by Eliza Green
Sheila dropped her backpack on the hall floor, kicked off her shoes and walked barefoot into the kitchen. Dom followed. She pressed onto her toes and pulled out a can of beans from one of the cupboards.
She wrinkled her nose as she held up the can. ‘I’m really starting to hate this goddamn food. I wish there was something else to eat.’
She swept her hair over one shoulder exposing her tanned skin. She was beautiful. She always had been. He’d known Sheila since she was eight and he was nine.
Holding the can, she turned to him. ‘You know what I want to do right now?’
She had that look in her eye. The one that usually killed his appetite. ‘What?’
‘I really want to get the hell out of here and raid the factory for something other than goddamn beans. You think Max and Charlie would mind?’
Dom rubbed his neck. ‘Under different circumstances, I’d say no. But we’re supposed to stay here.’
He was sick of telling her they needed to keep a low profile. Even though he hadn’t found evidence in their apartment of bugging devices or cameras, the thought that Essention watched still nagged. He kept their chats cryptic when discussing rebel matters and the reason and why he and Sheila were really in Arcis.
He blocked the doorway just in case Sheila was serious. She watched him for a moment then smiled. Her eyes twinkled with mischief.
She was any guy’s dream girl.
She pouted, emptied the contents of the can into a pot sitting on the cooker and turned on the heat. ‘Okay, I won’t go anywhere. For now. But I can’t say what I’ll do tomorrow. And you can’t watch me all the time.’
‘But I can lock you in your room.’
She lifted her eyebrows in mock surprise. ‘Kinky. If you’re in there with me.’
‘That doesn’t work on me, Sheila.’
She bit her lip. ‘Are you sure?’
Dom ran his hand across the back of his neck.
He walked over to the hardened bread and cut it into chunks. He got two bowls and Sheila dished out the hot beans evenly. The beans were high in protein and filling.
They carried their food into the living room. Dom hated the sterile kitchen. Even though the entire unit had that same feel, at least the arm chairs in the living room were comfortable. He sat in one while Sheila settled on the sofa.
Sheila sighed. ‘I can’t stand the work at Arcis. I was hoping for something more challenging.’
‘Well, tomorrow’s another day.’
‘I noticed you watching that new girl, Anya. It’s a little creepy if you ask me.’
Dom looked up. ‘I don’t watch her. What are you talking about?’
Sheila laughed. ‘I’ve known you for ten years, Dom. I know you better than you know yourself.’
Dom focused on the bread in his hand. ‘Don’t be stupid, Sheila. I’m not watching anyone. We’re there for only one reason.’
‘Still...’
‘“Still” what?’
Sheila fluttered her eyelashes. ‘I’ve seen that look before. You used to give it to me.’
Nervous laughter erupted from Dom. ‘I never looked at you like that. Why are we even talking about this?’
‘Okay, maybe not me. But you definitely looked at Mia that way.’
Mia was beautiful like Sheila. She had long blonde hair and olive skin, and she was as tall as he was, with curves in all the right places. To this day, he still wondered why he hadn’t noticed her before she became friends with Sheila. She was hard to miss.
Then there was short-haired Kaylie. She was quieter than Mia, who was more attention-seeking. Kaylie had been an interesting distraction for a while, but she didn’t calm him in the way Sheila could. Her meek personality and inability to say what was on her mind frustrated the hell out of him. Mia, on the other hand, gossiped too much.
‘Or maybe it’s Kaylie you’re thinking about?’
Sheila had never understood what he’d seen in quiet, shy Kaylie. Dom still didn’t know what he’d seen in Mia.
She grinned. ‘I can always get you to admit to it in the end.’
‘I haven’t admitted to anything, Sheila. I’m not interested in anyone in Arcis. I don’t need anyone drawing away my focus.’
‘Then why are you blushing?’ Dom glanced down at his food, causing Sheila to laugh. ‘I was only kidding, Dominic. You know how I am. I like to get inside people’s heads. It must be the mind manipulator in me.’
