Searching for Paradise

Chapter One

I opened my eyes slowly as the light streamed in through the small window above my head. My cieling was white, my walls were white, even my floor was white. The only thing that wasnt white was my black school uniform hanging in my closet. I threw the covers off me and rubbed my eyes trying to get them to adjust. I looked over at my alarm clock and shut it off before it could go off. 7:15 in the morning, which meant I had forty five minutes to get ready for School. I got up and pulled my uniform on trying to get my slow fingers to work the buttons on the blouse. I grabbed my shoes from the bottom of my closet, slipped them on while also making my way to the bathroom. I brushed my long black hair into a bun and took my face in. I guess you could say I was pretty. Straight black hair, green eyes. My mother said I have high cheeckbones too, which is ok I suppose. I walkd out of my headache inducing room and into the headache inducing living room. Yes, everything in my house is white. The walls, the furniture, everything. We werent exactly allowed to have any color.

"Gabriella? Is that you?" My mother called out to me, poking her head around the doorframe that led to the kitchen. "Yeah. Im up" I said still trying to rub the sleep from my eyes. "Well hurry up or you wont have time for breakfast." She said and went back to cooking breakfast. My dad brushed past me giving my head a kiss on his way. "Morning Gabriella." He said in his stern voice. My dad was a soldier. No, not in the sense that he fights in wars, although he would if the Union called for it. He protects the community from rebels and stuff like that. "Morning." I said walking into the kitchen, grabbing a piece of toast on my way through.

"Wheres your sister?" Mom asked me. I shrugged my shoulders and took a bite of the toast before putting butter on it. My mother walked out of the kitchen and into the hallway that led to mine and Mallory's room. Right as she was about to knock the door flew open, and my sister came barreling out one pigtail loose and one shoe on. And she had it on the wrong foot.

"Am I late?!" She cried trying to get the shoe all the way on her foot. "Mallory youve got the wrong foot." I said taking another bite of my toast. My sister looked down and got all red and huffy before putting her shoes on the right feet. "Come here." I said beckoning her over. I turned her around and combed my fingers through her brown hair pulling the loose pieces into a pigtail. "There. Now your all set for School." Mallory just turned six, which means she starts her first day at School today.

"Im nervous. What if the other kids dont like me." She looked up at me with her big hazel eyes. "Hey who cares what those kids think." I said crouching down to eye level. "And even if they dont, so what. Youll find someone who likes you eventually." I smiled at her. "You mean like you and Reeve?" She asked. I bristled at the name. "No not like me and Reeve. Youll find a real friend." I stood up and grabbed my pack with my sister in tow right behind me. We headed out the door towards the train stop that would take us to the school.

"Hey! Parrow!" A voice called out behind me. I tightened my grip on the straps of my pack and started walking faster. "Hey slow down!" Reeve called out as he jogged to catch up to me. When he finally did he fell into step beside me.

"Still not talking to me are you." Reeve said eyeing me carefully. I ignored him and kept walking trying to get away from him. I wouldve too, if he hadnt grabbed my arm. I didnt think, I just swung. I felt my fist connect with bone and a shooting pain went up my arm. Im sure I broke a bone or too. Reeve stumbled backwards holding his mouth and looked at me.

"Dont ever touch me again." I hissed at him. "C'mon Mallory." I grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the train. As we were bording she looked at me then down at my hand. "Gabriella, your bleeding." She whimpered. I looked down at my hand and immediatly felt a thobbing pain start in my hand. I had cuts on two of my knuckles and swelling around my pointer and middle finger. 

I hid my hand from the public eye as I boarded the train. I didnt need anyone knowing I had hit someone. Violence was illegal in the Union. No matter what any asshole does to you, your are forbidden to ever fight. I took my seat and watched Mallory move back to the seats where kids her own age sat, also awaiting their first day of School. I was examining my hand when someone sat down oppisite of me. I tried to hide my hand from whoever sat down but I wasnt fast enough.

"What happened to you." A deep voice asked. I looked up to the face of a boy I had never seen before. He was wearing the same uniform I was, his hair a tousled blonde mess, and his eyes were a sparkling hazle. "Nothing. I tripped." I replied to him a little to fast. He chuckled and reached into his backpack. "Let me see." I reached out my hand and he took it in his. His hands were rough and calloused as if from a hard days work, which surprised me. We didnt get our jobs until we were sixteen and had completed School. I didnt turn sixteen for a couple of months, and I assumed he wasnt sixteen because he was going to school.

He took out his pack from underneath him and rummaged around before finally pulling something out. He held up the box for me to see. Bandages. I was shocked, Bandages were so primative that nobody carried them around anymore. Everyone carried a bottle of Heal around with them. It was alot faster and safer. Nobody had the chance of getting an infenction with the Heal. 

He took my hand again and smoothed out the bandaid over my knuckle. I winced when he put pressure down on my fingers. "You might have a broken finger or two. Id really hate to be the guy on the other end of this fist." He laughed. I jerked my hand back from him. "I told you I fell." I said defensivly cradling my hand. He shook his head and leaned back in the seat watching me.

"What are you looking at." I snapped at him. "Are you always this friendly." He smirked and laughed. I snorted and ignored his comment. I looked down at the bandages and felt my face heat up. There were kittens all over the band aid. I glared at him and he just smiled.

The train rolled to a stop in front of the Elm School and I gave Mallorys shoulder a squeeze before she departed off the train. The elementary school and the high school are in different parts of the Union. I looked out the window at all the buildings passing by. I was well aware that the boy sitting across from me was still staring at me. I sighed and leaned back in my seat closing my eyes.

"So are you going to tell me your name?" His voice called out. I opened one eye and looked at him. He was sitting straight up and smiling at me. "Gabriella." I mumbled. "Collin." He said still smiling. The train lurched to a stop in front of the School and we all grabbed our packs getting ready to leave the train. As we got off I looked around for my friend Danica but the first thing I saw was Reeve. And his swelled up jaw and busted lip. His eyes surveyed the crowd until they found me. He looked at me before stomping in the other direction, away from me.

"So thats who you hit." I heard whispered in my ear. I jumped and turned around to see that guy Collin standing behind me a grin on his face. I shook my head in anger and walked away from him.

It was gonna be a long day.