Everett: Revised edition

Chapter 11

The next day went as planned as well as the days after that. Julian continued to be the one to come to pick me up. Not an average soldier, not one of the leaders, not the girl, but Julian. Perhaps he was some sort of leader, but he didn't seem like it. He seemed more like a supervisor that reported to his boss when needed. He was one of many to keep the camp under control.

Julian, along with a guard, took me to breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Another guard would take Joss to and from the living quarters. There were many people there to ensure the Shadow Council was a success. The Council spread wider and deeper than I could have comprehended before. But despite the fairly large amount of people, there were a few in the crowd that were still missing.

One of them being the girl. I hadn't seen the girl since I had arrived. I only saw Julian and the assortment of guards that Julian brought with him to move me from place to place.

[It took a moment for Julian to warm up to me. It was understandable, but I couldn't help but be in a bad mood with someone my age, a peer, [hovering over me like a Head Admin]. It took longer than I would have liked, but since we only talked during meals, information only began to come out of me in short snippets.

One day, however, Julian came without a guard, and we walked together to the "inmates'" cafeteria. We sat down together at a round table. A tray of food was placed in front of me. Only a few bites in Julian said, "The information you've given has been useful. Our Superior thinks you'll be good enough for the insurgent branch of the Shadow Council. We can move you to another hall."

Good! Even though I was becoming comfortable with my living arrangements, the days were threading in and out seamlessly making the days monotonous.

"But first, the Commander would like to speak with you," Julian continued.

Julian walked over to the cafeteria's exterior door and went outside. The guard remained where he stood, off to the side, one on either side of the cafeteria's door. The door opened again, and the white light of day blared through the rectangle door frame. A black shadow of a man walked in. He walked over to me with his arms unfolding to the sides. I put my hand to my eyes, trying to see the Commander. It was to no avail. The brightness cast a shadow across the man's face. So, I looked away.

As I tried to blink away the dots burned into my vision, the Commander addressed me, "Everett, the information you gave was good, but too little too late. I think we can work with you, though. You seem like a good kid." The tone and voice gave me pause. It contained a familiar sternness. And then the words that the commander had said sunk in. Too little, too late. The door was closed, and Julian was gone. I looked up again after hearing the door click shut. In Julian's place stood Greg. I couldn't believe what I was seeing! His face looked more refreshed and brighter than I had ever seen it. It looked more jubilant than it did even leading up to graduation. I was frozen in my seat trying to process what I was seeing. At that moment, Greg rushed in for a large hug. Although uncharacteristic of him, it was good to see a familiar face.

"Have you gotten soft, Greg? You only put your hands on me at the SchoolYard if you were pounding on me," I said with a weak smile. Greg could snap out of it and become the boy that he was at school: Rough, uncaring, and quite frankly mean.

"So, these people know everything about the SchoolYard already?" I asked.

"Not all these people, not the soldiers, but people on my level and many of the [elder] leaders. I've already told them most of the stuff that you told Julian." I was about to cut in and ask where this left me, where this left the Shadow Council, where this left the rebellion. Greg must have assumed at least partially what I was thinking and continued, "It's okay. You can stay, and we'll find a use for you." Greg took a sip of my water. "Burning down the Wing; that's new. You couldn't have been involved."