Sheila’s parents, both psychologists, had been killed by wild animals while hiking in the mountains more than two years earlier. Hearing of Sheila’s situation, Dom’s mother had taken her in. When Mariella failed to return from Essention, Sheila and Dom had left Foxrush to seek help from the rumoured rebellion stronghold in the mountains. They returned unsuccessful only to discover that the rebels were already embedded in their town. Charlie and Max arrived shortly after—they’d been tipped off about disappearances in Foxrush, something that was already happening in their own town, Halforth. The common denominator was Essention.
‘Sometimes I think you just enjoy making me squirm,’ said Dom.
Sheila stood up. ‘It’s always been our thing, Dominic.’ She walked towards him and Dom braced himself for what usually came next.
‘Besides,’ she said, kneeling in his lap, her legs either side. ‘I don’t like hearing about other girls. You know I want your focus only on me.’
He put the bowl on the floor and kept his hands flat on the sofa as she leaned over him, inching closer to his face. She swept her hair over one shoulder. He admired her beauty: pink lips, perfect bone structure, tall and lean with curves. Very similar to Mia, if he was being honest.
‘Sheila,’ he said softly. ‘That’s enough.’
‘Not until I say so.’
Sheila liked to play this game often. But he was sick of her teasing.
She moved her lips closer to his.
He stared up at her in defiance. ‘Go on. You’re always threatening to do it. Kiss me.’
She flinched then regained her composure. ‘I’m working up to it.’
He was done with these games.
‘I want you, Sheila. I always have. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you look now, how sexy you are.’ He gripped her hips and pulled her in closer.
She smiled teasingly, keeping her focus on his neck.
‘Look at me!’ Her gaze trailed from his neck to his eyes. ‘I want you. I need you to kiss me right now.’
She looked away and traced a finger along his cheek. ‘Patience, Dominic. I’m working up to it.’
He kept hold of her and in one swift movement, he stood up. With one hand under her backside, he kept her legs wrapped around his waist.
‘What are you doing?’ Sheila stared at him.
He didn’t answer. He carried her to his bedroom, placed her on the bed and pushed her until her head reached the pillow. She was breathing hard. Her eyes were wide. She tried to regain the upper hand, as she always did when they played this game, but Dom held her arms loosely above her head. He straddled her, his eyes never leaving hers.
She tried to shift away from him. ‘Dom, I was only—’
‘Teasing?’
‘You know I was.’
‘Sheila, we’ve been here a few times.’ He looked around. ‘Okay, maybe not in here exactly, but I can’t stand the teasing. I need you to kiss me.’
‘What?’
His nose grazed her cheek. ‘Come on, don’t tell me you’re not interested. Don’t tell me this isn’t what you want?’
Sheila’s face softened into a smile. ‘Of course it’s what I want.’
She braved his gaze as he moved closer. His hands pinned her down lightly. She worked hard to breathe.
Dom inched closer to her lips. The closer he got, the shorter Sheila’s breaths became. He hovered above her, millimetres from her face.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
He moved to her neck, trailing kisses along her collarbone.
‘Oh, God,’ she said. ‘Okay, I don’t want this. Please.’
Dom shifted into a seated position and smiled at her. ‘And why don’t you want this?’
Sheila looked close to tears. ‘I’m not going to say it.’ He moved off her and lay beside her, his head on the pillow.
‘Say it, for once.’
Sheila shook her head and pouted, refusing to look at him. ‘I don’t want to.’
He propped himself up on one arm and cupped her face with one hand. His thumb stroked her jaw. ‘Why do you do that?’
‘Do what?’ Her eyes were strained, tearful.
‘Pretend to be something you’re not.’
She looked away. ‘I’m not pretending.’
‘Yes, you are. You pretend with me, but I know you too well. I can see it in your eyes when you play your game. I can see you’d rather be somewhere else, with someone else.’
Her eyes were heavy with tears. ‘Dom, please don’t. I don’t want to talk about it.’
‘I’m not going to talk about it. It’s not my business. But don’t lie to yourself. Please. Because it’s who you are. I’ve always known it, even if you haven’t.’
