Orpheus

Chapter One

Laurence tightened his grip on the book bag in his lap as the hover train shook and flew over the magnetic tracks like a jet fighter.

All the people around him were workers or other students like him. They were either on their phones or too busy hating on the morning. The train was always quiet in the morning and he loved it, as it helped him focus his head on the hard day ahead.

The interior was sleek and clean, no trash or litter could be seen anywhere. Blue and grey dominated his vision. He turned in his seat and looked out the window, focusing on his reflection as they went through a tunnel. His hair was dirty blond and always a complete and total mess. Laurence could never seem to keep it down or in place. Though he was only seventeen, Laurence looked much older than his peers, cheekbones sharp and defined with a chiseled jaw line.

He avoided looking at his own eyes and was happy when the train left the tunnel and the scenery blocked him from seeing himself anymore. Unfortunately, the train was moving too fast and all he saw was a blurred mess of grey, blue which were the highrise buildings that reached up to the hovertrain tracks and an overpowering orange which he knew to be the morning sun. The two darker colors were sparse as the train was elevated well above most buildings and only skyscrapers were visible in the morning sky. Sighing deeply, he turned back, catching the eye of a man who was openly scowling at him.

He held his gaze until finally the man grunted and turned back to his phone. Laurence rolled his eyes and looked down at himself, fixing a button on his school uniform. For the life of him he couldn't understand why his school even had it. No other school in the entire city had this stupid rule.

Well, at least the school colors looked good on him.

He wore a blue cardigan with a white button up underneath. His mother had insisted on him wearing the collar of the shirt over the neck of the cardigan like some pretentious twat. Fortunately, the school gave the option of wearing jeans and he took full advantage of it. Not like he wore anything else to cover up his no no parts and briefs. Jeans were Gods' greatest creations. That and leggings.

A sound similar to that of a plane engine winding down hummed slightly below his feet as the train slowed. His grip tightened on the straps of his bag as he felt his insides readjust. The sound heightened in pitch as the train slowly lowered itself, onto the magnets beneath the train locking in place with the tracks. Standing from his seat, he slung his bag over his shoulder. The doors opened with a hiss and everyone rushed out, eager to get the day over with. People bumped and shoved past him as he attempted to make his way out but was pushed back.

"Come on people, jeez..." He muttered under his breath. Finally he resigned himself to letting everyone go in front of him, too tired to fight to get through like he normally would. When the last person left the train, he repositioned his bag strap on his shoulder and stepped out into the terminal. Like the train interior, the terminal was a mix of blue, gray and silver which were the colors of the United Conglomerate, formerly known as the United States of America. Bright lights shone down on them from above, giving the impression of mini suns. The terminal for each train was small, connected to the doors of the train on departure and arrival. Whenever someone left or came through, they had to scan their ID on a screen in the counter and press a button with the name of their destination.

Laurence supposed it was a good way to keep track of citizens in case of emergency. Many people had a problem with it, saying it was a violation of their privacy. He couldn't care less. The line at the terminal was non-existent as everyone had rushed to input their information. When he stepped up to the screen he nodded to the female employee behind the counter who glowered at him. Today was obviously gonna be a good day, he thought sarcastically as he reached in his pocket and pulled out his ID. The screen was blue with a small rectangle in the center of it. He glanced at the picture on the ID and shuddered in disgust. That day had not been good for him.