In 2160 Kanatah, the grid you're born into determines everything, from your clothes to your haircut, education, and job. Avah's only way out is by becoming a doctor, but with her poor schooling, that's almost impossible.
Her life takes a turn for th...
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In a boob-shaped chandelier, two bulbs glowed over my head; their harsh light brushed the white walls, which were starting to look a little black near the ground as if they hadn't been cleaned in a few months or years. Avah's bed was small, so we had to press our bodies together to fit. Her knee brushed mine as we lay on our sides. She smiled, revealing her ivory teeth that seemed more natural than the startling white smile uppers always wore.
I held Avah's waist and tucked my head beneath her chin. She was my personal heater for the night, a warm pillow I could hug whenever I wanted. We were too tired from our respective trials to talk and quickly fell asleep.
By the time morning came, Avah slept on her back, and I had somehow crawled on top of her. Her warm chest cushioned my head; my shoulder ached from the awkward position, so I rolled off her and sat up while massaging it. Avah looked so innocent while she slept. Long, fluttering eyelashes. Small ears that sometimes jerked when she was surprised. Small pink lips that had felt so soft when she had kissed me. I pressed my thumb against her bottom lip and tugged it.
She grunted, and her eyes opened slowly. She looked at me, confused at first as if she wasn't sure how I had gotten here, then she remembered the night before, and her face reddened.
"Good morning," I told her.
Avah nodded and sat up, scratching her bare stomach. It was still firm after leaving the army; Avah pretended she didn't care, but she still looked after her body when she had time. Sometimes, Avah could be rash and dumb. But other times, she pulled back and became cautious. I touched her cheek. I shouldn't be here with her. I should be at home, preparing to get married to Alex, but my legs felt as heavy as lead, and a little voice in my head told me to stay and enjoy her company.
Avah stared at me; her lips parted as she exhaled, and captivated by her, I leaned in for a kiss. Her lips were as soft as I remembered, like a twin set of jelly sacks. When she breathed in, my tongue slipped into her mouth. It was my first time taking the initiative to kiss someone; I had never desired to know what it felt like till now. Tingles ran through my chest as I felt the grooves of her teeth before finding her tongue; saliva dripped down the side of my mouth.
Avah's hand slid beneath the shirt I had borrowed from her and grazed my skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in her wake. Her fingers slowly curled inwards, and I thought it would be a good time to part for breath, so I leaned away from her, breaking the kiss. Avah stared at me with wide-open eyes, then whispered, "Fuck."
"Was it bad?"
"No, no." Her hand covered her crotch. "I just, uh, need to use the bathroom." Her face turned red, and she crawled out of bed, put on her slippers, then went out into the hall without looking back at me.
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