Abvergent

Chapter 15

I wake up and get dressed in a black shirt and black shorts that are laid out for me. Next to it is a gold hair pin. I do my hair in a low bun and using the clip I wrap a braid around it. In jail I had a lot of free time so I taught myself how to do hair. Not that I ever thought there would be an occasion for my hair to be done.

I walk outside my room and I see Petra. "Hi! Petra, what are you doing here?" I ask, "Keith and I were sent here to be your permanent personal makeup artist and stylist," she answers. She brings me to a room similar to the one that I was in before we left Seattle. I see Keith and he smiles. I sit on a vanity chair and he starts doing my eyeshadow. "So why am I getting my makeup done?" I ask.

"Well here the people think that important people should always be in 'fashion' and looking good," Keith says, "so every morning for the rest of your time here you will be styled and have your makeup done before you can go anywhere." He pulls out something that looks like a gold, thin paintbrush.

"What is that?" I ask, "Eyeliner," he answers. He instructs me to close my eyes and I feel the substance glide on my eyes and into what feels like a small wing. I open my eyes and he starts working on my face makeup. It takes half an hour before he finishes everything.

It's pretty simple. The only thing that stands out is the eyeliner and my illuminated cheeks. "There is so much makeup that I didn't know about," I say. Keith smiles and starts to explain what everything is and what it does. When he finishes I thank him and leave the room. I go to the dining room and everyone is there.

"Raven, glad you're finally here," General Cliff says. He directs me to the head of the table and we are all served coffee. Jared is next to me but doesn't say anything. On the other side of me is Weston, "The people here are so different than the people in Seattle," he whispers, "it's like all they care about is being pretty and partying." I shrug, "I guess that's just how it is here," I comment.

A man walks in and whispers something to General Cliff. His face becomes fear stricken. "Announce a code five," he tells the man and the man nods and walks out. "What's a code five?" My mom asks, "I don't want to alarm you but it's a kidnapping threat," he says.

"A kidnapping threat?" My dad asks, "who's trying to kidnap who?" General Cliff sighs, "People from Chicago are trying to find Raven," he says. My eyes widen and I freeze. Who in Chicago would try to find me? Jared takes my hand, "You'll be okay, no one here will let anything happen to you," he assures me.

"Your boyfriend is right," General Cliff says, "everyone here loves you, you're not going anywhere." I half smile and sigh, I look at Molly, who is on the other side of the table. We haven't been talking much, and I don't know why. We kind of just faded. She doesn't seem alarmed by the fact that people are trying to kidnap me.

She just sips her coffee and doesn't say anything. I ignore it, because what else can I do? "Is there anything we can do to hide Raven?" Johanna says. I give her a shocked look but her expression doesn't change. Jared looks at everyone but her. I take his hand, "Can you excuse us for a second?" I ask and get up and pull Jared with me.

"What?" He asks, "You can't shut out Johanna, she's your mom. And remember what you told me about shutting people out?" I say. "Raven, that's different, I said not to shut out new people that come into your life but Johanna betrayed my trust," he says. "Well you're going to have to talk to her eventually," I say and he sighs. We go back into the room and everyone is gone.

"Damnit," Jared and I say simultaneously.