What's Out There?

Chapter 27

Sarah's POV

The next morning I woke up with the laptop on my lap. It was 9:48am, according to my laptop.
I crutch-walk to the bathroom and look in the mirror. My eyes are barely puffy from last night.
I quickly get dressed into the same gray shirt as always and different pants that are bigger in order to fit over my cast.
I walk out, and there is a note and a backpack on my bed.
The note read "Sarah, we had morning workouts before training today. The backpack is for your laptop. See you later, Taylor."
Great. I think.
I shove the laptop into the backpack and slide the backpack onto my back.
I put on one boot because of the cast. I start crutch-walking to the cafeteria for breakfast.
Luckily there were other people in the cafeteria.
This one guy who I had seen around the campus offered, "Do you want me to carry your tray?"
"Sure, thanks by the way,"  I replied.
"No problem. Your name is Sasha right?" He asks.
"Yeah," I say, "What's your name?"
"Oh I'm Noah," he says.
"Cool," I say.
We got my food in silence. I followed him to an empty table which he sat down at with me. I slide my backpack off and put it on the seat next to me. Noah took my crutches and set them leaning next to his chair as he sat down.
"So, uh... weren't you the girl who got her foot broken by Commander?" Noah asked.
"Yes," I say harshly. Then I realized, "that's the only reason your helping. Isn't it? Just to find out if I was 'the' girl."
"No, I had just heard about it and was wondering. I'm just trying to be nice," he responded.
"Oh," I said.

I picked at the food for five minutes. I barely made a dent in the plateful of food.
"Can you go throw this away?" I ask, pushing the plate towards him.
Noah nods as he gets up and throws it away.
Strangely he comes sit back down by me.
His chestnut hair falling over his honey-colored face.
"I should get going," I say as I slide the backpack on.
"Oh okay," he responds.
Noah hands me my crutches, looking me in the eye with his emerald eyes. He says, "See you around."
"Yeah, see ya," I say as I crutch-walk into the computer lab.

When I enter, Jackson immediately stands up and asks, "Are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine," I say.
"Need any help with anything?" He asks.
"Nope," I reply, "I'm fine."
"Okay," he smiles and sits back down.
I crutch-walk to the back of the room where my spot was. I sit down, prop up my crutches, and get my laptop out of my backpack.
I open the laptop and boot it up.
Once it's on, I go on to the Internet and type in ️email.
I make sure no one is around before I start typing an email meant to go home.
I am almost halfway through typing when I see someone walking towards me.
I quickly close out the email website and open up the surveillance footage.
I stare blankly at the screen as the guy above me clears his throat.
"Hello," I say looking up at his face. It was Noah.
"Commander wants to see you," he says.
"Why?" I ask.
"All he said was just that he wanted to see you," Noah answered.
"Okay, lead the way," I say. I close my laptop and grab my crutches.
Noah starts walking in front of me, and I follow.

We get to the front area and all I want to do is run through those doors. I know I can't do it, at least not while I have my cast.
I quickly catch up with him as he turns down the left hall.
Shortly he stops. Right in front of Luke's room.
"Here goes," Noah says as he knocks on the door.
It swings open, and Luke comes out.
"Thanks Noah," he says.
"No problem," Noah responds.
Noah walks off back to the front. Part of me wanted him to stay. But it's too late for that.
"Come on in," Luke says.
I walk in and sit down on the edge of his bed. I set my crutches down next to me.
His room is much bigger than I thought it would be. His full-sized bed is tucked away in a corner. On the wall opposite to it there is a large television resting on a little entertainment center. Next to that was a shut door which probably lead to the bathroom. There was a desk just to the left of his bed.
"So why did you want to talk to me?" I ask.
He scoffed, "As if you don't know."
"Really I don't," I said awfully confused.
"You think I wouldn't find out about your little message home," Luke said.
"What are you talking about?" I lie.
"You know that nice little whole-hearted message to back home. The one that told them all about where you were and that I was the enemy," Luke said.
"You are. You shot me, kidnapped me, and broke my foot," I say; my voice is quiet but stern, "But most of all you betrayed me. Why are you doing this?"
"Oh Sarah, you think this is all about you," Luke snaps, "well it's not. This goes way back to our grandparents. They started the war. All because of a simple argument between your grandparents and mine. I'm just fulfilling my father and his father's beliefs."
"You can't be serious?"
"Oh but I am. You shouldn't be mad at me. If anything you should be mad at your father," he said.
"Why my dad?" I asked.
Luke actually was going to explain when I interrupted, "When all he has done is care for me and make me feel safe."
"At least I didn't kill Patricia," Luke snapped.
"What?" I said taken aback.
"At least I didn't kill Patricia," Luke said slowly.
"Then who did?" I begged.
"You don't know?" He asked.
"No, I started to think it might have been you," I stated.
"Your dad killed her," Luke snapped.
"Why?" I gulped.
"I don't know," Luke returned.
I wasn't going to cry. Not in front of Luke.
I grab my crutches and head for the door. I open the door and start to walk out.
He let me leave.
Once I get almost to the front of this wretched place, I hear the door slam behind me.

I make my way back down the hall in a blur. Instead of going back to the computer lab, I go to my room.
Taylor was sitting at the small desk and reading some book. She turns towards me.
"Hey," she says, studying my face. "What's wrong?"
Some of the tears I was holding back must have fell down.
I finally stopped holding them back, and they all fell down my cheeks.
I made my way and collapsed onto my bed.
Taylor quickly makes her way to the bed and hugs me as I sob into her shoulder.

I start drift off into sleep. Taylor sets me down on my bed, covers me up, and climbs up into her own bed.
I finally fall into complete sleep.