The Inveigled

Chapter 5: Jax

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some charity case of a government official and feed off of his money. I didn't ask to be transferred to some Level that's riddled with snobby rich kids that get all pissy over dirty clothes when they can get new ones in a snap.

I stare at Juno as she marches out of the lunchroom, comforting that brat like she'd lost her mother.

I really can't stand it at this point. I need to do something.

These classes are useless. They can smile at us and tell us we all have equal chances at success, but that's an illusion set up to give worthless people the thought that they can succeed.

Now, the only way you can make money is be the child of some rich CEO or get married to someone rolling in cash. The rest of us?

We have to find our own ways. Make groups, find routes to escape this hell.

Some people are lucky. Some people make it out of here, they show the system that they're not in control anymore.

That's what the Black Wave is. Instead of us making it out and bearing it on our own, we're all going to make it out together. We'll do anything to make sure that nothing gets in our way.

As soon as people begin to rush out of the lunchroom, I wedge myself in between these two chatterboxes and make my journey to the subtrains. It wasn't too difficult to make it by unnoticed, since many people had classes down the hall. I followed the stream before splitting and taking a few stairs down to the station.

I hear the countdown slowly ticking and curse under my breath when I realize I had to pick it up and make it to that train.

I sprint across the platform before slipping into the train cart and plopping down on the nearest seat to the door.

My chest heaved with harsh breaths before I sweep my long hair back and lift my head up. I notice another person in the train, but I can't really make them out. That's until I hear that voice that I could recognize miles away.

"Jax!?" Juno squeals, like a child that had just discovered their mom was doing like, drugs or something.

Now I won't be able to make the easy ride down there that I was expecting... A Juno lecture is coming my way.

"Oh, god.. I didn't know you'd be here... What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in class, you idiot." I snap at her, hoping my intimidating tone could show here that I wasn't looking to talk. Of course, Juno is Juno.

"That girl you ran into? Blythe? Do you not remember completely trashing her uniform?"

"Oh yeah... She has a stick up her ass. It wasn't even that bad." Why is everyone villainizing me? I didn't even do anything wrong. She should have moved if she saw me walking in her path.

"That's beside the point. I have my excuse, what's yours?"

I knew that no matter how much I argued with her, her stubborn nature would let my ears fly in one ear and out the next. It's no use.

"No. You're not thinking of the syndicate crap again, are you? That's illegal!"

"We're illegal." I finally mutter, shadowing my words under frustration.

I do get Juno to shut up for a bit though. I'm getting to her.

"Mom should have thought again before sleeping with that Skeptic. We shouldn't be alive, but look at us." I add in, shaking my head disapprovingly.

"That's different! We aren't doing any harm. We're good people!" Juno grasps for an argument, but I could see by the look in her eyes that she was a bit thrown off.