by S. L. Baum
“True. I don’t want icky people touching me.” She stuck out her tongue at me. It was pink.
“What have you been eating? Your tongue!”
“Raspberries,” she laughed. “Is it red or pink?”
“Pink.”
“Then it has faded. You should’ve seen it before. Guess what?” Lily’s eyes sparkled.
“What?”
“Fisher is going to be my escort to our Gala.”
“Oh is he? Are we supposed to have escorts to our own Gala?” I asked.
“I don’t care if we are or not. I asked my father and mother and they’ve given their permission.”
I rolled onto my stomach and propped the tablet against my pillows. “Have you had much chance to see him since the end of Incorporation?”
“We message or chat every single day,” she admitted with a shy smile.
“I can’t believe you are just telling me this now!”
“He is so kind to me, Blue. It’s nice to have someone, a boy, be sweet to you.”
“He’s a great guy, Lil. I’ve known that since the very first day, when we were forced to bump into him. Stone and Fish, they’re the best.”
“And Blue, you are right. He doesn’t care about the X. He doesn’t care at all.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from him. I’m glad, Lily. I’m truly happy for you.”
“You should see if Stone can be your escort,” Lily suggested.
I knew at once that Aspen would be against the idea. An escort would suggest a possible union. My father and Aspen had very high hopes for my future Marriage Contract.
I raised my eyebrows. “I’ll ask but I highly doubt the possibility. They are scheming about Marriage Contracts already. Aspen said she wants to find the best possible candidate. I’m not ready for all of this,” I groaned.
“Sorry, Blue.” Lily gave me an exaggerated frown. “Ack! Well, I’ve got to sign off. That was Mother calling. Did you hear that? She has a booming voice.”
“Yes. I heard it. See you tomorrow.”
“See you.”
I ended the video chat and opened up the Library, scrolling through the titles. I had hoped for a full access Library after leaving Training Tech but I found that my downloads were still restricted. There was a little countdown clock in the corner of the Library screen that kept me informed of how many days remained until I could access the Ages Eighteen to Twenty-One Selections. And I was pretty sure that females had a completely different selection of books than males did.
Lost on the Way to the Beach seemed like an interesting title. There was a little girl in the cover image wearing a shimmering blue dress. It seemed like the perfect choice. I clicked on the book and started to read.
Chapter Nine
Family and Friends
The end of the week had a slightly different meaning than it did when we were in Training Tech. When I was there, we had six days of instruction and organized activities. After Training Tech, it was reduced to five. The Career Education Center actually closed down on Friday… and not at seven in the evening, as it did on the other days for after hours tutoring. On Friday the CEC closed its doors at five o’clock.
But it was only three o’clock and it seemed like five o’clock would never come. The day was going too slow. A big group of us had decided to meet up at Lily’s to watch the new comedy video that had been approved for release. She had a very open room with a wall screen that was perfect for a large gathering. Everyone was told to bring a snack and arrive no later than six o’clock.
I was staring a Cimarron, but I kept glancing at the time on my tablet, all the while trying desperately to remember what she just said.
“Isn’t that good news?” Cimarron asked.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“I said I just got word that you’ve been approved for a family of four children, without the bother of Training Tech fees subtracted from your income. That is unheard of. Isn’t that good news?”
“Four children?” I asked, confused by her statement. I had been too distracted. It wasn’t making sense.
“Bluebell, stop wandering off. Pay attention. The Council has graciously allowed for you and your future husband to have four children and be exempt of all Training Tech fees. Being Lush comes with great benefits. That news will be of great interest to anyone seeking a Marriage Contract with you,” Cimarron smiled and nodded her head at me, expecting me to agree with her.
“Yes. What wonderful news. Four children,” I smiled in return, because it felt like the right thing to do.
Cimarron put her tablet down. “Of course you can have more than four. The fees wouldn’t begin until your fifth child turns five and is enrolled at Training Tech. Six would be an amazing number, don’t you think? There hasn’t been a family with six children for well over one hundred years. Half a dozen new Citizens for Concord… Concord Reigns! How exciting!” She clapped her hands together in one loud boom.
I jerked my head up and found the most joyful expression on her face. “Yes. Very,” I said.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to have six children. Although it did occur to me that if I spaced them out correctly, I could be sending the last one off to Training Tech just as the first one was coming home. I always thought it would be hard to have a child, send it away for twelve years, and then suddenly have a grown child at home again. Visits never seemed like it was enough real contact to make any deep connections. Sometimes it felt like my friends from school knew more about me, were closer to me, and cared more for me than my parents did.
But then, living with a child through its developmental years did seem like an even stranger concept. I wasn’t a trainer. I wasn’t equipped to deal with the physical and emotional changes all girls and boys went through. And what would I do with a boy? I didn’t know a thing about boys. I had never laid eyes on a boy from the ages of six to sixteen. I was quite sure I’d mess that up, no doubt about it.
Six was a lot though. For many years I had pictured myself giving birth to the one mandatory child that was required of all fertile females. I considered the possibility of two, knowing that twins do happen and that sometimes a married couple decides to have more than one. But I had never entertained the idea of more than two, let alone four or six.
