Wherever You Are

Twenty Two: Thumping Heart

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"Dr. Macline, welcome home!" Dr. Northington cheered, making me look to her as she stepped off the elevator with her lone, black suitcase. She was much different than I expected she would be, as she looked much younger than presumed. In my head I was expecting some 70 year old woman, but Lydia was surely not that. I wouldn't push anything below 50, but she definitely looked younger than her age. Her pale, round face creased with lines as she smiled to us all, her bright golden eyes lighting up the room even more than it already was.

"Thank you everyone, it's a pleasure to be back after such a long time!" she sweetly spoke, vibrant and passionate with her words. Clapping as same did everyone else, Dr. Northington came up to shake her hand and introduce her to us scientists. Starting with the others, Dr. Northington came to me last.

"This is Jack Nethers, he's been here 15 years and counting. You will be staying with him while we find room for you," he told Lydia, as she shoved up her short dark brown hair into a bun and gave me her hand to shake.

"It's nice to see you Jack," she smiled to me, almost as if she already knew me.

"It's nice to meet you as well," I replied, as I watched her and Dr. Northington proceed throughout the rest of the citizens with simple hellos, before having me lead her up to my apartment.

My heart thumped in my chest as the elevator doors opened for us to step out onto the second story. I couldn't control my breathing and it was obviously everywhere.

"Is something wrong Jack?" Lydia asked me, as I took her luggage into my own hands to carry to my apartment. Walking beside her, I shook my head and with a smile told her no.

"I'm just afraid of heights, this always happens when I take the elevator," I lied, not knowing what else to tell her. Nodding, I didn't know if she believed me or not, but I didn't care. Anything was better than telling her the truth.

Her strides matched mine almost perfectly as the never ending hallway engulfed us whole. Hands sweaty with nerves, I looked to her with a weak smile.

"You know how the rules state things we can't do?" I asked her, making her nod and laugh a bit. Her laugh was high-pitched and joyful in a way that I swore I had heard before, but kept walking before she answered.

"Yes, Jack, rules do state things we can't do. What about them?" she wondered back, looking to me with a sort of concern.

"Well what if we have a good reason to break one of them?" I questioned, coming up to my apartment door and taking a deep breath.

"Well it really depends on which rule someone's breaking, doesn't it?" she smiled, making me nod in confusion to why she wouldn't directly answer me. Swiping my hand across my door, it opened with a swift glide and I rushed in faster than I ever had before. Searching for Charlotte, I couldn't find her in the kitchen or living room which made me sigh in relief. Though, I knew I wasn't out of the clearing yet, and looked back to Lydia who stared at me with deep bewilderment.

"Sorry, come in, come in," I told, showing her the way to the back bedroom which Charlotte and I weren't sleeping in. Checking our bedroom as I walked, Charlotte wasn't there either, which made me realize she wasn't even here to begin with.

"My God!" I groaned out loud, making Lydia look to me with confusion again. I told Charlotte to not leave the apartment! I thought, worrying where on earth she could have gone. "Sorry, here's your room. I'll be right back, I just have to meet someone quick," I told, dropping off her suitcase and leaving the room in a rush. Opening up the apartment door and running through the hallway, I turned left to go down the hallway full of windows and stopped to look down at all the citizens now turning into their homes for the night.

Groaning out, I turned fast to keep searching throughout the place, until I finally saw her ahead. Looking down at what she always called the glass kingdom, her face was lit up with curiosity and joy. Stopping, I watched her as she smiled, giggling at the way kids would play and parents would try to corral them inside.

"Charlotte," I spoke, making her turn and look to me immediately; almost in shock. "I told you to stay at the apartment..." I drifted, coming over to her and hugging her tight.

"I'm sorry, I just had to see what was going on. You know I can't be left out of the mix like that," she responded, looking up to me as her hands drifted across my chest.

"I know. No one can tell you what to do," I laughed, making her laugh as well as she looked back down to the kingdom and smiled. "I need to tell you something though," I said, making her look up to me with the same curiosity she had before. "Lydia is staying with us," I spat out, not knowing how else to tell her. Confused, she moved away from me and shook her head.

"Why is she staying with us? That can't happen!" she nervously spoke, looking down to her clothes and noting that they weren't white.

"Honey, it's going to be okay. We can work through this. She is only staying with us for a little while until she can get her own room. I'll just introduce you as another citizen, everything will be okay," I told, even though I barely believed it myself. I had a top scientist in my apartment, who knew the rules forward and back and knew how illegal it was to bring down anyone from above ground. However, Charlotte and I walked anyways, hand in hand back to the apartment. I could feel her grip tighten as I opened the doors, but once we entered everything changed...