Incandescent

Chapter 5

It's a week before they choose who stays and who goes. I am nervous just thinking about it. Education ended a week ago and all I've been doing is tending to my plants to keep my mind busy.

Ginger visits often. She felt badly about the event that happened with the Official but I told her not to worry. I'm trying to forget it myself.

I go to the marketplace with Mother every few weeks to try to trade things. Today will be another trading day.

"Do you have the lettuce and radishes?" Mother asks over her shoulder as she washes the tomatoes.

I look over to the basket sitting by the door. "Yes, Mother." I reply.

The walk is short to the market and it seems very lively today. Mother keeps shooting me worried looks because she says my eyes are too bright and that something is wrong. I don't want to even push for information as to what she means. She made me wear a cloak type hood today and it's very itchy.

Mother strikes up conversation with some of the other women from our Region so I wander off to see if I can find some things to trade on my own.

We hardly purchase things from one another here. We try to steer our focus away from monetary values because it leads to selfishness and even more poverty. Sharing and trading is a much more peaceful tactic. There are certain things, like my passion fruit, that are so valuable, they cannot be traded for anything we have but money so in those cases, they are bought.

"Tea!" A familiar voice shouts gleefully behind me.

Turning around, I see Lime. His purple eyes light up with excitement when he meets mine. He waves and hurriedly walks over to me.

Lime is my age, a very shy and sweet boy. I love his company and I consider him a very close friend but I don't see him often because he left Education on Special Circumstance Assignment after his father passed away and his mother became bedridden with grief. He now works in the fields and harvests pineapples.

"Hello Lime, what are you doing in the market today?" I ask.

"Ah, trading a few pineapples here and there." He holds up a basket. "I got a wonderful eggplant and a few oranges too."

I giggle. "You always trade for far less than you receive."

He smiles and shrugs. I know he enjoys just giving his crops more than he enjoys receiving in return.

"I actually have been working on something for you. It's a little silly but I thought you'd enjoy it." He says as he rummages in the basket. Out he pulls a very small, cute mini pineapple.

I squeal with delight and scoop it out of his hands. I can't help but laugh at the tiny pineapple but I hold it up to his face for scale. "The size is ridiculous! How did you...?" I begin to ask.

He chuckles. "I had a bit of help but you can grow anything in smaller size with a bit of size control and nurturing. If you don't give it enough space to grow bigger..."

I nod. We get quiet for awhile.

"Thank you, for the gift." I say hurriedly. I don't know where my manners have gone.

He smiles and then puts his hand on my shoulder. I step back and give him a shy smile. He's not supposed to touch me. An Official would punish us both.

It is improper for a man to have any physical contact with a woman unless related by blood or marriage.

He frowns. "Year Seventeen is coming up soon."

I roll my eyes exasperated. "Is that all anyone can talk to me about?"

He blushes. "I'm sorry, Tea, I was just making conversation. I apologize if I've made you angry in any way."

Shaking my head I touch his shoulder, even if I shouldn't. To show him I mean nothing by my frustration. "No, I'm sorry.."

He smiles and then frowns and looks behind me.

"I suppose there's a reason for this physical contact?" I hear the gruff voice of one of the older men of Region Purple, Cardamom.

I turn around and he is very unhappy.

Turning my eyes to the floor, my voice quavering, "I apologize, it was unintentional."

He snorts. "I doubt it. Be very careful, you've already made a reputation for yourself for being a careless girl."

My eyes shoot up to meet his. "You're mistaken! I've always made sure I'm well behaved!"

He laughs. "I'm not sure who you'd convince."

My mouth drops open and I look to Lime for him to defend me. Lime bites his lip but says nothing.

I glare at him and then storm off before he can say another word. Who does he think he is, accusing me like that?! And Lime just stood there!

I stare angrily at my shoes as I weave through the crowd to get back to Mother. The more I think of what happened the more angry I become.

I bump into someone hard. Stumbling a bit I fall to the floor.

"Hey!" I say as I pick myself up and dust myself off. The figure is wearing a cloak hood almost like mine but theirs is in much better condition. They are already starting to walk away. "Watch where you walk!" I exclaim.

Before I can stop myself, I pull the hood to expose their face. Blue eyes stare back at me, startled, then irritated.

I gasp and take a few steps back. He grabs my wrist and hisses "What's your problem? Who are you? I want your name immediately."

My knees start to shake. Something inside me tells me I need to show respect to this Blue and answer his questions exactly as he asks but then something else inside me is still so angry and I just yank my wrist loose.

"YOU bumped into me. So what's your problem?" I shove him slightly.

I know this is basically a death wish. He could have me killed immediately for this disrespect.

He seems surprised. His disgusting unnatural blue eyes turn from angry to amused. He smiles a bit and then turns around and leaves.

Blues are definitely vain and entitled. As I walk home with Mother, I start to get a very nervous feeling in my stomach. Thinking about the situation over and over, I'm afraid the Blue will come back and report me. But I do not mention any of this to Mother. She would be so angry and tell Father.