It seemed that I was finally getting the answers to the questions that had plagued me since Dr. Odessa cut off the white bandage to reveal my Citizen Brand. What did it mean to be Lush? It meant being an ambassador to Concord, learning how to be a public figure, and resolving myself to the future travel and public appearances that were expected of me. It meant finding the best possible candidate to enter into a Marriage Contract with. It also meant having four children for the glory of Concord. Not six, I told myself. Four.
Cimarron tapped and swiped at the screen on her tablet.
“What’s next?” I asked, eager to leave the subject of marriage and children behind.
“We need to look at some of the speeches The Council has decided to have you film. It is just a preliminary thing. They want you to get used to speaking to a camera. So we will practice here pretending there is a camera and then we will eventually move on to a real one. On Monday we will make a visit to the video department of the CEC so you, young lady, need to practice these speeches tomorrow and Sunday. I’ve just sent them to your tablet. Make sure you look them over. No full day of rest for the Lush girl,” she teased.
Cimarron wasn’t very good at teasing. It seemed halfhearted and awkward for her to speak in any way other than a straightforward manner.
“Let’s read through the first one together,” she suggested. “Come. Stand by me. Good posture is step number one when in front of a camera.”
I got up from my chair and walked over to stand beside her. We began to read the text together.
***
At ten minutes to six, I walked up the steps to Lily’s house. There was a note on the door that simply read Please Come In. When I opened th
e door, the house chimed. My house did the same thing; it let everyone inside know that someone was entering the residence. I wondered if all the houses were equipped with chimes. It seemed logical that they were.
“Hello?” I called out
Lily yelled back, “In the kitchen!”
When I entered the kitchen I found Lily and Fisher standing in front of the sink. Their soapy hands were intertwined under the running water. Lily giggled and flicked water and bubbles at Fisher’s face.
“Hi, Lil. Fish,” I smiled. “What are you up to?”
“We just made the biggest mess. We were trying to make my mother’s sweet lemon glaze,” Lily laughed. “It didn’t turn out so well.”
“The project was a total failure,” Fisher admitted with a mischievous smile.
“Where is your mother? Why didn’t she make it for you?” I asked.
“My parents are with yours, at that dinner party,” Lily answered.
I remembered the message from my father that I’d received earlier in the day. Your mother and I will not be home this evening. Duty calls. Have a nice time at Lily’s. It seemed that “not be home” actually meant “at a dinner party with Denver and Cheyenne.” Lily was right. I needed to ask more questions.
“So you two have been here all alone,” I winked.
Lily blushed.
Fisher looked away.
“Who all is coming?” I asked.
“Stone is on his way. Ash and Holly should be here too,” Fisher said.
“Pet 1, Pet 2, and Willow, because Holly doesn’t do anything without Willow,” Lily added.
“Clay wants to stay home and go through his notes from the week. No surprise there. But I think Ridge is coming and he might bring one of his other friends.” Fisher summed up the other attendees.
Lily pointed to the box I was holding. “What did you bring?”
I placed the box on the counter. “Oat, nut, and brown sugar muffins. Dallas, Aspen’s chef, left them for me. He said they were divine. I’m actually dying to try one.”
I lifted the lid and pulled one of the muffins out. I ripped off the top (the top of the muffin was always the best) and then took a big bite of it. The slight crunch of the nuts, the hearty oats, and the sweet brown sugar, mixed together with Dallas’s secret blend of spices (that he refused to divulge)… all those flavors… I loved it. “Mmmmmm,” I hummed while I chewed.
Lily saw the look on my face and giggled. “That good?”
“That good! Here. Try,” I said and brought the piece of muffin to her mouth.
She took a bite. “Seriously amazing,” she said and grabbed the rest out of my hand to bring to Fisher. “Try this,” she said.
Fisher opened his mouth and Lily placed the piece of muffin up to his lips. As he took the morsel into his mouth he seemed to kiss the tips of her fingers. Lily’s smile was one that I’d never seen before. It was a very intimate moment. I felt like I was intruding.
“I think I heard something. I’ll go check the door,” I said softly, not wanting to break their moment.
Neither of them said a word as I walked out of the room directing myself toward the front door. Coincidentally, the door opened just as I neared and Stone came walking in.
“Blue!” he exclaimed.
“Stone!” I countered.
He studied the expression on my face. “Why do you look so strange?” he asked and then puffed up his cheeks with air.
“No reason. Come on, they’re in the kitchen. I‘m sure the door chime has… nothing. Follow me,” I fumbled my words.
Stone released his air bubble. “Ooh, and you’re acting strange too.”
“Lovebirds,” I whispered.
“Aaaah. Now I understand. Sickening, isn’t it?”
I nodded my head. “And awkward.”
Stone followed me into the kitchen and placed a small white box on the counter.
“Stone!” Fisher smiled, stepping away from Lily. “Did you bring it?”
“Bring what?” I asked.