The tears fell and Sheila thumped him on the arm. ‘Why did you go and make me cry?’
Dom smiled. ‘It’s what I do. Now, come here.’ She turned and nestled into the crook of his arm. ‘Do you know how creepy that was just now? You’re like a sister to me.’
Sheila rocked with laughter. ‘Yeah, it was pretty creepy.’
‘Hey!’
Sheila sat up. ‘Don’t get me wrong, you’re good-looking and all, but you’re definitely not my type.’
‘Not even with my girly hair?’
She tugged on one of his dreadlocks. ‘Not even.’
‘So, please. Let’s not do that again.’
Sheila quirked an eyebrow at him. ‘Never say never. You know how I like my theatrics.’
Dom rolled his eyes at her. ‘Fine. But not like this. Now. Out of my room. I want to get naked.’
Sheila dried her face with her hand and planted a kiss on his cheek. ‘Sure thing, handsome.’
6
Dom
It wasn’t the teenagers’ fault they were in Arcis, and it wasn’t their fault they were on Compliance. But Dom’s clarity of mind made it hard for him to pretend to care about them, even though Max insisted he try. If interaction bettered his chances of rotation, he would fake it. Answers existed on the ninth floor. Dom, still stuck on ground zero, hadn’t even begun his journey yet.
The chatty murmurs of a few participants filled the atrium. Dom searched for his next target. He settled for a group of six; three boys twirled their mops in a show for the three girls. Compliance seemed to enhance their stupidity while masking what they really were: pawns. He checked the position of the fixed camera up high. For the first time, he was pleased to see it was tracking his movements.
He joined the back of their group as they talked about the skills they’d learned in school before coming to Essention. It didn’t surprise Dom to hear the girls had learned traditional skills like needlecraft, drawing and bookkeeping. The boys had learned sport, bricklaying and carpentry.
Dom went against his father’s advice to fit in and studied music. Dom had the bruises to show for his defiance. Since joining the rebels, he’d learned that the only important thing to know in life was how to protect yourself. Guns and tactical training. Maintaining physical strength. Anything that would give him an advantage over Praesidium if the fight ended up there.
The girls noticed him first as he stood on the edge of the group. He smiled at one girl who smiled back and blushed. That only angered the boys. Dom couldn’t care less about the girls or the boys whose efforts to impress he undid with a simple smile. But three weeks had passed since last rotation and he still hadn’t talked to anyone except Sheila.
Anya didn’t count; she was a loner like him. If the camera people really wanted interaction, chances were they’d notice his efforts more with an over talkative, over excitable group than a girl who said little.
The group prattled on about their towns, what they used to do in school, their favourite teachers.
It was torture. Stories he’d heard a hundred times in school made him want to quit this gig, and to tell Max and Charlie he was done here. But Mariella didn’t have the luxury of quitting, wherever she was. When he couldn’t take any more smiling and excitement, he excused himself, much to the relief of the boys.
Ω
At lunch, Dom selected his food and looked around the dining hall. While Sheila had eaten lunch with him in the beginning, her lunchtime companions were now a bunch of girls who hung on her every word. Sheila had a presence, and the girls wanted to be like her. Dom didn’t understand how she stood the fake attention.
He spotted Anya sitting alone and walked past Sheila’s table. She glanced up at him and gave him a wink. He slid into a seat opposite Anya. He wasn’t sure when they’d started having lunch together; it had just happened. Something about her drew him in, but she was still a stranger and he made sure to keep his guard up.
Anya stared at him like she was trying to figure him out. His heart beat too hard whenever she got that look in her eye, like she was about to say, ‘You’re a rebel’. But she never did.
Anya nodded at Sheila. ‘Why aren’t you sitting with your friend over there?’
‘She’s got friends. Besides, seeing you all alone is doing terrible things to my conscience.’
Anya looked down at her food. ‘What has my being alone got to do with your conscience?’
Dom rubbed the back of his neck. ‘Nothing. I was just being a gentleman.’
