Recluse Island

Chapter 28

November 2013

Another review was upon them.

It was Taryn's second. So, he wasn't as nervous as he'd been for his first Review before which his friends had explained at length what to expect.

He supposed it had been long enough – three months – that he could call them that now. Even though he spent most of his time with Josiah since they worked together in Transportation and Millie and Nelson as one was hardly ever found without the other. Millie had unofficially assigned herself Taryn's go to person for all things regarding the Clinkirk Compound. He felt confident calling the remaining Compound Crew (as he dubbed them in his head including Edwin, Effie, Luella, Glenn, Olly and Andrea) his friends. He just knew more about some than others. Take Millie for example. He had quickly learned that Millie had a deep fascination with two things.

The first thing shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone – it was him. She was always asking him questions and at the most random times. When standing in line for seconds of Mrs. Pam Dod's ginger snaps she asked him his middle name (Tiberius after his grandfather) when riding the Mulberry line, she asked if he had any birthmarks (no) and when shopping in the Smithy Shop, she asked what he preferred steak or lobster (lobster).

The second thing that fascinated her was Stormy Shore. She wanted to know everything! About the weather, what the buildings looked like, what you could buy in Jamestown Drugstore and the most popular dish at the Fifth Dumpling. For reference it's Chicken and Dumplings not that that's much of a shocker, Millie was quite disappointed when he told her. It was kind of exhausting, but Taryn felt it would be rude not to answer. And Nelson certainly enjoyed it, probably because then she left him alone and wasn't on his case about losing her lists or getting another ISU Ticket.

Bottom line, it was nice to have friends. He never had any in Stormy Shore. Close friends, that is. Not that he didn't miss people like Gustavo Landrosh, Pigscula Key's most famous author (who also happened to be good friends with his grandfather before he passed away) and Benedict Fairfield who he used to play soccer with.

In the Clinkirk Compound it was different though. It's like they were all part of a team, especially those who lived in the Sunshine House. Like not having parents made them responsible for each other. Ironically, he and Millie were quite similar as they both had few memories of their parents. Or in Millie's case none. She was always trying to pick his brain for memories or analyze his dreams. Recently he'd developed a new appreciation for what Nelson put up with, the bossy thing he could handle but her dreams were freaky!

Taryn had learned that it occurs on the twenty-eighth day of every month. On this day residents are not required to work. The Review takes place in Navarre Hall, residents are called by their identification number and notified over the loudspeaker when to report to the hall. At the Review residents are informed what their score for that month is. This is based on personal achievement and section success. The highest score one can obtain is twenty points which means they will receive an additional twenty seibolds for that month. Of course, points are docked for any ISU Tickets incurred, poor performance and decreased section productivity.

As luck would have it or not depending on how you looked at it, Taryn and Millie were both called at the same time to report to Navarre Hall. Despite the hall being big enough to fit all residents at once they were divided into four groups, this way residents could then spend the remainder of the day doing what they wanted. If they all met at once it would be an all-day process which could become quite arduous.

"Are you nervous?" asked Millie as they took their seats near the back of the hall.

Taryn shrugged. "This isn't my first Review."