Collective

Hadley

Will and Hadley had been sitting by the river for what felt like hours. Hadley held him while he told her how lost he felt without his Power. How he didn't feel like himself. How he felt broken. He didn't speak about anything that had happened at the Castle, or what it had been like. He just kept saying how he felt like he had lost a part of him that he would never get back.

Hadley didn't know what to say. She couldn't imagine how horrible it must feel to lose something that was so strong inside of yourself. Something that was a part of yourself. Which was exactly why she was so terrified of her own Offering.

So she just held him and said "I'm so sorry Will" about a million times until he seemed all talked out. It wasn't until the traces of dawn were slivering through the trees that they finally stood and walked back toward Hadley's house.

"I'm sorry I kept you up all night," he said hoarsely.

"Don't even worry about it." Hadley said firmly. She gave him one last hug and walked up to her bed. Hadley knew she wouldn't get away with sleeping more than an hour, and she'd only manage that if she did her chores in double time, but luckily she fell into a deep sleep almost immediately, so she was able to make the most of the hour she had.

When she woke up, she went through her chores robotically, her mind a million miles away. It was so unfair that they could force citizens to give up their Powers the way they did. Of course, she had never heard anyone else voice any sadness or desire not to give up their power aside from Will. Will and Hadley had always been 100% honest with one another, but outside of their friendship there was a definite taboo against anything but positivity toward the Offering. Minors were taught again and again about how the Offering had brought peace to their land and how it was only because of the Offering that peace remained.

But how could that be true, she wondered. Everyone kept their Power until they were 18 and no one under 18 fought about Powers. And if they had their Powers after 18, why would they even want to fight over them. They all had lives to live, things to do, businesses to run, children to care for and families to feed. Who would have time to drop it all and go to war over something as ridiculous as Power strength? It just didn't make sense.

Maybe at one point in the world people cared about what Power was strongest. But a long time had passed since that generation. Hadley felt that they had grown as a country since that time.

She had to pull herself out of her thoughts when she got to school later and saw how despondent Will was. It wasn't unusual for those who had just Offered their Powers to be a little zoned out for a while, sometimes even a long while. The kids were told it was a "symptom" of the absorbing process. Hadley knew that was a lie, it was sadness for having lost a Power, simple as that. But seeing Will so down broke her heart. He was normally so vibrant and happy and full of life. This just wasn't the Will she knew.

As she gazed at him during class a flash of vision clued her in to the fact the teacher was about to call on her so she quickly turned her attention back to the blackboard right before the teacher turned around.

"Hadley," she spoke warmly, the teacher had no idea Hadley hadn't been paying attention. Hadley's mind told her the teacher was about to ask about the meaning of the reading they had just done. Unfortunately Hadley hadn't actually read it.

"Do you think Caroline's desire to be a nurse is more important than her family's desire for her to take over the family shop in her old age? What do her points about her own personal happiness mean?"

Hadley prepared herself to invent an answer. "Well I think Caroline is really struggling with the decision, because she loves her family, and she knows they need her, but she also has a responsibility to herself to follow her own dreams. And if she takes over the shop she won't truly be passionate about it or be happy, which will probably end up being more detrimental to the customers and her family than if she didn't take over the shop at all. Plus she might end up resenting them." She hoped this was somewhat aligned with whatever Caroline's points about her personal happiness had been.

The teacher frowned just slightly and addressed Hadley again, "Sometimes the greater good is more important than one person's feelings though. Isn't Caroline being selfish by refusing her family? Think of all they have done for her over the years, feeding her, providing her with clothes and shelter. Doesn't she owe them for all of that?"

"Well she didn't ask them to do that for her. I think it's a mother's responsibility to care for her daughter. And I think that her family would manage to find someone else to take over their shop if they really wanted. They are choosing to not consider any compromise or alternative."

The teacher was definitely frowning now. "I'm not sure the point of the reading has quite gotten through to you Hadley. It is important to remember that sometimes, giving back for others' benefit is more rewarding than putting ourselves first."

Hadley decided to let it go, as she had started noticing her classmates interest perking up as they noticed someone was actually disagreeing with the teacher for a change. "I'm sure that is true in many situations Ms. Hadworth," Hadley made sure to keep her tone light and unconcerned.

"It certainly is in most situations Hadley, if not all," Ms. Hadworth smiled at her and Hadley glanced over at Will, ready to roll her eyes at the entire exchange like she usually would, but found him staring at what appeared to be the wall in front of him with a blank expression on his face. Hadley's heart dropped a bit, and she lowered her gaze to the floor. For the first time, she was feeling like something wasn't right. Not just with Will, but with the bigger picture.