CONFINEMENT

CHAPTER TWO

   Harrison squeezed through the crowd as best as he could, trying his hardest not to knock into anyone, or to get champaign spilled all over his crisp Academy Uniform. He scanned the room, searching for his fellow classmates, hoping he would soon find them before anyone thought he was a loner. He was tall, way taller than most actually, nearing in at 199cm, so it wasn't that hard looking over his peers. The tricky part was that they were all wearing their uniform, so they all just blended together, only being defined by their hair color, and he found it hard to differentiate when they kept mingling with one another. He found Lysander Peabody waving at him in the far end of the great hall. Harrison rolled his eyes at the sight, silently scolding his friend for acting like a bloody fool. And on such an important day? Either he was out of his mind or he knew he wasn't going to get picked. Harrison, being the way he had always been, hoped it was the latter. It would mean that there was less competition... not that he valued Lysander a worthy opponent, he had never had the same dedication nor the brain Harrison had always had. He was his friend though, so he slowly strode towards him anyway.

   "Hyde!" Lysander cheered when he walked up beside him. "You ready for this?"

   Harrison had always hated the way his friend spoke. He was always so loud and obnoxious, and Harrison had often wondered if Lysander would land himself a spot in the Slums – which was what they called the Zones here in the Center, if it wasn't for his father's wealth, which he had gained from being the leading neurosurgeon in the whole of Tetrea. But he was nice, like a little brother almost, always sharing his marvelous meals with him, when all Harrison himself could bring was stale bread with a little butter. Harrison could afford all the food he wanted, he just didn't have anyone to cook it for him.

   "Lysander, Hyde! You look stunning today." A high-pitched voice sounded to the left of him. It was Romilly Emmons, a skinny, light skinned girl with blue eyes and lush light brown hair. All of his friends called him by his middle name, mostly because it was what his grandfather had always called him. Harrison was like another person, someone he didn't want people to meet or know for the sake of his own privacy. It was stupid really, but he always felt like the people calling him Harrison knew his deepest thoughts and darkest secrets.

   "Why thank you Romilly, you look lovely yourself." He told her with a faked smile, forcing his body to snake his arm around her. Last year, when the Academy had brought them on the annual fieldtrip, he and a few of his classmates had gotten drunk and he had ended up having sex with Romilly. It was a mistake, really, but he didn't want people to know that. Didn't want people to think he was out of control. Now he could never seem to get rid of her, always trying her hardest to be where he was. She was beautiful and sweet, and their mishap had earned him a lot of acknowledgements from his male friends, but he didn't want her like everyone else always did, and he found her needy and attention seeking.

   "Are you ready for this, Hyde?" Romilly asked.

   "Of course I am." He answered sternly, glancing up at the podium where the Honors would be announced in mere minutes. His professors were all standing there, having a laugh and a glass of champagne.

   "I bet you were their first pick," Romilly batted her eyelashes. "With all of the work you've done throughout the years. Honestly, have you ever gotten below 95% on a test?"

   Harrison turned his head to look at her. He knew she was only trying to be nice and acknowledge his hard work, but it fell flat, and he found her sucking-up as annoying as the sound of her voice. He didn't tell her that though, instead choosing to act kindly and send her an innocent smile. "All I hope is that the people who deserve it the most get in, and that no one gets disappointed." It was a lie, and one glance at Lysander told him that everyone could tell. Everyone but Romilly of course, she was actually really smart but only on paper. The rest of the time she seemed so thick it was almost pitiful. Harrison didn't give a shit about any of his fellow classmates, maybe except for a few of his close friends. All he cared about was if he got in himself.