SILVER EYES (GXG)

Chapter 5: The City (Part 1/2)

What the hell I'm going to wear? I thought to myself when I saw Mark and Laura all dressed up in regular clothes for our trip to the city. I didn't have anything like that. I crossed with what I had on and that outfit, if you could even call it that (Spoiler: No), had been thrown away, thanks God.

Luckily, Laura caught my worried gaze as she tightened her boots on her bunk bed.

"Hey, check my closet and pick whatever you want. You can't go to the city in your Narval uniform if you're off duty." She said.

"Oh... thanks."

"Not a problem."

It felt so strange to actually have a choice. I had no idea what to pick. On the Other Side, that wasn't even something we could dream of. Some days, we used to do what we called a "clothes treasure hunt." It was a silly name our parents came up with for those days when we went scavenging for free clothes, usually from abandoned malls or collapsed buildings. Our mother was always adamant about taking whatever was already there for us.

After going through Laura's clothes, which didn't offer much variety, I settled on a yellow hoodie and short black jeans. Nothing fancy, but then again... what did I know about being fancy anyway?

We gathered at the entrance of Narval House, where Kate was checking us off the list. Everyone looked happy, but also strangely normal. There was this odd feeling of vulnerability in the air now that we were dressed like regular people. We felt almost embarrassed.

Well, at least some of us did. Mark, in her bright orange sweater and green pants, was bouncing around, commenting on everyone's outfits like he was judging a fashion show.

"Who's gonna tell him nobody asked for his opinion?" Laura whispered to me as we watched Mark messing with Lea about her clothes.

"I'm not looking for trouble." I replied.

Mark caught us staring and came right over. "OMG, Grace, who even are you? The 'riding yellow hood'?" he teased. "You two are coming with me. We're buying clothes. Real clothes." He emphasized the word, giving me a once-over like I desperately needed a makeover.

When Kate finished with the list, she paused and looked at all of us. "Oh my god, you guys look so young now. How old are you, ten?" She laughed at her own joke, but we all just stared at her in silence.

Then she checked her Reg Bracelet and continued. "Alright, notes for the newcomers. We'll use the transit capsules and stop at Foundation Square. Please, don't get lost."

"Transit capsules?" I asked aloud, having never heard of that before. The term "capsules" gave me claustrophobic vibes, and I wasn't very fond of small spaces.

"Yes. It's how we get around here; they connect the whole Reg Society."

Mark wrapped his arm around my neck and leaned in closer. "Yeah, they're fine, I guess... a bit too fast, but don't worry, Grace. New people only throw up once or twice."

"What?!" I said, alarmed.

"Mark, can you stop being a jerk for one minute?" Laura said, nudging his arm. "Don't worry, Grace. You'll be fine."

Mark chuckled. "Sure, but just don't sit next to me. I can't stand the smell." He winked at me and followed the others through the door.

"Come on, noobs, time to go!" Kate called out.

As we followed her, another group of officers crossed paths with us, heading in the opposite direction. They looked exhausted, which could only mean they'd just finished the night shift (a total pain in the ass if you ask me). I'd done it once when a colleague was sick and needed backup, and it was almost unbearable. They usually stuck you in really high lookout posts where it was freezing cold, with gusts of wind blasting in from the north. If you were a bit luckier, they'd put you underground in the tunnels that connected Reg Society with The Other Side, but the noise from the repeaters and air purifiers was insanely loud. After hours of that, it felt like your brain had been mashed into potatoes.