984 (Complex Series, #2)

Chapter Nine

I awake to a person shaking my shoulder. At first, I think I'm still in the Complex and sit up to get ready. I bang my head on the metal frame of the bunk above me. I collapse back into my bed, blinking away white. I open my eyes to slits to see a Charlotte looking at me worriedly. 

I give her a weak smile and slide down on to the floor, my head pounding. I'm still in my wrinkled gray skirt and long-sleeve shirt from the Complex. Charlotte leads me silently out of the door. Some girls are still stretched out on mattresses, but most of the beds are vacant. I don't see Dana in the room. As I make my way out of the room, I accidentally step on a girl's hand at one point. I gasp, waiting for the girl to wake up, angry, but she merely turns over in her sleep. 

After we clear out of the hallway, Charlotte begins in a cheery chatter, "So, Rivie, we need to get you to the Showers. You see, here, we don't have Renewals. We have to get ourselves all presentable by ourselves. If you want to cut your hair or anything, we can do that after today. Then, we will just swing by the Meal Room for Morning Meal and get on with our day. What we will do for the next ten days is shadow every Pros for a day. That way, you can get the hang of each Pros and then choose which one you would like to have at the end of the next ten days. Of course, you can change Pros, so it isn't as much pressure as, say, those nasty offie Profession Tests I've heard about."

I groggily listen to Charlotte's babble. I'm not even fully awake yet as I trudge down the hall after Charlotte. I recognize it slightly from last night with Dana. I can tell we are following the same path we did before. Charlotte stops in front of a door labeled Showers: Fe. Charlotte presses her wrist strap into the door. It slides open and we both step in. 

Heat rolls into me. I immediately start to sweat. Steam fills the air and my throat, making it hard to take slow, steady breaths. 

I squint through the steam. One small wall is lined with mirrors. Stools are positioned across from them, every stool is taken by a girl who is brushing out her own hair and styling it. A curtain hangs across half of the room. 

Charlotte leads me towards the big curtain. "Okay, Piper, I've already been to the Showers this morning, so you are going to be on your own for this. Basically, what you are going to do is strip down your clothes."

She laughs at my open mouth. The only person who has seen me naked is my Renewal Officials. The idea that strangers will see me bare terrifies me. She continues, "Sorry, Rivie, but privacy doesn't have a place here. We have to be efficient and privacy isn't included in that. So, you are going to strip down your clothes behind the curtain, but them in the bright yellow baskets. In there, other girls are showering, so the rule is, keep your eyes on the floor. Don't look at them and they won't look at you. okay? So, you probably won't have to wait in line, but some days you might. On the floor along the walls are blue circles about the size of your head. When you stand on these, water will come out of the ceiling for three minutes, and three minutes only. This is going to be hot water with soap in it, but you have to deal with it. During these three minutes, just keep your eyes and mouth shut tight and you will survive. Then, go to the shelves at the other end of the room, and grab a towel, dry yourself off, and get on clothes labeled R.I. You will want...the smallest size there is on the shelf. Get dressed and come back out here. Remember, keep your eyes on the floor and move fast, we have a schedule to stick to. Now, go."

I force my feet to walk to the curtain. I slip behind it. I remember Charlotte's words, keep your eyes on the floor. The steam is the thickest in here. With shaky hands, I pull my shirt over my head and drop my skirt to the ground. After I finish undressing, I hold my clothes tight to my body, as if they conceal anything. I spot the big yellow baskets Charlotte mentioned and reluctantly through my clothes into the basket.