Year 6 (First Draft) #Wattys2016

-Chapter 38-

   "He's pretty upset," Charlie says, taking a seat on the edge of my bed. He looks at me, most likely waiting to see my reaction. I keep my face clear of any emotions, and he continues. "Kane is his own type of stubborn Felisha, he doesn't give up, and he doesn't give in. That is similar to how you act when you are being stubborn, but he approaches it differently. He looks at things differently. Look at this from his perspective for a minute."

   Amelia begins to whimper, and I pick her up out of her crib and rock her gently in my arms. She calms down almost immediately, and I take a seat next to Charlie on the bed.

   "He just wants to make sure you stay safe Felisha. We all would be devastated if something were to happen to you," Charlie says, his voice timid.

   "That doesn't keep him from throwing himself out there. Or you," I say, "he lets you go on the missions too."

   "To him, that's different. You have to remember that Kane values his life, but not over any of ours. If one of us had to die, he'd take our place in a heartbeat. That's just how Kane is. This way, by keeping you out of harm's way, he really is doing you a favor," Charlie says, patting my knee. I swallow the lump in my throat, knowing Charlie's right. It doesn't make me feel much better, though. Kane has not even given me a chance. I at deserve at least that.

   "I know," I sigh. "But I want him to let me be involved. I don't like the fact that every time I try to prove myself, he shuts me down, telling me it's in my best interest. I deserve to be treated just like everyone else here. And I intend to make that happen."

   I knock on the large metal door, and my palms begin to sweat. Will he be mad, or will he approach my idea calmly, with an open mind? What if he is still upset from our conversation earlier? Will that affect his answer now?

   "Come in," Kane says, and the door slides open. I take a step in, surprised yet again by the Year Movement headquarters.

   His office is huge, and just like the rest of the place, filled with only the best and newest technology. Although, his office has a black and white theme, slightly different than the theme in my room. A large Hoverdesk dominates the middle of the room, and I expect to see Kane there. It turns out he is on the far side of the room, reading something on an LR-9. I take another step into the room, letting my gaze sweep over the rest of the room.

   "Hey," He says, glancing up from the screen, setting it down on a glass tabletop. "Feeling any better?"

   "If by better you mean more level-headed, then yes," I say, walking over to where Kane is sitting. He moves some papers off of the chair next to him, and I take a seat, rubbing my palms against my leggings. I've thought a lot about what I'm going to say, but it's still slightly jumbled in my head. No matter how many times I run over the words in my head, nothing seems meaningful.

   "I was just going over some things for the Year Movement, and I came across—" I cut Kane off, touching his shoulder, needing to say my bit before I lose my nerve. He sits back, curious to hear what I have to say.

   "I need to be involved," I say quickly, wanting to get it out before he has a chance to interrupt me.

   "Felisha, we discussed this," Kane sighs, resting his elbows against his knees. He runs his fingers through his hair absentmindedly, giving it a disheveled look. I swallow, forming an explanation.

   "I understand that. But I need to be involved. At this rate, you'll never let me be involved because you've never given me the chance to prove myself. Just let me go on one mission. If I mess anything up, then I'm out, and I'll just have to accept that," I say quietly.