Year 12 (First Draft)

-Chapter 6-

  I pull my hair up into a bun, ignoring the stray pieces that frame my forehead. I pull on a comfortable blouse, and some dress pants, slipping my feet into a pair of flats. I look at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, ignoring the dark circles under my eyes. I run some cool water from the faucet and splash it onto my face, swallowing the lump in my throat. Today is a new day.

  I walk back into my bedroom, surprised to see a Year Movement worker already seated on the bed, ready to keep an eye on Amelia.

  "Have a wonderful day," She says sweetly, and I nod, sending her a thankful smile. I rush out of the room, ready to leave my nightmares from the previous night behind me. I kept seeing the video, replaying itself over and over in my sleepy haze. Only this time, Kane had been so beaten, so broken, that it had been the old man who had his hands around Kane's neck. His threats had gone long past simple statements, progressing into a tyrannical monologue of all he had planned for me. My skin crawls recalling the chilling digression.

  I walk through the halls, making my way to Kane's office. I stop, when I notice Paul in the room, his tool-belt absent from its normal spot on his hips. He rummages through a stack of papers, then mutters something under his breath, straightening the papers back into their original position. I walk in slowly, and Paul jumps, not having noticed my presence.

  "Have you seen my newest UCP sketch?" Paul asks, his fingers tapping absentmindedly on the desk. "I swear I left it in here somewhere."

  I shake my head, still unable to formulate a response. Andrea's uncertainty has begun to taint my view of Paul. I feel terrible for it, not truly suspecting him of anything except for being an amazing mechanic and inventor. Paul walks forward, leaning against the desk, arms crossed over his chest. "Are you okay?" He asks, concern marring his brow. I nod, unable to fully look him in the eye. Lately it has felt like I've been wearing my emotions and suspicions on my sleeve. Considering my suspicions include the kind man in front of me, I feel all the more guilty for having such thoughts.

  "Hey, don't give me that look," Paul grins, and I realize just how upset I must look. Paul steps forward, holding his arms wide. I step into his embrace, grateful that Paul holds no grudges. I can only imagine that he has caught on to the tension within the Year Movement recently. Especially within our own group. Andrea, Paul, Mrs. Porter, myself, we're surrounded by distrust and worry of disloyalty. There's only so many people we can trust, and I like to think that they are the people here with me in this building.

  Paul leans back for a second, tipping my chin up. "If anyone can do this, it's you Felisha. I've believed in you from the start. Just be careful. There are a lot of people out there, a lot of terrible people who want to see the Year Movement fall. They want to see you fall."

  I swallow, nodding my head slowly. I know what Paul says is true, and it chills me to the bone. Now that I am associated with the Year Movement, people want to see me dead just as much as Kane, if not more so.

  It's crazy to think of how life was not all that long ago, when I was on the street, living as a nobody. Now, I could never ever be a nobody again. The Government won't stop searching for me, not even if they get what they so badly desire. I'll never just be the street rat, clinging to her outdated LR-5. Now I'm something more, and despite the circumstances, the thought is glamorous.

  "I hope that I can be half the leader Kane was," I say against Paul's chest, having let my head fall from his fingers. "The Year Movement deserves a strong leader to guide them through this time."

  "Truth be told," Paul says, and I feel his lips brushing against the top of my head, sending a chill down my spine, "I think you would make a better leader than Kane. There's something about you that seems so at ease in this position. You've taken up the job, not because there were others less capable, but because you felt it was right. I don't know, I just think you were made to lead something such as the Year Movement, and I'm happy I'm here to see it."