Paul adjusts his glasses again, and smiles, handing me a small book. I glance down at it, examining the old worn out cover. I remember seeing this on my father's desk in his office multiple times. He always moved it if he noticed me staring at it too long, and now I see why. The Year Movement: Get Involved, is the title gracing the cover, written in faded black ink.
"I trust you with this," Paul says, running his hand over the dusty cover. "Just make sure it doesn't get in the wrong hands."
I open the book, taking a seat on the old floral couch nestled in the alcove between the bookcase and the tall set of shelves that my mom had always referred to warmly as "the trinket holder".
Year 6.
Year 12.
Year 18.
Safety. Or so they say. We all know there are prices to pay if you want to actually be safe. And you don't want to eliminate this? What purpose do these Years serve? All they do is give an individual bragging rights, and for those who don't pass, these milestones wreak havoc among us all. We don't want to live in the past, but that is exactly what we are doing. We are repeating history, but in a very different way.
Your interest is obvious in and of the fact that you have opened this book. Are you willing to get involved? We are, and we could use as much help as possible. The monsters that man our Government, they don't have your best interest in mind. They haven't for a very long time. Show them that that's all you have in mind. Your best interest, and those of your neighbors and friends.
I close the book, letting all of this sink in. I have heard a lot of this before, but never with so much emotion behind it. Whoever wrote this had a great passion for the Year Movement and what it stands for.
"Pretty amazing, huh?" Paul asks, coming to sit next to me.
"It's beautiful," I say, slightly awestruck. The words, the cover, they all have a meaning, and that makes this book amazing.
I pull my brother in for another hug, thanking him again for letting me borrow this book. He nods, and I can tell he is holding back tears just like me. I have no idea when I'll be able to visit him again. After this endeavor, Kane may never let me out of his sight again.
That's when I hear it. There's a sound coming from just outside, and then I hear a muffled voice from just outside the front door.
"It's mom and dad!" Paul says, leaping to his feet, taking me with him.
I feel my heart leap into my throat. How can I get out unnoticed without looking suspicious? Charlie pulls me towards the stairs, and then he addresses Paul.
"Your room," He says, pointing upstairs. "There's a tree right outside the window that faces the street, right?" Paul nods, shooing us up the stairs.
"There's no way I'm climbing a tree," I whisper yell at Charlie. "Not with Amelia on my back."
"Darn it Felicia," He says, coming to a stop at the top of the stairs. I pull him down to Paul's room at the end of the hall. He opens the door, and I follow him into the bedroom, glancing around the room to see how much it has changed. My brother has obviously become a complete neat freak. Everything has a place in his room, and nothing litters his floor, or his desk.
"I'm going to climb down first," Charlie says, and I hear the front door open downstairs. "And I'll take Amelia with me. I'm comfortable climbing trees, so she won't inconvenience me."
I nod, setting the Year Movement book on Paul's bed. I carefully unstrap Amelia from around my waist and back, then carefully reattach her to Charlie. He adjusts what needs to be adjusted, then heads towards my brother's window. I pause, realizing that I left the book on the bed. I grab it, holding it tight to my chest, scared that it'll fall.
"The tree is about three feet from the window, so you should be fine making it to the first branch," Charlie advises. I nod, swallowing my fear. I know Charlie will take good care of me, so I shouldn't be worried. That doesn't seem to get rid of the feeling of fear swelling in my chest. "I won't let anything happen to you," Charlie says, trying to reassure me.
I nod, watching as Charlie moves toward the window. He easily springs to the nearest branch, being careful to not jostle Amelia too much. He quickly scales the tree, reaching the bottom in what seems like record time. He looks up at me expectantly, waiting for me to start my departure down the tree. I walk towards the window sill, peering out, trying to decide how far down I have to climb.
"I'll tell you what," Charlie says. Speaking loud enough that I can hear him, but still quietly so that no one inside would be able to hear him. "If you can make it at least half way down, I'll let you jump the rest of the way, and I'll catch you."
I actually consider his offer, but then I decide against it. I don't want to make this any more difficult than it already is.
I reach my arm out, hopping to the nearest branch. I take a deep breath, thankful I made it. I laugh at my paranoia, and remind myself that I've done much worse than this in my past. I scaled many buildings and fences on the streets. This isn't that much different.
I try to keep my balance, shifting the Year Movement book from arm to arm. I feel bad for not getting to say a proper goodbye to my brother, but I'm sure he understands considering the situation at hand.
Once I've reached the halfway point, coming to a sturdy branch, I reconsider Charlie's offer, but again decide against it. Instead, I toss him the book, and he catches it, clutching it tight to his chest.
