Project Moonlark: A Fanfiction

11. A CLUE

"You got a new jacket," Grady noticed as I stepped onto the front porch. "Looks like you've been drinking too, kiddo."

"What?" I pulled off Rob's jacket immediately. "No, no, it's my friend's jacket."

"Does she drink?"

"He," I corrected. "He drinks a lot. Like you." Grady could not be pretending that he hadn't been drinking all day long for the past week.

"And you like him?" Grady guessed, taking another sip of his wine. I walked into the house, sighing.

"Not really. I don't date." I wasn't ready for commitment, and kids, and everything that came with marriage and dating yet.

"Well, I'm just warning you that you can't just go off with anyone you like. In the Lost Cities, matchmakers match you with other powerful elves so that your children will have the best genes. Elves need to fill out match packets with a bunch of personal questions and submit them to the matchmakers. The matchmakers give you lists about a year later with a hundred different matches. You can request up to five of these lists, but you should pick one of the elves on those lists. If not, you and your partner will be known as a Bad Match—trust me, you do not want that to happen to you."

"When must I fill out the packets?" I asked. Couldn't I wait for a while? I wasn't ready for this yet—I barely knew any elves, and I wasn't dating yet.

"Traditionally, most elves receive their packets at fifteen. But you weren't even an elf then, so I guess the most I can say is, the sooner the better."

"So my classmates have all filled out their packets?" I confirmed. What if they'd already been matched up with someone? What if they'd received their lists already?

"Yup. But most elves wait until they're around eighteen before collecting their lists. Then they'd host this big party called a Winnowing Gala to get to know the elves on their list. Usually, they'd find their match on their first list. But those that don't need to wait another year to collect the next list, and so on."

"So how do I register?" I asked quickly. I wanted to get this over and done with—I didn't like thinking about this, and I was sure to have bad dreams about it if I didn't start soon.

"It takes a long time to fill in the packet," Grady told me. "I've collected yours already, but there are many questions on it."

"That's okay," I said. "I'll start now. I'm already behind."

"Most people take a year to fill out their packet, Kristen," Grady muttered. "Go to sleep. It's been a long day. And remember to give your friend his jacket."

I nodded, angry, sad, and confused at the same time. Walking into my bedroom, I shivered again. I looked out the window and imagined my parents' Tesla outside, waiting to pick me up. I saw a giant purple T-rex stomping around instead.

I regretted leaving Rob's jacket downstairs, and felt strangely lonely without it. I rushed down to grab it, hoping Grady wouldn't notice. He did, but he didn't say anything.

I hugged the orange jacket in my arms as I lay in bed, dreaming about matchmakers and cute boys.

When I woke up the next morning, I saw a note on top of my bed. I groggily opened my eyes and tried to focus on the words.

Kristen,

Congratulations on the win! I am so unbelievably happy for you—as well as my Elite prodigies of Everlore Academy. I believe you have the potential to change this disastrous school. I am not asking for much, so please bear with me. If you want to keep your friends and fellow classmates alive, follow my instructions. Do anything else and I will be reporting all of them at once and they will be expelled. Don't try me. I have a book with everything they've ever done wrong.