Stone opened the box to reveal small bite sized pieces of something light brown. The smell that emanated from the box was mouth watering. It smelled a bit like the hard candies we were permitted to have on certain Concord holidays, but the scent was richer.
Lily licked her lips. “What is that?”
“It’s called toffee,” Stone said as he picked out four pieces and distributed one to each of us. “And it’s the most amazing candy. I think it’s just made from sugar and butter, I don’t know. Anyway it’s cooked in some special way. Apparently it is only made once a year and you can only buy one box. My mother said she gets an extra box from her neighbor, because the crazy woman doesn’t really like it. I begged her to let me bring this little bit so you guys could taste it. It’ll be months before it comes out again, and we can get some of our own. Anyway, pop it in your mouth. You can suck it or chew it. I suck on it, because it lasts longer that way, and if you chew it gets stuck in your teeth.”
I placed the piece of toffee in my mouth and let my tongue move across the surface of it. The sweet flavor coated the inside of my mouth. “Oh wow, Stone.”
Lily’s eye widened. “This is better than that hot chocolate drink.”
Fisher slapped Stone on the back “I told you they’d love it.”
“My mother has a weakness for sweet tasting things,” Stone said.
The door chimed again, announcing the next arrivals. Stone hid the box of toffee, stating that it was too valuable to be devoured by the herd, and then we went to welcome our friends. Within a few minutes, the rest of the group had arrived, carrying various bags and boxes filled with treats. Ridge was the last to arrive; he had Thorn with him.
I hadn’t interacted much with Thorn during Incorporation. He was usually quiet and kept to himself, so it was nice to see him at something social. Even though he didn’t say much, his eyes were always moving about as if he was absorbing every detail of the world around him. I liked that about him.
Lily announced that she was going to start the video on the wall screen, so we gathered in the other room and sat down to watch the comedy. As usual, I could predict the ending quite soon after the beginning. Lily only had to tell me to be quiet once… after I said, out loud, the name of the secret admirer a few minutes before he was revealed on screen. I kept my mouth closed during the last half of the video. I had such a bad habit of spoiling the ending, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t do it.
After the film was over, Lily brought out what was left of the food. She placed it in the center of the room and we all sat around it on the floor and just talked.
“What other videos have you seen recently?” Willow asked the group.
“I liked the historical drama that told of the Origins of Concord’s Council,” Fisher offered. “The people at the time were not doing well at all. It’s no wonder The Council was formed.”
“There was that love story about a Marriage Contract that almost didn’t happen because of a selfish woman. I loved how she saw the error in her ways and made things right in the end,” Petunia sighed.
“Oh yes,” Petals agreed. “I liked that one too.”
“How about books?” I asked. “Has anyone read that new one… the cover image had a little girl on it… she was wearing a blue dress… ack. What’s it called?”
“I haven’t seen that one,” Lilly pulled at her bottom lip in confusion.
“Neither have I,” Holly shrugged.
I clapped my hands together as the title came to me. “I remember now. Lost on the Way to the Beach. There is this little girl, like I said, and she is on a trip to the beach with her caretaker. They are walking through a wooded area, and I think they get lost. That’s as far as I got.”
Willow shook her head. “I scan the new selections every day and I didn’t see that one.”
I jumped up from the floor where we sat. “I’ll get my tablet and show it to you.”
My black bag was still in the kitchen. I grabbed it,
brought it back into the other room, and took out my personal tablet. As I started scanning through the Library, Willow looked over my shoulder.
“All the same selections I have,” Willow noted.
“It was here,” I exasperated.
I’d read almost half of it already, and I was planning to finish the rest of it the next day. I couldn’t believe it was just gone, vanished from my tablet.
“Whatever it was, it is not there now,” Ridge commented. “That’s not exactly uncommon. If the media department receives several complaints about the same book they will pull it from all devices. My father is a media distributor. He works with Thorn’s father,” he explained.
“They sit in front of wall tablets all day, don’t they?” Stone asked.
“Probably,” Ridge shrugged.
“Ugh. No desk,” Stone sighed.
“Well that’s frustrating,” I sighed. “I really liked the story so far.”
“Make up a new ending,” Stone suggested with a wink. “Come on, you know you want to.”
I pushed his shoulder hard, almost knocking him off balance. “Maybe I will!”
Thorn’s eye glinted with curiosity. “You do that too?” he asked me.
“Do what?”
“Make up new endings to stories.”
“Sometimes,” I said. “When I think it would be more interesting if the story took a different path. Sometimes I think it would be nice if the characters did something unexpected.”
“Me too,” Thorn smiled. “Did you know I was assigned to the Writing Department? I’m leaning toward Creative Storytelling rather than News and General Information.”
“I didn’t. But if you like to make up story endings then it sounds like the perfect placement for you. Lily, Fisher, and Stone once thought that I might end up creating stories. I think it would have been a nice career, but I guess it simply wasn’t meant to be.”
Thorn shook his head. “I suppose not. Destiny had other plans for you.”
“We can’t argue with destiny, can we? It’s all for the best, right?” I asked, slightly uncertain of my own words.