The Soulmate Dilemma

Chapter 3- Sweet 16?

My 16th wasn't like any other birthday I'd had. Of course, no presents apart from the ones from my three closest friends: Pandora, Jade and Blair. My father had  clearly 'forgotten' again as per usual. He hadn't given me a present for four years running now (two years if you count the bowl he threw at me on my 12th birthday, but I don't think that was what he meant).

I felt sick to my stomach as I walked from my dull bedroom to the front door, of course looking from left to right down the hallway for any dangers. If I'd had the chance, I would have left the country as soon as that stupid announcement was aired, but there wasn't any choice. A lot of people tried to leave that night, but boarder control got in the way. The only reason I knew about it was because of the dozens of videos on YouTube. If I hadn't seen that then I wouldn't know how ruthless our government can be. They had control of the news since then.

          Was this really it? Was this the time when I give up my freedom to become one of them? One of those girls who stay inside all the time doing whatever their soulmate tells them? Of course, there was a small chance he could be nice, and I would enjoy spending time with him. But that's not what my old friend Faith experienced.

          She didn't last a week with that pathetic excuse for a man. It was too late by the time I got to her house after she sent me that text.

          With only shorts and a vest on and no central heating, I shivered down the corridor towards the door. But I was shocked when I got there.

          No letter.

          I couldn't tell whether I was relieved, shocked or both. As far as I knew you were meant to have a letter addressed to you sent in the post. But nothing. Had they forgotten it was my birthday today?

          For a second I considered that I could be secretly adopted, and my parents didn't tell me my real birthday. But then I remembered no fucking lazy my father is, and if I was adopted I would be back in the orphanage by now.

          I looked on YouTube to see if anything had happened that I wasn't away of, but nothing was on my feed apart from funny cat videos and YouTube rewind 2171. Nothing exciting.

          So why? What would lead for this to happen? Why am I the only girl in the country who hasn't got a soulmate?