The Insiders

Chapter 24

Chapter 24-Coren

"We have a lot to talk about." Steve starts. Nobody in the room is looking back at him. A sudden interest in my thumbs has developed in my head. I let them move around in a continuos circle never stopping. I let myself glance slightly at Sharlene. She stares at the table, but in her eyes I can tell she's not seeing the table she's seeing an image from the past day. She has changed. Even in that small amount of time she has changed. It's expected though, we have all changed.

"I know this is hard but you need to at least look at me." Steve teases trying to lighten the mood. It doesn't work. We all quickly snatch our heads up to him. He lets out a small smile, well as much of a smile that someone can manage at this point. Steve begins to hand out a piece of paper to each of us, when did he get the paper?

"These are some schedules for the next few weeks." Steve begins to explain. I hold my paper and begin to read it.

"Few weeks?" Sharlene questions with panic. I turn to her to see if I can help ease the panic, but when I turn she has a focused look on her face towards Steve that catches me off guard. They're having a silent conversation. She's reading his thoughts and placing hers into his head. I just know it. I hate it when she does this, it feels like she's keeping secrets from me. She can hear all of my secrets from my head, but I hardly know anything about the most important thing in this world to me. The noise of my paper crumbling from my uncontrollable strength makes Sharlene end her silent conversation and turn to me concerned.

"Sorry." I mumble, though I'm not. I quickly set the paper on the table.

"Can I take this paper and go talk to Amy?" Sharlene asks Steve, although she could be asking Bryce.

"Would that be alright?" Steve asks Bryce. Somehow he manages to put a small smile on his face.

"I think that would help." With that she starts towards the door with the piece of paper in hand. I need Sharlene here with me, especially after her disappearing yesterday. I begin to rack my brain to find a reason for her to stay.

"Doesn't she need to hear what you have to say to be able to know what the schedule means too?" I finally say, but before Steve can make her stay the door clicks shut. I turn to the door for a moment hoping she changed her mind.

"She already knows." Steve tells me as I turn my head back to him. Already knows? How? I so desperately want to ask, but I don't.

"I think it would be easiest for us if you guys looked at your schedules then ask questions, so I can explain only what I need to." Steve instructs.

We begin to read over our sheets. The schedule consists of long days, starting at eight in the morning and training until six at night but even then we are scheduled to eat dinner. There's a few training sessions that I understand right away such as combat, defence and weaponry. But there's quite a few sessions that I haven't the slightest clue as to what they are. Survival, serum defence, serum aftermath and identity training, are some of the confusing ones. After about two minutes Steve begins to answer our questions. I remain silent because there is only one thing I can think of; if Sharlene didn't need to be here, she knew about all this. But for how long? Why didn't she tell me?