The Choosing

Chapter 1

    My head is pounding as if someone was furiously shaking it, I open my eyes to the all too familiar setting. The slippery, old leather couch, sinks under my weight. A grimy windows allows dancing light to stream into the house. The old wooden floor creaks with each step, and is covered with at least an inch of dust. A cool breeze flows in through the open window, beautiful relief from the muggy day. The sweet smell of lavender fills the air; I breathe slowly and take in the smell, letting the breeze fight the temperature, but the heat is too much, and the breeze quickly fades and loses its battle. The scent of lavender is also slowly replaced by an earthy pang and the faint whisper of onions from last night's stew, making me wrinkle my nose in disgust. I close my eyes and relish the memory of last night's dream--of rain, cool, glorious, rain, streaming off my face and my hair and my arms, but it quickly fades away as the heaviness of the day, this day, takes its toll. Yawning, I get up off the couch, and walk over to the window pull back the curtains and scan the street.
    "Camy?" A voice asks. I turn away from the window, my brown hair a wavy mess. A wide smile spreads across my face at seeing the sweet familiar blue eyes peeking around the corner to the kitchen. I smile and sit on the floor, crisscrossing my legs.
    "Hello there.." I say with a grin, as the owner of the voice disappeared around the corner once more. "I didn't know you woke up this early?"
    I laughed lightly as my little six year old sister runs out from behind the corner giggling. She flops down in front of me, her blonde hair covering her face.
    "Don't be silly, Camy! I wouldn't miss the Choosing for anything!" She blinks her long eyelashes at me, her faded blue shirt wrinkled. I made an effort not to groan as she said the word. Choosing. I shake my head, clearing my thoughts as a small frown appears on her sweet face. I give her a forced grin, pulling her over to sit on my lap. I stroke her hair gently.
    "May?" I ask softly, glancing at the window once more as a ray of bright sunlight shines through the glass. May shifts in my lap as I start to braid a strand of her hair.
    "Hm?" she says in the middle of a yawn.
    I smile. "Will you help me get dressed for the-" I pause, "Choosing?" I feel her tense with excitement. Even though it's ten hours away.
    "Really?" She asks, delighted. I laugh, hauling her off my lap, getting to my feet. I wipe dirt from my sweats.
     "Really." I reply, glancing down at the rosey cheeked girl as she opens her mouth, about to squeal with excitement. 
    A voice sounds from the kitchen, followed by the sound of running water. "No one's doing nothing until my dirty dishes are cleaned, Camille!" A women in her late forties walks stiffly around the corner, a stained apron on, a towel draped over her arm and a flowy white dress that looks more of a gray color underneath her apron. Her blue eyes are just like mine and my sister's, except with a slight dullness of age to them. Her dark brown hair has lighter gray streaks is pulled up into a messy bun. May giggles, running to her.
    "Momma?" She wraps her arms around her legs. Mother glances down at her, throwing the towel back into the kitchen as she picks May up.     "What is it dear?" She smiles, kissing May's cheek. The girl shies away and giggles back, her blue eyes bright with excitement.
    "When's the Choosing?" She asks softly, playing with the straps of the apron. My mother dismisses the question, although her eyes have lost their own dullness at the mention of the Choosing. She seems energized with a new excitement. I also take note of a hint of worry she hadn't managed to hide from her voice.
     "We'll talk later honey; right now I need the dishes done." she gave me a look but smiled. I groan "Fine." I didn't want to think about the choosing now so I walked groggily towards the kitchen, my mother patting my head as I pass.
     "I'm taking May upstairs to change." she states and hurries away, up the small stairs with May in her arms, I mumble something in response.
    After finishing the dishes and grabbing a blueberry muffin to eat, I head upstairs, only to find May ready and adorable in a pink skirt and blouse. She holds up a light blue dress, and squeals with excitement as I slip them on.
    I sigh, and prepare myself for the long day ahead of me. I get snapped out of my thoughts from a knock at the door. Stumbling down the stairs I trip over my dress and heels, May right behind me. I swing open the door, my eyes widen and I hear May give another squeal of excitement. There, standing in the doorway was my life long friend, Thomas. His dirty blond hair was combed neatly and his green eyes with their same mischievous gleam in them.
    "Thomas?!" I exclaimed standing there in awe. Thomas grins,
    "Nice dress." He motions to my get up and I find myself blushing but laugh rolling my eyes.
    "Shut up!" I put my hands on my hips pretending to pose. May giggles and tugs on my dress "Oh doesn't Camy look beautiful!" she breathes. Thomas chuckles and smiles brightly at May.
     "She looks incredible! You must have been the one who chose her outfit!" He grinned down at May who looked about ready to burst with pride, "Momma! Momma!" she squealed and raced up stairs.
    I laugh and take in a breath stepping through the doorway I close the door behind me. Sitting down on the front porch steps I watch the busy street in silence as Thomas sits down besides me clearing his throat.
    "I just came to say bye and to wish you luck in the Choosing. We might not see each other again so I wanted to check on you guys." He followed my gaze and stared at the street. I suck in a breath letting my anger boil over.
    "All anyone's talking about is the stupid Choosing! We should be able to decide for ourselves what we want to become, what we want to be or do! None of this is right. Can't you see past the Councils smiling faces and look to what's actually going on!? Does it make sense to you that they order us into groups...castes based on how we survive outside Auradon? Does it make sense that sixteen year olds are ordered based on smarts?" She adds with a sneer. "It doesn't matter to me that I'm in the lowest caste! It doesn't freaking matter!" I wanted to scream and cry and pull out my hair, but I would surely get killed for acting this way so instead I did as best I could to put all my anger into the small whisper. Thomas let out a long sigh and looked at me, his green eyes calm.
    "Look, Camille. I had my choosing two years ago. I understand what you mean, I felt the same before it happened to me. Trust me when I say this, it is for the greater good. This is how the council keeps Auradon strong. The choosing helps weed out the weak and nurture the strong! It's what keeps Auradon alive and thriving! Just like how the force field protects us from rain. It changes us for the better." He looks absolutely sure of himself. I feel my heart skip a beat and shot up in fury, almost twisting my ankle in the process.
    "Listen to yourself! You're blind as a bat! Weeding out the weak? What if I'm one of the weak ones!? What if you get to watch me die? Oh, but no...no you wouldn't care! You would tell my devastated family 'It was for the greater good' wouldn't you!? Who do you think you are! You're right about one thing...It does change a person! Because it sure as hell changed you!" I was on the verge of tears—who was this stranger I thought I knew?! My hands twitched in anger, balling my dress into one of my fist, and my heels in the other. What happened to him? He knows i'm furious--I can see it in his eyebrows, furrowed on his forehead--but he doesn't say a word, his mouth sealed shut in a tight line.
He doesn't say a word as his phone gives a weak ping, the notice of an alert, and he is gone once again, leaving me on the bottom step of the porch.