The Elite

Chapter 8

*Ember's POV*

It's Wednesday afternoon, tomorrow is my eighteenth birthday. Me, Lily and James are all sitting in an American diner, we've finished college for the day and are now revising over lunch.

We're sitting in a booth, our notes and textbooks spread out in front of us as we take it in turns to quiz one another on different biology topics.

"Okay," Lily says, "the true or false round is up next on photosynthesis, Em you're up first."

I twirl the straw in my vanilla milkshake and roll my eyes, of course she'd pick on me first. Lily had a habit of making sure that I've been paying attention in class, and with life's recent events right now I'd rather not be studying every second of my remaining full days at home. Instead I want to be cuddled up in bed with a thousand blankets and a tub of ice cream.

"Do all organisms require light energy to carry out life processes?"

I let out a small laugh, "of course not, c'mon I'm not that dumb."

"The major light absorbing pigment found in plants is called chlorophyll."

"That is indeed correct," I say putting a sarcastic smile on my face.

James puts down his fork onto his plate of eggs and looks over at me, "you're really not feeling this, are you?"

I take a long sip of my milkshake, zoning out and thinking about my birthday tomorrow. Even though it's a Thursday most of my family are coming over to our house, including Lily and James for a party even though we're going out for dinner on the Sunday.

I know it's my eighteenth birthday but to be honest I don't want it to happen, it's just going to be another responsibility piled onto my shoulders. All of this is enough for me to handle. I've only just found a balance, what if it throws me over the edge again?

"Em..." I hear a distant voice call, "Ember!"

I shake my head and remove the straw from my mouth, both of my friends are staring at me with concerned expressions on their faces.

"Huh?" I say, "what was that? Sorry."

They both look at each other before turning to me, "what is going on?" Lily asks me, "what is wrong?"

What is wrong? What is wrong? You have got to be kidding me right? Are they for real?

"Oh let me think," I can feel my anger levels rising, "I've just been told that I'm a part of this group and I'm supposed to be 'superior' to everyone else. I'm going to be trained up to be some sort of warrior woman, whilst the whole world gets to carry on with their lives and have a normal career!"

My blood boils as I continue my rant, "you guys get to have something close to a 'normal' life, I don't! I have this guy that follows me around, a bodyguard! A fucking bodyguard! Who do you know of our age that has one of those? What if it all sends me over the edge again?"

Tears blur my vision as I storm out of the diner, my head a mess as all the other customers stare and wonder what the hell is going on. I go to the only place that I know will calm me when I'm like this, the beach.

I lean on the railings, my hands gripping them so tight that my knuckles go white. I feel unstable both mentally and physically, my whole world spins like it's not on the correct axis. I let my cold salty tears run down my cheeks as the warm breeze blows my hair back, my body shakes like it's about to crumble.

I feel a hand rest on my shoulder but I flinch away from it, I totally recoil curling myself into the smallest thing I can be.

"Hey," the soothing voice greets, "it's okay, you're going to be okay."