My mouth drops open, “Miranda’s Complex roommate...never recovered?”
“Sad, isn’t it?”
I can only nod. What if Brinn, my Complex roommate, was insane? What if Brinn had to spend her days locked in a room to keep everyone safe and there was nothing I could do about it? It would be too horrible to stand.
Dana sighs, “We aren’t here, though, to discuss my offie problems. It’s yours I’m anxious about.”
I frown, “Anxious?”
Dana presses her lips together, “Well, if Miranda believes that…” She trails off to me.
I ask, “Believes what?”
Dana shakes her head, “Never mind. But, if Miranda thinks you are working with real Officials, as opposed to rogue Officials, they could have an Examination against you.”
“What's an Examination?” I question.
Dana gives me a weak smile, “Sorry, I keep on forgetting you’re a Rivie. If someone here hurts another person or steals something, Miranda and the Councils will hold an Examination determining whether the person is really guilty, or how bad the punishment will be. Just because we are in the Unknown doesn’t mean that we don’t have any rules. They might takes away certain things, or ban you from parts of the Unknown. Or, if you are constantly hurting someone, they might even be forced to lock you in a room for a couple of months, or even years to keep others safe.”
My mouth drops open, “I had no idea…”
Dana smiles sadly, “This is the Unknown. When the Officials find someone violent or with a lot of misbehavior in the Complex, they send the kids here, for us to deal with.”
My heart starts racing. What if Miranda used the ‘evidence’ that she found against me in an Examination? What would happen?
Dana interrupts my thoughts, “I’m sorry, Piper, but I’ve got to go. J. just sent me a message saying I’m needed in the Kitchens. My advice to you, I guess, is just tread lightly. Right now, it’s like you’re walking on thin, thin glass. Either the glass will hold you, and you will be fine, or the glass will completely shatter and you will drop with it.”
Her words send a chill down my back. I don’t have time to respond, Dana is already quickly walking away.
I catch up to her and ask a sudden question that has popped into my mind, “Dana, why do you always act so…so dumb and giggly all the time? I know that’s not how you really are from living with you in the Complex…”
Pain fills Dana’s eyes. She purses her lips, “I…”
I can see the end of the Fields up ahead. A voice calls out near to us. Dana flinches, “Another time, okay. I don’t want anyone to overhear…”
I nod, even though I want more than anything to know why.
We exit the Fields and walk back through the halls. Dana stops in front of the Kitchens door, already her bubbly, giggly self, “Bye, Piper. It was great talking to you.”
I nod, trying to hide my slight annoyance with the act, and walk away. I send a quick Notice to Charlotte. Done with Miranda. Meet in Eating Hall?
I continue walking towards the Eating Hall as I wait for a respond.
It comes quickly. Great, be there in five minutes or so.
I arrive at the Eating Hall and sit at an empty table, tapping my fingers on the table.
Miranda’s old Complex roommate never recovered, no wonder Miranda cares so much about the Eekes. If Miranda truly believes the ‘evidence’ she has against me, I could be charged with an Examination. What even is the 'evidence' that Miranda supposedly has against me? Who gave it to her? Who would even know any ‘evidence’ against me? The only people that really know me are Dana and somewhat Charlotte? Did Bridget say something while she was still recovering that made me look like a liar?
My thoughts end as someone sits next to me. I turn, expecting Charlotte, but see Christopher instead. I try to swallow the fear that is slowly rising in my throat.
This is the first time I’ve ever been alone with Christopher. I barely know anything about Christopher, and all of the information I do have is negative. Christopher wants to be the Leader of the Unknown once Miranda turns twenty and dies, and will do anything to get it, even blackmail.
Christopher grins at me, but it looks more like he is baring his teeth. I decide that I’m not going to let his little tricks and fear tactics get to me. I can only hope that my fear doesn’t show on my face as I smile innocently at him and say, “Yes?”
Christopher narrows his eyes, “You’re the new Rivie, right? The one that has been getting all of Miranda’s attention lately? The one who knows the two dead Eekes?”
I’m not sure whether Christopher is supposed to know whether I know the Josh and somewhat Seth. I don’t want to give away any information to him.
I just shrug.
This seems to make Christopher even more annoyed. He doesn’t even try to keep the attempted smile on his face. It drops quickly and is replaced by a sneer.
I swallow again, hoping that he doesn’t notice.
Much to my dismay, his sneer grows. He sees right through my ‘bravery’ act.
My hands begin to sweat. Christopher is on the Council, he could have the power to bring me to an Examination, too.
Christopher leans back in his chair and sets his feet up on the table. He turns his head to me, “So, Rivie, how did you offie manage to meet those dead Eekes.”
I stare mutely back. I can’t give away any information that Christopher isn’t supposed to know. I don’t want to make Miranda hate me even more.
Christopher smirks, “What is it, Rivie? Can’t offie talk? You have no one to save you now. It’s time you save yourself. Are you too weak and cowardly?”
I don’t respond but his taunts cut in deep. Why can’t I defend myself? I’m too afraid to say the wrong thing, or give away information that I’m not supposed to.