I scale down the rest of the tree, watching for flimsy branches, making my descent quickly. The branches down near the base of the tree are much sturdier, even though they are farther apart from each other. Soon, though, I am back on sturdy ground, looking up the tree I have just come down from.
I offer to carry Amelia back, but Charlie insists on taking her. I take the book back, shoving it under my jacket. If we run into any more Agents, the last thing I want is for them to see me with a book about the Year Movement. That would definitely be an interesting conversation that would most likely end with me being taken to some Government Cell.
"We better hurry back," Charlie says, glancing around. "It's getting kind of late. I'd be surprised if Kane hasn't already noticed our absence."
I nod, picking up my pace to keep up with Charlie. We make our way back to our little secluded street; our destination. Charlie and I approach the entrance, and that's when I notice that the cement slab that normally sits idly in front of the tunnel is already pushed to the side.
"I think they noticed we were gone," Charlie says, helping me put my gun back on the top shelf. "Well, the lights on inside, let's see if they're in there."
We make our way inside, and that's when I hear it. Voices; people arguing.
"I don't think we should send out anybody to look or them," One person says.
"Lou is right. They probably just went for a walk."
"I agree with them, Kane. This is silly. Charlie knows what he's doing, not sure about the girl, but I trust Charlie."
When Charlie and I step into the main room, everyone goes silent, their attention drawn to us. Some look angry, but most just looked relieved.
Kane turns to face us, and I don't know if it's the look of relief, or the disappointment in his eyes that makes me feel guilty for leaving in the first place. Charlie walks forward, trying to talk to Kane, but he holds his hand up, and again the room in silent.
"Felisha," He says. "My office, now."
I lower my head, feeling everyone's gaze on me, and trudge to Kane's office. I can feel his presence behind me, and it makes me feel even worse. I have probably just lost any chance I had at gaining his trust. I may have even put his and Charlie's friendship in jeopardy by taking him with me.
Kane opens the door to his office, and I follow him in, feeling even more ashamed. I look up, preparing myself for Kane's lecture that I know is coming.
Kane lets out a relieved sigh moving towards me, wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me in for a hug. I sink into his embrace, thankful for it after the intense visit to see my brother. Kane's breath is warm by my ear, but it feels comforting. "I was worried about you," He whispers. "I was scared to death. Don't ever do that to me again.
Kane pulls back, looking to make sure I have understood. I nod, swallowing my guilt. His gaze slips from my eyes to my lips, and I feel my heart rate accelerate, suddenly confused. Kane's eyes travel back up to my mine, and he steps back letting out a big sigh, running his hands through his hair. He suddenly looks tense, the tension visible is his muscular arms. He takes a seat in his metal chair, pulling up to his desk.
"You're dismissed," He says quietly. "You should go have some dinner. I heard Ben say he was planning on making fried chicken. That's a crowd favorite."
"Thank you," I say, glancing down at the fried chicken and mashed potatoes Ben has put on my tray. If the smell is any indication, I understand why it is a crowd favorite. I glance around the main room, looking for Charlie. I see him seated in his usual spot, Amelia laying on a blanket next to him.
I walk over to Charlie, taking a seat next to him and Amelia. I instantly dig in to my food, taking a bite of the greasy fried chicken. I've never eaten anything quite this good.
"Has Kane shunned you too?" Charlie asks, lifting a forkful of mashed potatoes to his lips. I feel my cheeks burn, hoping Charlie hasn't noticed.
"Not exactly," I admit, not wanting to go into details, begging the heat in my cheeks to go away. I've tried to not dwell on what went on earlier in Kane's office. I'm sure Kane didn't mean anything by that look. He probably didn't even realize he was doing it.
"Well, lucky you. I went to his office to talk to him, and he didn't say a word to me the whole time I was in there," Charlie mumbles, picking up his chicken drumstick.
"He is a strange one," I say, picking up my fork to eat some more potatoes.
A/N~ I have more questions for you guys! I got such a good response last time, and I really enjoyed reading your comments, so I have some more questions for you all. (Some don't have to do with the book)
1.) How old would you guess I am based on my writing style?
2.) Why did you start reading Year 6? (Did you found it randomly on Wattpad, was it recommended to you by a friend, other?)
3.) What are your thoughts on my writing style? (Do you like it/ not like it? Why/why not?)
4.) Of the many characters, who do you think you are the most like, and why?
5.) If you could meet any of these characters, which one would you choose and why?
6.) And suggestions for me? (I can't promise to use them all, but I do take suggestions into consideration, even if they pertain to previous chapters.)
Thank you for reading and voting. Year 6 is currently #30 in Sci-Fi, and at one point you guys got it up to #26 this week. That was amazing! I am so thankful for all of you and your support. -Sarah