Anya played with her food. ‘I don’t always like being alone. I know it looks like I do, but sometimes I need people.’
‘Really?’
‘I don’t like to think about stuff. And that’s all I do when I’m alone. I keep replaying things that happened in my head. Bad things I couldn’t control.’ She sighed and looked away.
‘What things?’
Anya looked up and trapped him in her gaze. Man, those eyes...
Her look softened. ‘Nothing.’
What could have happened to Anya to close her off from everyone?
You can talk, Dom Pavesi. You are the biggest keeper of secrets in the world. Why should she reveal her secrets when you won’t tell anyone yours?
Anya focused on her uneaten sandwich. He hated seeing her like this. He wanted to make her laugh—anything to distract her from her pain.
‘You know,’ said Dom, ‘I heard the wolves like to throw parties in that little alcove of theirs when we go home. Beer, chips, dip. It’s a disgusting mess.’
Anya giggled. ‘Yeah? A bit difficult to open beer, though, without opposable thumbs.’
It was Dom’s turn to laugh. ‘And when they want to have female wolves over, well, the space is a bit cramped. Tails get stuck in unmentionable places.’
Anya blushed. ‘So they move the party into the atrium.’ She clicked her fingers and her eyes widened. ‘That’s why the place is in such a mess when we get in each morning.’
Dom grinned at her. He liked this smiling version of her, not the one worrying about things she couldn’t control. He glanced over at Sheila and instantly regretted it. She cocked an eyebrow at him, mouthing, What the hell? He ignored her and focused on Anya.
‘So, you curious to see what’s happening on the next floor? I don’t know about you, but I’m bored of the ground floor work.’
Anya shook her head and looked down. ‘Not really. This is fine.’
He didn’t believe her. ‘You’re happy pushing a mop around? I thought you were a girl with an adventurous spirit.’
She looked at him. The mask was back up. ‘Yeah? And what do you know about me, Dom, other than the few things I’ve shared with you, which are pretty useless facts, by the way. I never hinted at an adventurous anything, so you must have made assumptions all on your own.’
&nbs
p; ‘I’m not making assumptions.’ His hands shook with anger. ‘I see an extraordinary girl who wants to do more than clean up for a bunch of robotic supervisors. I see someone who, given half the chance, would flip this place off and do something worthwhile with her life.’
Anya frowned. ‘That’s where you’re wrong, Dom. I’m not any of those things you say. I just wish everyone would leave me the hell alone.’
Anya stared down at her lunch. Her lips, thin and white, were pressed together.
Dom wanted to yell at her. Break something. The table, maybe. Jesus. Why did this girl irritate him so much?
So why the hell wasn’t he walking away?
Ω
Dom prepared for a quiet afternoon, but Sheila put paid to that idea when she nabbed him at the cleaning vestibule. She looked angry.
‘Hey, pretty boy, what’s the deal with you and the short chick?’
‘Her name’s Anya.’
Sheila slid her gaze over to where Anya mopped her section. She had retreated into that shell of hers. God, he really wanted to make her angry, to make her feel something.
Sheila folded her arms. ‘She doesn’t look like your usual type.’
‘What’s my usual type?’
Sheila shrugged. ‘Tall, curvy, long hair. Like Mia. Like me. Not short-haired Kaylie. She was too quiet for you.’ She glanced over again. ‘That one looks like she has a rod up her butt.’
‘She’s fine, Sheila. You don’t know her.’
Her hazel gaze pinned him to the wall. ‘I don’t like how you lose focus around her. She’s getting under your skin. Be careful or you might let something slip about our extracurricular activities.’
‘I won’t, Sheila. I promise. Besides, we haven’t discussed anything deeper than where we came from and what’s going on here.’
‘Exactly!’ said Sheila. ‘All that talk, all that ease between you, is going to get you into trouble.’
‘I can handle it. Put a little faith in me.’
‘Okay. Because it’s you. But I’m keeping an eye on you. If this gets out of hand, I’m telling Max and Charlie.’
Dom cupped her neck with his hand. He noticed the other girls turn and cast a critical eye over Sheila.