CHAPTER 32: CHAOS
16 years old
The next morning, Summer and her friends make their way between the buildings to the courtyard. Outside the cafeteria and kitchen is chaos, a crowd pushing and shoving to get inside. Some people are walking away with bruised eyes and bloodied lips.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Landon asks a kid who ambles by with a cut above his eye.
“They ran out of food this morning, and it’s first come first serve,” he explains and keeps walking, limping slightly.
“Bloody hell,” says Rob in exasperation. “You’ve got to be kiddin’ me! I am not fighting my way through a peckish crowd of rich kids for some manky cafeteria meal.”
“It’s getting worse,” says Landon faintly.
Rob, ignoring Landon, continues his rant. “What happens when people start starving? Are we going to have to battle through these impulsive gits with their buffoon, shite-throwing attitudes!?” His eyes go wide in irritation, and his hand runs through his wild hair, only making it stand on end. “Some of these people couldn’t figure out how to pour piss out of a mangy boot with the directions on the bottom! And now I’m stuck with them. Damn, I need a cigarette.”
“You need something,” jokes Jaden, chuckling.
“Maybe we should line up for lunch when things die down?” suggests Lucy. “If this is how it’s going to be for breakfast, maybe we should beat the crowd—not literally, of course.”
Avery heaves a sigh while staring into the distance. “It’s not like we have anything better to do.”
“I heard they’re going to start making us work,” says Landon.
“Doing what?” asks Jaden.
“No idea.”
An alarm blares, and guards filter through the crowd. On the steps of the Leaguer building, the one Summer woke up in yesterday, a Leaguer stands with a malicious smile on his scarred face. He’s obviously enjoying the angry mass of people, but after a few seconds of absorbing the scene, he begins to talk, and it’s as if he’s on a loud speaker.
“Outlanders!” he says calmly while his light brown hair ebbs and flows in the warm breeze. The crowd quiets and turns to the man. “We apologize for the lack of food this morning. Starting tomorrow we will be doing a roll call in the morning, and teachers will be escorted in for classes.” There are groans throughout the crowd and a few choice curse words. “Yes, you heard me right. Each and every one of you will be required to get an education. No exceptions!”
Several people boo.
“Tomorrow,” the Leaguer interrupts, “everyone will meet in the courtyard at six in the morning where you’ll be assigned a schedule that you’ll be expected to follow. Those who don’t comply will lose the privilege of eating on the Federation’s dime. That is all.” He turns and strides into the Leaguer building, two other Leaguers taking up positions on either side of the door as they shut.
“Shall we line up anyway?” asks Lucy uncertainly.
Landon turns to Summer, his face a mask of confusion. “Yeah,” he says absently. “There’s something going on, but I can’t put my finger on it.”
“You’re telling me, mate!” exclaims Rob. “We have to go to school to eat? A job, sure, but school?”
“What do you mean?” asks Jaden curiously.
“We’re obviously prisoners here,” explains Landon, his hand waving out, gesturing to the fence with its warning signs. “Why would they want us to be educated? Why don’t they put us to work instead? Make us useful to them?”
“Maybe that’s why they’re ‘educating’ us,” offers Lucy. “Maybe they want to A, brainwash us somehow, or B, teach us how to do the work they need us to so we can be useful. Let’s face it—technology has changed a lot in two hundred years. What’s simple to them might be incredibly complicated to us.”
“Brainwash us?” Jaden giggles.
“What?” Lucy looks offended. “We are Americans—”
“I’m not,” says Rob proudly.
“Except Rob,” says Lucy with an eye roll.
“Neither are me and Summer,” adds Landon.
“Fine!” snaps Lucy. “Jaden, Avery, and I are Americans. That isn’t the point—the point is that we are foreigners here. These people took over the U.S. and now their country is crawling with the U.S.’s ancestors! That has to be threatening to them, and I’m sure there are several people who aren’t taking the change well. It would be in the Federation’s best interest to educate the young Outlanders of their ways and convince the older ones of their cause.”
Summer silently agrees with a bob of her head, but she suspects there’s something else behind the classes too. And, stupidly, she can’t help but hope for the mythical creatures of her favorite novels to come to life. She’ll be going to school—an actual school! The possibilities are endless.
“This should be interesting,” says Jaden. “And yes, I do think we should line up for lunch. I’m already hungry.”
They aren’t the only ones who have this idea. Many people are already settled in front of the cafeteria doors, chatting and goofing off in clustered groups. Sitting on a piece of cracked concrete, Summer listens to her new friends while constantly on the lookout for the people she was warned about last night. Not far away she sees Preston and the blonde girl named Kayla. Preston’s face is purple and swollen—he looks ten times worse than Rob. At the table with them are a few people she recognizes from seeing yesterday. Their heads are all close together as they talk, Preston’s eyes constantly glancing in her direction.