Christopher takes my silence as defeat. He laughs arrogantly, “Figures, you don’t even have anything to say about that. It’s weird, you must be talking quite a bit in front of Miranda to tell her all those offie fantastical stories, but you are offie quiet now…”
I hold my head high and say, “I’m leaving now.”
I stand up quickly, knocking the back of my knees on the stool, and move to walk away. I’ll just have to send a Notice to Charlotte to meet me somewhere else. She’ll understand, she hates Christopher just as much as I do.
I’m yanked backwards. I cry out as Christopher wraps his fingers around my wrist and pulls me back to my seat.
“Sit.” He says forcefully.
I silently allow my knees to buckle and I sit on the stool. I worriedly glance around the Eating Hall. It’s the middle of the morning, there is barely anyone in here. There are a couple of people seated near the front of the Eating Hall, but they are all in intent conversations. I doubt they even notice us in the back of the Eating Hall. Even if they did, could they do anything to stop Christopher? He is a Council and he could say we were just talking.
“What do you want?” I ask bolder than I expected.
Christopher’s eyebrows shoot up, mockingly, “Oh, suddenly feisty, aren’t we?”
I bite my tongue and glare at him.
Christopher just laughs harder. My anger grows, but I force it to stay down. I’m not going to let him get me mad.
Finally, Christopher says between fits of laughter, “All I offie want from you, Rivie, is information.”
“And all I want, is to leave,” I look him right in the eyes as I say this.
Christopher pouts sarcastically, “Oh, sadly, some people don’t always get what they want. I do, because I will do anything it takes to get them.”
He narrows his eyes at me and leers, “And, I, Rivie, will do anything to get what I want out of you.”
He abruptly stands and strides away. I stay absolutely still, until I’m positive that he has left the Eating Hall. I don’t want to give him the pleasure of seeing me relax after he leaves.
I realize my hands are shaking and put them under the table. I don’t want to tell anyone about this, about my cowardly attempts to stand up to Christopher, only to get laughed at. I need to get my emotions under control before Charlotte gets here. If Charlotte notices anything different, she will certainly ask questions I’d rather not answer.
I’m focusing on taking deep breaths when Charlotte sits down. She gives me a cheery smile, “Hi, Piper. How’s it going?”
I shrug, “I’m fine. I’m just…worried about Sienna,”
I am worried about Sienna, but I’m almost positive she’ll survive. I’m even more worried about what Christopher is planning. I know he hasn’t given up that easily, he’s probably just bidding his time and formulating a plan. But, what is his plan? Will he try to take me to an Examination? If he did, would the Council agree with him?
Charlotte smiles worriedly at me, “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re a little pale.”
I swallow hard. Did Christopher notice how pale I was? Was that just another thing he was laughing about?
“Yeah, I’m fine. Only worried.” I say, my voice wobbling a little.
Charlotte purses her lips, “Do you want to lie down or something? You really don’t look good at all. We probably won’t have another Rivie today, so we would be having a calmer day anyway. I was planning on maybe doing another Pros today, but if you want to lie down, it’s completely okay.”
I don’t want to lie down. I would have nothing to distract me from the anxious thoughts that are building themselves up in my head. I want nothing more to escape them, not lie down and listen to them.
I say, “I’m fine. Let’s do another Pros today. May as well get as many done as possible.”
“Okay,” Charlotte says, not sounding entirely convinced, “Here are the Pros we haven’t toured yet: Kitchens, Odds, Vitals, Cleaners, Cons, and Nurses. Unless you are considering having Kitchens or Nurses as your Pros, we could probably get away with no tour of that Pros, if you don’t want to, since you have spent a lot of time in both of those wings. Which Pros do you want to visit today?”
“Um, how about…Cons?” I say. I remember Marcus mentioning something about his Pros’ being Cons, I want to know what it is about.
Charlotte nods, “Sure, although, I’m warning you, I doubt you are really…Cons material.”
I frown, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She smiles, “Cons are basically the ‘handy men and women’. There aren’t very many, but they repair things that break here in the Unknown, rebuild things, it’s really the hard, manual labor. The word Cons came from construction, which kind-of makes sense when you consider their Pros.”
I nod to show that I understand. But, once again, I’m lost in thought. I will probably be meeting another Council today, the Council of the Cons. That means another person that could possibly decide my future if Miranda or Christopher were to have an Examination on me. I need to make sure I get on this person’s good side, that I am polite and say all the right things. I have to do my best not to lie, and only lie when completely necessary. Meeting the Council today is very important.
Charlotte begins typing into her Notice, “Okay, so I’ll just send a Notice to the Council of the Cons to see if they can do a Rivie tour. Depending on what is going on today, they may not have time.”
I ask, “Who is the Council of the Cons?”
I want to know as much about this person as I possibly can in order to get on this person’s good side. I wait in suspense for Charlotte’s answer.
Charlotte talks as she types. She distractedly says, “Oh, it’s Marcus. You know him, right? He was Canton and the two dead Eekes Complex roommate.”