Contaminated - on Hold

Daddy Issues

July 13, 3048

I stared down at my plate of gruel. There was no other way to describe the so called "food" in front of me. I poked at it with my fork, not feeling all that hungry. The evil twins, Naomi and Nora, sat across from me. Their older brother, Logan sat directly in front of me.

"Not hungry, Bree?" Naomi chirped. "As well, I guess. You don't look like you need it. In fact, you could skip a few meals, to be honest."

Nora laughed and nodded in agreement.

The twins always thought that if you dared to have some curves, you needed to lay off the small stale bread roll they gave you at dinner time. Which happened to be the only recognizable thing on my plate worth eating.

"I think Bree looks fine," Logan implied.

I felt him run his boot covered foot along my bare leg and gave it a swift kick. Logan thought he had some sort of claim on me, seeing as my dad, Liam, was the community's leader, and his and the twin's dad was Liam's right hand guard. The same guard that took my best friend, Coltrane, out of the viewing room and shut him outside to survive on his own on the surface.

"Don't the three of you have another table to sit at?" I looked pointedly around the commons.

"You happen to be sitting at the best table," sneered Nora. She drew her long blonde locks into a ponytail, securing it with a leather strap. Checking herself in the little compact mirror she had found a few years ago, she blew her reflection a kiss and handed it to her sister.

Naomi took the mirror from her and started playing with her own hair, slightly straighter than her twin's. "So, Bree, I hear your dad has this big announcement today." She gave a knowing look at Logan."

I looked at her questioning. I hadn't heard anything about an announcement. "What are you talking about?"

Nora leaned in. "You know, don't play dumb. You're eighteen. Naomi and I got our matches last month. Apparently, it's your turn."

I let out a sigh. As a rule, once a girl turned eighteen she would be matched with a "suitable" guy to keep the human race flourishing. The three of us looked at Logan. I could tell we were all thinking the same thing. Liam Hayes would choose Logan to be my match. I dreaded the thought. Logan wasn't a bad looking guy, quite the opposite actually, but I've seen the way he treats some people, and let's just say his sisters learned from the best. I wasn't interested in a guy like that, and having Naomi and Nora for in-laws would be disastrous.

I poked at my pile of gruel again and tore my bread roll into pieces. I watched Logan take a long sip from his cup from the corner of my eye. "I could always refuse," I muttered mostly to myself.

Logan paused his drinking and slammed his cup down, causing water to splash over the top's edge, puddling onto the scratched table. "You wouldn't be able to refuse," he demanded, glaring at me. "Refusing to be matched is punishable by exile."

I gave a slight shrug before returning my attention to my plate.

Logan's clenched fists came down on the table with a bang, making everything shake with his fury. He rose up, nose flaring and jaw drawn tight. I could feel his icy glare on me and heard the pounding of his boots on the concrete floor, then the vibration of a door slamming against metal.

I knew it wasn't wise to piss off Logan, but he had no claim on me. My dad probably wouldn't even announce Logan as my match. I refused to look up from the grey slop in front of me, not wanting to see the curious stares of everyone around me.

Nora sighed. "He's going to be in a mood all day, because of you." She whipped her hair over her shoulder and stood up, nudging Naomi.

Naomi complied. "I hope you know what you're doing," she said, shaking her head. "C'mon, Nora, let's find Sam and Trever."

I listened to their footsteps echoing down the tunnel. Against my better judgment, I threw my food away and headed down the tunnels to my father's office.

Bryce, Logan and the twins' dad, was of course standing right outside of the office door.

"Is he in?" I demanded more than asked, as I reached for the door knob.

Bryce brushed my hand aside. "He's in a meeting, Bree." His deep voice echoed off the walls. His tone said I was not going in anytime soon.

"With who?" I clipped.

He smirked down at me. "You made quite the fuss in the commons I hear."

I reached for the knob again, rage filling me to the core. The door opened before I could turn the knob and Logan's blonde covered head popped out.

"Come in, Bree." He left no room for argument as he grabbed my wrist and pulled in into the room.

I looked around the office. I hadn't been in there for eight years, but everything looked the same. Liam stood behind his large oak desk with his hands clasped behind his back, shoulders squared, and head held high. His greying hair was combed neatly, and his blue eyes that rivaled my own pierced through me.

"Sit," he commanded.

I did as told. I nervously ran my hands down my shorts, over my legs to my knees and back up. I let out a steady breath, if slightly shaky, and gazed up at him. Logan took to standing behind me, clutching the back of the chair, and leaning over me slightly until I could fell his breathing on my neck.

"What's this I'm hearing about you refusing to be matched?" He was trying to control his anger, but it was slipping through.

I hesitated to answer. "I wasn't refusing anything." I looked everywhere but at dad. "I just said I could refuse if I wanted."

"No," he stated. He pulled out his chair from the desk and sat down. "You wouldn't be able to." I went to reply, but he cut me off. "As my daughter, you have a responsibility to take the match that I give you. If the community's own leader's daughter won't take her match, how can we expect anyone else to? The human race would cease to exist. Now, as I'm sure you probably guessed already, I assigned Logan as your match." He caste a glance at Logan. "He'll be good for you, as he won't take any of the shit you give me. He'll make a good guard, and in time, our next leader."

I shuddered at the thought. This couldn't be happening. I was preparing myself to argue, but was stopped by Logan's firm hand pressing down on my shoulder.

"I'll be announcing it tonight before the fights."

The fight was a weekly event around here. Any problems someone had with somebody else, was resolved in the theater room, with fists. Sometime the ones being challenged wouldn't even know until they'd been called out while at the fight. I knew Logan was going to be in the fights tonight. He had a couple of people on his hit list this time. At least he didn't keep it secret, so they two guys were able to prepare themselves. I kind of feel bad for them, it wasn't their fault they were chosen for his sisters.

"You can't expect me to agree to this."

"I can, and I do," he replied simply. "Now, stop being a nuisance and go draw something." He waved me off. "Logan, you stay here, and call in your father, the three of us have much to discuss."

Logan nodded and followed me out the door. Bryce still stood there, like the loyal dog he is. Logan motioned for him to go into the office. I was going to head down the tunnel before Logan called out.

"There's no reason to be angry, you should have seen this coming."

I turned around to stare at him. "He has no right to tell me what to do." I paused. "And neither do you." I turned back around, intent on going to my chamber. "See you at the fights! Hope you lose."

A/N: Let's set a goal of 20 Votes and an update will shortly follow.