It’s sweltering hot outside as the sun beats down on them in the cloudless sky, but that isn’t why a bead of sweat rolls down her spine. Her heart picks up beats with each of Preston’s flickering glances. Something’s up, but she isn’t sure what. She interrupts Avery’s play-by-play of how he won first place in the swimmer’s regional meet by tugging on Landon’s grey T-shirt.
“Ducky?” His forehead is moist with sweat, and his cheeks are pink from the sun. “What is it?”
She covertly points to the group at the table. Lucy and Avery, the ones with their backs to the group, quickly twist around.
“Turn around!” whispers Rob frantically. “Blimey! Could you be any more obvious?” He mumbles a few insults under his breath while shaking his head.
“We might have trouble,” says Jaden in exasperation. “Can’t we just have a normal day here without any trouble?”
“What’s the fun in that?” says Rob with a smile, throwing an arm around her shoulder. Jaden beams up at him, and Summer wonders if Rob knows the look in Jaden’s eyes is more than friendship.
“They’re comin’ over,” says Landon without moving his lips.
“Great,” says Rob sarcastically. “I’d really prefer not to bruise up my other hand beating this prat’s arse again.”
Kayla’s the first to approach; she reminds Summer of one of the models she’s seen in the magazines Cameron brought her, but with no makeup. “Well, well,” says Kayla, her blue eyes glaring at Summer with vehemence. “You’re the new girl, aren’t you?”
Summer nods once, and Landon gently places a hand on her knee, instantly comforting her.
“So what’s the story on you and that delicious Leaguer—Appleton?” asks Kayla, her blue eyes almost turning jade with jealousy. Even if Summer did talk, she wouldn’t know how to answer her question. When she says nothing, Kayla becomes impatient. “What? Hanging with the Leaguers and now you’re too good to answer my questions?”
“She doesn’t talk,” explains Landon while glaring at Kayla, his brown eyes narrowing into slits. “To anyone.”
“If I ask her a question she should have the courtesy to answer!” exclaims Kayla, turning to her friends for support. “Right?”
They all agree with her, some mumbling, some being overly enthusiastic. Kayla glances back down at Summer, obviously waiting.
Jaden comes to Summer’s rescue by answering for her. “That Leaguer was the one who found us and saved her from dying. He made sure she arrived
safely to a hospital where he checked on her well-being during her recovery. What’s it to you anyway?”
“Wait—is she the girl everyone was talking about? The one who was attacked outside the hospital three days ago?” Kayla holds up her hand to stop Jaden from answering. “And I want her to answer me,” she says, her eyes roaming over Summer as if looking for a reason for her silence—or a reason why Gage would be interested in her. Even Summer didn’t have an answer for that one. “And your hospital stay still doesn’t explain the hand-holding I saw going on between you two.” Kayla’s voice grows demanding. “I want an explanation, and I want it now.”
Summer’s heart gives a tiny jolt at the memory of her hand in Gage’s and his lips lightly caressing hers. Her first kiss. . . .
“Well?” Kayla presses. Though her voice holds contempt, Summer doesn’t find her threatening now that she’s up close. Maybe she’s braver since the Blake incident.
“She hasn’t spoken in twelve years—do you really think she’s going to start now to answer your intrusive questions?” snaps Jaden, turning angry. “Anything between her and Appleton is none of your business. Go take your posse somewhere else.” Jaden flicks her fingers in Kayla’s direction, gesturing her to move along.
Kayla’s blue eyes narrow. “Leave me,” she says to her friends. “I’ll handle this.” One of them opens her mouth to argue but Kayla juts her finger out, pointing away. When they’re out of earshot, Kayla leans over Avery and Lucy’s heads. “You listen here . . .” She pauses, realizing she doesn’t know Summer’s name.
Lucy’s lips clamp together as she holds in a giggle. It’s hard to seem menacing when you don’t even know the name of the person you’re being demanding of. Jaden doesn’t even hide her grin as Kayla waits for someone to fill in the blank for her, but instead everyone just watches her grow more frustrated.
Kayla growls out an aggravated huff. “What’s your name?” Then she decides to ask Jaden instead. “What’s her name?”
“Summer,” says Jaden with a smirk.
“Okay then. You listen here, Summer, Appleton is mine!” Kayla points at Summer, jabbing her finger forcefully at her. “I’ve made a claim on him, so stay away from him. You got that?” Kayla places a hand on her hip.
“What about Carter?” asks Jaden, giggling.
“He’s a coke head who’s not important.” Kayla’s eyes snap back to Summer. “You can nod your damn head, can’t you? Appleton’s mine. Okay?”
Summer’s not sure what to make of her demand, but this time Rob comes to her rescue. “Oh shut it, you harpy! Do you even know what his first name is?”
Kayla straightens, dusting off her clothes maddeningly. “Of course I do!”
“Oh yeah, and what is it?” says Rob with a smirk.
“Like I would tell you,” says Kayla exasperatedly. “Just . . . stay away!” She twists around, flips her blonde hair over her shoulder, and saunters away.