated, "Fire in the dorm. Somebody thought there were spies and took a lighter and some papers. Nobody put it out."

I stood, dumbfounded, for a few seconds before taking Carlie's blanket and slinging it over her shoulders, directing her to sit on my unmade bed. "Stay here," I ordered, and she just looked up at me, still shaking.

I ran at record speeds across the Commons Lawn, but I could have seen the smoke and blaze from out my window. Sure enough, girls were either cheering or wailing as they watched their home be destroyed by licks of orange flame, peeking out of every window with smoke following its suit. I slowed to a trot as I got there, grabbing students and asking if anyone was still inside.

"No," one of the cheering girls answered, "And if there are we can consider them spies! They would have gotten out if they weren't afraid of what was waiting out here!" She concluded her statement with another whoop and I wanted to vomit right there.

None of this was right.

As the panic and celebration died down, the crowd began to think more clearly and wondered how they would put the fire out. It wasn't exactly humid out, but it wasn't dry enough for the flames to spread. The girls were invited to the boys' dorms as the blaze began to die down. I prayed it would rain overnight.

When I opened the door to my room, I was aware of how exhausted I was, and I felt an ache more acutely in my legs. All of these feelings flew out the window when I saw Carlie lying on my bed, piece of paper raised over her face.

"Give that to me," I said, whispering quietly.

"Why? It's good," Carlie was still in shock, but she seemed to have calmed down. She had changed out of her school uniform and into a pair of uniform gym sweatpants and a hoodie, presumably a pair of clothes from her backpack. I ripped the paper from her hands and she recoiled.

"Why are you so afraid of people seeing this?" I paused, looking down at the page. Why was I so scared? I stood silent for a few moments.

"It's chaos out there, you saw it tonight," I answered. "I don't know if we already have them, unspoken rules. I want to make things right, not cause trouble."

Carlie breathed out sharply from her nose, something that signified a laugh. "You were always a stickler for rules, Emmett. Talk to the Capo Class tomorrow. They'll be interested in what you have to say."

My classmate stood up and laid her hand on my shoulder before picking up her backpack and blanket and turning her heel to walk towards the door.

"By the way," she called over her shoulder, "Number four. You repeat 'absolutely' like, four times. The library is still open, go check a thesaurus."