986 (Complex Series, #1)

Chapter Ten

Piper’s eyes widen, but she keeps her mouth shut. I don’t know what she was expecting for an explanation, but it certainly wasn’t this. She motions with her hands to keep going.

I don’t know how much more I should tell, but I continue. Piper can’t get mad at us or she might tell.

“Uh, so the boy told me to meet him another night. Dana heard me sneak out and made me return to see the boy.”

I didn’t think it would be possible, but Piper’s eyes widen even further. “You voluntarily met up with a boy?”

I press my lips together, unsure how to respond, how to make her understand. Aloud, my choices sound dumb and risky. How do I make her see my reasoning, how I couldn’t trust Dana alone? “I had to.”

Piper simply narrows her eyes, falling silent. We walk halfway around the track before she speaks in a careful tone, “And…are you meeting with this Josh again?”

“I’m not. Dana is. They’ve decided to meet every other night.”

Piper nods again. She looks confused. No. Conflicted.

“I want to come.” She says, her voice full of determination.

“What?” I say. It’s loud. Maybe too loud. Almost about a whisper. I search the nearest Official’s face. It’s as blank as all the others. Was my volume just my imagination?

I can’t believe another person is willing to risk everything, just to sneak out at night, meet a boy.

“I don’t want to come right away. Not the next time, but maybe the time after that. I need time to think it through but…I learn more.”

“You’ll have to talk to Dana,” I say, “I’m not going any longer.”

“Why not?”

I use the same excuse I always do. “It’s just not worth the risk.”

She shakes her head. Sadly. Pitifully.

I purse my lips and slow down my speed. I come in next to Dana and Kate, trying to focus on their conversation. The new song we got for our piano lessons today. “Ellen the Great”.

I hate it.

I politely voice my own opinion. “I just love the melody. I think it might be one of my favorites.”

Over Kate’s shoulder, Dana tries to catch my attention. I purposefully avoid it, heat rising to my cheeks. Piper will fill her in. Within a few minutes Piper and Dana speed up, breaking into their own conversation. As my conversation with Kate shifts to the latest I.L.I. teaching, I suppose Piper and Dana discuss their newest plan for foolishness. Every few minutes, Piper glances over her shoulder, looking at me. A disappointed, disbelieving gaze every time.

I clench my teeth together. Why doesn’t she understand? I can’t take those kinds of risks, living in fear every single day. I can’t constantly look over my shoulder, searching the Officials’ faces for any type of reaction.

I just can’t. I wish I could explain it all to her, but there’s no chance. It’d take too long, too hard to explain. I let out a short breath of air and refocus on Kate’s chatter of Ellen’s beautiful directing yesterday.

I mumble along my agreement to Kate’s flawless loyalty.

The Teaching Bell abruptly rings. I blink, my eyebrows pushing together. Free Hour can’t be done already. It just started.

A voice booms overhead, “Please walk to the Lecture Hall. The next event of the Gratitude Ceremony will now take place.”

Confusion washes over me, but I stumble forwards along with the crowd. We ride down the escalators, barely covered confusion on everyone’s faces. We flood through the halls, arriving at the Lecture Hall. I take my seat, catching Dana’s eye. She raises her shoulders up in a barely visible shrug.