SHIFT

CHAPTER 1 !HUMANS!

I'm falling. I can't help it. That's when I realize I love Aaron. We drown in each other's arms, I can't breathe. But I don't want to. He looks up into my eyes, loosening our embrace, and all I see is terror behind calm green irises.
"I'm dreading tomorrow..." his voice cracks and I can tell he's upset. I brush my hand through his hair, and pull him closer. I touch his forehead to mine.
"Hey, we'll always be together," I say but I don't know if it's true.
"I love you Kaleb," Aaron says to me.
"I love you too," and we're back to drowning. I dreading tomorrow just as much as he is. We're both sixteen so we're obligated to participate in our Adjournment, where boys where boys are "indicated into manhood" and are
married off to random women. That's how it always was in Purview, and there's nothing we could do. Many years ago my father had his Adjournment, and his father, and my father's father's father, and my father's father's father's father and so on. But they liked women, and Aaron and I don't. I don't know what's wrong with us.
I've heard stories about people like Aaron and I, from my best friend Aubree, and she knows so many secrets I'm surprised Purview hasn't killed her yet. Most of the stories go like this: Having fallen in love with someone of the same sex, many of the people, men and women already married, were discovered with their secret lovers and they were never seen from again. I'm pretty sure Aubree told me that story just to make me insecure and freak me out, but she'd never made fun of or even cared about my love for Aaron, so I had to believe it.
Whether we are going to be killed or not, we still have this one night together, and I'm not going to ruin it. I pull Aaron closer and feel the warmth of his breath on my neck. I grab his face and pull it to mine and we kiss and don't stop. I forget where I am because it's just me and Aaron. Purview ceases to exist, and I feel loved. I'm pretty sure that's what heaven feels like.
Then we hear a noise.
Purview comes back into view and we break away from each other.
"Kaleb, did you hear that?" Aaron sounds frantic. I thought my parents were going to get home by Wake-Hour. I push Aaron off my sleeping pod and he scrambles under it.
"Wait here and don't move" I say. He's shaking looking on the verge of tears. I open my door just a crack and peek out. When I see nothing I open it further and poke my head out. My parents are arguing in the kitchen unit.
"You have nothing to worry about dear," my dad says. My mom's crying.
"Kaleb isn't ready. I'm not ready for god's sake. Kaleb hasn't shown any interest in the Adjournment, and I only want what's best for my son"
"He's my son too I'll have you know. And the Adjournment isn't a big deal. All you have to is Shift, fight, and get a wife chosen. Easy. You don't even have to choose the wife. Senator does it for you."
"What if he doesn't want a wife," my mom said it quietly trailing off..
"Oh for god's sake Eleanor, not this again. He has to have a wife, what else would he have?"
"All Im saying is if hes not read--"
I close the door. I've heard enough. I turn around and Aarons by the teleporter Aubree stole for me in case of a time like this. I walk over and hug him.
"I love you Aaron."
"I love you too Kaleb"
We stay there forever. Then he steps on the circular platform,and presses the button by his foot, and he's gone without a trace.
My door opens.
"It's a mess in here Kaleb, I thought you tidied it up on Cleaning-day" my dad says. He's agitated from his argument with Mom.
"I did"
"Oh..."
"Yep"
"Ok..."
"Is there a reason you came in here?"
"Oh ya, I wanted to talk to you," He starts to sit on my sleep pod, but thinks otherwise. My dad's a hygienic man to say the least. He stands and rocks back to forth, "Sooo, Kaleb?"
"Yes?"
"...Do you... uh... Do you want a wife?" I don't know how to answer, why right now? Even if I say I don't what would that change. I opt to lie
"Ye- yes." I cringe at my own words.
"Okay," and then he's gone. A moment later I hear my mom yell and a door slam and I regret all my life decisions. I close my door, climb into bed, and lay on my back so I could look at the patterns in the ceiling.
Is there a way to get out of the Adjournment? Is there a way to get out of Purview at all? Aubree had told me there used to be this independent society of humans that lived on earth before we came and took it over a billion years ago. But I don't believe her.
I fall asleep.