Numbered

Chapter 3: Emerald

I sat in my car playing with a loose curl that hung from my done up hair. My palms were red and sweaty like they always are when i'm nervous. My friends always made fun of my hands, they were purple and dry when they were cold and really red and sweaty when they were hot, it was disgusting. My mom held my un-occupied hand tightly like she was the one who was about to get numbered. She was more nervous than I was, it was sweet but annoying at the same time. The nerve levels of my brain right now was way too low, I could almost pass as a typical girl going to school. Is that weird...

As our car slowly approached the state house shivers ran down my spine. Shake it off it's okay it's just a stupid event with fancy dresses. I tried too convince my self of that but everyone knew it wasn't true, it was the most life changing event of my life, and I was pretending like it was my junior prom.

The click clack of heels echoed through the huge room that a herd of people had entered, gold painted wooden chairs were perfectly aligned into rows, it looked like there was about 300 chairs set up. Holy shit how many people were coming I thought to my self as i gazed around the room. Three big screens were set up right above a small stage, upon the stage was a single podium and a table with a huge contraption that puzzled me very much. It looked like it had tiny needles ejecting out of one end, no not needles, more like tiny ball point pens. Hmm weird. Before I could continue eyeing the room I felt a hand grasp hold of me. I jumped a little bit ad quickly turned around, " Come one Hun we must go too our seats the ceremony is about too begin!" My mother had a smile on her face but i could see the sadness and fear in her eyes, among it was a hint of guilt. I'm not sure why she felt guilty, maybe because she wished she had done something to prevent me from experiencing this, or maybe because she wished she could've prepared me better. I never found out, and to this day I regret not asking her. For that day was the last opportunity I had.

My seat became uncomfortable after about five minutes of waiting for the stage equipment too actually be set up, after a short wait it was ready to go.

Before I knew it a man was up at the podium.

" Welcome welcome, Boys and girls and their relatives here too support them. Today is a very special day indeed" He was smiling. How can he be smiling right now.

" You all are here to be numbered, when I call your name you shall stand up, your picture will appear on the screen above me and then a number. When the number appears I ask you to come up onto the stage to be marked." He pointed to the contraption I had been puzzled by earlier. When he said marked I assumed he meant being tattooed.

The man began to talk more about what will happen after you are numbered, but I dazed off getting distracted by somebody else in the room.

A boy, a very handsome one dare I say. He sat  a couple rows behind me and about 10 seats over, but I could still make out his features. Green eyes were the first thing I noticed, whoa I haven't seen green eyes like those sense my father. After admiring the emerald shade of green I turned my gaze to his hair, it was pushed back and up, revealing his for head. Curly brown locks occupied his whole head. He had the kind off hair that was so shiny and smooth looking that you could run your hands through it a million time and it would remain in perfect shape. I found my self envying him a bit,

Do i honestly envy a boys hair? Whoa.

Before I could continue examining his face I saw him move. My eyes went down and immediately connected with his. A rush went through me, like when you jump off of a cliff right before you hit the water. His eyes seared into mine like he was searching for something that he could not find. Holding his gaze I pushed the locks of hair that had slowly fallen out of my bun behind my ear. When I finally got the guts too raise my hand and wave he broke the connection. Quickly returning to reality, I focused back on the announcer, but i couldn't help but look back at the boy to see him staring me down from the other side of the room.

Before I even realized it the announcer began to read off names, when he did a picture of each person showed up, along with a number.

The numbers given were mainly 5-7's with occasional 4 or 8's. One girl got a 9 and a few people stood up and applauded.

I rolled my eyes. None off these people had any meaning to me, until I saw one persons picture appear on the screen and a name called out that I have never forgotten in my entire life.

The announcer cleared his throat.

"Harry Styles"

The boy who had been eyeing me rose from his seat, I gripped my chair as I turned to the screen.

It read a big fat 10.

My mouth dropped open along with everyone else in the room.

As surprised as I was I think it is to say that I was the least surprised in the room. I mean look at him, he was beautiful, unbelievably stunning in a way that was too hard grasp.

He slowly walked up to the stage, he walked like a gentle man. But his face was confused and unsure as if he had heard the man wrong. Every ones eyes were on him, Harry rather say. Harry shook the announcers hand and walked over to the man holding the tattoo gun. The man quickly shot the back of Harry's neck with it, leaving a clear number 10.

He gulped touched his neck and then slowly returned to his seat, bringing every ones gaze with him.

I would have sat there watching him along with everyone else for ever if I haden't heard something that made my whole body freeze.  It was two words that were spoken, two words that I heard almost every day, yet this time they felt new and cold and terrifying too my ear. No, not yet, I'm not ready for this. I screamed from the inside.

"Sonnet Woodlin"

My mother grasped my hand tightly as and image of me appeared on the screen. Later I realized it was the last moment of being free, being my own person, not a numbered object. My last moment, and I didn't even care. Because what came next made my stomach drop so hard that I almost fainted. A number appeared on the screen.

3

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DUN DUN DUNNNNN

I hope you guys liked this chapter! sorry if there is a lot of spelling mistakes or grammar, I'm tired and need to go to bed. :(. Any way pleas vote and keep reading! Share the link and tell a friend!

Please comment below what you think so far. Love you all so much,

xoxo Ali