Renegade

Chapter seventeen

Three days later found them being summoned from their lunch break to the administrative building. Theo packed his half-eaten sandwich away while Marcy had to throw most of her soup out, much to her annoyance.

There was no doubt in either of their minds that it was Dr. Kiggins summoning them to continue with her attempt at recruiting him. The pair had spent the last two days analyzing the issue from every angle and they had come up with what was in Theo's opinion some solid counter-arguments. He was more determined than ever not to get roped in.

Up until now, Theo had always had a distant, cold kind of respect for the Civilian Security. He could understand the need for their existence and he even agreed with some of their policies. His life had been turned upside down when he had been declared a Quartz but other than the times he'd been tested and the band added to his wrist, he'd had no direct contact with them.

It had gotten to a point where he'd spent the last few years pretending not to be an AW, managing to ignore most events related to them. So when they had come knocking on his door again, it had felt like a punch to the gut.

Getting a color was bad enough in itself and now they wanted him to actively participate in hunting down his own kind? He more or less knew who else had powers on campus, but he wasn't acquainted with them – Marcy was the only person he regularly hung out with. He never got into any kind of trouble with them, nor did he ever require their aid, which made for a non-existent relationship. That didn't mean he was willing to turn on them – because that's what enlisting into the CS meant: becoming a traitor.

Theo wasn't going to make enemies out of people who could cause an earthquake with a snap of their fingers or make things explode just by blinking. No, he was going to refuse Dr. Kiggins' offer and continue living an uneventful life alongside his best friend.

Where the infirmary was situated on the edge of campus with a barely recognizable and dull building, the administrative building was close to its center. It was a three-floor construction made of red bricks with a large clock tower that served as an entrance.

The first floor was covered in thick glass panes instead of walls, allowing passersby a clear view of the long corridor with a staircase on each end and an elevator in the middle. A foyer with a few simple sofas stood inside, a water distributor set against one white pillar and a vending machine next to a second one.

The pair passed by the sofas currently occupied by a group of other students and made their way towards the elevator. A dark-skinned, wavy-haired girl shot Theo a tight-lipped smile when their eyes met. He noticed the orange band around her wrist and addressed her with what he hoped was a cordial nod.

He stepped inside the elevator with Marcy, who pressed the "close doors" button – this particular one only went as far as the first floor where the reception was situated. The doors closed with a ding and he felt the lump in his throat grow larger.

Marcy's fingers wrapped around his own and she squeezed his hand in a show of support. She released him by the time the doors opened but it was enough to infuse him with the courage he lacked.

The woman seated behind the reception desk was young with braided hair and bright red lipstick. Her eyes snapped over to them as soon as they stepped out of the elevator and she watched their approach the way a hawk would an unsuspecting mouse. She spoke before Theo could open his mouth.

"Mr. Moore, your appointment is in office A06," she pointed to the brightly lit hallway to her right. "It will be the third door to your left."

She then looked at Marcy and raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow. 

"Miss Abbatucci, I do not recall calling you," she said with as much warmth as an iceberg.