Submit (Book 1, The Karyln Trials)

Chapter Six

     The rest of the week passes with little excitement. I don't see Market Boy again and I only have the chance to talk to Lincoln twice. He's told me of Eve each time and I hide how much it hurts each time. By the end of the night, I'll be able to put a face to the legend that I'm told of. By the end of the night, I'll be forced to put all of my feelings toward him behind me and focus on getting to know August and not dying during The Trial.

I wake early from a fitful sleep and groan as I rise. I search through my drawers, looking for the outfit that Millie suggested I wear on my special day. I reach in and grab my high waisted white skinny jeans and the shirt that was placed next to it. The shirt is fitted around the chest then flares out at my rib cage, ending right below the waistband on my jeans.

I'm about to walk out of my room when the door bursts open. "Happy birthday, Ada!" Millie yells with her head tipped back and her arms wide. She turns to look at my bed, expecting me to be there.

I clear my throat and Millie looks over to where I really am. I watch as she deflates when she sees that I'm awake and ready. "Really, Ada? I even made sure I woke up early so I could wake you up like that. You ruin everything." She throws her hands into the air and turns to go back to her room and change.

I laugh as I watch her leave and follow her out the door. I walk into her room, the mirrored version of mine, if my room had clothes everywhere and my bed was constantly unmade. Millie walks slowly around her room, periodically picking something up off the ground then dropping it back to where it was.

"Ah-hah!" I look back at Millie and try to push the itchy feeling away. My OCD can wait, I don't need to break and fix it all. I'm okay.

Millie is holding in her hands, a white strapless dress with a black flower pattern on the skirt. I raise my eyebrows at her and she gives me a confused look. "What?"

I roll my eyes and point at the dress. "If Mother doesn't comment on that dress when she had an issue with what I was wearing yesterday, I will go insane." Millie scoffs and changes into the dress.

After the dress is on she grabs two pairs of identical white sandals and hands one to me. "Happy Birthday, Ada." I look down at the sandals and smile, they're cute and I definitely need to replace the flats I wear every day.

I take the shoes from her and walk over to the bed, sitting down so I can put them on. "Thank you, Millie." She and I put the sandals on then she picks through her drawers looking again for something.

When she stands straight she slips on a three-quarter sleeve, white jacket to cover the lack of straps on her dress. "Better?" She gives me a little twirl and I laugh.

"Yes, much better." Now dressed and mostly ready for the day, we walk down to the living room and take a seat on the couch.

Millie grabs her book and I'm about to look for one myself when Father's voice grabs my attention from behind me. "Happy Birthday, Adaline."

I stand and turn around, Father is by himself with Mother nowhere to be seen. He opens his arms and I run into them. "Good morning, Father."

His arms are tight around me, but I embrace the pain knowing that I won't have it much longer. I slowly pull away from him and he takes my hands in his. "I have something for you." He smiles at me and I force one over my confused thoughts.

Usually on birthdays, we receive bits of our parents' trade. Clothes, for Millie and I, so I've gotten used to being given a white box with a new change of clothes. So when Father comes back with a small rectangular box, I'm hesitant to touch the cardboard.

"Come on, Ada! Open the box!" I look over at Millie to see her draped over the back of the couch with a huge smile on her face.

I look back at Father and his eyes start to water with happy tears. I give him a small smile then take the box in my hands. I walk over to the kitchen table and set the box down. The top comes off easily in my hands and a large object is wrapped and covered in so much tissue paper that I'm unable to make out the object.